Time passed remarkably quickly after that. At Mash and Morgana’s insistence, Ren was also brought to the medbay for a checkup. Lying on the bed, he couldn’t see the new Master he saved behind the drawn curtain – though he swore he heard some snores coming from the other side. He blinked at that, then almost broke into a relieved chuckle. Well, she seemed to be doing just fine regardless.

Roman came around, looking a bit harried but otherwise the happiest he had seen in some time. “She’s surprisingly tough,” he commented. “After getting warmed up, she just went straight to sleep.” He glanced over, shaking his head with a quiet chuckle as she murmured something and turned in her sleep. “She’s always had a lot of energy, that one,” he murmured.

He looked back over at Ren, tapping a few keys on the computer beside his bed. “Your readings look fine,” he murmured. “Just typical symptoms of overusing your mana circuits.” He sighed in relief. “Honestly, I’m just thinking back when you healed Siegfried with that… persona, you called it? That was definitely scary. Almost lost you there, Ren. Maybe you could give all of us a break from your… craziness for a bit?”

Ren chuckled, the motion sending arcs of pain running through his body. “I make no promises, doc,” he replied with a cheeky grin. “So, I guess I’m staying here for the night?”

The doctor hesitated for a second, then shook his head. “No, you don’t need to stay here,” he replied. “I do recommend getting some rest though. It’s been a long day for all of us, you in particular.”

“Yeah, I’ve always had to tell him to get some rest,” Morgana grumbled from his seat beside Ren’s bed. “Don’t worry, Roman – I’ll make sure he doesn’t move a finger from the bed.”

And suddenly Ren remembered how many times Morgana basically told him to go to bed. How nostalgic.

“I can help get him to his room, Roman,” Mash offered, stepping forward. “You should be monitoring Ritsuka-senpai, correct?”

Roman blinked in surprise at how forthright Mash was, then nodded slowly. “Er, yeah,” he replied lamely. “I doubt her condition will change but better safe than sorry. Thanks for helping out, Mash.”

Mash nodded, stepping closer to the bed as Ren carefully swung his legs off the bed, wincing in pain. “Here, let me help you, senpai,” she murmured, taking Ren’s arm and placing it over her shoulders.

Ren winced again at the motion before flashing a pained smile at Mash. “Heh, thanks Mash,” he gasped. “You’re a lifesaver.” He glanced over at Roman. “And thanks for checking up on me, doc. Means quite a bit.”

The doctor blinked, then shook his head with a smile. “No, thank you for everything so far, Ren,” he replied earnestly. “Though I think we’ll be thanking you even more before long. Now get going. Don’t think you guys want to hang around here much longer.”

The three nodded and slowly made their way out of the medbay, Ren leaning heavily on Mash. “Hope I’m not too heavy for you, Mash,” Ren joked, giving her an easy grin as he shambled down the halls as Morgana walked beside them, back in his cat form.

The shielder blinked in surprise and shook her head. “Oh, not at all, senpai!” she quickly reassured him. “You are very light. I’m thankful I’m able to help!” She was silent as they continued shuffling along the hallways, Ren grunting every once in a while as something shifted and caused further pain. “Um, senpai…?” she asked quietly.

“What’s up, Mash?” he responded.

“Um…” She hesitated. It wasn’t like she had one question – she had so many of them that she couldn’t sort them out in her head. Questions about the details of her senpai’s story. Questions about what he had kept hidden from her, Roman, and Da Vinci. The places he had seen, what he had done day to day between all these adventures. He mentioned something about a doctor using experimental drugs on him. She wanted to know about that. Just so many things she wanted to ask.

But in the end, she thought back to that time when they sat outside of Bordeaux, waiting for Marie underneath that tree. “You didn’t mention Sumire, senpai,” she said. “Was she part of your adventures too? Or was she someone else?”

Ren’s smile froze as Morgana immediately glanced behind him at the question. The hesitation to answer was clear. Mash opened her mouth to immediately take the question back when Ren let out a heavy breath, looking far older than he was. “She… she was one of my companions too, yes,” he answered her quietly, his eyes sorrowful. “She came a bit later on and her story is… it isn’t mine to tell. I’ll explain that story later on. Just don’t think it’s a good idea right now. Is that alright with you, Mash?”

