The Roman forces were congregating and coalescing once more. Centurion Morgana’s showing was unorthodox, but it had already been an uplifting sight to behold: the mythical Pegasus as well as another winged creature. One that she didn’t know about but held almost as much majesty as the famed steed. There was some panic among the soldiers and officers, and for good reason – after all, with all that had happened as of late, everyone had been wary of further enemies and their abilities. But they had landed and reconvened, and the one who shared her voice even brought a number of missives and reports from Evander.
Which, of course, only meant more work for Nero.
Eyeing the city with a critical gaze, she strode through the city as her two guards flanked her on either side. She had already read through the report on how extensive the damage had been. Comprehensive repairs were frankly out of the option. There simply wasn’t the time, resources, engineers, or laborers to do so. Currently, the best they could really do was utilize the rubble from the battle to create impromptu barriers at the destroyed gates, as well as for any urgent repairs to the walls and structures to prevent them from collapsing.
A shadow flitted over her vision, causing her to glance up and see the pink-haired Rider flying on his winged creature. Nero smiled. The newcomers had been unorthodox characters, to be sure, but vibrant and lively. Astolfo’s beauty captivated Nero immediately, though recent events had her watching him under a more critical light, particularly to his rather… peculiar mindset. Thankfully it hadn’t been that bad, and the Paladin’s cheer brought up the spirits of the exhausted Roman soldiers. The sight of him on his creature – Hippy the Hippogriff, he called it – had been a joy to behold.
Then there was that other being that Morgana brought with her. Even in the short time they met, she noticed that the new person – Tamamo Cat – always followed Morgana’s footsteps like his shadow. Everyone had currently been too occupied to ask about it, but considering he was a being blessed with a similar voice as the emperor herself, it was no surprise that he would garner enough loyalty to have his own personal retainer.
Along with the reinforcements, the reports Morgana had brought with him were filled with good news: Casualties had been at a minimum, with multiple ships captured and garnering the support of the townspeople on the islands. A contingent of Roman soldiers would be here within days, and so would fresh supplies in a few more, both of which were in dire need.
But what caught her eye was the report about a goddess on one of the islands – which was also where they had picked up Astolfo and Tamamo Cat in the first place. Apparently, it had been more or less dealt with and there was a simple directive about the island now: Don’t go there. It was a non-critical territory and can be easily bypassed during voyages. Engaging with said goddess was to be avoided at all costs. While the emperor’s curiosity had been piqued, she knew better than to frivolously head off. It was a shame, though perhaps she might be able to create some sort of scene in the resulting play…
Shoving such frivolous thoughts aside, she returned her attention back to her surroundings. Glancing over, she saw a small convoy of enemy officers shuffling past her, their hands and feet bound as they moved under the watchful eye of their guards. Noticing their emperor, they saluted her before continuing on. A few of the prisoners gave her brief glances, but otherwise said nothing towards her.
She frowned to herself. When she discussed with Ren about the matter, the normally forward and forthright young man had been surprisingly sparse with the details. “It’s something that needs to be handled on our end,” he told her with no small amount of exhaustion. “I’ll let you know as much as I can, but for now, it’s the kind of information that had even us uncomfortable, let alone you and the other Romans. Can I ask you to wait for a bit, Nero?”
Nero wasn’t amused to hear that answer but accepted regardless. “Do what you must then, centurion,” she replied. “You know your own forces and their abilities. However, do know that this matter is of grave concern to me and my officers – we had hoped to at least convert a few of them to our side and bolster our leadership, but they are all adamant in their refusal.”
The emperor watched as Ren flinched and gave a rueful smile at the news. “Noted,” he replied earnestly. And that was that.
Still, as much as she trusted her allies, it was beyond idiocy as an emperor to put absolute trust in them. Even the best of intentions and greatest of loyalties could be twisted into betrayal – a lesson she learned almost too late thanks to Asisculus. To that end, she had Jing Ke monitor them as quietly and as inconspicuously as she could. It had been difficult – Ren apparently could seemingly sense when the Assassin was lurking nearby despite her abilities– but she was still able to glean some information: One of their own, the one called Loki, had instigated everything. However, the how or why still eluded them.
