CHAPTER TEXT

“You are irritated.”

Olga glanced over to Lavenza who was staring at her intently. She turned back to the Compendium, trying to memorize and learn the various different traits of the personas. “Of course I’m irritated,” she muttered. “Every second I’m unable to memorize everything is another second I’m useless here. It shouldn’t be taking this long – my regular magecraft studies are more challenging for the most part. I should have this by heart by now.”

“Even if your past studies were more strenuous, learning to properly manage personas is not an easy undertaking,” Lavenza gently admonished. They were in a separate section of the Velvet Room. Though it had the same circular design with jail cells, Igor wasn’t within, choosing to await Ren in the main room proper. There was still a desk in the middle, where Olga was sitting and studying. At Olga’s mental command, the cells would flash in a persona for her to observe and study before being dismissed.

“You also seem particularly agitated after witnessing the new Servants that have been summoned,” the girl noted. She stepped forward and rested a gentle arm on Olga’s arm. “Is there something about their presence that disturbs you so? They are of noble heart and spirit – I do not doubt their loyalty to the Trickster, nor their strength.”

The older girl sighed, irritated. “Yes, I know,” she snapped, looking up at the ceiling as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Siegfried, the famed dragonslayer and near immortal thanks to dragon blood. Jeanne d’Arc, the one saint almost literally everyone knows thanks to her deeds in France. And Marie Antoinette. The… disgraced, overthrown queen of France? I’m fairly certain at this point that a lot of her ‘worse’ deeds were just misinterpreted or twisted into propaganda for the revolutionaries, but…”

She let out a frustrated growl. “How did she even become a heroic spirit in the first place?!” she fumed. “She didn’t do anything particularly noteworthy – she was just remembered as either a spoiled brat or simply a girl who was at the wrong time and wrong place! I don’t even think she or her family had any particular lineage of magecraft or mystery to them! I mean, if that’s the case then anyone famous could’ve been a heroic spirit, like a prime minister or-or some chancellor or-!”

“Please, calm yourself,” Lavenza interrupted, raising her voice slightly for emphasis. “You are normally not given to insulting or judging a person so openly – at least, ever since you regained consciousness within the Velvet Room. Normally you would also evaluate their positive aspects as well and keep as impartial judgement as possible. There is something else at play here. What do humans call this…” She lowered her head in thought, then her eyes lit up. “Ah, I believe they call this ‘jealousy’!”

Olga’s face immediately turned a deep shade of scarlet. “Wh-wh-wh-wh-WHAT?!” she squeaked. “Why would I be jealous of her?! She had a terrible fate and was horribly misunderstood and she might be a heroic spirit but I’m not even sure what the qualification of her of being one are! On what basis are you saying I’m jealous?! There is no logical reason for me to be jealous none wh-whatsoever!”

Lavenza shook her head. “They are symptoms I am familiar with after experiencing them myself,” she replied, smiling as she rested a hand on her own chest. “When you spoke so familiarly with the Trickster, I was beset by such feelings myself. Only after observing yours did I understand what it was.” She bowed politely to Olga. “I thank you for teaching me – albeit in a somewhat unorthodox manner,” she said. “

The former director blinked in surprise. “Er, you’re welcome I guess,” she replied, flustered, before her mind caught up as she blushed furiously once more. “Wait, that’s not the point here!” she yelled. “Why would I be jealous of Marie Antoinette?! I have no reason to be! She’s a Servant, sure, and I have my own issues with that but that doesn’t mean I’m jealous! She simply makes no sense!”

The Velvet Room attendant looked at Olga quizzically. “That is a strange matter, yet I feel as though that is not the main focus,” she mused, a hand on her chin as she thought. “I believe you first became agitated after witnessing Marie Antoinette kissing the Trickster – your startled scream gave both our master and me quite a fright. You have been disturbed since.” She tilted her head. “Is that the correct assumption?” she asked.

