The day came and went. Before long, Ren and Morgana were in the summoning room once more. The generator, now bolstered by the installed Holy Grail, could allow for two more summons. The next Singularity would be found soon so having as much man and firepower as possible was for the best. Roman had elected this time to stay in the command center, hunting down the singularity, while da Vinci was cooped up in her room with her projects. Both would be on hand if they were called, however. In the meantime, Archer had joined Ren and Morgana in the summoning room while Lancer and Mash trained in the simulator. If something went wrong, he would be able to defend the two of them.
Ren still felt sore and groggy from the other day. His temperature had thankfully gone down to more manageable levels before it could cause any damage to his body, but it wasn’t an experience he was willing to try again. Archer had made breakfast – a Japanese affair of fish, rice, and miso soup. That was a nice change from his breakfasts from LeBlanc, which was even more curry. He had thanked Mash for comforting him as he rested – though now the poor girl was having trouble meeting his eyes in turn. Teasing her was definitely somewhat amusing. Mash reminded him so much of Sumire…
No. Best not to think of that now. There were things that needed to be done.
Morgana had volunteered to go first this time to give Ren a bit of a break. As the summoning circle flashed once more, a new person stood there. A tall woman with long purple hair and a metallic blindfold around her eyes. Her clothes left much of her shoulders and legs bare, leaving little to the imagination. She was definitely beautiful, but in a different way than most girls Ren had seen before: A dark sensual beauty that was meant to lure in and seduce should he let his guard down.
“Servant, Rider. My true name is Medusa,” she murmured, her voice just barely above a whisper. “Command me as you wish, even as a sacrifice if you deem it necessary.”
“Hey, none of that,” Morgana snapped. “You’re in Chaldea, and no one’s dying or sacrificing if we can help it!” Ren’s mind immediately flashed back to a metal door coming down on a black-suited young man, but he shook it off. Morgana took a deep breath, then grinned. “After all, your Masters are Ren here and yours truly! I don’t think you can find a better pair here that can lead you to victory!”
Rider looked between the two slowly, appraising them before a small smile creased her lips. “What peculiar Masters,” she commented. “Does the fact that I’m a monster not bother you?”
Morgana and Ren chuckled. “We’ve dealt with worse,” the cat replied cheekily. “It’s good to have you with us though. We got one more summoning to do, then we can show you around the facility!”
Medusa nodded, stepping off the circle. She turned slightly towards Archer, who hadn’t moved from his position of leaning against the wall, seemingly not acknowledging her presence. “Archer,” she greeted shortly.
“Rider,” he returned just as curt.
Ren and Morgana glanced at each other before shrugging. Whatever personal history they had wasn’t any of their business, unless they wanted to divulge. Ren stepped up and performed the summoning ritual himself. There was another flash of bright light as another figure stepped forth. Immediately, Ren’s gut seized up in terror, dropping into a combat stance for a split second before noticing something was different.
The Servant was far different than when they saw her in Fuyuki. Instead of her white pallor, her skin was now a normal, healthy shade. Her golden hair glittered beautifully in the light as opposed to the pale, dead luster. Her armor was of burnished steel with blue engravings over a blue dress. And her eyes with a powerful, dignified green as opposed to the deathly yellow. The aura she gave off wasn’t the overwhelming darkness that they had felt before. Hers was powerful, but serene and noble. A king who cared about their subjects, who did all in their power so their realm would prosper.
“I am Artoria Pendragon, Saber class,” she stated, her words ringing out, proud and stern. “I ask of you – are you my Master?”
Ren smiled, not noticing Archer’s eyes behind him widening at the newest entry to Chaldea. He held out his hand. “That I am,” he responded. “Welcome to Chaldea, Saber.”
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“Wait, so let me get this straight – all of you guys know each other? From another Grail War?”
