“Akechi…?”

Loki’s eyes narrowed slightly at the name. “Oh? You have some familiarity with me, Master?” she asked softly. Then she understood. “Ah, not me. You are familiar with my host,” she realized. “But not like this. Perhaps this is more proper for you?” With that, her image blurred – and now Loki stood there, looking like a young man once more, still with the sardonic smile.

“Well?” they asked, their voice taking a more masculine timbre. “Perhaps this was what you are most familiar with?”

Shivers ran down both Ren and Morgana’s spines. There was absolutely no doubt about it now. Appearance, voice, even the tone was far too similar. In front of them stood the former Detective Prince and former Phantom Thief member – and the traitor who tried to get them all killed: Goro Akechi. Neither of them knew precisely what happened to Akechi after he shut the doors back in Shido’s Palace – but Futaba had made it clear that she could no longer get readings on him.

Then there was Maruki’s false paradise where he came back to life, if only just for a bit, and fought alongside them. Was it real? Or was it another cognitive distortion Maruki had conjured up? Even now, neither of them had a clear answer. Before Chaldea, Akechi’s fate had been in their dreams and nightmares for a long time. And here he was.

Or rather… no. This wasn’t Akechi. This was Loki. The Persona he used when he was in the Metaverse. How fitting.

Loki’s smile widened. They stepped forward off the summoning platform toward Ren – and immediately had multiple weapons pointed straight at them. Loki raised an eyebrow before raising a hand… and gently pushing Balmung away from him. “I don’t much care for you,” Loki remarked casually, glancing over at a stern Siegfried while ignoring Archer and Martha.

Stepping forward past the bristling weapons, they reached over and… adjusted Ren’s collar. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Loki remarked with mocking concern. “But then, you are surrounded by them, technically speaking. My presence shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.” Smirking, they backed off as their figure blurred once more – and they now wore a beige suit with black slacks and shoes. Akechi’s Detective Prince uniform.

“I can tell my time here will be quite entertaining,” they concluded, glancing over at Da Vinci and Roman with a smirk as well. “I do look forward to our time together.” With another blur, Loki took on a more female figure once more before walking off, humming to themselves. The door to the summoning room hissed open as they stepped through, then hissed shut, leaving everyone just silently staring.

Ritsu was the first to break the silence. “What. The hell. Was that,” she flatly stated. “We-we just summoned a goddamn Norse god. I… I didn’t even think that was possible. I thought you couldn’t summon gods? Demigods, sure, but a full-on god?! And to top it all off, we summoned freaking LOKI of all people?! What the hell is going on here?!”

Then she rounded on Ren. “And you seemed to recognize him… her… whatever. You seemed to recognize them,” she pointed out. “What’s the story with that? We gotta know what we’re dealing with here or we’re in huge trouble! So, what’s going on here!”

“I think it’s best to give him some space, Ritsu-senpai,” Mash quickly interjected as she worriedly observed Ren. The Master was completely pale, his pupils dilated. Indeed, Loki’s observation that he had seen a ghost wasn’t too far off the mark from his reaction. Morgana didn’t fare much better, plopped down and staring at the floor in pure and absolute shock.

The girl blinked in surprise at Mash’s comment, then immediately stepped closer in concern. “Hey, Ren? Come on, earth to Ren,” she called out, gently shaking him. “Hey, it’s gonna be alright, okay? Deep breaths now.” Ren glanced down at Ritsu, but his gaze seemed to be staring past her as opposed to at her. It was clear his mind was very much somewhere else right now.

“We still have to decide what to do with Loki,” Roman pointed out, running a hand through his orange hair as he stepped out from behind the workstation, Da Vinci by his side once more. “For now, it’s probably best if we unsummon them. Archer, Siegfried, could I ask you to-“

“No.”

The flat response came from Ren. Everyone turned to Ren in surprise as he seemed to shake himself out of his stupor. “We’re not killing them,” he growled with surprising vehemence.