“Wh-wh-why would that be the correct assumption?!” Olga stammered, her blush becoming even more and more noticeable. “I was merely caught off guard by how forward the queen was! Yes, that’s it! She was married in life, wasn’t she? And royalty besides! There’s no reason for her to be so crass or scandalous like that! Someone of her position should be aware of her actions and… and…”

Olga ran out of breath as her mind scrambled a thousand miles to think of more reasons. Lavenza shook her head in disappointment. “They say that jealousy is an ugly emotion,” she murmured. “And I can see why. It brings out much of the worst in people. I must ask you to rein yourself in, Olga. Such unnecessary criticisms ill becomes you. Please, calm yourself so that you may be rational in your judgement about her once more.”

Then she stopped, blinking, and bowed. “I apologize for my bluntness and rudeness,” she said contritely. “It is a terrible habit of mine. I shall work to correct that in the future.” Then noticing Olga’s hesitance, she decided to voice another question. “Are you perhaps worried about Marie Antoinette stealing the Trickster’s affections?” she asked.

Once more, the former director spluttered, her face somehow turning even a deeper shade of red. She was stuttering so much that she couldn’t even form any words. Lavenza could only watch with fascination at her reaction. It was rare to see someone so flustered, especially compared to her calm and collected Trickster. Not even those that he met in his trials in the past had such an extreme reaction. How very interesting.

“You need not worry overmuch,” Lavenza reassured her, smiling. “It is only natural to be entranced by the Trickster. He is rather magnificent, after all. His quick thinking in your rescue as well as how he carried himself in Orleans was without a doubt marvelous.” Just the Fuyuki and Orleans singularities alone were far more harrying than anything he and Morgana had ever been through, after all. She had been nervous about him being able to overcome his trials – and immensely proud he had been able to.

“And if you are worried about other women, why not simply show your own affections as well?” she asked genuinely. “The Trickster is the expression of rebellion and freedom, after all. I’m sure his greatness can encompass many such connections at once – I do not doubt it is beyond his capabilities.”

That snapped Olga out of her flabbergasted silence. “WHAT?!?” she shrieked, her face now the hue of a ripe tomato. “What are you – are you implying – you can’t possibly be-!”

Lavenza suddenly turned as if something caught her attention. “Ah, it appears he has arrived,” she said, beaming. “Shall we go greet our Trickster once more?” Before Olga could respond, the girl happily spun on her heel and walked off, leaving Olga alone.

Olga could only stand there. Jealousy?! Not because she was a Servant but because she kissed Ren so blatantly and boldly in front of everyone?! And then Lavenza suggested that was not only okay but-but to also show her affection to him?! Because he could more than handle it?!? Was Lavenza suggesting what she thought she was suggesting?! And there was the whole matter of Lev and the world burning and all these Servants and singularities and personas and the cognitive texture and-

She buried her face in her hands and screamed. Loudly.

It did not help.

----------

Ren was silent as he observed those in the Velvet Room. Igor had his perpetual grin, yet he could tell from familiarity that the Master of the Velvet Room was happy to see him. Lavenza was smiling happily, eager to see him once more. That was normal as always. However, Olga was pointedly facing away from him, arms crossed, with a red face that contrasted heavily with her blue clothes.

“Did I miss something here?” Ren asked, blinking.

Olga immediately whirled about, glaring at him. “You did NOT miss anything, Amamiya,” she snapped. “And if you believe otherwise, you are quite mistaken. Your powers of observation need improvement if that is the case. It needs to be honed for the singularities ahead so that you can stay alive. So focus on what you need to do, Amamiya, and do not focus on frivolous pursuits!”

The sheer vehemence of Olga’s denial caught Ren off guard. He gave a confused look over to Igor and Lavenza. Neither of them gave any indication one way or another toward Olga’s outburst. He wasn’t sure precisely what he missed here but to be honest, perhaps it was better to not prod the sleeping dragon – or in this case, one who was steaming like a boiled lobster right now.

Switching topics, he looked over at Igor and Lavenza. “So, I’m guessing I’ve a new persona now?” he asked. Olga huffed and looked away, looking both relieved and peeved he decided to not address the topic any further.

Lavenza nodded. “Quite right, my Trickster,” she replied. “As you have already surmised, by making a contract with the Servant Siegfried, you have regained access to the Siegfried persona.” She opened the Compendium to show him. To Ren’s surprise, there were multiple pages solidified now instead of just only one new page.

