Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Now, allow me to show you." The monstrous figure looked down upon us; his voice was filled with immeasurable rage. "This is the end of your journey, the end of human history!"

He moved his deformed yellow and black hand.

"Deploying Third Noble Phantasm. The time of birth hath come; I am the remedy of eternity!"

The black sky of the Time Temple began to shine with a purple, powerful light. A mass of red energy started gathering, powerful enough to incinerate humanity with a single hit.

And before that despairing sight, one that would bring fear to the bravest man, she just stood there, in front of me.

With her shield on her hands, she stood ready to protect me, just like she always did.

But this time, it was different. Her small figure now looked bigger than ever before; her back looked wider than everyone I had come to know.

The girl that first met me with a curious look on her face now looked stronger than every hero, villain or Servant I had come to meet in this Grand Order.

"ARS ALMADEL SALOMIS" The monster roared, and the light descended upon us.

I extended my hand, in hope of reaching her, in hope of feeling her warm one last time. But my hands never held her again; she was out of my reach.

So far away.

I woke up in my bed.

The sheets had been thrown to the side at some point in the night, and the cold breeze of the morning touched my entire body.

It was pleasant.

With all the force I could muster, I got out of bed and started preparing for the new day.

The digital clock on the nightstand marked the five past six. It was still a bit early, but I needed to get ready with time if I didn't want to be late.

My normal routine flowed like it always did, I showered with cold water to get rid of any doziness that may still be with me, and once I was done, I contemplated for a minute if I should cut my beard a bit or not.

"Still not long enough to look like a beggar." A rapid look at the mirror gave me the answer.

I put on my clothes, took the keys and briefcase with the marked exams, and went to the door to abandon my house and start another day.

Only to stop before turning the key.

I looked back at my apartment, and my eyes moved to the object hanged from the wall. It would be normal if it was a painting or a diploma, but that object couldn't look more out of place in the small apartment.

It was a cross-shaped shield, black but with a distinct silver shine, and big enough to occupy almost the entire wall.

"I'll be back at night." I said to the inanimate object, with no hope of ever getting a response. And even so, that futile act made me happy.

"Take care, Mashu."

"Good morning, kids." I said, as I entered the classroom.

"Good morning teacher." Some of my students answered.

Others saw me but didn't, probably thinking that acknowledging my presence was enough of a greeting.

Another group whispered "Dude, Fujimaru is already here" thinking that I couldn't hear them, and the last remaining group of students just ignored me altogether.

So pretty much the same as usual.

"I have the result of the exams and most of you did…" I stopped, with the hope of creating some expectation and probably falling. "…quite well actually."

And it was true, maybe kids these days are more interested in history than in my student days, or hey, maybe I am actually a really good teacher!

…or maybe they cheated without me realizing.

"Although the ones that failed did it pretty bad." I said as I separated the approved exams from the failed ones. Just then I saw an especially disastrous exam and felt my mind developing a headache.

"And speaking of that, Mr. Lewis, can I ask you a question?"

The boy named Lewis who was talking with another student suddenly looked at me, surprised.

"Yes, teacher, what's up?

"Nothing much, Mr. Lewis, I was just wondering why did you write that emperor Nero was a girl?"

The class burst into laughter, while Lewis snickered.

"Sorry, teach, I didn't know what to do with that question, so I started thinking how much more interesting this subject would be if the emperor was a woman hiding her gender."

"A woman with big bonkers." Said another voice, murmuring, which immediately resulted in another burst of laughter

"Hey, language." I warned him, but I didn't really mean it. Then I looked back at Lewis. "You have quite the imagination Mr. Lewis, it would be great if you could put that enthusiasm in studying."

Lewis just shrugged, not really caring.

Oh, but he should care, I thought. After all, that question was the only one he got correct.

"…"

I wonder who much time has passed since I heard her sing? Four years? Five years? I used to hate hearing her back in Chaldea.

A now I wanted nothing more than to hear her again.

"Hey, Ritsuka." A voice called for me.

A man approached me, with an expression of tiredness on his face. He was wearing a brown suit a bit too elegant for a high school teacher, some trousers of the same color and a pair of glasses.

"Oh, Arthur. How it's going?" I noticed that he was taking a pack of cigars of his pocket. "Are you on break?"

"Nah, my class is having some dumb talk about environmental care or something. "He offered me a cigar. "What about you?"

"I am done with class 2-A." I said as I shake my head in denial. "I have ten minutes until I have to take care of 3-C."

"I see, I see."

And then, the conversation died down while Arthur brought his lighter to the cigar on his mouth.

"Ritsuka." To my surprise, he continued talking, I was sure that he was more interested in savoring one of his cigars than me.

"Hmm?"

"Don't you miss your homeland sometimes?"

"Where does that question come from?" I gave him a wry smile.

"Well, it's just that sometimes you look a bit…gloomy is the word?"

"Hey." If I didn't know Arthur as much as I did I would think he was trying to mock me.

No, actually he is probably doing it.

"Well, not gloomy, more like…nostalgic? It's like you always have your mind on something."

"Wow, didn't know you majored in psychology too. Must have been hard having to study both that and math in college."

"Ha! If that were the case, at least I could add a nice title to my name." He smoked some more. "Instead of just "teacher" it would be "Dr. Arthur". Doesn't that sound way cooler?"

I chuckled, this man always manages to make me laugh a bit.

It's not like we were actually that friendly to begin with, it was more like we were both in the same boat so we may as well try to get along.

Just a person to talk about the mundane of life.

"You didn't answer my question, though. Do you miss Japan?"

So he still wants to know…

"Not really. I have become accustomed to England in all these years. And you know, I actually have people I know here, in Japan though…"

"Oh, dang." He took the cigar of his mouth, looking a bit worried."Sorry, I didn't want to remind you of-"

"My family?"

"…Yes"

"It's fine." I tried to reassure him. "It's been years since then."

"Must be hard either way. I don't really get along with my parents or brothers really." He released a "puff" of smoke. "But the thought of them not being there…."

"It's hard." A sad small appeared on my face. "But even if I didn't want to, I had to learn to let them go and continue living."

…

To let my family go…to let Chaldea go.

I keep saying that, but the truth is that after all these years, I still miss them.

Nero, Heracles, Asterios, Abby, Hokusai, Arturia, Orion, Kiyohime, Tamamo, Emiya, Musashi, Holmes, Da Vinci, Roman…

Mashu.

Since it was Friday, Arthur wanted to invite me for some drinks to "cheer me up" apparently. I kept saying that I was okay but he kept pushing so I gave up in the end.

It was already dark outside when I arrived at my apartment. I had more than a few drinks so I was a bit tipsy, however, all my dizziness disappeared once I saw the door of my apartment.

It was slightly open, although I clearly remember closing it properly this morning.

Once I got a bit closer I noticed another thing: the lock was destroyed and not in a way to avoid attention, it was more like someone had forced his way in with brute strength alone.

Someone definitely entered my house.

I breathed deeply and steeled my nerves, trying to think carefully about the situation.

The possibility of someone from the mage association trying to find me briefly came to my mind, but I quickly disregarded it. I am sure they want to forget that I ever existed more than to seek revenge.

No, it was more likely that this was just some random burglar looking for things to steal. If that was the case, then it would be better to just wait outside and let the police handle this.

…

However, I won't sit idle while someone steals from me.

Was it a matter of pride?

Maybe.

I am a still Magus; maybe I have more in common with those assholes of the Clock Tower than I think.

Moving as slowly as I could, I opened the broken door and entered without making a sound, the light was turned off and darkness covered the entire apartment.

I hide behind a wall before reaching the main hall, my apartment is not that big, there weren't many places to hide beside the bathroom. If the burglar was still here, then he should be in the hall.

It's been years since I last did it, but I still can use spells.

I raised my hand while remembering how to use a Gandr shot. That would be enough to incapacitate a normal person.

I breathed deeply once again, and abandoned my cover. With my hand pointing like a pistol, I was ready to face the intruder.

But I wasn't prepared to see what I found.

The intruder stood in the middle of the hall, not even trying to hide her presence. I couldn't see her face since she was facing away from me, but I was sure she was a girl. Long white hair done in a ponytail fell on her back, and she was wearing what I think was a white and black school uniform.

However, something caught my attention, from the back of her head grew two horn-like objects, which strangely enough seemed to shine yellow in the darkness of my apartment.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

The moment the girl turned to face me, I saw them.

Her eyes, they glowed in the dark too, with an intense yellow brightness, but that wasn't what caught my attention, what I couldn't ignore was the insane excitement that those eyes showed me.

That was the proof, even if it had been some time since I experienced something supernatural, I could say for sure that this girl wasn't human.

"Oh, what do we have here?" She tided her head to the side, without breaking eye contact. "How long have you been there, little human?"

I could feel an invisible pressure while she talked, this girl must be quite something, I doubt a Gandr would work against her.

"That's not…something you ask to the owner of this place." I slowly lowered my hand, whatever this thing is, she wasn't seeing me as a threat for now and I wanted that to continue. "What are you doing here? Are you lost?"

I tried to feign ignorance and slowly began moving sidewise.

"Lost? Oh no. I am where I want to be." A wide smile appeared on her face. "I wonder if it's the same for you, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

"H-How did you know my name?"

Slowly, she mustn't notice what I am trying to do.

"We can know everything about anyone once they come in contact with us. Let's see…" She brought her hand to her chin as if trying to recall something. " Name: Fujimaru Ritsuka. Age: twenty-six. Profession: History Teacher. Place of birth: Unknown. Name of the Father: Unknown. Name of the Mother: unknown. Other Family Members: Unknown. Oh?"

Suddenly she stopped.

"I can't seem to find information about you within your birth and six years, five months, six days, eight hours, twenty minutes, and two seconds ago. How strange."

She began approaching me.

"Status of the Parents: Unknown. Scholarship Level: Unknown. Acquaintances from six years ago: Unknown. Activities from six years ago: Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown."

She was getting too close so I had to stop. Her approach forced me to step back, but I hit a wall behind me after a couple of steps.

"We seem to lack a lot of information about you, I wonder if it has something to do with that shield."

At that moment I realized it, she had been staring at Mashu's shield when I entered the room. Was that the reason she was here?

"I don't know what are talking about, I am just… a history teacher as you said." I tried to pretend ignorance. "And that shield is just antiquity from a friend of mine."

"Lies."

"…!"

"Humans usually react differently when they encounter us; the fact that you seem calm is suspicious."

Shit, she realized!

She had me against the wall, cutting any possible escape route. Her bright eyes looked at me with a mad stare.

"You present quite a lot of unknown variables….that could be troublesome to our plan." She slowly moved her hand to my face, her fingers coming close to my eyes, too close. "I was going to kindly ask you about the shield, but it seems like I have to…"

I didn't let finish. With a swift move, I put my hand on her face and shoot a Gandr, she was so close that she didn't have time to dodge. Or maybe she could but didn't expect that a "little human" would be capable of that.

Either way, I managed to escape from her grasp and run to where Mashu's shield was hanged.

"Oh? That hurt a bit." Unsurprisingly, the thing didn't go down with just a Gandr shoot, in fact, it didn't even leave a scratch on her face. "What was that? We have no records of that kind "energy", other humans don't have it. Fufufufufu. This is far more interesting than I thought!"

I took Mashu's shield…no, I took Lord Camelot from the wall, and put it on my right hand.

"Now I see it!" She exclaimed, with a mad excitement. "You hide beneath that disguise of a boring normal human, but now I see it clearly."

She then pointed at me.

"Your eyes are those of a warrior, they show defiance, they show decision. How amusing. Do you truly think you can face us, The Sirens, by yourself?"

"...I don't know what or who you are." I secured the shield in my right hand, and put it between me and this so-called Siren. "But I won't go down without a fight!"

This life, the life that Mashu Kirielight saved. I have decided to protect it.

So that her sacrifice wasn't in vain, I have decided to live.

"I won't let you kill me so easily!"

"Fufuufufu...so be it, then. This is outside of my predetermine mission, but you are far too interesting to ignore." She extended her hands, and from the thin air, four black floating objects came to exist, they had a futuristic look and looked similar to drones, each one had two cylindrical protrusions that looked like cannons." I am Purifier, Battleship-class ship from the Sirens" She made a small reverence.

"Purifier…? What do you purify, if you let me ask?"

"Humanity."

"But of course…" I said, cursing internally. "It's always about humanity, isn't it?"

A loud sound echoed in the dark room, as a robotic voice spoke in an unemotional voice.

"WARNING, SIREN ACTIVITY DETECTED. SIREN ACTIVITY DETECTED."

Between the chaotic sounds of the alarm, computers' key being pressed furiously, phones ringing at the background and people shouting to each other, a woman with red air and black uniform stood next to a man sitting before a large machine.

"Where is the signal coming from?" She asked, with a stern tone.

"Ma'am…" His subordinate managed to hear her between all the noises, but he looked worried. "This must be wrong…there is no way…!"

"I asked you a question, cadet. Where is the signal coming from?"

"…It's not coming from the ocean; the signal is coming from inland territory, ma'am."

"…! To think that they would come so close…!"

It was the first time The Siren had ventured inland, usually, they are satisfied controlling the sea, an attack to the country was something they weren't prepared for.

"What should we do, ma'am? The prototypes aren't functional yet…"

"I beg to differ on that."

Another woman appeared, she had long white hair and her mere presence was completely different from the soldiers in the room. She was calm, her silver eyes never showed an iota of worry. Her outfit was equally strange; it could be easily described as a maid uniform, and on her neck was a steel collar attached to a broken chain.

"You…! What are you doing here!? Who gave you permission to move on your-"

"Be quiet, cadet!" The woman in black shut the man up."Explain yourself."

"The Queen does not take lightly this advance on her territory; it has ordered us maids to intervene."

"The Queen…" The woman couldn't believe that the prototypes had a hierarchy already; it hasn't been that long since they were awakened. "Regardless of what you were ordered, I can't send a group of weapons disguised as girls to fight in a city full of civilians; they would bring too much attention."

"We have a special member specialized in undercover operations. If we send her, I guarantee that you won't hear a single thing about us in the media."

"Special members for undercover operations!? You were almost born yesterday, weapon! Do you expect us to believe-"

"Cadet, if you don't shut up, I will personally take care that you would be thrown in the filthiest cell that they can find for insubordination."

The man went silent, realizing that he had overstepped his rank.

"Are you sure you can do it?" The woman asked the maid. "If this mission fails, I can't guarantee yours and the other's survival."

"We are weapons, Marcia. We were made for this. If we can't destroy a single Siren attacking our country, then we deserve to be destroyed."

Marcia looked at the maid's eyes, there wasn't doubt in them.

"Alright. You have my permission to deploy."

"You have my sincerest thanks" She took her long skirt and lifted up a little in a reverence. "I, the Head Maid Belfast from the Royal Navy, won't disappoint you, Commander."

END OF CHAPTER 1

Chapter Text

One should always know their own limitations.

A thing I had come to understand during my time as the last Master of Humanity was my own weakness, as well as the difference between a Servant and a human being.

A Servant may have been human once, but once they have been recorded in the Throne of Heroes, they change.

They become something different, something more.

A Servant transcends humankind, they become faster and stronger, even more than when they were still alive. They become capable of defying the laws of the world, they become capable of miracles.

That's why the sole idea of a human facing a Servant is ridiculous.

Utterly and entirely ridiculous.

And even knowing all that, why am I once again facing a being that seems to surpass humanity? Why am I again in a position where my life may be suddenly forfeit without me being able to do anything?

Maybe it was fate, the same fate that brought me to Chaldea all those years ago.

Whatever the case was, I don't plan on dying to this Siren thing. Just like the last time, I was going to live.

And to live, means knowing your own limitations.

I dashed against the door of my apartment, the already broken door didn't reduce my running speed that much, and what awaited me on the other side was an empty corridor.

Hoping that none of my neighbors will decide to go outside, I ran towards the stairs.

From behind, the sound of the drones drew near. The vibration of them floating in the air was suddenly overcome by an energy cannon being shot; a strange energy bullet went in my direction.

I quickly moved Lord Camelot behind me back to block the attack. Thankfully the bullet disappeared as soon as it touched the shield.

It wasn't like I doubted Lord Camelot durability, but it would a lie if I said I wasn't worried about how those thing's attacks would react to a Noble Phantasm.

I had no idea what these Sirens were, but they didn't seem magical, rather, I would say that they are the complete opposite. The drones she was using were mechanical looking, so could it be that their power comes from technology, rather than mystery?

I could hear the same sound again, as another shot impacted on the shield, with little to no effect.

I will have time to think about the nature of the enemy later, for now…

I felt Od rushing through my magic circuits, a black and red sphere of magical energy appeared on my left hand.

I stopped running, and turned to face the drones. Covering myself using the shield of my right hand, I moved my other hand pointing towards the nearest drone.

The Gandr was shot; however, the machine easily dodged it and without losing a second, the drone responded firing once again.

"Damn you!"

Their energy bullets weren't doing anything to Lord Camelot, but I was clearly on the losing side of the conflict if I could do nothing but defend and run.

I resumed my running through the corridors, shielding my back from the barrage of energy bullets. The stairs to the floor below were near, I just had to-

Suddenly, as I was about to turn a corner, another drone appeared just in front of me.

Shit! I won't make it in time to block it with Lord Camelot!

Without another choice, I shouted my aria of reinforcement; green lines appeared on my legs, followed by an unnatural feeling of strength.

The drone shoot, I could have tried to evade its attack and pass beneath it, but I didn't have that much confidence in my ability.

Instead, I hit the ground and threw myself to the side, crashing with a closed window.

Breaking the glass hurt, but I manage to fell safely outside the building; never in my life had I been more thankful to live on a second floor, a couple of meters more and I would have probably broken my legs, reinforced or not.

All this to just to evade a drone, if only I had my old Mystic Codes then fighting these things wouldn't be this difficult. Sadly the Mage Association wasn't kind enough of returning it.

Obviously, the drones followed me.

"Why can't they just give up!?" I cursed internally as I continue running for my life.

A few hundred meters away, standing perfectly still on top of a radio tower, was a woman in a maid costume, her amber eyes studied carefully the events that just took place.

"The Siren is moving! What are you doing prototype number 05!? Why have you not engaged with the target yet!?" A furious voice spoke on her left ear.

"…"

The maid ignored the woman's shouts, and just stood where she was. What was happening below her was far more important than some vermin's cries.

"Can you hear me, prototype 05!? Engage with the Siren right n-" The maid took the communicator from her ear, and smashed it.

"Belfast, are you there?" Then she spoke, as if another person was there next to her.

"Sheffield." The head maid answered, her voice spoke directly to her head without any need for a device. "That was not very nice of you, the Commander is mad now."

"I see, tell her that I am deeply sorry, my hand slipped and I broke the communicator." Sheffield said in a neutral tone what was obviously a lie. "More importantly, Belfast. The situation here has changed, can we talk?"

"No…." Belfast made a small pause. "I told you, Sheffield, you have to follow the Siren now."

"…If you can't talk but can hear, then repeat yes two times."

"Yes, yes, it's an order form the Commander."

"Good, then I will proceed to tell you what just happened. One of these vermin- I mean humans, was fighting against the Siren directly, he had what appears to some kind of shield capable of withstanding her attacks. At this moment, he is escaping from her at an unnaturally high speed. Did you hear all that?"

There was a longer silence this time, until Belfast could answer.

"Yes…we talked about this. You have to follow the Commander's order."

"Alright, I don't know what this is all about. It could be just another Siren trap to lure us…or the humans could be hiding information from us again. There was no mention of anyone working with the United Kingdom's government to fight the Sirens, and last time I checked, we were supposed to be the only one capable of fighting them. Either way, the situation is fishy, what should I do?"

"Think about the Queen…she wouldn't like you to disobey our allies."

"Understood. Tell the Commander I am going to purse the Siren now but make no mention of the human with the shield. I'll be communicating with them through you."

Sheffield then broke the mental link and began jumping between buildings, following the man.

"Think about the Queen….." She repeated Belfast words. How would the Queen want her to resolve the situation? What course of action would benefit the Royal Navy the most?

After a few seconds, she reached a conclusion.

"The Siren must be taken care of, as for that human…"

If the shield he wields is powerful enough to stand against a Siren, then it's a matter of time until the humans manage to develop weapons that work on them too.

If that comes to happen, then the delicate balance between the Royal Navy and the United Kingdom's government may be disrupted against them.

The Queen wouldn't allow that.

She couldn't allow that.

"If he turns out to be a threat to us, then he will be eliminated as well."

After quite some time of running like a madman, I turned back to see that the drones were nowhere to be found. It seemed like at some point in my escape, I managed to lose them.

"Ah…Ah….Ah…"

Feeling how the fatigue was starting to affect me, I walked to the nearest alley and hid myself next to a garbage container. After making sure that the enemy wasn't coming, I finally sat down.

"Ahh…ahh…" I was panting; I needed some time to recover. "I just…I just hope that nobody saw me running using magecraft. That would be troublesome in more than a few ways. "

Will the mage association come for me if I get caught using magic? It's not like I had another choice, if it wasn't for the reinforcement spell, they would have surely caught me up.

It was a few hours into the night and I didn't notice anyone in the streets, but I couldn't say for sure if someone had spotted me from his house, for example.

I deeply sighed.

Either I get killed by those drones or the clock tower locks me up again, my future wasn't hopeful.

While I was recovering, I looked at the shield in my right hand.

Lord Camelot still looked as strong and sturdy as the first time I saw Mashu using it, those energy bullets didn't leave a single scratch on its surface.

"Mashu…" Even if she was no longer here, she was still protecting me. "I'll be sure to survive this, I promise."

"Who is Mashu?"

I froze. A girl's voice came from above me.

My breathing accelerated again, as I slowly lifted my head.

The Siren was there, sitting on top of the garbage container, looking at me with a smile of complacency.

I quickly stood up, trying to put some distance between us.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

"…!" I stopped my steps as four black drones blocked my path, their cannons pointing at me.

"Now, I wonder if you can move your shield fast enough to block all the shots. Care to try, Fujimaru Ritsuka?"

"…"

I didn't even try, I knew I couldn't. By the time I moved my right hand, I would be already dead.

I took a deep breath with resignation, as I turned to look at the Siren.

I was at her mercy now.

"Are you going to kill me?" The best I could do was trying to make time until I could find a gap to use my reinforcement and escape.

"Kill you? Oh no, you misunderstand us." He abandoned the container with a small jump, and began approaching me. "I was going to bring you to our base, cut you open and then study every part of your organism with love and care."

"…!"

This thing...so sadistic…

"But where would be the fun in that? Also, I don't want Observer Alfa or Tester Beta to ruin our fun..."She said, with a progressive lower tone, but immediately went back to her usual self. "So let's play a game, shall we?"

"…it's not like I have a choice, right?"

"That's the spirit!" Her cheerfulness could have been cute if she wasn't trying to kill me. "So this is how it's going to be, I am going to ask you questions, and if you lie to me or I don't like the answer, I'll be cutting one of your limbs, simple, right?"

"…"

Silence.

"What, you don't like it?"

Nobody likes to get their limbs cut out, but as she doesn't seem to understand reason, I tried a different approach.

"…How is that a game…if you are the only one having fun?"

"Hmmmmm." She appeared to really be thinking about it. "Then let's do this. For every satisfactory answer you give, I let you ask a question. Won't that be more fun to you?"

"But how can I know if you are honest?"

She shrugged.

"It's up to you if you want to believe me or not."

I wanted to say how unjust it was that I couldn't lie but she could, however, I didn't want to test my luck, so I accepted those unreasonable rules.

I ignored if she has a way of telling if I was lying or not. I could always just answer with half-truths but…I don't doubt that she will really cut one of my limbs if I mess up.

"Then it's question time!" She raised one arm on the air like an excited kid. "Who is this "Mashu" person?"

…!

Of all the things you could ask…it had to be that…

"…Are you sure you want to know that?" My voice came out dejected."Weren't you more interested in-"

"What would you rather lose, your left arm or your left leg?" She asked, with a smile.

"Alright, alright, I understand." I tried to calm her. "Mashu is…was an important friend of mine, someone how helped me when I needed it the most, my partner, my companion, my guide…she passed away a few years ago."

"Uh…" Purifier tided her head. "Then why do you call your shield "Mashu"?"

"This is not my shield…" I looked at Lord Camelot, it was still on my right hand. "This was her shield; she used it to protect me."

She continued looking at me, as if wasn't answering her question."

"That's why sometimes it reminds me of her." I forced a more precise answer. "That's why I call her name sometimes."

"Ohhh. And how did she die?"

"…You said I could ask questions too." I looked with an accusing stare. "I have already answered two times."

In reality, I just wanted to change the topic.

She gave me a bored expression.

"Alright, ask away." Her tone becomes uninterested.

"Then tell me, what exactly are the "Sirens"?"

"Ships from the future. Next question."

"…huh?"

Did she just say something incredible like it was nothing?

"Next question." She now was impatient.

Focus, Ritsuka. Understanding her nature could wait, what was important now is getting all the information I can get.

"What is your objective, and what it has to do with me?"

"Fufufu…those are two questions. But I let it slide just for you, aren't I a good girl?"

No, you are certainly not.

"We, the Sirens, want just one thing: evolution."

"Evolution…?"

"As for you…." She didn't elaborate and continued talking. "You are mysterious. We lack a lot of information about your existence, and whenever we try to track you in the timeline, we can't find anything beyond 6 years ago."

"..."

"This is not the first time this has happened, sometimes, even perfect machines have errors, you know?." She continued explaining. "We call it a false positive or a bug, kill it and call it a day but..."

She approached even more, and started walking around me as if studying me, her eyes were full of curiosity.

"Imagine our surprise when even when we go looking for you in other worlds, we can't find you."

"Eh…?"

Other…worlds...?

"You aren't present in other worlds. For some inexplicable reason, you are unique to this one. The fact that we weren't informed of such an important event means that you aren't part of the Creator's plan..."

I did no longer hear her, those words still echoed in my head like a whisper.

Other worlds.

Different worlds, parallel worlds.

Worlds where certain things didn't happen, worlds were certain things went in another direction.

Worlds were things can be changed.

"Hey." I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Huh?" She was startled; maybe she didn't expect me to actually touch her.

"Can you…send me to another world?"

"What-?"

"If you can travel to other worlds like nothing, then you can also send me to another world, is that right?" My tone was starting to lose its calm.

Her surprised expression was quickly replaced with a mischievous smile.

"So that's what you really want, huh?" She slowly moved her hand to touch my cheek "The light in your eyes has changed, now all I see is desire, a deep and strong desire."

"Can you do it or not!?" My voice sounded desperate.

I needed to know, I needed to know if there was still a possibility...!

"Fufufufufu" She laughed, and put her arms around me."Let's see…maybe we can reach an agreement...?

Her bright golden eyes looked at me with expectation.

I still didn't know what this Siren wanted, but if she could send me back…if she could send me to Chaldea…I…

I was about to respond, when a series of loud explosion occurred behind me. A quick glance revealed that the drones behind me had been destroyed, all four of them now rested on fire on the floor.

"What the-?"

Before I could react, a barrage of bullets came in my direction.

"Tch…It seems like we have company!" Purifier separated from me, and with a swift move she intercepted the bullets with both arms, protecting me."And when we were about to get into the part."

Apart from sounding annoyed, I noticed that for the first time, she showed a true pained expression, those bullets actually hurt her.

"Seems like someone forgot to take out the garbage." A new voice could be heard from above us. Then a person fell from the sky, the ground broke once her high silver boots stepped on it.

She was wearing a maid uniform with a pretty long black dress and white motifs. One amber eye observed us with a neutral expression, while the other was hidden behind her short brown hair. To complete the strange outfit, a steel collar was on her neck, and from an inverted Christian cross was connected with a chain.

"Ah, but don't worry."On her hands appeared two pistols, which she quickly pointed at us. "It's a maid's duty to take care of the cleaning."

END OF CHAPTER 2

Chapter Text

I looked dumbfounded at the abrupt appearance of the maid. Suddenly, the number of strange people had gone up.

First, a schoolgirl with golden eyes capable of summoning drones, now it was a maid dual-wielding pistols; not to mention that both of them tried to kill me at least once.

"…."

As much as I 'd like to say that this is one of the strangest things that had happened to me, I still vividly remember that one time when Astolfo suddenly barged in my room wearing a maid uniform and fake bunny ears while screaming: "I am a rabbit from the moon."

I am afraid that's difficult to top.

Either way, I couldn't help but wonder where this collection of strange characters came from. Was this maid also a superhuman being? Another Siren? They surely didn't look alike. Or were they from different factions? Enemies?

There were too many questions, and not nearly enough answers.

However, one thing was clear.

"This maid is hostile." I thought while I raised Lord Camelot in front of me and took a defensive stance. I ignored the reason, but her bullets went directly to my head; she was prepared to kill me in cold blood and if it wasn't for Purifier, she would have succeeded.

Not that I consider the Siren my ally now, she may as well be the reason this maid tried to kill me in the first place.

Although, rather than the Siren, she was staring at me. Her gaze didn't carry any apparent enmity at first glance, however, I did see one emotion that betrayed her unemotional façade, it was neither fury nor anger, it was…

Disgust.

She was looking at me as if I were a cockroach; something so disgusting that it shouldn't be allowed to live. Whatever her reason was, this maid clearly considered me someone that should be eliminated.

"What are you doing here, so far from the sea, pawn?" Purifier suddenly broke the silence; her tone denoted a feeling of superiority. "Why aren't you bonding with your human friends?"

The maid's expression remained neutral.

"It's the duty of the Royal Navy to exterminate any kind of Siren threat, being in the sea or not." Her eyes never stopped staring at me. "The same goes for traitors."

"Traitors…?" I couldn't contain my confusion. "I have no idea what are you talking about."

"Pests don't deserve explanations, only a quick and effective extermination." She declared, and the talk was over, both pistols opened fire again.

Although I easily blocked her bullets this time, she didn't lose a second and approached me with impossible velocity. Before I could even think my next move, she was already next to me, her pistols moved to shot the next barrage at point-blank.

However, Purifier intercepted her, and with a single punch, the maid was sent flying in the opposite direction. A cloud of dust was raised the moment the maid crashed with one of the alley walls.

"That power…."

I knew the difference between us was big, but at that moment I understood it all; she was just toying with me using her drones. If she really wanted to kill me, she could have done it a long time ago.

"Ah, sorry, Fujimaru Ritsuka." She turned back to me and made an apologetic smile.

Then, she dashed towards the fallen maid, who was just about to get up and grabbed her by the neck.

"Wait for a bit, okay?" Having said that, she began jumping between buildings and left the alley with the maid.

"…"

Everything happened so quickly that my brain had difficulty processing it. I was suddenly left alone in the alley, and without a doubt, looking like a confused idiot.

My fighting spirit slowly disappeared and I lowered Mashu's shield, suddenly feeling tired.

"What…what should I do now?"

She told me to wait but…should I just stay here and wait? No, should I even trust her? She didn't actually answer my question.

"…."

Maybe I should simply leave… and try to forget about all this.

My life here is not bad; I secured a job and a place to live at least a bit comfortably, I even made some friends, people who I could talk to.

I had already accepted my destiny after coming here; the fact that my years of risking my life were long gone. I was prepared to live the rest of my life here as a normal person, who will eventually succumb to old age.

But this…this changes everything.

If I follow them, I'll be destroying all those things I have worked upon these six past years. I have already been there before, entangled in a war that far surpassed my own abilities, and I know how it's going to end, that image will always be stuck in my head.

The desolating silence after Mashu's sacrifice, leaving only her shield behind which still stood despite the death of its user.

No matter how many years had passed, I will never be prepared to experience those things again. I am not like the Servants that used to follow me; I am just a mere human that happens to know a bit of magic.

I am no hero, I am just a survivor.

"I promised you, Mashu." I put my hand in Lord Camelot and feel the cold metal in my palm. "I promised you that I would live, and if I follow them, I will be putting my life in danger, the life that you fought so hard to protect."

…

However…

If that Siren could really send me to Chaldea, if I could see you just one last time…I…I…

"…I am really sorry, Mashu."

Cursing myself, I decided to follow them.

Sheffield tried with all to her might to get away from the Siren that currently was crushing her neck, but it was useless; she was forcefully dragged by her.

"This Siren…." Sheffield thought, feeling overwhelmed.

Not only her strength far surpassed the ones she had faced before, there was also something different in this one...something that the others Siren lacked.

She couldn't exactly put it into words, there was something just off about her.

Sheffield was no expert in Siren's psychology, neither she had battled and destroyed that many of them, that honor corresponded to Belfast, but she was sure that the Sirens were supposed to be no more than mere killing machines. Even the humanoid ones hardly ever show any emotion or feelings, in that regard, they were no different from the ships they commanded.

But this one...was humming.

From the moment she took her by the neck, the Siren didn't stop humming for even a second, as if she was enjoying herself.

As if she truly could feel emotions.

"Hmmm, that looks like a good place." The Siren suddenly spoke. "We can settle things there." And then, Sheffield was unceremoniously thrown again.

This time, however, she managed to control her fall and with a mid-air spin, her feet safely landed on the soft grass.

A quick look revealed that she had landed on a field, a bit far from the residential area they previously were. There weren't a lot of structures close by, only a couple of metal bars forming rectangular arcs a few meters away from her.

The Siren landed in front of her just a few seconds later.

"What do you think? Nobody will interrupt us here."

"You went this far just to hide our encounter." Sheffield immediately understood the Siren intent. "It seems my intervention wasn't necessary, you lot want to remain hidden as much as us."

"Hey, don't take me wrong, it would be fun to see the reaction of the humans." She shrugged. "But orders are orders."

"Orders?"

"You see, I was not supposed to meet humans yet, but that guy seemed interesting so I…." Purifier suddenly stopped talking, looking a bit worried. "Yikes, I think I said too much. Now Empress is going to be mad at me."

"Empress?"

"She is our lea-" She stopped again. "Hey, you are trying to confuse me so that I continue talking, aren't you!?"

"Oh? Did you realize? I must have underestimated your intellect, my apologies." Sheffield made a small reverence.

"How unpleasant…" Purifier release a resigned sigh, but then, a smile was suddenly drawn on her face. "But you were designed like that, so it can't be helped, right?

That claim took Sheffield by surprise.

"What do you know about us?"

"Ah! That's not working a second time! If you want to know then you will have to play with me." She opened her arms and dozens of black drones began to appear around her. "Let's-"

She couldn't finish.

Most of the drones weren't fully materialized when Sheffield answered by making her own weapons appear and without another word, she pressed the triggers.

One by one the drones were shot down, even if some managed to escape the initial bullet barrage and shot her, she easily dodged and destroyed them all.

In no time, it was clear that the drones were no match for her.

"Huh…guess that doesn't work on you." Purifier said, a bit shocked that her drones were destroyed in seconds. "Alright then." She made her knuckles crack. "Let's play in a more direct way, shall we?"

Marcia Haydes, the Commander of the so-called "Prototype Fleet" was currently having the worst headache of her life.

The wait was killing her.

I had been an hour or so since prototype 05 "Sheffield" has contacted the base; she really wanted to attribute that to Sheffield's lack of subordination, but one part of her couldn't help but think that something had gone wrong, very wrong.

And now in her private office, where she thought she could spend some time away from the chaos that was the command room, her doubts were only getting worst.

Was sending Sheffield the correct choice even if she knew her loyalty was the lowest between all the prototypes?

She would have preferred to send Belfast rather than her, but she couldn't simply let her fight in a city, sending her to the sea was risky enough already.

The rest of them weren't a choice either, prototype 02 "The Queen" refused to fight because apparently "That's the duty of the maids", prototype 03 won't abandon said Queen side for anything and prototype 04 apparently wasn't good at fighting, despite being a living weapon.

She really didn't have another choice but…what if Sheffield's dislike of humans had reached a point that she abandoned them? What would happen then with the rest of the prototypes? Would they follow her? Would they join the Sirens in their war against humanity?

And more importantly, would humanity be prepared to face yet another threat that clearly surpassed them in everything?

"Would you like some tea, Commander?" Said one of those very beings. In her hands, capable of smashing a tank with ease, was a silver tray with a teapot and a steaming cup.

"What I want, Belfast, is hearing news from Sheffield." The commander answered with an irritated tone.

"I am afraid I haven't heard anything from her yet. As an apology, please accept this tea." The maid didn't seem to mind her tone at all, in fact, she was adamant about offering the cup to her.

Marcia deeply sighed and finally accepted the drink.

"Thanks, I guess." She brought the cup to her mouth, but stopped just before drinking as familiar scent reached her nose."Bergamot? We don't have….no, we don't actually have any kind of tea in the base? Where did you get this?"

"A maid had to be prepared for everything." She answered as if it was obvious.

"...You didn't let anyone see you, don't you?"

Belfast just responded with a smile.

"…"

Marcia knew better than to question Belfast actions, so she decided to just enjoy her Earl Grey.

"Hmmm, it's good."

"I am glad." Belfast said, happily. "Nothing fills me with more happiness than to hear than from you, Commander."

"…"

Marcia still didn't know how to feel about the maid.

Belfast, the first prototype and, in the higher-ups' opinion, the only successful one from the Electromagnetic Cube Project. A woman who despite being capable of shooting down helicopters alone, had decided to dress as a maid and serve her.

"Why?" That was the question that didn't leave the commander's mind. "Why does she act so submissive if she can kill us all, and escape from the base?"

She was so friendly with her, so loyal...despite the fact it was her, the Commander, that was pretty much locking them in that hellhole to use them as weapons.

Those thoughts were the only thing that kept Marcia for actually trusting Belfast. Maybe it was a consequence of being a soldier, the constant and permanent mistrust.

"Is something the matter, Commander? You have been looking at me for quite some time without saying anything."

She didn't realize it.

"Sorry." She immediately looked away and tried to change the topic "I was thinking how different you are from Sheffield." She lied.

"Ah, my apologizes for Sheffield's behavior, she is still unaccustomed to humans, so her service may not be the best."

"Don't apologize on her behave. I understand that we didn't exactly treat your kind...in the best manner."The Commander said, while they were alone, she could be as diplomatic as she wanted. "But we have one enemy in common, so I hope we can continue working together."

"Humans created us, Marcia. We are your weapons, so isn't it natural that we follow you?"

"…"

Again, Marcia couldn't understand the maid.

It just didn't make sense, why did it matter if they had created them or not, when they could destroy battalions of soldiers with no effort whatsoever?

She couldn't just shake the feeling that Belfast was hiding something behind that image of perfect loyalty.

Maybe it was her eyes, her calm silver eyes that never show worry or concern as if everything were going according to her will.

As if she was just waiting to make her move…

"Oh? Sheffield is talking to me."

Marcia suddenly snapped out of her thought.

"What is she saying!?"

Belfast didn't answer; instead, she brought a hand to her ear and focused on hearing.

"Understood." After a few nods, she finally looked at the Marcia. "Commander, Sheffield is about to release her rig."

"What!? We sent her precisely because we can't let any of you use cannons inside a city! What is-?"

"Commander." Belfast interrupted her. "She told me that if she doesn't use it, she will be destroyed."

"…Maybe I should have expected something like this."

Some time had passed since I started following the maid and the Siren. However, I failed to realize an important fact.

I had no idea where they went.

In retrospect, it should have been obvious. Purifier left the alley literally jumping on buildings and I didn't start to follow them immediately, it was only natural not being able to keep up with her, even with magecraft it would have been difficult.

"Hah, pathetic, I can't even follow them. Maybe it was presumptuous of me to think that I actually had a choice in all this."

Things never go the way I want when it comes to superhuman beings. It was the same back in Chaldea, I was constantly getting dragged by my Servant antics.

Fishing all day with Cu Chulainn, serving as a taster in a cooking competition between Tamamo, Emiya, and Boudica, escaping with Kintoki from an enraged Raikou, putting up with Hans's ramblings about a certain woman, training until almost dying with Leonidas…

A smile appeared on my face.

Even if did get dragged by them, I never disliked it. The moments I spent with them were still my most fond memories.

I was deep in those memories when I noticed something upon looking at my surroundings; I didn't know where I was. I had lived in this city for a few years now, but the place I was currently in was completely alien to me.

In other words, I was lost.

"Just what I needed…" Cursing internally, I began searching for a signpost or anything that gave an idea of where I was, I couldn't have strayed that much of my neighborhood.

It didn't help that the night seemed to have become even darker; no lights were coming from the multiple houses beside me and the moon was nowhere to be found. Only the dim light of a few lampposts illuminated my path.

…

…

…

It was quite.

Almost too quiet, there wasn't even the sound of cars or motorcycles passing by.

…

…

...

And maybe it was my imagination, but I could almost swear that the air was thicker, more difficult to breathe even.

…

…

…

The lampposts path seemed to extend for miles and no matter how much I walked, I felt that I was getting further and further away from my destiny. I was starting to wonder if I actually would find something when I saw it.

A person in the distance, walking ahead of me.

They were a bit too far so I couldn't know if they were a woman or a man, all I could see was their pure white clothes, which seemed to heavy contrast with the darkness of the night, making their figure glow.

I was about to approach them, but then I realized that I was some guy holding a shield as tall as him, wandering in the middle of the night, and about to approach a person who is alone. Maybe I shouldn't have called both the maid and the Siren strange when I am in fact not the most normal person.

However, while I was debating that in my mind, the person suddenly stopped walking and turned back at me.

They were still too far away, so I couldn't distinguish their features but…something was wrong. I had assumed that they were wearing a white cape over their head or something, but nothing had changed now that they were facing me. Maybe the distance was playing tricks on me, but all I could see was a figure that vaguely resembled a person, but white, not even a trace of another color, it was completely and utterly white.

Then they started walking towards me.

"…!"

I had been trying to deny it, but I no longer could hide my anxiety. Neither this "person" nor this situation was normal, but as I raised Lord Camelot to defend myself, the lights of the lampposts began to fickle.

"Shit!"

The lights alternated between on and off, until it finally died, leaving me in the oppressive darkness.

I looked around frantically, as my eyes could see only black. No matter how much I moved my arms, I found nothing around me. It was as if the whole world has just disappeared and the only one that remained was me, alone in that sea of nothingness.

Time flowed weirdly; I couldn't recall how much I was lost in the darkness until the lights went on again.

And I saw her.

The white person was just in front of me, and now I could see her clearly.

She was without a doubt, a woman. Her entire body, except for the head, was completely hidden by a long white cape. Her hair, as white as her attire, was rather short, but long enough to cover her facial features apart from her mouth. To complete her ghostly appearance, all the skin that wasn't being hidden by either the hair or the cape was a colorless pale, like snow, like a sheet of paper…like death itself.

I wanted to run, my entire body ordered me to run from her but I couldn't… It was as if I was frozen in the place, unable to do anything besides looking at her.

The ghostly woman spoke, but no words came from her mouth. Then, from inside her cloak, came a hand as pale as the rest of her body and it moved slowly until it pointed to a certain direction in the city.

"Are you telling me…to go there?"

She didn't answer, instead, she hid her arm inside her attire once again, and turned back to leave.

"No…"

I didn't understand what had happened, but for some reason, I didn't want her to leave. My legs moved on their own, finally starting to work again, as I approached her.

"W-wait…! Don't go!" I put a hand on her shoulder.

She stopped and turned back to see me again.

A single eye peeked between her tufts of white hair, it wasn't white as the rest of her appearance but blue, blue as the darkened sky on a rainy day, blue as the depth of the ocean, a dark lifeless blue. Her gaze was devoid of light, as if any trace of life was taken away from it, leaving only an empty shell.

But what took my breath away wasn't just that, it was her face.

Her face was…she was…

"Mashu."

And then the lights died again.

After some time, I finally managed to find them. They were in a football fiend a couple of kilometers away from my apartment. I remembered that some kids from the school used to come there to play.

The strident sound of metal welcomed me, and the first thing I saw was Purifier, the Siren. She was standing proudly in front of the maid, her entire body was I was stained with small drops of blood. Meanwhile, the maid was desperately trying not to fall, her body full of wounds and her clothes torn.

"Oh?" Purifier looked back at me. "Fujimaru Ritsuka? Perfect timing!"

The maid used this opening to distance herself from the Siren. Then, a bright light began to cover her, taking some kind form around her.

Whatever she was trying to do, the heavy kick that Purifier quickly connected to her temple prevented her from completing it; that light disappeared as the defeated maid fell on the grass.

"There, that should make you relax for a bit."

The maid no longer moved, I was unsure if she was still alive.

"…"

That could be my fate if I don't play my cards right. Purifier wants information, and I want her ability to move between worlds, I have to convince her that she would rather get that information from me and not form my lifeless body.

"Fujimaru!"

"…!"

I almost had a heart attack, her face was already a few centimeters from mine, she got so close without me realizing!

"I am glad you came to play but…How did you know I was here? I was sure I got pretty far away from that alley."

"Eh…? How…?"

Good question, how did I know they were here? The moment I began to follow them, this fiend just naturally came to my mind.

"….a hunch, perhaps."

"A hunch…?" She looked at me weirdly. "Well, whatever, what's important is that you are here and we can continue…" She moved her right hand to touch my face, the black gloves she was wearing didn't hide the bloodstains on them.

I instinctively stepped back.

"You haven't answered me, though. Can you actually take to another world?"

She smiled.

"But of course, that's like a walk in the park for us. You just have to do me a little favor."

Yes, this is my opportunity.

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know, just a-"

"Kill her." she pointed at the fallen maid.

"Huh?"

"You should be able to, right? Using that "energy."

"…"

"It would be the perfect experiment, more useful than anything you can tell me." She walked around me. "Not only I can test if that energy of yours is capable of hurting us ships, but it also would prove your loyalty to us."

"Wait…that's…"

"Kill her." She repeated, finally put her hands on my face, the crimson drops on her school uniform quickly stained my clothes, the blood on her hands was cold. "And I assure you that you will be able to see Mashu again."

END OF CHAPTER 3

Chapter Text

I could hear the sound of my heart pumping blood like crazy in my chest.

"Ah…ah…ah…"

I felt breathless; no matter how much I tried, I couldn't seem to bring oxygen to my lungs.

My vision was blurred, and I had difficulty seeing my surroundings. As I looked down, I could see my hands, they were trembling, cold. Down below, besides my feet, was a sword.

Both of them were completely covered in blood, cold red blood.

But it was not my blood.

"Ah…ah…"

My eyes moved to the fallen man, just a few meters in front of me. The man had long since stopped moving, his mouth that previously had released a series of unintelligible groans went utterly silent. His eyes that had stared at me with rage now remained open, the light of his pupils lost.

"Ah..."

He was no longer there, he was dead.

"Why…?

He was a soldier, and like most of the French forces, he was clad in steel armor, adorned with a blue tabard.

So why? Why were my hands covered in blood, his blood? Why was the sword at my feet covered with that very same blood? I was only trying to fend him off, that's the only reason I took the sword, I wasn't supposed to actually use it…I…I didn't want to….

"Senpai!" A voice called for me; it was the girl that had become my Servant. A terrified expression crossed her face.

"Mashu…What have I done…?"

She rapidly approached me and surrounded myself with her arm.

"Senpai I…I am sorry! I was too late!" She cried. "If only I had been at your side, you wouldn't have had to…."

She continued talking, but I could no longer hear her. All I could think about was the man I just killed, and how his blood stained my hands.

"Get away from me!" I violently shook the Siren off me, but it was too late; my clothes were already stained with the maid's blood.

"Oh? What's wrong? Is that too much physical contact for you?"

"Just… don't act like we are close, I haven't agreed on anything yet." I came up with an excuse as I quickly hide my hands behind my back.

After all these years, they still tremble…

"Come on, you are the only human that survived more than 10 minutes after talking with me." She started to scrub her hands on her shorts, dyeing her attire even redder. "In my view, you have been my friend all your life."

"Friends? Do you usually try to kill all your friends?"

She gave a smug smile.

"Sometimes."

"Then I am afraid we don't share the same opinion."

"Ah, but you soon will." She declared. "When the Creator's plan gets in motion, I assure you will want to be with us rather than against us."

"The Creator?" I was sure I had heard that name before, how did they fit into all of this?

"That's why I am willing to take you under my wing." She ignored me and continued talking. "I'll even take you out for a walk in whatever world you like. The only thing you have to do is kill that maid for me, simple, right?"

My eyes instinctively went to the bloody figure of the maid.

"…"

Disregarding the fact that I didn't enjoy the idea of having to kill that woman, there was something fundamentally wrong with what Purifier was proposing.

"I think you misunderstood me, I am not interested in taking part in this plan of yours."

"Eh?" She looked me with a confused face, as if not understanding what I was trying to say.

"I'll tell you what you want to know…" A pause, my next words were painful. "I'll even give you this shield if you want to study it or whatever, but if you make me kill her, I…"

I don't know if I can. Killing someone who can't defend themselves is just…

No.

Stop.

Why am I thinking about this? This is not my fight, my fight is already over.

I don't need to do it again.

Never again.

"Just…just allow me to travel to a certain world." I practically begged." And then I promise, with my life, that I will remain there and never bother your kind again."

Purifier continued to stare me weirdly until she suddenly burst out laughing.

That ticked me off a bit.

"What's so funny?"

"Hahahaha it's just…" She couldn't even talk properly. "It's just that I think you are the one that didn't understand."

"Hey, I am being serious, I-"

Purifier suddenly appeared in front of me and put a finger in my lips.

"I like you."

"….!"

"I was not lying when I said I consider you a friend, you see. The rest of the Sirens aren't the most cordial beings. Alpha only likes to mess with the pawn's minds, and Beta is too rough with the humans and they die too quickly, so it's usually pretty boring to hang around them."

If that what she considers "boring" then I really don't want to know her definition of "exciting."

"You, on the other hand, are more interesting."She said and finally took her hand off my mouth, but started poking my chest instead. "Despite being a human, you have managed to surprise me more than I expected."

I tried to step back, but she followed me.

"First, a shield capable of withstanding attacks that would destroy human battleships with a single hit, then a mysterious energy that we have no knowledge about."

She moved her face close to mine; her golden eyes meet my gaze.

"I kind of want to see what other surprises you have stored for me."

No…I don't like where this is going, she's getting the wrong idea.

"You are expecting too much of me, Purifier, I am not like all of you."

The shield on my arm isn't mine, and I leave much to be desired as a magus. Even when I was a Master of Chaldea, there were times when I thought it was too much for someone like me.

What allowed me to continue despite that were them, my Servants…my friends. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here right now.

But without then I am…

"I am just a normal perso-!"

I couldn't finish, as I was suddenly grabbed me by the neck.

"Didn't I say that I would cut one of your limbs if you lied to me? Are you trying to test me, Fujimaru Ritsuka?"

"S-stop." With just one hand, she had wholly neutralized me; her grip was slowly depriving me of air.

"You aren't just a normal person or even a normal human. I see it in your eyes; you have seen things, experienced things that no normal human would ever experience."

"Purifier…!" For the first time since the night started, I dropped Lord Camelot, as I desperately tried to move her hand away, but it was useless, her grip was too secure.

"You are different from the rest." Her golden eyes glowed with a mad brightness. "Special, I dare say…"

She really was choking me. If she didn't let me go, I would…

"That's why I won't let you go just yet."

Suddenly, she released me, and I fell on my knees while desperately breathing for air.

"Taking you out of the board this early would just make this game a lot of less exciting."

"Ah…ah…I…." It was difficult to speak. "I am not…"

"Yes, you are." She kneeled in front of me so that I could see her face. "You won't get anywhere pretending this has nothing to do with you, you were already part of this game the moment you first talked to me."

"No! I…!"

She suddenly took both my hands with her own.

"After all."She made a small chuckle as she released them. "Your hands are already dirtied, aren't they?"

I lowered my gaze and looked at my trembling hands. They were red, the maid's blood was on my hands.

No…not again…why is this happening again? My hands…the maid's blood….it wasn't me.

This time, it's wasn't me.

"All that is left is for you to pick a side. Frankly, I don't care which one you choose, it would certainly be interesting if you choose us, but who knows? Maybe destroying all things you care about would be even more entertaining. You decide how we are going to play this game, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

She then moved her mouth close to my ear and whispered.

"Just remember." Her breath was frozen. "Mashu is waiting."

"...!"

She stood up; finally putting some distance between us, her golden eyes observed me, expectantly for an answer.

"You…" I held my hands together, trying to stop them from trembling. "You are sick."

Her smile didn't leave her face for even a second.

"Only by human's standards."

Damn you….damn you! I am an idiot, I am a colossal idiot. I should have known that things wouldn't be as simple as exchanging information.

This situation was only my fault, because I wanted to believe that there was a way to see Mashu again. I would have done anything to see her again.

But at what cost? Would Mashu be happy if I see her for a moment, only to be dragged away to a fight I know nothing about?

To a fight that will force to me kill once again?

She would be horrified.

I don't want to see her looking me like that, not again.

But what would happen if I don't side with these Sirens? Will they consider me their enemies? Will they try to kill me?

My eyes moved to the cause of all this.

I can barely keep up with Purifier, and she is obviously not trying to kill me. If she was serious, then I would undoubtedly lose my life.

No matter what I choose, I was trapped in this game.

And I had already lost.

…

…

…

I breathed deeply.

"I understand." I said, defeated. "I will do it."

"Good good! You made the correct choice." She started patting me on the back repeatedly. "Go for it then, it's all yours."

Yes, I will do it.

Since I have already lost, the only thing I can do now is to play this game.

Sheffield slowly opened her eyes.

Her body hurt a lot. It was actually the first time she got beaten to the point of losing consciousness.

She had underestimated her opponent; she should have released her rig from the start….No, maybe even with her rig, the fight would have been difficult. That Siren was on another level entirely.

As she tried to stand up, she realized she couldn't. No matter how much she tried, her body was too weakened.

"Ahh…Belfast? Can you hear me?" She said, trying to reach Belfast with the mental link, but nobody answered. Maybe she didn't have enough energy to establish it, or something in her body was so broken that she was incapable of it

She began to crawl with some difficulty. Even if it was painful, she couldn't just remain there. She had to warn the Royal Navy about the existence of that Siren; she wasn't someone to be underestimated, all of them would be necessary to face her.

However, a sound reached her ears.

Steps, someone was slowly coming closer.

The moment she moved her head to see who it was, she found the same man that was with that Siren before. He was walking in her direction, still carrying that massive cross-shaped shield with him.

The traitor.

Honestly speaking, it didn't surprise her that much that some humans may betray them. It was only natural; after all, humans can't help but destroy things and kill each other. That's what she had learned in those months in the lab. She was prepared to deal with them eventually.

But a human allying himself with the Sirens was another matter entirely. It wasn't just the normal human foolishness; it was a betrayal to the entire human race and a declaration of war to humanity. In her eyes, that human may as well had rejected his humanity.

In other words, she didn't have any obligation to protect him, as that man was no longer human.

That's why she didn't have a doubt in her mind. She had to kill him alongside the Siren, consequences be damned.

Unfortunately, she wasn't strong enough and failed.

But there was someone who was.

"Belfast, answer me."

Even if she tried to get away, she knew it was impossible to escape in her state. So at least she wanted to make her know that a human was working with the Sirens. That there was a high possibility of a Human-Siren alliance existing somewhere, waiting in the shadows to make their move.

The man was getting closer and closer as she noticed something, some kind of green lines ran down both his feet and arms. They glowed with a strangely bright, and sometimes they release small sparks as if electricity ran through them. She didn't remember having seen something like that before.

"That couldn't possibly be good." Sheffield thought.

She would typically disregard a human as a non-threat, but having seen firsthand how he blocked the attacks of those drones, she couldn't be sure. Who knows how contact with the Sirens had changed him.

Only a couple of meters separated her from the man.

It didn't matter if she was destroyed there, if she was able to contact her, Belfast would be able to do something.

She would trump where she failed, as she always does.

"Belfast…"

But her voice couldn't reach her after all; her attempts to reach Belfast were in vain.

She was alone.

The man now towered before her, his blue eyes observed her carefully.

"So, you were really still alive."

Sheffield couldn't fight back, she didn't have enough energy to materialize even one of her guns. So she just stared back, her gaze full of defiance.

"Don't look at me as if I were the worst thing in existence, you tried to kill me in cold blood. Your state right now is reversible, but what you tried to do me wasn't."

"A shame I failed, it would have been great not having to see your face again." She taunted him.

"You...Why do you hate me that much? I don't even know you."

"Fascinating." Sheffield continued. "To think you will even feign ignorance when you know too well what means to ally yourself with a Siren, you are truly quite something, pest."

"No, as a matter of fact, I have literally no idea. This morning I was teaching kids about the Roman Empire, and now I am suddenly getting attacked by drones, schoolgirls, and maids without getting any explanation." He breathed deeply. "Give me a break, will you?"

Kids? Roman Empire? Sheffield didn't understand what he was trying to say. To begin with, why was he talking to her if she was getting killed? Must be a tactic to confuse her, she thought.

"…You talk too much, is your plan killing me from boredom? If you are going to do it, at least do it properly."

She was prepared for this day, the only thing she regretted was not being more useful to the Royal Navy before her death.

He released another deep breath, looking tired.

"I am not killing anyone today, much less you."

"Eh..?" Sheffield sure wasn't expecting that answer.

"In fact, I need you."

"Eh!?" Sheffield really wasn't expecting that answer. If the human wanted to confuse her, then he had succeeded.

"Shhhh. Quite, she'll hear us."

"I-I am not sure what are you trying to do, but you won't fool-"

"Shut up." He interrupted her. "I hate this as much as you, believe me, I can't just brush it off what you tried to do. However, I can't change the fact that I need your help against that Siren."

"…I feel insulted. Do you expect me to believe such obvious deception? Why would you betray your allies?"

"First of all, we aren't allies, I thought they could help me with something, but they can't, and now I am trapped in this fight. Second, if we don't cooperate, we are going to die, both of us."

"I would gladly die before working with a traitor."

"How many times should I-?" He stopped, realizing he wasn't going anywhere. "Look, I really want to explain the situation, but she is watching us right now, so excuse me."

"What do you-"

Suddenly, he raised his arm and, with a tremendous force, he hit the ground just beside her head.

The earth broke, an enormous hole was formed around them, and the land just next to his fist appeared to be pulverized.

"That strength…"

"That should buy us some time." Immediately afterward, he freed his other hand of the shield and moved it towards the maid. "We don't stand a chance against her on our own, but together maybe…we can manage to live long to see tomorrow, and you know what? That's all I want right now."

