A new day had come. The sky was cloudy with a few patches of clear sky, though there was no sign it was going to rain anytime soon. The Servants were either standing guard or patrolling the forest. So far, the doppelganger hadn’t made any moves or advances that they could see, but that certainly didn’t mean they could stay in one place for too long. The war-veteran Servants – Archer, Jeanne, and the two Sabers – were antsy about not being able to move for so long, but they knew that moving Ren prematurely would only risk his health. They had no choice but to wait until he recovered.
Mash yawned as she sat by the remains of the campfire. She didn’t bother relighting it. The weather was warm enough, and at this point, lighting it would just further give their position away. She hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep. It had been rather fitful, juggling the words from Mozart, Roman, and Ren, as well as various nightmares: when she saw Ren was still with her after the bombing in Chaldea and didn’t know what happened to Roman, when she saw Ren panicking about the zombies,
When she heard Ren crying in the night…
She heard a bit of shuffling. Glancing over, she saw Morgana stretching as he walked down from the cave, sitting a small distance from her. She offered a small smile to the catlike being. “Good morning, Mr. Morgana,” she greeted pleasantly. “Did you sleep well?”
“About as well as I could, I guess,” Morgana replied, sighing. He hadn’t slept well either, fretting about Ren’s condition and mulling over the fact that the doppelganger and Archer both had a Palace – and the implications that involved. He rubbed his large eyes with his paws. It was definitely something he needed to discuss with Ren about when they had the time and safety to. But not now, not in the Singularity. They needed to remain focused.
“Let’s get some breakfast first though,” he suggested. “Probably not best to wait on an empty stomach.” Mash nodded in agreement as she grabbed some more rations that had been sitting in her pack. Morgana had had the lemon pepper tuna the other day and while he loved fish, the MRE was… serviceable. He tried not to complain too much though, no matter how much he wanted to. This wasn’t like when they were back in Tokyo, where they could regularly eat from any restaurant or LeBlanc’s curry. They were out in the field where food was scarce and needed to be preserved.
Morgana idly wondered if this was what camping was like, then discarded the thought. He had a feeling that actual camping wasn’t quite as… spartan as this. Still, that certainly reinforced that he didn’t want to be in an actual military any more than he already did.
They prepped their meals, heated them up, and ate in silence after. There wasn’t really anything to talk about. Neither of them were in the mood for casual conversation, mulling over their own thoughts, they already knew of Ren’s condition and that it hadn’t changed, and frankly they were just too tired to really talk. For now, it was just the quiet of the forest and the ever-present distant roars of wyverns.
As they ate, they heard some shuffling from behind them. They turned to see who it was – and both pairs of eyes widened as they saw Ren stagger out, leaning on a tree for support. Ren gave the two a very tired smile. “Hey guys,” he greeted casually. “Something smells good.”
A couple minutes later, Ren was wolfing down his ration. He hadn’t eaten a bite since yesterday and was starving. He also gulped down at least two bottles of water. His body still felt sore and weak, though not as much as yesterday – yesterday, he could barely even move. What he had done had taken a lot more out of him than he expected, like he had sprinted a marathon in the space of one hour. At the very least, he could move albeit with some difficulty.
While Ren ate, more Servants became aware of Ren’s recovery, starting with Archer who silently leaned up on a tree behind him. Then Saber , quietly sitting down on a nearby log. Siegfried came and stood nearby as Jeanne sat across from Saber. Mozart and Marie saw Ren and were about to greet him happily but noticed the rather subdued mood of everyone else and kept their mouths shut. Instead, they simply hung out nearby.
Finally, Ren finished, putting down the ration bag with a sigh. The rations were never great, but for someone who was as hungry as he was, it was more than delicious to his deprived taste buds. And the water did wonders as well. He was probably imagining it but it certainly felt like his body felt a bit lighter and a little less sore after the food and water. Granted, it was probably a temporary reprieve but it was better than nothing.
“Are you done, Ren?” Morgana asked, his tone oddly flat.
Ren blinked. “Um, yeah,” he responded. “I was starving so sorry about that. Anyway, we should probably get a move on – already wasted a day thanks to me.” He made to stand up but a sharp glance from his closest friend froze him in place.