With a wave of her hand, the Siegfried persona appeared. He looked as he always did – a tall, blonde man with bronzed skin, dressed in a sleeveless scale mail tunic and a cap topped with a small horn. He wore a large round shield on his back. Instead of the regular longsword he normally wielded, however, the persona now held the same Balmung the Servant Siegfried held.

Ren remembered how Siegfried used Balmung. The massive torrent of energy engulfing Fafnir in a wave of blue power, unlocked from within the guard of the blade. If Cu Chulainn’s Gae Bolg drained a good amount of energy just from utilizing a simple (albeit reality warping) stab, then how much energy would Balmung use up, even within the Metaverse? It would be a death sentence, without a doubt. He glanced at the traits, and something caught his eye.

“Armor of Fafnir?” he murmured quietly as he read it. Then his eyes widened. Right – Siegfried bathed in blood that rendered him immune to harm. While the persona Siegfried normally came with a good amount of resistances – as well as immunity to physical blows – it seemed that the trait rendered him immune to everything except for psy attacks. Which made sense – it wasn’t like it could protect from a mental attack (Metaverse and Palaces notwithstanding).

While it seemed incredibly useful, his persona magecraft didn’t grant him any immunities, resistances, or weaknesses the personas themselves had. It would really only come into effect in the Metaverse, and given how the doppelganger’s Palace went, it’s very much possible that such power would be very much necessary before long.

Not to mention, it seemed that it could only protect him up to a certain (considerable) amount. What amount wasn’t exactly clear which made Ren wary. If he took an attack that went beyond what it could provide, he could risk seriously injuring himself as a result. He would have to test this out and know the limits first before he could seriously rely on it. The only question was where he could test it.

“Because of your connection to Siegfried,” Lavenza continued. “You also have access to the Fafnir persona.” With a wave of her hand another persona manifested. A vaguely draconic being completely made of metal, with an elongated head resembling a human skull. Unlike Siegfried, Ren didn’t notice any changes with the Fafnir persona compared to Siegfried. Still, having such a powerful persona at his call was still handy. “How come there aren’t any changes to Fafnir?” he asked curiously, looking over at Lavenza.

“While we can connect your personas to your Servants, it is still limited,” Igor explained. “Fafnir comes from the connection with Siegfried, but is not tied directly to you, my dear guest. Therefore, while we can summon the persona for you, it will not be granted any special modifications or powers. Nevertheless, I know you are wise and cunning enough to utilize this to your advantage how you will.”

Ren nodded as he pondered. He remembered seeing Fafnir while exploring the halls of Maruki’s laboratory Palace. Every fight with one was always tough as it had a lot of resistances and immunities, combined with packing a heck of a punch. He remembered the relief he felt when he was able to recruit one to his side. While it may pale in comparison to the connected personas like Cu Chulainn or Siegfried, it was a reassuring one to have at his side, nevertheless.

“Now, it seems the bonds you have forged have yielded a new persona,” Lavenza observed as she flipped to another solidified page. A new persona appeared: A young woman kneeling, clad in plate armor from the neck down. She held a sword up in front of her with her head bowed in piety. A cape flowed from behind her, white with edging of blue and gold: The flag of the French monarchy.

His eyes widened as he beheld the new persona. He never created or encountered this particular one in his previous adventures. This was something solely from his time in Chaldea, however brief it was. And even without looking at any information about the persona, he could immediately tell who this was. “Jeanne d’Arc,” he breathed. “The Maid of Orleans. She’s a persona too?”

“That is correct, my dear guest,” Igor affirmed. “Though the Velvet Room currently lacks the capability to create new personas, it can still manifest the strength you gain from your bonds. With your connection to the Velvet Room and your status as a Master giving you a connection to the Throne of Heroes, we are able to summon beings and personas you have never encountered until now. That being said, this is uncharted territory for us as well – even we will be unable to predict or tell who or what you can summon.”

“The cost of utilizing them you should be well aware of as well, my Trickster,” Lavenza added. “As you have already surmised, these personas are far heftier in their cost. While you are capable of much, careless use of them may easily result in openings you may not be able to afford, or even your death. It is very much a double-edged sword.”