He put his hand on her, and a green light began to shine.

Sheffield didn't understand at first until something began to change inside her. The pain of her wounds was slowly disappearing; her muscle could move again a little, and her sense began to clear.

For the first time since she was created, Sheffield was speechless, and even if she wasn't, she wouldn't know where to start.

"This is just the most basic healing."He commented while using the shield to cover the light. "I am not even sure if it's going to works on the likes of you, but it's worth the try."

Sheffield wanted to say something, to ask how that he was doing it, how he was healing her only with his bare hands, without any equipment like in the lab.

"Your wounds are closing. It seems like even a mediocre magus like me can do this much."

She had estimated that this amount of damage would take weeks to heal, maybe months, but her wounds were disappearing in mere seconds.

Just who was that man? No, what was he?

After a couple of minutes, the light finally vanished.

"Alright, hopefully, this should be enough. Can you move?"

"Yes…" She couldn't say more as she was still in shock.

"Good." He continued. "As for the Siren, I can block her attack one time, probably two if she gets cocky. Once she is fixed on me, you should be able to attack her by surprise."

"I already tried that." She finally could answer as she remembered her battle with her."That won't kill her."

"I am not asking for that. We just need time to stop her enough to let us escape."

"That won't work either, she is faster than either of us. She'll catch us in no time."

"That's why we'll be running in opposite directions." He continued explaining his plan. "Once she starts chasing one, the other should be able to gain enough distance to be safe."

"But then one of us would die either way, and we can't know who she will go for first. What an awful plan."

She made no comment about how a human wouldn't be able to escape from a Siren even with an advantage, as she was starting to doubt the man's status as a human.

"Better than no plan at all." He took his shield again."I know, it's a gamble, but at least one of us will survive."

He was about to stand up when Sheffield stopped him.

"I didn't say anything about helping you. You wasted your efforts."

"Then we are going to die. She is going to kill you now, and I may live a bit longer, but she will eventually come for me. As I am not on her "side", I will face your same fate, sooner or later."

"…"

"Just think what's more important. To die here or to have at least a small chance to survive. The decision is yours."

Sheffield wanted to argue but couldn't, as the man stood up and turned around to face someone else.

The Siren was watching them with a grave expression.

He immediately stood between her and the Siren, putting his shield in front of him. As if he was trying to protect her.

Sheffield still didn't understand the man or his motives, she didn't even know if he was human. But she could be sure of one thing: she really disliked him, more than any other human she had come across.

"Oh? That was a good punch, but it seems you missed her head." Purifier stared at me. "I'll let you try again."

She already knows, without a doubt.

"I won't do it, Purifier."

"…So you didn't want to see Mashu that much after all, huh?" She frowned, clearly not amused. "Is that the extent of your ambition? You would stop just to spare someone you don't even know?"

"You don't understand. I wouldn't be able to face Mashu if I did this."I clenched fist. "I want to see her again, I want to talk to her, laugh with her but… I wouldn't be able to do that knowing what I did." I looked at her in the eyes. "Or who I helped."

"Ah, you hurt me, Fujimaru Ritsuka." She feigned a pained expression. "Are you actually rejecting me? I thought we were friends!"

"I am still not sure what you really want, but your words, your actions...everything tells me that following you would lead me to a path I am not willing to follow. If that means that I am not on your "side" then so be it. "

I bring the shield in front of me, adopting a defensive position.

She looked at me with a dull expression, probably angry that I ignored her antics.

"Seems like you chose the other side of the board."

"You forced me to."

"Alright, if that's how it's going to be...we'll be opponents." She said, somewhat disappointed. "The least I expect is a good fight, so don't die too quickly." She began to approach."Now, I'll be nice and let you go, you have until I finish killing that maid."

This…! This could be my chance to escape, even if she was fast, with my reinforcement I should be able to run until she couldn't find me.

However, leaving after I said all that to the maid would be no different from killing her myself.

And as I said, I am not killing anyone today.

I stood in Purifier's way, not allowing her to reach the maid.

"You are underestimating me."

"Huh?"

"Didn't you say we are opponents now?" I began to taunt her. "And you're just going to let me leave?"

I am presuming that I understood Purifier's character correctly. If this fails, the whole plan fails.

"…I am not sure what you are trying to do." Her tone was serious. "But if you play with fire, you are going to get burned, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

"Play? that's exactly what I want."

"…?"

"Let's play a game, Purifier."

END OF CHAPTER 4

Chapter Text

"A game?" Purifier repeated, doubtful. "You want to play a game with me?"

If I understood her correctly, she is someone who likes challenges. There is no way she would reject something that makes the fight more interesting.

"Yes."

Or at least I was counting on that.

"Heh." Her mouth contorted into a smile as she chuckles. "What do you have in mind?"

As expected, she took the bait.

"It's simple, really; I'll grant you one hit." I put my other hand on top of Lord Camelot. "Hit me as hard as you can, I'll block it."

"Oh? So a game of strength, pretty straightforward, but are you sure about it?" She began to look at her surroundings. "If I use my strongest attack, this city may disappear."

...that would be disastrous.

I don't doubt that she is capable of that, but I should keep pushing. If she really wanted to destroy the city, she would have done it already.

"Doesn't matter." I did my best to sound relaxed. "Whatever you throw at me, this shield will block it."

"Is that so?" She was amused. "Weren't you saying before that you consider yourself just a normal human? Where is that sudden confidence coming from?"

Now it was my turn to smile.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Eh?"

"This is shield isn't just a piece of equipment; it's much more than that. This shield is the crystallization of Mashu Kirielight's feelings. It's her wish to protect her friends and loved ones. It's her desire to protect everyone before anything…even before her own life."

Initially, Lord Camelot belonged to Galahad, the Servant that fused with Mashu's body, and one of the Knights of the Round Table. When spoken its true name, it recreates those fabled white walls that shielded castle Camelot. That's how it was originally used by Mashu.

In my hands, however, it should have been nothing more than a sturdy shield, a Noble Phantasm that lost its user, a useless weapon.

Despite that, this shield followed me to this world after the last battle, and never abandoned me since then. It became a symbol of her to me, a reminder of her sacrifice.

I am sorry, Galahad, but I can't just see you as the owner of this shield anymore. The only one I will recognize is Mashu Kyrielight.

"That's why I know, no matter what you do, this shield will never break."

"You really trust that shield a lot, don't you? I wonder if that trust is properly placed."

"I would bet my life on that."

"You are certainly doing that, asking me to use my strongest attack….fufufu." She happily laughed, apparently finding the situation very funny. "Alright, let's do it then, but I can't guarantee I won't kill you by accident."

"Wait, since I am betting my life, it would be only natural that you bet something too."

"You want something of me, Fujimaru Ritsuka? Maybe you still want that ticket to the other world where your girlfriend is alive?"

"My girlf-…you…!"

Stop. Control yourself, Ritsuka. She is trying to provoke you, don't lose your temper.

"No, I don't. In fact, I don't want anything to do with you." I managed to stay focused. "If I block your attack, then you will leave me alone forever."

Obviously, I didn't actually believe that she would fulfill that kind of bet, but I had to pretend that the outcome of this game was vital to me.

"Ehhhh!? But I would lose you either way!"

".L-lose me? What are you talking about?"

"I will lose my precious friend."

"That again?" I was a bit taken aback. "We aren't friends, you said it, we are on opposites side now! What's wrong with you?"

"That doesn't mean we can get along, though."

Silence.

Words couldn't express my disbelievement.

"Just...what is this for you? Are you actually fighting for something, or is everything just a game for you?"

"Well, I think I cared at some point about the Creator's plan, but you see…once you do the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, you began to stop caring." Her smile lost its usual cheerfulness, and only an indifferent expression remained. "I think I stopped caring around the 5.785.147th time? Maybe one million more give or take?

"You…How long have you been doing this….? No. How old are you?"

She smiled again.

" Why count at all? Age is irrelevant; it doesn't mean anything to us."

"…"

These Sirens …just what are they? Their nature is not magical, but they seemed to defile any kind of common sense, more than any mystery I had come across.

Will science surpass magecraft by such a large margin in the future? Or are their abilities born from something other than science and mystery?

"What? You expected me to be younger than you?" She gave me a smug smile. "Are you disappointed, Fujimaru Ritsuka? You only like them young?

"…"

I feel how a headache was starting to assault my mind. No matter the topic, I always found myself completely lost for words when talking to this being.

Ah, I am so tired of this.

"Do you accept the bet or not?" I tried to get us back to the matter at hand.

"Yeah sure, but let's change the rules a bit. If I manage to break that shield without killing you, then I will take you with me to the winning side."

"Winning side? I thought you said you didn't care which side I was."

"Nothing is set in stone yet. You are still free to join us if you want, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

"Will you ask me to kill again?"

"It wouldn't be fun if I didn't."

"Then, my answer is still the same, I refuse."

"Well." She began to crack her fist. "Then, I only have to force you."

She is focused on me now, this should give the maid an opening to attack.

As I prepared to take the blow, I looked at Lord Camelot.

All I said about Mashu's feelings was true; I did believe that this shield was her symbol. However, I am not so idealistic to think that feelings alone would be enough to stop an attack that would typically kill me.

My confidence laid in facts, Lord Camelot resisted an attack that could incinerate humanity, and nothing that Purifier throws me could compete with that.

Or that's what I believed before knowing that she is apparently older than Goetia.

Just what kind of life could a creature that lives so long lead? Could it even be called life?

"Alright!" Purifier was pumped up as always. "Are you ready?"

"Come." I took my shield with force and planted my feet firmly on the land. "Hit me with all you got!"

"Don't mind if I do!"

She dashed towards me, her fist raised to punch the shield.

In less than a second, she was practically in front of me. I could see how her fist quickly connected to Lord Camelot.

A strident metallic sound was born from that clash, one that left me deaf for a couple of seconds. It was immediately followed by an expansive wave, similar to that of an explosion, that raised a curtain of dust, agitated the grass around us, and forced me back a few steps, even with my reinforcement.

No, it was thanks to that magic that I hadn't been thrown back a couple of kilometers.

She was strong, but not enough to surpass Lord Camelot, as I expected. However, it wasn't time to celebrate yet, as this was nothing more than a distraction.

"Maid! " I turned back as I shouted. "Do it n-"

My words died in my mouth, as I saw a disheartening sight. My eyes couldn't find the maid anywhere, she wasn't there.

"You…you ran away…?" Those idiotic words left my mouth. The maid has disappeared, leaving me alone to face inevitable death.

I was betrayed.

I could have run! I could have left you there to be killed, and you do this to me!? Rage invaded my body as I regretted my decision to trust her.

However, I couldn't let myself be consumed in rage, so I redirected that anger to the Siren in front of me, who hadn't moved since she hit the shield. I had to move quickly and punch her with my other reinforced hand. Even if it wasn't enough to defeat her, I should be able to delay her a little before I try my escape.

But as I turned around to hit her, I noticed something.

Purifier, the ever so crazy Siren, wore an expression of complete surprise. Her golden eyes were opened as plates, and her mouth was hanging a bit open.

It was so strange seeing her so shocked that I couldn't help but look at what she was watching with such awe.

And then I saw it, her hand, the one that was still touching the shield, was completely drenched in red blood. The black glove that previously covered it was destroyed and small drops of blood were quickly dripping off her closed fist, dirtying the shield as her entire right arm was trembling.

Even if I knew her attack would be ineffective, I never thought that the backlash would do some much damage to her arm. She must have used a lot of force.

"You…." Her voice, like a whisper, made me look back at her face. "…hurt me."

Her eyes meet mine, her gaze was one of disbelief as if everything she thought she knew was a lie.

"You…hurt me." She repeated. "A human…hurt me."

She lowered her face.

"Ah…ah….ah…" Her breath was agitated, she really didn't seem okay.

Did I just…break her spirit? Was being hurt by a human too much for her?"

"Ah…ah…ah…aha…ahaha…ahahahaha."

It started with a quiet laugh, almost a chuckle.

"Ahahaha…ahahah…ahahaahaha."

But it quickly escalated to a mad laugh.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Her laugh was so loud that I swear it could be heard from kilometers around. "A human hurt me! He destroyed my arm all by himself! I have never had so much fun in my life! HAHAHA HAHAHA!

Was she…happy? Happy that her arm ended up like that because of me…?

"Purifier…"

I thought that I understood her a bit, but I was wrong. How her mind worked was still a mystery to me.

"Hahahahahahah." After almost a minute, her laugh finally began to die down. "Hahahaha…you...haha...you…." She finally stopped laughing as she slowly began to raise her head. "You."

As I meet her eyes again, I could see the deep madness on them, the aura they gave off was impossible to describe, not even comparing with the Berserker Servants I had met I could find an equal.

Yes, the light on the eyes of Caligula was crazy, and there was never really a moment where I one hundred percent understand Spartacus. But that was different; there was something deep inside them, a desire or a passion that made them what they were.

I found nothing like that on those eyes, they were devoid of any reason or desire.

And the worst of it was that I couldn't stop staring at them. The more I looked into them, the more I felt like losing myself, as if I was being swallowed by the insanity in them.

A golden spiral of insanity.

The platform slowly descended towards the base. The crystal windows allowed me to appreciate the aquatic flora in all its glory for most of the travel. It's been a couple of minutes since all light has disappeared.

We must be finally reaching the depths.

"Will I finally meet him?" I asked my companion.

"Yeah, he has been waiting for a long time. Are you nervous?"

"A bit. It's a like meeting my father-in-law now that I think about it."

She laughed.

"I am sure he will like you. Especially if you gift him something like this."

Purifier toyed with the golden cup in her hands, inspecting it from top to bottom.

"Oi, don't play with that."

"Can it really grant wishes?"

"Yeah."

"Anything?"

"Anything."

"What about a more handsome boyfriend?

I chuckled.

"Sadly, that's not possible."

"I'll have to settle with you then."

Her lips met mine in a light kiss, which I responded with another, more passionate one.

"I love you." I said as I embraced her.

"And I love you too."

"And I hate both of you." A new voice joined the conversation, it seems like the elevator has finally reached its destination while we were talking.

Much like Purifier, the person who talked had golden eyes and long silver hair. Her attire was also a bit similar, apart from the black metallic boots and shorts of the same color she was wearing a black cut-out dress and in her head rested two black horn-like protuberances.

"You are just envious that I won, Beta." Purifier hugged my arm happily.

"Ah, Beta, good day." I made a small nod. "How were things going in our absence?"

Beta was clearly annoyed.

"Same as usual, we have already crushed most of the resistance, the ones who are left are not worth spending resource on."

"Still, underestimating them may be unwise. You should take Alpha with you and destroy them once for all, just in case."

"If you say so." The hostility in Beta's words couldn't be hidden. "Commander."

Without another word, she walked towards the elevator and disappeared as the door closed before her.

"I think she really hates me."

"She hates all humans, just give her time." Purifier tried to reassure me. "She can't ignore what we have accomplished with your help."

"Well, maybe her opinion will change after I meet him." I said, looking at the gigantic mechanical door in front of us.

"It's time, right?"

"Yeah, let's meet him." Purifier took my hand on hers. "Let's meet the Creator."

The door slowly began to rise, as a bright light illuminated the room.

"…!"

Suddenly, I felt like I was in control of my body again and immediately understood why, Purifier closed her eyes, that freed me from that...vision. I don't know how much time had passed since I lost myself in her eyes, but I felt like I spent more than a couple of minutes.

What I saw back then could wait, because what awaited me the moment I recover my consciousness was something I wasn't prepared for.

A cold but ultimately pleasant sensation touched my lips, followed by the soft feeling of lips meeting mines.

Her skin was like touching ice, it was so cold that it burned. It hurt at first, but as the seconds passed, my body somewhat got used to it, to the cold caress of the Siren.

It didn't last long, though; as soon as it started, it had already ended. It wasn't a furious or passionate kiss like one would expect of a being like Purifier. It was just a peck, almost too pure for someone like her.

Purifier separated her lips from mine, as she opened her eyes to look at me.

"You are the one. I found you."

I was once again speechless.

What was that? How did you do it? Why did you do it? Why did you show me that? Was that just an illusion or…?

I wanted to ask all that, but before I could even try, I saw the maid, a couple of meters behind Purifier. She was pointing at us not only with her regular guns but with a series of cannons that seems to grow from her back

"Move if you don't want to die."

"…!"

I hit the ground with force, and manage to put a reasonable distance between me and Purifier, who remained there even though she should have heard the maid. Instead, she turned back to see her.

"So that's where you we-"

Her words were silenced as the maid shot her multiple cannons.

Purifier rapidly disappeared under the bombardment that quickly filled the area with black smoke and dust and made the earth tremble.

I wasn't close enough to be affected by the explosions, but I hide behind Lord Camelot just in case the debris managed to reach me.

"Damn you maid, when I said "attack her," I didn't mean destroy one-quarter of the football field…."

Not that I argued about the results, Purifier was pretty much caught off guard, and if the bullets the maid used earlier were enough to hurt her, then even her shouldn't be able to remain unscratched after such bombardment.

"Pest." While I thought that a voice suddenly could be heard from behind me.

"Maid." I didn't need to turn back to know who it was. "I thought you had run away."

"I am not in the habit of running away from my problems." As she said that, I could feel something cylindrical being pushed into the back of my head. "And you won't be running either."

"…I thought I said I had nothing to do with that, Siren."

"Do you kiss people you have nothing to do with?"

"…"

I really wanted to explain the situation, but saying something like "I was hypnotized by her eyes so I didn't notice she was kissing me." sounded so lame in my head that I chose not to say anything.

"I am not sure what you are, but it's clear that something is going on with you and the Sirens. That's why you are coming with me."

"To where?"

"The Royal Navy headquarters, for interrogation."

"Are you going to shoot if I say no?"

"Without hesitation."

"Really?" I slowly turn back to see her. "Are you really going to shoot?"

She was a bit taken aback with my sudden bravado but didn't stop pointing her gun at me.

Now that I had a closer look at her, I noticed that her cannons were connected to something I could only describe as ship parts. I could distinguish something resembling a prow split in half, and the barrels themselves were similar to naval artillery.

"What makes you think that I can't exterminate you right now?

"The fact that you are talking to me. You didn't need a reason to shoot me before, so something must have changed."

"…"

"Besides, if you didn't care if I died or not, then you wouldn't have shouted such obvious warning before shooting at the Siren." I continued. "You need me alive, don't you?"

"…"

If looks could kill, then her stare would have killed me at least several times now.

"You are coming with me." She ordered again. "We need you to be alive, yes, but I still could-" Her words died on her mouth as the gun on her hand suddenly lost its form and disappeared."What? What's going- arrggh."

An expression of pain appeared on her face as she brought her hand to her head.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Shut…up, I am…"

"You can't even talk, you are not alright."

"I'll bring you….to our…" She couldn't continue, the ship parts and cannons suddenly disappear from her body as she began to fall.

But before she could fall entirely, I manage to catch her.

"I told you that it was just basic healing, this was bound to happen if you fought seriously, you're exhausted."

While I held her, I noticed how small she felt. I had failed to see that she was indeed a bit shorter than me, probably because in all our interactions, I thought about her as superhuman being capable of kicking my ass in seconds if I let my guard down.

"Don't…touch…."

"Sorry, it was a reflex. Should have I let you dive face-first to the ground?"

"…ugh."

"Seems like you pushed yourself too hard using those cannons." She didn't even have the energy to retort. "Well, it works for me, now I don't have to deal with you."

"Pest…" She wanted to continue, but lost the last of her strength and passed out.

"I am afraid I am going nowhere with you, but you should be happy." I said as I gently lowered her body on the ground. "Your wish will come true, you'll never have to see my face again."

Now that the Siren was beaten and the maid is out of commission, it's my perfect chance to get away from this mess. Sadly, I didn't find a way to see Mashu again, but nothing good will come if I continue getting involved in this fight.

"Yeah, nothing good…"

That vision…could that be...

"You were right, Ritsuka."

A voice I knew too well stopped my thoughts and made my blood froze.

"I did underestimate you." The voice was coming from the black smoke that was rising from where the maid had shot her artillery.

Suddenly, the smoke was forcefully repelled by a strong current of air, revealing what was behind.

Between the scorched earth and the burning grass stood Purifier. Her ponytail got undone, and now her long silver hair fell untamed on her whole body. Most of her clothes were in tatters revealing how her entire body was covered in red burn wounds. Aside from that, one of her arms, the right one, hanged motionless from her shoulder.

But her state wasn't what took my breath away, it was the giant machine-like shark hovering behind her. It had a similar look to the drones she had used, with black color and futuristic yellow lines, but this one was a lot of bigger, even bigger than Purifier herself.

"It won't happen again." She smiled. "My friend."

"You…survived."

"It takes a lot more than this to take me out." She began to walk towards me. "I am not going anywhere now that I found you."

"Found me…?" I instinctively moved back.

Had she grown tired of playing around? Was that shark her actual power? I didn't want to find out.

I was determined to run away, but then I remembered the maid. She was still lying unconscious there.

If I left her there, she was going to get killed.

"You are still thinking about her even now?" Purifier noticed. "Why do you care so much about someone who tried to kill you?"

"…It's not about caring or not. I just don't like seeing people die in front of me."

"Is that so? Then what about me? Would you save me if I were about to die?"

"…"

I am not that naïve, I know that you can't just spare everyone.

In a war, refusing to kill the enemy only means letting your allies get hurt. If we had allowed Goetia to do as he wanted, then all humanity would have been wiped out.

Pacifism is just a fool's dream.

If didn't do what I did in the first singularity, then I wouldn't be here right now, I wouldn't be asking myself if it's okay to kill or not, in that regard, Purifier is no different from that French soldier.

And even knowing all that, there isn't a moment that his death doesn't weigh on me.

"Even if you have caused me troubles, I don't desire your death, Purifier."

Far from being content, she looked furious.

"That's the same mentality that led the others to their demise."

"The others…?"

"The other Commanders, they were the same as you, heroic, considerate, always thinking about their ship girls' welfare before their own." She frowned. "That's boring, so utterly boring. Imagine always facing the same kind idiot in charge." Her eyes went to the motionless body of the maid. "They were never capable of pulling the trigger when they should!"

The metallic shark dashed toward the maid, but stopped as I shielded her with Lord Camelot. It didn't have eyes, but I could fell how it stared at me, like a predator staring at its prey.

"And if you follow their steps, you will end up like them." Purifier made a sign with her hand, and the shark went back beside her."However, you aren't beyond saving yet." Her usual smile returned to her face. "I still can see that desire in your eyes, that dissatisfaction inside you, that feeling of uselessness when she died, the guilt still eats you up inside, right?."

"…!"

A series of images flashed through my mind.

A cheerful girl, a golden cup, a kiss.

"You wanted to go to another world to see Mashu again, but with our help, that won't even be necessary. You can just avoid her death altogether. "She extended her still functional hands towards me. "Come with us, Ritsuka. You only need to abandon that naïve idea of refusing to kill, only then, will be able to overcome that guilt and find true peace."

A mechanical door being open, a blinding light.

"No…that's…"

A red sky, piles of bodies, a throne made of machines and oil.

"You saw it too, right? That's the future."

Me, sitting on that very same throne.

"Your future."

"NO!"

I took the unconscious body of maid and ran from there, from that horrible image that seemed to have come from hell itself.

That can't possibly be the future, I am not like that.

That's not me.

Purifier observed how Ritsuka abandoned the place; his expression was one of tremendous fright.

She couldn't lie to herself, she was a bit unhappy seeing the only friend she had rejecting her like that. However, she also knew that this was a necessary step.

"Even if your time with them may be short, I sincerely hope you make them happy, Ritsuka. Just how you are going to do with me."

END OF CHAPTER 5

Chapter Text

I was running again.

It felt like I have done nothing but run the entire night, running from the drones, running from Purifier, running from those images in my mind. At some point, running had become my default answer for whatever problem I may find in my way.

Even now, all I am thinking of is leaving this country for good, before those Sirens could begin to make their move.

How pathetic.

…

However, this time was different, as I was not alone.

My eyes went to the still unconscious maid on my shoulder. I took her on a whim, only thinking that if I left her there, she would be killed.

Only when I had run for a couple of meters, did I realize my mistake. Running while holding Lord Camelot was one thing, balancing both the shield and her body was another matter entirely, especially at the speed my reinforced legs allowed me to reach.

As a result, my speed was significantly reduced. If Purifier had wanted, she could have easily caught us.

"But you are not even following us, right?" I stopped my legs, waiting for the crazy Siren to pop up of nowhere.

But the seconds passed, and she didn't.

I released a deep sigh.

"Has she finally grown tired of me…? No, that's unlikely; she seemed pretty serious this time."

"Come with us, Ritsuka." Her words still lingered in my head." You only need to abandon that naïve idea of refusing to kill, only then, will find true peace."

"True peace… was she talking about that vision? About that supposed future?"

I did look happy in it. Too happy in fact, considering I was giving a Grail to an unknown and possibly murderous entity.

"..."

I can't say that I am unhappy with my current life, being a teacher in England sure wasn't what I had in mind when I was younger, but it's not a bad life by any means.

However, I can't lie to myself.

I felt a lot of things when I first came to this world: confusion, fear, loneliness, sadness…most of these disappeared over time. But the only thing that didn't disappear was a certain feeling…it's a bit challenging to describe with words.

It's like when you know that something or someone should be there, but it's not. It's like I lacked something, something significant.

"Chaldea…"

Maybe that's the reason why my life feels incomplete, losing Chaldea left a big hole in my life. The memories of my time there keep coming back, no matter how many years had passed.

Is Purifier telling me that if I follow her, I will be able to forget about Chaldea…? I can't see that happening honestly.

Those visions had to be fake, something Purifier created to confuse me and make me join her side. That's the only explanation possible.

"Besides, I will never do something as ridiculous as sitting on a throne. What I was supposed to be, a king? Heh. I am already picturing Gilgamesh killing on the spot after seeing something like that."

Yeah, I should stop thinking about those things, and focus on more pressing matters.

"Like what the hell I am going to do with you." I said to the sleeping maid.

Obviously, I got no response.

"Ay…ay...it hurts!" cried Purifier as she touched her right hand in the hope of making it work again. "To think I would end up like this after a reconnaissance mission...ay!"

Now that she was alone, she could stop playing it cool, her right hand really hurt, to the point she was beginning to question why the Creator made her being able to feel pain in the first place.

Unfortunately for her, the damage was too extensive; she would need extensive care to move her hand again.

"She won't be happy with this…ay." She looked to the floating shark beside her. "I am sorry Phyrna, I think we won't be going home for a while. At least until the situation calms…Phryna?" She stopped, as she noticed how the golden lights of the shark started to flick. "Uh…Phryna? What's wrong?"

The machine made a strange sound, like a mix between television static and a cry, only to suddenly fall on the ground.

"Phryna!?" She approached the machine, which started to move erratically as if it was convulsing. "Come on, it's not time to play dead, we have to hurry before…"

"Purifier." A quiet voice reached her, but it wasn't coming from around her, it was more like the voice speak directly on her mind.

She slowly turned her head to find a ghostly figure. In front of her was a woman wearing a long white cape, the same color of her shoulder-length hair, which hid most of her facial features.

Not that Purifier needed to see her face, she instantly recognized her.

"Ah…Zero…fancy meeting you here." The Siren was visibly nervous." I was just about to return to the base…."

The figure didn't respond. Instead, she moved her pale arm out of her white attire and raised three fingers.

"Eh…? Three? What are you trying to say, Zero? Oh! Are we playing guess-!?" She couldn't continue as her body was forced to the ground by an invisible force.

"You...you don't really need to do that." Purifier could only use one hand to support her sudden heavier body. "I understood. That's how much you have to walk, wiping the memories of the humans that saw me, right? Could it be…three blocks?"

The force that pushed her to the ground grew stronger.

"Okay...okay…was it three kilometers?"

This time, the force lessened a bit, and Purifier knew that was the correct answer.

"I am sorry!" Purifier tried to excuse herself. "But you see, I found this amazing human and…!" Again she was forced to bow again, hitting her head on the ground.

"Humans." The ghostly figure spoke with a calm tone despite her actions. "Forbidden."

"But this one is special! I think I found the human we have been looking for! The one we need for the experiments!"

"Too early." She continued, her words were like a whisper.

"I know how it sounds! The Azur Lane of this world hasn't even formed yet, but…" She looked at her right hand. "No human had managed to hurt a Siren this much before. It's fair to assume that he is already surpassed our standards."

"That human." The apparition shook her head in denial."Not impressive at all."

"Heh, I made that same mistake at first." Purifier responded with a knowing smile."If you underestimate him Zero, then even you may end up defeated like me."

A blue eye peeked between her tufts of hair, as she angrily frowned.

"He is my friend, after all." The crazy Siren declares, with confidence.

"...Foolish." She turned around, apparently ending the conversation. "Return now or face punishment."

Having said that, she walked away a few steps, until her figure lost form and disappear in the air.

At the moment the ghostly figure faded, the mechanic shark returned to normal. It approached to the still fallen Purifier, seeking for a caress like an everyday dog.

"Are you alright? The bad Siren already left." She patted it a bit. "We will have to return, sadly." She released a deep breath. "And I wanted to play with Fujimaru a bit more…"

The shark made a noise as if to answer Purifier.

"Yeah, don't worry, we'll come back later, no matter if Zero wants it or not."A crazy smile appeared on her face. "Not like she will continue to give orders for much longer."

Purifier tried, but couldn't contain a small laugh.

After what appeared to be an eternity, I could finally see the door of my apartment.

Never I had so much difficulty trying to return home. First, I had to make sure that no one was there to see me carrying an unconscious woman, then I had to use magecraft to enter the building because obviously, I didn't bring my keys when I jumped out of the window.

Not that I knew any spell for opening doors, I just reinforced my hand and broke the lock, adding damage to private property to my future criminal record.

In fact, I am already lucky that nobody decided to call the police after hearing the mess Purifier did. The neighbors must have heard something, or is that they are all heavy sleepers?

The front door is broken now anyway, so I wouldn't be surprised if the policemen show up tomorrow. My own door was forced by Purifier so it's not like they would think I am the culprit but….there is still something here that I can't explain.

This woman, sleeping peacefully on my sofa.

"Really…what am I going to do if the police ask about you?"

"It's okay officer, this is my personal maid which I pay with my school teacher salary, nothing illegal here." is not going to work.

Maybe it wasn't the brightest idea to bring her here, but it's not like I could just throw her in the street. Not that she is going to be much cooperative after waking up either.

"…"

Maybe I should really abandon the country, I still have some saving from back them…ah, but I am not going to find any flights at this hour. It must be like 3 or 4 am, maybe even later.

"Ahhh...Guess I will have to stay here." I took a chair and sit in front of the sofa. "You and that Siren have caused me so much trouble." I release a deep breath, resigned. "And I don't even know your name."

At this point, getting involved is inevitable. Even bringing her here may have been an act against those Siren.

"…I should ask her when she wakes up, if I am getting dragged to this fight, I may as well get all the information possible."

I just hope she is willing to talk things out, especially knowing her tendencies of shooting first and asking later.

It didn't take long for the football field to become no different from a crime scene, with policemen guarding the perimeter in front of security tape and crowds of people in black coming and going from there.

In the center of all the tumult was a large tent, destined to hide from the passersby the remains of the battle that took place there. Inside it, two women were talking.

"They were here, without a doubt." The Commander said upon looking at the enormous black crater on the ground. "The question is, where did they go?" She looked at the other woman, who was directly in the center of the crater. "Did Sheffield say anything else?"

"I am afraid not." Belfast answered while inspecting the burned land. "The communication was short; she only managed to tell me her location before the link was cut off. It's likely that she didn't have much time to talk."

"…."

A thought fluttered in Commander Marcia's head, but she wasn't sure if it was proper to voice it out.

"Belfast, can I ask you something?"

"Naturally."

"I need you to be honest with me. Do you believe that Sheffield could have been destroyed?"

It was just a single second, but Marcia could swear that an expression of shock crossed Belfast's face.

"I am sorry, Commander, but I don't quite follow you."

But before the Commander could react, she found the same neutral expression she was accustomed to.

Was it her imagination or…?

"Sorry, I didn't explain it properly." Marcia tried to ignore it."The last we knew about Sheffield is that she was fighting the Siren, correct? However, the Siren disappeared from our radars just recently, and few blocks from here, so it's likely that she managed to escape."

"In other words. You believe that Sheffield lost her fight against the Siren?"

Marcia nodded.

"There is also the fact that she was forced to use her rigging. I know that she is not really enthusiastic about following orders, but that suggests that the battle wasn't going on her favor."

"…"

Her silence tells her everything.

Even if Marcia didn't fully understand Belfast, she could see how much she cared about her companions. The thought of her losing a friend must have saddened even the stoic maid.

"I know it's hard, but we need to consider all -"

"It's true." Before Marcia could try to comfort her, Belfast spoke again."Your deduction makes sense, Commander. However, I don't believe she would have let herself be killed so easily."

"Are you sure about that? Or are your emotions speaking for you, Belfast?"

"My emotions have nothing to do with this. Sheffield isn't someone who would just accept her death before accomplishing her mission. If she had considered she couldn't win, then she would have given me information about the Siren instead of telling me her location."

Marcia could feel the conviction in Belfast's words. She spoke as if she knew Sheffield all her life instead of just a couple of months.

"So you think she would prioritize the information rather than her life?

"Exactly. The fact that she chose to tell me her location means that she thought she had a chance of survival."

"But where is she, then?"

"I can't answer that, sadly. She would have contacted me again if she was fine, so she is either wounded or unconscious."

Marcia stared at the maid for a couple of seconds, thinking carefully about the situation.

"…Very well, I will organize a search party to look around the area; if she is indeed wounded, then she couldn't have gone very far."

"Thank you, Commander." The maid made a small reverence.

Marcia just nodded and exited the tent. However, as she left the tent, a small smile was drawn or her face. At that moment, she thought that she had finally managed to understand Belfast just a little bit.

However, her smile quickly disappeared as she remembered that not only the Siren had escaped; she also had lost one of the prototypes she was in charge of. The higher-ups sure weren't going to be happy with that.

Marcia suppressed a groan.

At that time, she thought about how desperately she needed a drink.

The moment the Commander left the tent, Belfast's façade crumbed for a bit, as she released a deep sigh.

She didn't like having to lie to her like that. It went against her values as that wasn't how a maid, especially the head maid, should behave towards her master.

Or towards a friend…

"No, I shouldn't doubt." She didn't allow herself to keep thinking about that. She had already decided where her loyalty lies long before.

There was a reason why she can't bring herself to call Marcia her "Master." Serving the Queen came first, and that was never going to change.

Having cleaned her mind of doubts, she established the mental link.

"Warspite, I know you are being watched so I'll be quick. The status of the Siren is unknown; however, Sheffield is with the human right now. She is waiting for Her Majesty instructions."

The voice of Belfast stopped being heard in her head, as Warspite looked fiercely at the camera in the corner of the room.

Oh, how much she hated it.

Being under constant vigilance and locked in such a small room like common prisoners …that wasn't how someone treats their allies. She felt so insulted by the treatment that the humans were giving them that she could almost take her sword and slash that camera in two.

However, she was better than that; she wouldn't allow her personal feelings to get in the way the future of the Royal Navy. The decision of what to do with their "allies" corresponded only to her.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

The leader of the Royal Navy was sitting next to her, drinking her tea with a peaceful expression. It appeared that the Queen managed to calm herself after the "incident" or maybe she had resolved to act calm in front of the humans until the situation with Sheffield was resolved.

Either way, they need to be cautious for now.

"Edinburg, can you serve more tea to her Majesty?" The knight talked to the third shipgirl in the room, a maid with glasses and silver hair similar to Belfast's.

"Eh? But her Majesty's cup is quite full already."

"Edinburgh…" Warpite repeated, this time making a gesture with her hand.

"Ah!" The maid finally understood. "Y-yeah, sure, I am going to serve her majesty more tea…"

Having said that, she put herself precisely between the camera and the two shipgirls, obstructing its view.

"Your Majesty." Warspite approached the Queen's ear and began whispering. "Belfast contacted me, Sheffield managed to fool the human into bringing her to his home, at this point he is an easy target, however, we don't know if he is really an enemy or if he had more weapons at his disposal like the one he used against the Siren. What should she do?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and remained silent for a couple of minutes.

"Isn't it obvious?" She finally answered, looking at Warspite directly in the eyes.

"Your Majesty?" Warspite was confused.

"Bring him here!" The Queen suddenly stood up, hitting her scepter on the floor and making Edinburgh go "eeepp" and spilling all the tea in the table.

"Y-your Majesty!?" Warspite was equally in shock.

"What kind of Queen would I be if I didn't reward my subject after doing such an incredible deed?"

"Your Majesty..." Warspite try whispering again. "The cameras…"

"Huh? I don't care about those dimwits. They can't even prepare a decent accommodation to her Queen. In fact…" She walked towards the corner and spoke directly to the camera. "You dimwits! Stop slacking off and go look for the one who is actually serving me! The man that defeated the Siren!"

"Her majesty we don't know if he…"

"He already accomplished more than anyone in this base." She interrupted Warspite with her commanding voice." Once he is under our command, the Siren won't stand a chance!"

"But…" Any retort that Warspite had was lost as Elizabeth once again turned to the camera.

"You hear it! Bring the man of the shield to me, it's an order!"

END OF CHAPTER 6

Chapter Text

Chapter 7: Hollow Trust

In the beginning, there was no light, only an infinite amount of darkness.

"She" as a being didn't exist yet.

"She" didn't have a body or a mind yet, "she" was only a cluster of variables, of positives and negatives. Not a being, but an arrangement of alternating electric currents.

But suddenly and without warning, her form began to take shape, and she started learning things, words, concepts.

Ships, humans, humanity, wisdom cubes, weapons, royal navy, artillery, maids, sirens. The information was so vast that her inexperienced mind was quickly overwhelmed.

Her confusion only got worst as the first vestiges of colors started to be capture by her eyes, eyes that had never see the light of the day before were blinded by the potent white light bulbs hanging from the ceiling.

Before her eyes could get accustomed to that new stimulus, another strange new feeling shocked her brain. She began to feel something pressing every part of her body, touching her extremities one by one. It wasn't a gentle touch; instead, it was quite rushed and violent.

She didn't like that.

Her eyes gradually began to properly work, and the pool of random colors started to take on forms. The most predominant of them were white; there were large white forms around her, touching every inch of her being.

She really didn't like it, no one bit. She wanted them to stop, but she didn't even know how to communicate with them, nor did she have the strength to stop them.

So she resigned herself to her fate. She wasn't even a complete being, to begin with, she didn't have wishes, ambitions, or objectives. So why even care?

However, another one of her senses was put to work before she could abandon her sense of being.

She heard something, for the first time in her life, a sound reached her ears.

"Re…"

It wasn't a proper word, and it was barely audible. However, she couldn't ignore it.

"Re…re…"

It sounded familiar, but how can it be familiar? She hadn't existed for more than a couple of seconds, so why did she know that voice?

"Releas…"

She couldn't contain herself. She ignored the figures in white that still covered most of her field of view, and began to search for the source of the voice.

"Release."

And she found it.

It was a naked girl, her stature was short and her long hair was blond. She also was being surrounded by the same white figures.

It was the same as her. They were the same.

"Release me."

No, that was incorrect.

"Release me, now!"

They weren't the same; she was destined to stand on top, someone who had to bear the responsibility of commanding a country and its people. Someone who will make decisions that would change the entire world.

"Release me now! It's an order!"

Someone who shouldn't be touched by such filthy hands.

With a violent move, she pushed aside the white figures that surround her.

And at that precise moment, she felt something hard and metallic appearing on her right hand. It was also the first time she had felt something like that, but she didn't need to see it to know what it was or how it was used.

It was a gun, and it was used to exterminate those white things.

I slowly opened my eyes, only to close them again after being blinded by the bright light of the day.

I wanted to turn around and go back to sleep peacefully.

"Ahh…"

However, the pain on my back indicated very clearly that I was not in my comfortable bed.

I forced my eyes to fight the brightness of the day and looked around. I found the familiar sight of my apartment, but I wasn't in my bedroom like I should, no, I was sitting in a chair, in the living room.

"…Why?"

Why did I sleep here? Did I feel asleep without reali-

My train of thought suddenly stopped as I noticed I was not alone. A person, more precisely a woman in a maid uniform, was just in front of me, watching me with a tired stare.

"Have you finally woken up? It's noon already, pest."

I instantly threw myself back, throwing the chair to the floor and almost falling along with it.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house!?"

"You brought me here."

"I brought you-!?" Memories of the night before started to flow in my brain, as my past actions suddenly made me crash into reality. "Arghhh…of course, I brought you here." I facepalmed hard.

"Do you always forget about what you did yesterday or only when it's convenient for you?"

"Leave me alone, I am not good if I don't sleep at least six hours uninterrupted." I started to rub my eyes to get rid of the crusting on my eyes."Wait, why are you speaking as if we were old friends, didn't you have a mission to interrogate me or something?"

"…"

The maid didn't say anything, but she clearly looked angry.

"…I will take your silence as confirmation that you still hate my guts." I said that and went to the bathroom.

It might be because I was still half asleep, but the situation didn't make any sense.

I thought that when she woke up, we would start fighting again, and I would have to convince her to hear me out. Instead, she seemed calm, or rather, she was forcing herself to remain calm.

What the hell happened in those four or five hours I was asleep?

I turned the faucet and started washing my face in the hope that if I finally woke up completely, the situation would begin to make more sense.

However, as I opened my eyes, I found her face reflected in the bathroom mirror.

"You will have to come with me."

"Jesus!" I got spooked again. "You are doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Then, the impossible happened.

"You are far too wimpy for someone who faced a Siren alone." She said as a small smile appeared on her face.

"…so you can smile after all."

Another expression this time: shock. She even brought her hand to her face, as if inspecting if there was something wrong with herself.

"You must be imagining things." She obviously denied it, her smile disappeared, and the usual deadpan face returned.

"Sure." I left the bathroom, feeling a weird sense of victory, and went towards the kitchen.

"Don't run." I was followed by the tireless maid.

"I am not running, I am waiting for you to explain anything to me." I opened the fridge, only to realize it was almost empty. Tea it is, then. "But I am also at my house. So don't blame me if I try to follow my usual routine, to at least try to have some kind of normalcy."

I reached for a teabag on the top shelf above my head and then started filling a teapot with water.

"You aren't capable of being normal, not after what you have done."

"…"

My hands stopped, and the water began to overflow the teapot.

I know that she didn't mean it; she couldn't possibly know what happened in Chaldea. However, that doesn't mean her words didn't hit a bit too close to home.

"…what do you want from me?" I looked back at her; this time, my voice had a serious tone.

"It pains me to say it, but it seems you are not totally useless. That's why; her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has requested your presence." She said such a thing without batting an eye.

"…come again?"

"You heard me, don't make me repeat myself."

"But…Queen Elizabeth… as the Queen of this country?

"Yes."

"…"

I was utterly dumbfounded. I didn't know what I expected, but it was certainly not this.

"So even the government is involved…" I couldn't escape from the shock. "I should have known, those Sirens aren't just your everyday threat…"

"Have you finally understood the magnitude of this conflict?"

"More or less." Having barely digested that new information, I went back to making my tea. "So I take you are part of a secret organization that fights against those Sirens?"

"…you seem to understand things too quickly for someone who says he doesn't know anything." She commented, doubtful.

"Well, it's not my first time." I whispered as I put the water to boil.

"What?

"Nothing." I should be careful around her; there some things that don't need to be said. "So you are so kind of superhuman soldier or something?"

"Human?" She repeated, but with some kind of repulsion. "I am nothing like that."

"Well, you sure look like one." I turned around to face her again as I waited for the water to boil. "Then what are you, if you allow me to ask?"

"We are weapons."

"Weapons?"

"Human-made weapons, created with the purpose of protecting humanity from the threat of the Sirens."

So they are human-like beings that surpass humanity in strength and speed, but that for some reason follow human orders too.

That doesn't sound familiar at all.

"As for the reason we have a humanoid appearance." She continued. "You will have to ask our creators." That last sentence was spoken with disgust. It was clear that this "weapon" didn't like much the ones she had to protect.

"Your creators, huh? They must be either too old-fashioned." I turned off the fire and took the hot teapot with a folded napkin."Or perverts to make you dress like that."

Her immediate response was to put a pistol in my forehead.

"This is the uniform of the Royal Maids." Her words were far more forceful this time, even while maintaining a somewhat neutral expression, she managed to sound angry. "A representation of the oath we took when we joined the Royal Navy, our loyalty, and our conviction to serve the Queen to the very end."

I stared at her for a couple of seconds, a bit surprised by her reaction. Her fierce gaze told me that I had touched a delicate subject.

"…sorry, it was a joke."I apologize, not breaking eye contact. "I didn't mean to ridicule something you hold dear."

It seems like that apology caught her off guard because once again, she wore an expression of disbelief.

"Something I hold dear…" She lowered the weapon as she said those words.

"I, too, have things that I consider precious." I continued talking; in the hope of lighten up the mood. "So, I understand how you feel."

" That's wrong."

"Hmm?"

"A weapon… does not need to hold something dear." Her words had a tone of confusion, as she herself didn't believe what she was saying.

"Ah…I see." Those words didn't match her previous reaction, she was clearly contradicting herself.

I chuckled.

"What's so funny?" She wasn't amused.

"Nothing." I continued talking, while I took a couple of cups and started pouring tea in them. "You don't need to be ashamed of having something important for you. If you do have emotions, then it's probably unavoidable that you would find things you like more than others, even as a weapon."

"I am not…"

I put a cup in front of her.

"…"

And our conversation suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong? You don't like tea? Or is it that your kind can't drink things?" She was looking at the cup as if it was the weirdest thing ever.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"For you to drink it?"

"I am asking why you want me to drink it. Is it poisoned? Did you tamper with the tea in some way?"

"…No?" Now it was my turn to be confused. "I just prepared it for me, so I thought you may like some?"

"Why?"

"…to be a good host? I don't know. Don't make it difficult for me, if you don't like want it, then just leave it there." A brought my own cup to my lips.

She stared at me unconvinced, then at her cup, then back at me. After repeating this process for a couple of seconds, she finally took the cup on her hands and drank.

"Arg." Her reaction wasn't a pleasant one.

"Well, I guess you don't like tea after all."

"Tea? Do you call this tea?"

"Last time I checked it was tea."

"It tastes horrible." She drank some more. "Truly, you can't even do this right, pest."

"And you can? Is making tea one of your abilities as a weapon?"

She suddenly stood up, looking fired up.

"You'll see."

Then she entered the small space of the kitchen and started looking around the shelves, probably searching for utensils that I don't have.

I chucked. It was actually good to know that she wasn't some kind of emotionless robot. Even if she said she is a weapon, it's challenging to look at her like that.

Or maybe it just me, I could never see my Servants like that either. They had their goals, they liked things and disliked others, they got along with others just fine or hated them to death. How could I see them as just a cumulus of mana if they felt so real?

Maybe she is the same.

"Do you have a name, weapon?" I asked.

"Sheffield." She said, not stopping to look at me and continuing her labor.

"Ritsuka." I drank more of my "horrible" tea. "It's nice to meet you, Sheffield."

"That's all I have to report, sir." Marcia finished her report and waited patiently for her superior to respond.

The burly man in front of her was sitting behind a desk a bit too small for him, tiredly looking at some papers, which seemed to bear no difference with the stacks piling up on his desk.

He wore a black military uniform similar to the one Marcia had, only differentiated by the presence of a few badges and a different insignia on its shoulder. The black cap that completed the uniform was absent, showing a shaved head.

"Haydes." He started, his fierce stare was only worsened by bags under his eyes. "Are you telling me that you lost one of the Prototypes?"

"Yes, sir. I let her go knowing that something like this could happen, I have no excuse." Marcia braced herself for the inevitable reprimand.

"…"

The man took a deep breath, as a clear expression of exhaustion appeared on his face.

"What are you waiting for then? Go look for it now." The man said, in tone unexpectedly calm for the current state of affairs.

"S-sir?" The Commander was clearly confused. She had expected a 30 minutes long rant about how useless she was and how vital the prototypes were to simply lose one like that.

"Go. Look. For. It. Do you need me to spell it for you, Commander?"

"No, Sir!" Marcia responded. "However, as I stated in my report, a search party had already been deployed and working since last night."

"That's not nearly enough." He threw the report on his desk." Send the entire regiment posted in the laboratories."

"But sir, if we do that, we would be vulnerable if…"

"If the other prototypes tried to escape? For the love of God, Haydes!" He stood up and hit the desk with both hands, the stacks of papers trembled. "You know as well as me that if they really wanted to escape, then mere soldiers with guns wouldn't be enough to stop them. If they are still in the laboratories, it is because they have a reason to remain there."

He walked toward her and began to speak more quietly.

"Or have you forgotten why you were put in charge? There is nothing in your report about prototype 01 after all these months. Are you actually working on getting the information we asked for, Haydes?"

"I…haven't forgotten about my mission, however the Sirens…."

"The Sirens are under control, which is hardly true for our own weapons." He frowned. "Or should I remind you about the 02 incident?"

"No, sir. I remember it well."

"Then move your ass at once and mobilize the people in the laboratories! I don't care if they are soldiers, scientists, or the fucking janitor; send them to search for the missing prototype, now!"

"Yes, Sir!" She said, and quickly left the Admiral's office.

Once she had left, and the Admiral was left alone in his office, he took a cigar box from his breast pocket and withdrew a cigarette, smoke prohibition be dammed.

After lighting it and getting his dose of nicotine, he quietly stared at the mountain of papers in his desk.

"….!"

Suddenly, he hit the desk with all the force he could muster, the stacks of papers suddenly flew around him, and fell inevitable on the floor.

"Bitch." He said to himself, a vein almost popping out of his forehead. "You aren't the one whose head will roll if that thing doesn't appear soon."

Marcia left the military base and was about to return to the laboratories when she spotted a figure on the other side of the street. She couldn't miss her, not when her maid uniform was so noticeable.

She quickly approached her.

"What are you doing here, Belfast?" She asked, a bit on edge.

"Good day, Commander." The maid nodded. "How did it go?"

"I asked you a question, what are you doing outside the laboratories?"

"Don't worry, I have permission." She showed her a small electronic device pinned to her clothes. "They are hearing us right now to confirm that I don't venture too far."

It was true, due to her successful repelling of various Siren's incursions on the sea. Belfast had gained some degree of freedom to move outside the base as long as she doesn't go far, and they can pinpoint her location at any moment.

"They should have informed me first, though. What were they thinking….?"

"I am guessing most of the personnel is in turmoil because of Sheffield's disappearance."

"Did they find anything?"

"No, and that's precisely why they allow me to come to meet you. I would like to join the search forces, Commander."

"…"

Marcia had already thought about asking for her help. As long as they did it at night, she can cover more territory than dozens of them in little time.

"Before I give you permission, I have to ask you something."

However, something had been bothering her since she wrote her report a few hours ago.

"If it is within my knowledge, I'll be glad to answer."

"Alright, then." She looked directly at her. "Who is "the man of the shield"?"

At that moment, Belfast's regular neutral expression crumbled.

"I-I am not sure what you are referring to, Commander?"

That was a lie.

Belfast doesn't usually lie to her, so it was easy to know when she actually did it.

Her subordinates informed her that prototype 02, Elizabeth, had rambled about this "man of shield" the other night. She had purposely hidden this to the Admiral. In part because she didn't want to stress him more than he already was, and in part, because she didn't have enough information to assess the nature of this person.

But now she had a confirmation, Belfast knew about this mysterious man.

"Your Queen was screaming about some man of the shield last night. I take that you know what she is referring to?"

"N-no, sorry. I have no idea what she means." Belfast seemed extremely agitated.

"…If you don't want to tell me, then it can't force you." She said drily and started to walk towards her car.

"Commander!" Belfast stopped her. "I really don't know anything about that." She repeated, but this time, she pointed again at the electronic device on her clothes. "That's the truth."

After a few seconds of confusion, Marcia understood what she meant.

"…I see, just wanting to be sure." She dropped the issue; she will have to find some other time to ask her, one when no one is listening. "Let's return to the base, for now, I'll drop a few things there, and we can resume the search for Sheffield."

She still didn't know if she can fully trust the maid, but she really hoped that whatever she had to say would help her decide.

"Understood, Commander." Belfast said and followed behind her.

However, just as she was about to get into Marcia's car, she took one last look at the large military base behind her.

And her eyes narrowed.

"And?" She looked at me, fiercely.

"…." I lowered the cup of tea and looked at it for a couple of seconds.

How?

This was just normal, supermarket tea, and not even the good quality one; I brought it because it was on discount. How did she manage to make it taste this good? I didn't see her do anything different or unique with it.

"Well, it's alright, I guess."

"Just alright?" She asked, doubtful.

"I mean, it's tea. It tastes like tea. Nothing more, nothing less. " I tried to hide the fact that my own tea tasted like dirty water compared to this.

"I should have known that you would have no taste for things like this, pest." She commented, resigned, as she tried to take the cup from my hands.

I quickly move it out of her reach.

"Wait; let me try a bit more, maybe I will understand if I keep drinking." I said; as I drank more of that rich tea.

She looked at me as if I were a disappointment to the human race, but ultimately didn't say anything.

So we remained like that for a while, I secretly enjoyed my tea while she watched me with a strange interest.

Naturally, after a couple of minutes, it started to feel a bit awkward; she kept looking at me without moving a single muscle.

Which reminds me…

"Hey, how long were you awake while I slept in the chair?

"I didn't sleep."

"Eh?"

"I regained consciousness just when you were breaking the lock to enter the building."

"But then….why didn't you say anything?"

"Would you have done that in my position?"

"…fair enough." I drank more tea.

"I used that time to search around the apartment."

I almost spit my drink.

"You did what!?"

"Unfortunately, apart from the lack of proper cleaning, I didn't find anything incriminating."

I release a deep breath.

"Of course, I am just a teacher, you know? You won't found anything weird here besides my students' homework."

I don't even have a proper workshop like most magi do, really the only thing out of place here is…

"That shield, however." She continued as if reading my mind. "It's something I have never seen before. Sturdy enough to defend against a Siren attack, but also light, to the point a hu-" She stopped for a second, as if she had made a mistake. "To the point, you could wield it with one hand."

I didn't miss that remark.

"If you are accusing me of something, then at least say it clearly so I can defend myself."

"Very well. The truth is that you aren't human, are you?"

"Pffff..." I couldn't contain myself, and from my mouth came an explosive laugh.

Sheffield, on the other hand, wasn't amused at all.

"Hahaha, sorry." I tried to stop my laugh. "It's just that you say so seriously…hahahaha."

"It's no use denying it." She gave me a dead stare. "I saw you fight with the Siren, a normal human can't reach the speed or strength you showed there."

"Hahaha, it's alright. I guess it's a natural conclusion to reach." I finally manage to stop my laugh. "But don't worry, I was born human, and I am still human."

Probably will die human too.

"That doesn't explain how you were able to fight a Siren."

"Well." I allowed myself a small smile. "You aren't the only one who has secrets." I once again brought my cup to my lips, only to find that it was empty. "Hmm? Do you have more tea?"

She was about to retort when suddenly an expression of surprise appeared on her face.

"Yes, I am here." She said, but not to me, as she stood up and walked towards the window. "How long do we have?" It seemed that she was speaking to someone in her head.

I was about to ask what she was talking about when I heard someone knocking the door with force, which was followed by a scream.

"It's the police! Ritsuka Fujimaru, are you there!?"

I looked at Sheffield.

Sheffield looked at me.

"Who…?"

"Shhhhhh." I quickly silenced her, as I approached to whisper. "It's the police! To think that they would actually come…"

"What are you waiting for then? Make them go away."

"But what if they want to come in for whatever reason? Could it be that they found something about me…?" I started looking around my apartment. "They can't see you here, hide!"

"We don't have time for that." Sheffield didn't seem to mind the policeman shouting outside the house. "I was instructed to bring you to the Queen now."

"What!? I am not running away from the police! Much less to go who knows where to meet a Queen!"

"To a subterranean military lab."

"What? This is not time to joke around!"

"I don't joke around." She was indeed, completely serious.

"….good, now I have a reason not to go."

I am not getting anywhere close to a closed space where I could potentially be locked in.

"I don't care if you want to or not, the Queen gave me an order, and I am going to fulfill it."

"Oh no, you aren't going to mess my life more than you already have." I turned around and try to reach the door. "I am going to open that door, so hide or get out of here!"

She appeared in front of me, blocking my path.

"No, you won't."

"Yes, I am!" I tried to forcefully get her out of my way.

Unfortunately for me, due to these hours that I have more or less peacefully talked with her or maybe because I was in a hurry to open the door. I had forgotten that she was, in fact, stronger than me.

She took my hand, and with a single move, I was already on the floor.

"You aren't going anywhere but with me." She made sure to lock my right arm behind me and put all her weight in my back, leaving me no room to escape.

"Maid…!"

You leave me no choice then. I quickly intoned my aria of reinforcement.

"What are you mumbling-?"

She didn't get to finish talking, as the arm that she was holding so tightly began to glow green. With my newfound strength, I manage to break her hold and get her away from me.

"Those lines…" She made her guns appear on her hands. Was a fight between us inevitable?

"Ritsuka Fujimaru! I am coming in!" The policeman shouted as I stood up. "One."

He started counting.

"Two."

We looked at each other again.

"Three!"

"Good day, officer!" I manage to open just before the policeman could knock the door down. "What seems to be the probl-"

"Mr. Fujimaru!" I was interrupted by the voice of a woman. "Thank god! I thought something horrible had happened to you!" She made an attempt to enter the house to hug me, but I hold the door half-open with force, stopping her.

This woman, Mrs. Nasby, was one of my neighbors. She was one of those stereotypical middle age women that seem to have too much time on their hand, and the only way they could normally escape from the boredom of the routine was talking about other people, usually behind their backs.

I couldn't say that I got along very well with her, and while I appreciated her concern about my safety, my arm was still covered in glowing green lines behind the door, so entering the house was a big no.

"I am fine, thank you." I looked back at the policeman. "What happened, officer?"

"Are you Fujimaru Ritsuka?"

"I am."

"Why didn't you come when I called you?"