Archer shot a sharp look at Ren. “Master, we can’t afford to continue along with your policy of non-killing,” he admonished. “Especially if they’re here in Chaldea and could pose a considerable threat to us. Unless you have a good reason why we shouldn’t kill them, we-“

“I don’t give a damn about reasons this time, Archer,” Ren snarled back, easily meeting his glare and surprising Archer in turn. “We’re not killing them and that’s final. I’ll… I’ll figure something else out. But we’re not killing them.” He turned his gaze to the other collected Servants. “Could one of you keep an eye on Loki?” he asked. “Just because we’re not killing them doesn’t mean we’re just gonna let them run free.”

Siegfried stepped forward. “Allow me, Master,” he replied earnestly. “I am somewhat knowledgeable about the gods from my own homeland. Should any problem arise, I will tend to it and ask for help if necessary.”

Ren nodded grimly. “Alright,” he agreed. “I’ll be counting on you, Siegfried.” The dragonslayer nodded, then turned and faded away into spiritual form, leaving the others standing in the room. A moment of silence passed as they considered what on earth just happened.

“Right, um… perhaps a tour might be in order, Ren-senpai? Ritsu-senpai? Mr. Morgana?” Mash called out to break the silence, looking anxiously around.

“I think I could use some coffee first,” Roman muttered as he massaged the bridge of his nose once more. “Hey Ren, think I could ask you for a cup or three? I think we’ll need it before long today.”

The Phantom Thief glanced up at Roman and was about to refuse, but a wave of weariness washed over him. He was exhausted, mentally and emotionally. A habit he could fall back on may be precisely what he needed right now. “Yeah, yeah, I can make you a cup,” he replied wearily. “What about the rest of you? Tamamo? Martha? You guys drink coffee?”

Tamamo blinked in surprise as her ears twitched. “I personally prefer tea myself,” she admitted. “But I am curious about this beverage. I shall repay you for your hospitality.”

Martha thought, then shrugged. “I have heard about it, but I haven’t tried it myself,” she replied. “Please, lead the way, Master.” It was clear that the Servants agreed to take their mind off things – and to make sure their own Master didn’t destabilize further. Mash, in the meantime, reached down and gently scooped up the near-catatonic Morgana.

With that, they all silently filed out of the summoning room. Complicated days were ahead.

—-------

Cú Chulainn waited patiently at the water’s edge in the simulator, his fishing rod barely moving above the pool. Apparently, one could do some fishing over here – at least, that’s what he heard from that Rider and Elizabeth. He was surprised he hadn’t heard about this earlier. So far, no one had joined him. Elizabeth was apparently trying to find a room that could serve as a studio and practice room for her (God forbid), and Ren was with the other Masters summoning more Servants.

It was definitely gonna get crowded here, that much was clear.

Honestly, he was still thinking about what the Masters – in this case, Ren and Morgana – had talked about in the Metaverse, coupled with the report he heard from both Saber and Archer about it. It was serious enough that the latter had dropped his usual snarky demeanor and presented to him the straight facts about the doppelganger’s… Palace, as they were called. The environment, the demons, the wyverns, that cognitive Satan, and more.

He missed on a helluva battle, he knew that much, but more than that, to be able to affect a person’s mind, even Servants… It definitely stuck in his craw. As a pragmatic warrior, he could appreciate being able to go into someone’s mind in such a manner and be able to alter the course of a battle with the least amount of killing. But for someone who loved a good scrap like him, it certainly felt like he was cheating.

But then, these Palaces were a person’s mind, right? Then wouldn’t he’d be fighting an idealized version of that person since that’s what they were in their head? Or was he missing a few notes about that? It definitely would make for a more fun fight.

Discarding that thought for now, it certainly connected a lot of pieces for him, especially regarding Ren. The kid had never actually killed before. Whatever he ‘killed’ were just pieces of thought and imagination as opposed to actual people. No wonder why he was so shaken up by the corpses he saw in Orleans.

It also explained how he cut his teeth in battle too – you couldn’t have a better ‘home turf’ than your own mind, after all. Their targets may not have been Servants, but even he would be leery about going into the head of the various scumbags they encountered. He had to wonder what would happen if he could delve into Medb’s mind.

He immediately shuddered and dismissed the thought. No way in HELL did he want to enter that woman’s head. He was fearless but not a complete idiot. Frankly, he would rather bind himself to that damn rock again with his own entrails than go into her head.

