The night swiftly passed, opening up into a new day. The sun shone brightly as it rose up over the horizon, with only signs of a few clouds in the bright blue sky. Golden rays illuminated the lush Italian countryside, giving it the appearance of a morning paradise as it reflected off the carefully crafted walls of the town of Florence. Citizens and soldiers began stirring, going about their days. It would’ve been a normal day had it not been for the patrols of soldiers marching in and around the town.
After a discussion with the Emperor, who had been more than excited to receive them and hear them out, she had sent them to rest while she deliberated the next course of action based on this new info. Ritsu had been practically bouncing nonstop and pretty much had to be dragged away from Mash while she was busy squealing excitedly. The Phantom Thieves could only chuckle as they left.
The next morning, they ate in the dining room before heading to the conference room where Nero was hotly debating with Legate Asisculus. The Chaldean group entering the room grabbed their attention. The emperor certainly looked worse for wear, with shadows under her eyes and looking pale – most likely a combination of both sleep deprivation and a hangover – but she flashed them a bright smile as usual.
“Welcome, auxiliaries!” she greeted cordially. “You are just in time! Come, I was figuring out plans with legate Asisculus here though we are at a standstill-“
“Imperator, as I stated in the beginning,” the legate sighed. “This plan of yours will not work. We are stretched far too thin as is and barely have enough resources to maintain such a campaign. What you are suggesting is tantamount to suicide-“
“And I did not promote you because you were a coward, legate,” Nero shot back, glaring at her general. “If we do not proceed with this now then when will we have the opportunity? It has major risks, yes, but at the very least, it-“
“Um…”
Both of them stopped and whirled about, startling Mash who had interjected. “M-may we ask what the argument is about?” she asked timidly. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up – and blinked as she saw Ren smiling reassuringly at her. She felt the head rush to her face as she looked away, placing her hands on her cheeks. Why oh why did she feel so warm now? And why did it have to be now?
She heard Ritsu chuckling nearby, and her face only got hotter.
Nero blinked at Mash’s question and her reaction before chuckling to herself. “Umu, my apologies, auxiliaries,” she said. “It is better if we started at the beginning.”
Beckoning the Chaldeans over, she pointed at the map. “As it is now, we are stationed in Florence,” she explained. “The front lines are over in Gaul and Masilia.” She pointed to the cities further up the European continent. “However, now we have a new threat.” She took some dark pieces and placed them on various islands in the Mediterranean.
“With the attack on the Appian Road, it is clear that the United Roman Empire has control of the seas,” she explained. “Thus, they have an avenue directly to Rome at their convenience. We cannot neglect neither land or sea, or they will easily use either method to counterattack for a swift victory.”
“Thus, with the counsel from the auxiliaries, I propose we attack first,” Nero declared. She held up two fingers for emphasis. “We will lead a two-pronged campaign. One legion shall march to the north and reinforce the front line. Another will head to the south and proceed with a naval force to recapture the islands. Once done, we will reconvene back in Masilia and strike at the United Roman Capital.” She pointed at the largest dark piece, standing proudly in the middle of Spain.
“And once more, Imperator, I say that this is beyond reckless and foolhardy,” the legate growled out, massaging the bridge of his nose. “It is far better to regroup at Rome, gather our men, and secure our surroundings first: Florence and the southern docks. Once done, we can dispatch troops as necessary and secure key resources: Farmland, forests, quarries, mines, and more. We will not run the risk of losing our men when we are already at such low manpower as it is and can regain our strength.”
“This argument’s pointless.”
Everyone turned to Joan who stepped forward with a scowl on her face. “If it’s the same pattern as what happened last time, then they’re gonna be holding on to a Grail,” she explained. “And if that’s the case, it’s not gonna matter just how much resources and manpower you can collect – no matter what you have, they can easily either dwarf yours or burn all of it down. Probably both. Taking it slow and steady isn’t gonna work – you’re just asking for death by a thousand cuts at that point.”
Archer frowned at Joan’s advice, then looked at the two Romans. “What have your scouts said about the enemy’s supply lines?”