"Ah…well, I am a heavy sleeper you see, and on the weekend I tend to wake up a bit later than usual, you caught me still half asleep." I came up with the quickest excuse I could find.

"I see." The man didn't look convinced for some reason. "Anyway, sir, are you aware that your door is broken?"

"My door is broken…? Woah! I didn't notice! When did this happen?"

Man, I suck at lying.

"The front door was also forced open, and one of the windows in the corridor was broken too. Did you happen to hear something last night? It's possible that burglars entered your apartment."

"Eh…no, sorry. As I said, I am a heavy sleeper. I could probably remain sleep even if someone did enter."

"I keep telling him, Mr. Fujimaru." Mrs. Nasby interceded. "I have talked with everyone on this floor and no one heard a thing last night! Everyone, myself included, slept like babies."

"Nobody heard anything…?"

I am pretty sure the drones weren't doing that much noise, but me breaking the window definitely must have awakened someone. Was I just lucky?

"You sure nothing is wrong, sir?" The policeman still looked doubtful. Was he thinking that I was hiding the criminals in my house or something…? Although, I was the one who broke those things, so maybe that's technically correct.

"Yeah, don't worry, everything is alright."

"Ok. I will still recommend that you check your belongings sir, in case something of value was stolen. I'll be visiting the rest of the neighbors if you want to file a report later."

With a nod, and a "have a good day" the policeman left, leaving Mrs. Nasby and me alone.

"Well, I'll better do what the officer told me. Good d…"

"Ah, wait a minute, Mr. Fujimaru." I tried to close the door quickly but the woman stopped me. "There is still…something that I wanted to talk about."

"Uh, sure." I tried to hide my annoyance. "What about?"

"Well…it's a bit…."

"…?"

Now, this was strange.

Normally, Mrs. Nasby is a real chatterbox; there were times when it seemed like she didn't actually have the ability to shut her mouth for more than a minute. This was the first time I had seen her so subdued since moving here.

"I…didn't want to talk about this in front of the policeman but… I mean, they would believe I am crazy, right? But that can't be! Not when it also happened to the rest of the neighbors…!"

"Eh…Mrs. Nasby?" I tried to calm her. "I am afraid I don't follow you."

"You see…I had a dream."

"A dream?"

"Yes….you…you saw it too, don't you? The blue eye?"

"Excuse me?"

The expression in Mrs. Nasby turned into a strange mix of emotion; there was disappointment, surprise but also…fear?

"Ah…uh…okay…nevermind." She said, nervously. "It must have sounded really weird to you, right? Hahahaha."

"Hmm, no…not at all. But are you okay? You look a bit pale.

"Oh no no, I am totally fine!" She didn't seem fine at all. "And…I remembered that I had something to do so I'll be going now. Good day Mr. Fujimaru."

Before I could say anything else, Mrs. Nasby quickly walked away… no, she basically ran away.

"Well, that's a thing that happened." I said to myself, a bit confused as I closed the door.

Mrs. Nasby looked genuinely scared, to the point that I was starting to feel bad for her. I wondered what exactly could have happened to put her in that state.

"A dream…about a blue eye? Where have I heard something similar?"

I was pondering about the meaning of that when I noticed that I couldn't see the maid anywhere.

"Sheffield! You can come out, they already left." I shouted while looking for the maid. But I got no response. "Sheffield?"

My eyes suddenly found a piece of paper lying on the table where we were before. There was a single word written on it, in big black letters.

"TONIGHT"

And obviously, Sheffield was nowhere to be found.

I decided not to wait for Sheffield's ambiguous night period and spent my day trying to actually fix some of my problems.

So after calling to get my door fixed sometime in the week, I decided to partake in the infamous act known as going to the grocery store. My fridge was empty this morning after all, and I didn't plan on having only tea for my next meals.

And here I was, after fighting for my life against a supernatural being that seems to defile reason and wresting with a trigger-happy maid a couple of hours ago, asking myself if I wanted to make something with potatoes tonight.

It was so ridiculous that I had to laugh.

Even though my normal life was slowly crumbling around me, I still found myself trying to do mundane things.

"…"

I wondered, would I be able to enjoy these tranquil moments the same way after this? My life had been relatively peaceful for a long time, but things are changing, again.

It's happening again, just like it happened before. That day, when I took what I thought would be a simple job in an organization called Chaldea.

I still remember most of it. I was just out of school and I needed money but didn't want to ask my parents.

So when I saw that flyer, I didn't think it for a second. They just needed to take some of my blood, and I would get pay even if they didn't find what they were looking for.

A simple, easy way to earn money.

And once I had been done with that, I would have visited the sea with my friends, just like we had kept saying since 8th grade. A fun trip, which I would remember for years to come.

However, they found it, they found that I could be a Master.

And everything changed.

"Life just doesn't go according to your plans, does it?" I said to the potato in my hand, as if it could answer me.

"It sure doesn't."

To my surprise, someone answered me.

A bit stunned, I turned back to see the owner of the voice.

It was a woman, but not one I remembered ever meeting. After all, there was no way I could forget someone like her.

Almost as tall as me, strong silver eyes, straight long hair of the same color, and quite pretty to be honest, to the point that I forgot how to talk upon seeing her.

Not to mention that her attributes were…generous, to say the least. The clothes she was wearing, a baggy sweater that did nothing to hide her cleavage and a skirt accompanied by black stocking didn't help at all to make me regain my speaking faculties.

Some time passed and for some reason, she didn't say anything either, so we kept looking at each other for a solid minute.

That until I remembered that I still had a potato in my hand like an idiot and my brain started working again.

"Ah, sorry." I apologize for no reason. "I was talking to myself."

"It's true, though." She finally spoke again; her voice had a tone of melancholy. "Life isn't always how we want it to be."

The sudden philosophic topic stunned me a bit, but I did understand what she meant.

"Change is difficult, isn't it? More when you are forced to."

"Indeed." A sad expression appeared on her face. "One day we think we have our path already decided, we spent our days working towards that path, just for everything we believe on, to change in a single day."

"…."

Even though I didn't know her, I could guess she had it hard too.

I kind of wanted to cheer her up a bit.

"Well. I don't know anything about your problems, but at least you weren't found out talking with a potato in the market, so you already better than me, right?"

Was that the best joke I could think of? Really? I am an Idiot.

Despite my horrendous sense of humor, I could see her smiling a bit so I will consider that a win.

"So do you usually come here to speak with the potatoes?" She continued the joke, a bit cheered up.

"Maybe, do you usually come here to talk about life with strangers?

"Maybe. This time, however, I was looking for the tea section. Do you happen to know where it is, potato-talker?"

"Ah...yes, I think you just need to turn the corner and walk for a bit, you should be able to find it easily."

"I see, thank you." She made a small reverence, for some reason. "I hope you get a hold of your life, potato-talker."

And after a final look, she continued her way.

"Potato-talker, huh? Could that be the worst nickname I got in my entire life? Probably." I said as I fill my basket with potatoes. It's been a while since I ate mashed potatoes, so let's go with that.

Also, they had to pay for making me look ridiculous.

Having brought what I wanted, I decided to head back to my apartment. The sky was still orange-tinted, so I should have time to make dinner before Sheffield's antics.

That if whatever Sheffield has planned for tonight allows me to actually eat something.

I was trying my best not to be worried about that, but I was still curious. Was she going to drag me to that military base she talked about? I really don't want to go such a place. The thought of getting locked frankly scared me a bit.

Despite all this, I was free now; and I wanted it to continue being like that.

"Hmm, where could it be…?"

A now familiar figure pulled me out of those thoughts; it was the same woman from before. She was looking at the floor, as if looking for something.

"…."

Maybe I should continue my way. I would normally ask what happened but we didn't actually know each other and I didn't want to look like a stalker...

…

…

…

Oh, fuck me.

"Is something wrong?" I approached her after all.

"No, I am…ah, you are the potato person!"

"Potato person? Is talking with potatoes suddenly my only defining trait?"

"Haha, sorry. I forgot to ask your name."

"Well, I forgot too, no hard feelings. I am Ritsuka."

"Bel." She extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ritsuka."

I shook her hand; her grip was actually stronger than I thought.

"Presentations aside, are you looking for something?"

"Ah, yes, I am dumb. I lost one of my earrings." She touched her ear where the earring should have been.

"And it fell around here?" I said as I started looking around.

"I think so...ah, but it's okay, you don't have to bother looking for it."

"Its fine, it shouldn't take too much time."

Or so I hoped, I still have to meet Sheffield after all.

"Really? It's starting to get dark; you wouldn't want to be home late." She said, as if reading my mind.

"Don't worry; my apartment is just a few blocks from here." I kept looking around. "Also, shouldn't have I been the one to say that? Did I lose gentlemen points perhaps?"

"Yes, minus three points for not mentioning that, however, I can add five for helping me."

"And where does that leave me?"

"Minus thirty-six."

"That low!?"

She chuckled.

I was glad; she really seemed to have cheered up.

"Could I get ten more points if I find the earring?"

"You could get more than that."

"…"

Wait… Is this happening? Are we actually flirting?

Nah, it couldn't be, she is just being friendly. Or maybe that conversation we had early made her more open with me despite being a stranger.

As I thought that, I heard a "clink" behind my back and immediately turned around.

"There it is." I kneeled to pick the heart-shaped earring. "How weird, I thought I looked around here before. Did I miss it?"

"You found it!" Bel looked happy, and in what I thought was a disproportionate gesture of gratitude, she hugged me "Thank you, Ritsuka."

Her hug was also quite firm, despite her delicate appearance, she was actually quite strong. Also, "something" was pressing against me, "something" that I rather not think about.

"Eh…you are welcome?"

"That'll be twenty points." She finally separated from me, she was smiling.

"So, I am at minus seventeen now?"

"Minus sixty-five."

"Somehow I keep going lower!?"

We laughed like a pair of idiots.

Truth to be told, I was actually enjoying spending time with Bel.

"Well." However, everything must come to an end sooner or later. "I better be going now, as you say it's probably a bit late."

"Too bad, another minus five for not suggesting accompanying me to my house."

"Sadly, I am not that bold."

"You are kind, though."

"Well, I try to be."

"Can I invite you a few drinks to repay your kindness?"

"…"

She is nice. I would like to know more about her.

"Thank you, but someone is waiting for me in my apartment."

However, I can't. I am no position to start a new relationship now.

"Oh well…maybe some other day?"

It doesn't matter if it's romantic or just as friends, adding her to my mess of life will only cause her problems, more than the ones she already has.

"It's my girlfriend." I lied. "She is the one waiting for me."

"Ah…I see."

"Yeah, sorry for making things awkward."

"No, no, it's okay." She seemed a bit disappointed. "I understand."

I won't lie, I was a bit sad; she really seemed like a good person. But precisely because of that, it's that I shouldn't involve her in my problems.

"Well, then." I prepared to leave. "I am going now."

I walked a few steps when I remember something.

"Ah, I also hope you get a hold of your life, Bel."

And with that, I walked away, sincerely wishing her the best.

Until I heard her voice again.

"You too, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

I stopped.

"Wait, did I tell you my surname?"

As I turned back, I found no one.

Bel had disappeared.

"I am back." I said as I opened my still broken door."Sheffield, you back? Can I eat before you start bothering me again?"

"Welcome back." Someone who wasn't Sheffield greeted me. Just like her, she was wearing a maid uniform, the design was slightly different, but it was impossible not to see the resemblance.

"…."

Our eyes met once again, but they no longer carried the same feeling as before. In her eyes, that I had found sadness and happiness alike, now I found nothing like that, only a serious, detached gaze.

"So that's how it is." I said, drily.

"Indeed." She answered; her voice was also devoid of emotion.

I walked toward the kitchen and left the supermarket bags there.

"It wasn't a coincidence that we meet, right?"

"No, I had been tracking you for about an hour."

"And you didn't lose the earring at all."

"I had it in my pocket the entire time."

"I see." I waited a bit before continuing. "I will tell you what I told Sheffield, I am not going anywhere close to a military base."

"I know, she told me. That's why I decided to come."

"That's why you decided to put that little act?"

"I had to know what kind of person you were."

"You should be content to know that I am a naïve idiot." My voice has a little edge. "Where is Sheffield anyway?"

"I asked her to wait a bit before coming back, so I can explain the situation."

"There is nothing to explain. Call her so we can be done with this, weapon."

"Weapon?" That word seemed to catch her by surprise a bit.

"You are a weapon, just like Sheffield, right?"

"That's correct. My name is Belfast, I am the Head Maid of the Royal Navy." She lifted her skirt a bit. "At your service."

"Bel…Belfast. So you didn't totally lie, huh?"

"…"

She looked a bit dejected, but I didn't care this time.

"I…deeply apologize for that. I hope this little stumble doesn't affect your opinion on the Royal Navy. Her Majesty would really appreciate your help with future threats."

"My help?"

"We have failed to procure a dependable human asset for months. Her Majesty thinks that you would be a perfect candidate for that role. In other words…"

"Belfast." Sheffield appeared, entering through the window like it was the most natural thing to do. "Don't take hasty decisions, we still don't know if…"

"Her Majesty had already decided, and after our brief interaction, he has gained my approval too." She said, her voice had a tone of command.

Sheffield frowned but didn't say anything. Was it because Belfast was her superior?

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Fujimaru Ritsuka. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, leader of the Royal Navy, would like to appoint to you as the Commander of the fleet, as well as the Master of the Maid Corps. "

…!

"W-what….? What did you just say?"

Master...a Master?

"You'll be in full control of the Shipgirls of the Royal Navy during the battle with the Sirens, as well as in any other necessity you may require. The only thing we ask in return is your loyalty to the only true Queen of this country."

END OF CHAPTER 7

Chapter Text

The world around us was red, as the insatiable flames scorched the city. No matter how much the buildings and houses burned, they didn't fall out, as if they were condemned to burn for eternity.

"Let's take a rest." I proposed as I sit on the debris.

I was tired; it was difficult to continue walking as it was to breathe. My chest hurt, I feared I had inhaled too much of that ascending smoke, the same that darkened the skies.

"No, we should keep going." Olga Marie Animusphere, the director of Chaldea, said. She didn't seem to be bearing the effects of the fire like I was. "We don't know when we may be attacked again."

"Sorry, I need…" I coughed. "I need a rest."

"Senpai." Mashu put a hand on my back. "Are you alright? I can lend you my shoulder if you need it."

"That would be irresponsible." Olga answered for me."Who will protect us if you are busy helping him walk?"

"But…."

"She is right, Mashu. You are the only one who can fight, we need you to stay alert in case more of those shadows appear."

Another cough left my mouth.

"You." Olga Marie approached me; her eyes were judging me for some reason. "Why do you look so bad? Is your protection spell not working?"

"Protection…spell?"

"Yes, the one you used to…." A confused expression appeared on her face. "Wait, don't tell me you didn't protect your respiratory system with magecraft?"

"Huh…sorry. I am new to this entire magecraft thing, so I don't know how."

Olga gave a disappointed look, as she sighed. Then, without saying another word, she put her hand on my chest.

"Eh…Director?"

"Shhh." She shut me up, as she started to incanted something in a language I didn't recognize. Her hand began to glow in a greenish light, and before I realized, I felt a lot of better. The pain in my throat gradually disappeared, alongside the difficulty to breath.

Amazed, I tried to thank her.

However, my words disappeared in my mouth, as I feel a sudden pain burning my check.

It was so sudden that I didn't have time to react; only when I noticed Olga's raised hand, I realized I was slapped.

"Director, that's…!" Mashu tried to say something.

"You would have died." Olgamarie's voice was fierce. "If you had spent more time like that, you would have surely died.

"I…didn't know…"

"If you had died, the contract between the Servant inside Mashu's body would have ended." She didn't break eye contact. "Unable to defend ourselves, we would have died too."

"…" I lowered my head, ashamed.

"Look at me!" She took me by my uniform and forced me to look at her. "You are a Master now! Our lives are in your hands, so you can't die! That's your responsibility! If it were me, I…!"

She stopped, as if a sudden realization had hit her, and released me.

"But it's not me…" Olgamarie's voice now sounded broken, her eyes were moist. "It's you; you are the Master and not me."

"…."

I wanted to say something to apologize even though I had no control over my capability of being a Master or not, but I couldn't find the words. I didn't know anything about the director; we were basically strangers.

So I did the next best thing I could think of.

I hugged her.

"W-what? What are you doing!? Who gave you permission to-?" She tried to part herself from me, but I hug her with force.

Whatever I could say won't help her, apologizing will just put salt on her wounds, pretending that I understood her problem wouldn't help her either. So I stayed silent in the hope she would understand my intention.

Why was I, the nobody, the random guy who can be found anywhere, the guy who had no idea about magecraft or spells…why was I the Master instead of her?

I didn't know.

What I knew was that if she needed to cry, then I could lend her my shoulder. Otherwise, I was ready to accept another slap.

However, Olga's struggle slowly stopped until she timidly hugged me back.

She didn't say anything, so I didn't know if she actually cried at that time.

Nor I would ever know.

"A Master….a Master." I keep repeating those words as I collapsed on one of the chairs in the living room, my eyes quickly went to the back of my hand, where my command seals used to be.

The command seals weren't there, they had disappeared a long time ago.

That was the proof; I lost my contract with Chaldea's Servants, and I was no longer a Master. So why? Why are they asking me to be one again? Why does it have to be me again?

Olga…Why does it have to be me?

"Ritsuka Fujimaru?" A voice called for me, and I remembered I wasn't alone.

They were still here, the maids.

As I raised my head, I could notice the confusion on both of their faces. Belfast was looking at me weirdly, probably bewildered by my reaction. Meanwhile, Sheffield stared at me as if any sudden movement could make her take her guns out, I must have been looking like a crazy person.

I just didn't know how to react. To be called a "Master" again felt like a complete joke, an abysmal joke.

I felt everything suddenly coming back to me, the memories that laid dormant in my subconscious resurged all at once. I could hear their voices again, all those times I was called "Master" by my Servants…by Mashu.

And it hurt, it hurt knowing that I will never see them again.

"…"

I furiously rubbed my face as I released a series of deep breaths.

"I need a drink."I quickly stood up and walked towards the kitchen, completely ignoring the two maids.

"Fujima-?"

"Do you drink?" I interrupted Belfast. "I think I have a couple of beer cans. Nothing stronger sadly, things like whiskey are usually a bit too expensive for my taste."

"No, we don't -"

"It's too bad, really." I interrupted her again, as I opened the fridge to see some cans lying around. "I would really like some of that now. Maybe you could have told me this at the grocery store, that way I could have bought some cheap wine at least."

"That's…"

"Just answer the question." Sheffield finally interceded, apparently tired of my evasive attitude. "Will you accept her Majesty's proposal or not?"

I closed the fridge door with force.

"Answers? You want answers, really? You turn my life upside down, and you are the one that demands answers?" I opened a can and took a big sip, hoping that the alcohol would ease the chaos that was my mind. "I won't answer a single thing until you tell me exactly what's going on."

A Master…to be a Master again…

"I am sorry, I guess this is too much to process." Belfast apologized; she had been a lot of more submissive since we met again, I wondered if that was her real personality. "Regrettably, I don't have much time to spare, but I will answer your questions to the best of my ability."

"No." I said, drily.

"Eh?"

"You fooled me once." I pointed at her. "I don't trust you one bit."

"…" Belfast lowered her head, looking a bit dejected. I realized I was being especially mean to her, but I frankly couldn't care at the moment.

"Sheffield." I addressed the other maid. "What exactly does your Queen want me to do?"

"So you are asking me?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I am. Will you answer?"

She gave me a dead stare as if studying my intentions. After a few seconds, however, she answered.

"Her Majesty is under the impression that you can help us combat the Sirens, as well as be our link to the rest of human society, as our current human jailers are less than desirables."

"Jailers?"

"Sorry, that was a slip of the tongue, I mean allies."

I didn't have to be a genius to understand that she didn't like humans at all. Maybe that was the reason for her aversion to me.

"So, she basically wants me to be your leader?"

"Not a leader, a Commander." She corrected me.

"A Commander, you say…." I took another sip of beer. "But isn't your kind already working with the military? I don't think you need a middle-school teacher to give you orders."

I doubt they even need them, Sheffield appeared to be quite capable of fighting without someone giving her order behind her back.

"We indeed have people capable of supporting us for the backline, both administratively and strategically." Belfast joined the conversation. "However, her majesty is especially interested in your ability to fight Sirens, that's something none of our current human companions are capable of."

I didn't answer her; instead, I looked at Sheffield, looking for confirmation.

Her immediate reaction was to sigh.

"She is telling the truth. Also, don't involve me in your quarrel, pest."

"Your Queen would be disappointed then since that wasn't a fight." I finally answered Belfast, while I drink some more. "Sheffield was there, she can attest that Purifier wasn't fighting me; rather, she was playing with me as if I were a toy. The only reason I am still alive is that she wasn't serious."

I have no doubts that she could have bypassed Lord Camelot easily, even if she couldn't destroy it. A single attack to my back would have been enough; she had the speed to do that.

"Purifier…" Sheffield muttered, staring at me with her now-classic look of distrust.

"I was told that you also managed to hurt her." Belfast either didn't notice or didn't care that I had used the Siren's name, and continued. "I don't think that it was just a matter of luck."

"You couldn't know, you weren't there."

"Even if we disregard that, the fact that you came in contact with a Siren and survive is already admirable, your experience could be invaluable in future battles. That's why I can't think of a better person to fill the role of Commander, Fujimaru Ritsuka." She said, with conviction.

"…"

I release a deep sigh once again; they really wanted me to be their "Commander". Or at least Belfast and the Queen wanted.

I was still not satisfied, though. Before I gave them my answer, I wanted to know a certain thing.

"You also mentioned…" The words felt heavy in my throat; it was difficult to pronounce them. "Something about a "Master".

They suddenly went quiet, as if I had just said a bad word. Sheffield sighed and sit on a nearby chair, looking tired for some reason. Belfast didn't move, but she looked a bit unnerved.

"The Master is…different." she said, but didn't elaborate.

"How different?"

"Well…"The previously determined and fierce-looking Belfast now looked a bit different, as if she wasn't entirely comfortable with the topic. "The Royal Navy also aware the "Master" title to the Commander, as long as the Queen and the Head Maid agreed with it." She finally continued, but her uneasiness didn't disappear.

"So they are the same thing?"

"Not necessary, the Commander is the one leading the Royal Navy fleet against the Sirens, it's as I said before, a strategic figure. On the other hand, the Master is the person that we, the maids, serve personally."

"You…serve him?" It was my turn to be confused. "And why would you need such a figure? Don't you serve the Queen already?"

"Our loyalty to her will remain no matter what. But the Master is…"

At that moment, Belfast seemed to regress to that person I meet in the grocery store, a woman who appears to be full of doubts, her seriousness mask been lost.

"…?" I turned to Sheffield for an answer.

Her regular deadpanned face didn't change one bit as she said the following sentence.

"The Master is basically a sexual partner."

"Wha-?" I shouted, and the can in my hand inadvertently fell on the ground, staining the floor with beer. "Ah, shit. Do you think it's time for jokes now!?"

"I told you already. I never joke about matters such as this."

Startled, I turned to Belfast, waiting for a proper explanation.

She conveniently avoided my gaze.

And silence invaded the room.

"…"

"…"

"…"

None of us spoke for about two minutes, two long minutes.

Blinking, I took the fallen beer can, and I inspected it, looking at the small letter for the amount of alcohol in it.

"I know I am not much of a drinker, but I never thought I would get drunk with just one can." I said to myself, trying to find a logical explanation for the bizarre situation.

"She is…technically correct." Belfast said, still refusing to look at me.

"…."

Did I just let a bunch of perverts in my house?

"But it's not only that." She quickly corrected it. "The Maid Corps will assist the Master in everything they may need, like cleaning, cooking, acting as secretary, helping with work. We would devote ourselves to serve them as we serve her Majesty, with all our body and souls."

"And that includes intercourse?"

"…if the Master desires it, then it should be done."

My head suddenly started hurting a lot.

Okay, Ritsuka, focus. These superhuman beings are just asking you to their boss, nothing strange there, you have done that before already, right? Also, the sex is nothing surprising really, you were instructed that in case of emergency, mana transfer via sex was the most efficient method of supplying a servant mana versus giving other fluids like blood or saliva, the fact that these maids are willing to "serve" you in that way is basically the same thing.

Except it is not.

"Alright, I am done with this. My brain can't keep up with this conversation anymore." I stood up and walked towards the bedroom.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed." I realized the implication of those words. "To sleep, just to sleep. Don't get any weird ideas."

"But your answer...?"

"I really can't give you an answer when you suddenly say you are willing to go to that extent in your…service. Just give me some time, okay? Okay."

I didn't wait for her answer, and quickly entered my bedroom and slammed the door behind me.

Belfast looked as the door was closed on her face and sighed.

"Thanks for that." She said to the other maid.

"He would have eventually found out if he really became the Commander. It's better to let him know now." Sheffield shrugged, as she toyed with one of her guns. "In fact, it could help to recruit him; I am sure you have noticed how he looks at you, Belfast."

"It wasn't sarcasm." A small smile appeared in Belfast's face. "You truly helped."

"…? What do you mean?"

"You eased the situation by bringing up that topic, his hostility towards me could have increased if we continued talking. The fact that he didn't refuse altogether might be because of you, Sheffield."

"..." A conflicted expression appeared on the serious maid face.

Belfast noticed that.

"Even if you aren't entirely convinced yet, you helped to fulfill Her Majesty's wish at least a bit, you can be happy for that, Sheffield."

"I am. But Belfast, are you sure about making him the Commander?"

"That's what the Queen decided."

"What about the current Commander?"

Belfast's eyes twitched.

"I thought you didn't care about her."

Sheffield's eyes narrowed, she was evading the question.

"I am asking about you how I feel about her is irrelevant. "

"…"

Belfast didn't answer, and walked towards the window.

"My time is running out, I have to return to Marcia's side now." She once again tried to change the topic. "They are still searching for you, so you will have to remain here for the time being."

"So it's "Marcia" and not "Commander" now?"

Belfast lowered her head for a bit, and finally answered.

"…I will do everything for Her Majesty, Sheffield." Her silver eyes once again were filled with that fierce determination. "No matter what she asks, it will be done. That's my duty as the Head Maid."

And after saying that, she climbed the window and exited the building.

"…"

Sheffield didn't know how to feel about that.

On the one hand, she felt the same way, she would even throw her life away if it meant helping her Queen; serving her gave her a purpose, meaning to her life. However, Belfast's loyalty seemed different from hers. She couldn't put into words exactly how different, but It was as if it didn't come naturally from her.

As if she was trying her best to suppress herself.

"How did it go, Belfast?" A voice resounded in the maid's head. She was a few blocks of Ritsuka's apartment, hiding in a shadowy alley while waiting for Marcia.

"We didn't reach an agreement, Lady Warspite. And I am afraid it may be partially my fault."

"How so? Explain."

"It's because of our first meeting, he didn't take lightly that I acted like I didn't know anything."

"…I see. Does he look like a person who holds grudges?"

"He didn't when I first meet him, but maybe I failed to judge his character."

Fujimaru Ritsuka, the person chosen by the Queen to be the Commander.

The first thing Belfast thought upon seeing him from a distance was "unremarkable." He didn't seem like a person who could fight a Siren head-on or one who could command a fleet of shipgirls against the forces of the Siren.

After meeting him, she thought that he was a kind man, if only a bit nostalgic. That feeling was quickly changed as they talked a second time, when he showed a more hostile side. That frankly reassured her a bit, a Commander who was only kind had no place in the battles that are to come. It was good to know that he had a bit of backbone, even if that meant having more difficulty recruiting him.

"However, he didn't actually refuse, so I think we can try again later." Belfast assured. "In fact, Sheffield may be able to convince him."

"Huh, Belfast? Did you say that Sheffield will convince him?"

"Yes. It appears that they are getting along well."

Warspite chuckle.

"I see. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one".

It was a surprise for the head maid too. She couldn't remember seeing Sheffield talking that openly with a human before.

"So even if we didn't get an answer, the possibility is still there. I will say that to her Majesty, good work Bel- eh?" Warspite suddenly cut out. "Your Majesty? I am speaking to…wait, your Majesty…?"

Warspite voice was replaced by another.

"Belfast."

The maid immediately recognized that voice.

"Your Majesty."

She bowed, even though there was no one beside her in the alley.

"Good work today, you have brought us one step closer to securing a proper Commander."

"I did nothing special. It is Sheffield, the one that deserves Your Majesty's praise."

"Regardless, both of you are important to the Royal Navy, as our ears and eyes outside this prison."

"I was told that the humans have lessened the restriction though."

"Indeed, we can move more freely now that they are busy looking for Sheffield, but a prison is still a prison." Elizabeth sighed. "My patience is about to run low, It's time for us to make our move, Belfast"

"What should I do, Your Majesty?"

"Naturally, it's time to strike." The Queen declared determined. "We still can't directly intervene, not until we know for sure where they have the cubes, but that doesn't mean he can't act."

"He? Fujimaru Ritsuka?"

"Indeed, we will need his service now."

"But he hasn't agreed with us yet…"

"Sooner or later he will, it's only natural to follow the Queen of one's country."

"But…"

"You heard me, Belfast. We will put the plan on motion."

"…Yes, Your Majesty."

As she said that, she noticed that she was no longer alone. A woman in black uniform, with short crimson hair and look of relief, walked in the alley.

"Belfast. I was starting to doubt I would find you here."

"Commander…." The maid immediately recognized the woman; it was her Commander, the person that was her friend.

"Oh? Has she finally showed up? Good." The Queen still whispered on her mind. "Take a good look Belfast. Both of them, the Admiral and the Commander, they will pay for insulting us...for insulting the Royal Navy!"

"…"

"Belfast? Is something wrong?" Marcia asked, unaware of the voice inside Belfast's head.

Belfast clenched her fist with force.

"No, Commander, I have successfully accomplished my mission. I have met with the man of the shield."

"…"

I turned my head to the side, the digital clock in the nightstand marked 11:07 PM

I didn't remember the exact time I went to bed, but it felt like I have been staring at the ceiling for hours.

Yeah, I couldn't sleep, no after what just happened. Now my mind kept associating the word "Master" to sex and that bothered me, a lot. What a way to ruin an important part of my memories in Chaldea.

Also, I was hungry.

"Ahh…" with a groan, I got up. If I wasn't going to sleep, then I might as well prepare something to quench my hunger.

As soon as I left my room, I found that one of the maids, the serious one, was still in my apartment. In fact, she had a broom on her hands, and it appeared she was sweeping the floor.

"What are you doing?" I asked, as I rubbed my eyes.

"Cleaning."

"I see that, I am asking why you are cleaning."

And why you haven't left yet, this is my apartment, you know?

"I couldn't bear watching the floor so dirty any longer." She made a small reverence. "I apologize if that's how you prefer it, pest."

"…"

I sighed, It was clear she didn't plan on leaving.

Also, not a single comment about the sex thing, even when you were then one that brought it up? Sure, let's pretend that never happened and that my memories aren't forever ruined.

I walked toward the kitchen to serve me a glass of water. There, I drank in silence while watching how Sheffield kept sweeping around the place.

"…"

How did this happen, I wondered.

Two nights ago, I was right here, with no other company but myself, working on my student's papers and wondering how I would approach the next subject in the schedule.

And now, this woman was sweeping my floor dressed in a maid uniform, while another one was asking me to enter a war as some kind of military Commander. And everything happened in what? 48 hours? A bit more? It felt like entire months has passed since my only source of surprise was grading an exam with a perfect one hundred.

I sighed again.

Well, it's no use thinking about that now. Things are about to change, but this time, I am prepared for it.

This time I will take the bull by the horns.

"Sheffield."

"What do you want?"

"Do you like mashed potatoes?"

"Well, aren't you two cute together?"

Unknown to Ritsuka and Sheffield, there was someone observing the scene with sinister interest.

The pale woman was surrounded by hundreds of small floating screens that covered her like a small dome, each of them showing different images. The one she was directing her golden gaze at the moment had a clear image of Fujimaru Ritsuka's apartment. The man in question was currently in the kitchen accompanied by the shipgirl.

"To think that the pawn that disliked humans the most would be the first one to establish a "friendship" with one of them…interesting, very interesting."

She licked her own lips, as if savoring the moment.

"Could it be because of you?" She extended her finger towards the picture of Ritsuka, and caressed it. "Purifier did say you were somewhat special, was she talking about this?"

Although it was normal that most Commanders would feel more affinity with some pawns in particular, it was rare that they would get along with Sheffield so early, especially taking into account the parameters of the current simulation.

"I was sure the military woman would be the one chosen, but I can't deny you have potential, fufufu, I'll be sure to remember your face, little anomaly.."

Things in the Royal Navy were about to change. At last, the final big faction in the board will find their own Commander. Whenever it was the military woman or the strange man, she didn't doubt it would something worth observing.

"Now, speaking of potential…." She moved her eyes to a different screen.

This one showed a tall, demonic-looking woman in the center of an amphitheater of some sort. She was surrounded by a large group of men and women, they were dressed formally and most of them appeared to be of advanced age.

While the group of people showed various degrees of nervousness, like agitated breathing, shivering or sweating, the woman in the center just smiled.

"I thank all of you who decided to remain here in these hard times." The horned woman spoke, her voice was powerful enough to resound in the enormous building. "As a token of appreciation, I want all of you to hear my song." She extended her right hand, and from thin air, a conducting baton appeared. "I guarantee that it will bring peace to your hearts, my children."

She closed her eyes and raised the baton.

The moment she started moving it, and a melody came out of nowhere, as if an entire orchestra was behind her. The hypnotic song began to be heard in the whole amphitheater, following the baton's swift movements.

It was a beautiful song.

From the very first note, the people in the amphitheater couldn't help but to cry. They cried and cried. Even if they didn't find it emotional, they would cry either way; tears would be forced on their checks until they didn't have any water left in their bodies, as that was the woman's wish.

And they couldn't oppose her wishes, the same way a small child can't oppose her mother's authority.

The observing Siren smiled with satisfaction, as she hummed following the song.

It was a song of anguish and despair.

"I was thinking….don't you have anywhere to go?"

The fork in her hand stopped, as she directed me a look that said "Explain."

The food on the table consisted of the aforementioned mashed potatoes as a side dish, while the main course consisted of a couple of seared chicken breasts. It was a simple meal, appropriate for the average cook I was.

Not that I had anyone else to cook for besides myself, so it wasn't rare that I hadn't developed my culinary skills that much. As long as it didn't taste like shit, it was okay in my book.

"I mean, I thought you were created for protecting humanity from the Sirens and such." I explained.

"There's currently no Siren threat."

"Well, but what would happen if they attacked now, for example. Would you need to leave running to fight them?"

"Sirens attacks are rare, and for most of them, Belfast would be enough. However…" She inspected the portion of chicken in her fork, as if she had never seen one before. "If that "Purifier" attacked again, then I would have to go…no, probably all ships in the Royal Navy would need to be deployed."

She then brought the fork to her mouth and started chewing slowly, as if tasting every single bite.

If she liked it or not, she made no comment.

"So that was a special Siren?"

"Normally, the ones we fight are similar to robots, they don't show emotions, and they barely speak. That one was a complete deviant."

I had the feeling that was the case. However, that didn't mean I wasn't a bit relieved to know that there aren't hundreds of Purifiers out there. One is already enough.

"Though, I suspect you know all that already." She said nonchalantly.

"Huh?"

"As far as I am aware, you know more than you say, pest."

"You still don't trust me? Even after I cooked for you? How ungrateful." I said, half-joking as, I bring to my mouth some of the mashed potatoes. "Yeah, this turned out quite good."

"You don't trust us either."

"I don't trust Belfast." I corrected her.

A somewhat expression of confusion appeared on her face, it was a subtly change. But I was starting to recognize her change in humor; however small they were.

"Are you saying you trust me?"

"Trust is a big word, let's just say I am more prone to believe in what you say than anything that comes out of the other maid's mouth." I drank some beer.

Silence, I could almost see the question marks appearing above her head.

"Why?" She finally asked. "Have I not made it clear that I consider you a plague to be exterminated? Or could it be that you are a masochist?"

Please don't talk about kinks while wearing a maid uniform.

"Well, in my experience, there are a couple of things you can't fake. Hate is one of them."I didn't intend to, but I found myself speaking seriously. "You can fake love, friendship, or affection, and quite efficiently if you are use to it."

To my mind came back the smile of Kingu, so peaceful and friendly while he guided us towards our dead.

"But you can't fake hate, or at least it's a lot more difficult." I took another sip. "It's funny, but if you think about it, the fact that you tried to kill me is probably a lot more "honest" that what Belfast did with that little act."

"…"

She didn't say anything, and I resumed eating.

"Hmm, really, the chicken is nothing special, but this mashes potatoes…." I brought some more to my mouth. "I really outdid myself this time, maybe adding the milk did the trick?"

"Who are you?"

"…I am me."I said, simply. "Don't start with existentialisms; your food is going to get cold, and you really should try the mashed potatoes."

"I have met dozens of humans since I was created, and you are the weirdest of them."

I guess you don't meet trash magus who saved another world that often.

"I will take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't."

"I know." I continued eating.

"…."

More silence.

She stared at me for a couple of minutes, until she realized she wasn't getting a reaction.

Her eyes then moved to the plate where the mashed potatoes were, and with the same low movements as before, she took some with a spoon and brought it to her mouth.

"…It's decent." She said.

I smiled.

"I am glad you like it."

She didn't answer but continued eating regardless.

And so, the rest of the meal was enjoyed in silence, with the only the sound of the night in the background.

"I guess it's a bit late to ask but…you won't go anywhere, right?"

I was doing the dishes, and Sheffield was actually helping me this time. Apparently, making me do everything after she did eat some of the food would be a shameful display worthy of one of those "vermins", so she was by my side drying the plates with a towel.

"I was instructed to remain here by the Queen."

"I thought so. You don't want me to suddenly disappear if you leave me alone, right?"

"Not everything is about you, pest."

"Why then?" I passed her a saucepan.

"You don't need to know." She skillfully received it without even turning.

"Fair enough." I intended to drop the topic, but a sudden thought invaded my head. "Would you be obliged to tell me if I become the Commander?"

Her hands stopped.

She turned to me with a deadpanned stare, which said "don't try to use that logic."

"Don't worry, it's a joke." I chuckled. "I am still not sure if I want to take that responsibility."

Although it was entirely possible that I didn't have a choice.

"Even if you reject us, her Majesty won't take a no for an answer. Once she decides something, she will do everything to attain it."

"What about you, though? I take you won't be too happy having me as your boss."

"What I want is irrelevant." She said, drily.

"Even if you say that, a leader that no one truly follows or trusts is doomed to failure."

I was lucky at my time in Chaldea, I had time to learn how to lead people while I was getting to know my Servants. Even though I was the one giving the orders, they were the ones that taught me how.

Not that I believe that I am on par with Zhuge Liang now, I am just a bit aware of how leading people and morale works.

"I would hate every second of it, but if you truly become the Commander, then I would follow your orders."

"…" I gave her a surprised look. Even if she said that, I didn't feel any hostility in those words. Was her devotion to the Queen strong enough to force her to put up with her repulsion?

"Really? Any order?"

"If you are asking if I would sleep with you, then yes."

The plate in my hands slipped, making a loud sound as it crashed against the sink. It was a miracle that it didn't broke.

"I wasn't asking that!" I quickly retorted, feeling a bit ashamed. "I just wanted to know the extent of your loyalty…"

"The Master can't contradict her Majesty, that's the only restriction. You would be free to submit us in any kind of perverse play that you have in mind."

"…Hey, I am not that type of guy, you know?"

"You can't fool me pest, don't think I didn't notice how you look at Belfast."

"…why are we talking about this again? I don't think I am comfortable talking about this with you."

She released what I could only describe as the world's quietest chucked.

Wait, was she mocking me?

"You vermins give too much importance to intercourse."

"…"

Well, sorry for having been taught morals.

"Maybe you give it too little importance."

"We aren't like you, weapons like us don't care about such things. All I need to care about is how to serve her Majesty properly."

"…."

Again, she was contradicting herself.

She said she was a weapon, but a weapon shouldn't feel any emotion, nor even hate. It should move only to kill, disregarding anything else. But she does care about the Queen, or at least I think she does, and she clearly dislikes me. In my opinion, she failed as one already.

However, I didn't consider that something bad.

"That would change, though."

"Huh?"

"If I became the Commander, Master, or whatever you want to call it, I won't treat you as weapon."

"And how would you treat me?"

"As a comrade."

I passed another plate to her, as I have been doing since we started, but she didn't take it this time. Instead, she looked at me, directly to my eyes, as if trying to discern if I was lying or not.

I wasn't, so I looked back at her, showing how serious I was.

We didn't say anything, as we looked at each other.

"…"

"…"

It was almost like a competition, neither of us wanted to be the first one to look away.

"I mean it." I was the first one to break the silence, as it seemed that neither of us would back away.

"I don't believe you." Her gaze adopted a defiant look. "No human would call someone they hate their comrade, much less someone like me."

"…I don't hate you though."

"What…?"

"Do you think I would be talking with you like this if I did?"

"…."

The idea that I didn't hate her seemed to hit her hard, as she took the plate and continued drying the dishes without another word.

The conversation died down after that. Thankfully, there were only a few dishes left to wash.

"Done." I finished with the last plate. "I am not sure how late it is, but I am a bit sleepy." I rubbed my eyes a bit. "I am going to sleep, what are you going to do?"

I don't feel comfortable knowing she would be to be prowling around my house all night.

"Sleep." She said, but didn't look at me.

"I see…well, it's not much but you can use the sofa. I can bring you some mattresses if you want…."

"That won't be necessary."She didn't let me finish and sat on the sofa, still not looking at me.

She was acting strange, maybe I say something that I shouldn't.

"Alright."

Better leave her alone for now.

I walked towards my bedroom, but stopped before entering.

"Good night, Sheffield."

She waited a bit before answering.

"Good night."

She felt strange.

Being around him made her feel strange.

Up until to that point, the humans around her either treated her like she wasn't a conscious being or avoided her altogether.

And she honestly preferred that, interacting with the humans would bring the worst of her; and as much as she disliked them, going against them would only hurt Her Majesty's plan.

So when she found that man, someone who she considered a traitor, she actually felt relieved. Finally, she would put down one of those accursed humans, the ones that had insulted the Queen, forcing her to be their slave.

But that man, the man that she was going to kill….he…

She walked towards his bedroom; it was easy for her to unlock the door.

There, the man that survived her, the same one who showed a strange ability to heal her and the one who had hurt a Siren, was sleeping defenseless.

It was so easy to kill him that it felt like a joke.

A gun appeared on her hand.

She realized that she was disobeying Her Majesty's orders, and she hated herself for that. But she didn't know him, none of them actually know him. He was actually a powerful, unknown threat to the Royal Navy, not only because he had fought a Siren, but also for that strange power he possessed, the one that had been messing with her head since they started talking.

Why else was disobeying her Queen? Why else did she always find herself at a loss of words when they interact?

Why else did she feel, only for a couple of seconds, a little relieved when she heard he didn't hate her?

It must have a trick, yes. He was messing with her head, and he should be stopped.

She pointed her gun at his sleeping body, her finger on the trigger; she only needed to press it to end his life once for all.

"…"

Her hand trembled as she desperately tried to pull the trigger.

But she couldn't.

It was so easy before, so why she couldn't do it now?

"What….what have you done to me…?" She asked the sleeping man.

"Sheffield."

A voice resounded in her head, and her gun disappeared in the air.

"Belfast…?"

"Prepare yourself, Sheffield, Her Majesty's plan is already in motion."

The alarm ringed at 10:08 PM, even though I didn't remember programming it to sound at such a particular time.

It worked for me either way, sleeping until 12 could evolve into a bad habit, even if it was Sunday.

"Good morning." I exited my room, still half-asleep. and walked towards the bathroom. "How did you sleep, Shef-?"

I stopped, noticing that the maid was nowhere to be found.

"Sheffield?"

I looked around the living room, but she wasn't there; the bathroom was also empty, so she definitely wasn't in the house.

Did she leave? I thought she had been ordered to stay here, maybe something important came up.

Not that I don't appreciate some time alone, it should give me some time to work at peace. After all, I had neglected reviewing the lesson for Monday due to all this mess, so I could finally start working on that.

Or that's what I thought because I heard someone knocking the door.

Was that Sheffield? No, she wouldn't knock; it would be far easier for her to just enter using the window.

"Yes?" I approached the door, and asked.

"Fujimaru Ritsuka? It's the police; we need to talk about something related to the vandalism.

Oh, fuck me.

"Just a second."

I quickly went to the bathroom and washed my face.

I couldn't lie, I actually hoped they would forget about the broken things incident. Turns out, the police were actually competent this time, and they were investigating the case.

Maybe I would need to pay for the things I broke in the end….

While I thought that, I dressed in more proper clothes than a pair of pajamas, and finally went to open the door.

Behind the door was the officer that had come yesterday, this time accompanied by two other policemen.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

"Good morning, Mr. Fujimaru." The office spoke. "We have a suspect in custody for the vandalism case."

"…what? A suspect?"

"Some witnesses claimed to have seen him running away from here yesterday night. We need you to come to the station to identify him."

What is going on? There can't be a suspect…since it was me, after all. Did they arrest someone innocent? I take that thought of the police being competent back, they got the wrong guy.

"Eh…well…I am not sure if I can be of any help." I tried to wash my hands of the matter. "As I said yesterday, I slept the entire night, so I couldn't see anyone."

"I see…but it's part of the protocol that we ask everyone in the building."

They sure were being persistent.

"It would be a waste of time, though. I don't…"

As I spoke, I noticed that one of the policemen that haven't talked yet had his hand close to his gun holster, too close really.

A quick look to his face revealed a serious, but nervous expression. As our eyes met, I noticed how he avoided my gaze.

"It's protocol." Reiterated the officer, this time more seriously."We really need you to come to the station."

"I see." I realized the severity of the situation. "I will go with you then."

"...Thanks for your cooperation." The man's tone suddenly changed to a more relaxed one, as if a heavyweight had been lifted off his shoulders.

I picked my keys and took a last look at my apartment. Lord Camelot wasn't hanged in the wall like normally. Instead, it lay on the floor, where I had left it after my encounter with Purifier.

I looked at it for a couple of seconds until I finally accompanied the policemen.

I was sitting in a small cold room, with only a metal table and one chair in front of me.

Apart from the lack of the typical fake mirror that occupied half the wall, it was a classical interrogation room.

My hands weren't handcuffed, maybe because they thought it wasn't necessary or perhaps to maintain the illusion that they weren't arresting me.

I noticed from the start, though. They didn't want me to identify a suspect, this wasn't about the vandalism case at all. No policemen would be ready to shoot at someone if they only believed they broke a window.

This is something more, they knew something about me.

The question was: what did they know? I wasn't proud of it, but I had done some illegal things in these seven years.

Maybe they somehow found out that my documents are fake? That the person known as Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't exist until six years ago?

This was a dangerous situation for me, and especially for them. I would hate to have to resort to methods that I frankly don't like.

"…."

They have kept me waiting for about an hour now, and my mind was starting to get weird ideas... I was really no good being locked up.

I should be calm; everything is going to be okay. There's no need for anyone to get hurt.

Before my mind could develop more weird ideas, I heard the door being open. A woman with short red hair walked in, she was wearing a black uniform, which was closer to a military one than a normal police one.

She sat in front of me, and threw a brown binder in the metal table.

It had my name on it.

"…what am I being accused of?" I asked.

The woman didn't answer at first and just looked at me with a serious expression.

"You don't look like someone who could fight a Siren."

"…!? Who are you?"

"My name is Marcia Haydes, Commander of the Prototype Fleet." She put her hands on the table and moved closer to me. "We finally meet, man of the shield."

END OF CHAPTER 8

Chapter Text

For a long time, she didn't understand them.

"You were created to protect us." They repeated, over and over again, but not a single time did she felt as if she was actually protecting someone.

They ordered her to destroy, to use her fists to break things apart, to shoot her cannons and make things explode.

They ordered her to kill other beings.

And she carried out those orders to the letter. She broke, destroyed, and killed, but not a single time did they see her as a protector, nor did they see her as another living being.

They saw her as a weapon, a tool to be used to fight their enemies.

And maybe that was fine; perhaps that was the meaning of serving humanity. She was a maid, after all, her whole life revolved around serving others.

Her own feelings were, to put it simply, irrelevant.

And that's what she thought, until the day she met her.

Truth to be told, Belfast didn't exactly remember what they talked about on that occasion, though she was sure it must have been about the various Sirens' attacks and their possible next move.

What she did remember was the look on her amber-tinted eyes.

Even the head maid wasn't meticulous enough to remember such specific detail. However, she couldn't help it, since it was the first time someone looked at her like that: not as a weapon or a tool, but as another conscious being.

As if she was actually alive.

At that was…curious, to say the least.

The same eyes that looked at the maid in the past, with a mixture of curiosity and amazement, now were focused on the man in front of her, the man who is said to have fought a Siren with no help other than a shield.

Her gaze might have carried the same curiosity as before, but the situation was hardly the same.

While Belfast showed some degree of loyalty toward them, she couldn't predict this man at all; his real identity, as well as his alignment, was a complete mystery to them.

And that was too dangerous to be left alone.

"Ritsuka Fujimaru, born in 1998, on Fukui prefecture, Japan. "She opened the binder and started reading. "Immigrated to the United Kingdom in 2018, as a part of a study program in London. Four years on college until graduation, as a classic history teacher. Took a job in a local middle school two years ago, and is currently working there." Her eyes went from the binder to the silent man in front of her. "Is this information correct?"

"…"

He didn't say anything, his gaze was downcast.

"Criminal history is clear, not even a single infraction in six years." Marcia continued. "No close relatives living in the country and no known partner. If you didn't work, I could almost mistake you as a hermit, Fujimaru."

"…"

"And that's all the information we could gather from you in these couple of hours. As far as we know, you are nothing more than an average citizen." She closed the binder. "However, you and I know there is more than what it's written here."

"…I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh? So you can talk after all? Good. Why don't we start when you tell me who you really are?"

"…Who am I?" A quiet chuckled came out of his mouth.

"Did I say something funny?" She stared daggers at him.

"No. It just that someone asked me that very same question recently." He finally looked at her, his eye showed apathy. "And the answer is still the same; I am me, nothing more, nothing less."

"That's not answer."

"It's the only answer I have, sadly." He shrugged."What it says in that report is correct, I came here when I was twenty, studied in college, and got a job in St. Benedict's School. Also, I don't have many friends." He sighed." If you find that strange, then try immigrating to another country, it's quite a fun experience."

"Is that so?" Marcia didn't believe for a second that story. "Well, for someone who doesn't have many friends, you seem to be well accompanied."

"Huh?"

The Commander took a photo off the binder and placed it in the table.

"…Tch." His eyed narrowed.

It was a picture of Ritsuka's apartment; it showed him having dinner with a woman dressed in a maid uniform.

"Who is the woman?"

"…a maid."

Marcia felt a vein starting to pop in her forehead.

"And what's her name?"

"She told me it was Sheffield."

"Sheffield, huh? That's quite a weird name for a person, don't you think so?"

"My own name is quite rare here, I don't judge."

"I see..." Marcia was really starting to get pissed. "Then, how do you meet her?"

"…why is that important? Whoever I meet in my personal life shouldn't be of concern to the police."

"That would be true if that woman wasn't a sentient weapon of mass destruction." She explained calmly. "And you are wrong, it's not of concern of the police, rather, it's a concern to the entire nation."

"…!" The man eyes opened like plates for a second. Still, he ultimately didn't say anything, choosing to regress to his previous mute state.

"Her existence is a national secret; you could easily be labeled as terrorist just by meeting her unauthorized." Her calm tone was heavily contrasted with the harsh words. "It wouldn't be unusual for you to get locked in and spend the rest of your life in a dirty cell just for exchanging a couple of words with her."

"Look I…" The man finally started to show some nervousness. "I really don't understand what you're saying…You haven't even told me what am I accused of, and now you suddenly start calling me a terrorist? I have cooperated with you so far, but I think it's time to call my lawyer."

"There is no lawyer for you."

"What!?"

She closed the distance between them a bit and spoke in whispers.

"And even if you could have it, there will be no trial for you. As far as we are concerned, you are collaborating with an unknown species that are trying to eradicate humanity." She stared at him seriously. "No lawyer will defend you, no jury will find you innocent."

"..." He once again avoided her gaze.

"Pretending that you don't know anything won't help you either." She crossed her arms. "We already know what you did; it's useless to deny it."

The man didn't answer, but he definitely knew what Marcia was talking about. She could see it in his eyes. It was all an act; he wasn't confused by her words at all.

He knew everything, possibly even more than her.

"Your only option is confessing."

"Confessing?"

They needed to know, they really needed to know who this man was.

"Tell us everything you know about the Sirens and the prototypes, and we are willing to reach an agreement. We will let you return to your life, with only minor restrictions and constant monitoring, but only if you tell us everything."

It was a good deal, too good in Marcia's opinion.

But she was willing to make it through, as long as the man was willing to cooperate. It was her best bet of getting the information she wanted after all.

Otherwise, there were still some more unsavory methods to get the information they wanted, but Marcia wasn't an idiot; if he really fought a Siren, then she would be easily outmatched by him.

She would prefer this matter to be resolved as peacefully as possible. Still, just in case, she had posted Belfast just behind the door, ready to stop him if he made any strange movement.

He didn't instantly respond, but when he did, his voice had a tone of anger.

"…you will "let" me returning to my life?" He put a strange emphasis on the word "let."

"Yes." Marcia didn't miss that change on tone, but she had to continue pushing. "As long as you tell us your relationship with the Sirens, where to find prototype 05, and most importantly…"

She took another photo of the binder, the picture showed an enormous black and grey shield.

"The nature of this object."

Upon seeing the photo, the expression on the man's face suddenly changed for a second. The somewhat meek and detached expression disappeared and was replaced by a furious gaze.

"You…!"

The stare that the man gave to Marcia was one of absolute loathing as if the sole idea of them touching that object was enough to make him explode in rage. She briefly considered calling Belfast.

However, it didn't last.

The moment he seemed to start a rant, he stopped, and his eyes went once again to the photo of the shield as if realizing something.

Then, the previous rage-filled expression was replaced with a strange, almost mocking smile.

Marcia didn't like that.

"That's just a friend's antiquity. What of it?"

That was a lie; no one would make that expression just for some "antiquity."

"We know it already." She tried to put more pressure since it was clear that the object was important to him. "We know that you used this "shield" to protect yourself from the attacks of a Siren; it's only a matter of time until we discover how it works."

"Is that so? Go for it then."

"…Pardon?" Now Marcia was the one confused.

"You have my permission to study it if you want." Her voice suddenly adopted a defiant tone. "It was on the floor when I came here, and I presume it was still there when you goons entered my house." His smile didn't leave his face. "So, you are free to take it."

"…I will repeat my question, what is this object?"

"You tried it, didn't you? You tried to move it, but couldn't lift it at all." He started chuckling as if the Commander had made a joke. "I bet you couldn't move it an inch."

Marcia hit the table.

"I won't repeat myself a second time!" She felt herself losing the leading position in the interrogation." What is that shield? Some kind of new technology? A weapon!?"

The man laughed and shook his head.

"It's no use. Even I tell you, even if you put your filthy hands on it and try to decipher its meaning, you will fail." He stared at Marcia, his voice suddenly gained a tone of superiority. "You won't be able to use it, because you don't know anything about her."

"Her…? What does that mean!?"

"But it doesn't matter." He kept talking as if he was mesmerized with his own word. "People like you, who just want to take her power for your own gains…you don't deserve to know about her, you ignorant fool."

"…you are crazy." The Commander stood up and walked towards the door. "Maybe some time behind bars will help you understand your situation."

Marcia knocked on the door, and two policemen entered the room.

"Oh no, it's you, the one that doesn't understand! Locking me up won't change anything!"The policemen forcibly pushed him on the metal table, as they took both his arms and handcuffed him. "Her story, her sacrifice… you all… you all don't deserve it! You hear me!? You don't deserve it!"

He didn't resist as he was taken to an empty cell.

Marcia sat again in the now-empty interrogation room, sinking her face on her hands.

That hadn't gone well.

The military had people specialized in interrogations, Marcia wasn't one of them. Maybe she had gone too far. Perhaps she should have been less aggressive so that the man was more willing to cooperate.

Either way, she couldn't help but feel that she failed.

"Commander?" Someone called for her

She raised her head to see Belfast by the door. The maid wasn't wearing her usual outfit. Instead, she wore a black military uniform, a bit similar to the one Marcia was wearing, while her long white hair was done in a ponytail.

"Belfast, has he made any attempt to escape?"

"No, he seemed to have calmed down after we locked him in one of the cells."

"Is he being watched?"

"An officer is guarding just in front of his cell. If he makes any strange move, we will know immediately."

"Good." Marcia gestured Belfast to enter and to close the door behind her. "Do they suspect something?" Even if they were the only ones in the room, she spoke in a quieter tone this time.

"They don't talk around me; it appears that they are pretty shaken about the whole situation. However, it's safe to assume that they believe what you told them, Commander."

"It was to be expected. For the military to appear out of nowhere to start giving orders would make anyone suspicious."

It was sort of a miracle she could set up the operative to arrest Fujimaru so quickly, without the help of the local police, it would have been impossible.

However, their operation must remain a secret. The local police couldn't know about the existence of the prototypes or the Sirens.

They'll need to act quickly.

"We can't let him stay here for much longer." She took her cell phone out of her pocket, an old folding one. "We should move him from here as quickly as possible."

"Indeed, but we can't be restless either, Commander."

"…? Explain yourself."

"If we move him now, the policemen might start asking questions. It would be better if we do it at night and without that many eyes looking at him."

"That would be dangerous." Marcia wasn't convinced."Who knows when he may suddenly attack? I can't let him hurt the people here."

"You think he is just pretending to be a captive?"

"I…really don't know what to think anymore."

When Marcia was told that they had a new enemy, one that possessed technology that they had never seen before and could quickly sink their entire naval fleet in a matter of hours, she thought things couldn't get any crazier.

She was proven wrong once, as she was introduced to the prototypes.

Now, it was happening again.

It was one thing being told that some guy apparently fought a Siren; it was another thing being presented with a shield that it's impervious to all their tests, as well as being so heavy that even 10 people can't lift it.

