Cu Chulainn watched warily as three werewolves surrounded him. Their matted fur gleamed in the bright sun as they snarled, showing their yellowed, pitted fangs, their spittle drooling down to the grass below. They stalked around the trees around him, aiming for his flanks and back, looking for any opening. The sunlight glinted off Cu’s blood-red spear as he adjusted his grip and tensed his legs and body. He exhaled deeply. It was a waiting game – and they were watching who would move first so they could react accordingly.
A moment passed. A leaf dropped down from a branch and landed with barely a whisper.
Then another.
And another.
Then like a taut cord snapping, everything moved at the blink of an eye. All three rushed forward at once – one in front, and two behind him on either side. With a wild smirk, Cu leaped forward and pole vaulted over the first one. While in the air, he speared down. The Gae Bolg easily pierced through sinew and flesh, past the rib cage and into its internal organs. The creature’s body sailed forward under its own momentum stumbling the two other werewolves as Cu easily landed back on the ground.
Whirling his spear, he turned to face the other two and waited for them to untangle themselves. Tossing away the body without any concern for their fallen comrade, the two charged again on either side of him, snarling. Darting forward, Cu lunged with his spear, easily piercing the windpipe of another werewolf before spinning on his heel, using the momentum to throw the body at the last werewolf. The sheer force of the throw forced the last werewolf to fly back and crash heavily into a tree – and soon after, a throw Gae Bolg embedded itself into its skull.
The red spear jumped out of the werewolf’s skull and easily landed back in Cu’s hand as the corpses and forest dissolved away into data, turning into an open clearing once more. The Chaldean training simulator was, like everything else in the facility, a feat of technology unmatched by anywhere else. It could easily emulate all sorts of environments and enemies if provided enough data – and analyses of singularities provided more than enough.
That being said, it couldn’t exactly replicate every environment – like another texture of the World such as the cognitive layer.
Cu Chulainn blew a discontented sigh as his spear vanished in his hands. They had taken a break for the debriefing which was fine with him – what was revealed already had been just a series of revelations punching him as hard as any red-blooded Celtic warrior in the face. Saber and Archer had been rather quiet about their battles in the singularity and now he knew why. Shit like this honestly didn’t exactly sit well with him.
God, he needed a drink. But with his Masters, Roman, and that goddamn Archer there, it wasn’t a good time for it.
“Is your training not satisfactory, Lancer?”
Cu glanced up and saw Saber walking towards him, her expression neutral. Still, the look in her eyes was showed she was just as troubled as he was. Well, it made sense – king or not, she was just as personable as anyone else, much as she pretended otherwise.
He scratched the back of his head with a huff. “Thought I’d blow some stress with a fight or two, but this ain’t cutting it,” he grumbled. “I already went through a bunch of ghouls, werewolves, and wyverns. None of them did it for me. After what the kid’s been talking about, I could use something a bit more… tough.” He glanced over at the shorter woman. “What about you, Saber?” he asked. “You need to blow some stress too?”
The Lancer honestly expected her to decline – a prim, proper knight who only fought because she had to. Frivolous fights like this weren’t her thing. Which took him off guard when she sighed. “Perhaps a bout of sparring shall help take my mind off things,” she replied wearily, summoning her invisible sword.
Cu blinked in surprise before breaking into a broad grin, summoning the Gae Bolg once more. “Well, didn’t expect you to take me up on the offer but like hell I’d look a gift horse in the mouth,” he admitted, whirling the spear deftly as he lowered himself into a combat stance. His red eyes danced with fierce joy and eagerness. “You ready for a dance or two, Saber?”
Saber nodded stoically as she gripped her blade with both hands. They watched one another wearily, once more waiting for the slightest movement or change in atmosphere.
Then suddenly, they moved, faster than the human eye could possibly follow. Cu Chulainn thrusted at Saber, his spear like a bolt of red lightning aiming straight for her chest. The swordswoman in turn expertly parried the blow, deflecting the momentum of the thrust and forcing him off balance before bringing her blade up for a swift counter attack – an attack that was rapidly dodged by Cu spinning aside. Sliding his hands closer toward the spearhead, he sacrificed range for maneuverability as he launched several quick jabs and swipes at a point-blank position, forcing Saber to give up ground and back off, easily deflecting the blows at a more comfortable range.
An exchange between two masters that lasted all of a few seconds.