“You’re not very good at this, are you?”

In a split second, the Gae Bolg was in Cú’s hand as it shot up, barely missing the person who backed off, laughing. Cú turned to look, his grip tight on the Gae Bolg. Standing nearby smirking at him was a girl about the Masters’ age, wearing a beige suit. The glint in her eyes definitely sent shivers up his spine. All his instincts were telling him she was bad news. And worst of all: She was a Servant.

“Oh, you must be a new arrival, huh?” Cú asked casually. Despite the light tone of his voice, however, he still kept the Gae Bolg out in the open, nor did his eyes ever leave the new Servant. “Takes a lot of skill – and guts – to sneak up on me. I’m guessing you’re an Assassin class?”

The Servant chuckled once more. “Not an Assassin, I’m afraid,” she replied, still grinning despite the clear menace Cú was exuding. “Just a Servant whose combat capabilities are quite low, especially compared to yours. I was merely curious about the facilities and wished to explore. Feel free to ignore me and continue about your business.”

The Lancer raised his eyebrows at that comment. She said low combat capabilities, yet she managed to sneak up on him without so much as a whisper of her presence. If this Servant was trying to get him to lower his guard, she was doing an extraordinarily poor job of it – and he had a feeling she was doing so intentionally. “Aren’t the Masters supposed to give you a tour of the place?” he asked warily. “What are you doing wandering off and about then?”

The young woman sighed, donning an expression of woe. “Oh, I seem to have made a very poor impression on them,” she lamented. “I’ll have to find some way to apologize. In the meantime, I’m grateful they have left me to my own devices so that I may peruse the facilities at my own leisure. Knowing where everything is surely going to be handy.”

“Is that right?” Cú muttered before setting down his fishing rod. He turned to fully face the new Servant. “So, what’s your game?” he asked, slouching over the rock as he rested the Gae Bolg on his shoulder. “I doubt you’re here for friendly chit-chat, and frankly, you reek of bullshit even from here. The hell do you want?”

The Servant’s smile widened further, dropping what little pretense of innocence remained. “Ah, now is the question now, isn’t it?” she replied softly. “I do wish for quite a few things. A ring that could duplicate itself, for instance. A cloak of feathers that would allow me to fly at any time. A trough filled with all the meat I could possibly eat for the next week or three. To see the world freeze then burn, and then watch what is born from the ashes.”

She glanced over as the Lancer’s grip on the Gae Bolg tightened. “But what I wish most of all,” she murmured. “A desire that gods, monsters, and humanity share no matter what: Entertainment. Chaos and order are boring concepts by themselves, but what would happen if order were brought to chaos, or chaos brought to order? Do you not find that a most interesting prospect?”

“Can’t say I do,” Cú growled as he stood up, towering over the Servant. “I warn you though – if you try to cause any bullshit here, we’ll all be on you before you can even blink, even with your fancy trick of sneaking up on people.”

He stepped forward and pointed his spear right at the Servant’s throat. “So what’s it gonna be?” Cú asked.

The Servant looked down almost disinterestedly at the Gae Bolg, then at the Lancer himself… then chuckled. She reached up and gently pushed the spear away with two fingers – making sure not to touch the blade itself and only the shaft.

“Good to see you are so loyal, hound,” she commented snidely with a wide sardonic grin. “You need not worry. This mission to save the world and humanity seems ripe with entertainment. It’d be beyond pointless to ruin it when it’s still ripening.” With that, she turned away, uncaring that the spear was pointed at her once more. “It was a pleasure to meet you nevertheless,” she said, raising a hand to carelessly wave goodbye as she vanished in a shower of golden light.

Cú watched as the Servant disappeared, holding up his spear for a second longer, before it vanished in his hands. He let out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. He glanced over to the side at seemingly thin air. “Took you long enough,” he called out. “Were you supposed to keep an eye on her?”