Morgana had gotten right to the bottom of the matter of their interactions, looking between Saber, Archer, and Rider. They were all still in the summoning room, with Morgana crossing his arms as he looked between the three Servants. None of the three showed much reaction besides quiet contemplation at most (Saber) or disinterest at worst (Rider). “I thought you guys were supposed to be copies and didn’t carry memories of past Grail Wars?”
“It was a complicated thing, Master,” Archer responded. “The Grail War we had participated in was an… anomaly compared to the others. That may be why we retained some memories of it and each other as opposed to others. In case you’re wondering, Lancer was at that War was well.”
Frowning, he noted another point. “And I’m guessing that this Grail War was in Fuyuki?” he ventured a guess. “Because I’m pretty sure all four of you were there when we went to the Singularity.”
Archer smirked. “Right in one, Master,” he replied. “Fuyuki was where the Fifth Holy Grail War took place. It’s where we all met – or rather, where we all tried to kill one another. It was honestly a rather large mess, thinking back on it. That being said, we don’t remember the specific details – merely who was who in the War and impressions at most.””
Rider lowered her head slightly. “And with some Masters being more abominable than others,” she muttered.
“Regardless, we won’t allow whatever happened then to affect our judgement,” Saber stated, stepping forward. “We are here under your summons for the restoration of humanity. What grudges we had in the past are of no relevance from this point on. My blade is yours to command, Masters.”
“Well, when she puts it that way, it’s hard to argue,” the red-coated Servant sighed dramatically, shrugging. “As I said before, we’ll be under your care.”
“I will do what must be done,” Rider murmured. “I will serve as your will, Masters, in any capability you wish.”
Ren stepped forward now. “Alright, take it easy, guys,” he said, raising his hands. “If we have to work together, we might as well try to get along.” With an easy smile he nodded towards Saber and Rider. “Saber, Rider, it’s good to meet you, and I’m looking forward to working with you. Now. Let’s get going on that tour, shall we?”
Saber and Rider nodded. “If you’ll excuse me then,” Archer said. “I’ll check on Mash and make sure that Lancer is teaching her properly, as opposed to getting carried away and just whaling on her.” With that, he turned away, vanishing into spiritual form in the process.
After he vanished, Ren smiled at the two new Servants. “Shall we?”
With that, they went through the still-deserted hallways of Chaldea. Just like they had with Archer and Lancer, he set them up with living quarters (which Rider quietly protested, saying it was extraneous – only to be rapidly shouted down by Morgana who insisted she needed a good place to sleep at least) and then showed them the Command Center. Roman was still staring a hole in his screen as he continued working, with the staff all focused on their own duties as well.
One section that had recently restored power was the library. It didn’t see much use as everyone was too busy with their duties – Ren and Morgana included – but it caught Rider’s attention. Ren, Morgana, and Saber all noticed Rider getting rather fidgety as they walked past the bookshelves. “If you want, Rider, you can explore the library in its entirety,” Ren offered. “We can just head off and meet back up later.”
Rider blinked, then nodded almost imperceptibly. “You are very generous, Master,” she murmured. With that, she almost immediately disappeared among the bookshelves.
Morgana then blinked and looked at Ren. “Can… can she even read with that thing on?” he asked.
Ren opened his mouth to answer, closed it, then looked back at the direction Rider disappeared at, then shrugged. “She probably takes it off when she reads,” Ren explained easily. And if she was Medusa, then Ren and Morgana were both aware of her legend enough to know why they wouldn’t see her eyes. Ren would have to place yet another order with Da Vinci though. It certainly would be inconvenient trying to read when your gaze had the ability to turn people to stone.
Saber in the meantime just kept her expression neutral. She was aware of Rider’s Noble Phantasm and commended her two Masters for at least figuring things out fairly quickly.
“Now, next would be the cafeteria…”
All thoughts of Rider immediately vacated her mind.
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Ren could only despondently watch as another plate was added to the smile pile. He had offered to make curry for Saber, which she eagerly accepted (while trying very hard not to appear desperate). So he made his usual pot of curry and offered a dish to Saber. She had devoured it in a flash and asked for more. And more. And more. Ren had to make yet another pot which vanished in Saber’s gluttonous maw.