“So, what do you think of the kid’s story so far?” Cu asked as they sized each other up.
They began walking in a slow circle, trying to maneuver their opponent into more favorable territory or be able to take their flank while the other was unaware or distracted. “There is much to process, Lancer,” Saber replied honestly. They had to be careful of their words here – someone could be monitoring their fight and given the information their Masters had chosen to divulge, revealing anything would only result in a great deal of harm.
“Yeah, that’s a damn light way of putting it,” Cu grumbled before charging in again, leading to another series of blows. “Can’t say it doesn’t rub me the wrong way, our Masters’ way of doing things,” he called out over the crashing of their weapons. “But well, they’re damn flashy. I can respect that!” Parrying Saber’s blade, he swiftly directed a kick to her side. His foot directly collided with her breastplate, forcing her flying, though no harm was done otherwise.
Saber landed lightly as she held up her blade once more. “Flashy or not, our Masters’ methods are both strange even to our standards,” she admonished with a light frown. “Abusing it would be abusing our Masters’ trust in us, especially given how they have been misled in the past. Strike Air!” She slashed the space in front of her, firing off a hurricane gust of wind towards the expectant Lancer.
Cu’s eyes widened before he charged forward and pole vaulted, dodging the worst of the winds. Aiming himself at Saber, he darted down from the air, slamming the Gae Bolg at her head. Saber raised her blade in turn and the weapons slammed against one another, the impact causing the ground underneath the swordswoman to crack and crater slightly underneath the sheer force.
“Tch, always the killjoy aren’t you,” he growled as he leaped back, twirling his spear. “Can’t imagine how much our lives would be easier if we could do the same damn thing in our lifetimes.”
“Perhaps so,” Saber acceded. “But a power like that must have its drawbacks. I do not believe our Masters would be so frivolous in its usage.” That said, even she couldn’t deny the usage of such an ability. If she had that as a king, it would’ve made running Camelot far smoother, if only just to peer into the hearts and minds of her knights. Especially Mordred and Morgan. Perhaps if did, she could’ve…
No. That time was long over. She had done all she could with what she had on hand. To dwell on it now was pointless and an insult – to herself and to everyone who had followed her, come hell or high water.
Cu snorted. “Huh. Well, if you say so,” he accepted easily before charging back in. As they clashed, both of them understood something even though they didn’t talk about it: Their Masters were still holding back information. They could feel it through their mental link as they told the story to Da Vinci, Roman, and Mash. Still, if they didn’t wish to tell, they could respect it. After all, who knew better when it came to secrets than Servants, let alone a warrior and a king?
Every legend had its hidden aspects, after all.
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Lunch had been a surprisingly quiet affair. Nobody really talked as they ate (a smattering of Japanese dishes including fried fish and miso soup, courtesy of Archer), nor as Ren brewed more coffee for everyone. Even the staff, who weren’t privy to the contents of the meeting, only held hushed conversations, surreptitiously glancing at those at the counter. What secrets could they be talking about? Especially the Masters, who up to this point weren’t even mages, let alone ones with any lineage?
What secrets would be worthy of consideration from Servants and Roman?
Although Mash, Roman, and Da Vinci were pondering their own thoughts, Ren and Morgana were all too aware of the stares aimed at their backs. For Ren, this felt all too familiar. He felt like he was at Shujin again, where everyone stared and whispered about him because of his known criminal record. His ears could make out one or two whispers about what they were – including no small number of disparaging remarks about him being some sort of upstart.
He had to inwardly sigh with profound exasperation. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
Choosing in the end to ignore the whispers, as he had always done, he finished making five more cups of coffee, setting them on a tray once more. With that, he returned with everyone to Da Vinci’s office. He was certain one of them almost tried to trip him, but he stepped over the foot without an issue. Was that accidental or intentional? Probably the latter.
The debriefing definitely wasn’t the end of his troubles in Chaldea. He was sure of it. But one thing at a time. Dealing with it all at once was… overwhelming, to say the least.
They reentered Da Vinci’s workshop, the door closing behind them. “Are the others gonna give us any trouble?” Morgana asked bluntly as he hopped up on his chair once more.
Roman blinked in surprise, then sighed. “Ah, yes, I knew I forgot about something,” he muttered, scratching his hair. “Magi aren’t really inclined towards others, especially those of… lesser lineages, as they like to call them,” he explained. “Honestly, given you guys just… show up out of nowhere with your circuits and magecraft without any lineages, it’s a gigantic slap in the face to them.”