“Good,” Morgana stated. “In that case…” Before Ren could ask what was going on, Morgana had taken out his scimitar and whacked him hard with the flat of the blade, sending him sitting back down cradling his now very sore head. “You complete, absolute moron , Ren Amamiya!” he screamed. “I get that you’re reckless but that was beyond reckless, that was just stupid ! You could’ve died when we need you the most! Just… what were you thinking?! ”
Ren only gaped at his friend. Morgana had always been short tempered and a bit more emotional than he would ever admit, but this was the first time he had ever seen his friend completely and utterly lose his composure like this. And looking into Morgana’s eyes, he could see a mix of emotions that felt alien to the normally boastful creature: Fear, panic, worry, relief. Whatever his reply was got caught in his throat and for once, the normally calm Ren was at a complete loss of words.
“He’s right,” Archer stated. Ren looked back and met Archer’s hard eyes. “Doing what you did was definitely stupid. I understand wanting to test your magecraft and utilizing it when there’s an opportunity, but right now, we cannot afford such risks, not when they can be avoided. Your mystery went far beyond your capabilities. Had we all not acted quickly, it’s likely you would’ve died painfully.”
“Archer speaks the truth,” Saber cut in, her face stern. “We Servants can be wounded and hurt, yes, but we are far hardier than the average person. Your restoration of Siegfried is to be commended, but not at such great risk to your health. Your safety is key, Master. If you die, our ties to Chaldea would be all the more tenuous, as Morgana will be the only Master left. To say you are the lynchpin to the restoration of humanity would be an understatement, especially given your talents.”
“To bring the image of Saint Maria to restore Siegfried truly is a miraculous act,” Jeanne added. “However inspirational a martyr is, though, that is not what we need right now. Humanity will need your will, power, and kindness in the days to come. Inspiration can only take root if there are people to spread it to, after all. I do not doubt the kindness of your heart nor your earnestness at this point, but bravery and recklessness hold a very thin border. If this happens again, we shall have words.”
Ren’s eyes could only dart between the various Servants who all seemed to want a turn lampooning him for his actions. He couldn’t even get a word in otherwise. One part of him wanted to lash out. After all, he had healed and restored Siegfried so they were back at full strength now. The doppelganger wouldn’t be able to take advantage of his injuries and exploit that weakness. However, those protests died in his throat as he looked into the eyes of everyone present. They were angry, yes, but also etched with worry and fear.
He had seen similar faces before. From his confidants when they met after he faked his death escaping the police station. From his friends whenever he tried one too many death-defying stunts or stands.
From Akechi as he confronted Ren about wavering in his resolve so that everyone could live infinitely happy lives in the false utopia Maruki granted all of them.
Before yet another Servant could take their turn, Ren raised his hands, silencing them. “You’re right,” he admitted with a rueful smile. “I was reckless. I just thought that the doppelganger would try to capitalize on Siegfried’s weakness, but I definitely overstretched myself. I’m sorry for worrying you guys. Won’t happen again.”
Morgana huffed, looking up at Ren sadly. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Ren,” he murmured.
Ren could only blink in surprise, opening his mouth to ask, then closed it. He took a deep breath. This wasn’t the time for a real heart-to-heart. They already lost a day thanks to him being unconscious and recovering all throughout. If they could survive this and resolve the singularity, then he and Morgana would talk – though that still left in the air about how much he would tell Da Vinci and Roman. Given all that he had done, there weren’t many things he could keep secret for much longer. If he wanted to succeed and see everyone again…
Steadying himself, his eyes sharpened as he looked at everyone present. “Tell me everything that’s happening,” he stated.
----------
With that, everyone began filling him in on what was happening. Throughout yesterday, nobody had seen any sign of the doppelganger, her Servants, or her wyverns. The battle from the other day had depleted a considerable number of her forces and there was little doubt she was licking her wounds, trying to recover. They weren’t certain how much she had recovered at this point – and it could very well be rather immediate considering she most likely had a Holy Grail with her – but at the very least, she was keeping a wide berth from them. That gave them some breathing room to work with.