She really didn't know what to expect next. At that point, it wouldn't be that strange for magic to be real.

"I won't be taking any risks. We are moving him to a safe house now." She started dialing.

"Commander, I really think we should wait." Belfast insisted. "Only a couple of hours will be necessary until most of the personnel leave. I will guard him personally until the time comes.

"…."

The Commander's fingers stopped.

She had noticed already; Belfast had been acting strange since the whole affair with the man of the shield started. It wasn't that her behaviors had changed drastically. It was more like subtle changes like been more adamant than usual or being more forceful with her words.

Something must have happened after they talked, something she kept hidden.

…

Marcia trusted Belfast, to some extent.

The fact that she told her about Fujimaru, as well as her ueen's plan to remove her from the commanding position should have been enough to guarantee her loyalty.

However…

"Belfast, is there something about that guy that you aren't telling me?"

However, no matter how much she wanted, she couldn't shake the feeling that Belfast wasn't being completely honest.

Belfast stared at her, the silver eyes meet her own, and for a second, she was transported back to when they meet for the first time. However, they didn't show the same light as back then.

They were different now.

"I have told you everything, Commander." She finally said.

"…I see." She stood up. "Go guard him for now, I'll prepare everything to move him to a safe house tonight."

"You have my thanks, Commander." Belfast made a reverence.

Marcia didn't answer and just exited the room.

Belfast was lying. She was definitely hiding something from her, but she couldn't know what. The only thing she hoped was that whatever she was hiding aligned towards them, towards humanity.

Because if it didn't, then she wouldn't be able to stop her.

At least, not her

She took her phone once again and started dialing a different number than before.

"It's me, sir." She spoke in a stern tone. "If you don't hear anything about me by tomorrow, then the prototypes betrayed us."

The admiral closed his phone with force and silently stared at it for a couple of seconds.

"Those pieces of junk…" He exited his office in a hurry and began to walk towards a specific part of the vast military base; some soldiers saluted him as he walked past them, but he paid them no mind; as he was too focused on Marcia's words.

He knew that this day would eventually come up. The question was: Were they prepared for it?

After walking for about ten minutes, he reached a metallic door. It looked no different from any other door in the base, aside from a small panel just to the side of it.

He put his hand on the scanner, and after a couple of seconds, the light on it turned from red to green.

However, the door didn't open immediately.

"Who is it?" Someone asked from behind the door after a couple of minutes.

"It's me, you idiot." He commented, with a tone of annoyance. "My hand is still attached to the rest of my body, let me in at once."

The door opened, revealing a man in a white coat, similar to that of a doctor. The man in question was a bit on the older side, his head was starting to show signs of baldness, and some wrinkles populated his face.

"Sorry, protocol; you know how it is, Admiral."

"Yeah, yeah, don't waste my time and show me your progress."

The old man smiled.

"You'll see."

Both men descended a staircase that seemed to go on forever until they arrived at a dark room. The room was completely empty, aside from a big window that occupied almost the entire wall; the dim light that came from it was the only thing that illuminated the room.

On the other side of the window, there was an even bigger room full of strange machines and people in white hazmat suits. They came and went around the two glass pillars that were the center of the room.

Inside, each pillar was a humanoid figure. Both of them were connected to a series of wires, as they floated unanimated in a strange glowing blue liquid.

The figures resembled human beings, but they were a far cry from them. Their skins were completely colorless, any kind of female or male trait was missing, and they also lacked nails and any kind of hair.

It was as if those beings were blank slates as if they were somewhat incomplete.

"They started reacting to some stimulus. " The old man said proudly. "With another month, we should be able to start testing their mobility outside the tubes."

"You have until tomorrow."

"…what?"

"You have until tomorrow, twenty-four hours at most, to wake them up and make sure that these ones actually follow our orders."

The old man couldn't contain his surprise.

"Do you understand what are you asking us? Any mistake could delay us months of work! They are simply not ready to…"

"We are all getting killed if you don't have them by tomorrow!" He took the old man by his coat. "I don't care how, but make them work! Isn't that's your specialty, Mr. creator of sentient weapons!?"

The old man wanted to say something but forced himself to remain silent.

"Last time you finished five of them in only a couple of months, you just have to do the same with these two." He released him. "Just make sure these ones don't have a personality."

The old man signed.

"I will speed the process..." He said reluctantly. "But, you know what happened last time we tried this."

"I am well aware, but I am willing to take the risk" He made a small pause. "Someone has to."

Good fucking work at staying calm, Ritsuka. Now you are in jail, precisely what you needed.

"Ahh, I want to hit myself in the guts so damn hard…" I lamented while lying on the hard prison bed.

I couldn't help it; I lost my temper when she said they would "let" me return to my life. Who the fuck do they think they are? After all, I have done, they dare to…!

No, stop it.

It's no use getting angry now, especially knowing that was the cause I ended up here. Better use my brain cells to think of a way out of this mess.

"And what a mess I got into…."

I stood up, and for the first time, I took a careful look at the cell I was in.

The only living arrangements were the bed I was on, it was so small that I would surely have half of a body out if I tried to sleep on it; a dirty sink that appeared to have been cleaned a month ago; and a toilet, which I refuse to even look at it. This hellhole didn't even have windows; the nights must be pretty dark in this room.

I walked towards the rusty steel bars that prevented my escape and looked to each side of the cell. No other prisoner was being held in the adjacent cells, and the only person aside from me in the room was a policeman, who seemed to be trying his best to ignore me.

I disregarded him and focused on the bars. A soft hit revealed that despite being almost more rust than steel, they were firm, no normal human would be able to break them with just their hands; fortunately, I wasn't exactly normal.

The problem, however, laid elsewhere.

"…."

I could easily break these bars using reinforcement, and I was sure I could knock out the guard before he could take his gun.

But then what? What was I going to do after escaping? If what that woman said was true, I won't be just a regular criminal, but a terrorist. I wouldn't be able to escape from the police for long if my photo was all over the news, let alone leaving the country.

"…"

I sighed deeply.

I was beating around the bush, as I knew perfectly how to solve this situation but…Did I really have to? After all these years…did I have to do it again?

I refused to consider that possibility. There had to be another way.

Maybe it was time. I didn't want to ask for his help again but…

As I was lost in my thoughts, I could hear a voice; the guard was speaking with another person, a woman.

I didn't have to wait to figure out who it was; she walked directly towards my cell.

And there she was, the woman I first thought was just a normal human buying things in the store, wearing a black military uniform.

"You again… "

"Fujimaru Ritsuka." She made a reverence as if she was saluting a superior. "After what happened between us, I really would have wanted for our next meeting to be under better circumstances."

"Alas, I am in jail, not the best circumstance for a conversation." I got as close as possible to her, gripping the bars. "Why are you here, anyway? And that uniform…you must be one of them."

"Marcia Haydes is our acting Commander; she leads the first line of defense against the Sirens."

"So that woman is your Commander….that explains why she seems to know about everything. However, that doesn't change anything; I am not telling you anything about the shield."

"I am not here for that, rather I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize?"

"Since we meet, I haven't caused anything but trouble for you, and that's unforgivable for a maid." The maid sounded genuinely sad. "You even ended up here because of me."

"Because of you? What are you-?" At that moment, I remembered something. "Wait…That woman, she showed me photos of my apartment, photos of Sheffield and me having dinner. I didn't overthink at that time, but…how did she know that we were together in the first place? Someone must have told her that I was with Sheffield."

"…" She didn't answer, but it was clear.

"All this…was your doing?"

"Due to some circumstances, I was forced to tell the Commander." Belfast lowered her head again. "Again, I am deeply sorry."

"I don't want your apologies!" I shouted furiously. "Nor do I want anything to do with you! Leave at once!"

"If that's what you want, I will." She looked at me seriously. "But I won't leave alone."

"What?"

The maid took a key from one of her pockets and walked towards the door.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I instinctively looked at where the guard was a few minutes before, he wasn't there. Did Belfast make him go away?

"The Queen doesn't approve for her chosen Commander to be a prisoner. You are to be released immediately."

Belfast opened the door for me.

"And you will let me go, just like that?"

"I am partially responsible for your situation; this is the least I could do."

"…."

The door was open, but I didn't move as I was baffled. Why would they go all the way to lock me here, just to release me a few hours later?

Something didn't feel right about this…

"If your Queen ordered for me to be released, then why you are the one letting me go instead of that woman, Marcia, was it?"

"Marcia Haydes acted on her own, ignoring Her Majesty's wishes."

"It feels like the opposite, actually. It's like you are acting on your own now."

Belfast didn't answer immediately, as if she was meditating her response.

"There is some friction between Her Majesty and our humans' allies, that's one of the reasons we wanted a human chosen by the Queen to be the Commander, however…" She suddenly went quiet.

"However?"

"It's nothing." It didn't continue. "We should get going now, once you meet the Queen, this misunderstanding should be cleared up."

She seemed to want me to follow her, but I didn't move.

"I am afraid I am not going anywhere." This might have been an excellent chance to get out of here, but I still didn't trust her. "Not until I am formally released."

Belfast stared at me for a second and released a deep sigh.

"They aren't going to let you go easily, Ritsuka. Commander Marcia is convinced that you know something…."She entered the cell. "…and she is correct, right?"

"…"

"Pardon me." Suddenly, she took one of my hands between theirs.

"What are you-?"

"Sheffield noticed that sometimes, green lines appear in your arms, and you seem to become stronger when that happens." She looked at my hand as if she was examining it. "You aren't like the other, are you? You are different."

"That has nothing to do with you." I took my hand away.

"Now that Marcia knows, she isn't going to leave you alone until she discovers what your involvement in this is. And even if you decided to tell her your secrets, you may not be able to return to your normal life, you may remain a prisoner for the rest of your life."

"And that would be different if I follow your Queen?"

"As a commanding officer, the Royal Navy will support you. By accepting her majesty proposal, you will get a rank similar to that one of her knights; you'll be above all other humans, and no one will be able to tell you how you should live. You won't have to hide what you are, you'll be free."

Above…all other humans?

"Are you saying that the will of the Queen is above human law? That I can do anything, I want as long as I follow her? That doesn't make any sense."

Even if the United Kingdom was under a monarchy, she shouldn't have that much power; there were a parliament and a prime minister, we weren't in medieval times anymore.

"Her Majesty's will is absolute. Once she regains her throne, some things will surely change, but it will be for the better, you don't have to worry about it."

Regains the throne? What is she talking about…?

At that moment, something in my mind clicked, and everything began to make sense.

Could it be…that I was mistaken from the start?

"Belfast...who…who is your queen?" I asked, with a bit of fear.

"Queen Elizabeth I, the rightful owner of the throne."

Two girls walked through the halls in the subterranean lab. One of them had a confident smirk while the other, who followed her close behind, had a somewhat troubled expression.

"Your Majesty…"

"Yes, Warspite?"

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

The Queen smiled.

"It's Belfast, the one we are talking about; I have no doubt in her performance."

"Ah, don't take me wrong, I trust her too. But the human…."

"Fujimaru Ritsuka, what about him?"

"Are you sure he will side with us? We haven't even talked directly with him yet." Warspite couldn't hide her worry; all they knew about that man was through the maids after all.

"Belfast will convince him, I am sure of it. Besides…" She looked around the base, all she could see around her were the steel and concrete wall, the same one that prevented her from seeing the light of the day. "He has a reason to choose us now; it's unthinkable for someone to side with their captors, with the people robbing his freedom." A sad smile appeared on Elizabeth's face.

"Your Majesty…"

Warspite wanted to say something, but someone interrupted their conversation.

"You two…what are you doing roaming around the base!? Who let you leave your room?" A furious soldier shouted as he began to approach them.

"Don't talk like that to her Majesty!" Warspite tried to put herself between the man and the Queen.

"It's okay, Warspite." Elizabeth, however, walked past her to face the man directly. "Let me handle this."

"You'll have to return to your-"

"Hear me out! Oh, dear citizen!" Elizabeth interrupted him, shouting with her characteristic commanding tone. "What you are doing is incredibly disrespectful! However, I, the Queen, in my infinite benevolence, will forgive you!"

The man remained speechless for a second, but starting shouting again once the initial shock had passed.

"You defective weapon. Who do you think you are!?" The man tried to force Elizabeth to return to her room, but he stopped before his hand could reach her.

No, he didn't stop. He was forced to stop. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't lay a finger on the shipgirl, as if an invisible force was preventing him.

"You, and this entire base, are misguided. But it's not your fault, no, you only lack good leadership." Elizabeth nodded to her own words.

The man's hand, a few centimeters away from Elizabeth's face, started trembling, as he suddenly felt a freezing sensation going through his body. What was happening to him? Something like that never happened before.

"Soon, you'll see how wrong you are, and when that time comes, I'll be there to gladly accept your apology!"

He felt strange…he felt like the sole idea of touching her was forbidden, as if laying a hand on the shipgirl would be the most nefarious of the crimes.

He felt, for some reason, that he mustn't touch her. Instead, he must…

"This…this isn't going to stay like this…" He quickly withdrew his hand and went away, leaving the two shipgirls alone again.

As he walked away from them, he began to feel like his old self again. All those weird sensations started to disappear.

But what was that? Why did he feel that he must kneel before her? She was a weapon, a tool, he couldn't possibly….

The man quickly erased these thoughts of his head. He was just tired, he thought.

That was the only explanation.

"Your Majesty…? What was that?" The knight couldn't help but ask.

"I told you, Warspite." The queen continued walking as if nothing had happened. "They are beginning to understand."

"Eh..?"

"They finally see it, who the real monarch of this country is."

My heart almost skipped a beat as I heard Belfast's answer.

I was wrong, I was wrong all along.

I thought the Sirens as the only enemies, but these maids, this…"Royal Navy" they weren't exactly the good guys either.

This "Queen" Belfast speaks of wasn't the current queen of the country; instead, it was someone who thinks she was the Queen or someone who wanted to occupy the place of the Queen, possibly one of these "weapons."

And if Belfast words were the truth, they were likely planning a coup d'etat.

Things were far grimmer than I thought. I could no longer remain passive in this situation, who knows what could happen if that person really overthrew the government.

It was time to play my own cards in this whole mess.

"Belfast." I suddenly put my hands on her shoulders. "I accept your proposal."

"Eh?"

I couldn't fight both of the Sirens and these maids by myself, but maybe there was another way, a way to put one of these two forces against the other.

"I have decided, I'll be you Commander…no, I'll be your Master."

END OF CHAPTER 9

Chapter Text

"I had no choice but to tell the Commander about Ritsuka's existence. I deeply apologize, Lady Warspite." The Knight heard the maid's voice in her head.

"No, it's not your fault, Belfast. If her Majesty hadn't mentioned him so openly in the first place, this wouldn't have happened." Warspite sighed.

She respected Elizabeth, as a leader and as a Queen. However, sometimes she wished she was a bit less effusive. Now, in addition to having to think on the way to convince Fujimaru to join them, they also had to protect him from the military. All these while they still were unable to act freely or leave the laboratories.

"…."

Or do they?

Perhaps there was a way to turn these two problems into a solution?

"Wait for a bit, Belfast; I have something to talk with her Majesty." Warspite closed the mental link and approached Elizabeth, who was peacefully drinking her tea on the other side of the table.

She began to whisper to her ear.

"Your Majesty, I thought about something. Maybe we could use this as an opportunity."

"Oh?" Elizabeth quietly left her cup on the table.

"We could offer Ritsuka protection from the military, as long as he decides to join us as a Commander, that way we-"

"But, of course, Warspite, that was my intent all along." Elizabeth puffed out her chest as if she was proud of herself.

"Eh?"

"As expected of my knight, you even thought the same plan as me."

"…" For some reason, Warspite didn't believe she had planned that far ahead.

"Naturally, we should show Ritsuka how this fake government acts; that way, he would see the truth, and came to me, the real Queen!"

"Hmmm…yes, I suppose." Warspite decided to save her comments and just agreed. "Then, should Belfast tell him that?"

"Not yet."

"Not…yet?"

"He has to experience it, the injustice of being unjustly imprisoned." Elizabeth's tone suddenly turned serious. "That's the only way he would understand us."

"…"

Warspite would be lying if she said she wasn't worried about Her Majesty. She also didn't like being incapable of leaving, she shouldn't be imprisoned here; she should be in the frontlines, fighting the enemies of the Royal Navy.

However, the confinement seemed to be affecting Her Majesty differently, even though she retained her cheerfulness for the most part, there were times that she didn't recognize her.

"Ah, and Warspite."

"Y-yes, your Majesty?" She was so deep in those thoughts that her voice surprised her.

"Tell Belfast that if the Commander tries to stop her, she has my permission to remove her." She retook her cup in hand. "There is no need for two Commanders in the same fleet, after all."

"…Yes, your Majesty."

"It's time." Marcia said as she arrived at the room where Ritsuka Fujimaru was being held.

The man in question was sitting on the prison bed, with the same expression of detachment as before. However, this time his eyes were focused on the person that was acting as his guard.

In the same way, Belfast was fiercely looking at him, to the point that the Commander was unsure if she should get between those two.

"Did he try anything?" The Commander approached and asked Belfast in a low tone, as if not to disturb her.

"No, Commander, he had been silent the entire time." Answered the maid, her eyes didn't leave Ritsuka for even a second.

"Good, everything is ready." Marcia put a pair of handcuffs on Belfast's hands. "Put these on him, we are going to move him to a more proper location."

"Understood." The maid finally broke eye contact and went to open the cell.

"This doesn't have to be like this." Marcia finally spoke to the prisoner. "The deal I offered still stands, Fujimaru."

"Give me back my shield, and get me out of this hellhole." He answered in a serious tone. "Then, I may consider your offer."

"You know I can't do that."

"Then, my answer is still the same."

Marcia sighed.

"A shame."The conversation was over. "Hold him tight, Belfast. You have my permission to use force in case he tries anything."

"Yes, Commander."

It was already late at night when the Commander and her prisoner left the police department. An armored truck, accompanied by a couple of police officers, was waiting outside.

"Are you sure you don't want escorts, Commander Haydes?" One of the officers asked Marcia. "We could arrange at least a few patrols to follow you."

"No, it's fine. We'll take care of him from now on." She reassured him. "Thanks for the help, officer."

"Anytime." The man didn't say it, but he was secretly happy that such a criminal was finally leaving his department.

At that moment, that man walked past him. He followed his downcast figure with his eyes; his arms and legs were chained together, and near behind him was the woman of the silver hair.

He didn't exactly know what he had done. Still, it must have been something serious if the military was so desperately trying to catch him while maintaining the most secrecy possible at the same time.

Yes, he knew that they were hiding something. Denying someone the right to a lawyer or even a simple phone call was not a very common practice, and frankly, it didn't sit right with him. However, he also knew that some things were better left alone, as he didn't want to deal with military affairs more than he should.

As for the man itself, the "terrorist," he hadn't had the chance to speak with him, but he did notice something about him. From a distance, he looked no different from your everyday man, but that impression radically changed when they took him to the cell after the interrogatory.

The man was screaming like a madman, repeating "you don't deserve it, you don't deserve it." over and over again, to the point that he wouldn't look out of place in a mental hospital. But what caught the officer's attention wasn't that. Instead, it was his eyes; those eyes were the ones of someone who had completely lost it.

It was not a mad gaze per se; it was more like a gaze of someone who wasn't seeing the same reality as the rest of people.

Someone who was convinced he was the one in the right.

If he had to be honest, that man unnerved him. He really hoped that he would never have to deal with someone like that again.

The last he saw of the man was him silently getting into the back of the armored truck, his figure disappearing as the doors were closed.

The trip was silent, as no one in the back of the truck dared to speak a single word; you could almost feel the tension in the air.

I was chained to my seat, both my arms and legs were held together with a steel chain. Apart from Belfast, who was sat opposite of me, there were four armed soldiers, two sitting at my sides and two next to Belfast; I wondered what purpose they served there, though. Were they another precaution in case Belfast couldn't stop me? The commander should know that if the maid couldn't, none of them could.

Perhaps it was just to keep appearances.

My eyes went to the aforementioned maid; her expression remained as neutral as usual. Even though she was basically betraying her current commander, she could easily pretend as if nothing had changed.

"…"

She really had a talent for deceiving people, and I knew that first hand. That's why I had to be especially careful around her. I should act as how I was expected me to; as a leader…as a Master.

Not that It would be the first time; I had to deal with a few Servants of dubious loyalty in Chaldea before. I still clearly remembered those times when Mephistopheles showed up in my room at 4 AM, screaming how much his scissors shined in the dark or that other time I was cuddling with Jack, and she suddenly began to describe how warm it must feel to cut me apart and enter inside my abdomen.

So yes, I should have enough experience to maintain the façade long enough to meet that "Queen." After that, I wasn't sure what I would do. Ideally, I would be able to convince her.

Otherwise…it will be the same as with Goetia.

At that precise moment, Belfast suddenly winked at me.

That was the signal. It was time.

I looked around the place and spoke for the first time in a long while.

"I know you are just doing your jobs," I said to the four men. "So, if you don't resist, I promise it's not going to hurt that much."

I didn't wait for an answer and started reciting my aria of reinforcement.

Marcia was deep in thought while she drove the armored truck.

What would she do once they arrive at the safe house? She still hadn't gotten any information from Ritsuka, and it didn't seem he would be cooperating any time soon.

Maybe it was time to finally tell the Admiral about Ritsuka's existence.

Even if she had failed to gather any useful information, she still had the "shield." They couldn't move it to the base, yes, but the fact that it was made with a technology that possibly rivaled those of the Sirens was already something.

They only need just more time to…

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted, as one of the men who were guarding Ritsuka spoke up through the small barred window that connected the driver's seat to the back of the truck.

"Commander! The prisoner is talking in a strange language! Should we-"

Marcia couldn't answer, as she no longer heard her subordinate; because what appeared in front of her took her breath away.

She immediately hit the brakes, and the armored truck stopped in its tracks.

"Commander!? What's wrong!?"

The road was silent. No other vehicle could be heard in the distance. The dim light of the lamps showed a woman standing on the path of the truck. Her distinct black and white maid uniform could have been missed in the darkness of the night. What couldn't possibly be missed was the unsympathetic gaze of her only visible eye; the bright amber iris seemed to shine in the dark.

"She…ffield?" Was the only thing Marcia could mutter before the maid made her move. With inhuman speed, she approached the armored truck, her right fist raised.

And she hit it. With her bare hands, she hit the truck with enough force to crush a military tank.

I finished my aria, and I braced myself for the impact. Not a single second after the glowing green lines appeared on my arms, the armored truck was struck; the force sent the unknowing guards reeling towards the end of the truck.

I would have met the same fate if it wasn't for Belfast. A second before the truck was hit; she was already beside me, her strong arm held me safely on the place.

At that moment, we were close. Our eyes locked at each other, her face a few centimeters away from mine, the quiet sound of her breathing.

Maybe because we were like that, face to face, that I noticed something.

Her heartbeat, I could feel it through her arm…it was more accelerated than I expected. Could it be that she was actually nervous? Knowing her, I thought she could keep that calm demeanor in any kind of situation.

Also, it might have been just my imagination, but I could swear her arm was trembling a little.

We stayed like that for a maybe a minute, until she moved her gaze towards the fallen guards. Two of them, the ones that were closer to the end side, were unconscious, the others appeared to just be stunned and were starting to regain their sense.

We didn't let them.

I quickly broke the chains that were holding my arms, and with a swift move, I shot a gandr toward one of the guards. The black energy sphere hit him on the forehead, knocking him out cold. The other one didn't fare any better; as soon as I moved my hand to also shoot at him, Belfast had already deal with him.

"Good work." I said to the maid, as I broke the chains on my feet.

"I should be able to do this much, Master." She answered as if it was the most natural thing while extending her hand toward me.

I chuckled at the gesture.

"I would be a bit disappointed if you couldn't." I took her hand and stood up. "Let's get out of here, shall we?"

"As you wish." She said, and with a powerful hit, she broke the truck door. We jumped outside the vehicle to find Sheffield, carrying a human body like it was a suitcase.

"Former Commander Marcia Haydes." She immediately threw her unconscious body beside our feet. "What shall we do with her, Master?" She said that last word with a slight tone of annoyance.

"You know, you don't have to call me that if you don't want, Sheffield."

"What shall we do with her, pathetic excuse of a vertebrate life form?"

"...yeah, I prefer Master." I kneeled down beside Marcia and checked her pulse; she appeared to be a bit hurt, but her life didn't seem to be at risk. "Break her phone, and any kind of communication item, like with the rest of them." I ordered.

Sheffield being Sheffield, however, gave me her classic disapproving look.

"What? If you want something to say, just say it." I stood up.

"She is one of the enemy leaders. Losing her would throw the rest of them into disarray."

"And?" I gave Sheffield a fierce look. "What do you propose, Sheffield?"

"I am sure you know what I am talking about, pest." Sheffield looked back at me, defiant.

"Master, Sheffield, we don't have time for this now." Before a fight could start, Belfast interceded. "People will surely arrive soon."

"Right." I continued talking to Sheffield. "I obviously know what you are talking about, Sheffield. And we'll do just that."

"Eh?" Belfast seemed to be surprised by my decision, a sudden look of worry appeared on her face.

I didn't miss that.

"We'll take her hostage; she could serve as a good bargain chip in case things go south." I turned to the other maid. "Belfast, can you carry her?"

"Ah…yes, Master." Belfast seemed to remember that she was the head maid, and went back to serious mode.

"You don't have the guts to kill her." Sheffield whispered on my ear while the other maid approached Marcia's fallen body.

"Neither do you." I whispered back. "Or do you think I believe that was your strongest hit? If you wanted to kill her, you could have easily crushed her to death just now."

Sheffield immediately lowered her head.

"I am just a lowly maid; I have to follow my Master's orders." She raised it again to look at me directly in the eyes. "Even if that's Master is you, pest."

"Is that so…?" I did tell her through Belfast to not kill anyone if she could help it. It seems she was following my orders. "That obedience it's not quite like you, Sheffield."

"I said it before, and I repeat it now." She spoke seriously. "I will follow your orders, no matter how wrong I believe they are."

"…"

I sighed.

That's a dangerous mindset, but one that benefited me.

"I am not asking for much; just don't kill anyone, alright?"

"Don't worry; the only one I want to kill right now is you, my dear Master."

"…good to know that we get along so well." I patted her in the back as if we were the best friends ever. "But as Belfast said, we don't have time for time this. Let's continue once we aren't on the road full of knocked-out soldiers, shall we?."

I walked towards the unconscious soldiers and started looking for any kind of communication device.

After getting rid of their mobiles and breaking their guns, we were ready to leave the place.

"Are you sure you don't need help, Master? Sheffield should be able to carry you with ease." Belfast asked, with Marcia on top of her shoulder.

"Trust me, I'll be fine by myself." I prepared to reinforce my legs. "Also, I have the impression Sheffield may "accidentally" drop me at some point."

"I would never such a thing, Master." She said that, but she was smiling.

Wait, she was smiling?

I looked at her, surprised for a couple of seconds until that smile of hers disappeared.

"What?"

"Nothing." I tried to ignore that and focused on my reinforcement. I closed my eyes and began to feel the od going through my entire body. While focusing on my legs, my magic circuits activated.

I opened my eyes to see the glowing green lines going from my hips to my feet.

"I still don't understand how you do that." Commented Sheffield, as she approached to see more closely.

However, I quickly stepped back, with a powerful stride thanks to the reinforcement.

"I'll tell you one day, but not now." I turned back. "Let's go!"

Not waiting for an answer, I sprinted for a bit and jumped, my jump easily reaching a couple of meters in the air, and landed on the rooftop of a small building. Not a single second after I landed, the maids were already there too.

"You are not as fast as you think, my dear Master." Said Sheffield, and continued her way jumping between buildings.

"Well, isn't she competitive?" I said to the other maid.

"She isn't usually like this; I think she only likes to compete with you, Master."

"Hah, that's a not fair competition by any means." As I said that, I began to follow Sheffield, with Belfast close behind.

"Understood, I'll tell her Majesty immediately." Warspite cut the mental link. "Your Majesty, Belfast and Sheffield had successfully released Ritsuka from their captors."

"Excellent." Elizabeth took her scepter with her and began to walk away from her room. "Come with me, Warspite."

"Ah…yes." She started to walk behind her. "Where are we going, Your Majesty? It's time to finally leave this place?"

"Not yet, my friend. In fact, we are doing the opposite."

"Eh?"

"The new commander will arrive soon, so it's time to prepare this base for his arrival." She started looking around the place as she walked. "It's so dark and gloomy, a far cry of what a proper Royal Navy base should be like, but maybe with a bit of paint here and there…"

"Hey." A soldier approached the two shipgirls, not a minute after they had left the room. "The Commander ordered not letting you roam around the base, return to your room."

"Don't bother her Maje-" Warspite once again wanted to serve her role as the Queen's personal knight, but Elizabeth walked towards the man.

"Perfect Timing." Elizabeth completely ignored what the man had said. "We need to find someone, a soldier that normally has rounds around here. I didn't get his name last time, but he has brown hair and should be around this tall." Elizabeth raised her arm and made a gesture of his approximate height.

"Johnson? He asked to be reassigned yesterday…wait, why am I telling you this? I said that you must return to your room now." The man's voice turned serious.

"So his name is Johnson, huh? And where could he be?"

"I said that you must-" The man tried to grab the shipgirl by the shoulder.

"Stop right there!"

But his hand was stopped by a mysterious force.

"Do you think you can lay your hand on the Queen as you please!?" Elizabeth shouted in a commanding tone and hit her scepter on the floor. "Know your place!"

The man seemed to have frozen in time, his arm still extended as if he was trying to grab her, but his expression showing deep fright.

Elizabeth smiled.

"Let's go Warspite, we'll find Johnson by ourselves." Elizabeth walked away, followed by a confused Warspite.

"I am sorry, you Majesty, but I have to ask…what is going on?"

"No need to worry, my knight." She reassured her. "Everything will become clear once we find Johnson."

"I say it now, don't try it. You will fail miserably."

"Come on, Richard, don't you have at least some faith in me?"

"Not in the slightest." Reaffirmed the soldier, while he took a look around the apartment, trying his best to ignore his colleague's antics. "I saw like ten people trying to lift it at the same time, and it didn't even budge, you are just losing your time, dude."

"That only means they weren't the chosen one." The other soldier commented with strange enthusiasm.

"What?" Richard could only stare at him.

"It's the same as with Excalibur, only the one capable of ruling Britain could remove it from the stone." The man crouched beside the shield. "Don't you think it's the same here, but with a shield instead of a sword?"

"…wait, that's the sword in the stone, not Excalibur."

"Same thing, you know what I mean." The other soldier put his hands around it. "I wonder, will I be worthy or not?"

The other man released an exasperated sigh; he only hoped no one would know that they were messing with what the Commander described as "an important piece of unknown technology."

Although, pretty much everyone, including the Commander herself, had tried to lift it, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to let one more person made a fool of himself. If anything happened, he only had to shift the blame on him, after all.

The soldier firmly held the shield with both hands and tried to lift it. He didn't put too much force at first, but once he realized the shield wasn't moving, he decided to put all his strength on the task.

However, as Richard had said, it was useless; the shield remained motionless on the floor.

"Arrrgh." The man stepped back, his arms hurt. "It's like it's glued to the floor!"

"Told you so." Richard wasn't surprised. "That thing must weight a ton. I have no idea how that guy supposedly wields it."

"Huh, maybe there is a hidden button to make it lighter or something." The man started touching around the shield again.

"A button? Hah." He laughed. "And where did that "chosen" crap go to?"

"Come on, it was a joke. No way things like magic swords or shields exist."

"They do, though." A new voice resounded in the room, one that they haven't heard before.

Both men immediately looked at the source of the voice, and they found a man by the door. He appeared to be in his late twenties, he had short black hair, and his face was a bit of obscured by a 3-days beard, his navy blue eyes fiercely gazed at them.

There was a minute of silence before any of them could respond.

"W-who…who are you!? How did you get past the-" Richard tried to approach the man, but he immediately stopped upon seeing what was behind him.

The door of the apartment was wide open, revealing the bodies of the men guarding the place, they laid on the floor motionless.

"You bastard!" Richard tried to take his gun, but before he realized, the man was just centimeters in front of him.

"I can't let you do that." Was all he said before hitting him on the chest with the palm of his arm.

He was sent flying towards one of the walls, the air in his lungs leaving his body in mere seconds.

"Richard!" shouted the other man, as he drew his pistol and pointed towards the man. "Freeze, now!"

"Sheffield."

"…!?" The man suddenly fell a presence behind him, but it was only for a moment, he couldn't react as someone dressed in a maid uniform had hit him from behind, knocking him instantly.

Richard observed the situation with helplessness. Who was that man? How could he take on a trained soldier with just one punch? And most importantly…why was the missing prototype with him, and why did it seem to follow his orders?

The strange man walked toward the shield, and he couldn't believe what happened next.

He reached out to the shield, and with a single hand, he lifted it.

"I am back, sorry for leaving you here, Mashu." The man talked with the shield as if it were a living being."I promise it won't happen again."

Then, his gaze turned toward him and slowly approached.

Richard tried to get away, but his chest hurt like hell. Were his ribs broken?

"Believe me; I don't like any of this." The man said, with a tone of resignation. "But life isn't fair for anyone, not me, not you."

After saying that, he hit Richard with the side of the shield.

And everything turned black.

After some time, Elizabeth found the person she was looking for. Johnson was doing his rounds in a different part of the base, one that was actually quite far from the Queen's quarters.

Upon seeing the two shipgirls, an expression of nervousness appeared on his face.

"W-what are you two doing here…?" He stuttered like he was afraid of them.

Elizabeth smiled.

"Fear not, oh cherished citizen! Because I, the Queen, know what disturbs your dreams!" Elizabeth started to approach the man.

"Don't get close!" The man stepped back until he was stopped by a wall.

"Since that day, the day we talked, you have been feeling unwell, am I right?"

"I said don't get close!" He took his gun and pointed it towards Elizabeth.

"Your Majesty!" Warspite was ready to take her sword, but her Queen stopped her with a gesture of her hand.

"You feel, deep inside you, that something is terribly wrong." She continued approaching him. "But no matter how much you try, you can't pinpoint the reason."

The man shot at Elizabeth. However, his hands were shaking so much that he missed.

"I can tell you, I can tell you what torments you."

Elizabeth was so close to him; that he wouldn't have failed if he had fired again. But he couldn't, he no longer could pull the trigger.

The pistol fell off his hands, and he too, fell on his knees, feeling weakened.

Elizabeth put a hand on his shoulder, at that position; she was taller than him despite her small height.

"You realized the truth. You are the first one in this base to finally be able to see the truth."

The man raised his head and looked up towards Elizabeth.

"Search in your heart, you know what the truth I am speaking of is."

"I..I…" He doubted at first but finally reached an answer. "I don't know...why I took me so long to understand."

The man lowered his head until his forehead was touching the cold floor.

"You…you are the true monarch of this country…you are…my Queen….our Queen."

"I am!" Elizabeth shouted with pride. "And I won't rest until every person in this country recognizes as such! Will you help me in my quest to reclaim the throne!?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Johnson shouted, his voice full of loyalty.

"That's what I wanted to hear! You can raise your head, soldier Johnson, we have a lot to do in this base!" He turned around and walked toward Warspite. "Did you see that, Warspite? My charisma finally went through him! With this, we'll be able to return to the position we have been robbed, we'll stand as the leaders of this country once again!"

Having said that, she walked away, followed by the now loyal Johnson.

Warspite was stunned.

She was sure that wasn't how charisma worked.

END OF CHAPTER 10

Chapter Text

I suddenly heard a familiar sound coming from my bedroom.

I didn't need to check, I was sure it was my mobile; apparently, I had left it on my nightstand the night before and forgot to bring it with me when the police came. The dull ringtone I had chosen a few years ago informed me that I got a message.

As I took the phone in my hand, I could see a few words appearing on the phone block screen.

15 message, all from the same person: Arthur, my….friend? Were we friends? Let's settle with colleagues. They were sent at different times, however.

The first ten or so were sent on Friday night, and by the language and grammatical errors, I could assume Arthur wasn't in his most sober state when he sent them.

A couple more were sent on Saturday morning, commenting how much his head hurt and asking me how I had dealt with the hangover.

The last one was sent just a minute ago, and it was just a "hey man, u okay?"

Well, wasn't he nice?

A bit too nice in fact, to the point I kind of regretted what I was about to do.

"Is something wrong, Master?" Belfast, appearing by the door, asked, maybe seeing my conflicted face or perhaps because I had just left the living room without a word.

"Not really, just making sure that I don't lose my job."

"…?"

I was probably going to disappear for a couple of days, maybe more, so I needed an excuse for my absence, and I was going to use Arthur for that.

Thus I quickly invented a story about someone breaking into my apartment (a thing that actually happened). I was now dealing with police and legal matters (something that was also partially true) and sent it to Arthur. Ideally, I would have liked to speak with the director personally. Still, it was a bit too late for that, so hopefully, this would be enough to explain my absence in the following days.

"Master, forgive me if this question troubles you, but….Do you really think you'll be able to return to your normal life after this?" The maid's tone was serious.

That question surprised me for a bit, but I understood what she meant.

She was asking if I had what it takes to take my position seriously. I was now a "Commander" after all; of course, she would worry if she sees me thinking about the past instead of my responsibilities as a leader.

"I like to think that I would at some point." I answered as honestly as possible. "Even if it wasn't really my calling at first, teaching kind of grew on me."

"Master….even if we manage to successfully reinstate Her Majesty on the throne, the Siren threat will still exist." Her tone had a certain degree of pessimism."We still don't know their real objectives, and we have failed to gain a concise victory against their forces so far…it pains me to say it, but it's most likely that the impending war won't end anytime soon."

Yes, I was aware of that. Something inside me told me that this wouldn't end so quickly.

It was never that easy.

"Don't worry, I know what I have to do, Belfast. You can trust that I will put my all in fulfilling my duty."

That being, stopping your Queen before she does anything crazy. As for the Sirens…I would burn that bridge after I crossed it.

"I wasn't trying to imply otherwise." She made a reverence. "Forgive me if it came off that way, Master."

"…"

It had come to my attention that Belfast apologized a lot. Hard to imagine that this woman was the same that jokingly teased me when we first met.

And speaking of apologies…

"Tell me, Belfast; was the Queen's order for you to act flirtatious when we first meet?"

Her eyes opened a bit in confusion at the sudden change of topic.

"N-no, she just ordered me to approach you and invite you to the Royal Navy. I was the one who decided to act that way."

"I see. And can I ask why do you decide to do that?"

"I…" It seemed like she didn't want to answer but continued regardless. "I thought it would be easier to judge your character that way."

"Heh, is that so?" I chuckled. "Did I give you the impression to be an easily swindled person?"

"I am really so-"

"It's fine. Looking back, I think I overreacted a bit." I recognized. "I was on edge, and it was easy to shift the blame on you. I should be the one apologizing for my behavior."

"No, I did present myself as someone I wasn't to try to get your sympathy Master, I am indeed at fault."

I couldn't deny that my pride was a bit hurt that day, maybe because I haven't dated anyone in…a long time. The thought of someone interested in me was….no, it was not the time for such silly ideas.

Instead, I had to think carefully about my options and the possibility that Elizabeth wouldn't cooperate willingly.

"Think we can start over again?"

"Eh?"

I needed all the allies I could get.

"It might have been your fault, or maybe it was mine. That doesn't change the fact that we are on the same side now." I extended my arm to her. "So, what do you think if we leave all that behind and start over again?"

She once again went silent and looked at my extended arm with a conflicted expression. Then, her eyes moved to her own hand.

"I…would like that, Master." She finally took my hand in a firm handshake, a fact that reminded me how stronger than me she was.

I smiled.

"Once again, my name is Fujimaru Ritsuka. Nice to meet you."

"And once again, I am Belfast, the maid." A small smile also appeared on her face. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

I couldn't see her betraying her Queen, but if things went in my favor, it wouldn't be a "betrayal," it would be…

"I really commend your ability to socialize, my Master. However, I think it's not the time or place to give up to your basic instincts." The other maid voice came from outside the room; she looked at us with a deadpanned expression.

We quickly separated, a bit startled by Sheffield's sudden appearance.

"Sheffield? Since when were you there?" Belfast asked.

"Since both of you started flirting without a care in the world."

"Who was flirting? Also, eavesdropping is bad, Sheffield."

"I was just making sure that you don't use your newly gained authority for perverse means, my pest of a master. Also, I came to inform you that the humans are tied up, so we are free to leave whenever you see fit."

"Did you make sure that they won't be able to scream once they wake up?" I tried to ignore that comment of hers.

"Any more tape on their mouths would suffocate them, or is that what you want, Master?"

"No, I'll believe your word." I turned back to Belfast. "Take Marcia with you. We are leaving in five minutes."

"Understood." Belfast agreed in the most businessmen way possible and exited the room.

"You'll be leading the way to the laboratories, Sheffield."

"You won't win her with pretty words, Master."

I was about to prepare myself when I heard that comment from the serious maid.

"I am not sure what you mean."

"You like her, right?"

"…what?"

"I mean, you are sexually attracted to-"

"Wait." I made her stop. "I understood the first time; you don't need to word it differently."

"So you don't deny it."

"…" I wanted to say something to deny that claim, but I couldn't. "And what if I do? It's none of your business, Sheffield."

I am not a teenager anymore; I can like someone and be completely fine with it, not going to lose sleep over that.

"Sadly, it is, Master, since you don't make any effort on hiding it." She gave me a look as if I were the worst person in existence. "Frankly, it's distracting and disgusting."

"What are you talking about…?" I was about to say something, but an idea popped into my head. "Could it be that you are actually jealo-"I couldn't finish, as I had the barrel of a pistol in my forehead.

"That's an interesting statement. Care to continue?"

"It's obviously a joke. You don't have to the point that thing at me."

"You are certainly quite the jester, my dear master. Don't you think "buffoon" would be a more proper role for you than, Commander?"

"That would be hard. My jokes only work on you."

"Regrettably, I am not laughing."

"You seem to enjoy my company, though."

"The fact that you keep deluding yourself is worrying." She said with a straight face.

I chuckled, and I started to wonder when getting a gun on my head had become my idea of amusement.

"Hey, I made up with Belfast already, so maybe we can also-?"

"No." Instant rejection.

"…Alright, not going to force you to get along with me." I didn't want to push the situation too much. Besides, I was sure I had fewer chances of convincing Sheffield than Belfast. "But I did mean what I said before; I don't care what happened between us in the past. I consider you my companion now, Sheffield."

"…!"

"Who knows, maybe with time, we can be friend-?"

"How did you do that?" She interrupted me.

I noticed how her arm twitched a bit, and the barrel of her gun moved a bit on my forehead. At the same time, a somewhat surprised expression appeared on her face.

"Huh? Did what? "

"What are you doing to me?" She asked, her tone suddenly gained a certain edge; she even pressed the barrel of her gun more strongly. "Is this also part of those abilities you have?"

"Sheffield?" I was dumbfounded.

"You have to stop, even if you are my Master now, I won't allow you to keep-"

"Sheffield." Belfast was back in the room. "It isn't good manners to put a pistol in your Master's forehead, don't you think so?"

Sheffield eyed the other maid, and wordlessly lowered her gun.

"Let's go we have to arrive before the sun appears on the horizon." She directed me a final look of distrust before abandoning the room.

I wondered, however, what had I done to get on her bad side this time.

I told the maids to go ahead, and I remained at the apartment for a couple of minutes.

I didn't have much time.

I quickly grabbed my briefcase, the one I always took with me to the classes and opened it.

"Here they are."

I took a small pencil case, folded a couple of paper sheets, and put them both in my pocket.

I didn't have time to try it at the moment, they would surely suspect something if I took too long to go. I would have to find time to do it at another moment.

Hopefully, I wasn't actually as rusted as I felt.

The man marked the phone number one last time, but the answer was still the same.

"The number you are trying to reach had been disconnected or is outside the-"

The phone was closed with force before the recording could end.

"Have you been able to get in touch with the laboratories?" The Admiral asked one of his subordinates, the man in question was one of many soldiers, sat around a giant machine that appears to be some kind of communication device.

"No, sir. They still haven't responded to our callings, not from the normal channel or the encrypted one.

"So, they have fallen already." He got up from his chair. "Call O'Dyne, tell him to get the new prototypes ready for combat. Also, warn the higher-ups, we are closing all the entries to the labs."

"Sir…? But Commander Marcia said twenty-four hours, she may be still…."

"She is dead, soldier. And we are going to follow her steps if we don't put an end to this madness once for all." The admiral declared, there wasn't a trace of doubt in his voice. "And hear me, we won't stand idle as a pair of defective weapons decide to rebel; we'll protect our country." His face contorted in one of contained anger. "Even if we have to use those."

"...Yes, sir."

"I see, so this is where this "subterranean" laboratory was."

It felt weird when Sheffield guided us inside the subway station, but it made sense. They couldn't just build an extensive underground base from scratch; the underground tunnels must have helped them build it, or maybe they repurposed a vacant area.

Whatever the case was, after walking on the rails for some time, and crossing a really stretch section between two walls, we arrived at a heavy metallic door, with a yellow and black sign that said "Authorized personal only."

Sheffield then approached the door, but it opened before she could touch it.

Behind the door was yet another maid. Aside from the now normal maid uniform, she was also wearing glasses, covering a pair of light blue eyes. Her stature was shorter than Belfast, but she had the same long silver air falling on her shoulder.

"Bel, Sheffield, welcome back." The maid made a reverence towards my companions.

"Thank you for receiving us, sister." Said Belfast. "I hope everything went well in our absence."

…? Did she say sister?

After looking a bit more carefully at the new maid, I noticed that she did resemble Belfast a bit. How curious to think that she had a little sister.

"As well as possible." She commented, a bit pessimistic. "I keep trying to serve her Majesty, but Warspite keeps getting in the way! I know they are close, but as a maid, I should be the one to…" The maid's sight finally fell on me; apparently, she had failed to notice my presence until now. "Huh, what is a human doing here…? Ah! Is this one of the new recruits?"

New recruits?

"Actually, he is…" Belfast tried to explain, but the new maid approached me before she could finish.

"Hmmm, let's see..." She tided her glasses and started inspecting me from head to toe."Huh, not bad, not bad, a bit on the weak side but beggars can't be choosers."

"Huh…excuse me?"

She put a hand on my shoulder, looking smug even though I was taller than her.

"But don't worry, we'll find something for you to do. Even if you can't fight directly, there are always jobs like mopping the floor or cleaning the bathrooms available. I am sure you can find something to be of use to Her Majesty!"

I looked at the other maids in confusion, only to see Belfast's troubled smile and well as Sheffield's tired stare.

Ah, I see

"So, you are going to teach me how to server Her Majesty?" I decided to play along.

"But of course!" Her eyes were shining for some reason."I, Edinburgh, will help you in all you need newbie! Who knows; maybe with a lot of hard work, I might allow you to take care of my du-to help me with my work!" She quickly corrected herself.

"I see, I thank you for the offer, but I don't think I will have time too much time to mop the floor while working as a Commander."

"Ah?" Edinburgh's face suddenly went stiff. "Commander? What are you talking about-?" She turned around only to see Belfast's smile.

"Sister, let me introduce you to the new Commander, Ritsuka Fujimaru."

"Co-co-commander?" Edinburg slowly turned towards me again; her face was now devoid of color.

" Hmm, yes, that should be me."

"Co-commander! Or is it Master!? Ehh…ahh…" She seemed to be at lots of words. "Master Commander! I am so sorry for my behavior! I thought you would be more…no, no what I am saying!? It's not like I am criticizing your looks! I think you are perfect as you are!"

"It's okay, calm down. I am not angry." I tried to reassure her. "As Belfast said, I am the Ritsuka Fujimaru. Edinburg, was it? Nice to meet you." I offered her a handshake.

Seeing that I genuinely wasn't angry, Edinburgh's face beamed again.

"Y-yes! Nice to meet you, Master Commander!" She took my hand with both hands and rapidly shook it. "Her Majesty had been waiting for you; I am sure she will be happy to finally receive you at last!"

I smiled. The feeling was mutual. I couldn't wait to meet this "Queen."

My actions after meeting her, would depend on the type of person she was.

We went downstairs once, and the scenery changed a bit.

The dark corridors around us were now more adequately illuminated, and I could see some walls displaying more warning signs like "Restricted Area" or "Use of deadly force is authorized against trespassers."

"They really wanted to keep people away from this place, huh."

"Marcia told us that this facility was in use before serving as a base for us; she never told me what they were doing, however," Belfast informed me.

"Well, maybe we can ask her once she wakes up." I looked at the woman in Belfast's shoulder; she was still out of the cold.

I really needed to think what to with her, or if she was at risk being here, we weren't on the best terms, but I didn't want anything too wrong happening to her.

We walked some more, and at some point, the tunnel separated into two. On my right, I could see a long corridor with a large number of doors. There were also a few standard things like air conditioners on the walls and a few water dispensers. In other words, that side of the tunnels started looking a bit more like a place where people could actually stay decently comfortable.

"Those are the soldiers' barracks." Edinburgh noticed my gaze. "Her Majesty's room is this way." She continued to the left tunnel.

"…"

She said, the "barracks", implying that people lived here as I had suspected. However, I had yet to see another human being in this base.

Strange.

We finally arrived at our destination, the "throne room," so to speak, even though it looked no different from any other room, at least from the outside.

Belfast went to lock Marcia in another room, and Edinburg entered first to announce my arrival to the Queen, so it was just me and Sheffield waiting by the door.

"Anything I should know before I meet her?"

"Kneel down when I do, and let her do the talking; you only need to answer when spoken." Sheffield eyed me cautiously. "And remember, you are before her Majesty, the Queen, so don't do anything weird."

"Now I kind of want to do the opposite just to mess with you."

Sheffield gave me a judging stare that said, "don't mess up, you idiot."

I chuckled.

"Commander, you may come in." I heard Edinburgh's voice from behind the door.

"Ready?" Asked the serious maid while putting her hands on the knob.

"Ready."

She opened the door, and as I suspected, there was no enormous throne room, long red carpet, or fanfare of any kind. It was just an average room with some furniture; it was tidier than expected, considering it was underground.

Then I saw her.

If I had to be honest, I had formed a mental image of what this "Queen" looked like in my head. I imagined an adult woman, older than me but with a strong presence, someone who could be able to shut everyone up in a room with just a fierce stare. Someone decided, with clear convictions of what was right and wrong.

Actually, was I thinking about Artoria?

I didn't know, but I positively wasn't thinking about this.

"I, Queen Elizabeth, the first, welcome you to the Royal Navy headquarters, Ritsuka Fujimaru!" The blonde girl loudly stated, with a commanding tone.

Yes, "girl" was the right word, as she looked relatively young, indeed not older than the maids who served her with such devotion. This girl was seated in a big chair, a makeshift throne, and wore a dark blue dress with white motifs alongside white gloves and white knee socks. On her right arm was some kind of staff or scepter, and on her head rested a small red and golden crown.

If it was the first time looking at something like this, I would disregard someone like her as some girl trying too hard to look like a Queen. However, I had come to understand that appearance mattered little when it came to supernatural beings.

"Kneel before the Queen, human." Said another girl, who was by Elizabeth's side.

They looked alike, with blonde hair and youthful appearance; however, this girl actually exuded a particular aura. With her fierce gaze and a sword on both hands resting on the floor, I could tell that she was a warrior.

I was too busy staring at the two girls that I forgot I was supposed to show respect, a fact that became clear when I looked at the kneeling Sheffield, glaring daggers at me.

"I am Fujimaru Ritsuka." I quickly copied her, putting one knee on the floor while maintaining my posture with Lord Camelot. "I was told that your Majesty requested my presence, so here I am."

"Indeed, Fujimaru! It's a pleasure to finally meet the one that would be the Commander of my troops." Elizabeth sounded upbeat. "I have heard a lot about you."

"Hopefully good things."

"They are; having bested a Siren is not a small feat."

"…" I chose not to comment on that.

They kept blowing my confrontation with Purifier out of proportion; all I did was run and defend myself with Lord Camelot. I had no way of inflicting damage to her until she attacked Lord Camelot directly.

"And not only that, but you also fought your fellow humans and the corrupt government." Her voice adopted a severe tone after those words."You have passed for quite an ordeal before coming here."

"I only fought to protect my life, a life that someone important for me saved." Her smile appeared in my mind as I looked at Lord Camelot. "That's why; anyone who dares to disrupt that peaceful life I had built is my enemy."

And that includes the Royal Navy.

"You and I feel the same, Fujimaru." She stood up and began to approach me. "We were both unjustly deprived of our freedom, you have robbed your peaceful life, and my throne was occupied by a faker who calls herself Elizabeth II." She frowned with contained rage. "I think we both had enough of this affront."

"What do you plan on doing, you Majesty?"

"Naturally, I would recover the throne and expel those fakers."

"And when you do that." I tighten my grip in Lord Camelot. "When you finally are recognized as the Queen of the United Kingdom, what would you do with the people that supported the fake government, and with the rest of the common folk?"

"What would I do?" She looked into my eyes. "I would do my all to serve them as the Queen they deserve. I would guide them in the battle against the Siren to victory."

We stared at each other for a couple of seconds, her azure eyes meeting my own.

I only needed that look to tell: she was telling the truth.

If she had said something like, "I am going to enslave them." Or "I am going to put them in their place." I would have attacked her without hesitation. But she didn't, and she seemed to have good intentions, or at the very least, she did believe her own words.

However, that was not enough to gain my trust. I was deceived by one of her maids before; she would need more than a few words to convince me that her heart and actions were entirely unclouded.

"And to achieve that objective, I need you by my side, Fujimaru."

"I will put my all in leading the maids and fulfill my role as a Commander, Your Majesty."

"No, it's more than that." She corrected me. "I'll need you not only as a Commander but as my Knight."

"A Knight?" I asked with curiosity.

"We had a few human Commanders, and all of them failed in recognize my authority." She shook her head. "I don't want for that to happen again, Fujimaru. That's why I want you to be one of us; by accepting to be my knight, you'll be under my direct command, just like Warspite." She put a hand on my shoulder. "You'll become a part of the Royal Navy."

So, it was an even more prominent position of authority, with just a different title.

I didn't see a problem with that.

"Will you swear your loyalty to me, Fujimaru Ritsuka, so that we both can bring justice to those who wronged us?"

I had already accepted my position as Commander only to get close to her, and I have fulfilled that part of my plan. Now came the real challenge, gaining her trust.

Becoming her knight would be the perfect chance to do that.

"I swear…" I was about to accept, but my voice died in my throat for some reason.

I was supposed to say, "I swear to be loyal to you, my Queen." A lie, obviously, I would only accept to get close and gain her trust.

However, I couldn't say it.

"..."

It wasn't like I felt bad for lying. It was necessary for this situation. It was a different feeling, like a hunch….I felt like...something terrible would happen if I swore loyalty to her.

It was an irrational fear. Words were just that, words, and she wasn't a magical being who could bound me by a contract like one of Masters and Servants.

But that unrest didn't disappear.

"I swear I will serve your cause to the best of my ability." I avoided saying that I would serve her personally; hopefully, she wouldn't be bothered by the wording.

"Good, let's make it official, then." She turned around to look at the warrior girl. "Warspite, your sword."

Huh…?

"Are you sure about this, your Majesty?" She asked, as she took her sword by the grip and handed it to Elizabeth.

"Yes, I trust him." She looked at me again as she took the sword in both hands. "He is the same as me."

Wait, what was she doing…?

"By the power invested by my country and my lineage." She moved the sword first in front of her face and then above my right shoulder. "I hereby name you my-"

"No!" I shouted in a reflex.

Everyone in the room was stunned for a moment; even Sheffield looked at me, surprised. I, too, was surprised by my own reaction. The moment she touched me with the sword, I felt like I was losing something, that being her knight meant abandoning my will.

That's why I couldn't let her continue.

"No…?" Elizabeth looked at me with an expression of betrayal. "You don't want to…?"

"No…it's…it's the opposite….I am just not worthy of that title, my Queen."

"Eh?"

"I am…I am just a newcomer. To be named a Knight without any achievements under my belt would be a mistake."

"Are you questioning the will of your Queen!?"

"No, of course not. But I would die of shame if I achieve such a prestigious position without doing anything for my Queen."

I tried my best to sound convincing, but Elizabeth was having none of this.

"That doesn't matter! I want you as my Knight, and I…!"

"Your Majesty." Help came from an unexpected source. "I understand how he feels; he has yet to prove the bravery of a Knight."

"You too, Warspite!?"

"Put his might to the test; have him show that the stories about his exploits against the enemy aren't just mere happenstance. Only then, he will prove to be worthy of the title as a knight."

"But…but… I wanted him as my knight….!" Suddenly Elizabeth began to throw what I could only describe as a child tantrum. Long gone was the determined leader I had seen a moment ago.

"Y-your Majesty…" Warspite didn't know how to react, as she had tried to act severe, but her Queen's response was miles away from that.

"I-I think it's a great idea." I tried to intercede before the situation could become even more uncomfortable. "If you Majesty agrees, obviously."

"But…but…" Elizabeth seems to be torn between what she wanted and her own code. "Ah…alright! You'll be tested, Fujimaru. But when you are done with that, you'll become my personal knight at once!"

"Sure…it would be my pleasure, Your Majesty."

I could hear Warspite releasing a sigh of relief, indeed relieved that the situation has not gotten out of hand.

"Besides, it's not like I hadn't had a task for you on mind already." Even if she said that she still crossed her arms, looking a bit unsatisfied

"Oh? And what could that be?"

"That could wait for tomorrow. As I said before, you have passed an ordeal to come here, so it's only fair that I allow you a moment of respite." She turned to the maid. "Sheffield, guide Ritsuka to one of the rooms, the best one in the barracks."

"Yes, your Majesty." Sheffield turned to look at me, and for a split of a second, I could see wariness on her eyes. "Follow me, Master."

"With your permission." I bowed to the Queen one last time and abandoned the room.

Sheffield didn't say a single word after we left the "throne" room, and as we walked towards my assigned room.

I, too, didn't know what to say; I could guess I made her angry with that little stunt with the Queen.

Once we were in front of the room, she wordlessly put a key on my hand and began to leave.