“Yeah, you told us back when we had the checkup,” Ren replied, nodding.
“Right,” Roman agreed. “After the debriefing here, I’ll have the rest of the staff convene and talk to them, straighten things out. With any luck we won’t have any further problems.”
Ren and Morgana glanced at each other. They had extremely heavy doubts that would be the case and judging from the discontent that radiated through the mental link, the Servants felt the same. But that was a problem to be dealt with later. One step at a time here. For now, they needed to finish the debriefing so everyone who would fight alongside them would be caught up to speed.
But with that, once everyone had settled back around the desk once more, they resumed their tale.
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With the death of Okumura, the walls had been closing around the Phantom Thieves. Public opinion was rapidly swaying against them for being murderers, and they took to ground. Then they were sniffed out.
Goro Akechi. Known as the Second Coming of the Detective Prince, he had been apparently tracking the Phantom Thieves for some time, flip-flopping publicly on his opinion of them. Circumstances forced them to confront each other – and in the end, they made a deal.
He had one last target for the Phantom Thieves: Sae Niijima, the rising star prosecutor within the Special Investigation Unit of Japan, and Makoto’s older sister. Once her heart was changed, the Thieves would disband. Akechi wouldn’t turn them in, and no one would be the wiser.
At least, that was the public plan.
Akechi had access to the Metaverse as well and aided them with Sae’s Palace – a casino. His sheer cunning was beyond question, easily getting them past the many rigged games Sae’s shadow threw in their way. It went incredibly smoothly, and it seemed like the heist would be done without a hitch. It would be the end of the Phantom Thieves, quietly disappearing into the night.
Then their plan went into action. Joker was separated from everyone else.
And a horde of police awaited him.
Then it was dark. An interrogation room. Head muddled. Bruises. Manacles digging into his wrists. A kick to the gut. A stomp to the head. To the leg.
He couldn’t think. It hurt. He signed a confession. He couldn’t read it. They wouldn’t let him. He could barely make anything out. He couldn’t think. Barely speak.
Sae was across from him. Glaring at him. Impatient. Muddled. Recounting. The bruises hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt
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“Ren? REN!”
Ren blinked with surprise at Morgana’s shout. He looked around. It wasn’t just Morgana – everyone in the room was staring at him with naked horror. The color had completely left Mash’s face as tears flowed from her eyes. Da Vinci’s smile was gone, already halfway standing up from her chair. Roman was as well, his eyes sharp with expertise. His mind clamored but it wasn’t his own voices – it was his Servants calling out in concern. He closed his eyes for a moment, quickly reassuring them they were alright. They quieted down, but Ren knew they would want to talk to him later.
“Er, sorry, guys,” he apologized, smiling ruefully. He carefully set his coffee cup that he had been holding down, noting the drops of coffee that had splashed out from his trembling running down the side. As his hand pulled away, the handle broke off. He blinked with surprise as his mouth opened slightly. Had he been gripping it that hard?
Morgana’s reaction was what surprised him the most. Instead of calming down he was staring at Ren, utterly terrified. He hadn’t expected his old friend to be so anxious. Smiling shakily, he reached over to pet Morgana, scratching his enlarged head. Morgana blinked and began purring, though that didn’t seem to diminish the worry that was clear in his eyes.
Roman and Da Vinci uneasily settled back down in their seats. “I’m truly sorry, Ren,” Roman said earnestly, bowing deeply. “I didn’t intend to trigger such a traumatic episode for you. It’s honestly why I had this debriefing set up here as opposed to the director’s office or somewhere else. I… I looked into your files to try and find information about you and… and I saw your records. Your reaction when you were interrogated in Orleans as well lead me to believe… well… I’m truly, terribly sorry, Ren. For everything.”
The earnestness of the doctor took them both completely off guard. What Roman had done was… well, honestly, it was expected from someone of his position. He’d have to be a complete and utter idiot to not investigate them after what they had pulled left, right, and center. But to hear it admitted so sincerely was what surprised them the most. Morgana had been partially right that Roman had set things up here so they wouldn’t treat this like an interrogation quite as much, but it was more for their comfort than manipulation, no more.