Morgana had explained to everyone present about Personas and Palaces, including the Metaverse Navigator app. Everyone accepted that Ren wasn’t exactly channeling the powers of angels and demons themselves, but rather, peoples’ cognitions of them. And because the collective unconsciouness ‘believed’ Ren’s personas were what they were, so did everyone else. That at least helped settled any further misunderstandings for now.
Ren had a sinking feeling it wasn’t fully resolved but for now, it’d have to be enough. There would be time later if they survived here.
And finally, the greater news: Morgana and Siegfried had found the doppelganger’s – Jeanne Alter’s – Palace. The location was Orleans and the distortion was Hell, which sent alarm bells ringing within Ren’s head. None of the Palaces the two had ever encountered had been as grandiose as Hell, and as experienced as they were, neither of them were exactly in the mood for storming through Hell without being prepared. Not to mention, they were too far and Orleans was the heart of enemy territory. No, he agreed with Morgana’s assessment: No way were they entering that Palace without hefty preparations. And that meant securing more allies.
With that, the plan was set. Roman did say that he had found readings of a Saint nearby. Pulling up the map, the closest unexplored town was that of Thiers. It was a couple miles away. If they left now, they would probably reach it by early afternoon. With that set, Ren stood up as everyone began making their preparations – and nearly fell over as his sore, exhausted legs gave out. Mash immediately moved to his side and caught him.
Ren took a breath to steady himself, then smiled at her. “Thanks Mash,” he said.
Mash gave a weak smile to Ren in return. “You push yourself too hard, senpai,” she replied softly. “I… I hope I’m not unreliable.”
The Master blinked in surprise at that statement and shook his head. “No, not at all Mash,” he quickly reassured her. He stood up straight, still feeling his sore and burning limbs. It was better not to use his personas today if he could help it. If. “It’s a… bad habit of mine is all.”
She frowned. “A bad habit?” she repeated.
“Yeah,” he confirmed. “I’m not the sort to leave people in trouble. Not if there’s something I can do about it. It’s my own fault, so don’t worry too much about it.”
Mash’s eyes widened. “Don’t… worry?” she repeated again. “Senpai, you were on the verge of death. You’re last hope Chaldea – humanity – has. Mr. Morgana, the Servants, Roman, Da Vinci, me, we were all worried about you!” She couldn’t prevent her voice from raising in volume a bit. She bit back a comment and took a breath. “Please, senpai, I’m supposed to protect you,” she whispered. “But I can’t protect you if you won’t protect yourself.”
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
She looked up at Ren and her eyes widened. For a split second, she thought she could see his true self: Vulnerable, hurt, lonely, scared. Then once more, the mask descended on his face and he gave her a rueful yet confident smile. “Right, right, bad thing to say,” he admitted easily. “I’ll be more careful. Promise. Now, we should probably get this show on the road.” Flashing her another smile, he stepped past her to grab his supplies and confer with the Servants. They had a lot of ground to cover today.
Leaving behind a very worried Shielder.
----------
The day passed by without too much of a hassle overall. However, with Ren’s condition, they were moving at a slower pace than usual. Though there was no sign of the doppelganger or any of her forces nearby, Archer continued to keep a careful watch while Saber, Siegfried, and Mash formed a protective cordon around the two Masters. Jeanne was at the flank while Marie and Mozart came up from behind. There were multiple times Ren asked if they could pick up the pace, only to be met with a swift rebuttal about his condition.
And so they marched, stopping occasionally to allow for Ren and Morgana to rest and recover. Roman checked in on Ren and his condition – and of course, had his round of lambasting the Master as well. Ren could only sigh and nod. He had deserved this, after all. The more he kept his head down, the sooner they could move on. There were more important matters right now anyway. They needed to focus.
It was mid-afternoon when the town of Thiers came into view. From what they could see, the town wasn’t as destroyed or run-down as the ones they had come across, but it was still clear that it had been desolated overall. Ren frowned. Were there any survivors there after all? Would they be able to gather information? His thoughts were interrupted by a burst of flame erupting from the town. The Servants all stiffened, ready to draw their weapons.
Archer narrows his eyes at the town. “I see no signs of wyverns,” he announced. “Whatever’s causing the flames, it’s something else.”