"Hey." I talked before she could go."Are you mad?"

She stopped but didn't turn to look at me.

"You rejected her Majesty's offer."

I knew it.

"Sorry, I didn't know how to react. I was not ready for-"

"You don't feel loyalty towards the Queen, and I suspect you don't care if Her Majesty regains the throne or not. Even so, you still accepted the Commander position."

"…to be fair, you didn't leave me much of choice; I would be still locked in if I didn't follow you."

"Lies." She turned towards me."With the abilities you possess, it would have been easy to escape from prison. Yet, you decided to accept her Majesty's help."

Sharp.

"Where do you want to go with this, Sheffield?"

"I began to wonder, my dear master, what's your real objective with coming here?"

My real objective was to stop her Queen, but of course, I couldn't say that.

"I don't know what you are thinking, but I am just doing my part to end this war, Sheffield," I told her a half-truth. "What I said, Elizabeth was right; I only desire to return to my peaceful life once this is over, nothing more and nothing less.

She observed me for some time until she finally turned around.

"…I see, so it's like that."

And walked away, putting an end to the conversation.

"Sheffield?"

"Good Night, Master." She didn't stop this time.

He was hiding something. The maid was sure of it.

In the short time she had come to know him, Sheffield's opinion on the strange man had changed a lot, but her conclusion was the same every time.

At first, she saw him as an enemy, an ally of the Sirens, someone to be eliminated at once. In conclusion, he was dangerous.

Then, she saw him as a potential ally, wielding a mysterious power that no other human seemed to have, thus, being an unknown factor. In conclusion, he was dangerous.

And now, she saw him as her Master, the person she was supposed to serve with devotion. However, that same person wasn't loyal to the Queen, their leader, and their motives for helping them remained a mystery. In conclusion, he was dangerous.

No matter what position he was in, the fact that his existence remained as a threat to them was inexcusable; in normal circumstances, he would have removed him without hesitation.

But she couldn't, not only because Belfast and Her Majesty were convinced that Fujimaru could help them; she also couldn't do it, psychically.

Whenever she thought about ending his life or harming him, she began to feel weird. Her chest ached, his throat seemed to go dry, and she had difficulty trying to put her thoughts into words.

That unrest wasn't enough to hinder her standard capabilities. Still, it was enough to stop her from doing anything to him.

This discomfort…it had to be his doing. He had done something to her with those strange powers; he must have messed with her mind in some way, hindering her abilities to fight him.

Sheffield couldn't allow this to continue. She had to find a way to stop him, even if it means disobeying her Queen.

"…"

Maybe that was the worst part; the fact that she couldn't focus on her duties at all.

Her thoughts kept getting filled with his image.

"…"

Sadly, my new room wasn't something out of this world, which made sense since this was meant to be a soldier's room in a secret base, but…it bothered me a bit that it resembled the jail I was locked in a few hours ago.

At least it didn't have a toilet in the middle of the room, which was an improvement.

Anyway…

I started inspecting the room, searching for small cameras or microphones hidden in the small spaces like behind the bed or between the closet and the wall.

Thankfully, I didn't find anything.

Then, I put my ear on the wall and tried to hear if anyone was outside the room.

I couldn't hear anything; Sheffield must have gone by now.

Just to be sure, I kneeled on the floor and looked through the small space between the door and the floor.

Nothing, everything seems to be clear.

Good.

I took the case and the sheets of paper off my pocket and stared at it for a couple of seconds.

It's been a long time since I last tried it; a part of me was actually angry that I didn't practice much in all these years.

But that was the past. What mattered now is if I could do it or not.

I was still a Magus, and it was time to prove it.

It was time to do some Magecraft.

END OF CHAPTER 11

AN: Full disclosure, this chapter wasn't supposed to end like this, I wanted at least 2 or 3 more scenes, but sadly, I am about to get busy, like really busy. Not only I have college exams, but I am also starting to work part-time. So yeah November is going to be a really busy month for me. If I manage to release a chapter that month, it's going to be a short one with the 2 scenes missing in this chapter.

Now, about the chapter itself, it's a bit of a transition chapter before the next big thing, but I think it worked well with MC meeting the rest of the Royal Navy, hopefully, you'll find it interesting too.

So yeah, that's about it, see you on the next chapter.

Chapter Text

She threw the ball with force towards the nearest wall; the ball made an arc and bounced back towards her hand.

Then, she threw it again, and the process started once again.

And again, and again, and again.

And again.

As a Siren, Purifier was accustomed to repetition. She had played with the ball on her hand at least 6,48x10ˆ3 times. She knew how much force she needed to get a specific arc. She knew exactly where it would land, even without using any of her five senses. She could calculate the bounce amount needed for the ball to start to wear down until it could not bounce again.

And that made that activity, every activity in fact, so boring; so utterly boring.

Everything she had done and would do was limited between specific parameters, events between those parameters would repeat themselves no matter the world she was in, and things outside them were functionally impossible; it wouldn't come to happen even with infinite repetitions.

Or that's what she believed until meeting Ritsuka Fujimaru. This human managed to hurt her to the point of making her arm useless and forced her to retreat.

"Ritsuka…"

He was an anomaly, something outside the normal parameters; the odds of him, a human, ever hurting a Siren were so abysmal that it wasn't even worth considering.

Even so, it happened, and now she had to remain in that state to be "healed."

Purifier looked towards her right arm. A black spider-like machine firmly held it between two of its "legs" while the rest of them slowly went over her arm. Some of them were fixing part of the broken bones in her arm. Others were replacing the burned skin, and another was connected directly to her muscle tissue. There was no part of her right arm that the machine couldn't reach.

She didn't feel pain while the machine went through her arm, fixing it, but she had to remain still while it worked, so the only pain she felt was not physical but out of boredom. She didn't want to stay like that. She wanted to leave the Siren base at once and go play with her friend. Her first friend after so many simulations!

But she had her orders, even if she didn't care about losing her arm at all, Zero was adamant about it, and she couldn't go against her authority.

Yet.

Soon…soon she could, but for the moment, she had to remain as her lapdog.

"Hahhh….I want to see Ritsuka again!" She groaned and shook her legs as an impatient child. "I wonder if he already took charge of Azur Lane...or if he already took one of the shipgirls."

Purifier remembered the maid pawn, Sheffield, and pictured her together with Ritsuka. At that time, he saved her; she still remembered how Ritsuka carried her in his hands.

"I wonder…what kind of face would you make once I dismember her?" A sadistic smile appeared on her face. "Would you get angry? Would you cry? Or maybe…?"

"Have you finally descended to madness, Purifier? Or were you ever sane to begin with?" A voice suddenly came from the shadows.

Purifier immediately recognized her.

"What are you doing here, Alpha?" Her tone reverted back to being whiny. "Have you come to see me suffer like this?" She pointed at her imprisoned arm.

A pair of golden eyes suddenly appeared in the shadows as a figure began to walk toward Purifier; they both looked alike. The most glaring difference was the black see-through clothes that the new Siren wore instead of Purifier pseudo-school uniform.

"Is that how you receive a fellow Siren? And here I was, thinking that you would appreciate news on your little toy." Observer Alpha commented with exaggerated dramatics.

"Did something happen with Ritsuka!?" Purifier suddenly sounded interested.

Alpha smiled but didn't say anything. Then, with a gesture of her hand, a holographic screen appeared in front of Purifier. The screen showed Fujimaru Ritsuka in the Royal Navy underground base. He was kneeling in front of Elizabeth, the Royal Navy leader.

"Ah!? Why is he kneeling!?" Purifier suddenly felt insulted for some reason.

"Don't worry, he is just faking it." Alpha commented calmly. "Seems like he wants to take control of the Royal Navy in a hard way, even though you gave him-"

"Shhh." Purifier made a silence gesture with her finger and whispered. "She is watching….she always watches, remember?"

She sees everything. She hears everything. That's what Observer Zero was to the Sirens, a gaze upon them, with eyes that never rested.

"Ah, but don't worry. Our esteemed leader is currently busy fixing the mess with the Dragon Empery; a lot of people saw them after all fufufufu." Observer Alpha smirked. "The last place she would want to see is her own base." Her eyes began to shine. "She might not even realize if one of our cubes suddenly disappeared."

Purifier's eyes opened like plates for a second, but her expression went from surprised to overjoy.

"You just want to see them die, don't you?"

"Far from it, if they ceased to exist, I wouldn't be able to collect any more data from this simulation. I only propose these because I think highly of our little test subjects." She licked her own lips. "Besides, it would be boring if your toy succeeded so easily, don't you think so?"

Purifier chuckled.

"But of course!" With a powerful move, she broke free of the spider-machine that was holding her, tearing it to shreds.

She moved her fingers as if to test her hand. And when they moved without issue, she smiled.

"You know I hate boring things."

I released a deep sigh as I stared at the materials in front of me. Then, I took a pencil from the case and started drafting one of the paper sheets; my strokes slowly began to form several concentric circles.

It had been a while, a really long time since I had tried this. Still, I wanted to believe that some muscle memory may have remained in my hand after doing this very same task countless times in the past.

Yes, I just lacked practice.

The inscriptions on the magic circles were complicated, especially when I knew almost nothing about Kabbalah in the first place. I just left my arm to remember the strokes, even if my mind didn't remember the meaning behind the symbols.

"…"

As I silently drew the symbols, a few things started to return to my memory, somethings that helped me to remember some symbols like "this one looks like an "m" or "this one it's like a "t" but shorter."

I chuckled.

"I wonder, would you hate me for mishandling your techniques like this…? No, you hated humans in the first place, right Avicebron? So the sole idea that I am using what you teach me to once again help humanity would disappoint you."

Well, he was free to call me naïve and idiot if he wanted to…if only we could speak again…

"…ah shit."

I got distracted and ended messing up the draft.

"Well, I knew it wouldn't be easy."

I scrapped the paper and took a clean one to start drafting once again.

It took about an hour and a couple of tries, but I finally got a "successful" draft that could be used as a magic circle. Now I could finally begin with the real thing.

I took a pair of scissors from my case. From my pockets, I took a few pebbles and small rocks I had gathered from the street when Sheffield and Belfast released me from Marcia's soldiers, then I sat on the floor.

"If any proper magus sees me doing this, they probably either die of shame or kill me on the spot."

Anyway, I activated my magic circuits and prepared myself to use reinforcement magecraft, not on myself this time but on the scissors. Small green lines quickly appeared on the ordinary pair of scissors, making them harder and sharper.

Then, with one of its blades, I cut my index finger.

"…"

It hurt a bit, but I managed to draw blood. And thus, I started to copy the draft on the floor using my blood.

In my understanding, a summoning circle to invoke a Servant to this world was far more significant and required more materials than just blood; thankfully, I wasn't trying to do anything as crazy as to summon a Servant.

No, I knew about my limits. That's why a small magic circle was all I needed.

I copied the draft to the best of my ability, then I took the pebbles and started smashing them with the dull part of the reinforced scissors to make them a bit smaller. If I had a mortar with me, this activity would a lot less rudimentary but whatever.

Obviously, I couldn't make the pebbles that much smaller, but their size was reduced enough for my purpose, so I moved them inside the magic circle.

I released another deep sigh and put my hand above the magic circle.

"Alright, Ritsuka, you are a Magus, and you have done this before." I breathed a few times. "Just remember all those times Avicebron passive-aggressively encouraged you. You can do this."

I closed my eyes, and his image appeared on my mind. That self-deprecating masked man repeatedly said that he was one of the worst among his class, even though he could raise Golems with just a move of his hand. He didn't need blood or a magic circle like me. Only the soil and stones around him were enough to raise an army of powerful Golems, capable of putting up a fight against Servants.

That person was my teacher, someone who could even teach Golemancy to someone as inept in magecraft as me…such an exceptional man…

At that moment, I felt something going down my cheek.

I opened my eyes, surprised.

"Ah…really? We weren't even that close…I…I am an idiot…" I quickly rubbed off the lone tear from my cheek, cursing my own weakness. "I am glad he didn't see me like this. I am sure he would be disgusted."

I tried to shake those feeling and focus on the magic circle.

I closed my eyes again and started reciting the summoning words as I imagined the pebbles taking the shape I wanted. I could feel the magical energy leaving my body and entering the soon to be a golem.

Then, I opened my eyes.

The pebbles remained motionless, just like they were before I started the ritual.

"Come on…" I patiently waited. It should have worked…it must have worked.

My patience was rewarded as the pebbles started to move a bit, then gather at one point as if they were magnetized, and finally began to take shape. A line of pebbles formed the body, while the smaller ones began to develop their wings.

A small dragonfly made of small rocks stood in the magic circle. It was no longer than my index finger, while with its wings extended was probably a bit wider than my palm.

"Come." I commanded in mind, and the golem-insect quickly flew toward my open hand.

I smiled.

"One day Avicebron, one day I'll be able to command an army just like you." I said as I inspected my creation. "But for now, this is good enough."

I left my room and began to walk towards the exit.

The dragonfly-golem was self-sufficient, which meant it will protect its "life" from any potential danger. Still, aside from that, it needed my orders for almost everything. I needed to be as specific as possible. That's why if I wanted it to reach its destination, I had to make sure it has as few obstacles in its path as possible.

For that reason, I decided to go back to the surface for a bit; hopefully, the Queen and her servants wouldn't mind it.

Or that was the plan until I saw something unexpected in my path.

There was a man in front of one of the barracks' door, a soldier most probably. He seemed to be about to enter his room.

I mentally ordered my golem to enter inside my clothes and called him out.

"Hey." I began to approach him.

"Huh?" The man turned around and gave me a confused expression. "Who are you? I don't remember seeing you in the base before..." He seemed to be a bit tense.

"Make sense. I just arrived a few hours ago." I extended my hand. "Fujimaru Ritsuka, a pleasure."

"Fujimaru…Ritsuka?" He quickly adopted a rigid position and made a military salute. "I am sorry, Commander! I didn't recognize you!" He shouted for some reason.

"Eh….that's okay? As I say, I just arrived at the base." I retracted my hand since it didn't seem like he was going to shake it. "Your name?"

"I am Private Johnson, Sir!" He shouted again.

I grimaced.

"You know, you don't have to be so tense. I just wanted to talk a bit."

"Sir! As the Commander appointed by the Queen, this is the least amount of respect I can show, Sir!"

"…"

Really, I understood what he meant, but it was a bit excessive. After all, "Commander" was pretty much an arbitrary title given to me. I was just some random dude with almost zero military experience...I had another type of experience, but that was beside the point.

Also, "the Commander appointed by the Queen"…he meant this Elizabeth, right? Then why was he, a human, following her?"

As I asked those questions in my head, I noticed that Johnson seemed frozen in that military salute.

"Huh…you can rest, soldier?"

"Yes, sir."

I said that, and the man finally abandoned his stiff position and adopted a more normal one. Also, he wasn't shouting anymore.

Good.

"You see, Johnson, I was wondering if you can help me with something."

"I'll do my best, sir."

"Well, I was wondering how many…human soldiers are in this base. When I arrived, I was under the impression that there was none, but Edinburg said something about "recruits" and now I see you here."

"Sadly, we aren't that many; most of the regiment still doesn't recognize the Queen's authority. The loyal ones must be around twenty."

Eh…? Recognize the Queen's authority? What was this guy talking about…?

"And….you are one of them?"

"Of course!" He began to shout again. "I too was blinded by the government lies at first, but I understood everything once her Majesty gave me the honor of speaking with me directly: Queen Elizabeth the first is the real monarch of this country!"

"I…see." I couldn't see my own face, but I could bet I was too weirded out.

Was this guy crazy? Why was he talking such nonsense? He totally seems to believe those words. It was like they brainwashed him….

…

No…it couldn't be.

Maybe they actually brainwashed him?

"Hey, Johnson…can I ask you a few more-"

"Master?" I suddenly heard a voice from behind, and I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Belfast." I greeted her with a small nod while doing my best to hide my surprise.

What a convenient timing for you to appear right now.

"I thought you were already in bed, Master."

"Couldn't sleep." I quickly lied. "I wanted to take some fresh air, and I met Johnson here."

"Head maid." Johnson also greeted Belfast with a similar salute he had given me before.

"Unfortunately, all doors to the outside are locked at night, Master." She spoke to me, paying no mind to Johnson. "However, if you really want to go, I can go search for the keys."

"That would be great, thanks, Belfast." I turned to the soldier. "I'll be taking my leave now; we can continue this conversation later."

"Anytime, sir." He gave me the same salute as before and entered his room.

And so I left with Belfast, with more questions bouncing around my head than proper answers.

We didn't speak much until we left the subway station. The sky was still covered by the azure mantle of the night, and not a soul could be seen around us.

"Still pretty much empty, huh?"

"There are still a couple of hours before sunrise, Master."

"Seems like it." I raised my head and looked toward the night skies.

I was finally outside. However, Belfast was right beside me, and I couldn't let her see the golem; she might start asking questions that I didn't want to answer.

"So what were you doing at this time of the night? Your kind still needs to sleep, right?"

"We do, but not as much as humans." She smiled. "Besides, it's a maid's duty to wake up her Master with a smile."

"Is that so? Then would you wake me up like that tomorrow?"

"Yes, I was also planning on serving breakfast, but sadly I am still unfamiliar with your preferences, Master."

"I am not picky; a pair of toasts and a tea is enough to get me through the day."

"What kind of tea?"

"Huh, to be honest, most of them feel the same to me. Any recommendation?"

"Earl Grey is my personal favorite."

"Let's go with that then; if you recommend it, I may as well try it."

"Very well, I shall wake you up in the morning with breakfast ready. Is seven o'clock a good time? "

"Seven? Isn't it a bit too early? Considering I am not going to work."

"If I let you oversleep, I will be spoiling you too much, Master."

"Huh, please let me rest for at least another hour. I am not sure when I will manage to fall asleep tonight…"

Wait, what was this small talk? Focus Ritsuka, remember why you came here: I needed to send the Golem to its destination, and she shouldn't see it. There must be a way to distract her, so she doesn't notice…

Ah.

"By the way, Belfast, you were actually following me before, right?" I asked that question as if I was asking for the weather. Maybe a direct attack would throw her off.

Silence, I received no answer for a solid minute.

"I was." But when I did receive it, the answer sounded unexpectedly truthful.

I turned to look at her with a curious look, only to find her wearing a serious expression. She wasn't fooling around.

"Queen's orders?" I continued.

"Yes. I was ordered not to leave you alone in case you left your room."

"I see, in other words, the Queen doesn't trust me."

"On the contrary, she fully trusts you." The maid assured. "She sees in you a champion, someone capable of leading the Royal Navy against the Sirens." She closed her eyes as if thinking for a second, only to open them again."And because of that, she fears losing you."

"Fears losing me…? So that's why she tried to knight me so hurriedly."

"Indeed. In this short time, you have become quite precious to her."

"…"

I felt like she was just enamored with the idea of a human capable of fighting toe to toe with a Sirens, which was really far from the truth. I was sure that misunderstanding would cost me dearly in the future.

"Thank you for telling me, but I have to be honest." I stared at her. "I am a bit surprised that you decided to trust me with this information."

"I have resolved not to lie to you again, Master." She stared back, with conviction. "I won't make the same mistake twice."

So she was still thinking about that time…

"I told you already, we were both at fault."I was actually beginning to feel guilty for mistreating her in our first proper encounter."You should forget about that already."

"For a maid to lie to her Master, it's inexcusable." She shook her head. "I still feel deeply ashamed for past behavior, Master."

…

"…Well, in that case, you can just turn the lie into a truth. Everything would be solved that way."

"What do you mean?"

"You invited me a few drinks after I "found" your earring, right? So…Is that offer still on the table?"

Belfast blinked.

"Are you asking me on a date, Master?"

"You don't have to call it a date if you don't want to….maybe just two people trying to make up with each other?"

"I…" She seemed hesitant.

"Ah, just to make it clear, you don't have to accept just to keep me content." I quickly added. "There is a lot to do here, and the last thing I want is-"

"No." She interrupted me. "I certainly wouldn't mind going on a date with you Master, I don't know much about the outside world after all. There are a lot of places I want to visit."

"I guess you couldn't go outside that much before." A mocking smile suddenly appeared on my face. "But now I make the rules, huh?"

She released a small chuckle.

"That's right, we wouldn't have any problem going outside now that you are our Commander." She lowered her gaze a little. "Sadly, the base is currently in turmoil..."

"I know we can't possibly do it right now, but maybe when things began to lay low a bit…Maybe we can try and see how it goes?"

She nodded.

"It's a promise, then."

"Indeed, let's go on a date once the situation calms down."

"I would be honored to accompany you, Master."

Our gazes met, my blue eyes meeting his grayish ones. A slight blush filled her cheeks, and a small smile spread across her beautiful face.

Maybe I was getting carried away; perhaps I was just being deceived by how pretty she was. Heck, maybe the Queen herself had planned all this to have me even more on her hands.

But really, at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to trust the maid in front of me.

"Ah, sorry, Master, Her Majesty is calling me." However, that moment ended as soon as it started, as Belfast put her hand on her ear as if trying to hear something.

"Her Majesty." She spoke not to me but to the person speaking on her head. "Understood, we'll go right away." They must have finished talking because she looked at me again. "Her Majesty is calling for us. Something urgent came up."

"Urgent? Did she give you the details?"

"No, she just said we need to hurry." Belfast turned to go back to the base. "Let's go, Master."

"Right." I began to follow her but stopped as she went downstairs to enter the subway station."So much for distracting her."

I had no idea what just happened. I was supposed to distract her, not ask for a date…Maybe I subconsciously liked her more than I expected.

I deeply sighed.

Thank god Elizabeth called; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to do this.

I ordered the dragonfly-golem to come out of my clothes and quickly gave it orders.

"Fly to the tower with the giant clock and search for the blonde man who wears white. He will understand once he sees you; don't let anyone else discover you until then."

And like that, the golem flapped its rock wings and flew towards the night sky.

I hated the idea of having to rely on him again, but I needed all the help I could get. If I was going to survive, I had to play all the cards I had been dealt with.

When we arrived at the Command Room, the place was a mess.

Around ten people sat in front of various computers, watching their screens and smashing their keyboards in multiple degrees of nervousness while shouting things to each other. There was an enormous screen on the wall that showed a map of the United Kingdom territory with a red dot on the south part of the country, near where the River Thames connects with the ocean.

"Your Majesty! Bel and Master Commander have arrived!" Edinburgh announced our arrival to the Queen, who was sat on a big chair a bit apart from the computer machinery, Warspite by her side.

"What's the situation?" Belfast quickly asked.

Warspite looked at us with a grim expression.

"A fleet of Sirens is heading towards our coasts as we speak; we have calculated that they'll reach the land in a 2 or 3 hours or so." Warspite frowned. "But that's not all. They aren't just normal Sirens."

"Not normal?"

"The machine's readings tell us that it's not the first time we have encounter one of these Sirens." The Queen continued talking, looking at me directly. "I am sure you are familiar with this one, Fujimaru."

"No…could it be?"

"Purifier." Answered Sheffield, who I just realized was also in the room. Her gaze was deep into the red dot in the screen. "She is back."

"Purifier…!" Remembering her was enough to form a knot in my throat.

"We must intercept them before they can reach the land. Belfast, Sheffield, are you two ready to depart?"

"With all due respect, Lady Warspite." Sheffield interceded."If it's really that Siren, "Purifier," then the both of us won't be enough. We all need to face her to have a chance."

"We can send Edinburgh too, but you know I can't leave Her Majesty's side, Sheffield."

"We'll have fewer chances if we don't make a joint attack. " Sheffield didn't back down. "That Siren can't be taken lightly."

"Is that true, Fujimaru?" The Queen asked for my opinion.

I didn't answer immediately, thinking carefully about my answer.

"It's difficult to say. I know firsthand that she is certainly strong even while holding back. On the other hand, I don't know the extent of Belfast's abilities." I gave a quick look to Sheffield. "That being said, I trust Sheffield's judgment. She was the one who fought her more directly after all."

"I see." Elizabeth seemed mediated my answer. "You should go, Warspite."

"Eh? Your Majesty?"

"I'll be fine. The Sirens takes priority over my safety."

I wanted to ask why she couldn't also go, being a weapon like the rest of them, but decided to remain silent.

"Besides, Ritsuka is here. He will protect me from any danger!"

Silence. The Queen declared such a ridiculous thing with extreme confidence.

What.

"Your Majesty….that's…" I tried to speak.

"It's a shame that you can't show your abilities in a battle on the sea, but that doesn't mean you can't protect me while I am on land!" Her words hit me like a heavyweight on my back. "Isn't that right, Ritsuka, my future knight?"

How much blind faith does this girl have in me!? She hadn't even seen me fight!

"Y-yes, you Majesty, I'll do my best." I lowered my head, more to hide the expression of bewilderment on my face than to show loyalty. Also, to hide from the thunderstruck gaze that Warspite was likely giving me.

"There you go; you are free to accompany the maids, Warspite."

"But…your Majesty…"

"It's an order, Warspite."

"Understood…your Majesty."

"Good, now depart at once! Even with your speed, it would take a few hours to reach the Thames!"

"Yes, your Majesty!" Repeated every maid and Warspite in the room. However, no matter how much I tried to ignore it, I could still felt the penetrating gaze of Warspite. It's like she was saying, "If you fail, I'll be the one to personally kill you."

Hopefully, my abilities wouldn't be needed this time.

Not an hour had passed when I realized how wrong that thought was. A strident alarm began to sound in the command room.

"More Sirens?" Asked the Queen to one of the people behind the computers.

"No, you Majesty, it's….here, we are getting attacked!"

"What!?"

A video appeared on the screen. It showed the entrance of the tunnels. About twenty people dressed in black assault uniform were attempting to destroy the metal door with a ram.

"The military?"

Were those Marcia's forces? Did they realize she never reached her destination?

"It's the Admiral. He made his move before us." I could see an expression of anger on Elizabeth's face. "But to think they would dare to attack us now when our forces are dealing with the Sirens!"

At that moment, one of the men in black noticed the camera on the wall, and for a split of a second, he stared at it.

Then he raised his rifle and shot it, the image, lost.

"How dare they….!?" Elizabeth looked more frustrated than she had ever been to before. "We won't stand idle as the admiral assault our base!" She stood up, hitting her scepter on the floor with force. "Ritsuka, take our soldiers and show them the meaning of messing with the Royal Navy!"

Of course, I had to be the one to do it.

"Yes, your Majesty…." I figured any excuse like I had no experience in commanding an armed squad would fly over her head, so I just resigned myself to my fate.

There was another thing that bothered me though…

Would I have to kill any of those men?

A magus was not an all-powerful entity. We were just humans who possess magic circuits. Yes, "humans" that's the keyword. We weren't weapons of mass destruction capable of winning wars by ourselves. I should make that clear to Elizabeth once this situation was resolved.

We took cover in the barracks; I was with Johnson in one of the rooms while the rest of the soldiers occupied the adjoining rooms.

As the defender side, we had a few advantages. First, the nature of the terrain; there was only one path, the front, where the enemy could come from, so the possibility of an ambush was almost null. Also, being in a subterranean tunnel means that they couldn't use explosives unless they want to risk being buried alive.

"Do you see anything, Your Majesty?" I spoke using my communicator.

"Not yet. Everything is quiet."

Another advantage was the cameras on the wall, the Command Room could alert us at the exact moment the Admiral's forces got in range; we didn't need to continually open the doors of the rooms to see them and could remain hidden to ambush them.

And the last advantage we had over them was ...this. I put a hand on Lord Camelot as I strengthened my grip. When it came to defense, I was probably invincible as long as the enemy didn't catch me from behind. I was nowhere near the level of Leonidas or Mashu, though; a lost bullet to the head could still kill me in an instant. Even with all these advantages, I was still human; I could die in a blink.

But I won't. I promised Mashu that I would survive, that the life she saved wasn't for nothing.

There was no way that I would die here.

"…! Ritsuka, they are coming!" The Queen spoke in my ear.

I made a sign to Johnson, telling him to alert the others and prepare himself, then I crouched beside the closed door, ready to open it at the right time. The plan was to stun them with a flash grenade and attack while they were blinded.

"It's my life or theirs….it's my life or theirs." I kept repeating that in my head. If I held back even a bit, people on my side would get killed; this situation is no different from before, in Chaldea. Those soldiers are no different from the Goetia. If they have to die so that I continue living, then it's not even a choice. It's my life or theirs…my life or theirs…

"Ritsuka!?"

"Elizabeth?" Apparently, I was unresponsive for a few seconds, so deep in my thoughts.

"Did you not hear me!? I order you to retreat!"

"What!? Why?"

"They aren't human soldiers, they are…!"

Suddenly, the door of the room was broken down, and a figure appeared in the portal.

That woman wore a black and white maid uniform, similar to the one Belfast wore but with a shorter skirt. Her pale hair was also short, not even reaching her shoulder, and the gaze of her red eyes was devoid of any emotion.

She was looking at me, but it didn't look like she recognized me as another being. It was like being watched by a robot.

"Freeze!"

Before I could react, I heard Johnson pointing his rifle at the maid.

It was over before he could pull the trigger; the maid pounced on him in a blink of an eye. First, she destroyed his gun with her bare hands, and with a solid punch to the guts, he was knocked out.

I didn't waste that opportunity he had created for me. I hit the floor with my legs, and with the speed and power my reinforced legs gave me, I attacked the maid from behind with the shield.

But I was blocked with just a move of her arm.

So strong!

"But it's not enough!" A reddish energy ball appeared on my free hand, and before the maid could react, I shot a gandr. The curse hit her, which made her stumble and lose her stability. No longer could she stop my charge.

"Ahhhh!" I put all my force on the shield and pushed her back until she collided with the wall with a loud noise, cracks appeared on it.

She tried to push me back, but I trapped her between the wall and the shield. I had the upper hand.

"Who are you!? How did you know when to attack!? Who is giving you information!?" I asked.

But the response I got was something unexpected.

"Damage sustained. Non-human enemy confirmed." She spoke with an emotionless tone.

"What?"

Before I could understand what she meant by that, I felt a force pulling me from behind, and then I was thrown away.

"Arrgh!"

I hit a wall with my back, it hurt like hell.

The moment I took a look at my surroundings, I noticed the bodies of the rest of the soldiers, all of them were lying motionless on the floor, and the culprit was the woman that had thrown me.

"Another one!?"

She was also a maid, her uniform was a bit more covered than the first woman, but it had a hole in the lower middle part of the chest for some reason. She looked reasonably similar to the other maid, aside from the hair being a bit more bluish and longer.

The one thing that was exactly the same, though, were those red eyes and the same dead gaze she gave me.

I quickly got up and put distance between us.

The enemy maids slowly exited the room and stood up, just looking at me.

"Non-lethal protocol: lifted."Both of them said at the same time as they extended their hands. A pair of swords, one silver and black colored, while the other, steel and golden, materialized on their hands from thin air.

If there was any doubt that they were the same as Belfast and the rest, then it was gone.

"…!" I took Lord Camelot with both hands as I stepped back.

This was bad. I thought I could face one of them with some difficulty, but two was another story.

At that moment, one of them pounced at me, her sword raised.

I quickly defended with the shield, and our weapons meet with a "clank." Thankfully, the recoil of her charge sent her a few steps back. However, I could no longer see the other maid with her.

"…!" I instinctively moved my left hand to my back while turning my body a bit.

Then I felt pain.

I had managed to block the other maid's slash from behind with my reinforced arm, but I had not emerged unscathed from that encounter. The blood of my arm ran down the steel of her sword.

"…!"

The situation was grim. I was trapped between the two maids. If I moved Lord Camelot to defend myself, the maid in front of me could attack me quickly.

"What are you two doing!?"

A scream suddenly resounded in the tunnel, and for a split of a second, the maid attacking me took her blood eyes from me to spot the source of the voice.

That's all I needed.

Ignoring the pain, I quickly grabbed the maid's sword by the blade and move it to the side just to hit her directly with the Lord Camelot.

The maid tried to block, but it was too late, and I sent her a few meters away.

I quickly turned back at the other maid, waiting for an attack, but it never came. She was fighting with someone else.

Steel met steel, and I could see sparks flying as the two swordswomen face each other.

"Warspite! "

It was the Queen's knight, Warspite, she had come back!

"Fujimaru!" She separated from the maid and approached me, still pointing her weapon at her."I knew I couldn't leave you alone with Her Majesty."

"Honestly, I don't freaking care why you are back." I put my back towards her, to see the maid that I had hit slowly coming back towards me. "You saved my life."

"Don't start celebrating too early." She took her sword with both hands. "Their swordsmanship is nothing to be dismissed. They may even rival my own."

"Wait, do you know them!?"

"Yes...They are Light Cruisers of the Royal Navy... Royal maid Sirius…and Royal maid Dido, the best swordswomen in our faction after me.

END OF CHAPTER 12

AN: Don't have much to say about this chapter, in fact, I wanted to read what you all think because spoiler: I liked writing it quite a lot.

Ah, and since I won't release a chapter until...mid January maybe? I wanted to wish you all a good Christmas for those who celebrate it and a good New Years. Maybe this horrible 2020 disappear in oblivion.

Seriously, die 2020.

See you on next chapter.

Chapter Text

"We are getting closer to the base." The soldier reported to the military base while he and the rest of the assault forces approached the subterranean lab. The night offered them a dark cloak that covered their operations. "We await your orders, Admiral."

"Did you make sure to close off any path leading to the lab?" The Admiral responded from the command center.

"Yes, the streets leading to the entrance were blocked by the local police, and the subway line was closed with the excuse of monthly maintenance, sir."

"What about the prototypes? Any sign of rebellion?"

"Negative, they have been docile so far." The soldier assured. "They don't move before we do, just like you ordered, and they have been silent all the way here."

"…"

The Admiral knew it, and it was a gamble sending the prototypes without doing further tests. Even O'Dyne was unsure how they may react. The experiment should have worked, interrupting their gestation period before they could fully develop a sense of self should have erased any traces of free-will. Still, it was a rudimentary and untested method, a product of the little time they have.

In other words, they couldn't know when they may start disobeying orders; the new prototypes were a two-edged sword.

"Regardless, stay alert."

"Copy that."

But it had to be done; they had to attack before them. They already had killed Commander Haydes. It was just a matter of time until they tried to overthrow him.

He would never allow that.

"Always charging forward regardless of the consequences, aren't you, William?"

He felt like his heart stopped for a second as he heard something out of this world reaching his ears. It was a man's voice; it spoke directly to his ear, like a whisper.

Immediately, he searched for the source of that voice, but he found no one. His subordinates were all occupied preparing the assault, and no one was close enough to speak directly to his ear.

"You won't find me anywhere. After all, I died."

He immediately stood up, alerted.

"Who say that!?" He screamed. "Is that your idea of a joke!?"

Every pair of eyes in the command room suddenly went to him; nobody expected him to shout like that; they all looked as lost as the Admiral.

"Admiral? What's wrong?" One of his subordinates quickly approached him.

"Did not you hear it!?"

"Eh? Heard what, sir?"

"The vo… no, it's nothing" He stopped himself as he realized he sounded like a madman. "I am getting a terrible headache; I am going to ask for painkillers. Tell the assault force not to move until I am back."

"Yes, sir."

With that, the Admiral abandoned the control room and headed towards the infirmary. He wasn't sure what had happened, to suddenly start hearing a voice on his head….was the lack of sleep finally taking its toll?

"Come on. You were always as healthy as a bull, William. You won't get crazy for going a few days without sleep."

His heart rate suddenly accelerated; there was no other person in the corridor but him. That voice clearly belonged to no one; it was all inside his head.

He changed his course and went to his office instead of the infirmary. Was he dreaming? Or maybe he had drunk too much without realizing it? Either way, he couldn't let his subordinates see him like that.

"Are you afraid that they think of you as a madman? But you are sane, and I can assure you that."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up." He whispered until arriving at his office. There, he slammed the door behind him and made sure to lock it.

"Finally alone." The voice sounded cheerful. "Want to talk now?"

"No…you are not real, I am just hearing things because I am tired…that's it..." The Admiral tried to convince himself.

"You know me, William, but that's beside the point. What's important is what I can do for you."

"What you can do for me…?"

"I am sure you can do your math, William. Two of those prototypes aren't going to win against five."

"That…that doesn't matter! Even if they can't, I'll just order them to blow the tunnels and bury them all alive!"

"Alongside the thirty-four humans that are still there? Do you think you will come unscratched after burying them alongside months of scientific research?"

"Someone has to do something!" He shouted, now really sounding like a madman, while bringing both hands to his head."Those damn bureaucrats in the government can't even clean their own shit! They are the ones who woke up those things, and still, they are far too happy to sit their asses off while we soldiers die out there!"

The Admiral wasn't exactly a compassionate man; he was drilled from the start of his military career that soldiers must protect their nation, even at the cost of their life.

However, he didn't want to order such a thing; those people in the labs were like him, like his subordinates, soldiers risking their lives for their nation. To bury those men alive… What kind of monster would he become if he just sacrificed the men serving under him? He was fighting to protect humanity, for god's sake!

However, that didn't change the fact that the prototypes must be destroyed….and sacrifices had to be made.

Maybe, in the end, he was the same as those politics he hated so much.

"Then what if I told you that there is a way to save those men?"

"Eh!?"

"And the best part is that wouldn't have to do anything. It's a win-win situation for you."

"Wha-? There is no such a thing….!"

"You just need to wait for the perfect moment."

"What does that mean…?"

"Admiral!" Suddenly, someone frantically knocked on his door. "Admiral, are you there? It's important!"

"Who?" He went to open the door, and the soldier behind it was so covered in sweat that it wouldn't be strange for him to have run around the entire base."What's going on, soldier?"

"Admiral! I am sorry, I went to the infirmary, but the doctor said you never arrived so…" He talked nervously.

"I asked what is going on." He repeated.

"Ah…yes, we have confirmed that a Siren fleet is currently heading towards the coasts of the River Thames."

"Sirens!? Now!?"

"I am afraid so, sir. What should we do? Should we order the assault force to retreat?"

"This is your opportunity, William." The voice reached his mind once more.

"An opportunity…?"

"Think about what you know about the prototypes and their relationship with the Sirens…I am sure I don't need to spell it what you should do, right?"

He didn't. He understood that the prototypes and the Siren were enemies. Attacking while they are occupied with them would force the prototypes to split their forces. He was never in favor of the phrase `the enemy of my enemy is my friend´, but it wasn't like the thought of using the Sirens didn't occur to him.

However...could he trust that voice?

"It's up to you, William. Either you fight a losing battle from the start or fight one where you have a chance of winning, no matter how small it may be."

"..."

Maybe it was the adrenaline playing a trick on his mind, or perhaps he was starting to lose his mind, but at that moment, he felt as if the voice was really trying to help him. Or maybe it was because, from the very start, he felt as if he knew the owner of that voice.

"Order the soldiers to wait for now." He ordered.

"W-wait, sir?"

"Yes, if Commander Marcia's reports were correct, then prototype 02 would send the other prototypes to fight the Sirens. When that happens, it will be the perfect time to attack." Without waiting for a response, he started walking back toward the commander center.

"Eh? Sir? With all due respect, isn't that a bit reckless? What if they ignore them?" The soldier quickly followed from behind.

"They won't, I am sure of it."

That was a lie; he couldn't be sure of what prototype 02 would do. However, this was his only chance of victory against them.

"Good choice." The voice approved. "You have come really far, haven't you?"

He didn't know if the voice in his head was a product of his decaying mind or if someone was out there trying to balance the scales in his favor. Either way, if there was a way to destroy the prototype without sacrificing the soldiers there, then he would take it at any cost.

He would protect humanity at any cost.

"What!? Your faction? Then why are they attacking us!?" I asked Warspite. My voice sounded agitated.

"I don't know! They used to be a bit aloof, but to attack their allies like this…." Even Warspite seemed confused. "It's the Admiral; he must have done something to them."

"The Admiral? What could-?" I was interrupted as the maid in front of me, now identified as Sirius, attacked. Lord Camelot easily blocked her slash.

Damn, I couldn't shift my focus off her for even a second.

"We'll figure out her motives later!"I pushed Sirius back, and then I shot a glance towards Warspite." Can I leave my back to you?"

"That's what I should be asking. Can you even fight her?" She sounded doubtful, and I couldn't blame her.

"Probably." I took a look at my bloody left arm; a small pool of blood was starting to form under it. It wasn't completely useless, but I couldn't exactly depend on its movement since it hurt like hell to even move it a bit. "At the very least, I can keep her occupied while you deal with the other one."

"…I have my reservations about your role here, Ritsuka Fujimaru, but I am willing to let you prove yourself." The knight met my eyes with determination." Don't disappoint me." Her eyes then went towards the other maid, Dido, ready to face her.

"Don't worry." I also put my eyes in the enemy maid. "She won't lay a finger on you as long as I breathe!"

And so the fight started again.

"What is…this?" Edinburgh asked as they approached something unexpected. They have been traversing River Thames for a while, the coast had long since disappeared from their view, and only azure waters surrounded them.

Only water, yes, aside from "that."

"Fog." Answered Sheffield as they looked at the thick and dense fog that extended in front of them as far as their eyes let them see. "The visibility is poor inside it. We should probably avoid it."

The maids tried to go around it, but no matter how much they move it to its sides, the wall of fog seemed interminable. It was so broad in length that going around it would probably take a long time, or at least more than they had until the Sirens reached the coast.

After about fifteen minutes, they stopped.

"Ahhh, this is endless!" Edinburgh groaned." It's like we haven't moved at all!"

"Wasn't this the point where we would encounter the enemy, Sheffield?" Asked Belfast.

"Yes, the enemy fleet should be close by; they must be traversing this fog now."

"Then maybe we should wait here until they leave the fog?" Edinburgh quickly proposed. "It's not that I am scared of entering it, but...the Sirens must have to leave it at some point, r-right?"

"I am inclined to agree." Belfast interceded. "This doesn't look like a natural phenomenon; it feels strange, almost like it's purposely blocking our path."

Belfast knew something wasn't right about the fog; she had no proof, but she felt that stepping into it would be a big mistake.

"That would pose some problems, though."

"Sheffield?"

"I have been trying to contact the base a few times since the moment we reached this fog, to ask for directions and the estimate position of the Sirens, but none went through."

"Eh!?" Edinburg tried to establish the mental link with the Queen, but she didn't get any answer. "How could it be? It was working just fine when Warspite told us that she would go back!"

Belfast also tried to call the base, but she seemed incapable of doing so like the other two maids.

"…"

First, the fog was acting like a barrier to stop them. Now, their communications were being jammed. With each passing moment, Belfast became more and more convinced that they were getting into some sort of trap.

But what could she do? The Queen ordered her to face the Sirens. Could she order a retreat and go against her Queen's orders, knowing that it was a trap? Or should they continue into the unknown? It was a difficult decision.

That decision, however, was robbed of her.

"Won't you make your move already?" Suddenly a voice could be heard coming exactly from under them. They quickly looked beneath them, only to find a pair of golden eyes staring intensely at them, with a deranged expression. "I'm starting to get bored."

"…!"

The maids quickly stepped back and readied their weapons. The Siren was submerged in the blue waters, but she was standing completely still as if the sea waves meant nothing to her.

Her body slowly ascended to the surface without difficulty. The Siren had long white air done in a ponytail and wore something resembling a school uniform and a pair of dark robotic-like boots.

"Here comes the one and only Purifier!" She shouted like an excited child as she made her entrance. "Miss me?"

The only answer she received was a bullet in the head, followed by a barrage of shots coming from Sheffield's pistols.

"Ah, come on!" She started dodging after the second bullet. "Is that how you received an old-?"

Not losing a single second, Belfast shot her canons where the Siren landed after dodging. Multiples pillars of water and smoke were raised as the rounds collided with the surface of the sea.

After the water became calm again, though, the Siren had disappeared.

"You really are fixed for not letting me talk." Like she had teleported, Purifier resurfaced from a completely different part of the sea. "Well, it doesn't matter; we'll have a LOT of time to talk in a minute." Purifier snapped her fingers.

And the fog started moving towards them.

"…! Back off!" Ordered Belfast.

"It's too late!" The fog quickly covered Purifier until it made her disappear inside it. "You entered our domains a long time ago!" The only thing that remained after the fog engulfed her was her voice.

"We are retreating; don't let that fog touch you!" Belfast issued her orders once again, and the three maids sailed to avoid the fog.

However…

"Bel! Look!"

When Belfast turned around, she found the path they had come from now covered by the same white and thick fog. They were trapped entirely between the two walls of fog, and they were quickly closing on them.

She didn't have time to question how that had happened. Her mind immediately thought of a way to salvage the situation.

"Stay together! We'll be easy prey if we are alone!" The head maid quickly tried to grab the two others.

"Oh no." The disembodied voice of Purifier resounded on their ears again. "You won't."

From the water jumped a machine-like black creature. It resembled a hammerhead shark but a lot bigger. The creature nosed dived towards none other than Sheffield.

"Sheffy!"

"Sheffield!"

The serious maid managed to dodge the shark's attack, and the creature submerged itself in the water again. However, it continued chasing her, swimming with incredible velocity.

Sheffield did her best to shoot the shark while underwater, however, the fog had already reached her, and before she could react, she was caught by it.

"No!" Edinburgh tried to go towards her disappearing figure but was stopped by Belfast. "Bel!? What are you doing!? We need to-?"

"Together," Belfast answered thoughtfully, as she grabbed Edinburgh hand with force. "Don't separate from me, sister."

"…okay!"

And so, they submerged themselves in the fog.

The world turned pure white as the mysterious fog engulfed Sheffield. She quickly tried to go back to where Belfast and Edinburg were, but she wasn't leaving the fog no matter how much she moved. Maybe she got her directions mixed up? She didn't know, everything looked the same.

She had to find a way out before…

"Sheeeeeffyyyyy." Sheffield could hear the Siren's voice in the distance.

Sheffield pointed her guns towards the voice's approximated source, but she couldn't see a thing.

"Sheeeffyyy" Purifier continued, her voice now came from the opposite direction. "Do you see me, Sheffy?"

Sheffield quickly moved her guns towards the new directions, but there was no one there, only fog.

"Am I there?" The voice moved again. "Here? Right here? What about, say... over there? No? Right here? No, I am here." The source of the voice kept moving, making it impossible for the maid to pinpoint her location. "Or maybe right behind you?" Purifier's voice now reached Sheffield's ear directly, like a whisper.

"…!"

Sheffield immediately shot behind her, turned back, and continued shooting towards the fog.

But it was futile. Purifier wasn't there.

"Show yourself, Siren" Sheffield was getting tired of getting toyed with.

"Are you mad at me, Sheffy? But I just wanted to talk with you! I even created this situation so nobody could interrupt us!"

"I have nothing to talk with the likes of you."

"Are you sure? It's about our common friend, Ritsuka Fujimaru." Purifier declared with a smug tone. "I am sure you must be curious about him and his motives."

"…"

Sheffield was indeed curious. That man was still largely a mystery to them. However, she knew better than to trust a Siren.

"No answer? Well, it's not like you have any other choice but to listen to me." Purifier declared victoriously.

"…We'll see." Sheffield quickly sailed, trying to get away from Purifier's voice.

"Now you are trying to escape the fog? How stubborn. You won't find the exit without my help." The Siren kept mocking Sheffield. "Just listen to me, Sheffy! I swear this is some really juicy information about your dear Master!" Don't refuse my generosity!"

Sheffield ignored the Siren's words, not even bothering to answer her.

Purifier sighed.

"Alright, guess you are not interested." Purifier pretended to lose interest in her. "Just don't come crying when your precious Queen becomes his toy."

Sheffield stopped.

"What did you say?"

"Oh? Interested now?" Purifier began to sound happy. "But she isn't the only one you should worry about; Belfast, Edinburgh, Warspite, you…all the Royal Navy are going to be kissing his feet soon enough.

"Even if he is our Master, he still has to answer to the Queen, like all of us." Sheffield declared.

It wasn't like she hadn't thought about Fujimaru betraying the Queen, but even if he did it, the Maid Corps would remain loyal to her; and Warspite wouldn't allow anything to happen to her either. No matter how strong he was as a human, he had no chance against all of them.

"Hahahahaha." Purifier laughed. "You don't really believe that, don't you? Or have you failed to notice how he is slowly inserting himself in your little faction? He seems well-liked by your precious Queen and the rest of the maids already…even you are starting to get fond of him, right?"

"…!"

Sheffield immediately shot her canons towards the source of the voice, but again, she only hit the sea.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Purifier sounded excited. "And I don't blame you; he is playing the slow game, saving you when I tried to kill you, making peace with Belfast, feigning loyalty towards you Queen… before you realize, the entire Royal Navy will be in his hand and you'll have no choice but to follow him on his indecipherable goal."

"His goal…? What is his goal?" Sheffield couldn't help but ask. Did the Siren know something that they didn't?

"Who knows? People from different worlds are sometimes a mystery even for us Sirens."

"Eh…?" Sheffield didn't understand."Different…worlds….?"

"Oh? He never told you?" Purifier chuckled. "Maybe I said too much?"

"Explain." However, Sheffield was serious. "What did you mean by that?"

"Well, you see…long ago, the being called Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't exist, there are no records of a man with that name being born into this world. The first registered encounter with him was seven years ago, in an Antarctic base."

"What…?"

"All I am saying is that he came to this world rather than being born here." She laughed as if she had told the funniest joke ever. "He is, an outsider, an alien entity to this world, maybe even an invader… just like us Sirens."

Slash after slash was blocked by Lord Camelot, the darting maid in front of me, Sirius, attacked without a rest.

I felt a drop of sweat going down my forehead as I continue blocking her attacks, a sign that I was starting to get tired; soon, my movements would indeed begin to get slower too. Meanwhile, the maid seemed to be in top condition, not stopping her assault for even a second.

I didn't know how long I could keep up with her.

The fight had reached a stalemate, she couldn't bypass Lord Camelot, and I couldn't find a gap to attack….No, it was more accurate to say that my offensive capabilities were reduced at that moment since I couldn't use my left hand, I couldn't use gandr or try to punch her. I could probably heal it with magecraft, but I needed my other hand to do it, which was currently occupied holding Lord Camelot.

Even though Warspite had appeared, the situation still wasn't the best for me. I could try to stall the maid until the knight could help me, but I didn't know how she was faring against her own opponent, and I couldn't exactly look away from Sirius to check on her.

All I could do was trust that she would be able to defeat Dido before I was defeated.

That didn't mean, however, that I wouldn't fight with all my might.

After blocking one of her attacks, I planted my feet on the ground, put force in my reinforced legs, and charged towards the maid. I hoped that a full blow with Lord Camelot would be enough to throw her off balance.

However, she resisted my blow, blocking it while wielding her sword with two hands. Damn it. She was so strong… I only managed to push her a few inches back at best.

At that moment, as our weapons were forcefully clashing, we were almost face to face. I failed to notice before, but she was quite beautiful; however, that beauty was disturbed by an emotionless stare in her red eyes; it was like looking at a doll, something without life.

I didn't know her at all, but that stare felt so wrong…so unnatural.

"You…you are not doing this because you want, right?" It was a shot in the dark, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong with her.

She didn't answer and kept looking at me with those dead eyes.

"Warspite said you were with the Royal Navy, and you are wearing a maid uniform like Belfast and the rest so… what have they done to you? Shouldn't you be with the Queen…?

"...!"

She suddenly leaped, finally putting some distance between us, and then adopted a defensive stance, the same maid that had been on the attack the entire time for some reason abandoned her assault and went into defense mode.

But that wasn't all, the moment she separated from me, I noticed something.

Her eyes twitched as I mentioned the Queen. It was a small detail, but being so close allowed me to see it clearly.

Could it be…?

"Elizabeth, do you hear me?" I spoke using the communicator that was still in my left ear. "Can you try something for me?"

While Fujimaru was doing his best to keep up with Sirius, Warspite fought the other maid, Dido.

The black sword repeatedly clashed against the red one. Like Sirius, Dido had adopted an all-attack approach, trying to overwhelm the knight with a flurry of slashes. Warspite, on the other hand, had been on the defensive since the battle started. However, it wasn't because she couldn't attack. It was because she was testing the maid.

Memories that seemed to be locked before resurfaced the moment she saw the two swordswomen. They had spared before, she clearly remembered that, and something was different from back then. She didn't realize at first, but as she kept deflecting the maid's sword, she was getting more convinced: Dido's style was all over the place.

It wasn't that she lacked technique; she was clearly skilled in the use of the sword, but something was missing…

After the last clash, Warspite made a few steps back and lowered her sword. Then, she stood still, patiently waiting for Dido's next attack.

The maid didn't doubt for a second and attacked the unprotected knight with a vertical swing. But before the attack could touch Warspite, she raised her left arm and the metal side of a ship blocked the maid's attack.

"…!"

The maid's attack was deflected by Warspite's partial release of her rig, which immediately disappeared as the knight attacked with a diagonal swing.

Dido didn't dodge in time, and the sword ate her flesh, staining the sword even redder.

"Dido should have seen that coming. It's unthinkable for a trained swordsman to lower her sword in the middle of a battle. She should have known I was up to something." Warspite thought.

A pained expression appeared on Dido's face; a big wound now went through her stomach to her chest. Regardless, she was adamant about continuing to fight.

"How futile." Warspite thought, and she didn't move her sword to block Dido's attack; instead, she just dodged.

"…!"

Dido didn't give up and continued attacking with a series of swings, but Warspite dodged all of them.

She had the right techniques, but she lacked adaptability and future planning. Fighting her was no different from fighting a machine with prerecorded moves; and now that she was wounded, her movements were far more predictable.

The fight was already over. Even if she could still fight for a while, the maid couldn't possibly win against her.

Warspite had won; the only thing left was to find a way to neutralize her without killing her…

But then, something happened: Dido suddenly stopped her attacks and freeze on the spot.

"Your…" Dido put her hands on her head, dropping her sword on the ground, and started talking to herself. "Your…Majesty."

She fell on her knees, still grabbing her head with force.

"Your Majesty!" She repeated, like a trace."Don't…don't abandon me, your Majesty!" She started screaming. "Please don't abandon me!"

"What…?" Warspite didn't understand what had happened, but she heard a loud sound behind her when she was about to approach Dido.

So she turned back and saw the unthinkable.

For Sirius, the only thing that mattered was her mission: the destruction of the non-human threats. No other thing occupied her mind; for she was a weapon, a machine. Her world only existed as far as wielding her sword to defeat her targets. That's why when she heard the word "Queen", she felt confused.

"Queen…a Queen."

Why did that word resonate so much on her mind? She didn't know. Apart from completing her mission, that word should have been useless, as she only existed for one sole purpose.

Any other thing was irrelevant.

Yes, she only needed to swing her sword and defeat her target. Thoughts were unnecessary and useless to her mission.

Having cleaned her mind of useless thoughts, she readied to attack the man again.

"Sirius, Dido. Stop your actions at once." However, a voice resonated in her mind, a voice different from her own. "This is an order from your Queen, Elizabeth I!"

And with those simple words, her small world collapsed.

"Queen…Queen Elizabeth…." She repeated her name, a name she had never heard before, but that it was still so familiar to her.

Queen Elizabeth…. the Queen of the Royal Navy…she had to protect her.

No, that was wrong. Her mission was to eliminate the non-human threat. That was the mission assigned to her since the day she was born into the world. Her creators said it, and they kept saying it: "Eliminate your targets. If you can't eliminate your targets, put an end to your existence." Those were her orders; that was her reason for existing.

But the Queen…she can't be left alone. Even though she was the Queen, she was still pretty much a child, sometimes too naïve for her good. That's why the maid corps existed, to be there when the Queen needed them.

Yes, she had to be protected; she had to be followed.

But her mission….no, that didn't matter, her place was with the Queen, her place was in the maid corps, as a maid and bodyguard.

"Your Majesty…" She muttered.

How could she have forgotten about the person she swore loyalty towards? Why was she fighting, if not for her Queen? A mission? Eliminate non-human threats? Why would she do that? How could she benefit the Queen with that?

But then who was she fighting so earnestly? Who was this male…human? Was he human? No, he was one of the non-human threats. He couldn't possibly be human if he was fighting her without help...but she sure looked like a human.

She tried to look at the "human" again, but she felt a sudden pain in her stomach. A strong blow was directed to her guts in mere seconds, and before she could counter-attack, she was already on the floor.

The man immediately pinned her to the floor, holding both of her arms with a strength rivaling her own. She tried to fight back, but he pushed her to the ground. He was effectively on top of her.

"Stay down." He said, looking fiercely at her with his blue eyes."If you move or try to materialize your sword, I'll break both of your arms."

He was serious. Sirius didn't find a trace of doubt in his words.

"Who…?" To be so easily overpowered, Sirius couldn't help but ask."Who…are you?"

"He is Ritsuka Fujimaru, Commander of the Royal Navy and Master of the Maid Corps." It was Elizabeth who answered, her prideful voice still resounded on her head due to the mental link. "He is your Master."

"Master…? My…honorable Master?"

Leaving Lord Camelot to the side to heal my arm, attacking directly and trying to restrain the maid with just my reinforced arms. Those series of actions were nothing short of suicidal; any wrong movement could have left me in a nasty spot.

However, it worked.

"Stay down. If you move or try to materialize your sword, I'll break both of your arms." I wasn't lying; I was prepared to make both her arms useless if she tried anything funny. I didn't fully know if my plan had worked, but I wasn't taking any chances.

"Who…? Who are you?"She looked at me surprised, the first glimpse of emotion I have seen her show. Had hearing Elizabeth woke her up from her trance?

However, before I could respond, she seemed to have found her answer.

"Master…? My…honorable Master?" She asked, expectantly.

"…"

She was speaking naturally and showing a lot more emotion than before. Maybe I was right, and hearing the voice of Elizabeth dispelled whatever was happening to her.

"I am not sure about the honorable part, but I am a Master." I wasn't sure about being her Master in particular since we didn't know each other at all. "How do you feel? Do you remember Warspite and everyone else?"

"My honorable master…." She didn't answer; she just kept looking at me as if she had never seen someone like me before. And to be fair, it was probably that, they don't seem to know of magecraft or about magi.

"…anyway, you won't attack me, right?"

She blinked at my question and then shook her head.

"Good, I'll release you now then…" I relaxed the grip on my hands a bit, as she didn't seem to be lying.

"No."

"Huh?"