Ren finally sighed after a moment, sagging in his seat. “It’s alright, doc,” he reassured him with a weak smile. “It’s not exactly like you knew the details. I’m sure my records were scrubbed clean of them, all things considered. It’s in the past now.”
He looked at the other three and his smile became a bit brighter. “Still, at the very least, thank you for arranging all this,” he said genuinely. “It’s rather nice being able to do this rather than some stuffy meeting or… or an interrogation.” His grip tightened again at the mention again, but he swiftly relaxed before anyone noticed. “Maybe next time we do any debriefing it can be like this instead? I think I’ve been cooped up in enough offices for a lifetime.”
That left all of them blinking. The first to break the silence was Da Vinci, who broke out giggling. “Yes, I suppose you would be, my ragazzo,” she chirped, her eyes gleaming in amusement. She stood up and reached over to take Ren’s cup as well as the broken handle. “Be back in a moment,” the Caster said, walking off. “To not be able to finish such a wondrous brew is nothing more than a crime in Da Vinci-chan’s eyes~”
All four just stared at the retreating figure of the self-proclaimed genius before turning to look at each other. And before long, they all burst into laughter, the earlier tension rapidly dissipating.
Perhaps things could be a bit better after all.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
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Escaping had been a close and tricky affair. Convincing Sae to help them in the span of two hours was a tremendous gamble, and even more that she would know precisely what to do. He waited in the room for his doom. Whoever walked through that door would decide his fate.
His door opened… and it was Sae. Not Akechi.
Spirited away, their enemies thought him dead. That was how the Thieves needed it. They gathered more information, the last bit of damning info being the bug Futaba had planted in Akechi’s phone. They had their ultimate target: Masayoshi Shido.
With that, their last heist began.
----------
“Ah, so that was why you used such an audacious calling card!” Da Vinci realized, clapping her hands with glee. “Magnifico! I must say, I could hardly have done better myself! I’m certain everyone in the city saw it!”
“Oh, they did,” Ren replied, chuckling as he recollected the memory. “They tried shutting us down but Futaba being Futaba was more than prepped for it. She just ended up spreading it all over Japan. She’s ridiculous, honestly.” He shook his head at the sheer audacity of his fellow Thief. She had told them what she had been cooking but it still caught them by utter surprise. It certainly worked beyond their wildest dreams though – it caught Shido’s attention, and no doubt that of his cronies as well.
Mash blinked as she realized something. “Wait, you’ve seen this calling card before, Da Vinci?” she asked, peering curiously over the Caster.
Da Vinci giggled. “Oh, si, my dear Mash,” she replied happily. “I remembered seeing something in the past that reminded me of Ren and Morgana and looked it up. Happily, it seemed we had some news articles in the archives. It was quite an adventure tracing down their heists, though I must say I never knew much about the details like you were telling us, ragazzo.”
Morgana sighed in exasperation. “I guess we should’ve known better,” he mumbled. Ren had to agree. In the age of the internet, there was absolutely no way that calling card was going to disappear, not when anyone could whip out a smartphone and take a recording at anytime and upload it anywhere on the internet.
“Could… could we see this calling card?” Mash asked innocently.
Roman could only look between everyone flabbergasted as Da Vinci’s grin widened and Ren chuckled in clear amusement.
“Out of curiosity, what became of Akechi?” Roman asked, looking at the two Masters. “Did you guys manage to find him or did he get away?”
Both of them froze. A mutual memory of the blast doors shutting down between them as Akechi held off a squad of powerful shadows as well as his own cognitive self flashed before them. “That’s… that’s a conversation for another day,” Ren ground out, gripping his own knees tightly. It wasn’t something he wanted to revisit right now. Not yet.
The three glanced at each other before nodding. “Very well, we won’t pry,” Da Vinci replied gently. It was clear to everyone that whatever happened to Goro Akechi wasn’t something they wanted to share. There was no official news about him either – he was there one day and gone the next, like he simply vanished into thin air. And given everything Ren and Morgana had been telling them, it was clear that whatever fate he met wasn’t a generous one.
And so, they continued with their tale.
----------
It should have been the end of it. It should have been their crowning moment of triumph. On the night of the election where it would’ve been his victory, Shido confessed to all of his crimes on TV, begging to be arrested.