Mash blinked at Ren’s candidness, but quickly nodded. “Yes, of course, senpai,” she agreed. She got another answer at least – or rather, even more questions now. As usual, whenever she discovered one thing about him, another three mysteries took their place. She couldn’t help but feel both sad and frustrated at the whole affair. Was this really as far as she could go at this point?

Before long, they were in front of Ren’s bedroom. He slipped his arm off Mash and smiled painfully over at her. “Guess this is our stop,” he commented with a small laugh. “Thanks so much, Mash. Guess I’ll see you in a bit, then.”

The shielder hesitated, then nodded. “Yes, of course. See you in a bit, senpai.” With that, she turned to walk away. It was clear she had much to think about.

Ren and Morgana watched her as she walked away before stepping into their room. Morgana hopped up onto a dresser, watching Ren shuffle and waited until the door closed. “You didn’t tell them about Maruki,” he noted. It wasn’t a question, but the statement more or less begged for an explanation nevertheless.

The Master sighed as he sat down on the bed. “Didn’t think they needed to know about him or his cognitive world for now,” he explained. “A place where everyone’s dreams could come true? It definitely sounds beyond tempting, you have to admit, Morgana. And at the end of the day, it’s not exactly very different from what we did with Yaldabaoth: Defeat him, take the Treasure, and watch the world turn back to normal. That’s really all they need to know for now.”

Morgana’s tail twitched as he hopped down from the dresser and back up to Ren’s bed, sitting down beside him. “And you were also worried about the other Servants?” he guessed, staring up at Ren curiously.

Ren blinked, then chuckled ruefully. “Can’t hide anything from you, can I?” he asked rhetorically as he reached over to pet Morgana once more, who purred under his touch. His smile soon faded, however, as he thought back to the implications.

“From what we know, a Servant is defined by their deeds in life,” he murmured. “After all, they were these legendary heroes, warriors or…. Or even monsters.” Rider flashed quickly in his mind as he said the last part. “If they were granted a paradise like that, where everything went right for them, how would they take it? Do you think they’d agree with us or be angry that we took that away from them?”

Morgana opened his mouth, then closed it as he thought. “I… I don’t know,” he answered hesitantly, his tail curling in front of his paws. “I don’t expect everyone to agree with us, but what Servants have been through were far worse than anything a normal person ever has to deal with. It defined their legends, sure, but… is that something they wanted in the end? I mean, maybe Cu Chulainn or Saber would, but…” He trailed off, unable to come to a solid conclusion.

Ren in turn nodded soberly. “Yeah, I thought much the same,” he agreed. “They fought alongside us, sure, but that was just for a bit. And honestly, we really don’t know anything about them. Maybe it’ll change later but right now? It’s hard to say.” He painfully stood up and made his way to the dresser, slowly changing out of his Chaldea Master uniform and into his pajamas. “So yeah, better to keep that to ourselves for now.”

After he finished changing, he slipped into bed as Morgana curled up on top of him once more. Reaching to the control panel, he turned off the lights. He didn’t go straight to sleep yet, staring up at the complete darkness as he felt his body throb from the magic circuit usage.

They had revealed almost as much as they could to Mash, Da Vinci, Roman, and their Servants. Could they trust them with information about the Velvet Room or the Sea of Souls? Or of Maruki and the paradise he promised? Could they ever?

“Hey, Morgana?” he whispered.

“Hm? What is it, Ren?” Morgana asked. It was clear he wasn’t falling asleep immediately either.

“Have you thought more about Servants?” Ren asked hesitantly. “We already said it ourselves, they act, talk, and can even eat like people can. They even have Palaces. But in order to win this and get humanity back, we have to… we need to…” His words faltered him at the last moment, eventually trailing into silence. The air hung heavily between them as they contemplated his words.

Morgana eventually broke the silence. “Honestly, we shouldn’t think about it too much,” he concluded reluctantly. “We’ll just do what we can, like we always do. We can think about it afterward, after humanity’s been saved and everyone comes back. We’ll have plenty of time then. For now, we should just rest. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow. And for a long while yet, probably.”

Ren hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah, you’re right,” he agreed quietly. “We should recover however we can. Sleep well, Morgana.”

“Yeah. You too, Ren.”

With that, both Masters closed their eyes in an attempt to sleep. Laden with troubling thoughts, it would be a while before either of them drifted off.