“There is a saying among magi,” Olga supplied. The blush in her face was completely gone and her flustered, irritated expression was replaced by a far more serious demeanor. “’To walk the path of the magus is to walk with death.’ It is a dangerous path, one where death would be considered a mercy if something were to go wrong. There are great rewards, but sometimes even the greatest caution may not be enough.”

She nodded to the linked Servants. “I would be extremely wary of utilizing these personas as magecraft,” she said. “Your regular personas should do the job just fine, as you’ve seen. Reserve those for Palaces, where they are less of a toll on your energy and their strength is far more needed.”

After she finished with her advice, Olga sighed aridly. “The fact that you can even use essentially Servants and their noble phantasms on command still beggars the imagination, but at this point I’ve no right to complain,” she muttered as she massaged her temples. “Really, I’m not sure what to make of you, Amamiya. You are just an anomaly in so many different ways that it’s honestly staggering.”

“He is simply our magnificent Trickster,” Lavenza commented with a proud smile. “That alone is enough to know why he is capable of so much.”

Ren just chuckled as Olga sighed once more. The Servant-connected personas were exceptionally powerful overall, even exceeding many of the more powerful personas he already had. Cu Chulainn. Siegfried. Jeanne d’Arc. It was clear that not every single Servant would have a corresponding persona, or vice versa, but just Cu Chulainn had been a massive boon to him already, let alone the others. If he had these personas for his past adventures, all the Palaces he went through would’ve been a breeze.

Then he remembered the grip of the Berserker’s gauntlet around his head, the cognitive Satan, the countless creatures Gilles de Rais had summoned, and that gigantic pillar Orobas. A cold chill crawled down his back. For his time in Chaldea, this power was necessary.

And that terrified him.

—-------

The next day came without much aplomb after the events of yesterday. The Servants had been set up with their own rooms as well after being given a tour of whatever few amenities Chaldea had left. For Ren and Morgana, it had been a rather sobering affair, seeing the sheer number of now unoccupied bedrooms they could give the Servants. To their surprise, even Ritsu was quiet about it. They would have to ask about that later.

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Marie Antoinette was washing up in the shower. A single stall with glass walls in the middle of her room, certainly unlike the private bath she used to have in her castle. But quite honestly, it was more decadent than she expected. The water remained nice and hot no matter how long she stayed, and the soaps here smelled phenomenal. Modern times had certainly advanced quite a bit since her days as queen. No reason why she couldn’t indulge in a tiny bit of luxury for herself!

Suddenly, she heard a ring from within the room. Blinking in surprise, she quickly remembered that the rooms had a doorbell and screen. Thankfully the Throne provided knowledge of most modern conveniences so operating it wasn’t too tricky… theoretically.

“How does this work again…?” she muttered to herself as she tapped the screen. The camera winked on and showed… nothing. She blinked. Oh, was this that prank that had become popular among children? What was it called? ‘Ding-dong-ditch’? Was she subject to such a childish prank? Oh, how thrilling! Still, it wouldn’t do if she didn’t at least address whoever was there. “Hello?” she asked, making sure the audio was on.

Suddenly, Morgana bounced into view before descending from the camera’s view again.

“Sorry about that!” he called from below. “Are you busy right now? I’d like to talk to you!”

Marie blinked in surprise before smiling, even though Morgana wouldn’t be able to see her. “Oh, not at all, monsieur Morgana!” she chirped. She pressed a button to unlock the door. “Bienvenue!” she greeted warmly.

“Hey Marie- WHA!” Morgana squawked as he beheld her state of dress – or rather, her lack thereof. She was currently in nothing but a towel and still wet from the shower. Morgana immediately turned away, covering his eyes. “I thought you were decent!” he shouted as he did everything he could to suppress his embarrassment.

She blinked and looked down on herself, then giggled. “Ah, I’m sorry,” she said. “I was too excited to see you.” With a flash of light, she was dry once more as her clothes reappeared on her, sans her hat. Honestly, she wanted to have the experience of toweling herself off as well – such soft fabrics – but it couldn’t be helped at this point. “Do come in! I would offer you a cup of tea but I have only just set up here. My apologies for being such a poor host.”