But things went wrong. People still had faith in Shido – unnervingly so. News reports scrambled out about going into a hospital. Sae came and told them that the Thieves were being hunted down, and it would only be a matter of time before they were all arrested. Everything was moving far too quickly. The public just simply wouldn’t accept the instability that not electing Shido would bring.
Fortunately, the public had a Palace of their own. Lurking in the depths of the Tokyo subway station.
Mementos.
Down and down they climbed. With every step of their fame came more levels to delve into. What was originally their training ground became their last hope as they descended, driving past eldritch tunnels as subways trains flew by on neighboring tracks.
Soon, they reached the depths of Mementos. The doors opened revealing a horrifying sight: The Prison of Regression. Countless people in jail cells, unthinking, proclaiming it paradise in an unsettling calm. The shadows of their former targets were locked up too. Kamoshida. Madarame. Kaneshiro. Even Shido himself was locked in with no wish to get out.
Why would they? It was paradise and freedom. Freedom from having to make decisions and choices. Freedom from the pressures of society. Why fight against the flow? Better to just move with it like everyone else did. It was safe. It was secure.
Then kept going. Though it seemed bottomless, they continued onward, until the jails narrowed down, funneling down into the bottom. Eventually, they reached the end. A giant panopticon, lined with countless cells. A giant circular chamber awaited them.
And in the middle stood a massive Holy Grail.
----------
“A WHAT?!”
Roman almost leaped out of his chair, his face utterly pale at the revelation. Da Vinci and Mash looked just as shocked. Ren and Morgana could feel the surprise emanating from all of the Servants still listening in.
Morgana held up his paws. “Calm down, all of you,” he snapped, glaring at them. “It’s not a magus’s Holy Grail, if that’s what you guys were worried about. The Holy Grail in this case is a symbol of the public’s twisted desires. The desire to have something or someone else do their thinking and make their decisions for them. It took the form of a Holy Grail to grant that wish. In short, it was nothing more than a big, overgrown Treasure.”
There was a moment of silence before Roman sat back down, massaging his temples once more. “Right, of course,” he muttered, clearly embarrassed at his loss of composure. “The Holy Grail isn’t limited to something like magi. It’s been in mythology before and thought of as a wish granter. Right, that makes complete sense in this context.” He reached over to sip at his coffee again – only to have it gently pulled away from Roman.
“Perhaps less caffeine would be best for your overstimulation,” she pointed out, smirking at the doctor.
“Wha-“ Roman stammered. “Oh come on, after being hammered from this kind of a story, I need it! Da Vinci, don’t do this to me, please!”
“Your coffee is quite marvelous,” the Caster noted, looking over at Ren while utterly and wholeheartedly ignoring Roman’s whining. “Could I perhaps trouble you for one more cup after the story is finished?”
The two Masters looked at each other before chuckling again. Eventually, Da Vinci stopped teasing Roman and slid the cup back over (with much grumbling from the good doctor as he gulped down his heavenly beverage). Now came some truly dangerous territory, but frankly, Ren already thought about how to phrase it. It wouldn’t even be a lie.
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They had lost. They were sent back to the surface. Moments later, the skies turned crimson as red rain fell – to none but the Thieves’ notice. Bone-like structures burst from the ground, reaching past the city buildings as, by the Holy Grail’s will, it dragged Mementos out and began merging it with the real world.
The Thieves fought their way up. The shadows now took the forms of demons and angels. There were even guardians in the form of archangels – Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Michael – but they triumphed and pushed on. They reached the panopticon once more and fought the Holy Grail.
Then it changed. The Holy Grail became a towering construct of order, following the will of the masses and seeking to subjugate them under its rule. The God of Control: Yaldabaoth.
Then the Thieves countered with their own power. They rallied the public to their will, gathering strength. And with it, Ren unleashed his trump card and ultimate power. The angel that would bring low the false god, bringing freedom for humanity.
Satanael.
And with one bullet, the God of Control was defeated.
----------
Ren took another sip of coffee. He was mildly aware that Morgana was shooting him a look for not mentioning certain details, but that didn’t matter. They didn’t need to know it anyway, and it was irrelevant to the debriefing. If it needed to be mentioned later on, he would. But for now, the Velvet Room, its attendants, and everything that had happened there was strict on a need-to-know basis. And they didn’t need to know.