Asisculus opened his mouth to retort angrily, then stopped. He reached over to grab some reports and read through them, a frown deepening on his face. “There’s… not much to tell about them,” he slowly replied. “I specifically asked the scouts to look for their supply lines so that we may sabotage them or find which territories need to be recaptured first and starve them out. But they have found next to nothing.”
Nero blinked with surprise. “Wha- how is that possible?” she demanded. “Any army needs supply lines! They can’t simply just… procuring supplies out of nowhere! Unless…”
The emperor immediately whirled about to Joan. “Is this the Grail you were mentioning?” she inquired.
The Lancer sighed, irritated. “Can’t think of any other reason,” she grumbled, running a hand through her pale hair. “If you’re gonna ask me for info about it, then sorry, but I have nothing to say. The only thing I can tell you about it is this: Whatever you guys have, they have a lot more. If you wanna play it safe, then you’re only asking for defeat sooner or later.”
Ren and Morgana could only stare at Joan. They had forgotten – when she had been Jeanne’s doppelganger back in Orleans, she had used the Grail for her conquest of France. Small wonder she would know about the capabilities of it and what to expect. It was a bit reaffirming, at least, that their decision to change her heart was constantly paying dividends.
Both the emperor and the legate were silent, turning back to the map in consideration of Joan’s words. Finally, Asisculus stood up and bowed his head, saluting. “Imperator, I defer to your plan,” he said solemnly.
Nero blinked in surprise. “A rather sudden change in your stance, legate,” she remarked, observing her general.
The man frowned. “I had assumed that this was a normal war with regular opponents,” he admitted. “And even assumed we would hold an advantage as they would utilize much of the same tactics and equipment we do. However, against an enemy with such an overwhelming advantage, we cannot afford to ‘play it safe’, as she says.” He nodded over to Joan at the last part, who simply huffed.
“Therefore, speed is imperative, even if it is incredibly risky,” he concluded, turning back to Nero. “We need to work on the details, especially with our remaining supplies and men. But right now, Imperator, your plan is the best we have.”
The emperor blinked, then nodded with a smile. “I’m glad to hear you say that, legate,” she replied gratefully. “Now, the first order of business is who shall be heading to the seas and who will go on land.”
“Well, you got us with you,” Ritsu suggested as she crossed her arms. “Maybe send a large part of your army to retake the islands and while we march over to their capital?”
Asisculus shook his head. “We would only have a limited number of ships,” he said, pointing to the southern docks and the islands. “And most likely the United Roman Empire would be entrenched by then. Sending larger numbers is simply wasting lives and ships.”
Ren could only blink in surprise. He had fought ON a ship once, but never from a ship to land. Was it really that hard? Then he remembered some history lessons of when Japan fought against the United States and the high casualties on both sides. A shiver ran down his spine. No, it would be better to avoid that if they could.
“Then there’s only one solution,” Nero stated, looking up at the Chaldean group. “Just as we must split our forces, you must split yours. The might you would grant our forces would ensure their victories on both fronts.”
Ren, Morgana, Ritsu, and Mash all blinked in surprise. They hadn’t expected this kind of plan, but none of them could argue against it – it made sense, and they couldn’t afford to get bogged down on either front. But as he turned to look at them, a fear began building up in his heart. There was never this problem back in Tokyo – they always split up to meet again later. The closest he felt to this was back in the interrogation room, when he finally regained his senses.
But this was a military campaign against trained soldiers and in unfamiliar territory. Frankly, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t see them again. However, Ren forced his protests down. “Alright, guess we have to decide who’s going,” he said to start it off. He looked over at the Servants. “Is it possible to just send you guys? Keeping us together is probably the safer option in this case.”
“Unfortunately not, Master,” Caster replied, stepping forward as her tail swished behind her. “The further a Servant travels, the harder it is for a Master to supply prana. While we can go some distance – even outside this city – the distance you are asking for is simply not possible without some intricate setup – and even then, it would be reliant on you keeping to one place. We will need at least one Master to accompany us no matter what.”
The group fell silent as they deliberated. There was no choice but to separate the group it seemed, much as they didn’t want to. None of them could speak as they thought of perhaps another method where they could all stick together. But frankly, they couldn’t.
Finally, Morgana sighed. “Welp, guess I’m taking to the seas then,” he announced.