Morgana just watched with his jaw open. He didn’t even get a chance to get his own share as Saber had inhaled all the curry. Ren didn’t even have time to make his usual coffee, despite his insistence that the curry went great with it.
“Hm, I must admit, this curry is delectable, Master,” Saber commented, daintily wiping her lips with a napkin. “It is not often I eat foods with many spices, and usually they do not agree with my palette. I commend your culinary skills and believe we shall have a most fruitful partnership.”
Said chef just smiled nervously. “Heh, well, I gotta say I haven’t seen someone enjoy my curry… quite so much before,” he replied. He had seen Sumire pack away food like nothing thanks to being a gymnast with strenuous physical demands eating up calories, but even she would be amazed at how much Saber ate. Ren also knew, however, to never, ever, EVER mention just how much she ate. He knew from experience one should never, ever comment on a woman’s eating habits if one valued their life. Ryuji had made the mistake of joking about how Ann, Makoto, Futaba, and Haru ate quite a bit during one particular outing.
He didn’t think the human cranium could hold so many bumps.
“So, I take it you’ve had enough?” Ren asked hopefully, taking the dishes.
Saber shook her head, smiling beatifically. “Oh, not quite, Master,” she responded with a surprisingly dignified air still. “There were certain notes to the flavor that I could quite place but would like to experience and identify further. I believe another ten dishes or so should be satisfactory.”
Morgana choked at that number as Ren paled. He didn’t mind making curry for others, but this was starting to get a bit too much even for him. Sojiro would’ve kicked her out already for the sheer amount she inhaled (well, unless she was paying, then she would probably be his favorite customer). However, behind the dignified, satisfied aura of a pleased king was the ravenous hunger that lurked right underneath, ready to be unleashed at any time.
As he debated how to handle this, he heard a chuckle from his side. Turning, he saw Archer smirking as he leaned up against a wall. “Saber has considerable appetites, Master,” he explained, not bothering to hide the smug tone in his voice. “It’s best you satisfy her. The wrath of the King of Knights is not something one wishes to bear, after all.” Saber gave a single nod of agreement, still expectant.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“TRAITOR!” Morgana cried.
Ren could only be shocked at Archer’s throwing him under the bus when an idea began to form. He calmed down and smiled. “Archer, hold up your hand,” he requested. Archer blinked but did so. With a smirk, Ren high-fived him as he passed by, walking out of the kitchen. “You got this, Archer!” he called over his shoulder. Morgana gaped, then started laughing uproariously as he hopped off the counter, following Ren as he continued to laugh.
Archer watched his Master leave. He wanted to call out to him but for some reason, he felt… compelled to stay here now. Like it was his turn, no, responsibility to cook now. And more importantly, he felt Saber turn her hungering gaze from Ren… to him. A moment later, the only thing he could give was a defeated sigh, slouching, before moving towards the storeroom to get more ingredients.
Damn you, Master.
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Sitting in a small out-of-the-way alley in Yongen-Jaya was the café, Leblanc. A small, cozy place, the café was often filled with the smell of both curry and coffee, both lovingly crafted by its sole proprietor, Sojiro Sakura. The booths and counter were well cleaned and maintained, ready to receive the sporadic patrons that came by during a warm afternoon day. The TV on the side played current news reports, its sound filling the quiet air and at times sparking conversation.
Ren worked behind the counter, pouring out two cups of coffee. Wearing an apron and utilizing his knowledge, he belonged to this café. Sure, he got roped in from time to time to help out, but he almost never had a problem with it. His only complaint was Sojiro never paid him for it, but given that he had sheltered him throughout his most troubled year, it was only a minor complaint.
Once he was done, he came over and passed a cup to the café’s sole patron: A well-dressed young man with longer brown hair, his sharp auburn eyes watching his every move. The person who had both been a traitor and a friend, one who under better circumstances could’ve been a close ally or rival. The one who wouldn’t be seduced by dreams, for good or ill, bearing the pain of his life throughout it all.