A flash of golden light later and Siegfried appeared. “My apologies, Lancer,” he replied contritely. “I do not know how, but they seemingly escaped my notice with ease. I had only just found them and was observing them. If you’ll excuse me, I need to-“

The Lancer immediately waved his hand in dismissal. “Don’t bother,” he muttered. “If they can escape you that easily, then there’s not gonna be anybody here who can keep track of them.” He would probably run himself ragged trying to follow the damn Servant despite his ludicrous speed. Perhaps that Rider would be able to follow them.

“So our Masters summoned an Assassin?” he asked rhetorically. “I figured it was about time we got one, given how they are. Wish they weren’t such a loose cannon though.”

Siegfried blinked, then shook his head. “That is no Assassin, Lancer-“

“Call me Cú.”

“Cú,” the dragonslayer amended himself. “That was an Avenger class Servant – Loki.”

Cú Chulainn immediately whipped around to stare at Siegfried in shock. “Y-you said an Avenger Servant?!” he spluttered. “And it’s Loki?!”

Siegfried nodded grimly. “Indeed,” he replied. “It certainly seemed unlikely Loki would be summoned here, yet they are.”

The Lancer clicked his tongue as he scratched the back of his head. The Trickster God and bringer of Ragnarok, the cataclysm that ended the Age of Gods for the Norse divine spirits here? That definitely wasn’t good news. “Any clue why that might be the case then?” he asked, glaring at the spot where Loki had vanished. “Gods like that may show up on a whim, but something’s gotta catch it first.”

The dragonslayer frowned. “It is a guess,” he said slowly. “But I believe that their appearance has something to do with our Masters, particularly Ren Amamiya. He called Loki by another name – ‘Akechi’. There is no doubt there is some familiarity there.”

“Is that right…?” Cú mused. Akechi… he heard that name before. During the debriefing, when their Master shared with them his adventures. Apparently he was a one-time enemy of theirs and a traitor. He sighed, irritated. Just as he thought he figured out one thing about his Masters, another damn thing popped up. Screw it.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

If his Master wasn’t going to be forthcoming with answers – and it could be answers that could easily get them all killed – he was gonna ask for them himself.

—-------

Ren was in his element and more. He was moving about the kitchen with practiced and routine ease as he moved from the coffee brewers to the pot of curry that was cooking on a nearby stove top. Normally his cooking routine wouldn’t be so… monotonous – he had been getting cooking lessons from Archer, after all – but after what he had just been through, he needed something to fall back on. The ever-classic LeBlanc curry and coffee combo suited that purpose just fine.

Aside from Archer, who was silently helping in the kitchen, everyone else had piled into the counters outside of the kitchen. All of them were quiet, even the normally garrulous Ritsu. Having an Avenger in their midst didn’t sit well with anyone, especially one that could give Ren and Morgana such a drastic reaction. Morgana himself was sitting on the edge of the group, silent. As many questions as they all had, it was better to give the two some space for now.

There wasn’t any other staff in the cafeteria at the moment. They had been called away by Roman and Da Vinci for an emergency discussion on how they could tighten down their systems and prevent Loki from tampering with their systems. They weren’t about to leave it to chance that Loki wouldn’t screw around one way or another.

That Siegfried lost track of Loki so easily only exacerbated everyone’s worries and was the reason the two left to call the meeting in the first place.

Finally, the curry was ready. Ren ladled out the curry on prepped dishes of rice before turning around and pouring out cups of the carefully crafted brew. Archer swooped in and took the dishes out to everyone at the counters while Ren followed up with cups. He flashed his usual smile towards everyone as he did so. “Let me know what you guys think,” he said.

Martha and Tamamo glanced at their plates, judging the sight of it. Picking up their spoons, they took a spoonful of the curry and rice and bit into it. Martha’s eyes immediately lit up. “Oh wow,” she gasped. “This is fantastic! I didn’t realize food this rich existed! These flavors are marvelously complex, and the meat is so tender! And these spices!” With that, she began wolfing down the curry, her eyes practically gleaming in bliss.

The Caster, on the other hand, ate in a more reserved manner. “It is quite delicious,” she commented with a smile. “However, the flavors are not, shall we say, ‘my cup of tea’. I usually prefer more traditional Japanese dishes. That said though, I certainly would like the recipe if you’re willing to give it. I would love to make more of this if possible.” Ren grinned at the opinion of the two women. Well, that was as good as it gets when it came to Servants.