That caused everyone to look at him in surprise. Morgana glared at them as he hopped up onto the table to better look at everyone. “I mean, think about it,” he explained. “As the emperor and the legate said, it’s gonna be quality over quantity. Joker here is needed to work on the ground – that’s where it’s gonna be the most dangerous and the thick of the fighting is. Ritsu is too inexperienced to take on such a mission herself – no offense.”
“None taken.”
“So that only leaves me,” he concluded. “Of course, I’m not going alone. Joker, mind if I choose the Servant to come with?”
Ren blinked in surprise, then nodded hesitantly. “Yeah, that’s fine,” he replied. “In fact, take two with you. Better safe than sorry.”
The catlike being was about to protest, but then saw the worry reflected in Ren’s normally confident grey eyes and reluctantly nodded. “Alright,” he acceded. “Two then.” He looked over at the Servants clustered about. It was going to be a naval battle, trying to broach the shore. Considering how Joker and the others would have to fight a land-based campaign, he would need to choose Servants that would function the best for either of them.
He had his decision.
“Archer, Rider,” he called, nodding to each Servant. “Can you come with?”
Archer smirked and nodded. “Of course, Master,” he replied easily.
“By your will,” Rider murmured, giving the most imperceptible of nods.
“Umu!” Nero exclaimed with a bright smile. “As expected of one who shares my voice! Truly a valiant and cunning soul!”
“How long are you gonna go on about that?” Morgana groaned in frustration.
And so, plans and details were made – which did nothing to ease Ren’s worries.
—-------
With further discussion, the plan was hashed out – Morgana, along with Archer and Rider, would be leaving with a contingent and heading south back to Rome to resupply first before meeting up with legate Evander at the southern docks. With him was a missive to be given to the legate, briefing him about the new campaign to retake the Mediterranean islands and making sure the United Roman Empire would not have a direct path straight to Rome.
In the meantime, the others would be making their way north and stopping at Mediolanum first and acquiring the garrison before marching west. Currently, there were two Servants of hers holding the line there as it was easiest to move and reinforce from that location. Once that was done, they would march west toward Massilia.
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However, it was decided that they would have to split their forces even further: Ritsu, along with Mash and Caster would move further up north and reinforce Gaul. They were currently at a standstill, and if the United Roman Empire decided to stop playing around, they could flank and pinch the expedition and crush it then and there.
At the end of it all, Ren was left sitting on the balcony of his room, staring out into the countryside. He idly took his phone out to get a picture, trying to distract his thoughts. This wasn’t the first time he sent the Phantom Thieves off on solo missions or excursions – often when he had to take the heat and distract shadows while his friends worked on other objectives.
But an entire war campaign? Far from home in both space and time, with forces they barely even comprehend, let alone could fight against? Where once they left could very well be the last time they ever saw each other?
He sighed as he turned off the camera app. He wasn’t in the mood to take photos. They all looked unsatisfactory to him no matter what he tried. Instead, he stared at his phone between two icons: The Metaverse app and the texting app. The former had always been one of the best solutions back in Tokyo, but here? Extremely situational at best. The chill of the doppelganger’s Palace, the horrific demons, the Satan cognition… he couldn’t forget any of it.
As for the texting app… His thumb hovered over it before he finally put his phone to sleep and shoved it into his pocket. It wouldn’t help here at all. He loved his friends dearly and they were all capable, but this was considerably beyond their depth. Makoto would try to form some sort of plan but even she would rapidly flounder in this situation. Ren himself could barely keep his head from spinning at everything happening.
“Hey.”
Ren blinked as Morgana walked over and sat down beside him, joining him on the balcony. “It’s a nice view, isn’t it?” he asked rhetorically.
The Master blinked, then nodded. “Yeah,” he agreed. “It is.”
They both sat in silence with their own thoughts, simply taking in the other’s company while they could. “You guys gonna hold up without me?” the catlike being asked, a mischievous smile pulling at his mouth once more. “You’re rather hopeless when I’m not around, you know.”
The Phantom Thief scoffed. “Pft, we’ll be just fine,” he replied, matching his friend’s grin. “And what about you? You’re hitting the seas, aren’t you? You sure you won’t be distracted by the first tuna you’ll see on the ship? There’s literally plenty of fish in the sea, after all.”