The one he couldn’t save no matter what he tried.
“It certainly has been a while, hasn’t it,” Akechi commented, taking his cup. “After Maruki, I would honestly think that you could rest for a while. But your troubles never cease, do they, Ren?”
Ren scoffed. “No, they certainly don’t,” he grumbled, sipping at his own cup. “If it’s not a false Holy Grail and an illusory world where everyone’s wishes come true, it’s actual Holy Grails and different timelines where history’s gone completely wrong.” He sighed. “At least Morgana’s here.”
“Hm, true,” Akechi acceded, taking a slow sip. “You are truly capable, but even I doubt you could handle this entire manner by yourself. Still, the situation is rather dangerous. I wonder, Ren, if you’ll be able to continue on as you are.”
“What do you mean?” Ren asked, looking up at the former detective.
Akechi smirked. “While this isn’t the first time the fate of the world hangs in the balance, the stakes are drastically heavier now, with different enemies to boot,” he commented. He reached into his coat and pulled out something, something that froze Ren on the spot: A silenced pistol. Akechi placed it on the counter as if though he was showing an interesting curio.
“As you know, before I found any of you, I worked with Shido, disposing of his targets as he wished,” he continued, not caring about Ren’s reaction. “Oh, you and your friends condemn it, without a doubt, but for what I did and my own goals, it was necessary. I make no apologies, nor will I ever do so. My path had simply run its course, and I had made my decisions. You may call it selfish. I call it acceptance.” He glanced up at Ren. “What of you?” he asked, his tone curious. “If you were forced to kill, would you? Are you able to weigh the lives of others against your own goals? Servants are supposed to be disposable, are they not? Would you sacrifice them if it meant you could bring everyone back?”
Ren grit his teeth. “I’m not killing anyone, and no one has to die,” he growled. “That’s one of the things we all have decided on, otherwise we’re no better than our targets. Now and in the future.”
Akechi stared at Ren, then casually looked outside. Ren followed his gaze – and his eyes widened. Instead of the sunny, warm afternoon outside Leblanc, all he saw was roaring flames, consuming the world in an endless inferno.
“I look forward to your answer, Ren,” Akechi’s voice echoed. “Will the world be worth the blood you’ll have on your hands?”
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Ren’s eye snapped open from sleep. His room was dark, lit only by a few LEDs from the monitor above his bed. The bed was softer than he expected, though it didn’t match the comfort of Leblanc’s, no matter how hard that one was. The only sound was the soft hiss of the air ventilation pumping in fresh air. It was comfortably cool in his room, allowing him to make full use of the surprisingly plush blanket.
But despite everything, Ren didn’t think he could fall back asleep. He slowly moved, getting out of the bed. He heard something stir. “Ren? What are you doing?” Morgana asked groggily from where he was curled up. “It’s…. 4 am in the morning.”
He smiled ruefully. “Just having a bit of staying asleep,” he whispered back. “I’m just going to walk for a bit.”
Morgana blinked sleepily. “Alright. Just-Just don’t take too long,” he murmured, yawning before curling back up and going back to sleep.
Ren pressed his hand on the panel, the door sliding open as usual. Morgana grumbled and shifted to face away as the dim lights of the hallway fell on him. Stepping out, he walked through the silent halls of Chaldea. Many of the lights were deactivated to simulate nighttime so people could adjust their circadian rhythms properly. The floor lights still illuminated enough so someone could still navigate the hallways easily if need be. His footsteps echoed slightly in the hallways. It felt even emptier than usual.
Coming to the cafeteria, most of the lights were off. The only exception was the kitchen, which was still fully illuminated. Ren blinked as his eyes adjusted to the much brighter lighting. Walking in, he grabbed some coffee beans from the storeroom and began to make himself a cup.
“I didn’t expect you to be up so early, Master.”