Unknown to both, Rider silently drifted out of the room in spiritual form. Her instincts had told her the two would talk about what they had left out of their debriefing once they reached their rooms, and it had been correct. Evading the attention of the other Servants as she made her way in was tricky but not impossible as everyone else had been mulling over the debriefing in turn.

The news that the two were offered a paradise and they turned it down was beyond mind-boggling for her. A place where everyone’s dreams could come true. Her heart hitched as she thought about it. Her sisters with her once more. Untouched and undefiled by her. They would stand with each other, shoulder to shoulder, laughing and playing pranks on the various mortals they encountered, uncaring about the hardships of the world around them.

Was that something that was achievable? Was it something she even deserved in the end?

As she moved, she passed by the simulator and noticed that it was actively being used. That surprised her. Most of the other Servants were out and about, mulling over their own thoughts. Who would be using it at this time?

Curiosity getting the better of her, she passed through the normally closed doors. The training ground clearing was the same as always, though it was unoccupied. On the far side was a waterfall that fell into a pond, the excess water flowing into a stream that disappeared into the nearby woods. Sitting at the edge of the pond was the Lancer, Elizabeth, holding a fishing rod.

The sight of the normally boisterous and loud Lancer doing something so… sedate took her by surprise. First it was Joan with reading, now the infamous Elizabeth Bathory fishing. She quietly approached, becoming visible once she was a certain distance away. “I did not expect such an activity to be of your interest, Elizabeth Bathory,” she murmured, her words only barely audible above the roar of the waterfall.

The Lancer jumped in shock, nearly falling into the pond as she stared at the Rider with wide eyes. “Jeez, give some warning, would ya?” she snapped. Then she groaned in frustration. “And now look at what you’ve done! You made me scare the fish away!” Growling, she pulled up the rod to make sure the bait was still there before casting the line out again, grumbling ill-temperedly.

Medusa could only watch at the very odd sight of the fluffily dressed Elizabeth once more settling down to fish. Moving quietly, she moved beside the countess and sat down. The Lancer’s eyes flicked over to her but otherwise didn’t comment, focusing instead on the line. They sat in silence for a while, waiting for a bite. The sound of the roaring waterfall, the cool breeze from the mist, the rippling waters… despite everything, it was rather soothing for her.

Fresher than the sea air at the very least.

“I did not expect you to take up fishing,” Medusa murmured once more, staring out over the water, watching the slight movements of the string form ripples along the surface. “Do you find it enjoyable? Or is there another reason?”

Elizabeth sighed. “I tried it back in Orleans,” she explained. “It… I dunno, I saw the puppy doing it and thought I’d give it a shot myself. It was… nicer than I expected, I guess? It helped me organize my thoughts, surprisingly. And I had a lot of those after the two of us talked.” She bobbed the line a bit to try and entice any fish. “The simulator surprisingly had one of these just lying beside the pond so I thought ‘you know, why not.’ So here I am.”

Medusa nodded in consideration. “What do you think of our Masters’ story, then?” she asked as she looked back out over the lake.

The Lancer was silent for a moment. “I guess puppy does know what being an idol takes,” she grudgingly admitted. “How he and his little group got famous and then that Okumura business… I’m a solo act. There’s no room on the stage for anyone besides me, so I guess I’m a little superior in that regard. But that doesn’t mean my act’s infallible. After all, I know well enough how quickly the public can turn on you.”

“As an idol or as a countess?” Medusa quietly inquired.

She scoffed in return. “What kind of question is that?” she asked acidly. “You know damn it’s both. A reputation takes months, if not years to build, and only a single night to obliterate. Whether it’s your own fault or your enemies, it doesn’t matter. Just a couple of the right words and the right people and poof – suddenly everyone who ever loved you now hates your guts.”

“Still, can’t mope about it,” Elizabeth concluded as she toyed with the fishing rod a bit more. “Puppy managed to climb back up to the top and even showed his enemies what’s what! And I’m an idol and a Servant! If I can’t match the puppy as a shining star like that, then I have no right to call myself an idol! I’ll show him – and everyone – that I can outshine who I was as a countess!” Then her eyes widened and she slapped a hand over her own mouth. “Damnit, I scared the fish again,” she hissed in frustration.

Medusa could only blink in surprise underneath her blindfold at Elizabeth’s single-mindedness. The entire story and that was all she got out of it? The comparisons to her dreams and goals as an idol? It seemed honestly rather shallow, given everything their Masters had just relayed to them. Then once more, the image of her sisters standing by her appeared once more in her mind’s eye, and her grip tightened around her knees once more.