Morgana spluttered. “Wha – what kind of slander is that?!” he demanded. “I can keep my head on task, Joker! Without me, you guys would be wandering off, yelling like headless chickens! My love for sushi is completely irrelevant! You think you can claim the same?!”
The two bickered and bantered back and forth, trading insults and jokes with each other, yet none of them could remove the smiles from their faces. It was just a good time between the two of them. Eventually, the arguments dwindled and the two were left watching the countryside in comfortable silence together, unwilling to break it.
But they had to.
“Tomorrow, huh?” Ren asked rhetorically.
The catlike being nodded. “Yeah,” he answered. “The emperor and the legate are ironing out the finer details with logistics, as well as getting the army set up. After that, well… I’m off.”
Ren nodded silently. Morgana glanced over at his longest friend. “You’re worried, aren’t you?” he asked, already knowing the answer.
The Phantom Thief chuckled bitterly in response. “That easy to figure out, huh?” he replied. His smile faded into contemplation. “This will be the first time we’ll be apart on something like this,” he murmured. “This won’t be like our time in Tokyo, or even in Orleans. We won’t be able to help each other if someone gets into trouble. And if something happens to one of us, well… the other will be left alone.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry, I’m repeating myself,” he apologized with a rueful smile. “Already complained about something like this back in Orleans and here I am complaining about it again. We just have to make sure we win, right? And you’re going with Archer and Rider. They’re probably the two most reliable Servants we have with us.”
Morgana nodded. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Caster and Joan are pretty good too. So is Mash. Loki…” He paused, then shook his head. “I’m sure you can wrangle them in due time,” he continued, brushing it off.
Then he sighed. “Still, can’t exactly blame you for being wary,” he murmured. “A full-on military campaign… this is a lot bigger than I expected. What am I expected to do? I’m a Phantom Thief, not a soldier! And this isn’t some sort of heist, it’s a war! I mean, as much as we want to, we’ve studied wars enough to know that… that…”
He didn’t finish that sentence. Ren didn’t need him to – he had been having the same thoughts. He quietly took out his Chaldean Arms, drawing Morgana’s attention. He transformed it into his gun form, laid it on his lap, and stared at it. Dream Akechi’s words echoed once more in his memories.
If you were forced to kill, would you? he asked. Are you able to weigh the lives of others against your own goals?
Will the world be worth the blood you’ll have on your hands?
Ren took a quiet breath. “We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it,” he murmured, trying to steel his will. “If… if we fail here, then it’s not just our lives in jeopardy, but everyone’s. Like you told me before, we can’t afford to fail, no matter what.” He gulped as he picked up his gun. He tried to imagine pulling the trigger at a living human being – and the closest he could think of was the Gun About game he and Shinya used to play and train at all the time.
The very thought of it terrified him.
They both sat in heavy silence. “Think the Servants will be able to help out?” Morgana asked quietly.
“Maybe,” Ren admitted. “But we’re already putting a lot on their shoulders. Again, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Let’s just enjoy this last day of peace while we can.”
The catlike being nodded. “Yeah, sounds good,” he accepted easily, turning back to watch the countryside with his best friend.
Tamamo, in spiritual form and guarding the Masters, could only sigh sadly. Such responsible children, yet with such heavy burdens. Could she do nothing to help them…?
—-------
Under the darkness of the night, Medusa silently moved from rooftop to rooftop of Florence. Always in balance, it was quite easy to maintain her agility despite the sloped, smooth tiles of the roofs. Though she had her blindfold on to prevent her gaze from petrifying people, she had plenty of other senses left: Her ears picked up the footsteps of marching soldiers and whispered words from officers. Her nose breathed in the scent of sweating men and cooking food. Her skin could feel the disturbances in the air. Taste… Well, that was a different matter.
Stopping at a watchtower at the town square, she observed the soldiers as they flitted about. They were all preparing for separate excursions, organizing ranks and supplies. She could hear their discussions as they made plans and gossiped, wondering what the new plan was and opined about the Chaldeans. The soldiers in general seemed favorable towards the Chaldeans, though no small number also looked down on them.