Ren nearly jumped through the ceiling at the murmured comment. Standing a small distance away was Rider. Her stance was relaxed, though it was hard to tell what she was thinking – he couldn’t exactly see her eyes, after all. Nevertheless, there was a small frown of disapproval on her lips. “While I know little of human beverages, I’m certain this one will not help you sleep,” she pointed out, turning slightly towards the coffee makers as emphasis.
He blinked, then chuckled sheepishly. “It soothes me more than you’d think,” he replied as he watched the coffee drip into the pot. The smell and taste were something that just stuck with him. It reminded him of his true home, a place he was far more comfortable in than when he lived with his parents. All his friends pointed out he smelled like coffee when he lived in Leblanc’s attic. It annoyed him at first, but he grew to accept it. Nothing wrong with smelling like home – especially when its coffee. “Would you like a cup, Rider?”
The Servant frowned again. “You are aware Servants do not require food, Master?”
Ren sighed. “Yes, and frankly, I don’t care,” he replied bluntly. “As Morgana said, you can think, talk, and act like a person, enough to believe your taste buds are probably like a person’s too. I think you would appreciate it, at the very least. Some don’t, but at least they can taste it.”
Rider hesitated, then nodded. Ren smiled and grabbed another cup. It wasn’t too long before it was ready. Pouring it out, he handed a cup over to Rider before taking a small sip himself, letting his tongue taste all the nuanced flavors of the brew. It calmed his nerves. The caffeine probably wouldn’t be enough to keep him awake either, given how much he drank overall. The Servant forced on the black, hot liquid, then took a small sip herself. She flinched slightly at the taste. “Bitter,” she commented.
Her Master chuckled. “Yeah, it’s like that for most at first,” he said. “You just have to take your time with it. Just small sips so you can taste the different flavors. I’ll admit, coffee’s not for everyone, but it wouldn’t hurt to try at the very least.”
She hummed in consideration before taking another slow sip, taking Ren’s words into consideration. It was still bitter as all get out, but she was starting to get some other flavors in there. Faint, but certainly intriguing. She would have to drink more to get a full feel of it. But perhaps some other time – the bitterness still stayed on her tongue like an unpleasant stain. What was it called? An acquired taste?
Discarding her thoughts, she lowered her cup. “May I ask why you’re awake, Master?” she asked, her voice barely traveling the room. “We do require you to be at your best, after all.”
Ren glanced over to her, then sighed. “Just… bad dreams, I guess,” he replied, smiling sheepishly at how childish that excuse sounded. “I had a lot of things on my mind. Fate of the world and all, as well as figuring out my magecraft and everything else. It’s a lot to handle. And…” He hesitated, staring down into the cup at his reflection. Even with how dark it was, he could see how tired he was, and it wasn’t from the fact he just rolled out of bed. “I guess I’m worried about killing people. It’s… not something I want to do. I haven’t killed anyone yet. Killing Servants is… different. But killing actual people…”
Killing Servants was surprisingly easier to justify than Ren had expected. He treated it as no more than killing Shadows. Shadows were surprisingly sentient, able to talk and negotiate as necessary, sometimes even beg for their life. Many of them were humanoid in appearance as well. If he needed to, he could press them for items, money, or their allegiance. Or he just executed them if they had nothing he needed. Shadows were just copies from the sea of souls, just as Servants were copies from the Throne of Heroes. Looking at it through that lens, it really wasn’t all too different except for power.
“The fact you are concerned about it says more than you realize,” Rider murmured. She turned her head to face Ren a bit more. Though she was still wearing her blindfold, Ren knew her eyes were directly on him. “You know of my myth, correct? I was a monster of the Shapeless Isle. I have killed many who have come for my head. And I’ve also killed those who didn’t deserve it. Sometimes, it was because I had to. Others, it was because of circumstances.”
Rider could still remember the faces of countless men, their expressions twisted into one of terror as she either froze them solid in stone or devoured without being able to resist. She looked down at the floor. “I did not have the luxury of choice when it came to killing, Master,” she continued. “But at least you do. If you are already agonizing over it, then you are more innocent than most would think, despite your experience.” She gave a small smile. “I’ve seen little of you, but I’ve observed. Your words, your actions, your mannerisms, and the other Servants at your call. You’ll no doubt take a path that involves the least amount of blood possible, if any. As your Servant, I will create that path for you as best I can.”