Who was she calling shallow? At least Elizabeth’s dreams were achievable. Hers were nothing more than a pipe dream – especially for a monster like her.

“Tell me something, Elizabeth,” she murmured, barely trusting herself to speak and trying to keep her tone of voice as even as possible. “If it were possible to live in a world where all your dreams came true no matter what, and both you and everyone else could be happy with no strings attached, would you live in such a world?”

The Lancer turned fully to face Medusa in surprise. “Huh? Where did this question come from?” she asked.

“Humor me.”

Elizabeth turned back to the pond, staring at where the line sank into the water and frowning. “A world where all my dreams came true no matter what, huh…?” she pondered. “That does sound nice. I’d be able to achieve my dream as an idol with a drop of a hat, and everything else besides. The beloved idol Eli-Chan, worshipped and loved by all. I’d barely have to lift a finger. But…”

She blew out her cheeks as she thought some more. “Part of the reason why I wanted to be an idol was to create an image for myself AS an idol, not as the bloody countess I’m remembered as,” she murmured. “If it was just… given to me, that whole goal would seem kinda… hollow, I guess? Like there’s no meaning to it. I wouldn’t be an idol in my mind, since it was through my own efforts – I’d still be the countess playing at being an idol. Does that make any sense?”

After a moment, she shook her head furiously. “Ugh, I’m no good at talking like that,” she muttered. “Point is, I wanna BE the idol, Eli-Chan, that everyone loves and worships by my own two hands. That way I can own that image and scrub away myself as that bloody countess. And I don’t need some world that can grant me dreams to do that! I’ll mesmerize everyone with my charms easily! Look-!”

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

She caught her volume increasing and lowered it to a whisper. “Look out, world! Here comes Eli-Chan!” she quietly cheered.

Medusa could only stare at the Lancer before looking back out over the pond once again. So even if she was offered such a world, she wouldn’t take it? And it was because she had her own goals she wanted to achieve with her own two hands? That was possible?

The Rider thought back to the Shapeless Isle, where it had just been her and her sisters. Where she had to fend off countless warriors, becoming more and more monstrous to do so. Then before long, devouring her own sisters in a fit of inescapable hunger to become a true monster in turn. Her own dream was different. It was unachievable, no matter what she tried. Perhaps she was one of those who would benefit from such a paradise after all…?

Suddenly, the line pulled, catching the attention of both Servants. Elizabeth immediately stood up and began tugging hard at the rod, reeling it in. “Come – on – here!” she growled out, glaring at the taut line as her quarry pulled and struggled, bending the rod. Then with a final heave, the Lancer pulled – and out splashed a large trout, flapping wildly against the line. It swung towards her where the Lancer’s waiting hand caught the line.

“I – I did it!” she gasped. Then she noticed the Rider staring at her and cleared her throat, drawing herself up. “Of course I did! Nothing is impossible for the idol Eli-Chan, after all!” she proudly proclaimed, holding up the still-flapping fish – and flinching mildly as it splashed some water on her.

The Rider was silent as she stared at the fish. She had been contemplating her own dreams and desires, wishing for the past once more. Yet here was Elizabeth Bathory, a monster one could argue was worse than her, deciding to do the opposite and chase after a future. The Elizabeth Bathory of the past would have scoffed at being an idol and never would have considered taking up fishing as a hobby. Perhaps that was why she was able to resist the call of such a paradise? Because a dream world wouldn’t grant her a future she wanted?

Medusa had much to contemplate.

Her attention was drawn once more as the Lancer began to proudly march off with her catch, no doubt heading to the kitchens with her prize. “You realize we are in the simulation room, correct?” she quietly asked. “That fish is nothing more than data, unfortunately – we wouldn’t be able to eat that.”

The Lancer’s resulting frustration as she paused and began stomping around in realization drew a small smile to Medusa’s face. She had time to think about it. And there was nothing that said she couldn’t have a bit of fun while she did so as well. The future was still there, after all.

Her Masters would make sure of it.

—-------

The sound of the gentle piano reached Ren’s ears again as he got up from the bunk. Glancing down, he saw he was still in his Chaldean uniform. Well, while it wasn’t his Phantom Thief regalia, it was certainly better than the prison uniform. He thought that perhaps with the resolution of the Orleans singularity, something would change with himself in the Velvet Room, but it didn’t seem to be that easy anyway.