However, she didn’t hear anything she needed to be wary of: Any plans against the Masters, be it sabotage or assassination. They would have to be eliminated or silenced if that was the case.
Then she felt a shiver across her back. Another presence was here – one all too familiar. “Do you have business with me, Avenger?” she murmured without turning.
Loki leaned against the handrail behind her, smirking. “Oh, I just thought I’d help you with the patrol, is all,” they replied in a friendly tone – one that positively dripped with barely concealed amusement or self-interest. “Never know when these Romans might decide to backstab our Masters or us – they’re fairly good at that.”
Medusa barely turned her head to face them. “Are you speaking as one yourself?” she asked. “Or merely from your experience as one?”
The Avenger gasped loudly, dramatically holding a hand to their heart before breaking into chuckles. “A fair point,” they freely admitted. “Either way makes my experience rather invaluable, don’t you think?” They stepped forward and leaned against the handrail beside Rider, casually ignoring how the blindfolded Servant stiffened as they approached. “I always find that people have rather loose lips when they’re not being watched.”
The Rider didn’t answer for a second. “That is true,” she admitted carefully.
Her guard was only raised higher as Loki’s eyes turned towards her. “Of course, the same could be said for Servants as well,” they continued. “Honestly, they seem to let their guard down all the more since they can enter spiritual form and escape the notice of most others besides other Servants. Whether it’s you or Archer or Caster, it makes little difference.”
She felt cold tendrils seeping through her spine but kept her expression carefully neutral. “Is there a point you wished to speak about, Avenger?” she asked, an edge creeping into her voice. She was getting tired of the trickster god. No surprise that almost everyone wanted to throttle them almost as soon as they met.
Loki smirked. “So, what did you and Ren discuss about the other night?” they asked.
Medusa frowned. “What are you talking about?” she asked.
“Since that night you gave Ren that massage back at the camp, you’ve been disturbed,” the Avenger noted, casually pulling at their glove to tighten it without a care. “Still, it’s hard to imagine what, though – was our Master really that bad in bed to the point it’d disturb you?” They chuckled. “Oh, what a treat that’d be to tell the others. I’m sure Mash and Ritsu would be more than happy to hear about that-“
“Our Master did no such thing,” Rider interjected, a bit of venom seeping into her voice. “So still your tongue, unless you wish for me to rip it out for you.”
The trickster god didn’t turn, simply shrugging and looking back over the city. “I mean, that’s the only thing I can really think of,” they replied. “Unless they did something extremely heinous. What, did they do something you disapproved of? What’s the recent appellation… ‘hit too close to home,’ as they say?“
They stopped as they noticed Rider twitch – a fact she immediately cursed herself for. “Oh? How interesting,” they replied, a smirk slowly spreading across their face.
Within a second, Rider’s spikes appeared in her hands, flashing as they sped towards the Avenger. Only for them to miss entirely as they rolled backwards, laughing as they fell off the handrail and down the tower. Medusa immediately leaped up to the handrail, ready to pursue them down – only to see nothing but empty air.
“Concerned for me? I’m touched!”
Spinning around, a spike flew towards Loki, who was perched on the opposite side of the tower. A shot from a… raygun? And the spike was deflected, clattering to the ground. Rider prepared for the worst, only to see that Loki wasn’t bothering to aim at her, instead their weapon vanishing in their hand. “What game are you playing, Avenger?” she growled. “What do you want?”
The Avenger laughed again, grinning madly. “Did I not say?” they asked rhetorically as they spread their hands. “I seek entertainment! A girl growing into a pure-hearted warrior in her own right, another having the temerity to bulldoze a path forward, timelines completely and utterly amiss with all sorts of characters, something the Phantom Thieves have done you disapproved of. Now what was your legend again?”
They made a fake thinking pose as their red eyes glowed maliciously. “Was it all the ‘heroes’ you had petrified?” they asked. “Was it your death by the hands of Perseus? Or was it your sisters-“
Rider interjected by throwing both of her spikes this time, the attached chains clattering – only to be deflected by their red serrated sword.
Loki chuckled again, running a hand over their face. “As I told Archer, you are all too easily agitated for your own good,” they commented easily.