Heavy footsteps drew her attention. Turning, she beheld the impressive stature of Lu Bu. His blank, white eyes never showed an ounce of expression in them, nor did he ever say anything comprehensible, but the man was a fierce warrior who could still comprehend her words. He had always been a major boon on the battlefield, but his mannerisms made him far too unstable to group him in any legion. Hence, he answered only to her and operated by himself. And speaking of which…
“Welcome back, my fiercest warrior,” she greeted cordially. “Were you able to make any progress to what I asked for?”
Lu Bu let out a quiet huff before slowly shaking his head. Nero frowned in consternation. She had ordered the Berserker in secret to find and keep track of Loki under guise of his patrols, but so far had met no success. She couldn’t fault him, however – his talents were for the battlefield, not for hunting. And from what she was aware of, Loki was particularly slippery. Not that it was surprising – one needed to be in order to do… whatever it was he did.
“Well, report back if there is something amiss,” the emperor sighed. “While I do enjoy surprises, this is one I would rather not be caught by.” The Berserker huffed, nodded, and once more lumbered away as his awesome figure dissipated into golden dust. Her two guards were none the wiser, assuming only that Nero had set some sort of task for the warrior. It wasn’t their place to question the emperor.
Marching out of the city, she beheld the countless bonfires incinerating the corpses from the battle. She stopped at a group of smaller bonfires, reserved only for the fallen Romans. A full list of the casualties was still being compiled, but it was considerable, to say the least. These men had given up their lives willingly – for her and for the empire. It would be remiss of her if she didn’t honor them.
“Imperator!”
Nero blinked and turned, seeing the newly promoted centurion running up to her. “Centurion Ignacia,” she greeted. “What news?”
The new centurion stopped in front of her, trying to catch his breath, before responding. “We’ve reports from our scouts,” he gasped out. “The contingent from Gaul is arriving shortly. They seem exhausted but are otherwise in good shape.”
The emperor blinked in surprise, then nodded with a grin. “That is spectacular news,” she chirped. “Inform centurion Amamiya of this news. We must make ready for their arrival.”
Glauca saluted with a grin before dashing off to find Ren – and Nero’s smile dropped as soon as he left. The contingent from Gaul... that meant two people arriving she had honestly hoped she wouldn’t need to . While she was far from a coward, these were people that were even in the best-case scenario would be uncomfortable to deal with, to put it mildly.
Then she sighed to herself. No. Regardless of everything – of who she had to face, be it enemies or allies, of the challenges in her way, of all the unknowns – she would see them all through, and the Roman Empire would be whole once more.
After all, as the Flower of Olympia, she would settle for nothing less.
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Ren didn’t know what to expect. He was more than happy that Mash and Ritsu were finally returning, with more Servants and soldiers in tow (no supplies – those were all tied up in Gaul). They were all together again, and as he saw everyone gathered once more, he felt a huge weight lift off his gut and shoulders. Each and every time they parted ways, he couldn’t help but feel in the back of his mind that he would never see them again, with how serious the situation was. Being wrong never felt better.
“Holy crap what the hell happened here?!”
Of course, there were still matters to get out of the way – like explanations.
Ren chuckled ruefully as he rubbed the back of his neck. “It was a pretty massive siege,” he answered as Ritsu stared, flabbergasted, at the entire battlefield. “It definitely kicked up during the second day to the point where it was kinda touch-and-go, but we held on in the end.” He wasn’t about to get into details here – that was a more private conversation, without the Roman soldiers and officers listening in. He had no doubt Ritsu had a trillion questions but was glad she was restraining herself.
“Are you okay, senpai?” Mash asked, looking up and down at him in concern. Ever since hearing the news about the assassination attempt on Ren, she had been beyond tense. Unable to protect her senpai, unable to assist, unable to do anything except try to quell the countless worries that roiled in her gut. She tried imagining and emulating what her senpai would do: Keep a cool, calm head, do what she can, maybe even crack a joke… but both thoughts and words failed her.
Ritsu had been the opposite. She never stopped thinking of plans and strategies, trying to glean every bit of info she could, as well as talking to Tamamo, Spartacus, and Boudica to see if they could accelerate their traversal even just a bit. Yet no matter what they brainstormed, every scenario or situation had proven to be untenable – be it was too much of a strain on the troops, on Ritsu herself, or there simply were simply far too many complications.