He stepped out of his cell and was greeted by both a familiar and unfamiliar sight: Igor at his table, perpetually grinning as always and Lavenza smiling up at him as she held the ruined Compendium underneath her arm. In contrast, Olga had her arms crossed, frowning slightly. Ren had to wonder if she ever smiled. The tough act could only last for so long and did more harm than good anyway.

He knew that mask well, after all.

“Well done, my dear guest,” Igor crowed. “You were able to show trust in your new Chaldean allies, but not naively. And I must extend my thanks to you – you heeded my warnings and kept the existence of the Velvet Room a secret. I am very grateful.”

Olga nodded. “A good thing you did, Amamiya,” she agreed. “From what I could tell of the Velvet Room, as I’m sure Igor and Lavenza have told you, any magi would be doing their utmost to get in here as a method to reach the Root – and would cause untold harm to basically all of humanity trying to do so.”

She sighed aridly as she held her head in her hand. “Really, I knew you were troublesome when I first witnessed your abilities firsthand, but I didn’t expect the troubles to run this deep. You are truly a handful, Amamiya.”

“Oh?” Lavenza inquired with a tilt of her head. “Yet when I was showing you the various Personas my Trickster had wielded in the past, you were silent and slack-jawed in awe and admiration, were you not? Perhaps you would like to see for yourself? I’m certain I have the image around somewhere here-“

“Th-th-that is quite unnecessary!” she quickly stammered, her face turning into a bright hue of red. “It was m-merely a showing of the p-p-powers that had caught me off g-guard, and th-the contrast b-between such d-divine entities compared to his a-attire which is q-quite the f-feat considering th-they were eye-catching – because of their make! I d-didn’t expect them to be of such good make, after all, and- What are you laughing at, Amamiya?!?”

She rounded on Ren who had clapped a hand to his mouth, trying not to burst out laughing. “Oh, n-nothing, nothing at all, O-Olga,” Ren gasped out between chuckles. Honestly, it was like dealing with Caroline all over again, but coming from Olga, it was all the more amusing. He couldn’t help but laugh at that. Frankly, it always felt like forever since he last laughed no matter what he did.

A rather sad thought now that he considered it.

The former director cleared her throat and took a deep breath as she attempted to regain her composure. “At any rate,” she continued, her words coming through as a minor hiss of frustration. “It would seem Romani and Da Vinci believe your story and about my survival. You did well memorizing my aria. Though I’ve no doubt you’ve many questions regardless.”

Ren nodded. “Yeah, a lot,” he admitted. “But I’ll stick with a few. The two of them were talking about the Reverse Side of the World, where apparently mythological beings inhabit? I have to ask, is it the Sea of Souls?”

“No,” Lavenza answered with a shake of her head. “While the Reverse Side of the World is now home to many fantastical beings, it is not the Sea of Souls. The Sea encompasses the whole World and all its living beings, regardless of its textures. Every living being has a shadow, and where there are shadows, there will be a Sea of Souls regardless.”

That bit of news took Ren slightly off guard. Come to think of it, he never really questioned the workings of the Velvet Room, taking them for granted for his personas and powers. Thinking about it, with the briefing of magecraft and how the World seemed to work, the Velvet Room was definitely some place truly fantastical even among all the Servants and magi he met. What did Igor call the Velvet Room? A place between dream and reality, mind and matter. Maybe it was even more amazing than he thought…?

No. That didn’t matter. He wasn’t a magus and frankly, the less he knew, the better. He would rather not let slip something that would pin a target to his back. He learned that all too well from Ryuji. He loved him like a brother, but it was extremely tempting to smack him upside the head with how loud he was.

“While I understand you have many questions of us, my dear guest,” Igor spoke up. “I would be wary of having them answered. There are many secrets to the Velvet Room that will haunt your mind should you know them. As one of your famous philosophers once said, ‘If you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back into you.’ Granted, it was for a different meaning entirely – though ironically, it is one that is still relevant to you as well.”

Well, Igor couldn’t be more ominous if he tried. Ren decided to switch subjects. “How are you liking here in the Velvet Room, Olga?” he asked, looking curiously over at her. “It’s gotta be different than anything else outside.”

Olga blinked in surprise at the question before frowning again – this time in thought. “It’s… certainly an experience,” she admitted, glancing over at Igor and Lavenza, both of whom were curious for her answer as well.