Tamamo reached over for the coffee and daintily took a sip – and her eyes lit up in turn. “Mikooon~!” she exclaimed, her ears perking up as her tail swished fiercely. “What a marvelous flavor! Bitter, yes, but many notes interweaved within! A faint, soft sweetness, and a surprisingly clean finish! I’ve heard many tales of this ‘coffee’ and have even tried it once, but compared to the swill I have tried before, this is excellent beyond measure!”

Ren chuckled, joined by Morgana, their hearts lightened a bit from the laughter. “You definitely have a good palate,” Ren complimented with a grin. “That blend is made from Brazilian Bourbon. They don’t have high quantities so I’m honestly surprised Chaldea even had any on hand to begin with. Since you’re more used to traditional Japanese tea, I thought I would find something that was most like it. Glad to see you like it.”

“My, what an attentive Master you are,” Tamamo commented, smiling over the edge of her cup. “It seems I did not make a mistake offering my services to you. I thank you greatly for your hospitality and will be sure to repay it a hundredfold when the situation allows.” So saying, she took another sip of the coffee, her elegant expression of enjoyment marred only by the happy twitch of her ears and tail.

Martha glanced over at Tamamo enjoying her coffee, then took her cup and tried a sip for herself – and her face immediately twisted into one of disgust for a split second before forcing her features back to a neutral expression. That being said, for Ren and Morgana who were used to watching the reactions of LeBlanc’s patrons both new and old, such an expression didn’t easily pass by their observation.

“It is, ah, a very… bracing beverage,” Martha commented with difficulty. It was obvious she was trying to find words to properly compliment it.

Morgana chuckled again. “Not a fan, huh?” he teased, grinning over at her. “It’s fine – it’s not everyone’s thing, after all. We’ve had a friend or two that just couldn’t understand why the rest of us enjoyed coffee so much. Hey Ren, we still got creamers and sugars, right?”

Ren nodded with a smirk, walking over to grab some for Martha’s coffee – and blinked in surprise as he came upon Ritsu’s and Mash’s place at the counter. He had served everyone some curry and coffee. The Servants still had some food on their plates and were enjoying (or trying to enjoy) their coffees. In contrast, the girls’ plates and cups were already empty.

Ritsu grinned up at Ren. “Think you got enough for seconds?” she asked. “Maybe thirds?” Mash, meanwhile, looked abashed and fidgeted in her seat – a motion that didn’t go unnoticed by the redhead, who wrapped an arm around Mash and pulled her close. “And another for our favorite Mashumallow here!” she called out cheerily for her.

“R-Ritsu-senpai?!” Mash gasped, her face turning a bright hue of red.

The former barista shook his head with a smile. “Two more plates of curry and more coffee, coming up!” he called out.

“Oi, make that three, kid!”

Ren blinked as he peered over. Cú Chulainn was coming in with a smirk and a wave before sitting down at the counter himself. Ritsu looked at him up and down, and for obvious reasons – the Lancer’s skintight outfit left little to the imagination. Cu quickly noticed the attention he was getting and grinned. “What, never seen a Servant before?” he asked teasingly, leaning up against the counter.

“Seeing is believing, as they say,” Ritsu replied, still ogling unashamedly. “And I believe what I see is very fine indeed.” The comment caused the Lancer to burst out in laughter. After Medb and most other Celtic women, what Ritsu did was honestly refreshingly innocent and straightforward. It was a breath of fresh air, all things considered.

“You’re alright, kid, you’re alright,” he replied with a wide grin. Difficulties aside, he was certainly happy that his Masters this time were far more understanding and easier to deal with than some other ones he could think of. It was a nice change of pace overall. He grinned appreciatively as Ren served out even more plates and coffees before finally getting the creamer and sugar for Martha, and happily tucked in.

Before long, everyone was sitting back contentedly with empty plates and cups. Ren grinned as he collected the plates from everyone. “So, how was it, everyone?” he asked rhetorically, glancing back at the group as he placed them all inside the sink.