The three, however, didn’t notice the look between them. They just stared, slack-jawed (even Da Vinci) at the two, the color from their faces drained from their faces. Roman took a very deep breath, placing his hands together. “So… let me get this straight,” he said slowly. “You’re telling us that… during the course of your adventures… two textures of the World nearly fused together, and that you defeated a… cognitive god. With one of your own? And it’s the true form of Arsene?”
“Don’t believe us now?” Ren snarked, sitting back with a smirk.
Roman blinked at them, then sighed again. His head lowered so much he almost bonked it on the cup. “Frankly, if it wasn’t for our current circumstances, no, I wouldn’t,” he admitted plainly. “What you’re talking about – even among magecraft and possibly magic – is something that is next to impossible. Magi have tried such things before and they usually end up either failing, or very, very dead.”
He glanced wearily up at Da Vinci. “Have we had any reports of such a thing happening in Tokyo?” he asked wearily.
The Caster hesitantly shook her head. “I’ll have to look again,” she replied hesitatingly – a tone that certainly didn’t match the normally boisterous inventor whatsoever. “But in my investigation, I’ve seen absolutely no reports of the sort. I’ll check again. Perhaps I missed something.”
Mash in the meantime had absolutely no words, only staring at the two. Especially Ren. What could she say? What could she do? Her senpai had gone through things that were far beyond even the most prolific magi. Once more, she felt that he was far closer to a Servant than a regular person. She was aware of the gulf between her and her senpai, and that gulf had only grown vastly wider and deeper with everything she heard. Including shooting a God of Control.
Was there anything she could do in a short time to catch up at all?
“There was another incident after that,” Ren added on. “But honestly, it was much the same as what happened before – and yes, I did end up shooting yet another cognitive god. They don’t seem to end, do they?”
Morgana stared in shock at Ren, joining everyone else while he sat back with as much calm as he could muster. He technically didn’t lie. Mementos did end up almost fusing to the real world again and there was a new cognitive god seeking control once more. It was just the details and context that were different.
Takuto Maruki. The false paradise. A place where everyone could have their dreams granted and could be eternally happy under his well-meaning auspices. A place where the Phantom Thieves could throw away their masks, where they no longer had to pretend. All they had to do was believe in him, and they no longer had to suffer anymore.
And still, they had chosen to defy him. They tore everyone away from that false paradise based only on their own ideals. At that time, it seemed right. But then, given how humanity was incinerated now, from what he saw of the two singularities he had been in, where suffering and death abounded… could things have ultimately been different? Could those who have died ended up living happy lives again?
His mind flashed back. Haru’s dad. Futaba’s mom. They were so happy to have them back that he had been reluctant to push them to remember. Yet he did, and they made their choice to face reality anyway.
They had declared a cruel but fulfilling reality was better than a gentle yet hollow dream. He still believed that himself. But what happened if that reality was crueler than any of them had anticipated?
At any rate, he wasn’t sure how Roman, Da Vinci, Mash, or the Servants would react if they knew he had knowing pulled all of them away from a paradise, real or false. Things could sour very quick. It was better to keep quiet about that for now until he knew better their personalities and could trust their reactions and stances on the matter.
“Not once, but twice,” Roman muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Ren, I already said this, but what you have achieved is beyond extraordinary. Still, it all makes sense now. Your abilities, your experience, your knack for planning and tactics… with all you have been through, they must’ve been honed to a razor sharp level.”
He smiled at the two of them. “No doubt you two have more secrets yet,” he honestly stated. “But what you have divulged today was still incredibly significant. Thank you for trusting us. We’ll do what we can to work with you moving forward. Can we count on you for the same?”
The two Masters glanced at each other. Morgana sighed. “Well, it’s not like we’ve a choice,” he grumbled. “What with humanity up in flames and all. But we’ll work with you – you guys seem to be good, reliable people at least. Though less so on your part, doctor.” The last bit came with a smirk and a mischievous glint in his eye at Roman.
The doctor’s mouth dropped. “Wha – how am I unreliable?!” he demanded. “I do well enough in mission control! And I’m here working my butt off for you guys! Mash, back me up here!” He turned to look over at Mash – who had pointedly turned away from Roman. “LOOK AT ME, YOU TRAITOR!”
Da Vinci burst out laughing. “Glad to see that settled,” she commented cheerily. “Oh, speaking of, may I borrow your armaments, Ren? Morgana? I took a look at the data about their performance and have some ideas how they could be improved.”