“There is much to learn here,” she said. “Concepts that most magi only theorize before discarding them while operating with a source of power any of them would kill to access. Though I believe it’s because both Igor and any residents do their utmost to make sure anything they stumble across leads to dead ends.” She glanced over to Igor and Lavenza as their smiles widened ever so slightly. Neither of them needed to elaborate on that front.

“While it does get a bit… monotonous here, I have many studies to occupy my time,” she added. “Quite honestly, this isn’t far too different than when I was back at the Clock Tower. Hopefully I will achieve better results than when I was back there…”

She drifted off slightly, her expression melancholy before immediately catching herself. “Of course, you need not worry on that front, Amamiya,” she huffed. “I bear the pride of a magus through and through. I will master the knowledge here and be of assistance to you. Never fear on that front.”

Ren smiled and nodded. “I’ve no doubt you will,” he agreed cordially. He looked over at Igor and Lavenza. “Hey, I don’t suppose you guys mind if I take Olga out into Chaldea for a stroll? I’m sure Mash, Da Vinci, and Roman would be more than happy to see her again.”

Both Igor and Lavenza froze. Though Igor’s perpetual grin never dropped, his eyes told a different story. “I deeply apologize, my dear guest,” he said gently. “Unfortunately, Olga may not step foot outside the Velvet Room. It is not a matter of trust – I fully believe she will not betray us to her fellow magi – but a matter of means.”

Igor looked directly at Ren with a grave gaze. “Olga does not have a corporeal body,” he explained. “Her form and existence are currently maintained by the energies of the Velvet Room. You have saved a portion of her soul, and with the arts of the Velvet Room we were able to reconstitute her, but no more than that.”

The Master’s face fell as he looked in horror at Olga. She… she was trapped in the Velvet Room? She couldn’t get out or talk to anyone? A small portion of his mind wanted to believe that Igor lied to him – after all, Yaldabaoth had done so when he was disguised as Igor – but he knew that wasn’t the case. Igor would never lie to him, especially on such a serious matter. The cells that he had grown accustomed to were thrown into sharp relief in his peripheral vision once more.

Did he do the right thing? Did he just condemn her to another horrific fate?

Olga in the meantime sighed aridly. “You two know him far too well,” she grumbled, glaring at Ren who blinked in surprise at her words. “Didn’t think he’d blame himself to this level.”

Lavenza reluctantly giggled. “It should come as no surprise,” she replied softly. “I have been standing by my Trickster’s side all this time after all. His strength and cunning are only matched by his compassion to aid those in need and grant freedom to those around him. Thus, his grief and self-flagellation for your fate is only to be expected of him, despite all reassurances.”

The former director huffed before marching forward and flicked Ren right in the forehead. “Enough of that,” she snapped. “Yes, I may be stuck in the Velvet Room, but honestly, there’s far worse fates – like being thrown into a burning CHALDEAS. At least here, I still can take the initiative and assist you in saving mankind and humanity. And Igor and Lavenza have made it clear that, should I have wished for it, they simply could’ve released me and allowed me to pass on. I chose this burden and duties of my own will.”

Her glowing, yellow eyes met Ren’s surprised grey ones. “You gave me a chance, Amamiya,” she stated. “This was my choice made by my will: To assist you and to bring back humanity. I wanted to take this burden, so don’t you dare beat yourself up over this. You may be a Phantom Thief – and I daresay a truly great one – but you are not so arrogant or great that you can be responsible for every single person, even those you have saved.”

She crossed her arms. “Besides, Igor and Lavenza have been nothing less than kind and understanding, both to my situation and towards my studies,” she finished. “So being confined to the Velvet Room is not nearly as horrible as you believe, Amamiya. I swear this on my pride as an Animusphere.”

Ren could only blink, rubbing his slightly sore forehead at Olga’s words. Then he broke down laughing. “Right, right,” he replied between a few chuckles. He gave her a glad grin. “Didn’t expect someone as prideful as you to be fine with being stuck in the Velvet Room unless you were absolutely okay with it. You’re a lot stronger than anyone gave you credit for, Olga. That fake Lev really underestimated you, to be honest.”

Once more, Olga turned a bright shade of red. She couldn’t form a response this time, stuck with her mouth open as she tried to say something – yet every single word got caught in her throat.