The shielder had witnessed everything as her senpai worked tirelessly. Instead of fretting like she had, Ritsu-senpai had done everything she feasibly could to find a solution and then some. She could only come to the realization that both of her senpais were beyond capable people. And yet she, with all the power of a demi-Servant, could do nothing. A shield existed to protect, and she protected Ritsu-senpai as best she could. But no matter what, it simply wasn’t big enough to protect all of them.
Arsene’s image flared in her mind’s eye. It was the persona of her senpai, and his ‘true self’. The flames of rebellion. The great red wings. The suave demeanor. The burning eyes that stared right into her soul. Were they enough to protect all those dear to Ren-senpai? Did he succeed?
She thought back to Ritsu’s efforts on the march back. Witchcraft and rituals with Tamamo. Plans and strategies with Spartacus. Logistics and movement with Boudica. Would she be able to be so resourceful? If she learned a bit more, experienced a bit more, held even an ounce more determination, would she be able to find victory when there was none to be found?
The questions haunted her as she racked her brain. As a result, like Ritsu, she had dark shadows under her eyes from fretting and weariness.
Ren smiled wearily. He opened his mouth to reply, closed it as he reconsidered, then answered quietly, “I’ve been better, Mash,” he told her earnestly. “There’s… a lot we need to do, and more to do later. I’ll fill you and Ritsu in once we have some time but for now, it seems Nero requires our presence. Probably for another war meeting so we can decide what to do next now that we’re all here together again.”
Mash blinked in surprise, then hesitantly nodded. The question of Ren’s inner world, where he kept his dearest treasures, sat on her tongue, and by force of will she kept it there. This wasn’t the time. Not now. She would ask in the future, when the situation was less dire. And she would ask – she wanted to know how she could become as strong and capable as both of her senpais.
As they all moved together to the town square, Ren noticed that many of the soldiers and officers were making their way over as well. Now that he thought about it, they could’ve easily held their war meeting in some conference room, or her bedroom in a pinch. It was probably a speech to the entire Roman army now that everyone had been gathered once more.
For a brief moment, Ren saw Shujin’s halls. Streams of black and red filled the halls as students all shuffled to the gym for an unscheduled assembly to address Shiho’s suicide attempt… and witness Kamoshida’s change of heart and subsequent confession; something the principal would never be able to cover up. The Phantom Thieves wouldn’t be born for a bit longer yet, but what they saw had been a catalyst towards their creation.
The town square sat some distance away from the western walls, and yet it still showed some damage from the siege: Many of the surrounding buildings sported damage from siege engines with the pavement featuring scorch marks from the flaming pots. The centerpiece of the town square, a fountain, had been directly hit, reducing the carefully carved masonry into nothing more than rubble. Despite the ruin, Nero had chosen to stand on top of it, easily balancing herself on the pile as she observed everyone filing in.
Stolen story; please report.
As the area rapidly filled up despite its large size, the emperor looked up as Chaldea approached. Catching Ren’s eye, she beamed at him and waved them over. “She wants us up front, guys,” he announced to the others. Morgana had to stay behind – once they had reconvened, Tamamo had come face to face with Tamamo Cat and his presence became a necessity to preserving peace.
The fact that there currently weren’t any explosions given Tamamo’s abilities was a minor miracle at this point.
Ritsu blinked and sagged slightly. “Ugh, really hope we don’t have to make a speech,” she grumbled, rubbing her arm nervously as they maneuvered their way through the soldiers. “I’ve never been the greatest at public speaking.”
“I can understand that, senpai,” Mash agreed. “Roman often told me he would get very anxious speaking to the staff in Chaldea, and even before that when he had to do presentations in his classes. I asked if he had any advice for public speaking, since he’s done it so often.”
“Oh?” Ren inquired, his curiosity piqued. “What’d he say?”
“He said something along the lines of ‘imagine everyone naked’,” Mash answered with a confused frown, causing Ritsu to splutter. “I fail to see how that would help one with nerves, however.”
“Uh…” Ritsu stammered as a telltale tremor crept into her voice. “We can help explain that later – after we’re done here.” Ren had to agree. As amusing as this was, this wasn’t the best time to explain it, not with everyone gathering for what seemed close to a rather solemn occasion. Perhaps he could even teach both of them a few of the methods Yoshida taught him. Still, leave it to the good doctor to have the most cliché and most embarrassing technique possible.