Medusa was worried when Loki acted madly, but now the fact they were so calm only made it worse. “Being on your guard is reasonable,” they explained. “But that can be taken advantage of: it makes one easier to agitate. And a person who’s agitated tends to have a looser tongue than they realize.” They smirked. “Something to keep in mind for next time.”
The Rider could only blink underneath her blindfold, nonplussed. “What is your goal, Avenger?” she asked again.
The trickster god chuckled once more. “I meant what I said,” they replied simply. With that, they casually vaulted off the tower and vanished once more.
This time, she didn’t follow them.
—-------
Another day had swiftly come. Despite the sun shining in the sky, the air was cooler than before, though not uncomfortably so. It certainly relieved all the soldiers who had been cooking in their armor up to that point. They had taken the opportunity to stock up on supplies as necessary. The United Roman Empire hadn’t plundered Florence, making it easy to resupply and proceed to march.
And more importantly, there was enough supplies for two expeditions to get underway. Formations and troop distributions had been figured out, as well as various logistical plans. The expedition heading south towards the sea would be stopping by Rome to gather more supplies and any possible reinforcements before reaching the southern docks.
Thus, they stood at the southern entrance of Florence in the morning, ready to embark. The troops were lined in formation, listening to a heartfelt speech from Nero to ignite their spirits. All of this was for Rome and for victory. She made it clear it was a risky plan, but she had faith in her soldiers, the sentinels and guardians of Rome, would seize the day.
However, that wasn’t what the Chaldean group was focused on.
“So, this is it, then.”
Morgana nodded in response to Ren’s question. An impromptu backpack was slung over Morgana’s shoulder, courtesy of Ren’s crafting skills (“How did he make one that quickly?” Ritsu whispered to Mash. The shielder could only shrug). It was filled with various supplies, such as rations and bottles of water, as well as first aid kits. Archer and Rider carried packs as well, though they were acting more as pack mules as Servants didn’t require any of said supplies. They had agreed to do so anyway – if Morgana was down, then it mattered little what the Servants could do.
“It should be fine, though,” Morgana said casually, holding up his wrist. Strapped around his paw was his communicator. “We can still contact each other through Chaldea, assuming the signal isn’t terrible as always in singularities. And even then, I doubt I’m gonna call you that often. After all, I’m awesome enough to deal with this myself.”
Ritsu grinned. “Heh, spoken like a true Phantom Thief,” she agreed. “You’re awesome, Morgana! I can’t wait to hear your stories when you get back!”
The catlike being puffed out his chest and put his paws on his hips. “Ha! Finally, someone understands!” he cried out happily.
Ren simply grinned down at his best friend. “You’ve always been capable, Mona,” he said genuinely. “Just like that time after Sae’s Palace, we’ll see each other on the other side. Just like old times.”
Morgana nodded confidently. “Just like old times,” he echoed. “You be sure to listen to Mash – she has a good head on her shoulders! As well as Caster! And… uh…” He looked at the others in Ren’s group: Ritsu, Loki, and Joan. He paused. “Listen to Mash and Caster!” he repeated.
“Hey!” Ritsu and Joan both yelled angrily.
The Chaldean group laughed in response to the joke. Their attention was grabbed as Nero walked towards them, smiling. “Auxiliaries, it is time to set off!” she declared. “Let us march forth and seize victory!”
The group looked at each other. Ren and Morgana nodded. “See you on the other side?” the former asked.
The catlike Master nodded. “See you on the other side,” he agreed. “You better be doing your best or I’m gonna come in and steal your thunder!” With that, Morgana turned and marched off, waving as he did so. Archer and Rider nodded to the others in farewell before following their Master. Before long, the southern contingent was marching, gradually shrinking into the distance.
“Come!” the emperor cried. “There is much distance that needs to be covered today! This shall be the start of Rome’s triumphant return!” With that, she strutted off, with legate Asisculus in tow. Slowly, everyone began turning northward and began marching. Ren was the last to do so, watching the sunlight glinting off the southern contingent. Already, he couldn’t even see Morgana, Archer, or Rider anymore.
He turned and moved with the others. This wasn’t goodbye. They were going to see each other again after winning their respective campaigns.