Martha smiled and nodded. “It was quite lovely, thank you,” she replied with a small nod of gratitude. “My time didn’t have such foods – they were often far plainer – so to taste something like that was quite exquisite. The coffee… I’m afraid it agreed with me less than I’d like. The creamer and sugar made it more tolerable, but it’s not something I will get used to anytime soon, I should think.”

Morgana shrugged. “That’s alright,” he replied casually. “Honestly, coffee is definitely more of an acquired taste for some than others. Jeanne couldn’t handle it either. She’s got a surprising sweet tooth here, did you know that?”

The Rider perked up. “Jeanne d’Arc is here?” she gasped, her eyes glimmering eagerly. Then she blinked and settled back down, clearing her throat, and smiled gracefully once more. “It is good to hear a fellow saint is here,” she continued more calmly. “I shall have to find her once we are done here. I’m sure she and I have much to speak about.” Both Ren and Morgana just nodded smiling, while Ritsu barely held her mirth with a small chuckle. That lapse in her composure wasn’t missed by them.

Tamamo sipped her coffee – her third cup now. “Indeed, I must thank you for introducing me to this new realm of beverages,” she commented. “It is quite delicious with very subtle notes that are quite enjoyable. Might I trouble you to perhaps teach me how to brew this? I think it would compliment very well with certain snacks.”

Ren grinned. “Always happy to teach,” he replied. Teaching how to make coffee… It definitely reminded him of his time with Sojiro back at LeBlanc. One of the couple times he was undoubtedly happy. The old man was rather gruff with his teachings and stern with his judgement, but never unfairly and he learned swiftly under him. The memory of Sojiro’s eyes lit up when he created a cup of coffee that met his standards was still something he held on to.

Cú Chulainn stretched, satisfied with his meal. “Good stuff as always, kid,” he complimented Ren. Then he glanced up at him. “Wish that was all I was here for though,” he added.

Once more, the air changed, tension immediately rocketing. Mash glanced back and forth nervously between Ren and Cú, Ritsu raised an eyebrow but kept quiet, Martha and Archer straightened up – obviously and subtly respectively – while Tamamo continued to calmly sip her coffee, though the twitch of her ears showed she was attentive, nevertheless.

Ren and Morgana looked at each other. This was definitely a repeat of that time in the cafeteria. However, this time Cú most likely wasn’t going to leave without some answers.

That being said, this time was different as well. He had already divulged a large amount of information to Mash, Da Vinci, and Roman, as well as the Servants. They had taken all that information in good faith and had kept it secret as he requested, nor had they shown any inclination of abusing that knowledge as both he and Morgana feared. They needed to bring Ritsu into the loop as well beyond the basics, but there hadn’t been a good opportunity to.

Perhaps it was time to trust them again, if only to prevent them from getting stabbed in the back.

The Master sighed. “Look, this isn’t a good time to talk about it,” he murmured. “Someone might still be listening in on us. I would do it telepathically but…” He glanced over at Ritsu and Mash and nodded to them. “I owe you guys some answers as well.”

“That will not be a problem, Master,” Tamamo stated. With a flick of her wrist, multiple paper talismans appeared in the air before shooting off, pasting themselves on the walls in a perimeter around the room. A few covered the security cameras as well. “All sight and sound from this room has been sealed off,” she explained. “No one outside will hear us unless I wish for it. Will that suffice, Masters?”

Ritsu blinked as she observed the glowing talismans. “So, uh, is it premature to tell you that you’re freaking awesome, Tamamo?” she asked, looking about in awe.

The Caster raised a hand to cover her mouth as she gently giggled. “It never is, my Master,” she cooed. “Please, feel free to compliment me more when timing permits. But not now.”

With that, everyone’s attention was on Ren and Morgana again, the latter having hopped up onto the counter to stand beside Ren. They looked at each once more, then nodded. Ren contacted the other Servants via telepathy so that he could relay the story to them as well. With that, Ren decided to tell them what he knew.

—-------

Goro Akechi.