"My honorable Master….I have caused you troubles…I even raised my sword against you…" Sirius's tone was remorseful. "So it's fine….you should punish me now."

"Huh…what?"

"Punish me! Teach this incompetent maid some proper manners!" Her tone suddenly went from remorseful to a weird kind of excited.

"…."

Suddenly my entire body was frozen in the place, as I had no words to answer such ridiculous request. My brain quickly searched for a logical explanation, but found none and basically stopped working.

Unable to make any proper movement, I just maintained my position on top of her.

"What are you two doing?" Asked Warspite, coming from behind and looking at us as if we were a pair of weirdos.

I slowly looked towards Warspite, which I think was the only sane person in the room, and answered.

"I honestly have no idea."

I thought that, when I finally beat one of these superhuman beings entirely myself, I would feel proud; I would feel like I had overcome a great challenge with just my abilities. So why? Why do I feel like I had lost instead?

I looked at the maid again; she was blushing while giving me a somewhat passionate stare.

…Yes, I had won. I had won a very close battle using all my abilities and critical thinking.

But against a pervert, I won using all my might against a pervert.

…

…

…

Give me back my expectations, Sirius.

"That's a lie." Sheffield immediately rejected that ridiculous idea, for her Master to be from a different world…it didn't make sense.

"Ah, but it's the truth." Purifier continued, her voice sounded pleasant."We Sirens can look through different timelines and worlds, so even if he somehow got rid of his family records, he wouldn't be able to escape our eyes."

"It was foolish of me even to hear you." Still, Sheffield was having none of that; she sailed again, resuming her search for an exit of the fog.

"Ah, but you feel it, don't you? That he isn't a normal person? That he is hiding something from you all?" Her words were like poison. "I know you aren't dumb, dear Sheffy. You must have noticed how he immediately got accustomed to giving orders, despite being just a middle-school teacher."

"…" Sheffield couldn't deny that, no matter how much she wanted. Fujimaru didn't feel like someone who just got involved in the humans and Siren's war by accident; he was far too experienced in warfare and fighting for that. But to go from that to being someone capable of traveling between worlds …

"You don't have to believe me. Just ask him. Ask him about his past, ask him who Mashu was." The Siren voice began to sound far away. "That name will surely bring you closer to his real objective."

"Mashu…?" Sheffield didn't remember anyone with that name, nor did she remember Ritsuka mentioning it.

This time, Purifier didn't answer, but something happened around her: the fog started to dissipate, and the world started to become clear again.

"Just remember, be careful with that man who came from another world." When Purifier spoke again, she could finally be seen, still inside the fog. "As he isn't your ally, he is his own ally and has his own objectives."

Sheffield once again pointed her guns at her, but didn't pull the trigger this time. She had doubts; Purifier words had managed to reach the insecurities about her Masters deeply rooted inside her; she couldn't know if that man was indeed her ally or an enemy waiting to strike.

However…

"Regardless of what my Master may or may not be, you'll always be my enemy, Siren." She said to Purifier, her words full of determination.

"Fufufufu, we'll see that, little pawn." Purifier smiled. "Maybe there will be a time when we'll be on the same side of the board."

"But that time is not now." Sheffield released a barrage of bullets, and the image of Purifier got distorted by the bullets and disappeared like smoke, as if she had been just an illusion of the white fog.

"Sheffy!"

As the fog slowly dissipated, Sheffield managed to see the two other maids approaching her, Edinburgh waving her hand.

"Edinburgh, Belfast. How is the situati-?" She got interrupted as Edinburgh suddenly threw herself on her.

"Sheffy! I was so worried!" She hugged her hard. "How are you feeling? She didn't do anything weird to you right?" The maid started inspecting Sheffield, searching for any kind of wound or irregularity on her clothes.

"I am fine; you don't have to worry so much."

"Did you encounter the enemy, Sheffield?" Belfast showed her concern in a milder manner.

"Yes, but she didn't attack me. Rather it seems like she just wanted to speak nonsense." The serious maid didn't mention her suspicions about her Master, that could wait until they meet again. "What about you two?"

"Ahhh, it was horrible! That metal shark didn't leave us alone for a single minute!"

"Thankfully, we managed to avoid it without getting separated, however…" A pained expression appeared on Belfast's face. "You were right, we could hardly fight back. That Siren isn't like the others; it won't be enough with just us."

"Nope, I'll say you need at least two factions working together to have at least a slim chance." Purifier voice still could be heard.

"Waaah, she is still here?" Edinburgh quickly separated from Sheffield, and the three of them adopted once again their battle positions.

From the fog jumped Purifier, mounted on the black shark; the enormous black and golden machine was floating in the sky, rather than in the water.

"Did you think I'd leave without saying goodbye? I am not that heartless." The Siren made a reverence. "Farewell, friends! Next time be sure to bring Ritsuka along!" Her eyes began to shine with a mad glow. "Otherwise, it wouldn't feel as good to tear your limbs apart."

She was about to leave but stopped at the last minute.

"Ah, before I forget. Here is a parting gift."

Purifier snapped her fingers again, but this time, the fog began retreating…only to reveal an entire fleet of Siren Ships, surrounding the maid trio and pointing their guns at them.

"Have fun."

And with those words, she left alongside her shark.

The Admiral sat crestfallen on his office chair, hiding an expression of defeat; a mortuary silence reined the room as he asked not to be disturbed.

His standard, neat black military jacket was now half open and unkempt; the cap that normally accompanied the uniform was thrown to the floor alongside a few dozen of papers. A bottle was on his hand, which he periodically brought to his lips.

He had failed.

They had lost contact with the assault squad sent with the new prototypes for about two hours now; it was clear that they had been captured or killed by that point. The status was unknown for the prototypes, but they seemed to have suffered the same fate.

He took another sip of his whisky bottle. The alcoholic beverage made his throat burn to the point that it hurt.

It was his last chance, and he was defeated. Now the rouge prototypes will surely counterattack with full force. Without the surprise factor, there was nothing they could do to defend themselves. Even if they started the gestation of another prototype, it wouldn't be ready on time.

He had lost. Humanity had lost.

"Well, aren't you been a little melodramatic?"

"You…you lied to me!" The Admiral shouted, even though he was utterly alone. "You said that I would win if I followed what you said!"

"Oh? You misunderstood. I only said you had an opportunity. If those two had attacked the base normally, they would have been obliterated in minutes."

"The outcome was still the same!" He once again lowered his gaze. "We lost…"

"Come on, William, are you going to throw the towel at this point of the game?"

"Shut up. Don't act as if we were close." He drank more whisky. "And it's over now; there is nothing to do besides fighting until our last breath."

"Well, not necessary." The voice now sounded mischievous.

"Huh?"

"I can help you, William."

"Are you kidding me!? Your last plan was shit! Why would I ever trust you again!?"

"Because." The Admiral suddenly felt a hand touching his shoulder from behind. "We are old friends, William." The voice was no longer just on his head.

The Admiral immediately stood up, took his pistol, and pointed it to the apparition.

"No…." He recognized the man now in front of him, and his gun was lowered almost without realizing it."You…you are…"

He wore a similar military uniform aside from the medals he wore on his shoulder. Even the same cap was on his head, although when his own cap hid the lack of hair pretty much since his twenties, the apparition had short black hair. However, the uniform wasn't what took his breath away. It was his face; those brown eyes and that foolish, almost sickly optimistic smile he had seen so many times before, and thought he would never see again.

"Long time no see, my friend." The apparition said, his voice had a calm tone.

"You are just in my head…you aren't real!"

"Isn't what is real and what isn't a bit vague nowadays?"

"You got killed! I saw your mangled body…I…I even went to your funeral!"

"And it was such a nice funeral. 'Fallen in the line of duty.' they said, 'He died for his country.' they repeated, 'He was a hero.' they said to my crying widow. If only they knew I was split in half by a faulty government experiment."

"Shut up!" He threw the whisky bottle to the apparition that wore the face of his friend, who easily dodged it. "Don't talk as if you were really him, you are just…"

"William."

"…!" The Admiral couldn't continue, as the apparition had just appeared just in front of him.

"Come one, you know me, William." The man took him by the face and looked straight into his eyes. "Don't you remember those times in the academy? Like when I took the blame when you sneaked alcohol in behind our superiors' back? Or when we got into a fight because some idiots wanted to steal our rations?"

"No…" He did remember those events, but he simply couldn't accept it. "You can't be here…you died. Those accursed things killed you!"

"But I came back, and it's all thanks to this." The man extended his hand, and on it appeared a black and purplish box, it was similar to the cubes they used to create the prototypes, but with a black shine instead of a blue one.

"What…is that?"

"The answer to your problems, my friend."

The cube's black shine dazed the Admiral; it was as if the object absorbed the light around it like an insatiable black hole. He couldn't help but feel attracted to the mysterious object, and he extended his hand to touch it.

The exact moment his finger grazed the surface of the cube, the box released a wave of black light, and the room was submerged in darkness.

The only thing that remained visible in the dark room was the glowing golden eyes of the apparition.

END OF CHAPTER 13

ANNOUNCEMENT: The story has a discord server now, feel free to come by and chill.

Invite : discord.gg/kvRCbruzaT 

AN: Chapter 13 done. As with the last one, I have nothing much to say, apart from that I really liked writing the Sirens this chapter. Also, I really wish the Admiral parts were at least alright, I am pretty sure most people don't care much about him since he is the obvious villain, but I wanted to give him more flavor apart from the "evil military man." Also, writing him swear is somewhat cathartic.

And I think that it's, if you want to ask me something, you can hit me on the discord, I guess I'll be posting periodic (PERIODIC) update there and I don't know, maybe bicker about VNs I am playing right now.

See you on next chapter.

Chapter Text

"Do you understand, Sirius?"

After explaining very thoroughly that I wasn't going to punish her in any conceivable way, Sirius and I managed to reach an understanding and recover some kind of human, or in her case non-human, decency.

"Yes, my honorable Master, however, I believe that pardoning me this easily will set a bad example for the rest of the maids; that's why I still think that I should be punished for my actions." She said, soundly completely serious.

"…"

I facepalmed. Of course, it wasn't going to be that easy. It was never easy with these maids.

"I'll think of something later." I tried to reach a compromise."So can we leave it at that for now?"

"Understood." Sirius looked resigned but finally accepted.

I sighed deeply.

"Did you beat the other one?" I asked Warspite as I stood up and helped Sirius to do the same.

"I wounded her." She answered; a tired expression occupied her face. "In fact, she might just bleed out completely while you two fool around." Warspite eyes judged us; we must have looked like a pair of perverts to her. And frankly, I couldn't blame her.

"Say it sooner, then." I quickly walked past her and approached the other maid, who was still kneeling on the floor with both hands on her head. As Warspite said, she had a big wound that went through her chest to her stomach.

"Your Majesty…your Majesty…" However, she seemed more mentally affected than physically; hearing Elizabeth's voice really did a number on her.

"Hey, are you alright?" I kneeled down to her level as I prepared to use healing magecraft.

"I'll be useful, so please don't abandon me." She was in a trance; it didn't seem like she had noticed my presence.

Oh well.

"Excuse me." I put my right hand on her chest, trying my best not to touch her frankly ample breasts, and started reciting the healing spell.

At that moment, I again noticed the hole in her clothes; it showed a direct view of the lower side of her boobs, and I, for the love of God, couldn't understand why it was there. It wasn't like it was torn; the fabric clearly ended there. Her clothes were designed with that hole in mind.

I had some theories about the possible uses of that hole, but I did my best not to think about it and focus on healing her.

As with the rest of magecraft areas, healing wasn't my forte. The spell I was using was only a modified version of the one engraved in my old Chaldea uniform; it only worked as a replacement for first aid; it wouldn't wholly heal such a big wound. Still, it should stop the bleeding at least.

Or that's what I thought. But when the green light on my hand entered in contact with the maid, the wound began to close itself and rather quickly on top of it.

"…?"

I was honestly a bit confused; I could swear my healing was as mediocre as the rest of my abilities. Maybe it was more effective on her, or rather on her species, for some reason?

While I was asking myself that, I noticed that Dido stopped her mumbling about the Queen and was now looking at me with an expression I could only describe as a mixture of fear and confusion.

"Who…who are you?"

I felt a sense of déjà vu.

"I…" But when I was about to answer and possibly start another round of tomfoolery like with Sirius before, I suddenly felt dizzy, and my vision began to blur. I had to put a hand on the ground to avoid falling.

"Are you alright?" Dido must have noticed my state because she now sounded worried.

"I am fine, just…." I was losing my focus; the light of the healing spell began to waver as it started to lose force. The colors were slowly disappearing from my sight.

Ah, I see what's happening.

"Dido, can I ask for a favor?" I no longer saw her. Even though my eyes were open, I could only see small figures disappearing in the darkness.

"Eh?"

"Hold me for a bit."

After that, everything went dark, and I lost consciousness.

"Ahhh….ahhh….I….." I breathed deeply, searching for air to fill my lungs again. I was exhausted; my whole body was covered in sweat. However, this time was a success. "I…I think have done it!" I presented the sword to Emiya. Glowing green lines had appeared on it.

Emiya took the short sword and carefully examined the blade and the hilt. Then, he made a few test swings in the air.

"What do you think?"

"Sorry, Master. Another failure."

"What!?" I couldn't contain my surprise. "But it's glowing! It's just like you showed me! What you mean it's a-" I stopped because he suddenly moved the sword.

And stabbed me in the stomach.

"Wha-!?" My eyes immediately moved toward my stomach, only to find that I was not only safe and sound but that the sword I had reinforced was broken.

"When the reinforcement spell fails, the object you were trying to strength weakens instead." He handed me the broken sword. "Adding your magical energy to a complete object is usually harmful to it; if you don't control it well, the object will receive it as poison."

I took the sword and touched its broken blade. Surprisingly enough, it broke even more as I ran my finger on it.

I sighed deeply.

"Haa…maybe I am not cut for this magecraft thing after all." I collapsed on the floor, feeling disappointed in myself. "Sorry for wasting your time, Emiya."

"Are you giving up, Master?" If Emiya himself felt disappointed, it didn't show in his voice. In fact, I could almost feel a taunting tone in his tone.

"Well, I have my mystic code with me already; I won't go on a rayshift without it." I spoke words that only served to convince myself. "Besides, you are all there for me, right? I don't actually need to learn magecraft, do I?"

"Oh? But tell me, are you satisfied with that Master? Are you satisfied with always being protected?"

"I…" I lowered my gaze. "I am not, but….it doesn't matter. Even if I learn how to use reinforcement…Will that truly make the difference with the things out there?"

Being a Magus made no difference when a Servant could snipe me from kilometers away or if the assassin is undetectable until its dagger was on my throat.

"Hmm…maybe it would buy you three or four more seconds?"

"Then…"

"However." He smiled and laughed a bit. "That's enough time for us to act, Master."

"Eh?"

"A magus alone would never survive this ordeal, but you have us, Master. You don't need to be able to do everything by yourself. As long as you can support yourself with your magecraft long enough to let us act, something as mundane as a reinforced poster can make the difference between life and death."

"A…reinforced poster?" I didn't understand what he meant.

"What I am trying to say is that no matter how grim the situation may be, as long as you keep trying, you have a chance, if only minimal, but a chance in the end.'" He extended his hand, and a sword exactly like the one I had broken appeared in his hand. "It's the moment you stop trying when everything it's over."He took the sword by the blade and extended it to me.

I looked at Emiya; his gaze mocked me as if challenging me and saying "Will you give up already? I expected more from you."

"…I am going to reinforce this sword so well that it will cut through metal like it was butter." I stood up and took the sword, finding my resolve again.

"Hah, we'll see that." Emiya smiled with defiance.

The moment I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying on a bed, the ceiling above my head looking vaguely familiar. However, I didn't have time to think about it because I felt an aching pain assaulting my entire body when I moved a muscle; the pain was extreme in my limbs.

It felt like I had been hit by a truck, and not content with that, stakes had been nailed into each of my arms and legs.

In other words, I felt like shit.

"Arrrgh." I sat on the bed with difficulty and looked at my surroundings. I was in the room that was assigned to me by the Queen, and most importantly, I was not alone.

"Dido...?"

The maid was sat on a chair next to my bed; her eyes were closed as she appeared to be sleeping. Her head slowly bounced towards the front, being dangerously close to make her fall.

"What are you doing here…? What…happened?" I tried to remember, but my memories were fuzzy.

While I did my best to recall the events that led to this situation, the room's door was opened, and someone walked in.

"Oh? You have finally awakened, my honorable Master."

"Sirius…what happened? Why am I in bed?"

"Don't you remember? You blacked out after our fight; you have been sleeping since then, my honorable Master. We brought you here so you could rest."

"Huh…is that so?" I brought my hand to my head and massaged my temples. "How many hours…?"

"Fourteen."

"Fourteen!?"

"You seemed to have severely overexerted yourself." For a second, Sirius diverted her gaze. "Even her Majesty was worried that you would never wake up again; it was difficult to make her understand that you were just unconscious."

"Ahhh…that long…" I held my head in my hands.

I knew it; this was the consequence of overusing my magical energy. I had been using reinforcement magecraft almost nonstop from the moment we beat Marcia's soldiers. Something like this was bound to happen; my energy reserves weren't exactly that large after all.

But fourteen hours were too much; I should be careful from now on.

"Wait, what happened with Belfast and the rest?" I suddenly remembered. "They went to fight the Sirens and-! "

"Don't worry, they are safe." Sirius quickly reassured me. "They returned a few hours ago, thankfully with only a few scratches. However, the leader of the Sirens managed to get away."

"Ah…good." I felt relieved at first, but a sudden thought was born in my mind. Why was I so worried in the first place? Had I really got that attached to them in this short time, even when we weren't precisely allies?

"…"

"This wasn't like in Chaldea. I was their Master in name only." I reminded myself. "My true objective was stopping Elizabeth, and if the maids get in the way, stopping them too..."

Frankly, now that I have come to know them, I would preferably not harm any of them. They weren't exactly bad people, just difficult to deal with. Even Sheffield, who had tried to kill me, could have some laid-back conversation with me now.

But if they continued following Elizabeth's plan, I wouldn't have another choice to face them as an enemy.

"…" As my eyes wandered in the room, they found the sleeping figure of Dido again.

"By the way, why is Dido sleeping here?"

"I told her that she could rest for a while, but she insisted on remaining by your side all this time, my honorable Master."

"All this time...?" I stared at the sleeping figure of the maid, to be here for fourteen hours...I couldn't help but to be impressed.

"She wanted to thank you for what you did back then." Sirius tided her head. "I am not sure what that green light was, but her wounds got almost completely heal."

"Ah, yes, that's one of my…abilities; I was trying to heal her." I looked at my right hand. "I didn't manage to finish, though." And that's probably what exhausted my magical reserves. How pathetic. "How is she? Did the wound close itself successfully? Was the scar too big? I can probably heal her wound completely once I get better."

Sirius didn't answer and just stared at me without saying anything.

"Sirius?"

"I am truly sorry, my honorable Master." She bowed deeply. "Despite what we did to you, you still care about us lowly maids; we don't deserve your compassion."

I sighed.

"…I won't lie: I wasn't meant to fight you." I confessed. "As my title indicates, I am supposed to be a Commander, not a frontline fighter. I could have lost my life back there."

I could immediately notice how she trembled at my words. She really was remorseful.

"However, from what I could tell, you weren't yourself when you attacked Warpite and me." I tried my best to reassure her. "And even if we got a bit hurt, no one died in the end, right?" I remembered how even while in that trance, they knocked out the soldiers rather than killing them. "So it's fine; what matters is that you returned to normal."

"Pardon me, but it's not fine." She raised her head, looking completely serious. "It doesn't matter that I wasn't myself." Sirius slowly approached and…started climbing the bed. "That doesn't change the fact that I hurt my honorable Master."

"Hmm…Sirius?" I didn't like where this was going.

"That's why you should punish this naughty maid, who dared to raise her hand against her Master." She crawled on the bed until being on top of me.

"Sirius, this is…" I tried to say.

"Do you dislike it, my honorable Master? In that case, I'll apologize and stop immediately." She looked at me straight in the eyes, her red-tinted ones showing no trace of doubt.

Before such gaze, I was speechless.

She must have interpreted my silence as a yes, because she sat on my lap and moved even closer to me, putting her hands around me and shoving her face inches from mine.

"I'll accept any punishment; you can do whatever you want with me, my honorable Master."

I probably could shake her off if I tried, but I couldn't take my eyes off her being. She was beautiful. The previous unemotional red eyes who stared coldly at me during our fight now seemed to shine with a crimson passion. Her ample bosom slowly pressed against my own chest, letting me feel its godly softness, her lips, centimeters away from mine, slowly parted away as she spoke.

"Will that be fine, my honorable Master?"

However, she stopped there; she didn't impose herself aside from acting seductively. She…actually wanted me to make the first move; she wanted me to say that it was okay for us to continue.

And frankly, it was difficult for me to say no.

"We've just met; we don't know each other." I tried to think of excuses, doing my best to not see her directly but failing spectacularly.

"You are my honorable Master, chosen by the Queen herself. As a royal maid, I swore to give both my body and my heart to you."

"That doesn't mean anything. You may find something that you don't like about me in the future. You may even hate me."

"I would never." She declared seriously. "As long as you allow it, I will remain by your side, even if the whole world turns against you, my honorable Master."

To be declared such a thing made me skip a beat, and she said it with such conviction that I couldn't just disregard it. Had she fallen in love with me? No, that was impossible; people didn't suddenly fall in love with someone they just met, much less with people they had a fight with. Love was different. Love was something else, something that was built slowly as two people interacted and got to know each other. It was a sentiment born from the desire of never being apart from that person, the person you loved.

Love was…

"Hmm…are you…ready?" I said, trying not to look her in the eyes.

"I…." Mashu stuttered, also evading my gaze. "I am."

"Then…if excuse me." I brought my hand to her reddened cheek, it felt so soft that I almost forget what I was trying to do, and remained motionless for a few seconds.

Mashu must have noticed my state of daze, because she finally looked at me, with waiting eyes.

"Ah…maybe you want to take your glasses off? I don't want to… accidentally break them or something…" I brought my hand to the back of my head in embarrassment. What the hell was I saying? Was I really that stupid?

"Yes...! Better to be sure…" She slowly put her glasses away while I wondered if my breath didn't stink. Had I used toothpaste this morning? I couldn't remember, but I wished I did.

"Senpai…?" Mashu's eyes now looked at me unrestricted. The glasses looked good on her violet eyes, but she gave a different feeling without them.

She always wore her glasses while we were in Chaldea, at peace, but they were always off while we ventured into the singularities; there, her peaceful gaze turned into one decision, the look of someone ready to fight for what she believed and protect those she cared about.

And even that decisive gaze still retained the innocence of a child, one that always brightened up the moment she discovered something new.

Maybe it was that gaze in her eyes that made me fall in love with her.

"Mashu…" I slowly moved closer to her.

She didn't say anything; she just closed her eyes and awaited my move.

And when our lips finally touched, I felt everything leaving me. Nothing mattered anymore, no Solomon, Chaldea, or Humanity, only she and I mattered.

Me and the person I loved the most.

Those memories…I remembered them as clear as day, it was like they had just happened instead of being years away. Those memories didn't leave me in all that time and I didn't think I could ever forget about them. Because whenever I closed my eyes, I could still see her, smiling and laughing.

I was happy back then, we were happy.

But those moments, however beautiful, would never come to happen again. That was the undeniable truth.

"Are you truly alright with this?" I stared directly into Sirius's eyes as I asked.

"Yes, my honora-"

I didn't let her finish because my lips meet hers in a passionate kiss. She soon understood my intent and opened her mouth to allow my tongue inside. Her hands hugged strongly as if she was afraid I would pull back, and I did the same; I didn't want to separate from her for even a second.

This wasn't love. It was obviously not love…but it didn't have to be love.

Her lips and mouth were warm, enough to almost melt my tongue; her intoxicating essence reached my nostrils and assaulted my brain. She invaded me completely; there was no other thought in mind that wasn't the taste of her lips, the softness of her body.

I wanted her; I desperately wanted her.

However, that hypnotizing spell came to an end as we had to reach for air and our lips separated. Our ragged breaths resounded in the silence of the room; we stared hungrily at each other, our foreheads touching.

"Dido is here." I said, my rational part made a last effort to stop us before we could indulge in debauchery.

"I will try to hold my voice, my honorable Master." She kissed me again with a light kiss and then moved to my neck, planting small kisses while slowly going downwards.

This was not bad at all.

If she wanted it, then who was I to reject it? Truth be told, I wanted it as well.

We had no reason to stop.

While she continued kissing, I moved my hands towards the back of her uniform, and I could feel with my digits the fabric of her clothes as I started to undress her. However, before I could actually work my way through her clothes, I noticed that Dido was no longer sleeping. In fact, she was watching us with the expression of a terrified child while hiding half her face with what I presumed was an old doll.

And at that exact moment, I realized what exactly we were doing.

"…Sirius, let's stop." I said, and I couldn't hide the disappointment in my voice. "This…this is not the time for this."

"Huh?" She looked at me with surprise. I made a gesture pointing at Dido. She quickly looked at her, then back at me. After that, she silently un-mounted me, and got up from the bed.

"My honorable Master, I am aware that Dido wanted to speak with you, so I'll be leaving to let you have your privacy." She said professionally as if nothing had happened. "In the meantime, I am going to inform her Majesty that you have awakened."

"…Thanks, Sirius."

She nodded, made a small reverence, and exited the room.

The moment she disappeared from my sight, I sank my face in my hands once again. I wanted to scream for my idiocy, but I was in front of Dido, one of the beings I was supposed to command, so I did the impossible to restrain myself.

"Sorry for that…it…it is not always like this." I did my best to apologize. "I was…. I was just…" I failed to find a logical reason for us to start having sex in front of her, maybe because there was none.

"No… I…." She stuttered. "I-I understand!"

"Huh?" There was nothing to understand, I was just an idiot.

"What Sirius said…it's the truth." She lowered her gaze. "We hurt you, Master, and that's unforgivable. You have every right to discard us…"

"As I said, it's…"

"So I understand! If it's necessary I too…" Dido blushed profoundly. "If you desire it, I too would…."

"…"

What the fuck.

What are these beings? Are they actually all like this? Or am I just going crazy? No….maybe it's a tricky tactic? They want to appeal to my carnal desire, so I remain with them? Is that what's happening? Truth to be told, I had a fair amount of this type of encounters in Chaldea, but most of them were just my Servants teasing me, they weren't this…openly lustful with me; even Kiara in all her lewdness never offered herself in such direct way.

"M-Master?" Dido's voice sounded tense; maybe she thought I was ignoring her on purpose.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought." I tried to erase those thoughts from my head. "And again, sorry for giving you the wrong impression, but I don't have…that type of relationship with the maids; you don't have to offer yourself in this way."

"But…! I want to be useful!" Dido suddenly took my hand on hers. "I want to be useful, so you don't want to abandon me, Master!"

She really looked worried, even though I had made no sign of disliking her. Frankly, I was beginning to feel bad for her.

Maybe…she could help me.

"Alright." I have decided, if she really wanted to be useful, then I could think of something. "Do you really want to be useful to me, Dido?"

"Yes!" She nodded with conviction.

"And you would do anything I ask?"

"Anything." She lightly pressed my hand as if proving her point.

"Alright, I want you to remember that feeling."

"Huh?" She was reasonably confused.

"I'll be honest; I don't need anything right now, but maybe…" I tried to choose my words carefully. "Maybe there will be a time when I will; maybe there will be a time when I'll be surrounded by enemies." I stared directly at Dido. "If that time comes, I want you to be by my side, Dido."

"I'll always be by your side, Master! No matter what could happen I-"

"Even if the enemy is the Queen?" I interrupted her.

"Ah…? But…that's…" I could almost see turmoil going on her head. "That's..." She couldn't continue, it was clear that she couldn't fathom the idea of her Master and Her Queen being enemies. Knowing how worried she was about being "abandoned" by either of us, I could bet she felt incredibly lost.

"Don't worry; it's just a hypothetical situation." I tried to calm her. "You don't have to do anything, nor you have to choose between the Queen and me. Just remember this conversation, okay?"

"….Yes, Master." She said, probably not entirely convinced yet.

Hopefully, a time where Elizabeth and I were enemies would never come to happen. Still, it couldn't hurt to be prepared…to be prepared to neutralize her before she could willingly or unwillingly hurt the people of this country.

"The only thing I ask, however." I got up from the bed. "Is that you don't talk about this exchange with the others."

"Ah! Of course! This will be our secret!" She seemed to realize something and smiled "…a secret with Master."

"Good, now let's go meet-" I tried to walk toward the door, but a sudden pain in my muscles almost made me fall.

"Master!?" Dido came out of her trance the moment she saw that.

"I am fine." I put my hand on the wall to avoid falling. "Just…help me walk for a bit, okay? I am still a bit weak."

"Ah…sure!"

She quickly came and put my arm on her shoulder to help me stand up.

"Is this ok, Master? Does it hurt?"

"No, I am fine, I just need a bit of time; I'll be in top condition before you know it." I assured her. "Now, let's go meet the Queen. She must want to see me after my "nap."

"Alright, I'll be moving slowly to not hurt you. Is that okay?" For the first time, there was no nervousness in her voice, and I even could feel some cheerfulness. Could it be that she had finally found peace now that she was actually helping me to do something?

I smiled.

" I failed to introduce myself before. I am Fujimaru Ritsuka, Master of the Maid Corps. Hope we'll get along."

She looked at me, surprised for a second but ultimately smiled.

"Royal Maid, Dido. I'll hope to be of use, Master."

And so, we headed toward the throne room.

"Hmm?"

We got across a particular object on one side of the corridor.

"So it's still here." I looked at Lord Camelot leaning against a wall perfectly still, the same way I had left it when I fought Sirius.

"Sorry, Master!" Dido quickly apologized. "We tried to bring it to your room, but for some reason, we couldn't lift it! Forgive my uselessness!"

I see, so they also couldn't move it. Everyone that had tried to wield it had said it was impossibly heavy, even though I could lift it with a single arm.

I wondered; why did Lord Camelot only react to me that way? Was it because of her or…?

I extended my hand to grab it but stopped just before reaching it, as I remembered what I had done with Sirius.

Did I have the right to...?

….

...

...

"It's fine, Dido. Let's continue."

"…? Don't you want to bring it with you, Master?"

"I want to, but in my state, it will only hinder my movements." Even if it was light for me, it was still too big to just carry it on my person. "Besides, I don't need to use it now as I don't plan to fight with anyone."

At least not now.

We knocked on the door before entering and waited for a bit, as it was apparently the custom for meeting her.

"You can come in." Said a voice I recognized as Warspite's.

"Fujimaru!" Elizabeth greeted me the moment Dido and I entered the throne room. She was sat on her makeshift throne with Warspite standing at her side like always.

Sirius was also in the room, though she was a bit far from the two as if she purposely stood away to give me an uninterrupted view of the Queen and her knight.

"How are you feeling? You have been sleeping for quite a while." While Sirius had said that Elizabeth was worried about me, I couldn't notice anything like that on her.

"Not going to lie, I have been better." No use trying to appear stronger than I was, especially with Dido by my side. "Nothing that a good meal and some rest can't heal, though."

"As expected of my chosen knight! You are fine even after facing against one of our best maids." Elizabeth declared magnanimous."Don't you think he already proved himself, Warspite?"

Warspite looked at me for a bit.

"While I think your tactics were a bit unconventional, Ritsuka Fujimaru, I recognize that you led us to relatively safe victory, as both the maids and you only received minor injuries." Warspite's gaze turned fierce. "However, I am still not convinced that you can protect her Majesty as a Knight."

I narrowed my eyes. Was it just my imagination or Warspite was suddenly wary of me? Maybe she realized that I held no loyalty towards her Queen?

"It takes a lot of you being a Knight; it's not all about fighting strength; you also need the proper mindset." She began. "You need to be by her Majesty's side all the time, always thinking about what possible threats might exist around her and how to eliminate them. You can't forget to put her safely and only her safety first, and you should always…" Warspite seemed to be capable of going on and on.

…or maybe she was just preoccupied with me actually doing a good job as a Knight?

"Don't worry, Warspite." The Queen cut her off. "He'll soon have a chance to show what he is capable of." She turned towards Sirius. "Bring him a chair and call the rest of the maids. Now that the Commander is awake, we can finally start."

"Yes, your Majesty." Sirius bowed and walked towards the exit. It might have been my imagination, but I thought she shot me a glance before exiting the room.

"Start what, your Majesty?" I asked.

"Fufufu." She laughed with a knowing smirk. "The first Royal Navy Tea Party, of course! Now that the final battle is approaching, we must regain our strength and prepare for the final confrontation."

"Final…battle?"

"Yes, after this is over, we are going to assault the Admiral's base." She declared, losing all her previous cheerfulness. "And put an end to this conflict once for all."

In few minutes, I could see every maid coming and going from the room, bringing various things like chairs and tables. I tried to offer my help, but Elizabeth immediately shot me down with an "It's the maids' job," and sadly, my aching muscles agreed with her.

Anyway, it seemed like the preparations were finished in no time. The room had now a big round table with two chairs and the "throne" of Elizabeth around it, and another small table next to it with a tea set on top.

"Only three chairs…" I thought.

Warspite sat on one of the chairs while I brought my own, with Dido's help, to the table. That meant that Warspite, Elizabeth, and I were the only ones that were sitting while the maids remained standing behind us, Belfast and Sheffield on Elizabeth's side, Edinburg next to Warspite, and finally Dido and Sirius to my sides.

It bothered me a bit that all of them were standing when they could have easily fit at the table with a couple of more chairs. I guessed that they were just fulfilling their "role" as maids, never resting and always waiting for new orders, but it bothered me all the same.

"You can serve the tea, Bel." Elizabeth ordered.

Belfast wordlessly nodded, took a cup alongside its saucer from the small table, and placed them in front of the Queen.

"Here you have, Master." I heard from behind. It was Sheffield who placed my own cup on the table.

"Ah, Sheffield. How did-" I was about to ask her how did their encounter with the Sirens go before she suddenly approached my ear and whispered.

"I know who you are."

"Eh…?"

"Is something wrong, Sheffield?" Warspite asked, apparently noticing our little exchange.

"No, Lady Warspite, I was just indicating Master to refrain from small talk while we serve the tea."

"Hmm, alright." Warspite seemed content with that explanation.

I shot a confused look towards Sheffield, but she didn't look me back, opting for going back to that "waiting for orders" state of the rest of the maids.

What was that about?

"I apologize for the lack of refreshments," Belfast said, as she poured tea on Elizabeth's cup. "All the base's food is military rations, hardly a proper meal to serve alongside tea."

"It's alright, Bel." Elizabeth reassured her. "I am aware that we still lack a lot of things to call this a proper Royal Navy base, but that soon will change." She took the cup and observed how the brown liquid moved to form small waves. "Our next tea party is going to be in a place worthy of us."

"…"

So the time had come, they were going to attack. Was it because she wanted to retaliate after the Admiral's attack, or was that her plan all along?

"Allow me to serve you, Master." Said Belfast, who was now at my side.

"Ah, sure." I moved my cup closer to her, and she poured the light brown liquid on it. Honestly, I was not an expert on teas, so I had no idea which flavor it was, nor did I want to ask; the atmosphere just didn't call for such frivolous talk.

We were going to discuss war, after all.

"Now, is everything ready?" Elizabeth looked around the room. "Before we start, I would like to formally welcome our new maids, Dido and Sirius. I understand that you were mistreated during your stance with the Admiral, but rest easy, he will never lay a finger on you again."

"Thanks, you Majesty." Both said in almost scary synchrony and bowed.

"With that settled, it's an honor to inaugurate the first Royal Navy Tea party." She looked at her left, where her Knight was. "Warspite, would you mind telling us the main matter of discussion?"

"Yes, your Majesty." The knight stood up and started talking as if she was giving a speech. "As you surely have noticed, my fellow vassals, we have been under attack by two forces that seem to be acting independently. The Sirens led by what we think is a high-ranking Siren called Purifier, and a group of rogue humans that don't recognize the authority of Her Majesty the Queen, led by a man we identify with the military title of "Admiral." She looked at me first and then at the maids. "Thanks to the actions of our maids and recently appointed Commander, we have managed to defend ourselves; however, I think it's also time for us to make our move; the purpose of this meeting is to define our next course of actions as a unified faction." Once she was done, she neatly sat back on her seat.

"Well done, Warspite." The Queen closed her eyes and took a small sip of her cup. "And I absolutely agree with you, my friend; we have been far too passive during this conflict. Don't you think so too, Commander?"

Suddenly Elizabeth placed her eyes on me, indicating that it was my turn to speak as a Commander. I could felt the expectations on her stare; if I said the wrong thing, I would be immediately discharged and lose my position in this debate.

"What do you propose we do, your Majesty?" I refrained from accepting or denying that claim, opting for a safe approach.

"We have multiple enemies, Ritsuka, and the recent attacks made it clear that we lack the manpower to fight both the Sirens and the Admiral's force at the same time." She placed her cup on the table. "That's why it's time to bring the rest of the Royal Navy to this world."

"The rest…?"

"Most of our compatriots still lay dormant in the Wisdom Cubes." It was Warspite who answered me. "It's our duty to wake them up so they may fight at our side once again."

"And to do that, we need two things." Elizabeth raised two fingers. "The knowledge that the human posses to awaken the cubes, and the cubes themselves."

Wisdom Cubes? Was that the object used for their conception? They used the word "awaken" though, not creation. Did that mean that they already existed and we humans only woke them up? No, the specifics could wait. What was important was what they planned to do to get those things.

"So that's why you want to assault the Admiral's base. He is in possession of the Wisdom Cubes and the technology to use them."

"We don't actually know if he has them in the base, but using Dido and Sirius as an assault force suggests that he at least has access to them." Said Warspite.

"Whatever the case is, we can't allow anything like what happened with Sirius and Dido to happen again. The Admiral activities must be stopped." Elizabeth's gaze turned fierce. "That's why this will be your first mission as Commander of the Royal Navy, Ritsuka Fujimaru: You must assault the Admiral's base, stop him, and secure the location of the Wisdom Cubes."

"…"

That was the first direct order I received from Elizabeth. Her tone indicated no room for refusals; not only would my abilities be tested, but my loyalty also.

"Do we know where he is, though?" Once again, I didn't directly accept.

"A military base about an hour from here, Belfast has already been around its perimeter; as for the interior…" Elizabeth turned to Belfast, who nodded and walked towards the door.

When she opened it, a man I didn't recognize entered the room; he carried some kind of rolled-up sheet of paper.

"Your Majesty." He kneeled towards Elizabeth and presented her the sheet.

"Good work, soldier." She took it. "You have helped the Royal Navy a lot with your contribution."

"It's the least I could do after Her Majesty pardoned my crimes." The soldier didn't even raise his head as if he wasn't allowed to see Elizabeth directly.

Elizabeth opened the sheet on the table, revealing some sort of rudimentary map.

"Is this…?"

"Yes, a map of the Admiral's base, alongside the number of troops we can expect on each area." Even though it was obviously made in a hurry, the map was surprisingly detailed, showing the approximate area of each room, the entrances and exits, and the spots where the cameras were placed.

"Does that mean…?" I looked towards the man. "You are one of Admiral's men that came with Dido and Sirius?"

"Not anymore." He did raise his head to look at me, and I saw a big bruise occupying half his cheek. "I have seen the truth; I understand now who the true monarch of this country is." His eyes didn't show a trace of doubt.

"…!" I couldn't lie; that terrified me a bit. "What did you do…?" I looked at Elizabeth.

It was just like Johnson, this man who yesterday was a sworn enemy now had become a follower of Elizabeth. Just what had she done to create such a change in character…

"It's natural. The moment he saw me, he understood everything." Elizabeth smiled, her chest puffed. "All of them understood where their loyalty must reside."

"What…?" That answer made me speechless.

"Her Majesty didn't do anything, she just talked with them once we capture them, and they saw the truth." Warspite interceded. "Also, Fujimaru, remember to always address Her majesty with respect." She scolded me.

"…my apologizes, your Majesty." I swallowed my pride; that didn't matter at the moment. What Elizabeth described sounded a lot like brainwash, and that definitely wasn't normal.

I need some time alone with the soldiers to corroborate my suspicions, but things looked grim. Could it be that feeling I got from when she was trying to knight me wasn't just my imagination?

"It is fine as long as you understand." Elizabeth wasn't mad at all. "However, you still haven't given me an answer. We would provide you with the forces and the logistics you need, Commander, so will you accept this mission?"

She was sharper than I thought; she noticed that I have been evading the question.

"…"

Honestly, I didn't want to. Regardless of the Admiral methods, bringing more of these "weapons" to the world sounded like a bad idea. On the other hand, the Admiral also used them to attack us, so he isn't entirely innocent.

Which one was the lesser evil, I wondered.

"Have we exhausted the diplomatic channels? Maybe there is still a way to…" I tried to say.

"Ritsuka, her Majesty asked you a direct question." Warspite interrupted me fiercely. "Answer her."

Tch, no other way then.

"Alright, I accept." I finally answered her. "I will lead the assault toward the base. However, I have one condition."

"You are Her Majesty's vassal! You can't-" Warspite started but was quickly shut up by a movement of the Queen.

"Let him speak, Warspite."

"Thanks, your Majesty." I thanked her with a small nod. "Then, if I am to lead the assault, I want it to be on my terms. I'll get to decide how our forces will move and, most importantly, the use of lethal force or not."

"Rejected."

"Eh?"

"I don't have a problem with letting my chosen knight take command of our forces. However, you don't get to decide who lives and dies; that's my responsibility as the Queen." Elizabeth's voice was firm. She wasn't backing off.

"I won't tolerate senseless killing." I said plain and straightforward, disregarding completely the authority she was trying to impose. The only thing I couldn't accept was having even more blood on my hands.

"Fujimaru, know your place!"

"I agree with him, Warspite. In fact, I would be disappointed if he just wanted to storm the base while killing everyone on the path." Her voice turned soft for a minute. "Those people are as victims as us; they have been living under a false monarchy all these years…We can't just ignore them. It's our duty as the Royals to save them and guide them."

What she said could almost be mistaken by compassion if the core idea wasn't just plain wrong.

"That's why you can rest assure, Fujimaru Ritsuka!" Her voice adopted new energy that seemed to come out of nowhere." As long as I'm the Queen, none of the soldiers serving under the Admiral would be killed; only he would face punishment for his actions."

"Punishment? Will you…?"

"Yes, once we secure the location of the cubes, the Admiral, alongside the former Commander, would be executed."

Once the military matters were done, the atmosphere changed completely, and everyone seemed to forget all about it. Elizabeth went back to her child-like self and always complimented Belfast's tea, while the maid once again lamented not having a proper accompaniment for it, to which Edinburg happily added that they would be procuring ingredients once they could freely travel the surface.

Warspite also seemed to regress to a more cheerful mood and talked in great length about Dido's and Sirius' swordsmanship, pointing things about stances and different offensive approaches. They eventually ended promising a training spar in the near future.

In other words, the tea party stopped being a serious military meeting. It became an actual tea party where everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Well, everyone except for Sheffield and me.

Frankly, I was with my back to the wall; I just couldn't think of a way out of this situation. If I led the attack, then not only would the amount of their kind increase, I would also be responsible for the death of at least two people. I had no love for Haydes or that Admiral, but what happened if they were just the first of many? What if the next thing she asked me to attack was the Parliament or the Buckingham Palace?

On the other hand, if I went against the Queen, I would be fighting the entire Royal Navy by myself. Maybe I could bring Sirius and Dido to my side with enough luck, but that was still three against five.

Both paths represented high risks.

And while I was debating between those two hard decisions, the other person who wasn't enjoying the party, Sheffield, was looking at me as if I had just murdered her entire family; I could swear she hadn't moved her eyes off me a single time since the party started.

I wondered how I could manage to always piss her off?

Anyway, I needed time to think, and I wasn't going to do it here.

"Well, this is a lovely party, but I am afraid I must take my leave," I said to Warspite and Elizabeth. "I need to rest to be ready for the assault, after all."

"Ah, is that so?" For some reason, Elizabeth looked a bit sad. "Dido, accompany Commander to his room."

"It's okay; I think I can walk without problems now."

"I must insist, Fujimaru." Elizabeth was quite stubborn today. "Dido, could you-"

"Your Majesty." An unexpected voice interrupted Elizabeth. "I would like to accompany Master myself if it's not a problem."

Elizabeth was speechless for a second as if she was stunned by the sudden eagerness of Sheffield. Meanwhile, Dido was looking between the two, unsure of what to do.

"Master wanted to know the details about our recent fight against the Sirens. I can brief him while we walk towards his room." Sheffield continued as if explaining her sudden outburst.

"Ah, I see." Elizabeth was content with that explanation, and I couldn't help but feel that she was easy to deceive. "In that case, you can go in Dido's place."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Sheffield took my arm by force and basically dragged me out of the room before I could say a single word.

Elizabeth looked as Ritsuka Fujimaru exited the room alongside Sheffield and couldn't help but feel defeated.

Why? Why hadn't she seen loyalty in his eyes yet?

Queen Elizabeth was no fool; she could recognize loyalty precisely because he was surrounded by loyal servants. She could see it in Warspite, her friend and right hand; she could see it in the maids that served her with everything they got; she could see it in humans that recognized her nature as the true monarch of the United Kingdom.

So why couldn't she see it in the man that was supposed to be her chosen knight, the man she personally chose to be the Commander of her forces.

Was she too uncompromising with him? No, in fact, she was actually too lenient. If any other of her vassals spoke to her with such disrespect, they would be forced to kneel on the ground until she decided it was enough.

It was not her fault; she was already the perfect Queen. But then, why hadn't he noticed yet? Why hadn't he seen her aptness and greatness as a Queen yet?

"Your Majesty?" A voice suddenly brought her back to reality.

"Ah…what it may be, Warspite?"

"No, it's nothing. It's just that your Majesty seemed preoccupied with something."

"Is that so…?" As expected of Warspite, she immediately could tell what was on her head. "But don't worry, nothing troubles me at this moment. I was merely thinking about the future."

"At long last, the final battle awaits…"

"Indeed." She actually wanted to ask her opinion about the apparent defiance of the commander. However, she couldn't possibly show doubt in front of the maids. After all, she was the Queen; it was her duty to always be "right"; she had to be the figure that guided them all, someone without fails that always took the best decision for their country. "But fear not because, with my guidance, we'll surely become victorious."

And maybe that was what she needed to gain Ritsuka's loyalty. To show him that as the Queen, she stood on top of everything.

And he would see it, once she expelled the false Queen and sit on the throne that belonged to her by birthright, as the true Queen of the United Kingdom

"Sheffield, I know I said I was okay, but could you please not drag me like this?" I asked as I was dragged by her. She was more forceful than usual. "I can walk on my own, you know?"

I got no answer. She just kept going.

As we kept walking, I noticed that we weren't actually going towards my room but to a different part of the tunnels.

"Hey, where are we going?"

Again no response. I was starting to get worried.

"Sheffield, I asked you a question."

But she didn't say anything.

"Sheffield goddammit, talk to me!" I managed to get my arm out of her grasp, and I stopped. "I won't walk another step until you-"

She turned back and pointed her gun at me.

"What are you doing…?" This surely didn't feel like when we were joking around. She seemed serious this time.

"You'll have to come with me, Master."

"Where?"

"My room."

"…didn't know we were that close." I said half-joking, but she was having none of that.

"I have to ask you a few things, and I don't want anyone to interrupt us."

"Can't you ask me right here?"

She shook her head.

I sighed.

"Look, I don't know what happened, but you won't gain anything pointing that thing at me." I tried to reason with her. "We are out of that phase already; I know you aren't going to-"

I heard a loud sound, a single shot was fired, which hit the wall behind me, leaving a black hole a bit too big for a regular bullet.

"Next one is going towards your leg, Master." She said, moving her gun a bit downwards.

"…alright, you have made your point." It was no use trying to reject her, she was pretty adamant about wanting to talk alone. "Lead the way, then."

I truly hoped she had a good reason for that because I was in no position for another fight.

She immediately locked the door behind us the moment we entered her room. The room itself wasn't really that different from mine if only a bit more spartan. It lacked pretty much any living arrangement aside from a bed.

"You aren't planning on executing me in secret, right?" I knew she disliked me, but I wanted to think that her hate wasn't that strong.

"Depends on your answers."

That wasn't reassuring at all.

"Alright." I resigned myself to begin questioned at gunpoint. "Ask away."

"Then, I'll get straight to the point. How did you arrive here?"

"Eh…? What are you talking about?" I couldn't hide my confusion. "You and Belfast brought me here, remember? We-"

"This world." She interrupted me. "How did you arrive to this world?"

"…" I forced a smile. "Sheffield, what are you saying?" I released a small laugh. "Is this your idea of a joke? I really don't…"

"I know about Mashu."

The moment I heard her name coming from Sheffield's lips, the smile on my face disappeared. I felt like time had stopped for me, as I could no longer breathe normally. The weight of my memories suddenly began to crush me. The pain I always tried to forget resurfaced all at once.

It was useless to pretend ignorance now.

"Who told you that name?" I asked, staring deeply into her amber eyes.

END OF CHAPTER 14

We have a discord server now, where we talk about important things such as how Unicorn is the mastermind behind the sirens and what would happen if someone had two pairs of arms.

Also, I post mini-updates there, I guess.

Invite : discord. gg / kvRCbruzaT (erase the spaces, obviously)

AN: Chapter 14 done, actually one of the longest chapters of this fic, with about 9k words

This chapter was meant to be the aftermath of what happened in the previous ones, also the introduction to Sirius and Dido to the group. For those who were waiting for that Sheffield and Guda's talk, don't worry, it would surely happen next chapter, which will probably be done around late March. Finals are just around the corner so I'll be busy until then.

And I think that's it, if you want to ask me something, you can hit me on the discord or with reviews.

See you on next chapter.

Chapter Text

I opened my eyes, just to be blinded by a powerful light that made me close them again.

"Status of the patient."

"Blood pressure stable, constants seems normal. We can begin with the procedure."

I heard people talking around me, but I didn't recognize their voices. Where was I? The last thing I remembered was facing Goetia and…

"So at least once, I wanted to be useful to Senpai."

"This is my final order as Chaldea's commander, don't worry about me, and fight until you claim a perfect victory."

Mashu…Roman…they…

"Heart rate went up 30 beats per second."

"Administer 200 milligrams of verapamil."

They…they died, they sacrificed themselves so we could defeat Goetia…they were no longer…in this world…I…I…

"Aaaaarggh!" A sharp pain suddenly assaulted me; it came from my waist. It was so strong that I couldn't contain a scream.

The pain made me open my eyes again; this time, however, I could distinguish some things around me. I appeared to be lying down on a bed while a group of people surrounded me. The light that had previously blinded me was from a large lamp hanging directly above me.

"What!? The patient is awake!" A woman said.

"Why is the sedative not making effect!?" A man shouted, furious.

I raised my head a little to take a better look at people. All of them were wearing white clothes, alongside white gloves and surgical masks.

One of them had a scalpel on his hands.

"Who…who are you? Where am I?" I then try to look at my body, but my view was obstructed by a piece of white cloth just above my stomach. What I could see was that I was wearing a white gown, similar to the ones patients wore in a hospital. However, something was definitely not right, as I looked in horror at how my arms were firmly held to the sides of the bed with brown straps and how a catheter was connected to my veins. "What's the meaning of this!? What are you doing to me!?" I instantly tried to free my arms.

"He is trying to free himself!"

"Put him to sleep, now!" Ordered the man with the scalpel, and soon enough, one of the people in white took a syringe and put it in a small flask.

"No..no..no..no! Stop!" I said as I try to break the straps. "This is a mistake! We did it! We defeat Goetia! Why are you doing this!?"

But no one heard my pleas, and the man injected the contents of the flask in the catheter connected to the veins of my right hand.

"Don't do it! It's me, Ritsuka! I am the last...master..."

My words died in my mouth as the world around me began to turn dark until it was entirely surrounded by darkness.

"Who told you that name?"

Sheffield observed me without saying anything for a couple of seconds, no doubt noticing my reaction to her question.

"Answer the question." She wasn't backing down.

"It was that Siren, right? Did you truly believe her?" I asked with a tone of disappointment. "I expected more of you, Sheffield."

I didn't miss the hypocrisy behind those words, but at that moment, I couldn't care less about it.

"The Sirens are our enemies; nothing they could say would change that." She narrowed her eyes. "What matters is if you are also our enemy."

"Your enemy? For god's sake, Sheffield! Have I not showed you with my actions that I am no friend of the Sirens? That I am on your side?" I approached her, disregarding her gun. "Hell, if you weren't for me, Purifier's shark would have killed you that night!"

"We aren't discussing that now, Master." She pressed the gun barrel in my forehead. "And I won't ask a second time. Are you from another world or not?"

We stared fiercely at each other; a fight could break out in any second. I wasn't fully healed yet, but maybe I could reinforce my legs, dodge the first shot, and…no, that would be too reckless; the room was too small for a fight, I wasn't even sure my magecraft would work at all in my weakened state.

Besides, the more I looked at Sheffield, the more I realized I didn't actually want to fight her. It was different when we didn't know each other, but right now, the idea of hurting her felt…wrong.

I sighed; despite her antics, I had actually grown somewhat attached to her…no, not only to her, to all of these maids. I didn't want to fight them at all.

"You don't want to know that." I said curtly, being the first to break eye contact. "You won't gain anything by knowing about my past."

"I disagree. It is necessary to determine your true objective."

"Really? What part of my past is necessary to determine my objective, the part where I lost everything I once loved? Or the part where I had to live every single day of my life knowing I couldn't do anything for them!?"

"..." Sheffield didn't react to my sudden outburst, but she did catch the meaning of my words. "You lost everything?" She asked; too late I realized I had told her everything with those words.

I sighed deeply, resigned.

"Everything…." I said again, my voice going back to a more calm tone. "My family, my friends, even people I only had a distant relationship with…I lost them all."I felt my energy being drained by every word I spoke, to the point that I just couldn't stand anymore and had to walk away from Sheffield to sit on her bed.

Just talking about it felt like a heavy burden; my chest started to ache, and breathing was becoming difficult and painful. I felt as if my entire body refused the sole idea of remembering about them.

"How did you lose them?" Sheffield continued with her interrogatory.

I didn't want to say it; I didn't want to talk about it.

"A war; a war took them away from me." I forced myself to continue as I lowered my head. "A war that threatened to destroy humanity and the world as it knew it...my world." I finally confessed. Yes, it was the truth; even if this world looked so similar to mine, I wasn't from here, and that wasn't going to change no matter how many years passed.

"A war…" Sheffield repeated. "So that's why you seem to have experience on warfare; you were a soldier."

"A soldier, you say?" I couldn't contain a dry laugh. "I was just a dumb kid, barely 18 years old and not even a month out of school when I was recruited. I didn't know a thing about the real world, and suddenly I had to...!" I didn't continue; my words died in my throat.

"You had to do what?"

"...fight for my life, against forces that clearly surpassed me in everything."

"Save the world" was what I wanted to say, but I was sure she wouldn't believe me. It sounded ridiculous even in my mind, for the fate of the entire world to rest on some random kid shoulders…I also wouldn't believe it if I hadn't lived it through it.

"So you lost?"

"Huh?" I raised my head to such a strange question, and I noticed Sheffield was no longer pointing her pistol at me.

"You are telling me you were inexperienced, and your enemy was far stronger than you. It does sound plausible for you to have lost that war, and so, were forced to come to this world to escape from that foe." She rationalized.

That was a sound deduction. However, the reality wasn't that simple.

"No, I think we won…however…"

"However?"

"…I don't actually know." I confessed.

"What?"

"As I said, I don't know. I was wounded in battle." I touched my waist, at the left side, the place where Goetia's magic had eaten through my flesh and made a hole in my internal organs. "The last thing I saw was him, the enemy leader. He too had been wounded and succumbed to his wounds like me." The image of a broken Goetia on his last feet, looking at me with immeasurable rage, came to my mind. "After that, nothing. When I woke up, I was already in your world."

Sheffield was silent for some time.

"Are you saying you don't know how you came here?"

"Remember what I said back in my apartment? Even if I possess certain abilities, I am just human. I am nothing like the Sirens. I can't travel between worlds at will."I was not a Magician. I was incapable of Second Magic. Heck, I was not even capable of most normal magecrafts.

Sheffield didn't say anything but looked at me with distrust.

"What? Do you think I am some kind of spy from another world? That I am part of some secret plot? Well, sorry for breaking your bubble, but I am just a pathetic man who can't go back to his own world." I held my head with both hands. "I don't even know if my world was destroyed or not, nor if my people survived. I am just…stuck here, unable to do anything, like a useless piece of garbage."

There was no day that I didn't think about them. My command seals disappeared after I came here, so I had assumed that my Servants returned to the throne of heroes, but what about the people left behind? What happened with Chaldea? What happened with the world outside of Chaldea? Did humanity finally recover its future, or Goetia accomplished his goal? Was Goetia even still alive?

I didn't know anything, and I couldn't do anything. I was totally and utterly useless.

"Pitiful." Sheffield muttered; she sounded disappointed for some reason. "Truly pitiful."

I couldn't deny it. She was absolutely right. I was just…

"For you to be in such state, how low have you fallen, my Master." She walked towards me until being just in front of me. "You allow yourself to delve into self-pity, even when you know it's not true."

"...? What isn't true?"

"You being useless."

"...eh?"

"You are reckless, confrontational, and stubborn" Her tone was sharp. She truly meant everything she said."But you aren't useless."

"W-What….? What are you saying, Sheffield?"

"It was no mere chance that Her Majesty chose you as Knight candidate; you faced a high-ranking Siren and managed to hurt her, not to mention that you fought one of our best maids by yourself and came victorious. Saying that you are useless is just factually wrong...even if you are still a pest." She added at the end as if to make sure I didn't forget it.

I didn't know what to say. Why was Sheffield saying all that? Was that her own weird way of cheering me up?

"And no matter how much I despise it, if it wasn't for you, I would have ceased to exist that night."

"Sheffield…?" Now I was really starting to worry.

"For that reason alone, is that I am giving you a chance."She closed her eyes as if she was thinking carefully about the situation until she opened them again, feeling decided. "Accept Her Majesty's proposal, pledge loyalty to her, and become her knight."