Igor and Lavenza joined in on Ren’s delighted laughter. Olga would do just fine in the Velvet Room.

-----------

Ren yawned as he stepped out of the shower, drying himself. He had woken up a bit earlier than usual, and though he was tired, he couldn’t exactly get back to sleep. Morgana was of a different opinion, still curled up on the bed. Normally the catlike being would be demanding that Ren go back to sleep, but given recent events had drained him. He grumbled at most as Ren got up but otherwise stayed sleeping.

Opening his dresser, he dug through his luggage for another set of clothes. As he did, something slid out of the bag. A singular black glove. Ren picked it up and stared at it. He hadn’t even realized he packed this with him. It must’ve gotten mixed up with the laundry back home.

It was the day before they were about to steal Sae’s Treasure. Akechi had confessed his hatred toward him, took off one of his gloves, and tossed it at him – an archaic method of challenging him. Ren had hung out with Akechi and quickly pieced together that, underneath his polite, pleasant exterior, there was a seething anger and hatred that broiled within him. The contrast between the two sent chills down everyone’s spines.

Frankly, when Akechi dropped the act in Maruki’s dream world and acted like a borderline madman, it was ironically far more comfortable to deal with than when he adopted his fake mannerisms.

Ren’s door beeped, catching his attention. Someone was outside. Probably Mash – she seemed to be in the habit of waking him up during the mornings when she could. They could probably meet up for breakfast. Archer was probably cooking, though knowing her, she’d want curry anyway. And just about everyone in the facility wanted his coffee. He would definitely need to teach Archer more about brewing or he’d be overwhelmed by demand alone. He never had to brew so much back in LeBlanc.

But then, given the café’s clientele was about maybe twenty people on a good day, that wasn’t exactly saying much…

“One sec!” he called over his shoulder as he slipped on his clothes. As much fun as it was to tease Mash, he wasn’t exactly going to strut to the door naked. He still had a sense of dignity. Once he did so, he opened the door, expecting to see the lilac-haired girl – and instead was met with the smiling doctor Roman. “Oh, doc, didn’t expect to see you,” Ren said.

Roman smiled. “Good morning, Ren,” he greeted cheerily. “I was wondering if you could do me a favor today. Could you bring these documents over to Ritsuka for me?” So saying, he held out a small bundle of papers. “They’re nothing critical – merely her medical results as well as some other miscellaneous things.”

The Master raised an eyebrow. “She’s released already?” he asked, taking the papers regardless. “And isn’t that supposed to be your job?”

The doctor laughed ruefully. “She recovered a lot faster than I expected, enough that she could recover in her own room,” he explained. “And well, truth be told, my plate’s kind of full at the moment,” he replied, scratching the back of his neck. “Besides, I thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce yourself to her! It would be a good idea to be familiar with her, after all.”

Ren glanced down at the papers. Didn’t seem anything untoward. “Is your plate full because you’re working or because of Magi*Mari?” he deadpanned, glancing up at the doctor with an amused expression.

Roman froze comically, his grin now looking very forced. “Well, look at the time, I really must go,” he said hurriedly. “Thank you so much for this, Ren! You’re a real lifesaver!” With that, he took off down the hallway with as much speed as he could professionally muster – literally just short of a breakneck dash. Ren watched him disappear around a corner with a smirk before heading back in – and saw Morgana already transformed into his Metaverse form, stretching.

“You got all that?” Ren asked rhetorically.

“Yep,” Morgana replied. “While the doctor needs to do his job, he’s right that at least it’d be a good opportunity to introduce ourselves to her.” He hopped down from the bed. “Come on. Hopefully she’s not still asleep or anything.”

Ren nodded. With that, they went down the hallways. Roman had helpfully included a small map and room number so they could easily find it. Before long, they were standing outside Ritsuka’s room. He hit the button – essentially the doorbell – for the room and waited. “It’s open!” a girl’s voice cheerily yelled out. Ren and Morgana glanced at each other before the former pressed another button and the door slid open –

And were assaulted with a veritable ocean of red and black.

The two gaped. The entire room was decorated with Phantom Thief memorabilia. Little figures sat on her desk and bedside table. Posters of the Phantom Thieves adorned the walls, capped with a large ‘TAKE YOUR HEART’ flag right above her bed. Notebooks, stationary, and even fan-made calling cards were sitting nearby. And Ren could swear he saw a familiar red leather outfit sticking out of the overfilled dresser.