An enigmatic young man who was a rising celebrity alongside the Phantom Thieves. He was heralded as the Second Coming of the Detective Prince, behind Naoto Shirogane. Prominently featured on TV and other media, he had been spearheading the psychotic breakdown cases that had been plaguing the city. Handsome, charming and affable, intelligent and cunning, he stole the hearts of countless people, young and old.

With his rising stardom, it was inevitable that he was set into conflict with the Phantom Thieves in the eyes of the public. The stalwart Detective Prince against the enigmatic Phantom Thieves – what better competition would there be? The Thieves continued to take hearts and made their targets confessed as Akechi hunted them down, trying to discern their identities and showing what bits of information he could share on national TV.

Rather, it had been played that way.

The truth had ultimately been far more complicated. Akechi could enter the Metaverse like the Phantom Thieves, and just like them had the power of persona as well. He blackmailed the Phantom Thieves into working with him to alter the heart of Sae Niijima, which was in their interest as well – the prosecutor was pressured to find any reason to arrest them, and for her career, was more than inclined to.

And that’s when everything went straight to hell. Akechi was a traitor, working with Shido, and got Ren arrested and interrogated. He would be killed in an interrogation cell, far from any prying eyes, made to look like a suicide, and that would be that.

Except… they had figured him out long ago. Before everything that happened in Chaldea, only those who entered the Metaverse with Morgana could understand him. Otherwise, he was nothing more than a cat. And Akechi had inadvertently revealed long ago he could hear Morgana. Thus, they planned against him.

And then, the final confrontation with him in Shido’s Ark. There, they learned the truth about Akechi: An illegitimate orphan of Masayoshi Shido, made into his personal assassin. He had been working with his biological father in secret, in the hopes of getting close enough to kill him himself. His charming façade fell away into vengeful hatred and rage, which he turned on the Thieves for getting in his way.

Dispensing with his false Robin Hood persona, he pulled out his true persona: Loki. A struggle ensued, taking all of the Phantom Thieves to finally defeat him. Just as they were about to convince him to truly join them, however, they were ambushed by more shadows and Shido’s cognitive Akechi.

Then he shot a bulkhead door. It closed, locking him with his doppelganger and the shadows. A gunshot rang out from behind the door. And Oracle sensed nothing more from him.

Goro Akechi was no more.

—-------

Everyone considered in silence. Ren himself was stone-faced, though he was gripping the countertop so hard his knuckles had turned white. Morgana walked over to place a comforting hand on his arm, earning Ren’s smile of gratitude.

The debriefing had only glanced over some details of Akechi, particularly where it had been relevant to the Phantom Thieves but laying it out like this was… painful. Ever since their adventures, Ren and Morgana hadn’t spoken of Akechi at all. And frankly, neither did the public. After they restored the world to the way it was from Maruki’s false paradise, it was like he never existed at all. One or two murmurs at best, but everyone moved on. Life moved on.

They hadn’t moved on, and before the Incineration, hadn’t been given a chance to.

“Huh,” Cú huffed as he sat back in his chair. “Not the worst I heard, but that still fucking sucks. Still, glad you told us. At least we know why that Akechi kid is the host to a trickster god like that.” He heaved an irritated sigh. “Sorry. I’m not the best with reassurances or sympathies. Still, that doesn’t make them any less annoying to deal with. Frankly, they’re as easy to figure out as a tangle of matted wool, and they just send shivers down my spine.”

“Oh, come now, I can’t be all that bad.”

At the sound of their voice, everyone started as Ren and Morgana whirled around. Leaning up against the kitchen counters next to the brewers was Loki, who had filled a cup for himself and was sipping daintily at the liquid.

“Please, don’t mind me,” they called out with a sardonic smile. “I have heard tales of your coffee and curry, and while I’m not immediately hungry, I must say this brew is superb. My compliments to the chef.” For emphasis, he took another sip, smiling happily.

“How long have you been there?” Ren asked, his tone sharp.

Loki shrugged. “Long enough to hear the story about my host,” they replied. “A most marvelous tale, however. I must commend you for it. It certainly explains quite a bit, like why I was summoned in the first place, and as an Avenger, no less.”