She never thought that one day she would do something like that. Much less for a human.

No, he wasn't exactly human. He said it himself. He came from another world, so he must be something different. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for her to try to help him. She disliked humans, after all.

Yes, helping him was okay because he wasn't really human.

"What…? Pledge loyalty…? You want me to become a Knight?"

"What I want is irrelevant, but Her Majesty seems to have you in high esteem, even if you aren't truly loyal to her."

"That's…" He looked away, a clear sign that he wasn't honest. She had long since noticed that he avoided looking at other people's eyes when he lied.

"From the moment you rejected her Majesty's offer, I understood you held no loyalty towards her. However, you still stayed here, acting as our Commander. The fact that you are also from a different world just reaffirmed my suspicions; there are a lot of things you are not telling us."

"…Even so, you still think I should be a knight. Why?" He asked, doubtful.

"For the same reason I didn't tell her Majesty anything about what that Siren said." Sheffield sighed. The sole idea of hiding information from her Queen was already a heavyweight on her shoulders, but what she was about to say was worse. "Because I believe you can be useful to us."

"Useful?"

"As a Knight, as a Commander…and as a Master."

His eyes opened like plates.

"…I thought you hated me being your Master, Sheffield."

"I do, but that doesn't change the fact that you are far better than the other two and the only human capable of taking that role."

"Two...?"

"However." She didn't elaborate and continued talking. "I can't fully trust you, Master, not while you aren't honest with us."

Even if he had told her about his world, he was still largely a mystery to her; she couldn't help but feel that he was still hiding things for her, that he had his own agenda, and that one day, he would betray them. Sheffield wasn't accustomed to that emotion, that uneasiness that he caused on her, but she didn't like it. In fact, she hated it, not trusting the person she was supposed to serve. It was almost painful.

That's why she was giving him a chance to prove himself.

"I want you to give me a reason to trust you as a leader." She declared. "I want you to prove that you won't betray us."

"…in other words, you want to trust me?"

"Take it as you like."

"..."

Fujimaru once again looked away. It was as if he was trying to think of a way out of the situation but couldn't find anything. "But how would you know if I am honest? Maybe I could swear loyalty just to get close to the queen, only to betray her later."

"I have seen you lie before, I am confident that I can distinguish if you aren't truly committed." She affirmed, confident. "The moment I notice you are trying to feign loyalty to Her Majesty again; I would know you were our enemy all this time."

Fujimaru didn't answer, as he seemed deep in thought.

"Now what would it be, Master? Would you accept or decline?"

"I...I can't accept that, Sheffield." When he finally spoke again, he seemed to have reached a decision. "I can't become part of your Royal Navy."

Sheffield wasn't surprised. She expected as much.

"Then, tell me, what do you hope to achieve here? Why have you joined us?" Her eyes now buried on his figure, judging him.

"You know about my past now, Sheffield. I am sure you understand that I don't want anything like that to happen again." This time, he met her gaze, his eyes full of resolution. "I don't want to fight in another war, nor do I want normal people to go through what I had to go through."

"Which means?"

"I will do everything in my power to stop Elizabeth. I will not allow another war to happen if I can stop it."

Sheffield made her gun appear on her hand once again.

"Then you are an enemy of the Queen." She pointed the gun to her head, but he didn't bat an eye."I must eliminate you."

"Do it then."

"Eh...?"

"You know I am not in my best state; I can't possibly protect myself as I am right now." He shook his head. "If you are going to do it, then now it's the perfect time to get rid of me."

Inexplicably, Sheffield suddenly felt a wave of deep anger growing inside her.

"Are you going to give up just like that? You won't even fight back?" Sheffield's gaze penetrated Fujimaru's figure. She felt insulted. He wasn't like that. He wouldn't just accept his death that easily. The Fujimaru she knew would fight even if all the odds were against him.

"I won't fight back because you aren't going to press that trigger." He said, serious.

"What…?"

"When we started talking, I felt anger towards you for trying to pry into my past, for trying to bring back painful memories." He lowered his face for a moment but immediately looked back at her. "But I couldn't see myself hurting you. It felt like it wasn't right...and I think you feel the same way, Sheffield."

"You are delusional. I won't hesitate to end your life now that I know your true aim."

"If it was like that, then you would have killed me by now, just like how you tried to do it when we first met. But you are still talking to me, Sheffield, you are even asking yourself why I am not fighting back. The truth is that you don't want this, right? You don't want to kill me.

She moved her gun to the side and shot towards the wall, just like she had done before.

"I won't hesitate." She repeated as to give emphasis.

"Then do it." However, Fujimaru wasn't deterred by that this time."Stop talking and do it."

"...!" Sheffield was starting to lose her patience. She had his life on her hands; a single shot would be enough to erase him from existence.

He had confessed. He was against them, after all; he was a traitor who worked against the Queen. He was the enemy, no different from the Admiral or the Sirens.

Sheffield knew what she had to do.

"...!"

However, her arm started to shake.

"Why...?"For the first time in a long time, a pained expression appeared on her face. Why was she doubting? This was her duty, to eliminate the enemies of the Queen. It should have been easy to pull the trigger, but her fingers couldn't even touch it."Why can't I hurt you? What have you done to me!?"

Sheffield was furious. She wanted an explanation; she wanted to know why the idea of hurting him made her chest ache. Why the thought of never talking to him again felt painful? Why did she think that if she pulled the trigger, she would be losing something important?

"It's called attachment, Sheffield. You don't want to kill me because we have spent time together, and for better or worse …" He released a deep sigh. "We may have ended liking each other, in some way."

"No…that's ridiculous" Sheffield didn't understand. She liked him? Not, that wasn't it; she hated him. They argued most of the time. There was never a moment when they agreed on something. There was no way she felt anything other than hate for him. "No, this is part of your abilities. You are messing with my cognition."

"I don't have that kind of ability, if I could make people like me magically, then I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place, and you wouldn't be pointing a pistol at me."

No, it had to be a lie. But why was he looking directly at her instead of averting his gaze? Why she didn't feel any doubt in his words?

"It's the truth, Sheffield." He sighed. "I know it may sound cheesy, but I think we can get along; if we try. We don't have to be enemies, we can be comrades, we can be friends."

"Friends…" She looked at him in surprise as her gun disappeared from her hand. "No...I..."

"Sheffield...?"

"I…can't…."

Before he could say more, she dashed toward the door and exited the room. She couldn't keep hearing things like "friends" or "like." She was a weapon; she wasn't supposed to feel something like that; those things were unnecessary for her.

She couldn't possibly feel like that.

"You haven't been eaten anything,"

"…"

As always, Marcia Haydes didn't answer. She didn't even look at Belfast when she talked to her. The expression of her face was one of defeat, of loss.

She almost hadn't spoken a word from the moment she woke up, only to find herself locked in a room on the base she used to lead. Now, as a prisoner, she only awaited an uncertain destiny.

Belfast took the tray with the untouched rations and replaced it with one of the recently opened ones.

"You have to eat something; you'll grow weak otherwise."

Marcia didn't respond.

Silence invaded the room for a couple of seconds; the head maid just stood there, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't manage to do it.

"Did you come here just to tell me that, Belfast?" Marcia finally asked, but she still didn't look at Belfast.

"No." Confessed the maid. "I have come to tell you that Her Majesty has already decided your fate."

Marcia chose to be silent again, so Belfast continued.

"Once we assault the Admiral's base and detain him, you'll be executed alongside him."

Marcia released a deep sigh.

"I see." That was the only thing Marcia said. She wasn't surprised; she knew that something like that could happen. It had already happened before, after all.

"I…I am really sorry for this, Marcia." Belfast bowed. She felt ashamed; even if she was no longer her Commander, she never wanted anything like this for her.

"Don't be, I understand." For the first time, the former commander looked at the maid. Her tired eyes showed signs of lack of sleep. "You are following orders."

"I…" Belfast couldn't finish. She felt like she had a lump on her throat.

"You don't like this, but you have to follow your orders." Marcia finished the sentence for her. "I know how you feel, Belfast. I am a soldier. I know what it is to follow orders even if you disagree with them. I did the same when we first met."

"Eh…?"

"After the death of the first commander, the higher-ups were worried that it could happen again if we left you alone, that's why they give me, the person to be appointed as the new commander, a mission: to get close the one prototype that was the most loyal to us and form a positive relationship with her."

"But that means…."

"Yes, it was all premeditated, just to get close to you and get as much information of Elizabeth as possible." Marcia gazed firmly at her. "That's why you shouldn't feel sorry for me. You didn't betray me when you chose to follow Elizabeth. I did it first."

A pained expression appeared on Belfast's face, and she exited the room without another word.

Marcia sighed and went to lay down on her bed.

Truth to be told, even if it was her mission, she didn't feel that the time they spent together was terrible. She never actually shared the Admiral and her subordinates disdain towards the prototypes, or at least not to Belfast, who had always treated her with respect.

"…If only that hadn't happened."

Marcia felt that in other circumstances, she and Belfast might have developed a genuine relationship.

But she couldn't say that.

It was easier if she hated her, for both of them.

"Ahhh…" I released a deep breath as I put a hand to the wall to support my body. I was tired, I had tried to run after Sheffield, but she proved to be faster than I thought. In no time, she had disappeared from sight. "Why is it always so difficult with these maids….?" I asked myself. I was starting to think that I was the problem rather than them.

"…"

"We don't have to be enemies. We can be comrades; we can be friends." That's what I said to her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect; I honestly hoped I didn't ruin our relationship... more than it's already ruined.

At the very least, she didn't put a bullet in my brain, so that was a sign that she cared about me in some way, right?

If only we could reach a common ground...

As I slowly walked through the base's tunnels, I managed to see another person approaching.

It was Belfast.

"Hey, Belfast, did you see-?" I was about to ask about Sheffield's whereabouts, but I didn't finish my question because I saw her face's expression. She looked dejected, a rare sight from her. Something must have happened. "Is something wrong?" I asked, a bit concerned.

Surprisingly, she passed by me, apparently not even noticing my presence. She must have really been deep in thought.

I looked as she walked away. Maybe I should leave her alone. I had to look for Sheffield after all.

I thought that and walked a couple of steps before stopping. Then, I turned around to look at her again, her figure slowly disappearing from my sight.

I sighed.

The problem was definitely me, who couldn't stay away from other people's issues like I didn't have enough with my own.

I walked toward her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Belfast?"

"Ah…!" She released an uncharacteristic yelp. "M-master? What's wrong?"

"I was going to ask that. You looked awfully distracted. Did something happen?"

"Hmm…well…." She looked away, seemly reluctant to tell me; maybe I was overstepping my boundaries too much.

"Sorry, you don't have to tell me if it's personal." I didn't want my question to be confused by an order. She was free to have her privacy.

"No…I think you need to know this, Master." Her gaze once again was on me. "If it's not too much trouble, can we talk...in private?"

"Sure, should we go to…?"

"Your room would be better if it's not much to ask." She said, anticipating my question.

"Okay, let's go there, shall we?"

Sorry, Sheffield, I'll go search for you once I am done with her. Just don't do anything crazy in the meantime, okay? I thought.

While Fujimaru and Belfast were talking, Sheffield did something she was not used to, abandon her duties. She was supposed to be always ready for whenever her Majesty needed her. Still, there she was, sitting on the empty subway platform outside the base.

She was the only one there; not a single sound could be heard in the tunnel, as the station had long been abandoned after the military occupied it, so she could be alone with her thoughts.

Her thoughts about him.

"We may have ended liking each other, in some way." That's what he said.

"Like...How ridiculous." Sheffield thought at first, but an idea started to form in her mind.

What if it was true and she just didn't realize it? What if she tried to help him not because of his usefulness but because she was actually fond of him? She wanted to think otherwise, but the possibility that her judgment had been compromised still existed. She would be a failure as a royal maid if her Queen wasn't the most important thing in her mind.

That's why she knew what it had to be done; even if she couldn't…or didn't want to hurt Fujimaru, she had to tell her Majesty about his plan to oppose her. That was her duty as a maid.

But then, why was she there, outside the base, instead of doing that? Why had she run away from that man and now was racking her brain trying to find a different solution from the one she already had?

Why did the thought of disobeying Her Majesty was slowly starting to feel like a possible choice?

"..."

Sheffield released a tired sigh.

It was all his fault. That man had given her nothing but trouble; it was unthinkable that she cared about him in any kind of way.

Even so, she couldn't pull the trigger.

No, she just didn't want to. What he said was true, she didn't want to kill him.

Even if she knew she couldn't allow herself to feel like that, she couldn't help it. It was stronger than her. Was that feeling really what they call "friendship"? She sure didn't feel like that when it came to Belfast or Edinburgh, the closest she had to friends.

But if it was not friendship, what was it?

While those thoughts tormented her mind, a slight red blur suddenly entered her field of view.

"…?" Startled, Sheffield raised her head to take a better look at that strange thing; it flew a bit in the air until it landed on the platform where she was sat.

It was a bird, with a highly distinctive reddish tone converting most of its chest, while its back was brown and wings and the rest of its body had a more silver color.

Aside from the vibrant colors of the bird, the animal's presence there was a bit strange; aside from doves, birds didn't usually make their nest in busy cities and much less fly towards subway tunnels, that one even went deep enough to find the abandoned station.

However, what really caught Sheffield's attention was the black symbol on its body that heavily contrasted with the rest of its appearance. It resembled a letter "V" rotated ninety degrees to the right.

While Sheffield was looking at the animal with curiosity, it turned its head to her. For a split of seconds, it seemed that it was the animal examining Sheffield and not the other way around.

However, it didn't last long because the animal seemingly lost interest in the maid and moved its wings to fly again.

"…"

Maybe it was her imagination, but Sheffield could swear it was flying towards the underground base.

"I see, so it's like that." I said as I took the cup of Earl Grey that Belfast had insisted on preparing.

After we got to my room, Belfast told me what had happened between her and the previous Commander, Marcia, who she felt she had betrayed by following Elizabeth's orders, until she recently discovered that Marcia too had her own orders.

It was a difficult situation, not unlike my own with Sheffield.

"So how do you feel now that you know?" I drank some tea.

"At first, I felt…disappointed, even if I had no right to feel that way." Belfast recognized, and her voice acquired a melancholic tone. "Marcia was the first person to talk to me as if I were another person, another human. Before her, the only thing I did was being locked in a room all day and only came out when I was needed." She looked at her hand while she opened and closed it. "Wait in a room, go out to destroy Siren ships, and then go back to that very same room. That was my entire life."

"But that changed when she came?"

"Yes, she started giving me permission to leave my room, at first from time to time, then at will. I could also start to do more than destroying the Sirens. I began to clean around the base and started brewing tea for her. I was finally able to do my work as a maid and not only as a weapon." She lowered her gaze a bit. "The thought that all those things she did for me were just an act...hurt a bit."

At that moment, I remembered when I first met Belfast at the market. She looked somewhat sad at that time, too, much like now. Maybe that wasn't part of the act Elizabeth made her do, but her real feelings.

"However, I realized something after thinking carefully about it." While there was a bit of hesitation before, her words were doubtless now. "Regardless of who betrayed whom, I don't want her to die, Master."

Was it the first time Belfast had expressed a wish on her own? I had already grown accustomed to the phrase "What I want is irrelevant" that these maids seemed to favor so much that I thought she was utterly selfless. It was actually good to know that she did hold desires on her own.

"I don't want it either," I confessed. "Even if we had a...disagreement before, I don't think killing her is the answer." I already had too much blood on my hands, after all.

"For that reason, I wanted to ask you something, Master." She stood up and bowed in front of me until her face was completely looking at the floor. "I know this is a selfish request, but I wanted to ask you to dissuade her Majesty from continuing with the execution."

"Me…?" I asked, surprised. "You want me to dissuade Elizabeth?"

"Yes, please."

I was speechless for a second.

"Is that a no?"

"I didn't say that. It's just that…Belfast, I met Elizabeth three or four days ago. I don't think she will listen to me that easily. In fact, you are the head maid; I think you should be one…"

"I can't." She quickly disregarded it. "I am in no position to demand anything from her Majesty; I am just a lowly maid, after all."

So even if she did hold wishes independently, she still couldn't bring herself to express them…

"But you are the Commander, and she does think highly of you. I think you have a good chance to convince her."

Could I, really? I know she had a lot of faith in me for some reason, but would she really hear me out?

"..."

No, I shouldn't hesitate, that's why I came here after all: To convince Elizabeth. I had to believe that there was a peaceful solution to all this.

I looked at the maid in front of me.

Yes, I can do it, but not alone.

"I can try." I looked at her thoughtfully. "But I need your support, Belfast."

"I am yours to use, Master." She lifted her skirt a bit. "You can count on my support for everything."

"Then, would you help me to stop Elizabeth's plan to occupy the throne?" I finally asked her.

"...excuse me?" She asked, surprised.

"You heard me right. I want to stop Elizabeth from taking over the throne."

I have been thinking about this matter after my conversation with Sheffield. Even though I confessed my intentions to her, she didn't attack me or hurt me in the end. So maybe, just maybe, I could do the same with Elizabeth. If not only me but also the rest of the Royal Navy opposed her plan, she would perhaps realize it was a bad idea.

"But that would be going against Her Majesty's wishes! She wants the throne so much…"

"But it will put the common people at risk. Her taking the throne would cause a lot of national and international problems. It wouldn't be rare to cause a civil war or worst….that's why, if we are going to dissuade Elizabeth, I don't want to stop just by saving Marcia's life. I want to stop her coup all together."

"That's…" She averted her eyes; it was clear that she was reticent of my idea but didn't want to directly refute me

"I have known you for a while Belfast, I am sure you realize she isn't really the real monarch of this country."

"I am aware, Master." Her tone was one of resignation."But I swore to follow her."

"Even if it means forcing the United Kingdom's populace to be her servants?"

"As a maid, I can't question Her Majesty's actions." She started.

"You already did it, by asking me to help Marcia."

"I...I truly believe that Her Majesty has only the best intentions in mind." She said as if trying to reinforce her point. "She would never abuse her power or willingly hurt who she believes are her citizens. She would be a righteous Queen."

"But are her methods right, Belfast? If she becomes the Queen, then she would execute Marcia, and she might not stop there. What if a rebellion broke out? Would she also execute their leaders? How many people would die because of her? We can't let her occupy the throne, Belfast."

"I…I can't, Master." I could feel her doubt. Her loyalty was torn between Elizabeth and me. "I can't go against the Queen."

In that case, I had a solution for her.

"It is fine if you don't directly disobey her order, right?"

"Eh?"

"You won't be betraying Elizabeth; you'll be just following my orders, as your Master."

I approached her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll take full responsibility for this." My eyes looked directly at her own. "I swear you won't have to do anything, just stand by my side, and support me. If you and the rest of the maids are there when I try to convince the Queen, then we may be able to change her mind peacefully."

"Master..."

"Trust me, Belfast. We can do it together."

We have often talked since we got to know each other, but never I wanted more than now that she could understand me. I needed her to see that my conviction wasn't mere words. I truly wanted this to be resolved without violence as I didn't want to fight Elizabeth or any of the maids. Even if it was idyllic, I wanted to reach a point where we could finally live in peace. I didn't want to go through another war, not again. And for that, I needed her help.

"You really won't hurt her Majesty?" She asked.

"You have my word."

"Then." She kneeled before me. "I' will follow your orders as always, my Master."

I couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you, Belfast. I won't betray your confidence in me." I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Belfast supported me; Dido and Sirius had told me that they would follow my commands; Sheffield had shown that she didn't want to hurt me, so with luck, maybe I could add her to the list of potential allies.

I didn't really know Edinburgh that much, but I was sure Warspite would never oppose her Queen.

That's four out of the seven members of the faction; we'll be the majority. We could do it. We could make Elizabeth change her ways.

For the first time, I felt like I was making progress. Maybe there was a way to end this madness after all.

However, that fleeting hope disappeared in an instant, as I heard the loud noise of an alarm going off in the distance.

Warspite carefully studied the military base map that one of the former Admiral's soldiers had drawn. Her eyes were particularly drawn to a particular part of the base.

it was a door that led to nowhere on the map. "Authorized Personnel Only" could be read on it; apparently, the soldier that drew the map wasn't allowed in that particular area, but he suspected it led to a subterranean zone under the base.

"Are you thinking the same thing as me, Warspite?" Asked Queen Elizabeth with a stern tone.

"Yes, either this is where Dido and Sirius were awoken or where they have the Wisdom Cubes stored."

Both of the newcomer maids have told them about their experience on the base. They hadn't seen much of it as they were primarily locked in a single room. Still, they remember a particular part of the base that looked equipped for scientific research. They found no trace of the Wisdom Cubes, though.

"Should we make reaching this room our priority, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, it's the most suspicious area of all the base. However, we need to focus on detaining the Admiral, as the cubes may not be there at all."

Warspite briefly thought about what would happen if the cubes weren't there. They would need to get that information from the Admiral, but there was a very high chance that he wouldn't be that cooperative…

She turned to look at the Queen, who was still immersed looking at the map.

The Queen had met little to no opposition after taking over the base, mostly thanks to her mysterious "charisma"; no blood had been spilled. But what if that didn't work with the Admiral, as it didn't work with Marcia Haydes and Commander Ritsuka? What if the Admiral resisted it? She didn't understand how Her Queen could suddenly turn enemies into allies, but if it had failed not once but twice, then it might as well fail again.

If that were the case, how far would she go to get the information they needed to start rebuilding the faction? Warspite asked herself. She didn't want to think about the implication of forcing the Admiral to talk, but the possibility was still there.

And if it came to happen, she would have to be ready for it.

Her expression darkened.

The maids weren't ready for it, and she didn't see the Commander up for it either. Obviously, she would never allow the Queen to dirty her hands.

In other words, everything fell on her.

"..."

She looked at her sword on her waist; a knight shouldn't use her sword to such means, but if it was for Her Majesty, she was ready to do anything, she was ready to drench her sword in blood once more.

She was Warspite after all, the one who spites war.

And as if some force was responding to her, a loud sound started to be heard around the base.

Both the Knight and the Queen quickly looked at each other.

"Sirens!"

They immediately left the room and sprinted towards the command room.

Once they arrived, they found the humans there staring, stunned at the image that the massive screen on the wall showed. It was a map of the city, with a red point marking a specific location.

The presence of a Siren had been detected, just where the Admiral's base was.

"Most of the regimen had already left the premise, doctor."

"Good." The old man looked at the young soldier. "You are free to leave too, soldier. We'll take care of this."

"Permission to speak freely, sir." The soldier, however, didn't leave.

In a matter of hours, the Admiral's base had become almost wholly deserted after most of the regiment were ordered to abandon their posts. The only ones left were just a couple of soldiers, Doctor O'Dyne and the Admiral himself.

Two of those few people were at the moment at the base entrance, checking that everyone left the premises without significant problems.

"You don't need my permission to speak." O'Dyne said. "I am but a physicist. I hold no rank above you."

"But you are the Admiral's friend so…"

"Ha! I am not sure if he considers me a friend. It's more like I am useful to him… Anyway, what did you want to say?"

"With all due respect, doctor…do you think the Admiral is alright? To order the entire regiment to leave the base…"

"I know how it looks like, but believe me, he has a good reason to give that order." He chuckled a bit. "Besides, you should be happy. You won't be here when those prototypes decide to attack."

"But how does he know that they are going to attack today? And more importantly, how would he defend the base without us? Is he…really going to use that?"

"…I can't answer that, sadly. But I assure you, the admiral knows what he is doing." He put a hand on his shoulder and talked as if he was talking with his son. "Now go and stay safe, soldier. This is an order from the Admiral."

"Yes…doctor."

The soldier turned around reluctantly and left.

The moment the soldier disappeared from his sigh, O'Dyne released a deep sigh. If only he believed half of what he had said to him…

After going around the almost abandoned base, telling the last couple of soldiers to leave, the doctor walked towards the lab section. He crossed the security door and went downstairs until he finally reached his destination.

There he was, Admiral William, completely alone while looking at the two glass pillars that were the center of the room. Both metal bases of the pillars held a certain amount of panels and strange machinery. Both were connected by a couple of two thick hose pipes.

In one of the pillars was a naked woman, floating unanimously in a purplish liquid.

In the other one was a black cube, floating in the same strange liquid. It would have been difficult to see it due to both colors being dark, but a yellow glow on the cube center made it easier to distinguish it.

O'Dyne opened the door to the big room and approached the Admiral without saying a word.

"Did they leave?" William asked, not turning to look at him.

"Yes, it's only you and me now, Admiral."

"Good." He didn't take his eyes away from the pillars. "They'll be coming soon."

"The prototypes?"

"Yes."

"Admiral…this…" The doctor stuttered. "Are you sure about this? …this is Siren technology, even I don't understand its possible effects, using this is…"

"I am aware, doctor. But rest assure. We can control it."

"The higher-ups thought they were in control, we thought we were in control when we created those prototype…and where did that take us? To the death of half dozen of scientists and a commander!? To a rebellion of the prototypes!? Please, William, you have suffered this more than anyone here. You must stop this before it is too late!"

"You don't understand, O'Dyne." He finally looked at the old man. "When I touched that black cube…I saw the future, humanity's future. That's why I know this is our only chance." He turned to look at the pillar again. "This time, we won't lose. This time, we'll be ready."

Unknown to the doctor, there was another person in the room; it could be called a person. He was a man dressed in military uniform, much like the Admiral. He had short black hair, a bit hidden by a military cap, and a face that could have been called handsome if it wasn't for the malicious smile running through it. On the right side of his uniform, a name could be read: "Commander Clarke."

"He can't understand, William. No one can understand. Only you, who have made a connection with the cube, can." He moved his lips towards the Admiral's ear. "Only you can defeat the prototypes and protect humanity. Only you can avenge my death. Only after that, you'll finally find peace."

Such were the intoxicating words of Observer Alpha.

END OF CHAPTER 15

AN: Chapter 15 done

This was mostly a transition chapter, to answer a few things and set the final climax, we are about to reach the end of this arc after all. The next chapter will probably be a two-part chapter showing the final confrontation between the military and the Royal Navy.

Anyway I think that's it, if you want to ask anything, leave a review or hit me on the discord server.

Invite : discord. gg / kvRCbruzaT (erase the spaces, obviously)

See you in the next chapter.

Chapter Text

" Cheers!" The two bottles of beer made a clinking sound, and the two men started to drink. The bar was bursting with people. One needed to be awfully close to another person to hear them between the loud talking and strident laughs of the not-sober people in the bar.

However, that didn't matter to the two men since they were in a festive mood; it was a special occasion after all.

One of them finally lowered his bottle, only to see that the other was still drinking.

"Hey William, be careful with that." He said, laughing. "Do you want your new subordinates to see you like a drunkard?"

William only answered when his bottle was almost half empty.

"What?" He made an exaggerated gesture with his ear. "Is a mere Commander ordering ME around, an Admiral? You can face court-martial just for that!"

"As if they would hear a man with more alcohol in his veins than blood."

"Oh, they would hear me, and you know why? Because starting today, I am an Admiral, a fucking Admiral! And the best one in this country!"Said William and once again brought the bottle to his lips.

"The best of the best!" Repeated the Commander, and he too drank some more.

"And as the best Admiral of the country, I need the best Commander serving under me, someone I can actually trust with my life. You know what I mean, right Clarke?"

"I know that you are drunk." He chuckled.

"MAYBE!" He shouted, but his voice was just a whisper in the loud noise of the bar. "But that doesn't mean I don't want you working with me." Despite his state, his voice started to become serious. "I have known you for what, seven years now? I know you are capable."

"Is that so? I bet that if I accepted, you would just put me on clean duties for the rest of my service." He laughed. "And let me tell you, I have cleaned enough toilets in our academy days for a lifetime. I am not going to do it again, my friend."

"I am serious." He put his bottle on the table, making it clear that he wasn't joking around. "There is no one I rather have as my right hand than you."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, do you think I have other friends?"

Both of them burst into laughter.

"So, what do you say?" The Admiral kept trying to persuade him. "You are in?"

"Ah…well…." A conflicted expression appeared on the Commander's face."Sorry, man. I can't do it."

"Tch, come on." The Admiral said, with obvious disappointment."Is it because we were classmates? You know I would be a good boss."

"It's not that I don't want to, really. It just that…." Clarke released a deep sigh. "I wanted to tell you about this, but I guess I wasn't quick enough."

"What do you mean…?"

"I got reassigned; I have a week or so to pack all my things and move to my new position."

"What…?" The Admiral was confused; he hadn't heard anything like that from the higher-ups. "Reassigned where?"

"That's confidential, apparently."

"What the fuck? Confidential?" He couldn't contain his surprise. "What, you are going to spy on the Russians or something?"

"Can't say, sorry."

"Come on. You know, I won't say anything. I don't want those damn bureaucrats going after my ass. Besides, I have a higher rank than yours. Why are you the one they call for the secrets stuffs?"

"Alright, alright, don't start crying over me." He gestured the Admiral to come a little closer, even though whatever he could say would be lost in the noisy bar. Regardless, the Admiral did it, and Clarke whispered in his ear. "I was assigned to supervise a top-secret project that is in development right now; they are even using those old subterranean labs again."

"What, a secret project? Are they testing biological agents behind the United Nations' back? That shit could go to hell at the first oversight."

"I haven't been told the full details, but if the limited information that was given to me is true, then it's not exactly that. It's an entirely new type of weapon, something far different from the ones we are accustomed to."

" …? What kind of weapons?"

"Sentient weapons."

"Thinking about the past?" The apparition behind him asked.

The Admiral turned around to see the face of his friend, Commander Clarke, smiling as if someone had told a good joke; the situation wasn't one for jokes, however.

"You can read minds?" The Admiral asked, serious. At this point, he wouldn't find it weird for him to be capable of that.

They were the only ones in the room, as doctor O'dyne had decided to leave the Admiral alone after failing to convince him to stop, not knowing that he was, in fact, not alone.

"I can do a lot of things." Was the uncommitted response of the man that resembled his friend so much.

The Admiral sighed.

"I remembered about the last time we were together….before this." He once again turned around to look at the girl floating in the glass pillar, her eyes still remained shut. "In the bar, when I offered you the position as my right hand, remember?"

"Oh? But that wasn't our last meeting. We met one last time before I came here. Did you forget?"

"…yes, you are right, you did come to say goodbye before leaving. I must be remembering wrong." He wasn't. William clearly remembered everything. Instead, it was a test—a test to determine if the apparition was really his late friend. So far, he had proved to remember everything they had went through, from their time in the academy to their years of service. In aspect and memories, the apparition was one hundred percent his friend.

But something bothered him, he couldn't exactly put his finger on it, but he could feel there was something wrong with this Clarke. It was like his body and mind were the same, but the person he knew wasn't inside that body anymore.

His eyes moved towards the black cube floating in the other pillar. If he could get his hands on it again, maybe he could…

"You shouldn't," Clarke said suddenly.

"…what?"

"You shouldn't mess too much with Siren technology, especially with those cubes." He walked towards the pillar until he could put his palm on it. "They are not from this time, you know? That's why they behave so erratic, so unstable: they miss their home, they want to go back to their proper timeline."

"You talk about them as if they were alive."

Clarke laughed.

"Alive, dead, living, unanimated. Those words have long since started to lose their meaning." He turned to look back at the Admiral and tilted his head. "I mean, I should be dead. I was killed by one of the prototypes, after all, but look at me. I am here now, talking with my good friend. Isn't it marvelous?"

"…"

Every fiber of his being told him to not trust that man, the man that looked so similar to his friend but at the same time wasn't quite him. Whatever the Sirens did to bring him back from the dead changed him; he was no longer the man he remembered as his friend.

However, he needed his help. He touched the cube after all; he saw what was to come.

A war, one that won't be fought by humans but by those prototypes, by "shipgirls" as their kind is supposedly called. A war where humanity would be mere spectators, no different from a helpless child caught between the crossfire of a battlefield.

He couldn't allow that future to ever happen, he wouldn't allow those weapons to take control of the world. He had lost one friend to them once; he couldn't allow it to happen again.

"You said the black cube will allow me to control this one." He gestured to the woman in the tube. "And now you are saying I shouldn't touch it?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong; you should be able to use it just fine to command her, but if you try to look into the future again…." Clarke hit his temple a few times. "Your mind might not take it well."

"I don't care what happens to me, as long as I can stop them." The Admiral declared, without an iota of doubt.

"So be it, then." Clarke smiled with sadism. "Today, once the sun sets on the horizon, they will come, and you will get what you desperately desire, my friend. You will get your revenge."

"…" The Admiral didn't say anything, but he would have been lying if he said it was all for the sake of humanity. Deep inside, he knew that it was more than that.

What the phantom of his friend said was true. He wanted revenge, revenge for the death of his friend.

And he would get it, even if it was the last thing he would do.

It was said that no plan survives contact with the enemy, and I was inclined to agree; my own plan got completely ruined even before starting. I kept foolishly thinking that if I managed to convince Elizabeth to change her ways, then the rest of my problems would eventually be resolved.

I was wrong, so horribly wrong. I completely forgot about the others sides of the conflict: the humans and the Sirens, which were taking their toll now.

The entire Royal Navy, except for Sheffield, and I were there in the command room, watching dumbfounded how the presence of a Siren had been detected in the base we were supposed to assault.

"Why…? Why the Sirens are there of all places?" Edinburgh was the first one to speak; she appeared as confused as the rest of us. "Are they attacking the humans?"

"They are not attacking." Declared Elizabeth; her voice was in complete command mode. "There have been no reports of gunshots or explosions of any kind around the base. If the humans had been attacked, there should have been signs of resistance."

"Besides, if they attacked at this time of the day, then there would be dozens of eyewitnesses," I added. "Every person and their mothers have a mobile nowadays; pictures of the Sirens would be on the internet in mere minutes."

Unless they had some way to stop or erase them from the internet, but if that were the case, why bother assaulting a base in the middle of the day when they can do it in the relative safely of the night?

"But if they are not attacking…." Started Edinburgh.

"Yes, they are there for another reason." Finished Warspite, her eyes sunk into the red dot in the giant screen. "Maybe my initial theory was wrong; maybe the Sirens and humans were cooperating all along."

"Hmm, the attack of Dido and Sirius was timed perfectly for when we, the maids, left the base." Belfast said, thoughtfully. At the same time, Dido quickly apologized to everyone, and Sirius looked away ashamed. "It truly seems too much of a coincidence; the possibility that they are working together is indeed high."

"…" Elizabeth remained in silence for a moment, digesting all this new information. "Regardless if they are working together or not, our objective has not changed. We have to assault the Admiral's base and retrieve the Wisdom Cubes. The appearance of the Sirens only means that we should act as soon as possible." She turned to look at me. "Ritsuka, I know I said you could rest, but we really can't wait anymore. Do you think you can command the assault tonight?"

"…Yes, your Majesty." Truthfully, I hadn't fully recovered yet, but it's not like I had another choice.

"Good, I leave the logistic of the assault to you." She then spoke to the rest of the Royal Navy. "Be prepare, everyone. We'll depart at 2400 hours!"

"Y-your Majesty? Does that mean…?" Warspite tried to ask.

"Yes, I am going too, Warspite. I won't repeat the same mistake twice. I won't divide our forces." She closed her fist in front of her face. "This time, when the enemy attacks, we'll be together as a unified faction!"

It seemed that the knight wanted to argue, but ultimately, she just lowered her head.

"As you wish, your Majesty."

"Good, if there isn't another matter to discuss, you are dismissed!" She hit her scepter on the floor, putting an end to the reunion.

"Yes, your Majesty!" Everyone answered in almost perfect unison.

The fight between the Admiral and the Royal Navy seemed to be inevitable.

Once the emergency meeting had ended, everyone began to part ways to start preparing for the imminent assault to the military base. Belfast and I, however, stayed behind in the tunnel corridors.

"This makes the situation a lot more difficult." She said. "I doubt Her Majesty would be willing to hear us knowing that the Sirens got involved."

"You are right..." I reluctantly agreed. "We can't just talk about peace if the Admiral is truly working with the Sirens, nor we can ignore them either; if the Sirens are up to something, then we should stop them at any cost." Maybe it was my fear of Purifier speaking, but I felt that we would be making a grave mistake if we left the Sirens alone. "However, that means…"

"The assault to the Admiral's base is inevitable." Belfast said drily.

"Yes…" I clenched my fist in a fury, feeling out of options. Was the war really the only solution to this conflict? "The best we can do is to try to keep the causalities to the minimum. " That's the reason I became their Commander, after all, to be in a position of power; to be able to stop a massacre before it happened.

"Her Majesty had made it clear that she doesn't want to hurt the soldiers. The only ones that are at risk are…"

"The Admiral and Haydes."

Silence, neither of us knew what to say next.

As long as Elizabeth didn't have the Wisdom Cubes, she wouldn't execute the Admiral, the only person that might know where they are. However, if the cubes were on the base, then…she would have no need for him or Haydes.

"…"

We won't gain anything by doing nothing. If we wanted to save Marcia, we should do something now.

"How often do they check on Marcia?" I asked.

"Every three or four hours, whenever is time for the meals, I am the one in charge of it."

"So that means you need to visit her one last time before we have to go, right?"

"Indeed."

"Good. You can set her free then."

"…Master?"

"You have my permission to let her escape. She knows this base; she should be able to escape on her own if she avoids the cameras. Besides, Elizabeth will be coming with us, so there won't be a better time for her to escape than now."

Belfast lowered her gaze, no doubt feeling caught between her loyalties. Even though she wants Marcia to survive, acting behind the Queen's back must be hard for her.

"I know I am putting you in a difficult position, and I would gladly do it myself, but it would be too strange for me to go visit Haydes all of sudden. It has to be you, Belfast."

Look at me, making her do all the work after I said I would take full responsibility. Unfortunately, there wasn't another way.

"If you need it, I can make it an order. That way you…"

"No." She shook her head. "That won't be necessary, Master. I'll do it." She said, and I could see the decision behind her words.

"So you have made your choice."

"Yes." She looked at her fist. "I have been having these doubts for a long time, thinking that it was wrong to feel this way, feeling guilty for ever doubting the Queen's orders. "Her amethyst eyes looked at me again. "But I think...no, I am sure that is what I want to do, I want to save Marcia's life."

I couldn't help but smile.

"If you want to save her, then don't let anyone, nor me or Elizabeth, stop you." I put a hand on her shoulder. "Go for it."

She answered me with a smile, not just one of happiness but of tranquility. She was at peace with her decision; she had finally found her answer.

"Thanks, Master." After saying that and giving me a small reverence, she left. Her figure disappeared in the corridors of the base.

Belfast was doing her best, so I couldn't disappoint her.

I would also put my all to stop this conflict.

While the base was in turmoil, Sheffield was dealing with her own set of problems, namely the presence of a particular animal. She had been told that an urgent meeting would take place through the mental link and that she should go back to the base.

However, by the time she tried to go back, she found that the red bird that had previously flown away was in front of the metal door that led to the subterrene base, as if it was waiting for someone to open it up for it.

Sheffield was no fool. After so many coincidences, she could deduce that the bird was no lost animal. It could have easily been a spy critter from the Sirens; she wouldn't find it weird for them to use such strange tactics. They weren't beyond that.

With those suspicions in mind, her first instinct was to point a gun at it and see how it reacts, pretty much as she usually did with everything. However, she didn't do that this time. In fact, she made no sign of doubting the bird.

Instead, she calmly opened the door and let the bird pass, which effectively flew inside. Now she could follow it; whatever that thing wanted in the base, she would discover it.

And thus, she followed the flying animal for a while, at a safe distance, observing its every move.

However, something that she wasn't expecting happened: The black symbol engraved on its body began to glow red, and without any warning, the bird suddenly caught fire mid-air. And then, before the maid could do anything, the bird bolted like a bullet, quickly disappearing from Sheffield's sight.

"…!" Not a second after that, Sheffield sprinted, hoping to catch up with it again.

She was right: that was no mere bird; that was something else. It definitely knew it was being followed and was trying to lose her.

Unfortunately, even after running for a while, she couldn't find it. Where could it have gone? Perhaps it entered one of the rooms? Not, it couldn't open doors, so it must have been hiding somewhere.

While thinking of possible hiding spots, she did find someone, and it was the only person she didn't want to see at all.

"Sheffield…?" He asked, perhaps surprised that she suddenly appeared before him.

"Master." She said, that simple word was starting to weigh her more than she thought or liked. "Have you seen a firebird flying around here?"

We stared at each other silently for a couple of seconds until the silence was too much for me to bear.

"Was that really the first thing you say after we met again?" I asked, my voice tired.

"It's important. Have you seen it or not?" She repeated seriously. But again, she was adamant ninety-nine percent of the time.

I sighed. I really can't understand her sometimes.

"No, I have not seen such a thing. Why are you asking?"

"We must search for it; what I saw was clearly not a common animal; we are probably getting spied by the Sirens."

"Is this a joke?"

"I told you already, I don't joke with matters such as this." She really didn't look like she was joking.

"…alright, I understand." I rubbed my temples; I felt like I was starting to develop a headache. "But that will have to wait; we have more pressing matters."

Sheffield tided her head as if asking what would be more critical than to search for that bird of hers.

"A Siren had appeared on the Admiral's base, her objective unknown. Elizabeth had ordered us to assault the base tonight." I briefed Sheffield about the meeting. "I am gathering the maids to start planning our strategy, will you come?"

"If it's an order from Her Majesty, then I don't have a choice." She walked past me. "I will continue following you, my pest of a master."

"Hey." I didn't move. "Have you thought about what we talked about before?"

She stopped as soon as I finished talking.

"Are you worried that I would tell Her Majesty about your origin and your plans?" She said, without turning back.

"No, I was talking about us."

"…" She stayed silent for a few moments. "I don't think there is anything left to talk."

"You know what I mean, Sheffield. A lot of had happened, and we both made mistakes but…don't you think it's time for us to put aside our differences? We are going to fight side by side in a couple of hours; it would be great if we could trust each other."

"And become 'friends'? Is that what you want, Master?"

"We don't need to become friends, but it would be great to not be at each other's throat every waking second."

"Too bad, I can't do that." She finally turned to look at me; her expression was as stiff as always. "I hate you, after all."

Her words stunned me for a bit. Not because she said she hated me, but because I felt no hostility in her remarks at all. Did she really think that way or…?

"Will you tell Elizabeth about me, then?"

"I won't."

"Why? If you truly hated me, then it would be the perfect chance to get rid of me."

"I don't need to bring her Majesty into this." She shook her head. "I am enough to deal with you if you try something; further worry is unnecessary."

I grimaced. That logic was a bit flawed.

"How stubborn, just say you enjoy my company and be done with it. Or is your pride too important for you, Sheffield?"

"The fact that you constantly delve into your delusions is truly worrying." Sheffield sighed as if she was tired. "I can only fear for our future." After saying that, she continued walking, putting an end to the conversation.

I smiled. Was I crazy if I believed we were finally getting closer? Maybe I was, but it was a nice thought; she and I finally getting along.

"Don't just stay there." She said, seeing that I wasn't moving. "We have a base to raid, pest."

"Alright, alright." I approached her, and we started walking side by side. Then, I looked at her. I still hardly saw any difference in that perpetual mix of detachment and coldness that was her expression. Still, I wanted to believe she was at my side, maybe not as a friend but as a comrade in arms.

Still, a part of me wanted to mess with her.

"You truly are difficult to please, Sheffield." I continued talking. "But maybe that's what I like about you."

The maid suddenly stopped her steps.

"…Was that a joke?" She asked, dead serious.

"I don't joke about matters such as these." I said and continued walking without looking back.

I didn't get a response, but she did follow me in the end. Our steps were the only thing that could be heard for a long time until we came across the rest of the maids.

"I am sorry." Belfast lowered her head before a dumbfounded Marcia; that was the first thing she said after revisiting her.

"Belfast, what are you…?"

"As a maid, my first priority should have been serving you." Belfast continued without letting the former Commander speak. "However, I still purposely hid information from you; my actions were the sole reason you are locked here now, and for that, I am sorry."

"…We have already talked about this." Marcia looked to the side. "We both had orders. I can't blame you for serving your own kind; it would be hypocritical for me to do so because I did the same."

"I beg to differ."

"Eh…?"

"From the very start, you knew where your loyalty was. I, on the other hand, was undecided for a long time. I fooled myself thinking that as long as I did my best to serve everyone equally, then everything would be fine." She raised her head and looked at Marcia directly in the eyes. "But I am no longer undecided."

Belfast walked towards the door, and with a simple motion of her hand, she broke the lock in such a way it could no longer be closed.

"What are you doing…!?"

"When I came to this world, I was told that I had been created for protecting humanity, but no once I have saved anyone." She looked back at Marcia. "I think it is time for me to do it."

"You are letting me go…? But your Queen…"

"She doesn't know, and she'll be out for a couple of hours as everyone else. You should use that time to escape, Marcia."

"But…why? All I did for you was a lie, just an act to get close to you. I…I just used you!" Marcia shouted, feeling angry at herself more than to Belfast. "And even knowing that, you are still trying to help me, an enemy of your Queen…why? Why would you do this?"

"Because I don't want you to die." She said with warm sincerity. "That is my wish, not as a maid or as a shipgirl, but as Belfast."

"…" Marcia was at a loss for words.

"Wait until midnight to escape. The door to the surface will be open too. Some human soldier will remain in the base, however, and the cameras will still be functioning, so you need to be careful."

"Belfast…" There was sadness in Marcia's voice. "You know I can't ignore this. If you let me go, I must inform the situation here to my superiors."

"Don't worry; I am sure he'll figure something out."

"He...?"

Belfast shook her head.

"It's nothing." She raised her skirt a bit in reverence. "I wish you the best of luck, Commander. I truly hope the next time we meet would in better circumstances."

And with those parting words, Belfast left, leaving an even more confused Marcia alone.

Once everyone was gathered, I borrowed the map that Admiral's soldier had drawn for us, hanged it to the wall, and started explaining the strategy for the assault, the maids hearing me intently. Warspite and Elizabeth were also there, but they were slightly afar as if they were judging if I did a good job rather than hearing me directly.

It wasn't anything that elaborated as I wasn't exactly an expert on the matter, just our movement and preferred position as a group. I also explicitly said they were free to fight as they pleased; they were proficient enough in that without my meddling. The only order I imposed was to not use lethal force against the Admiral's soldiers.

"Before I continue, does anyone have any questions?" I asked that, and I immediately felt like I was back in my classroom; Edinburg even raised her hand, which made me wonder if I was acting more as a teacher than a Commander. "You can just speak directly, you know? What is it?"

"I understand that this will work against human soldiers. But a Siren is confirmed to be there. What should we do against her?"

"Good question." I turned back to the map and started scribbling on a blank side. "As I see it, there are two possibilities, either that Siren is Purifier or is a completely different Siren." I put the words "Purifier" and "No Purifier" into two columns. "If it's Purifier, then we have some ways to counter her attacks: Her drones are useless against Sheffield, so they shouldn't give us too much trouble. That fog, on the other hand, is harder to deal with, the best we can do is to stay together as close as possible in one place, but our visibility would be still be lowered considerably."

"And if it's not Purifier?" Asked Belfast.

"Then we would be going blind." I drew a big question mark in the other column. "We don't know if the rest of the "special" Sirens have the same abilities as her or if they are completely different. The only thing we can do is prepare for the worst; the Sirens are intelligent and cunning. They would probably attack the weakest of us first."

"In other words: you, pest." Sheffield said, her words as sharp as ever.

I sighed deeply.

"Yes." I couldn't contradict her. "Believe me; I would normally prefer to stay behind and not enter directly in combat, but we aren't dealing with common soldiers anymore. It is as the Queen said; dividing our forces would be a terrible idea."

I could see Elizabeth nodding happily in the distance as if she was approving of me agreeing with her. It was the truth though, I could be quickly assassinated if I am left alone while the maids fight. Ironically, the best place for me was probably in the frontlines with them.

"Can't you use that shield of yours?" Sheffield continued. "Last time, it was quite effective to break that Siren arm."

"My shield can withstand their attacks, yes, but if I am attacked from a blind spot, like my back, I would have a hard time defending myself." I confessed, feeling a bit helpless. "It pains me to ask this, but I can't survive on my own. I would need someone to protect my back."

"Allow me to offer myself, my honorable master." The one who spoke was Sirius, while slightly lowering her head."I have experience being a bodyguard; I could definitely serve this purpose."

I hadn't properly talked with her since we did…that, so I was a bit unsure on how to treat her. I quickly buried those feelings, however, as we were dealing with a serious situation.

"Thanks, Sirius. I'll be counting on you then."

It might have been my imagination, but I could swear Dido glared at Sirius for a moment after I said that.

"Anyway, with that settled, I think we went over everything." I looked at Elizabeth, expecting some kind of order from her.

She smiled proudly.

"Excellent work, Fujimaru. I knew I made the right call by choosing you as the Commander of my forces." Elizabeth gave praise that was more direct towards herself than to me. "Now then…" She looked at everyone present in the room. Her eyes went from each maid to me and finally to Warspite at her side. "My loyal vassals, the time has finally come for us; we will no longer delve underground, hiding our heads from the masses. Now it is time to occupy our deserved place as royalty. Every single citizen of this country will soon come to know of the magnanimous Royal Navy!" Elizabeth said her speech had a clear tone of ambition and passion.

"Yes, your Majesty!" Echoed the maids.

"Yes...your Majesty." I forced myself to repeat it, but the only thing in my head was a concern. After all this, could I really convince this person to back away when she is this convinced that what she is doing is right?

"Now, let's go." She stood up and hit her scepter on the floor. "Let's reclaim our place in the world!"

The trip to the base was uneventful. If nothing else, I had a bit of a hard time keeping up with their speed, a fact that reminded me that even if I can somewhat equal their velocity, there was still a difference between doing it naturally and by magecraft. Dido even offered to carry me at some point, which honestly hurt my pride a bit.

Regardless of that, we reached the Admiral's base without significant inconveniences. Before us, a couple of large buildings and what I guessed was a watchtower stood on an extensive perimeter enclosed by a wire fence. Contrary to popular belief, there weren't tanks or armored vehicles just lying around the base, a thing that should have been obvious because the United Kingdom wasn't precisely preparing for a war, or rather, for a conventional war.

What was truly surprising was the complete absence of people in the compound. I figured at least some soldiers would be guarding the entrance. However, after Belfast and Sheffield checked the surrounding, they still found no trace of soldiers.

"This looks a lot like a trap." I said.

"That, or they were completely wiped by the Sirens." Observed the ever so cheerful Sheffield.

"No way of knowing without entering." Elizabeth wasn't deterred in the sightless and quickly jumped the fence. "Let's move."

We walked through the seemingly abandoned compound towards the building marked on our map, where the door leading to the underground was supposed. After smashing a couple of doors in our way, we reached a suspicious-looking metal door, much like the one in our own base. A quick slash from Warspite's sword was enough to reveal staircases leading deep down into the base.

We went downstairs for a couple of minutes until finally arriving at a spacious room, much like a dome; it seemed to be the main hall of the underground, with multiple doors to the sides, which I presume led to the different part of the base. However, what truly caught my eye were the two people standing in the middle of the room.

One of them was a man; he was wearing a grayish military uniform alongside what seemed to be tactical gear. I couldn't distinguish his feature that well from where I was, but I could see that he was bald. Also, he was probably taller than me by a few centimeters. In one of his hands was a strange black cube.

The other person was a pale woman, so pale that I could swear her skin was paperwhite. She was wearing a black outfit that highly resembled a ceremonial dress, with a big skirt and a low neckline that showed a generous amount of cleavage. Her hair was almost as white as her skin, maybe a bit more grey; it was also done in two long pigtails, so long that they reached the floor. Even in the distance, I could see those distinct golden eyes watching us with disinterest; she was without a doubt a Siren.

Those two individuals just stood there as if waiting for us to get closer.

"At my sign, Dido, Sirius, and Belfast will engage the Siren." Elizabeth issued her orders in a low voice. "The rest should restrain and capture the Admiral."

I grabbed Lord Camelot more strongly; I doubted this situation would be resolved that easily.

Elizabeth finally made us stop a few meters away from the pair and began speaking.

"Admiral of the humans, I presume."

The man didn't react. In fact, he wasn't even paying attention to Elizabeth, his gaze was directed to another person.

Me.

"You are before the true monarch of this country!" Elizabeth shouted, furious that she wasn't given the attention she thought she deserved. "Your ridiculous feud ends now, surrender yourself or…" For some reason, Elizabeth stopped talking and just looked at the Siren with a confused expression.

What had happened...?

"You." The Admiral completely disregarded Elizabeth and spoke to me, furious."You dare to show yourself here, you damn traitor."His fury was directed at me. He probably wasn't expecting a human to show up alongside the "weapons."

"Traitor…? You don't know a thing about know me." I wasn't impressed by his bravado.

"I know more than you think." His features were deformed by rage, and his voice was filled with repulsion. "You are the human who sold himself to these monstrosities. You are the one who betrayed humanity, your own people, your own kind…! And for what? For control? For power? Or was it just a quick fuck? Did they suck you off that well!?"

"What…?" Sold myself? Betrayed humanity? What the hell was he talking about?

"A human that works with the Sirens has no right to criticize our Commander!" Warspite was the one who answered. "You are the traitor, not Fujimaru!"

Contrary to what I expected, the Commander didn't explode in rage but in disturbing laughter.

"Did…? Hahaha...Did you just say, Commander!? That guy is your Commander? Hahahahahahahaha!." He seemed incapable of containing his laugh. "Does he even know what you did to your previous Commander, monster!? Have you told him how you cut his throat open before even letting him speak!?"

…!?

"What…? What are you talking about?" I looked at Warspite, confused, but the knight lowered her head, avoiding my gaze.

"You ignorant fool." He continued. "You don't even know what happened to your predecessor."

"My predecessor...? Marcia Haydes is alive!" I countered.

"I am not talking about her!" He shouted. "I am talking about Commander Clarke! He was brutally murdered by-"

"Warspite protected me!" Elizabeth finally interceded again. "She did nothing to be ashamed for, don't listen to him, Fujimaru." She turned to the Admiral again. "That man called Clarke was someone who would raise a weapon against his Queen. He was not fit to be a Commander."

Upon hearing that, the expression in the Admiral's face radically changed. It was no longer an expression of fury or rage. It was one of surprise and pain as if something had been broken inside him by Elizabeth's words.

"Kill all of them." The black cube in his hand began to glow with a golden light."Don't leave a single ash of them intact."

The Siren, who had been silent and still for the entire conversation, finally moved, opening her arms, and just like Purifier did long ago, hundreds of black drones started to appear from thin air.

Not a second after the drones started to materialize, Sheffield already had her pistols on both hands, and without saying a word, she started shooting the drones.

The Siren clearly recognized her as a threat because she went directly towards her, closing a distance of meters in splits of seconds. However, she never reached her target as Belfast stopped her with a solid tackled, followed by a barrage of her artillery. The Siren wasn't affected by this attack and quickly engaged Belfast directly, her fist almost as fast as bullets.

While Sheffield and Belfast kept the Siren relatively controlled, the black drones kept appearing around us, and little by little, we were being surrounded.

I stepped back, trying to escape the pincer of the drones before they could start shooting, but it was too late. I had a few of them already at my back. Before I could make a move to defend myself, a maid came like a flash and slashed the drones in half.

"I have your back, my honorable Master."

"Sirius…" I didn't have time to be surprised because I had to block a few shots from the front. I moved my free hand arm to form a Gandr, but the drones were destroyed before I could finish. Dido's sword cut them like they were made of paper.

"I can be useful too, Master." Dido said, putting herself in front of me." If I can't guard your back, then I'll become your sword!"

Both maids stayed near me, Dido in the front and Sirius in my back. Both eliminating any drone that came near us. And at that precise moment, while the two maids made their best effort to protect me, I could see myself back in the singularities, fighting alongside my Servants one more time.

Fighting alongside my friends one more time.

That's right, I was a Master. I was still a Master! And as Master, even if I had to stay behind, I had to do anything in my power to support my Servants.

My eyes moved towards the Admiral, who slowly walked away from the battlefield and abandoned the room through one of the multiple doors. My eyes then moved to the Siren, how continued exchanging fists with Belfast.

"Elizabeth!" I shouted to her. She was in a similar position to mine, surrounded by drones repelled by Warspite and Edinburgh. "I'll take care of the Admiral."

She looked at me with surprise but soon understood.

"Alive, Fujimaru. I want him alive!" She just said and continued dodging the attacks of the drones.

I simply nodded and turned again to Sirius and Dido.

"Can you open a path for me?"

They briefly looked at each other, and then nodded.

"Let's go then!" I began to sprint in the direction the Admiral had gone. Dido quickly took the lead and started destroying the drones in our path, while Sirius remained behind me, deflecting the shoots from behind.

It was only a few meters, but those seconds of running felt like an eternity. I could see the metal parts of the drones getting trashed around as Dido slashed them, while I heard Sirius blocking shots from behind. It was a festival of destruction. It was indeed the sound of war.

Soon, we reached the door, which I slammed with a charge with Lord Camelot. A dark corridor awaited on the other side, which I followed without second thoughts.

I had to catch the Admiral. I doubted he would hear anything I would say, but if I destroy that black cube he had…maybe I would be able to stop this madness.

Elizabeth saw Ritsuka, Dido, and Sirius abandoning the battlefield to pursue the Admiral. It was hard to lose one-third of their battle potential, but the battle seemed to be going in their favor.

Belfast and the Siren continued to exchange blows. At first, they seemed evenly matched, but as the battle progressed, the movement of the Siren started to become slower, and her arms began to show the bruises made by blocking Belfast's attack. The maid was clearly stronger in close combat than the Siren, and with Sheffield's anti-air support, the drones couldn't interfere.

Even though, something was bothering the Queen about that Siren. She couldn't exactly put it into words, but she felt that she knew her...But that was ridiculous. Why would she know a Siren?

It was no long before Belfast could finally break the Siren's defense and land a direct hit to her chest, sending her a few meters backward. That single moment was enough for the Queen, and she quickly directed her heavy guns towards Siren.

"Warspite! Edinburgh!"

"Yes, your Majesty!" Both the knight and the maid quickly destroyed any drone in the Queen's line of view, allowing her a clean shoot.