“Er, that’s fine, you don’t need to worry about that,” Morgana stammered as he regained his composure, walking in. The bedroom looked just the same as Ren’s, which made sense – Servants didn’t seem to have much in terms of personal possessions unlike Ritsu. “Um, is there anything we can set you up with?” he asked, looking about. “Or anything we could do for you here?”

Marie blinked in surprise before chuckling. “Oh, I shall make do,” she replied cheerfully. “Whatever amenities I require, I shall either ask or find my own way – or make do without. This is hardly my castle after all. Besides, it is quite exquisite, being able to move about freely like this without the responsibility and dressings of royalty. It is very enjoyable.”

Morgana slowly nodded as he took in Marie. If anyone asked him whether Marie was a queen or not, he would be conflicted. On one hand, Marie certainly didn’t much like royalty with its attending arrogance or dominance. She felt far too free-spirited overall that he just couldn’t place her in a court or a throne.

On the other, she flitted about with a grace that he hadn’t seen in most people. Were she in Tokyo, he had little doubt she would quickly manifest an entire fan club around her. It was an extremely paradoxical nature. Honestly, as much as he liked Ann, even he would admit that she should take a few notes from Marie.

“Are you here to simply see me, monsieur Morgana?” Marie asked as she strolled back, sitting on the edge of her bed and motioning to the chair at the nearby desk. “Or was there something else you wish to speak to me about?”

The catlike being blinked as Marie simply smiled at him expectantly. His jaw worked up and down, trying to find the words. Then he decided to simply just go for it. Eschewing taking a seat, he immediately bowed to Marie. “I’m sorry, Marie,” he said. “I’m really, really sorry.”

That took the Rider off guard. “Goodness me!” she gasped. “You are already quite forgiven, but might I ask what you are apologizing for? As far as I know, you have not wronged me or those I have loved – and there are many that I do love. Please, raise your head and tell me!”

Morgana drew a shaky breath. “Back in… in the doppelganger’s Palace,” he elaborated slowly. “You and Mozart had to sacrifice yourself to draw away that cognitive Satan. I should’ve called for a retreat earlier or-or did something. Because of my call, you two had to die for it. It was my mistake completely, and I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to die.”

With that, he bowed his head again, barely restraining his tears. The contented expressions of Marie and Mozart before they rode off with Satan on their heels still haunted his dreams. He wasn’t above making mistakes – he learned long ago – but that mistake ended up in two people dying under his watch. He wasn’t sure if he could ever forgive himself for that. But at the very least, he could apologize for it.

There was a moment of silence. Marie slowly stood up, stepped toward Morgana, knelt down… and flicked Morgana right in the forehead. “Gah!” he yelped, holding his head.

“Punishment served and once more, you are forgiven, monsieur Morgana,” Marie stated happily. She smiled gently at him. “You made the best call you did, non? You and Ren succeeded in the end, and I see that it even brought the doppelganger here as an ally, just as Jeanne had wished. It’s what I believe one would call a mission success, so there is no reason to be sad.”

“But, even then-” Morgana began stammering.

Marie once more flicked him in the forehead. “I do believe I have made myself clear, monsieur Morgana,” she admonished, adding a bit of sternness into her voice. “You have succeeded where many, even the greatest among us, would have made greater mistakes and failed. If you wish to be truly contrite, then learn from what happened so that it does not happen again.”

She smiled once more as she scooped up Morgana, holding him close. “We are here now,” she murmured. “Is that not enough?”

Morgana blinked in surprise as he felt the warmth of Marie envelop him. He sighed as he closed his eyes, allowing his body to relax. It felt so warm and comfortable here.

Ann could definitely learn from Marie.

—-------

The three had gathered in the summoning room once more, as well as Da Vinci, Roman, and Mash. There had been a discussion about whether they should summon more Servants or not as they had already summoned three from Orleans. Ultimately, it was decided that it was better to have a few more just in case. The Servants they had right now were incredibly powerful and under normal circumstances would be more than enough. However, the Singularities were proving to be anything but.