They took another sip of the coffee. “It seems I was correct,” they mused. “This place was quite interesting after all. If that story was merely the tip of the iceberg, I find myself deeply curious as to what is next. Here’s to your future adventures and stories, my dear Masters.” So saying, they raised their cup in a small mocking toast.

“And where would that leave you?” Archer asked. “Unfortunately, we’re not in the business of storytelling or running a show. We do have a world and humanity to save, and would appreciate it if you weren’t just a freeloader. Where do you stand with us, Loki? Or should we send you back to the Throne right now and save us all the trouble?”

The trickster god glanced up and shook their head. “Temper, temper, tut, tut,” they chided. “I have not even done anything and you are already treating me with such hostility. Ah, it wounds my heart. Though…” They dropped the sadness on their face and replaced it with their smirk once more. “It would seem my reputation quite obviously precedes me. No doubt my… former associates have spread my tale far and wide.”

They leaned back against the counter, taking yet another sip. “Still, for what it’s worth,” they added casually. “I find all of you more pleasant company – far quieter and certainly far less drunk than they are, I shall say that much. Them and their constant feasts and festivities.” Growling out the last part, they returned to their coffee.

Ritsu stared at Loki, then hopped off her seat, marched into the cafeteria, standing face to face with Loki. The trickster god raised an eyebrow at the audacity of the girl. “And how can I help you?” they asked out of curiosity.

“Put down your coffee cup first,” she ordered, her tone oddly neutral – one that so far no one had heard from her. Loki, curious to see where this would go, did so. When they did and fully faced Ritsu once more, they received a solid punch to the face before anyone could stop her. “That’s for your host, Goro Akechi,” she growled. Then she raised her other fist and socked them another. “Sorry,” she added. “That’s for reminding me of a creep I don’t particularly like.”

Ritsu’s actions caught all of them by surprise, Loki most of all. There was a moment of silence… then the Avenger began to laugh, hard. “Oh, oh you are a treat!” they declared. Their smirk had transformed into a near-psychotic grin as they peered down at the girl, their auburn eyes now a bright red. “You, Ritsuka Fujimaru, are VERY interesting. Just you alone are worth the summoning. Tell me – are there other crimes you wish to punish me for?”

The girl gulped and took a step back, but nevertheless raised her hands and cracked her knuckles. “Oh, I’m sure I’ll have a lot more to punch you for before everything’s said and done,” she replied, forcing down the slight quiver in her voice.

Loki’s grin widened even further. “Oh, is that so~?” they replied. “Well now, you have me looking quite forward to it. What can I do to provoke such a reaction, hm? I do hope you’ll tell me. Or should I prod around and find out for myself?” They stepped forward – and were stopped by a Bakuya and their throat and Ren moving in front of Ritsu. Behind them, all the Servants had summoned their weapons as well.

The trickster looked about at Archer and Ren, and the collection of Servants ready to spring into action. They chuckled once more, relaxing their body as their eyes dimmed back to their normal auburn color. “Oh, do relax,” they admonished. “If you are this easy to rile up, I can hardly imagine you’d manage stress on the battlefield well. I do stand by what I said – I will fight with you. It certainly does seem the most interesting thing to do – and perhaps I shall find more entertainment that way.”

They smirked again, shifting their head slightly so the blade cut their throat lightly, leading to a tiny trickle of blood running down their neck. “I do look forward to working with you all,” they finished.

There was a silence as they all considered what to do. Suddenly, Tamamo glanced at the cafeteria door. “The doctor is banging against the door,” she reported. “Shall I let him in?”

Ren blinked, then nodded. “Put away your blades, Archer,” he commanded. “Loki, behave yourself.”

There was a moment of hesitation from Archer as the talismans vanished, before his blades disappeared, though not without a sharp glare from the Servant at Loki. Loki, for their part, simply stretched their neck, smiling without a care, despite his wound. Ritsu matched his glare. Creep.

Roman rushed, panting. “Finally, I could get in,” he gasped, holding his nose. “Ran straight into the door – didn’t expect it to be locked.”

“What’s the rush, doctor?” Morgana called out from the counter. “What’s happening?”

The doctor held up a finger so he could catch his breath, then he stood back up, staring at them all with all seriousness.

“The next singularity has been located.”