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In front of the monitors, Roman sneezed loudly. Maybe he should take some cold meds. He had been sneezing quite a bit recently…
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As they reached the front of the crowd, Nero beamed down at them happily. As weary as she was, the gleam in her eyes only showed her gratitude and appreciation. Nearby stood Jing Ke, who flashed a lazy grin at their arrival and raised her eternally present jug in a toast. Lu Bu stood there, silent as always. None of them could ever see where he stared off to and they weren’t about to ask. Mash simply drew ever so slightly close to her senpais, ready to summon her shield as necessary, but hopefully it wouldn’t prove necessary.
There was a shift of movement as a concerned murmur rose from the crowd, drawing everyone’s attention. The soldiers parted reluctantly, allowing two more arrivals through: A red-haired woman clad in white and a gigantic grey-skinned man with a maddened grin. Despite the latter’s unnerving smile however, neither of them seemed all too happy to be here. Nero seemed to share a similar sentiment as her elated expression immediately became far more strained.
As the three stared each other down, the atmosphere became colder and tense. Ren started warming up his circuits with Cerberus in mind as Mash shuffled to place herself between her Masters and the others. The soldiers around them all noticed the atmosphere and a few of them reached for their gladii uncertainly.
“Boudica and Spartacus,” Ritsu whispered to Ren without even an iota of her usual humor. “They got an enormous chip on their shoulder regarding Nero.” The Phantom Thief’s eyes widened slightly, then nodded in understanding. Of the people that could’ve summoned, those two were possibly some of the worst choices. All they could do was brace themselves for the impact.
After what felt like an interminable amount of time, Boudica nodded stiffly at the emperor. “Nero,” she greeted coolly.
Nero nodded back in turn. “Boudica,” she acknowledged in a similarly neutral tone. “Spartacus.”
The rebel gladiator stared up at Nero. “You have done well fighting off the oppressors,” he said, a tinge of joy in his voice… or was it anger? “I hope you are able to continue to do so, Nero.”
The emperor gulped. Despite her nervousness, her gaze never faltered from the Berserker’s intense stare. “That is what I endeavor to do, Spartacus,” she declared. “Of that, I can promise you.” Satisfied by the answer, the air around him settled down. While it was still tense, the situation wasn’t about to break out into violence anytime soon at least.
“Seems Nero’s had a lot of issues before we even showed up,” Ren murmured under his breath.
Ritsu sighed aridly. “You can say that again,” she grumbled. “It’s a miracle they hadn’t broken out into a fight.”
“Maybe it’s because they’ve a common purpose?” Mash suggested. “The strength of the enemy is rather considerable. There have been many, many cases in history where infighting led to the collapse of even far stronger factions. They can’t afford to fight amongst themselves, no matter their… shared history.”
Before they could continue with their quiet conversation, Nero boomed out, “Romans! Friends! I greet you all with open arms!” She spread her arms as she smiled down at the gathering below her. “The campaign has been perilous, and our foes have been many and cunning! Yet through your strength, your tenacity, your bravery, and your cunning, we are standing on the precipice of greatness! This is all due to your valiance and will! All of you are truly the beating heart of Rome!”
The soldiers cheered at the praise from their emperor. Ren glanced over at Boudica and Spartacus to gauge their reactions. Spartacus’s disturbing expression hadn’t changed whatsoever, and while Boudica frowned even more deeply at being called ‘the beating heart of Rome’, she hadn’t reacted besides clench her crossed arms even tighter. Frankly, he was surprised that Boudica was even here in the first place. Did Nero invite her here or did she simply show up assuming it was some war council like they did?
“Thanks to all your efforts, we now have but one path: The United Roman Empire capital!” she roared. “We are no longer recapturing our old territory but taking the fight to them! They will know we are coming. And I say: Let them know! They shall see the full splendor of the empire and will face us, for our enemies are also honorable! And just as we have done this entire campaign, we shall not yield!”
Ritsu breathed out a small sigh in exasperation. While Nero was right in that the URE were honorable, it would be closer to say that they really had no need for more subversive tactics. All their Servants had been trying to lose and they had such a huge advantage that frankly, such tactics would be a waste of time for them anyway. She had a taste of that with Caesar. The man could’ve easily run circles around them if he wanted to with his speechcraft, strategic acumen, and manpower.
She wasn’t about to take that victory for granted.