Ren sighed as he rolled his shoulders. Trip to the Velvet Room aside, he hadn’t slept well. That was honestly a regular occurrence at this point. Morgana had stopped bugging him about it too – mainly because he was undergoing much the same issue. If he wasn’t beset by nightmares, his sleep for the most part was just far too fitful. Once or twice, he woke up and for a split second, thought he was back in LeBlanc. He could even smell the faint scent of coffee wafting in from below, intermingling with the musty odor of the mattress and the dust of the room.

Then the sterile air of Chaldea hit, and he remembered. He was still here, and humanity was still gone. He had checked his phone once or twice, in the hope that perhaps someone from the outside world had texted back. Aside from those messages he had sent out before the Orleans singularity, there had been no responses.

What worried him more was that it was already starting to get a bit harder to imagine his friends’ voices and their banter. Not by much, but even that was enough to terrify him. He didn’t want to forget even the smallest sliver of them – they were a huge reason why he was even fighting here, after all.

Morgana had left earlier to apologize to Marie. Everyone had already told him before he didn’t need to, but he went anyway. That was like him. If it was his fault, he would own up to it, sooner if not later. That time with Okumura proved that, as well as when he finally regained his senses back in Maruki’s false paradise. From what Morgana told him, the apology went well, so Ren was happy about that.

Ritsu was trying as hard as before to keep calm – and failing miserably, judging how she was almost bouncing on the spot. Frankly, seeing her was a breath of fresh air. The Servants and summoning only constantly reminded him of just how bad the whole situation was and how he needed their strength, both to fight and for his personas. Ritsu had emphasized that these were literal legends they were summoning – how could they not be excited?!

When she phrased it that way, he found it difficult to argue. But then, he found it difficult to argue or go against Ritsu in general. The girl was honestly a tidal wave of enthusiasm he hadn’t encountered before. She had definitely been a breath of fresh air, and despite only knowing her for a day or two, he was glad to have her company regardless. She was far different than his other friends, but that was probably a good thing.

“Are you okay, Ren-senpai?” Mash asked as she stepped forward, looking concerned. “You look a bit pale – are you sick?” She reached up and pressed a cool hand to his forehead to check his temperature.

Ren had to smile. Her concern was adorable, to put it mildly. She had spent the other day training with Archer to improve her skills. Orleans showed that all of them had a lot to learn, and she had decided to get a start on improving. With that kind of work ethic as well as her studiousness and intelligence, Makoto would get along with her. He could definitely see Makoto treating Mash like a little sister she never had.

“It’s fine, Mash,” he replied easily, grinning. “I just haven’t been sleeping well the last few days. I’ll probably have to bug Roman for some sleeping meds later. Thanks for your concern though.” Mash blinked in surprise before she hesitantly withdrew her hand with a nod. “Did you like the curry, by the way?” he asked.

Mash blinked in surprise before nodding enthusiastically. “Oh, yes, I did, senpai!” she replied with a bright smile. “There was a bit of sweetness there I hadn’t noticed before, with a bitterness that somehow brought out the spices even more. Did you use a new ingredient this time?”

Ren chuckled. “Observant as always,” he commented. “You’d be correct – I used chocolate this time. You have to be really careful with it though – too much and you’d ruin the flavor balance completely and make it overwhelming. Depending on the flavor I want, I use either milk chocolate to emphasize the sweetness a bit more with the dairy giving it a slightly fuller body, or dark chocolate so the bitterness can emphasize the spices. You can pretty much guess which I used.”

The shielder blinked in surprise. “Chocolate in curry?” she echoed, her eyes glimmering. “I didn’t think it could be used in such a way. That is a fantastic method, Ren-senpai! Did you come up with this yourself? What other dishes have you experimented with?”

Ritsu smiled as she watched the two talk. Before the whole singularity, Mash didn’t talk to many people. Most of the magi and staff ignored or treated her as a specimen at best. She never knew the whole reason behind that treatment and no one would ever tell her, no matter who or how many times she asked. The only people who really talked to her were Team A (though she kept well away from Beryl), Roman, and of course her.

Now, besides Roman, she was comfortable talking to people – she was on friendly terms with all the Servants and with Ren especially. Actually, more than just friendly in case of Ren. She had seen crushes before and by god was Mash crushing hard on him. It was beyond adorable to watch. Problem was, Mash was shy around him, and while Ren definitely wasn’t oblivious, he wasn’t exactly going for it either. She would have to give them a push or two later on…

But that was for later. For now, there were more Servants to summon!