The communicator beeped once more. Ren tapped it, revealing Roman. “I’m detecting readings of two rogue Servants ahead! You guys better be careful!” he cautioned them.
Ren nodded. “Thanks, Roman,” he said shortly before turning it off. He looked up to see everyone staring in his direction for orders. “These are rogue Servants,” he explained. “We’re going in to recruit them so no hostilities if we can help it. Stay together and no sudden moves. If they know we’re coming, they’ll hopefully be more inclined to be friendly. Still, don’t let your guards down.” The Servants all nodded and proceeded into the town. As they approached the town square, they could hear two girls’ voices arguing and bickering. Nearby, Mozart started shaking.
“Ah, that cacophony, that screeching,” he whimpered. “It only heralds pain and misery. Masters, there’s no need to proceed, is there? Surely these Servants aren’t worth the assault on one’s ears. Whoever these two are, they are no saints – religions would surely tumble if they were objects of worship. We would be much better off without them, I should think.”
The two Masters only stared incredulously at him. Marie, however, stated their opinions directly. “ Non, Amadeus,” she scolded. “They have made it clear we need the firepower by any means necessary. If we are braving Hell itself, then it’s better to have as many allies as possible, yes?” She flashed a beatific smile. “And they do say a man who braves Hell deserves nothing but endless adulation, after all.”
Mozart blinked, then took a deep breath and nodded. “Ah, ah yes, you are right, Maria,” he replied with a weak smile. “Though I do have the premonition that whatever Hell I shall be subjected to will be considered paradise to what comes next.”
Everyone just looked at each other, shrugged, and kept going. The square was coming into view, and although the town was for the most part deserted, they could see two girls squabbling with each other. The first girl had long, hot pink hair, wearing a short dress with a large, flared skirt and a considerable number of ruffles. However, her most prominent features were the pair of black horns sticking out of her head and a black dragon-like tail that flowed from underneath the skirt.
The other girl was shorter and slimmer, with long turquoise hair and striking yellow eyes. She wore a white kimono with turquoise highlights and held a gold fan in her hand which she held open in front of her mouth. A pair of snow white horns protruding from the sides of her head, smaller than the first girl’s but still more than noticeable, a golden hair ornament tucked neatly underneath them.
Ren and Morgana could only look between the two. Under normal circumstances, they’d ask or consider it cosplay, but given all they had seen so far – from a female King Arthur to Jeanne d’Arc to Marie Antoinette to ghouls and wyverns to a gigantic dragon… at this point, it was better to assume they were real and work from there.
As for their argument…
“You! You, you, you!” The pink haired one screeched. “You cheeky squirrel from the East!”
The turquoise girl giggled. “Who’s the actual cheeky one?” she retorted, her gentle voice laced with malice. “Do you think a failure like you can beat a true dragon like myself, Elizabeth?”
The pink hair girl’s eyes widened with rage as she brandished her spear. “I’ll deal with Carmilla later! You die first, you creepy stalker!” she screamed.
The other girl’s eyes narrowed behind her fan. “I’m not a creepy stalker. I’m a ‘spy who acts as a bodyguard’. I, Kiyohime, am a woman who lives for love.”
“Your love violates human rights!”
“I don’t want to hear that from a pervert with a fetish for blood torture!”
The group could only look back and forth between the two arguing girls, nonplussed. They had expected some sort of epic fight, not… this. “Um… how old are these girls?” Morgana asked slowly.
“Age is rarely a relevant matter in the case of Servants, Master,” Saber replied with a controlled expression. “But I will agree there is a… profound lack of maturity or urgency from these two.”
“The two of them have declared themselves dragons, or at least associated with them, though,” Siegfried pondered. “Still, I doubt these two have had anything to do with the wyverns or Fafnir. They do not seem to be overall malicious, just… petty.”
Archer sighed. “Well, regardless, we’re here now,” he stated, already looking beyond done with the situation. “We should do what we came here for in the first place.”
Ren nodded. He appreciated Archer keeping everyone on track. Still, looking over at the two girls, he had a feeling this wasn’t going to be fun. He had seen similar kinds of fights every once in a while in Shujin, but that usually didn’t involve two superhuman beings who would skewer him, judging from that spear the pink haired one – Elizabeth – was wielding. “Mash, Saber, back me up,” he said. “Everyone else, keep your distance but be ready at a moment’s notice. Morgana, brief the others on that in case it’s necessary.”