Ren blinked in surprise. He had just summoned Rider, but the support he was getting was already impressive. He chuckled, taking another sip. “Well, it’s greatly appreciated, Rider. I hope I live up to your expectations,” he replied returning her smile. “I guess I probably just have nerves about this. I’ll deal with it when it comes to it. It’s worked out pretty well so far.” Indeed, Ren had been thrown headfirst into his whole adventure a bit more than a year ago. More often than not, him and his friends just improvised and worked through whatever obstacles came their way. It got a bit cleaner when Makoto and Futaba joined and were able to plan things accordingly, but it had still been messy overall. But they overcame everything and stuck to their ideals in the end.
Perhaps he would be able to do so here too.
“If you are stressed, I can possibly help you with relief, my Master,” Rider offered. Ren looked over, blinking as he tried to parse what she meant. Then he saw the little sultry smile she had and paled. Wait, was she propositioning what he thought she was? Wasn’t that a bit forward of her? There wouldn’t be too much of an issue given she’s an absolute bombshell of a woman any man would settle down with – wait, no, there was still an issue! He opened his mouth to refuse when another idea popped into his mind.
“Actually, Rider, yes, there is a way you can help me,” he replied, relaxing into a small smile. That had Rider’s attention.
A few minutes later, Ren was laying on his stomach on one of the cafeteria benches as Rider kneaded and worked on his muscles. “I will admit, I didn’t expect this,” she murmured, a bit nonplussed as her hands worked out his knots around the shoulder blades.
“Don’t underestimate the power of a good massage, Rider,” Ren deadpanned, his voice muffled by the bench. “It’s far more relaxing than you’d think.” He thought back to those times Kawakami massaged him back in Tokyo. Her services each time were five thousand yen, but screw that – they were worth twenty times that much in his eyes. He almost cried tears of sheer joy when she continued to offer massages despite no longer working as a maid.
“I shall take your word for it,” Rider commented as she continued to work. She had to control her strength as she worked – last thing she needed to do was break his bones as she worked on him, particularly his spine. But he was far more muscular than she expected. Most magi didn’t really bother working out, especially one particular former Master who was far more bark than any bite. But his musculature was far different than what she expected. They weren’t just muscles one would get from exercising. No, these were deliberately trained for flexibility, speed, and endurance. Most regular people didn’t have muscles like that.
Still, she took small delights – popping his back elicited small grunts of comfort from him and working out particularly hard knots caused him to wince slightly in pain. A small smirk creased her lips. Seeing her Master in such a state was rather enjoyable for her. He was surprisingly tough too. But no, he relied on her to do a good job, and so she would. After working out the last bit of muscles on his lower back, she stood back up. “Was my performance satisfactory?” she quietly asked.
Ren got up, rolled his shoulders, and stretched. “Not just satisfactory, that was amazing,” he commented, beaming at Rider. “I’ll definitely sleep like a baby now. Thanks a lot!”
Rider nodded, the movement barely perceptible – as was her smile. “In that case, you should go back to sleep, Master. Should you require my services again, you only need to ask.”
He chuckled. “I’ll hold you to that,” Ren replied with a grin. “Goodnight, Rider. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She watched as her Master left the cafeteria after taking their cups to the sink. His dedication and innocence were something to behold. It reminded her of a certain girl a long time ago – one whose strength was hidden under countless tragedies but did her absolute best to remain strong. Innocent yet tempered at the same time. She had seen beauty in that and served her as loyally as possible. Just as he would serve her new Master on whatever path he walked.
“What a curious Master I have,” she purred as she vanished once more into spiritual form.
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In the command center, Roman’s sleep-deprived eyes widened as a blip appeared on his monitor.
A Singularity had been located.