“However, this is also where we must be at our most vigilant!” the emperor cautioned. “We are all no doubt weary from these battles, and our enemy will be fighting more fiercely than ever. I will not lie to you, my loyal subjects: This last stretch of the campaign will be our greatest trial yet! They will not surrender to us just as we will not yield to them! Now is the time for your bravery and strength to go beyond what mere men can do! And by your valor, we shall prevail!”
The soldiers cheered louder. Despite Nero admitting that they were going to have a tough time, they nevertheless rallied, ready to fight. Once more, Ren could see the power of her words, perhaps even greater than Yoshida’s speechcraft. Despite himself, he couldn’t help but smile slightly. No wonder why her men were all so loyal, even Asisculus despite his betrayal.
Then he suddenly felt the chill again, wiping the smile from his face before he mastered his expression. It was ever so faint, but the being that lurked in Nero was staring at him once more. No matter how faint, there was no easy way for him to ignore it now.
“That being said, throughout our campaign, we have had the support of steadfast allies!” Nero declared. “Like emissaries of the gods they have come, and they have delivered us countless victories in the north, south, and on the seas! Without them, for all our strength, we might have only tasted bitter defeat! Thus, though an auxiliary legion they may be, I shall grant them all the rights and privileges of a full Roman legion! Centurion Ren Amamiya, auxiliary Ritsuka Fujimaru, auxiliary Morgana, step forward!”
The sudden call to attention caught the Masters by surprise. Ren glanced about warily as he felt countless pairs of eyes rest on him as Ritsu shuddered beside him. “Way to put us on the spot,” Ritsu grumbled as she shrank from all the attention. Still, they stepped forward to full view under Nero.
Nero beamed, then frowned as she looked about. “Where is Morgana?” she asked.
“He’s taking care of some manpower issues at the moment,” Ren replied. Last thing the Romans needed to know was infighting in their own ranks. Whatever was going on with Tamamo and Tamamo Cat, he knew Morgana most likely would be able to resolve them. Probably. And if things went truly sour, Archer and Rider were both nearby to assist him as necessary. All in all, he wasn’t too worried.
Nero frowned in minor consternation but accepted it with a nod regardless. “If that is the case then it cannot be helped,” she said simply before drawing herself up. “Ren Amamiya. Ritsuka Fujimaru. You and Chaldea have been stalwart allies of the Roman Empire and to me. There is no doubt that without your contributions and your efforts, we would have fallen long ago. What you have done for the empire cannot be understated.”
Ren bowed his head in humble acknowledgement, a motion that Ritsu hurried copied after taking a quick glance at him. It was funny how things worked out – last year, the only thoughts he had about the Roman Empire were when he had to study them for class. He certainly never imagined himself saving it in any aspect. The prospect felt even more fantastical than stealing hearts and the Metaverse.
He thought back to the flabbergasted reactions of Roman and Da Vinci when he told them about the Metaverse and chuckled to himself. Their worlds were rather outlandish to each other, it seemed.
“Though auxiliaries you may be,” Nero continued, seizing Ren’s attention once more. “Your heart and soul beats for the empire and for me! I cannot allow such loyalty and efforts to go unrewarded!”
The emperor’s eyes gleamed merrily as she beamed. “Ritsuka Fujimaru,” she boomed. “You have established communications with my noble predecessor Julius Caesar, found out his strengths and weaknesses, and brought forth victory from the jaws of defeat! Therefore, I name you Tribunis Laticlavius!” The announcement was met with a surprised murmur from the entire crowd before giving away to cheering.
Ritsu on the other hand blinked and looked around her with surprise. She bowed in thanks to Nero. “I will work to the best of my abilities,” she solemnly swore before stepping back. Ren took a quick glance and as he expected, the girl was utterly confused, even as Mash was grinning brightly at her and congratulating her. He had a feeling it was a rather high rank, though he wasn’t sure precisely how high it was.
Nero smiled, satisfied with the reception. “Now, though Morgana cannot be here at this time, let it be known he has cleared the sea path for our forces!” she declared. “Together with our men, he has removed the dagger aimed at the heart of the empire and secured a clear path for reinforcements and supplies! Further, he has also provided additional forces that will greatly bolster our strength! His contributions cannot be understated!”