Stepping up, she started the summoning ritual once more. After doing it once, the second time was far easier – she barely even had to think about the words as energy began gathering in the room once more. The lights got brighter and brighter before it flashed, blinding everyone once more.

As the light dwindled, a new figure stood there. A woman with long, purple hair and white robes, holding a large, cross-shaped staff in one hand. Surprisingly, despite her more conservative wear, her robes were slitted to allow easier movements for her toned legs. Despite that, she was a beautiful woman but not in a sexy sense – more of a serene kind of beauty that brought peace to the heart. She reminded her of Jeanne.

“My name is Martha, Rider class,” she intoned, smiling at all of them. “By my duty as a saint, I gladly offer my strength to save the world.” She looked around at those that gathered – including Archer and Siegfried who were standing guard – and her gaze froze upon seeing Ren. Ren also froze as well as they beheld each other. The tension in the air was palpable as neither moved. Ritsu could only silently look back and forth between the two as Mash drew closer to protect Ren. Siegfried and Archer were also tense, ready to move at a moment’s notice. Roman watched nervously as Da Vinci subtly stepped forward protectively.

Ren remembered their last meeting. Back in Orleans, Martha had accused him of being a heretic due to being able to draw forth the powers of angels and demons. She was definitely not completely in her right mind, but the accusation burned hard into his memories. And now she was here, and there was no doubt that, madness or not, she still remembered him and his powers. What would she do here? Would she accuse him once more? Would he have to defend himself against the saint?

Finally, Martha relaxed while closing her eyes. She gave a gentle smile once more. “I shall reserve my judgement, Master of Chaldea,” she murmured. “You have called my strength to save humanity and the world. You garner the loyalty of many good men and women, I can tell. That shall be enough for me for now.” With that, she stepped off the summoning platform and stood by the wall, awaiting the new arrivals. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Ritsu looked quizzically over at everyone before turning to Ren. She still hadn’t been fully briefed on the events of Orleans, so busy she was getting her room set back up and just meeting everyone – including fangirling over the Phantom Thieves – but Ren just shook his head. Well, any explanations would have to come later on. She would definitely have to bug Ren, Mash, and Roman for what the heck happened in Orleans. She had a feeling it was a wild story.

Next it was Morgana’s turn. Beginning the summoning ritual once more, the room lit up with energy before it flashed once more. Standing there was another young woman. Unlike Martha earlier, she wore what could honestly be described as half a blue kimono with fluffy detached sleeves. The top was lowered surprisingly far to show her shoulders and bare cleavage, while deep blue stockings covered her legs. Her pink hair was tied up in twintails, adorned with a large blue ribbon.

The most striking part of her appearance though was the pair of fox ears on top of her head, and a large fox tail that popped out from the back.

“Your reliable shrine maiden fox has arrived!” she declared, smiling brightly. “I am Tamamo-no-Mae, Caster! By your will, I will use my powers to bring fortune and power to all!”

The name caused both Ren and Morgana to freeze once more. The name of Tamamo-no-Mae was well known to both of them. The fox spirit that took the form of a beautiful courtesan, she sickened an emperor and was only exorcised by the power of a onmyōji, before she was finally hunted down and killed. Her spirit then inhabited a stone that released a toxic gas, killing all who approached it, and had to be destroyed and exorcised as well.

And if she was also known as Daji, the Chinese imperial concubine who brought about the downfall of an entire dynasty…

Before either of them could say anything, Ritsu immediately rushed up, her eyes gleaming. ”Whoa, Tamamo-no-Mae?” she asked in wonder. “As in THE legendary fox spirit Tamamo-no-Mae? That is beyond awesome! Oh, can I shake your hand? What was it like back then in your time? May I touch your ears and tail? They look so soft and fluffy!”