Morgana nodded. “Got it, Joker,” he acknowledged. “You better stay safe this time.”
He simply smirked and waved before approaching the two. Mash and Saber followed. Siegfried may have been a more fitting choice given he was a dragonslayer, but he was here for negotiation, not to coerce or threaten them. Steeling his jumpy nerves, he flashed a confident smile. “Didn’t think I’d see two lovely ladies here in a ruin,” he called out. “Tell me, what brought you to this town?”
Both girls whirled toward Ren and he had to force himself not to back down from their fierce glares, their wrath now redirected. “Stay out of this, puppy!” Elizabeth snarled.
“Recklessness and bravery aren’t the same,” Kiyohime admonished, frowning from underneath her fan. “Are you stupid?”
Ren blinked and – to the surprise of both girls – chuckled. “Yeah, been getting that a lot today,” Ren replied easily. “But let’s start from the top, shall we? I’m Ren Amamiya. A Master at Chaldea. We’re an organization dedicated to getting the timeline restored, and in this case, get France back on track. We need allies to help take down the doppelganger saint that’s causing this ruckus here. So, will you come with us?”
The two girls glanced at each other, only slightly relaxing their poses. “He is well spoken if nothing else,” Kiyohime noted to Elizabeth, to which she nodded. “And why should we do such a thing?” she asked, raising her voice so she could be heard. “This is not our land. Whatever quarrels you or the saint have is no business of ours.”
“Yeah!” Elizabeth piped up. “I dunno where you come from and frankly, I don’t care! Buzz off and keep your nose out of our business, got it?!”
Ren chuckled once more. “Sorry but sticking my nose in things has kind of been my MO since day one,” he replied. “But if that’s the case, what are you here for? You two stick out like a sore thumb and considering how wyverns and a huge dragon have been terrorizing the countryside, I don’t see you two being all too welcome around here. Why are you two hanging around France?”
Elizabeth smirked and drew herself out, hands on her hips. “Well if you must know,” she declared. “I’m looking to become an idol! I’ll attract an audience of thousands, no, tens of thousands! As an idol, it doesn’t matter where I am! I’ll shine like a star and dazzle everyone, and fans worldwide will cheer my name: Elizabeth Bathory!”
“Oh please, the only thing that’ll shine is your delusional ego,” Kiyohime snarked.
“What was that?!” Elizabeth declared.
“As for me,” Kiyohime continued, fully ignoring her compatriot. “I seek my Anchin-sama. My love of my life who once lied to me. But he won’t. He won’t lie to me ever again, for he loves and adores me, and I him. However, if there’s one thing I find utterly unforgivable, it is lies.” Her eyes narrowed. “Will you lie to me, Ren Amamiya?”
“Pft, good luck finding your Anchin-sama in a dump like this,” Elizabeth scoffed. “And that’s if he doesn’t run away screaming from you.”
“You should watch your mouth, you frilled-neck lizard,” Kiyohime growled.
“Wha – Japanese Rat Snake!”
“Mexican Bearded Lizard.”
“Sharp-nosed Viper!”
And just like that, the two fell into bickering again. Ren only heaved a long, drawn-out sigh. “Well, it’s clear that you both have your own goals here,” he started, once more garnering the attention of both Servants once more. “However, I think we could work toward some mutual goals.”
He turned to Elizabeth. “You say you’re becoming an idol, right?” he asked. “Well, idols need fame, after all, and need to hit it big. Right now, with everyone afraid of the fake saint, they won’t be coming out to see your shows anytime soon. But imagine what would happen if you helped defeat the fake saint who’s oppressing them. You’d be hailed as a hero and worshipped. They’d be lining up to see you, with lines stretching for miles to see the one who took down the false saint! I can’t see any better debut for an idol than that.” Elizabeth’s scowl dwindled to a contemplative frown as she pondered Ren’s words.