Ren and Morgana blinked. They were hesitant to hand over their weapons, but they looked at Da Vinci’s eyes. That glint of passion was so familiar to them. They had seen a similar look from both Futaba and Yusuke whenever the two of them were utterly possessed by some form of inspiration. They usually ended up creating wonders – while weirding everyone out.
The former relented, taking out his knife with a chuckle. “Go easy on it, Da Vinci,” he said, handing it over with a grin. “I’m gonna need it before long at the rate things are going.”
The Caster giggled. “Oh, please, ragazzo,” she purred as she collected Morgana’s weapon as well. “I treat all my creations with the gentleness and harshness they deserve. Just leave it to the genius Da Vinci-chan. You won’t be disappointed whatsoever~!”
Morgana chuckled. “Yeah, I have zero doubt in that, Da Vinci,” he replied.
Mash suddenly blinked. “Ah, I just remembered!” she started. She looked over at the two. “Um… can you guys tell us now where the director is? Or is that still a secret?”
Ren froze for a second. He took a deep breath as he considered his answer. “Unfortunately, that’s still a secret,” he answered uneasily. “I did talk to her, though. She’s doing fine. And if you guys didn’t believe me, she wanted me to tell you this: Stars. Cosmos. Gods. Animus. Ant… um… Antrum. Universe – er, wait, no. Unverse. Anima. Animusphere.”
With every word Ren recited, despite the mistakes he made, the three’s faces once more grew paler and paler. “That’s… that’s the aria of the Animusphere magecraft,” Roman gasped. “It’s not a huge secret but… I haven’t heard the director ever mention it while at Chaldea. Have you?” He turned to the two women for confirmation. Both Da Vinci and Mash shook their heads. “So the only way you could’ve known those words in that sequence…”
Da Vinci smiled weakly at the two Masters. “Perhaps that’s enough world-shattering revelations for one day,” she noted gently. “I don’t think the poor doctor’s heart can take anymore, especially coupled with the coffee he’s been drinking.”
“I can monitor my own health just fine, Da Vinci,” Roman grumbled – only to be met with flat stares from literally everyone at the table. “Really, only Olga and Wodime would’ve known that aria-“
“Who?” Ren asked.
“The leader of Team A,” Mash supplied. “They were supposed to be the ones sent to the first Singularity, but there was a failure with the coffins and are currently sealed in cryogenic storage, per the director’s orders in order to save their lives.”
Ren blinked. They were in cryo? Which meant they were still alive, albeit in critical condition. A shame. More manpower would be very fortunate to have in a time like this, especially when it seemed like everything hinged on him. Then an image appeared in his mind – Maria. Suddenly, he had an idea.
“Actually, what if I healed them?” he asked quietly.
That immediately drew everyone’s attention, including the Servants. “Heal – you’re gonna use Maria again?” Morgana gasped. “Ren, no! The last time you used Maria left you almost dead! We can’t risk it again this time! No way in hell!”
“I’m not gonna use Salvation, Morgana,” Ren quickly reassured him. “A Mediarahan wouldn’t make as much of a difference compared to Salvation, and it’s a lot less taxing to use. Plus, Roman, Da Vinci, and Mash are here.” He nodded to the three who were staring at him in shock once again. “They’ll monitor me and make sure I don’t get into too much trouble. Worst case, the Servants will rush me to the medbay and probably Roman too. In fact, I could have Rider give him a lift.”
Roman spluttered at that last remark as Ren grinned teasingly. Through their mental link, he could sense Rider’s amusement carry through despite everyone’s mutual concern. However, the air chilled as Da Vinci flashed a look over at Roman, despite her smile remaining beatific as always. “Ah yes, Roman is known as something of a pervert,” she commented, her warm tone contrasting very heavily to the drastically dropping air around her. “I’m sure he would enjoy that.
The doctor cleared his throat and pointedly looked away from Da Vinci to Ren. “Are you sure you can and want to do this, Ren?” he asked.
Ren nodded and shrugged. “What’s the worst that could happen?” he asked casually.
The resulting groans and complaints only brought a grin to his face.
----------
The Command Center was buzzing with apprehensive and excited murmurs alike. Ren, Morgana, Mash, Roman, and Da Vinci marched out of the latter’s workshop and went straight there, drawing the attention of the Chaldean staff. Their gossip only grew as they approached the Coffins – a very specific of Coffins, in fact. After Lev’s bombing, Team A had been shoved into the Coffins to preserve their lives. Their readings had been carefully monitored and, while stable, they weren’t recovering.