Tamamo blinked in surprise at the sheer enthusiasm that Ritsu showed before she giggled, raising her sleeved arm to cover her mouth. “My, what a spirited youth you are,” she commented kindly, grinning at her. “I must admit this was the first time my presence has been received so… enthusiastically. My ears and tail are off-limits, unfortunately, but it is a pleasure to meet you indeed. If the world needs to be saved, so I shall save it – my powers are at your disposal.”

She glanced over at Ren and Morgana, who were watching her warily. Her smile became a bit sadder. “It would seem my reputation precedes me, however,” she murmured. “You need not worry. I only grant my power to those with good intentions – and noble ones such as yours are more than worthy of it. I do not ask you to easily trust me, for I shall prove my power and my worth in time.”

Then she looked over at the catlike Morgana, staring at him for a second as her fox ears twitched. “Well, that would explain why you were unsurprised by my fluffy appearance,” she muttered as she walked to stand at the wall as well. On the way, she stopped by Archer, narrowing her eyes at him. “Have I, perhaps, met you somewhere before…?” she asked slowly.

Archer stared back at Tamamo, frowning in concentration, before shaking his head. “No, I don’t believe we have,” he replied. “You might have met another summon of me, but if that is the case, I do not have his memories.”

The fox-like Caster nodded her head slowly. “Yes, I do believe you’re right,” she accepted before finally waiting at the wall to finish the summons.

Ren and Morgana looked at each other before turning to Ritsu, who still had stars in her eyes. In the end, they both could only shrug. Ritsu had a good head on her shoulders and a decent sense of people, fangirling aside. The other Servants – Archer, Siegfried, and Da Vinci – didn’t seem especially wary of her either, though Mash did draw closer to Ren once more after noting his nervousness. Tamamo didn’t seem like too bad a person, despite her legend. Time would tell for sure what kind of person she was.

In the meantime, Ren was the only one left. He stepped up to the summoning platform and began the ritual once more. The lights once more reappeared… then it started vibrating and sparking. This was new. Roman’s eyes widened at his monitoring station. “Something’s wrong,” he called out, a note of panic quickly seeping into his voice. “These readings are like nothing I’ve seen before! Da Vinci, shut it down!”

Da Vinci immediately ran over to the emergency shut off button as everyone drew closer together in a protective cordon. Even Martha and Tamamo were there, the former taking the front line and brandishing her staff while Tamamo stayed beside the Masters, summoning up paper talismans.

The self-proclaimed genius smacked the emergency shutdown button and… nothing happened. Instead, the light got brighter and brighter. “It’s not shutting down!” she called out, her ever-present smile replaced with a grave expression as she summoned her staff. “Brace yourself!” Finally, the light pulsated one last time and flashed with the sound of an explosion, nearly knocking everyone off their feet.

Finally, the light dwindled, leaving behind a cloud of smoke. Everyone held their breath, waiting for whoever it was and what their intentions were.

“Oh? This is surprising,” a male voice echoed. “I didn’t expect to get summoned like this, especially in this form. Perhaps a quick little shift for my comfort…”

The smoke cleared and revealed a new figure. A woman once more. She was rather curvy, which was only emphasized by her outfit: a striped black and dark blue skin tight, with a black, tattered half-cape. She wore a unique helmet that jutted out almost like a demonic beak, with red glass covering the eye holes.

Ren and Morgana’s eyes widened. Despite the apparent change in gender, that outfit and appearance was far, far too familiar.

Reaching up, the helmet disappeared, revealing shoulder-length brown hair with auburn, almost red eyes. “Ugh, what a stifling helmet,” the woman grumbled. Finally realizing she had an audience, she flashed them a sardonic smile. “Well, didn’t expect such a large welcome,” she noted, seemingly uncaring towards the Servants who were more than ready to attack should she make a single wrong move.

Placing a hand on her chest, she bowed to them. “I am Loki,” she declared. “Class, Avenger. I’ll admit, this is a very atypical summoning but a most interesting one. I will lend you my strength so do entertain me in the days to come, Masters. Me being bored is very rarely a good thing for anyone.”

The collected Servants once more tensed up, feeling none too friendly towards the newcomer here. They waited for a command from any of their Masters. Even Ritsu, who was normally enthusiastic about new Servants, was wary about approaching Loki. However, Ren only spoke a single name in askance.

“Akechi…?”