“Therefore, for his achievements, Morgana shall be named Praefectus castorum in absentia!” the emperor roared. The response was an even louder cheer than the one for Ritsu. The shock of the announcements was most likely wearing off at this point, though the attention was discomforting. These definitely sounded like high positions to be promoted to, though he would have to check exactly what they were with either Joan or Roman.
“And finally, Ren Amamiya!” she cried, her words silencing the crowd. Ren could feel hundreds of pairs of eyes staring at him and gulped. His mind briefly flashed back once more to the horde of police outside Sae’s Palace before shoving the memory away once more. This was a different scenario. He needed to focus on that rather than dwelling on the past.
Instead, he looked up to see the emperor beaming happily at him. “Ren Amamiya,” she stated. “There is no doubt your contributions to the empire have been beyond outstanding. Your leadership skills, your boundless initiative, your versatility, your bravery – no matter the aspect or battlefield, you have proven yourself beyond exemplary. You are without a doubt indispensable to this campaign, and that shall be recognized.”
Nero’s grin widened as she held out a hand. “By my decree, I declare the formation of the Chaldean Auxiliary Legion!” she declared. “This legion shall answer only to the emperor! And Ren Amamiya, I hereby name you Legatus legionis of the legion! Bear the name and rank with pride! For Rome!”
“FOR ROME!” the entire crowd roared as they cheered raucously at the announcement.
Ren gulped and bowed to Nero. Unlike the others, he didn’t even need to ask what that title meant. After all, he had heard it countless before: Legate. At least it sounded like he was ‘commander’ of just the Chaldea legion. He had absolutely no desire to command the regular Roman legions and despite the cheers, he had a feeling they wouldn’t listen to him seriously anyway. He could only sigh inwardly to himself.
Today was going to be a long day.
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From high on the rooftops, Loki simply observed casually. Festivities and ranks never cease to be both annoying and amusing. They had been curious about the rush of soldiers streaming towards the town square and decided to follow them, hoping for a small laugh or at least something to satiate their curiosity. There were still some soldiers at their stations – they couldn’t leave the city completely undefended after all.
It was certainly a surprise to hear their Masters had gotten promotions and they were even made a ‘legion’. They almost laughed themselves sick after hearing all of that. It was nothing more than lip service from the emperor – or at the least, just a whim of hers in rewarding them. They wouldn’t be able to properly command soldiers, at least not without a good amount of resistance both direct and subtle. And not to mention, any civilian government or especially traditionalists wouldn’t ever allow it.
And besides, what good is an office from a timeline that wasn’t even supposed to exist? The whole affair was so absurd it was honestly hilarious. Fitting for an emperor who was known for her whimsy and madness in history. What a farce. Well, perhaps there were some benefits they could exploit with these new titles and powers, either theoretical or practical. Maybe they could convince their Masters to spring for some better armor, perhaps with some decorative edging…
A small breeze brought them out of their thoughts. With a sigh, they reclined in their seat. “Just so you know, I’m not up to anything,” they drawled without bothering to turn. “I merely wanted to see what the fuss was about. I do hope it’s not frustrating to both of you that you’re not getting the same honors as our Masters. Though then again, knowing the two of you, you probably don’t care that much about such things anyway.”
Archer glared down at the trickster god as he stood beside them, Kanshou and Byakuya in his grip as the chains from Medusa’s spikes clanked ominously. “Our Masters have been looking for you,” he growled. “Do you want to explain yourself?”
Loki scoffed. “What’s there to explain?” they asked with a shrug. “They’re pissed off at me for winning them the battle in a way they didn’t like. Really, you think they’d show a bit more gratitude, but I suppose that’s all I can settle for.”
“Enough,” Rider spoke up, an edge creeping into her voice. “Once this is over, our Masters need to speak with you. Your abilities are far too dangerous to leave unchecked, and they will decide on how to handle you.”
“Of course, if you prefer to have your judgement delivered a bit early by us, then that’s fine by me,” Archer added, his calm tone not reflecting the tight grip he had on his swords. “But for now, it would be best if you behaved.”
Loki glared up at either side of them before raising their hands in both exasperation and surrender. “Ah, I always did think you two were too serious for your own good,” they sighed. “But I’ll play along.” In truth, Ren, Ritsu, or Morgana could’ve simply used a command seal to drag them out into the open, but they didn’t. At least they could show some courtesy and show up themselves.
There’s a lot of questions that need answering, after all.