The Servants soon joined them. Saber and Archer were closest at hand. Cu and Rider were near the doors, ready to bolt to whichever direction they were needed. Elizabeth was closer to the crowd, trying to look grave and serious like she knew what she was doing. Joan had come out of hiding and was waiting outside the Command Room, to the knowledge of only Cu Chulainn and Rider. Neither of them acknowledged her though they noted her presence.
Ren took a small breath, ignoring the attention that was on him. Looking at it front the outside, he noticed just how tiny the Coffins really were. No room to stretch or move about. If they were shorter in length, they really would be coffins. He hoped none of Team A were claustrophobic.
“Everyone’s in position, Ren,” Roman called out. He had manned a nearby workstation, pulling up the statuses of the Masters within. They all knew their roles, whether they were told or implied. “It’s on you now.”
The Master of Chaldea nodded. It was up to him. He switched his masks within his mind, once more envisioning tearing it off.
“Maria.”
The persona once more appeared in a flash of blue flame, to the awe of everyone nearby. The holy aura of the persona was powerful, yet comforting and warm. A few of the Chaldean staff immediately dropped their hands and whispered a quick prayer, so inspired they were by its presence – and drawing a few annoyed glances at a small number of their peers. The persona didn’t pay anyone any mind – it was there only to fulfill Ren’s wishes. With a wave of her hand, a bright green light glowed around the Coffins, suffusing the air with a fresh spring breeze. Those who were praying did so more fervently. It was a miracle come true.
Ren immediately collapsed on his knees, gasping for breath. The circuits in his body burned like he had been scalded. Mash and Morgana immediately ran to his side, calling in concern. Mustering the last bit of his will, he gave them a weak and tired grin. “It’s alright guys, it’s fine,” he reassured them, his voice shockingly faint. He looked up. “Doc? How are we looking?”
Roman, who had stood up and was just about to rush to Ren’s side, blinked in surprise at the question. Then he looked back at the statuses of the Masters. A second passed. Then two. Then he shook his head. “Their signs have stabilized, but they’re showing no signs of waking up,” he replied. “I don’t want to bring them out of cryo yet, just in case. I’ll keep monitoring their signs in case something changes.”
The Master panted, then sighed. He looked at the Coffins once more. Well, it wasn’t like Mediarahan was a cure-all, be-all. It was immensely powerful, no doubt, but he wasn’t sure how much its healing could influence. He closed his eyes, both acceptance and sadness flowing through him despite the pain coursing through his body. He had done what he could. And sometimes, in situations like this, it had to be enough.
Then the console beeped, drawing everyone’s attention. Roman glanced back down – and his eyes widened. “O-one of the Masters is waking!” he announced. Tapping a few keys, he immediately started bring the Master out of cryo from the coffin. He spun around to the door. “One of you grab the gurney! NOW!” he roared. Rider moved a hair faster, immediately darting down the hall in a purple blur.
The doctor raced over as Mash gently led Ren clear from the area. Warning sirens blared from the Coffin as the temperature within raised and thawing out the person within. A few tense seconds passed. Then the Coffin opened and a person tumbled out into Roman’s arms just as Rider arrived with a gurney. Archer and Saber took the person and laid them out in the portable bed as Roman immediately began doing diagnostic checks.
Ren shambled up, curious as to who it was. A girl wearing an orange plugsuit, with a mop of even more vivid orange hair. She looked to be about his age, maybe slightly younger. She was deathly pale and shivering, her body trying to adjust to the temperature. “Get her to the medbay, now!” Roman commanded. Rider nodded, immediately wheeling the girl off. Cu Chulainn followed them as a guard just in case.
Roman gulped. There was much to do to stabilize her, but his preliminary diagnostics were optimistic. He smiled at Ren. “Well, that’s another life saved,” he commented reassuringly. With that, he left the Command Center to man his own post as a doctor once more.
Da Vinci smiled warmly as the doctor passed her, then turned to the others. “Reinitialize her Master status!” she ordered. “Reopen all permissions for her for summoning and rayshifting! Register her once more for Chaldea with all privileges and duties on record!”
“Master Ritsuka Fujimaru!”