“And as for your Anchin-sama,” he called out. “Searching for information while there are wyverns and Servants pillaging and making a mess of the countryside isn’t conducive to any info gathering. Not to mention if your Anchin-sama has hidden to keep himself safe, that’ll make things even harder for you. Once everything is resolved, everyone will be coming out of hiding, and worst case, it’ll at least give you a lot more people to ask for your Anchin-sama.”
“True,” Kiyohime mused. “Anchin-sama is brave but not stupid. He would be taking shelter from the wyverns and Servants running around.”
A moment later, the two girls nodded. “Very well, we see your reasoning,” Kiyohime said. “We shall join your group as allies until the false saint is defeated, and part ways after that. Is that reasonable?”
Ren smiled. “I don’t ask for anything more than that,” he replied earnestly.
Elizabeth grinned as she puffed her petite body out. “You know how to talk a good offer, puppy!” she said. “The debut of Elizabeth Bathory is the saving of France from wyverns and dragons and fake saints! Can’t get any bigger than that! Look out world, a new idol is coming down to shine!” Then her smile froze and she looked at Ren with a serious expression. “On one condition though!”
The Master knew it had been going too easy. But he smiled nevertheless. “And what would that be?” he asked cordially.
“There’s a Servant that the false saint summoned,” she explained. “Tall, white hair, mask, throws around iron maidens everywhere, and looks like an old hag. Have you seen her?”
That berserk Assassin the doppelganger had? She was rather unforgettable. Ren nodded.
Elizabeth nodded. “Good,” she stated. “She’s my target. She needs to die and it’ll be by my spear, got it?”
Well, that was a surprising condition. Still, she was one of the Servants between them and the doppelganger Servant. There shouldn’t be any problems with that. Ren smiled and nodded. “You got yourself a deal, then, Elizabeth.”
The idol-to-be nodded with a grin. “Good! You better treat me right then!” she declared.
“I’m just glad you see things my way,” Ren replied. He raised his fingers and snapped. Morgana and Jeanne came out of some buildings to their right side while Siegfried stepped out from the left. Marie and Mozart came out from a slightly further distance away as Archer jumped off a nearby roof he had been perched on and landed softly on the ground.
Both girl’s eyes widened as they looked back towards Ren. “Were we surrounded this whole time?” Kiyohime asked incredulously. Her eyes narrowed as she snapped her fan closed. “You seem to be a more dangerous man than you appear, Master of Chaldea,” she murmured.
Ren simply shrugged. “Had to make sure things went accordingly. After all, I’ve no doubt you two are as deadly as you are lovely.”
Elizabeth and Kiyohime immediately blushed and turned away. “Y-y-y-you should know flattery won’t w-w-work on us, p-puppy!” she stammered.
“Y-you should be careful, Master of Chaldea,” Kiyohime added, trying to regain her composure. “A philanderer like you may end up being scorched by a woman’s scorn if you are not careful.”
He had to laugh. Yeah, he certainly dodged one or two bullets on that front back in Tokyo. “Duly noted and thanks for the warning,” he replied easily.
Mash sighed as her shield disappeared from her hands, turned to Ren and beamed. “Excellent negotiations, senpai!” she chirped. “Have you had a lot of experience in diplomacy and mediation?”
Images of personas held by him and his friends at gunpoint flashed in his eyes momentarily. Haranguing them for support, for money, or items as necessary. And that of a larger, slightly disheveled man in a suit, a sash around him as he made his speeches on a box outside the subway. His lessons with Yoshida in speechcraft. The politician had been the one man who didn’t need the Phantom Thieves’ intervention. He navigated the political battlefield by himself, defeated his own enemies and even gained allies from them. Last he heard, he had been elected to the Diet thanks to his own efforts.
His fountain pen was still sitting on his desk at home. Shame he didn’t bring it.
Smiling in reminiscence, he looked back at Mash. “Experience, and I had a great teacher,” he explained before walking off to meet the group.
Mash could only stare at the back of her senpai, biting her lip. Every step of the way, Ren seemed to reveal more and more facets of himself. She already made the promise to keep up, but the gap seemed hard to surmount. Once this singularity was done, she needed to put more effort into her studies and training. She may not stand equal to him, but she would improve so she could stand by him one day. She just hoped the gap didn’t widen even further.
With that, she joined the others. They had two more Servants on their side. Now they needed to find a saint.