Ritsuka herself was on the bed, straining as she put up yet another poster in the last vestige of space on the wall. She had also changed into the Chaldea Master’s uniform as well, with her orange hair tied up into a small side ponytail. “Come – on – here!” she growled out before jumping up, taping the poster in place. “There!” she said, satisfied.

Neither of the other two knew where to start, just looking around the room. They hadn’t expected the other Master to be… well, frankly, a ginormous Phangirl. Even Mishima would probably tell her to calm down a bit. Ren cleared his throat. “We got some medical reports from the doctor,” he said, trying to change the subject as he held up the stack of papers.

The girl rolled her eyes as she got off the bed and bounced towards them. “Was he that busy with Magi*Mari to give them himself?” she asked rhetorically before grinning again and taking the papers. “Ah well, I suppose he gets a pass for now. I’ve been meaning to meet you anyway – you’re the one that tried to heal me and the others in Team A, right? Thanks so much for that!”

Then she blinked. “Ah, I suppose I should probably introduce myself properly,” she said, snapping her fingers. She grinned broadly at the two. “I’m Ritsuka Fujimaru, a Master! Just call me Ritsu!” she proclaimed. Then she deflated slightly. “Well, I say that but that’s really about all I’m good for compared to most other magi,” she added with a shrug and a chuckle.

She looked them over. “You’re Ren Amamiya and Morgana, right?” she said. “Roman already told me about you two. Nice to meet you two! Looking forward to working with you! Still…” She stepped a bit closer and looked Ren up and down with a smile curling her lips. “I didn’t expect my savior to be such a hunk~”

Ren felt shivers go up his spine and heat rush to his face. Okay, he hadn’t expected her to be this forward and – was this how the other girls felt when he talked to them? “So, um, I see you’re a huge fan of the Phantom Thieves,” he decided to comment, trying his hardest to change the subject.

He pointedly ignored the sound of Morgana snickering beside him. That cat was getting button-mashed later.

Ritsuka grinned and spread her arms. “You could tell?” she asked rhetorically. “Yeah, I heard about them all the way back in America – it was big news at the time! Taking down that scumbag teacher to start with and making their way up to a freaking Prime Minister? That’s awesome beyond belief!”

The energetic Master grinned at them. “They’re honestly a lot of what the world needs nowadays – something to remind people that there’s people standing up for them and to take down corrupt evildoers! I’ve seen enough of those types to last a lifetime, thank you very much!”

She looked over her room. “A lot of these cost a pretty penny,” she admitted. “Imports aren’t exactly cheap. I had to find them either online or at some corner foreign shop – all while dodging scalpers. It wasn’t a fun time, I can tell you that much.”

She moved over to a bunch of figures standing at her desk. “It was particularly hard finding this entire set here,” she explained. “Everyone and their mother has a Joker, but the other ones are so much rarer, like you wouldn’t even believe it. And especially this… particular… one…”

The pause in Ritsuka’s words caught both Ren and Morgana’s attention. They glanced over to her and followed her gaze – and directly to a figure of Morgana sitting there. Ritsuka whirled about, staring hard at Morgana.

Then she looked at the figure.

Then she looked at Morgana again.

Then the figure.

Then Morgana.

Ritsuka then stared at Ren, once more looking him up and down, albeit for an entirely different reason this time. She dashed over to the dresser and opened it – and was nearly buried in an avalanche of clothing and yet more Phantom Thief memorabilia. Both Ren and Morgana watched, bewildered as the girl dug through the pile, looking for something desperately. They could only look at each other and shrug in confusion.

Suddenly, Ritsuka grabbed something from the pile, dashed over to the two of them, and almost slammed it into Ren’s face. She looked up at his face, and her face paled and her eyes widened as she stepped back in abject shock and horror. Ren reached up blinking and took it off, and saw what it was: A copy of his mask.

Then the girl shrieked and tried shoving them out of her room, only to trip over an article of clothing and fall splat on her face. “Ow, ow,” she mumbled as she got up, holding her head. Then she looked back up at the two, shrieked again, and dived straight for her bed, immediately burying herself under the covers and pillows. The two could only stare at the quivering pile in the bed, emitting muffled screams, then stare at each other.

And thus, Ritsuka Fujimaru, one of the last Masters in the world and Phangirl Extraordinaire, met the Phantom Thieves.