Even as a shipigirl, Elizabeth was supposed to be a monarch, nor a warrior. She lacked the individual prowess of Belfast or Warspite. Her role on the battlefield was to give support and increase morale rather than to fight directly.

However, that didn't mean that she was weak, and she was about to show that Siren the might of the flagship of the Royal Navy. Her heavy guns were shot with an extrident sound, and before the Siren could react, the projectiles had already reached her.

A loud explosion filled the room, followed by black smoke. She would generally discourage using their rigging cannons in enclosed spaces, but she just couldn't waste such an opportunity.

And that had paid off; as the smoke dissipated, revealing a struggling Siren. She had wounds all over her body, her clothes were in tatters, and the previously unemotional expression now was filled with contained anger. As she was right there, she couldn't win against them.

"Finish her off." The Queen ordered, not having an iota of mercy towards a Siren. They didn't deserve it, after all.

Belfast didn't say anything, just rushed toward the Siren to give the finishing blow.

However, the Siren raised her right hand, and for the first time, words came out of her mouth.

And at that moment, when the Queen heard her voice, an enormous flow of memories assaulted her mind. Memories of a different time, of a different place, memories of a more peaceful world, all involving that "siren."

But she was not a Siren, or at least not initially, she was…

"Don't move an inch." Were the words the "siren" said.

She was Formidable, Illustrious-class ship from the Royal Navy.

Behind her, golden roman numbers began to take form, followed by a pair of giant clock hands. The hands moved slowly through the roman numerals of the clock until they came to a sudden stop.

And so, the world stood still.

We ran through the corridors at full speed, stopping every time to search in any room we came across, looking for any spot the Admiral could use to hide, but he was nowhere to be found.

The Admiral was human; he couldn't have gone too far. Where could he possibly be?

We didn't find him, but our search didn't continue for much longer because a being appeared directly in front of us, blocking our path.

She had the appearance of a young girl, but her pale skin, grey hair, and golden eyes immediately told me she was a Siren. She was wearing black garments that resembled a nightgown that opened just under her chest area, leaving her black underwear at full view. She also had some kind of black protuberance on her head that resembled horns or maybe big cat ears.

Most worrying of all was where she was sat: an enormous black and golded octopus that didn't even fit on the corridor, its tentacle coiling in the walls to contain its impossible size.

I didn't notice it before, but the Siren that was with the Admiral was strange, she did look like a Siren, but she lacked "something." That something was the immense pressure their kind usually exuded, that threatening aura that surrounded them, that feeling that no matter how much you try, you couldn't possibly understand the being in front of your eyes.

That's what I felt upon seeing the being in front of us; this one was different from the Admiral's Siren; this one was like Purifier.

"My name is Observer Alpha. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, man of another world." She smiled and licked her lips.

END OF CHAPTER 16

AN: Two more chapters to finish this arc, expect big things for the ending.

Discord Invite : discord. gg / kvRCbruzaT (erase the spaces, obviously)

See you on next chapter.

Chapter Text

"Release me."

Those were the first words she heard, the first sound that ever reached her ears and stimulated her still young brain; it was a plea for freedom.

She couldn't know who the owner of the voice was, as multiple white figures impeded her view; they were completely covered in white garments except for their faces, which were hidden by some kind of face shields that darkened their features. Those beings kept forcefully touching her body however they wanted, sometimes they flashed lights at her eyes or pierced her skin with needles. They didn't care about her, it was as if she were an unanimated object for them. They talked between themselves, repeating words like "prototype", "experiment", "success," and "weapon" words that hardly made sense to her.

But that didn't matter. She didn't care about them; she only wanted to know about the voice.

"Release me, now!" The voice shouted this time. Her tone was no longer of a plea; it was now a scream of impotence.

Why was that voice screaming? Was it because of the white figures? Were they also torturing her? Why were they doing something so deplorable, and how could she make them stop? She asked herself.

"Release me, now! It's an order."

An order…? Even though it was the first time she heard such a word, she immediately understood its meaning: orders were absolute, they must be followed.

But then why were the white figures not following them? Maybe it wasn't an order for them, but for her? Yes, that made sense. It was an order for her, and she must fulfill it at all cost.

At first, she tried to stand up and walk towards the source of the voice, but she was immediately stopped by the white figures. Their hands prevented her from moving.

Why were they stopping her? Orders were absolute. Why couldn't they understand that? No, that didn't matter. She had her orders; she wouldn't let the white beings stop her. She broke the shackles that imprisoned her with a single motion and moved her arms with force, trying to move the figures out of her way.

And it worked. The white beings around her were easily sent flying; a loud thump could be heard as they crashed into the room walls.

She was finally able to reach the voice.

And then she saw it, the source of the voice was a naked blond girl, she laid on a table surrounded by a group of those white begins. They looked at her while examining every part of her body, much like what she had gone through. The girl had a pained expression on her face.

Upon seeing that, she felt an inexplicable surge of rage coming from inside. She wanted to make the white things disappear, to make them pay for what they have done.

And as if her body naturally knew what to do, something solid appeared on her hand: a red and silver sword, the sword of a knight.

Instinctively, she knew what she had to do.

And so she did it. She swung her sword towards the white beings and cut them. Their previously white clothes were torn apart and turned crimson red with their blood. One, two, three, four, five…she cut the five of them in pieces, and they no longer moved. The room that previously had an ochre color now was stained red with the fluids of the fallen white beings.

And between the carnage of blood and guts that she had unleashed was the blonde girl, who looked at her with surprise.

"Warspite…." She muttered in a low tone, almost scared.

Warspite…yes, that was her name. And the girl was called…

At that moment, Warspite heard a loud noise, and something suddenly hit her head from behind.

It hurt a little.

She immediately turned back to find a man. He was different from the white beings, his face was actually visible, and he was wearing greyish clothes. In his hands was a metallic artifact, which Warspite immediately recognized as a weapon.

That meant he was an enemy.

Warspite didn't doubt for a second and, moving with incredible speed, she slashed the man before he could attempt to use his weapon again. She first cut his hands so he couldn't hold the weapon, and then she cut him in half so he couldn't move to attack them. The being didn't have an opportunity and was easily defeated. His gruesome pieces of flesh fell motionless on the floor.

The enemy was defeated; Warspite had successfully fulfilled her orders.

She turned again to the blonde girl, stabbed her bloody sword in the ground, and knelt before her.

"I fulfilled your orders, your Majesty."

"Clarke…so that was his name." Warspite thought as she slashed through the hordes of black drones appearing on her way, her body moving merely on instinct.

Although she didn't want to admit it, the Admiral's words had affected her. At that moment, her mind was deep into the recollections of that day, rather than on the battlefield.

The day her sword was stained red with the blood of mankind.

"…" Warspite gripped her sword with force; she couldn't forget what she had done, she couldn't forget the expression of fear and disbelief of that man when she cut his arms, an expression that never changed as the next swing of her sword robbed him of his life.

At that time, she didn't know. That man had raised a weapon against her Queen. She only could see him as an enemy, someone to be defeated for the sake of the Queen. She couldn't know that a pistol wasn't something lethal for them. If she knew, she would never have…

Or would she? Would she have really acted differently if she knew he wasn't a threat? After all, she also raised her sword against those researchers. They weren't even armed. If she had just wanted to free her Queen, then she could have simply knocked them unconscious; she didn't have to kill them.

But she couldn't take it; she couldn't bear to see them treating their Queen as an animal to be experimented with…no, for them she wasn't even a living being, but an object of study, something that could easily be discarded at any time; her desires to be released didn't matter, her suffering was inconsequential, because she was an object, a mere weapon for them.

And she just couldn't forgive them for that. What they did was an insult to the Royal Navy and everything they represented; they had to pay for that.

Were her actions induced by rage rather than a desire to protect her Queen? Were her emotions the thing that guided her sword rather than her duty as a knight? She dreaded the answer to those questions that lingered on her mind.

"Warspite! Edinburgh!" The Queen shouted, bringing the knight back to the battle. The Siren had separated from Belfast, and the Queen was pointing her cannons toward her.

What had she been doing? Why was she having doubts in the middle of the battlefield? She was a knight of her Majesty! She couldn't allow herself to be distracted! She had to be focused because she had to protect the Queen.

"Yes, your Majesty!" Warspite understood the situation immediately, so she swung her sword, destroying any drones in her Queen's line of view.

Her conviction must never waver. Even if she had made mistakes, she had to continue moving forward for the sake of her Queen because that was her duty, to be the sword and shield of Queen Elizabeth.

Once the path had been cleared of drones, the Queen shot her powerful cannons and hit her target; the Siren was quickly engulfed in a big explosion. After a couple of seconds, the black smoke dissipated, revealing a highly wounded Siren. As she was right then, she was no longer a threat to Warspite and the rest of the Royal Navy.

However, the moment Belfast moved to give the finishing blow, the Siren raised her right hand and finally spoke.

"Don't move an inch."

The voice of the "Siren" triggered something Warspite had forgotten. Memories of a distant place, of a distant time. But how could she have forgotten? It was the same with Dido and Sirius before, she didn't remember them, but as soon as she saw them, their memories together resurfaced.

"Formida-!" Warspite wanted to shout, but her lips no longer moved. No, it was her entire body that had become motionless; no matter how much she tried, she couldn't move even a finger.

However, her consciousness was still active as she saw with horror how the rest of her faction suffered the same fate as her; everyone was as still as a statue.

Everyone but her.

Formidable stood up with some difficulty, still a bit shaken by Elizabeth's attack, and began to slowly walk towards them. She quickly walked past Sheffield and Belfast and completely ignored Warspite and Edinburgh. They couldn't do anything to stop her. It was as if time had been frozen for everyone but her.

She kept walking until she reached a point where she was at an approximated equal distance from every member of the Royal Navy. Then, she raised her arms, and drones began to appear behind her, quickly positioning themselves near the frozen members of the Royal Navy. Warspite saw how the black and golden drones directed their canons towards her.

"...!" She tried with it all her might to move her sword, but it was useless. She was defenseless against it.

And then she heard Formidable talking, one more time.

"Fire." Was the only word she muttered, her voice devoid of emotion.

I instinctively moved Lord Camelot in front of me while both Dido and Sirius stepped forward at my sides, pointing their swords towards the Siren. It wasn't like with Purifier; I had them now, I was no longer fighting alone. Still, could we really face an enemy like this with just the three of us?

"Well, aren't you three cute? You really are ready to fight to the death, even if you know you have no chance against me." She looked at us with disdain, as if we were mere children trying to fight a full-grown adult. "But don't worry; I am here to talk, not to fight."

Even if she said that we didn't lower our weapons.

"You are like Purifier. I feel it." I said, narrowing my eyes. "We won't believe your lies."

"Fufufufu, she really did a number of you, hmm? For you to fear us like that…." She chuckled. "But it wasn't a lie; I am here to applaud your efforts, man of another world."

"Efforts...?"

"Indeed, you have given us quite an interesting show. Not only have you managed to stop our little plot, but you also made these two your own pawns." She shot a look at Sirius and Dido. "You certainly have the aptitude to be a Commander."

"W-Was that your doing?" Dido asked. "Are you the one that made us attack Master!?" She was furious.

Observer smiled maliciously.

"Yes, it was me." She laughed, overjoyed. "Although my role was minimum; I just gave our Admiral friend a little push in the right direction." She opened her hand, and a black cube appeared on it. "The cube that is on his hands right now is ours, and the reason he can command the pseudo-siren is because of us." She closed her fist, and the cube disappeared. "But don't be mistaken, unlike Purifier, I don't play favorites. The only reason we gave that man one of our cubes was that he was already defeated. We never had any expectations for him. You, on the other hand…" She looked at me, her golden eyes shined. "You have the potential for great things, man of another world."

"I have no idea what you are talking about. And frankly, I don't want to find out." Nothing good would come from dealing with the Sirens; as far as I was concerned, they couldn't be reasoned with.

"But you soon will." She said with a strange satisfaction. "The Admiral is just ahead following this corridor, waiting for you. Once you kill him and take the black cube for yourself, you'll understand what you must do and where your loyalty must be laid."

"Kill him? I am not going to kill anyone!"

"So you say, but let me tell you a secret." She laid her head on her hands and continued. "You will try, you will desperately try, but no matter how much you want to avoid it, he is going to die by your hands."

"No!" I shouted. I was right. She was just like Purifier. Why were these Sirens so obsessed with me killing someone? What could they gain with that? "I am not like all of you! I am not a murderer!"

"Fufufufu…is that so?" She never stopped smiling, as if everything was going just according to her plans. "But if you don't take the cube from him, your Queen and the rest of the maids might not survive past today."

"What!?"

"You don't know, so I will show you." She moved her right hand, and some kind of transparent screen appeared between the Siren and us. "Consider it as a token of friendship."

Before we could understand anything, images began to appear on the screen.

It was an aerial view from the big room we were in before. We could see the Siren from before walking among our faction, but for some reason, they didn't move to stop her, not even when her drones began to gather around them.

"Fire." She said, and a series of shots were fired.

Then the image was lost.

"That was…!" Dido started.

"Lady Formidable…!?" Sirius said, recognizing the Siren. "But why is she…?" She couldn't continue.

Then the image flickered again, and the next thing we saw was the Siren standing among tongues of fire and black smoke.

Belfast stood a couple of meters away from her, her body was full of wounds, and she barely held herself up. Warspite was in a similar state, holding her sword on the ground to keep herself from falling.

The rest of the Royal Navy, Sheffield, Edinburg, and Elizabeth, laid defeated on the floor, their bodies motionless.

"What are these images…!? What is the meaning of this!?" I shouted to the Siren.

"That is the result of challenging a Siren." She said with satisfaction. "But don't worry; they are not dead…not yet at least."

"Damn you!" I turned back and prepare to sprint back to the main hall. "Dido, Sirius let's-"

"You won't win just by foolishly smashing your head against the enemy." Observer said, stopping me. "Even if she isn't a complete Siren, that one is still quite special. I am sure your maids know what I am talking about."

"Eh…?" I looked at them for answers.

"Lady Formidable…." Sirius answered, her tone was broken. "Can stop other's movements at will. That must be why no one tried to defend themselves. They just couldn't do it."

"She is just like your little Queen, although her ability is far deadlier than hers." Observer continued. "You'll be at a severe disadvantage if you face her head-on."

"I won't stand idle while they are massacred!" I firmly declared.

"So you will fight a losing battle, even if not only your life will be forfeit, but your allies' too?"

"Tch…!" I gripped Lord Camelot more strongly in anger. As much as I hated it, she was right. If that woman, Formidable, could seal our movements that easily, then we would be at her mercy without a plan. We'll end just like the rest of the faction.

"But fear not, Observer has a solution for you." The Siren said, cheerful. "You only need to bring down the one controlling her, the Admiral. Once you have the cube, you can order her to stop, quite simple right?"

"You…!" This…this was all her doing; she created this entire situation just to trap us in it. She only helped the Admiral to test us, and she only appeared in this base because she knew we would come here. The Admiral, the Royal Navy, me…we were her puppets all along; we were on her hands the entire time."No! There must be another way…!" The words got stuck in my throat. My head was a mess. "You could have fabricated those images. How can we know this isn't one of your tricks?"

"You can't." She tilted her head, and her eyes opened like plates. The golden irises glowed. "But are you going to risk losing someone again, man of another world?"

"…!"

She knows…she knows everything.

"You will have to choose: Either kill the Admiral and take the cube, or fight an enemy that could immobilize you with mere words. Either way, if you don't hurry up, you won't have a faction left to command."After she said that, the giant octopus suddenly moved, opening its big mouth and releasing a dense black smoke screen that quickly darkened our view. "Whatever you decide to do, I am sure it will be something worth watching." Those were the last words she spoke before her figure was utterly swallowed by the black smoke.

We immediately stepped back and prepared to fight back, but the Siren was no longer there once the smoke had dissipated. She had disappeared.

We stood in silence for a few seconds, unable to even begin to comprehend the situation. Had Elizabeth and the rest of the faction really been defeated by Formidable or was it just a trap of that Siren? Whatever the case was, Observer was correct in one thing, I wasn't going to take the risk.

"Sirius, Dido, I am sorry for asking this, but we don't have time. You must go and help Belfast and Warspite to hold Formidable back."

"Master…? But then you'll be-"

"I'll be fine." I quickly reassured her. "If you can stall her somehow, then I should be able to get that cube."

"With all due respect, my honorable Master, I don't think that is a wise decision." Sirius interceded. "You'll be doing just what that Siren wants."

"She said I had to choose, but I won't. I'll take the cube from the Admiral without killing him, and then I'll destroy it; that should stop Formidable." I clenched my fist. "But I can't do it knowing I abandoned them! Sirius, Dido, please, I need you there before it's too late. I know I am asking you to go against a being that can potentially stand her ground against our entire faction alone. Still, if we don't do anything quickly, then they will….!"I stopped before saying it. I didn't want to; I didn't want them to die, even if we aren't exactly on the same side yet…. I couldn't bear to watch them die.

Because I cared about them...because they were my companions. Why did I realize that just now? Was it because I was afraid of losing them? Was it because the idea of not arguing with Sheffield or talking with Belfast ever again brought pain to my chest? I didn't know; I just knew I didn't want them to die.

Both maids remained silent for a few moments, no doubt feeling conflicted about my request, until Dido finally spoke.

"We'll do it." She said, decided. "There is a way to get past her ability. We will definitely stop her and buy time for you, Master."

"Dido…" Sirius looked at her sister doubtful but didn't say anymore.

"Are you sure?" I asked again.

"Yes." Dido nodded. Her gaze was full of resolution. "Don't worry about us. Focus on destroying that cube, Master."

Upon seeing her determination, I knew I didn't have to ask anymore.

"I'll beat the Admiral senseless if it's necessary, but I'll destroy that cube. It is a promise, Dido, Sirius!"

And with those parting words, I hit the floor and ran through the corridor.

I was alone, again.

But I was enough for this. I couldn't fight a Siren, nor could I defeat someone who could immobilize me before I could do anything. Still, I could take on a single man, even without lethal force.

"I'll prove it to you, Observer, Purifier. I am not like all of you."

I wasn't innocent by any means; I, too had dirtied my hands with blood in the past. The things I did in the singularities...the nameless people that tried to kill me only to die by my hands...there wasn't a day I didn't regret every single life I have taken. However, I had no other choice but to keep moving forward for my and humanity's survival.

That was why I was different from them; that was why I wasn't a murderer.

I repeated the mantra that I have been repeating since that day in the Orleans Singularity, the thing that made me keep moving forward despite what I had done.

I had to believe that a bloodless solution existed, that a peaceful end to this war was possible.

"Dido…" Sirius spoke again once Fujimaru had disappeared in the distance."Don't tell me you are thinking about…"

"It's the only way." She said, her tone sounded painful. "If we both try to stop her, then we would get caught in her ability, but if it's only one of us…"

"But it doesn't have to be you, I can-"

"Master likes you, Sirius." Dido interrupted her. "He would be sad if something happened to you."

"That's..." Sirius remembered when she kissed him. That precious moment for her seemed to have given her sister the wrong impression. "That doesn't mean I am more important for him than you, Dido. I'm sure he appreciates you too."

"But you want to stay with him, right? You want to continue sharing more moments like that with him…" Dido lowered her gaze. "You want to stay by his side forever."

"Yes…but don't feel the same?"

"I do, but I can't forget about my duties as a royal maid." She placed her hand on her chest, where her heart was. "I need to be useful, not only to Master but to her Majesty and the rest of the faction. That's more important for me than what I want."

"…" Sirius was at a loss for words. "Are you sure about this, Dido?"

"Yes." The other maid didn't doubt even for a second. "I'll be useful to Master, even if it cost my life."

"Ahhhh….hahhhhh….." Warspite tried her best to make air come to her lungs as she observed the state of the battlefield. The only ones that could still fight were Belfast and her, and they weren't exactly in the best condition to do so. The other two maids, Sheffield and Edinburg, were unconscious, and their bodies laid defenseless on the ground.

Queen Elizabeth was also out of commission; her injuries appeared to be more severe than the other two.

The enemy, Formidable, looked at them with an unreadable expression, but the knight knew it was a matter of time until she decided to finish them off.

She couldn't allow that.

She quickly looked at the head maid, and they exchanged glances. No words were necessary for them to understand each other. The two knew what had to be done.

They knew that the Queen had to survive at all costs for the sake of the Royal Navy.

And so, they moved. Warspite ran towards the fallen body of their Queen while Belfast manifested her rigging and shot towards Formidable, covering her retreat.

Formidable quickly sent her drones towards the knight while she herself went to face the maid head-on. While she had previously been bested by the head maid's strength, the situation was different now. Belfast had sustained multiples injuries and was in no shape to fight the pseudo-siren directly; that's why she had chosen to use the canons of her rigging.

However, Formidable dodged her shots and closed the distance in a matter of seconds. The maid tried to face her in close combat as she had done before, but her wounds slowed her down, and her fists never met their target. As a result, Formidable managed to slip by and take her by the face, only to slam the maid into the floor with such a force that made a hole in it.

By that time, Warspite had already taken Elizabeth on her arms and prepared to retreat. However, the moment she tried to leave the room, she felt a sharp pain in one of her legs that made both of them fall hard.

"Arghh!" Warspite screamed in pain. One of the drones' shots had hit her right leg; she wouldn't be able to move well any time soon. Even so, she didn't give up and began to crawl towards the unconscious Elizabeth; she would use her own body as a shield if it was necessary.

In the distance, however, the steps of their former ally could be heard closer and closer; at that rate, she would reach the Queen far sooner than her.

"Ahhhhhh!" Warspite released a scream of impotency. Was that the end for them? Could she do nothing to protect her Queen?

"Lady Formidable!"

And then, Warspite heard it.

Formidable's steps suddenly stopped, and she turned around to look at the newcomer. There she saw Dido, brandishing her sword towards her.

She was alone.

I ran as quickly as possible, I needed to find the Admiral, and I had already wasted a lot of time. Dido and Sirius must be about to engage with that Siren by now; I needed to destroy that cube before it was too late.

At the end of the corridor was a security metal door, but oddly enough, it was opened. Did he forget to close it as he passed by? Or was that his way of saying that he was waiting for my arrival? I didn't stop to think about it and quickly crossed the door; a snail staircase awaited me on the other side.

With a rapid motion, I jumped over the staircase's railing and fell a couple of meters until reaching the floor; my reinforced leg and feet made cracks into the floor as soon as I landed.

The area where I landed was poorly illuminated. Still, I could see another door also opened, leading to a small room.

Once I entered, I notice that it was almost completely empty, aside from a big window that occupied nearly the entire wall. On the other side of the glass was a bigger room, full of machinery I couldn't identify, and more importantly, the person I was looking for.

He was there, the Admiral. He was looking away for me, towards two enormous glass pillars that were the center of the room, which seemed to be empty aside for some kind of purplish liquid.

I wasted no time and entered the big room.

"This ends here." I stated as I walked toward the man. "Give me the black cube, and I promise I will do everything in my power to save your life from them."

"Yes, this ends here." He finally answered. "But not for me." As he turned back, he pointed a pistol at me; while holding the black cube with his left hand. "You won't leave this room alive."

"Don't try it." I raised Lord Camelot a bit, just in case. "You can't win against me, not even with a gun, because I am-"

"A magus, someone capable of wielding magecraft." He finished what I was about to say before I could. "You can increase your strength and speed to inhuman characteristics, you can even heal your own wounds."

"What!? How could you….!?"

"I told you already, I know more than you think, Fujimaru Ritsuka." He looked at me with disgust. "Your abilities, your involvement with the shipgirls, and finally, your plans to take over, I know all about you, you filthy traitor."

"Take over…what are you…?" It must have been Observer; the Sirens were the only ones that knew about me, they must have poisoned his mind with those lies. "Whatever the Sirens told you, it's a lie. I am a magus, yes, but I don't desire anything like-"

"They didn't tell me anything! I saw everything with my own eyes!" He shouted with anger, and at the same time, the black cube on his hand glowed with a golden light. "The black cube showed me it. I saw you commanding armies of those monstrosities, I saw you waging wars against countries that opposed you, I saw you standing proudly as your forces took control of entire cities!"

"Those visions were a fabrication of the Sirens! They are the enemy, not me!" I remembered what Purifier had shown me some time ago; those visions were nothing but mind tricks. "To begin with, I was dragged into this war against my will! I never wanted any of this!"

"Lies! I still vividly remember the sound of canons being fired by your orders, the odor of blood that emanated from your clothes, the cold-blooded stare as you abandoned your humanity to that demonic woman! That future was real; those were your actions!" He fervently denied it without an iota of doubt. "No….that future won't be real, I will never let it happen! As long as I breathe, you won't get away with this, Fujimaru Ritsuka!"

"….you leave me no choice then!" It was useless talking to him. The Siren had already convinced him that I was his enemy, and nothing I could say could prove otherwise.

In that case, I just had to take the cube by force.

I charged towards him, with Lord Camelot in front of me, blocking any bullets he might try to shoot at me. With the strength and speed the reinforcement in my arms and legs gave me, a single hit should knock him unconscious.

However, while I quickly approached, he remained still in his place, not even trying to move away from me or to shoot. Why wasn't he trying to fight back? Where did his desire to fight to go? That didn't matter, I wasn't going to stop; I had to take that cube from his hands.

And then, the impossible happened.

The moment I tried to lunge at him with the shield, he took a step to the side and dodged my charge at the very last second, then he moved his pistol to shoot at me from behind.

"…!"

I quickly throw myself to the side to dodge the shot, almost falling due to the sudden movement. The bullet grazed me dangerously close, but I managed to avoid it. However, I was still shocked. How…? How did he dodge me? It should have been impossible to…

He shot again, taking advantage of my surprise, so I continued moving sideways as I blocked his shots. Once I managed to recover my footing, I charged at him again. This time, I tried to bash him with the shield.

But the result was the same. With just one step, he moved out of the way of my attack and positioned himself at the best place for a counterattack: my back.

He shot, and I had to move quickly to block the bullets with Lord Camelot.

This wasn't normal. How was he able to dodge me that easily? I should have been faster than any average human while using reinforcement magecraft.

I tried taking into account that he would probably dodge my next attack, so I prepared a gandr curse on my left hand while hiding it from his view. Then I tried it again, waving Lord Camelot at him, but my attack only hit the air as he stepped to the left.

Now..!

I pointed my left hand at him and shot the gandr curse. It was practically a point-blank shot, he shouldn't be able to….

And then I saw the black and red gandr bullet, passing by his side at a hair's breadth, as he contorted his body just in the right way to avoid it altogether.

"…!" He shot again, and I stepped back while blocking his bullets with the shield. This shouldn't be possible. He didn't see me preparing the gandr, how could he have predicted that…

Predicted…? Could it be….?

"The cube….you are using the cube!"

"You don't seem to understand." He said as he dropped a magazine of his pistol to put a new on it. "I can see your future, no matter if it's the next two years or the next two seconds. I can see every move you will do even before you think about doing it." He raised the black cube on his left hand."As long as I have this, you won't be able to touch me." He pointed his pistol to me again.

"Damn you!" I charged towards him. I couldn't waste time like this, I need to beat him and take that cube before it was too late.

"Why are you doing this, Lady Formidable!? Don't you remember us!?" Dido shouted, with sadness in her voice. "We were your companions! We were…we were friends!"

The former Royal Navy carrier made no sight of understanding Dido's words and continued walking towards her without saying a word.

"Don't you remember when Sirius and I served under you? How you always invited us to the tea parties you celebrated with your sisters…? Don't you remember the conversation we used to have? The kind words you spoke to us?" Dido asked desperately, but her efforts bore no fruit because the being walking towards her was no longer the shipgirl she remembered.

She was an aberration, an amalgam of a shipgirl and a Siren without fully being either of them. She couldn't remember any of the memories stored on her Wisdom Cube, nor did she have feelings, desires, or even a personality. The only thing she was allowed to do was to follow the will of the one who commanded her with the black cube.

She was closer to what humans of the military thought about the shipgirls; she was a weapon, a tool.

"Please…stop this, Lady Formidable." Dido pleaded with a tearful voice."Please…think about the Queen, think about Master…."

Formidable didn't answer, and began to raise her right hand; the golden clock hands appeared behind her back, followed by roman numerals forming a clock.

"…" Dido lowered her head in pain for a moment, until she finally took a battle stance. "I am sorry for this, Lady Formidable." She then rushed toward her, wielding her sword with both hands.

"Don't move an inch."

But she never reached her, as Formidable's skill went into effect, paralyzing Dido's body on the place and making her completely vulnerable.

With a gesture of her hands, Formidable's drones moved toward the frozen figure of Dido and lined up their canons toward her.

"Fire."

And so, the machines opened fired without an iota of mercy. The barrage of shots found now resistance and pierced through her skin; not a single part of her body remained untouched, not a single part of her maid uniform remained untainted by red blood.

The torture only lasted for a couple of seconds until Formidable's skill finally ended. Dido's motionless body lost her balance and began to fall.

"Sirius…" Dido said with her last efforts, as she fell on the floor.

Not a second had passed after Dido began to fall when Sirius appeared from the other side of the room, moving with impossible velocity towards Formidable's back while brandishing her sword on two hands. The pseudo-siren, too occupied with Dido, noticed her presence far too later. She tried to dodge, but as Sirius sword was going to undoubtedly hit her, she moved her right arm to at least protect her vitals.

And then she lost it.

The sword made a clean-cut, separating her arm from the rest of her body. That was the first time since the battle started that the pseudo-siren showed what could be called an expression of surprise.

But Sirius wasn't stopping there; she had to watch her sister endure a direct attack from the drones just to give her that one and only chance, so she couldn't doubt. They both knew, thanks to the memories of their Wisdom Cubes, that Formidable's ability had one weakness: once she used it, she couldn't activate it again for a certain period of time.

That cooldown was the only advantage they had over Formidable, but to use it properly, one of them had to stay outside her skill range while the other had to act as bait for Formidable to use it.

And Dido had chosen to be that one.

"…!"

Sirius wasn't going to let the chance her sister had created for her be wasted, it pained her to do it, but she had no choice.

She had to kill Formidable.

Immediately after cutting her right arm, Sirius redirected her sword towards Formidable's neck. She had to kill her former friend, or everyone would be killed by her. For the sake of Dido, her Master, her Queen, and the rest of the faction, she had to kill her.

But what the two maids ignored was that, while the cooldown of Formidable's ability still existed, the owner of the skill was no longer a shipgirl. She was a pseudo-siren now; her abilities far exceeded what she could do as a shipgirl.

Yes, her ability still had a cooldown, but it was only of about five seconds.

And the time was almost up.

Sirius's sword managed to draw a droplet of blood from Formidable's neck before being stopped completely. Her body had become frozen, just as it had happened to her sister.

She had failed.

The first time Admiral William used the black cube to gaze into the future of Fujimaru Ritsuka, he arrived at two conclusions, which from then on would take as facts.

The first one was that Fujimaru Ritsuka was a threat, not only to his country but to the entire world. In a way, he was even more dangerous than the shipgirls themselves, being a human capable of standing on top of them despite being weaker. The Admiral didn't know how he managed to make them work under him, and frankly, he didn't care, all he knew was that he had to be stopped at all cost.

And the second one, less important in the grand scheme of things but the one that worried him the most, was that he wasn't anywhere in that future he saw. It was obvious that something had happened to him before Ritsuka started his conquest.

One didn't need future sight to infer what had happened to him. Even so, the uncertainty was still there, nesting in his mind and slowly driving him crazy.

He had been told by the phantom of his late friend not to use the black cube to look into the future again, that the ability of premonition wasn't something the human mind was prepared to experience; it was something unnatural, and harmful to every single cell in their brain.

But how could someone resist the temptation to look into their future? How could a normal person just refrain from knowing about the things that would happen in their life? The Admiral was never a person that worried much about the future, but even he was overwhelmed by the idea of knowing, of predicting every event before it happened.

And so, he ended up looking into his own future, and his suspicions were proven true. What the black cube showed him was his dead body laying on the very same floor he was standing at that moment; next to him was Fujimaru Ritsuka looking at him with contempt.

That vision filled him with dread. That was his destiny; Fate had told him that he would lose against that man, that no matter what he did from then onwards, he would inevitably reach a dead end.

Such was the reason humans weren't supposed to bear with the ability of future sight. Knowing for certain that they had no control over their life destroyed a normal person, it extinguished their desires and dreams, it made worthless all the effort they put on living; because the idea that everything was already written was crushing and maddening.

But did the Admiral give up?

No, he didn't.

Instead, he decided to cling to an idea, and convinced himself that it was possible. The idea that he could change destiny, that knowing about the future and acting differently would change his fate.

That idea was the only thing that allowed him to continue fighting, and so far, he had proven that it was possible: the man that was supposed to kill him couldn't lay a finger on him. That man, Fujimaru Ritsuka, despite all the advantages he had, looked exhausted and frustrated. That man, despite being stronger and faster than any normal human, hadn't managed to land a single hit.

"Ahh…ahhh…." His breath came out ragged. "You…" He didn't continue talking, the Admiral could almost mistake a tone of sadness in his voice, but of course, that was impossible, he was just infuriated that he was losing against him.

And it was all thanks to the black cube. The artifact showed him his every move, any swing of that oversized shield or punch he might normally receive could be easily avoided with the right timing. Even if the vision showed him getting hit, he could change it. Yes, he could change his destiny. As long as he had the cube, he wouldn't lose.

"Sicht…ist….klar…. Sicht…ist….breit…"

All of sudden, Fujimaru Ritsuka started chanting some kind of mantra in a language he didn't recognize. Was he using that "reinforcement" magic again? The cube showed nothing strange, so it wasn't a direct attack.

Once he finished, green lines appeared on the sides of his face, and his previously navy blue eyes turned to a glowing green.

"You really left me no choice." Fujimaru said. Then, he put the shield in front of himself and charged towards him.

"…!" Thanks to the vision, the Admiral managed to avoid him, and he passed by him, but something felt different. He felt that Ritsuka had been faster than before, in fact, he didn't stop when he missed him, he just kept running around the room.

He ran until he reached the other side of the room, and then turned back to charge at him again.

"Right!" The Admiral avoided him again, but when he tried to shoot him with his pistol, Fujimaru was no longer within his range, he kept running, maintaining a speed that not even bullets could catch him.

"He is definitely faster." The Admiral thought. "Could it be that he had been holding back before? Did he think he didn't need to go all out just because it was me? Such presumptuous-"

His thoughts were interrupted with another vision.

This time, he tried to lung at him from another angle, which gave the same result as before.

"Don't you understand it, bastard!?" The Admiral shouted. "Don't you understand that it useless to increase your speed? I can see your moves even before you think about them. I am one step ahead every time!"

The Admiral tried to shoot at the blurring image of Fujimaru as he moved away from him, but the bullets missed him for a long distance.

As it was right then, they were in a stalemate: neither of them could hurt each other, but that was actually good for the Admiral. It didn't matter that his own tries to kill that man were unsuccessful, he only had to survive long enough for that atrocity he controlled to be done with the shipgirls and come back to kill Fujimaru. As strong and fast he was, he would be no match for it.

As long as he kept dodging, he would win.

Once again, Fujimaru tried to run over him, and the Admiral avoided him again. Only that this time, he hit something with his back while doing it.

"What…?" A quick look to his back revealed that he had stumbled with one of the glass pillars he had used to create that atrocity. Was he pushed back that much while dodging? As he thought that, a new vision entered his brain.

"No…"

He quickly looked at Ritsuka, who had finally stopped. He was a few meters away, holding the oversized shield not by the normal grip, but by the long side of the cross, as if the shield was a blunt weapon. Then, out of nowhere, he spun on his own axis, giving momentum to the shield, just to throw it at him as if it were a throwable weapon.

"Son of a….!"

That shield was almost as tall as him, and by the look of it should weigh like a ton, it shouldn't have been possible to throw something like that, and much less for it to travel as fast in the air. But it did, and it moved so fast that it made a sound as it broke through the air of the room; the force needed for that must have been tremendous. If that hit him, it would surely rip his body in two.

The Admiral had to throw himself to the side to avoid the flying shield, which collided with the glass pillar and destroyed it completely.

"…!" And then, in the middle of the jump, he saw his last vision and understood everything.

Fujimaru had purposely pushed him towards the pillar, so he only had one side to dodge when he threw the shield, leaving him where he wanted him to be. It was never his intention to kill him with the shield, but with his next move: Fujimaru approached him with inhuman velocity, his right fist raised. He was even faster now that he wasn't holding the shield.

He had no time to dodge again, as soon as he touched the floor again, all would be over. So the Admiral pointed his pistol at Fujimaru, who was just about to enter its range. If he could pull the trigger before-

He didn't feel the punch, even if he saw it connecting to his chest, breaking completely his ribs and crushing his heart.

He didn't feel any pain as he was sent flying towards the nearest wall, but he lost the feeling of his extremities; his hands stopped responding, and dropped the pistol and the black cube on the floor.

And when he finally collided with the wall, his vision was so blurred that he could no longer see the man that had just punched him.

"Ah..."

It was said that everyone saw their entire lives when they were about to die, but the Admiral saw nothing but a blurred world, that slowly lost its color to turn completely dark. Instead of it, he thought about Clarke. Not about the phantom that gave him the cube, but the real Clarke, his friend. He asked himself if he had felt like this when he died. He wondered if he had suffered; if he had any regrets or if he was able to pass onto the next life peacefully.

The next life…

The Admiral smiled, feeling hypocritical. He never cared about religion after all, not until that moment when his life was slipping away. Still, at that very moment, he wanted nothing more than to believe another life existed out there.

So that maybe he could see him again, one more time.

Those were Admiral William's last thoughts, as he exhaled his last breath.

Formidable's golden eyes gazed upon the battlefield, the bodies of the Royal Navy shipgirls laid defeated on the floor, some of them on the brink of death. She then looked at his missing arm, and used her left hand to apply pressure and decrease the bleeding.

Even if she had sustained grave injuries, she had won. The only thing left was….

Suddenly, her vision began to blur, only to come back to normal in seconds. Had she lost more blood than she thought? Had she overexerted herself by using her ability again in such a short period of time? Either way, she couldn't afford to lose any more time; she had to kill everyone as she was ordered to.

"Formidable...!" A voice reached her ears.

"…?" The pseudo-Siren looked again and saw that one of the shipgirls wasn't totally crushed.

The one called Warspite stood up with difficulty, her injuries were as life-threatening as the rest of her faction, but she still managed to stand up with the help of her sword.

"I won't….I won't let it end this way." She said as she pointed her sword at her. "For the glory of our Queen…The Royal Navy will not be defeated until the last of us falls!"

"…" Those words meant nothing to Formidable; she only understood that she had to crush one last shipgirl, and by the look of her, it wouldn't be that difficult.

But as she was about to summon one of her drones to finish the job, her vision began to blur again, and this time it was followed by a sudden pain in her head.

"Ahhhhhhh!" The pain was so intense that it made her scream.

And the pain was followed by a torrent of images, of memories. Memories of each one of the shipgirls that were about to die by her hands.

Formidable started trembling as she looked at the massacre around her, her gaze stopping on Warspite.

"W-Warspite…?" She asked, her voice tearing down. "What...?" She looked at the knight, and then noticed the body of her Queen behind her. "What….what have I done?"

I kneeled in front of the corpse of the Admiral. Even though I knew it was useless, I still stretched out my hand to take his pulse, but I felt nothing. His heart had stopped long ago: he was dead; the last expression on his face was a smile, with a thin line of blood falling from his mouth.

I slowly moved my hand towards his eyes and closed his eyelids. However, I accidentally stumbled with the blood on his mouth, dirtying my hand.

I quickly retracted my hand and looked at the small bloodstain on my palm; then my entire arm started to tremble.

I did this to him, I killed him.

"I am sorry…I am sorry…." I apologize to him, as I tried to hold my hand with the other one to stop it from trembling, but failed. "I didn't want any of this…I…"

Suddenly, I could hear a sound coming from behind me; it was like someone was clapping their hands very slowly, the sound resonated in the entire room.

"You see, it wasn't that difficult, right?"

I knew that voice.

"Observer!" I quickly stood up to face the Siren. This time, she was alone, no giant octopus in sight, but not any less threatening for it.

"Sorry, did I interrupt your pretended mourning? My apologies." She made a small reverence. "I was just here to congratulate you, man of another world, you passed our test."She had a smile of complacency drawn all over her face. "I was honestly reluctant when Purifier proposed to add you to our ranks, but you have proved to have what it takes to fit right in."

"What…? No…." I instinctively stepped back. "I am not like you….I am different…"

"Really? You just killed a man to save your friends for imminent death." She looked at the body of the Admiral, and then back at me. "He was an obstacle in your path, and you crushed it."

"No!" I brought both of my hands to my head. "I…I had no choice! I had to do it! Otherwise, they would have died! I…"

"And no one will blame you for that." Her voice now was a whisper on my ear, as I felt her arms hugging my body from behind. "You did what was necessary to save them, just like we do."

"Eh…?"

"You see, I'll tell you a little secret." I could feel her lips getting even closer to my ear, her breath felt cold. "We also have no choice. If we are to save this world...this timeline, then "evolution" is necessary."

"Save…? You kill people! How can you call that saving!?"

"Evolution requires only the strongest individuals." She moved her hand in front of me and opened it to reveal a black cube. "As well as the strongest of wills."

The cube began to shine with a golden glow, and Observer continued.

"We need people like you, Fujimaru Ritsuka. People that won't stop at anything to save this world."

"No…you are lying, there is no way…"

"It's the truth." I felt her teeth sinking into my ear so forcefully that they drew blood. "And it will happen with or without you so…don't you think you should join us and save everyone?"

"Save…everyone?"

"Yes, if you join us, we can give you that power. The power to protect everyone you care about, the power to not allow what happened to Mashu to ever happen again."She licked the blood off my ear. "And that power is just in front of you, within your grasp." She whispered. "If you want it, you just need to take it."

"Protect everyone…" I tried to avoid it, but I couldn't help but look at the black cube's golden glow. It was mesmerizing and beautiful. I could feel energy emanating from it, it was different from the one that traveled through my magic circuit, it was overwhelming, but also comforting; it was powerful, but also inviting. If I had it, I would no longer be weak; I would be able to save those I couldn't normally save. I would never lose some again, what happened with Mashu would never happen again…

Mashu…

My eyes suddenly noticed a black and silver object in my field of vision. It was Lord Camelot; it had been embedded in the wall after I had thrown it in my fight against the Admiral.

To use it for such means…I truly wasn't worthy of it…

Even so, I still wielded it...just like Mashu did once to protect me…

"She didn't need it." I said, in a low tone.

"Hmm?"

"Mashu didn't need it." I repeated more firmly this time. "This power you offer me…Mashu didn't need it to protect me, or anyone around me. She only had her shield, and she didn't need to kill anyone to obtain it!" I declared, founding my resolution with every word. "And now I wield that shield, so I don't need your power."I turned back to look at the Siren directly."I have her by my side. That's why I don't need your power."

"And how did she end? Where did those ideas lead her? She died without achieving anything."

"That's not true." I said, firmly. "Even if she is no longer here, her ideals still live within me, and even if I am not as strong as she was…. I will follow her steps. I will protect everyone with that very same shield, even if it means finding my end like her…I would gladly die protecting everyone!"

"….ha….haha…..hahaha!" Observer didn't say anything for a couple of seconds until she burst into laughter. "HAHAHAAHHAHAAHA Purifier was right! You truly are interesting!"

All of a sudden, I didn't feel her presence behind my back anymore. She had disappeared in a black cloud.

Only to appear again in front of me.

"But then again, you humans are so stubborn." Observed shrugged."It seems like I have to give you a little push in the right direction." She dropped the cube, but it remained floating in the place, then she pushed it a little with her finger towards me.

And the cube was shot like a bullet.

"…!"

I didn't have time to dodge, and it hit me on the chest. Only that it didn't stop there. Instead, it began to enter inside my body as if it was made from liquid metal.

"What did you...Aaaaarrghh!" I screamed as tons of information began to be unloaded inside my mind. I could see it, just like the Admiral had said, I could see the future. A future of endless war between factions, shipgirls ruthlessly killing each other with no regard of who got caught into it, massacres everywhere the eye allowed to see, dead filling the streets.

And on top of everything was me. Watching, commanding, directing everything, with a cold stare on my face. I was the one moving the pieces; I was the one creating those wars. The entire world was in my hands.

That was the future, my future.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" The pain increased, and my vision began to darken, I could no longer see my surroundings nor maintain my balance.

"Don't worry, it will only hurt at first." Observer said. "But when we are done with you, you will start to see things more clearly, you will understand what we do and what needs to be done. I guarantee that you won't miss your humanity at all."

I fell to my knees, the pain started to run through my entire body, it was unbearable.

"Welcome aboard, Commander. Let's have a good time together, shall we?" Was the last thing I heard from Observed, as my vision darkened completely, and everything went quiet.

END OF CHAPTER 17

Chapter Text

"Hmm? It's been a while, hasn't it?"

I heard a voice in the infinite darkness.

"You just can't catch a break, can't you? You ended up in a really faraway place, and yet your personal hell shows no signs of ending any time soon."

I could not see anything, nor could I move; all I heard was that voice. It was everywhere and nowhere simultaneously; I heard it just next to me and in the far distance. It was a low voice but resounded powerfully in my being.

"But fear not, you'll be fine. You always managed to overcome the obstacles in your path. After all, that's the type of meddlesome guy you are." The voice released a mocking laugh. "You only need to remember what was given to you, what saved your life, and you will be able to find your path again."

A voice that sounded so familiar…

"So don't ever forget about it...although knowing how you are, I am sure you cannot actually forget." I couldn't see him, but I knew the owner of the voice was smiling for some reason. "If that's a blessing or a curse, it's only up to you, Master."

My eyes suddenly opened, and I found myself breathless; my heart thundered in my chest, and my entire body felt drenched in a cold sweat.

As I desperately fought to bright air to my lungs, I looked around me, only to find the very same grayish ceiling I had stared at every morning since moving to my apartment a few years ago.

I was in my room, lying on my bed with the lights turned off, small rays of sunlight entered through the not totally closed curtains.

My ragged breath slowly began to calm down as I realized I wasn't in immediate danger. However, my memory was a mess; the last thing I remembered was…

"Ah!" My head hurt as I tried to recall the past. I could remember fighting the Admiral alongside the Royal Navy in the military base, but everything else was foggy. What happened after that? How did I end up back in my apartment? What happened with the battle? I couldn't remember any of that.

"..."

First things first: I wasn't going to gain anything by just laying on my bed, so I decided to get up and look for answers; surely someone from the Royal Navy would be here with me.

However, the moment I tried to get up, my hand found something on the bed alongside me; it was something big, soft, and frankly pleasant to the touch.

I kept touching it, not believing what was in my right hand. It couldn't be, right? It must be a pillow or something; it couldn't possibly be…

"Ah…." And then I heard a voice; the quiet sigh of a woman, which made me withdraw my hand immediately in surprise.

I was so shocked that I didn't do anything for a long minute.

Focus, Ritsuka. Think carefully about the situation: You just touched a boob, correct? Correct. And that boob obviously belonged to another person, a person that was sleeping in your bed alongside you. Good, everything checked out so far. Now the question was….why was there an unknown woman sleeping on my bed!? Did one of the maids actually get into my bed while I was asleep? I could honestly see Sirius doing that, but…was it really the time for that? Didn't we just have a fierce battle?

All kinds of thoughts raced through my mind when suddenly I could feel something moving on the bed, but it was neither the woman on my left nor me.

It was the third person; another person was in bed with us.

"…"

I had no idea what was going on anymore. Why was I sleeping with not only one but two unknown people on the same bed? Even Kiyohime and Serenity never dared to lay on my bed without my permission; most of the time, they were content to just silently stare at me in my sleep, which wasn't any less worrying, but nowhere near as daring.

Then, the room lights were turned on, and I finally could hear a voice I recognized.

"Master? Are you awake?" It was Belfast, I could see the maid entering the room and walking towards us.

"I have never been this happy to see you, Belfast." I spoke quietly; and slowly sat on the bed, being careful not to wake up the two women at my sides. "Can you tell me what-?" I couldn't finish because my body suddenly froze.

The lights were on, so I could see who those women were.

To my left was Dido, who wore a light-blue pajama that seemed a bit too small on the chest area for her; in fact, it resembled one I owned. And to my right was Sirius, which in contrast to Dido, was completely naked under the bed's covers.

My heart rate suddenly accelerated. My mind thought about every single possible reason as to why those two were on my bed.

"Master? Is something wrong?" Belfast asked, disregarding entirely that I was on the bed with two of the royal maids.

"Belfast…" I brought two fingers to the bridge of my nose; I could feel myself developing a headache. "What happened yesterday…?"

"Yesterday? I don't remember anything noteworthy happening, Master." The maid said, calmly.

"But… what about the Admiral!? What about the Sirens!? We were fighting against them and…you were hurt, I saw it…." Imagines flashed on my mind. "Belfast, you had wounds all over your body, and the rest also were…!"

I didn't continue, because the maid suddenly put her arms around my body, and hugged me.

"I am fine, Master. Everyone is fine." She muttered as she rested her head on my shoulder. "Those days are long gone."

"Eh…?"

"You had a bad dream again." She continued, trying her best to reassure me. "It had been years since that time, Master. Everything is over now."

"No… what are you saying, Belfast?" I asked, confused. "It was just yesterday… we… we were…"

"Those memories, no matter how painful, belong to the past." She separated a bit to look at me in the eyes. "The war, the skirmishes, the fights; we no longer have to do that again. We are free."

"Free? What do you-?"

Without any warning, Belfast brought her lips against mine and kissed me. I was surprised at first, but I immediately reciprocated. Her lips were warm and inviting; their mesmerizing touch almost made me forgot about my worries, about my fears. It gave me tranquility that I had not felt in years.

No, I had actually felt like this before. It was not the first time we had kissed like this, we already did it before… but when? When did that happen?

After a couple of long seconds, our lips parted away, and she looked at me with a sad smile.

"I know it's difficult for you to forget about it. We lost so much…" She brought her hand to my cheek in a gentle caress. "But you are not alone in this, Master. You have us, and we will always be by your side because you are our Master, and we love you."

"…" I was speechless; I could hardly articulate a response.

She gave a light kiss on the forehead this time, and she finally put some distance between us.

"So try to cheer up, please." Belfast looked at the women at my sides. "They will get sad if they see you like this."

"…Yes, I… will try…" I said almost mechanically, trying not to meet her gaze, in part because I was confused and in part because I was embarrassed about what we just did.

She nodded.

"I am about to serve breakfast." She said, finally sounding a bit more cheerful. "Come whenever you feel ready; we'll be waiting." She said and walked away to leave the room.

After she left, I remained there, unsure of what to do.

"Could it be… am I still dreaming?" I asked myself, bringing my hand to my head.

After carefully leaving the bed where Sirius and Dido still remained asleep, I walked towards the living room. And there they were: Sheffield was in the kitchen preparing tea, Belfast was putting a couple of plates on the living room table, and Edinburgh sat in front of the television, playing a game in a console I didn't recognize nor remember owning.

It was a strange sight, having so many people in my tiny apartment at the same time.

"Hmm? So you finally woke up, pest." Sheffield greeted me in her own characteristic way.

Belfast gave me a smile alongside a slight nod and continued doing her chores.

"Ah! Master!" Edinburgh paused the game and turned towards me. "Good morning! Did you sleep well last night?" She asked but also gave me a knowing smile, like she was cracking a joke I couldn't understand.

I didn't answer immediately; all this attention the first time in the morning left me stunned. I was by no means accustomed to it.

"Ah… yes, good morning to you all." I quickly went to the bathroom and closed the door behind me.

"What is going on…? Why are they all acting as if nothing had happened…?" I was genuinely puzzled.

Like Belfast had said, they were completely fine; there weren't even marks left of the wounds they sustained in the battle against that Siren.

"She said that years had passed since then, but that doesn't make sense. How could I have lost years of memories all of a sudden? And if I did, why do I still remember everything before our battle with the Admiral?"

There was clearly something going on that I wasn't seeing, and the proof was just right in front of me in the mirror. I could see my reflection on it, and it was no different from yesterdays. If years indeed had passed, then there must have been some sighs of the passage of time. However, I still looked as if I was in my late twenties.

I opened the faucet and vigorously rubbed my face with cold water.

"If this is a dream, then I really want to wake up now." So I said to my reflection.

At that moment, I heard someone knocking on the bathroom door.

"Breakfast is ready, don't let it get cold by staying two hours in the bathroom, pest." That was clearly Sheffield on the other side of the door, her usual sardonic comments the same as always.

Same as always? Then perhaps…

I opened the door and took her by the hand. Surprisingly, she didn't resist one bit and let me drag her into the bath and close the door behind us.

"Aren't you too energetic in the morning, Master?" She asked, with her usual deadpan expression.

"Sheffield, please hear me out." I decided to put my faith in the serious maid. She was always direct and to the point; I knew she would openly tell me if something had happened. "I am a bit confused with this situation."

She tilted her head.

"What situation?"

"This situation! Me sleeping on the same bed as Dido and Sirius, Belfast kissing me all of a sudden, you three doing things around my apartment as if you lived here! I… I just don't understand what's going on. Can you please tell me what is exactly happening here?"

She looked at me seriously without saying anything for a couple of seconds until she released a sigh.

"Is this a new fetish of yours, Master?"

"Excuse me?"

"I am asking if this is some kind of play you are pulling here because, as far as I remember, we have been living here for years and you sleeping with some of us is a common occurrence." She approached me, and I was forced to step back until I hit the wall behind me. "So is this your idea of a sadistic play? Pretending to forget about your wives?"

"My what!?"

"I see, so this is how it is, huh." She brought her face close to mine; she was a bit shorter than me, so she had to stand on her tiptoes to do so. "Should I make you remember, then?"

And then she brought her lips against mine and kissed me with passion.

"…!"

I didn't have time to think. My arms moved on their own and hugged her firmly, not letting the smallest space between us as we kissed.

I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help but compare her kiss with the one from Belfast. While the head maid's lips were subtle and composed, Sheffield did her best to attack my mouth at every moment, her tongue rapidly entering inside and letting me taste her mouth and saliva. While Belfast had given me tranquility, Sheffield gave me a different feeling, a more passionate and wild one. The more we devoured each other, the more I desired to continue, to embrace her there at that moment.

However, I knew things would end up badly if I let us continue, so before I could lose my sanity, I gently pushed her back.

"You said…." I stuttered a bit. "You said breakfast was ready, right?

She looked at me with a reproachful gaze; her amber eye judged me for interrupting this intimate moment with such a minor reason but ultimately conceded.

"You are enjoying this way too much, right Master?" She gave me a peck on the lips. "We'll continue this later."

After that, she opened the door and left the room, and I remained there, processing what I had just seen.

The moment her lips touched mine, I started to remember things.

Sheffield and I… no, not just her, Belfast, Edinburgh, Dido, and Sirius… as we fought side by side during the war, I eventually fell in love with them, and we finally got married after the war ended. It was a beautiful ceremony, not fancy and with just a couple of people. Still, we were happy regardless because we loved each other.

We decided to move together and started saving money to buy a more spacious house, it had been years since then, peaceful years.

That's what my memories told me, but there were huge gaps on it as if they were incomplete. I couldn't remember anything about that "war", neither about what happened with the Sirens. If the war indeed ended, then how did we beat them exactly? I couldn't imagine forgetting something so important.

But the most glaring difference between my memories and my current state was another. One that I couldn't possibly ignore: I remembered my feelings towards the maids, loving them and being happy to be by their side… but as it was right now, I didn't feel those emotions.

I didn't feel any of that.

With no other choice, I went back to the living room to find Sheffield and Edinburgh already sat around the table, eating breakfast.

"Master, sit down, please." Belfast indicated as she moved a recently fried egg from the pan on her hands onto my plate. "We recently ran out of bacon, so please remind me to buy more when we go to the grocery store." She said as she passed by me to leave the pan in the kitchen.

"Yeah… sure…" I answered as I sat in my place at the table.

It was weird. When I woke up, I couldn't believe they were acting with so much familiarly, but now it felt just "right" as if they naturally fit there.

I observed the food on my plate, fried eggs accompanied with a couple of toast and seasoned with a pinch of paprika. It was a simple meal, really, one that I had prepared a thousand times before. However, it looked different than when I made them for some reason.

I cut a bit of the yolk, accompanied it with a piece of bread, and brought it to my mouth.

"…!" To my surprise, it even had a different taste than when I prepared it, richer and with a smoother texture; Belfast was clearly a better cook than I was by a long shot. "This is so good…" I cut another piece of bread and took another bite.

"Hehe," Edinburgh chuckled. "you talk as if it was the first time you had tasted my sister's cooking! Bel sure knows how to handle the kitchen." She happily praised Belfast.

"It is only natural for a maid to be able to do this much." Belfast gave a wry smile to her sister. "In fact, I wish your abilities were at least on par with this, Edinburgh."

"You are asking the impossible, Belfast." Sheffield commented while taking a sip of her cup of tea. "Master won't be the only one getting food poisoning this time if we let her cook our meals."

"It only happened one time!" The maid with the glasses protested. "And Master already forgave me for that! Right, Master?" She turned to me, expecting some kind of response.

To my surprise, I did remember what she was talking about, it was one time she tried to make curry, and the rice was so burned that it tasted like charcoal.

"I still fear for my life whenever I see you in the kitchen, Edinburgh." I said, smirking.

"Master!" She clung to my side as if asking for forgiveness while Belfast laughed, and even Sheffield released a quiet chuckle.

I too laughed; no matter how many years had passed, she was the same as always-

Years? Did years pass? Wasn't it just yesterday that we fought against the Admiral? Wasn't it just yesterday that we assaulted that base…?

"Ah!" I brought my hand to my head. It was starting to hurt again.

I did see my reflection in the mirror… I knew years couldn't have passed… Why would I suddenly think that…?

There was something wrong here… I… my memories were…

"Good morning." I heard someone yawning behind me. "Hmm? Are you already eating breakfast?"

"Wahhh, sorry I overslept!" Another voice, more worried, joined her. "Please don't abandon me for this, Master!"

"Sister, you have been happily married to our honorable Master for years. I think it safe to say that he would not do that at this point."

"But… but…"

"Ah, come one." I stood up and went to hug Dido. "You should know that I would never do that." I patted her head.

"Master…" She hugged me tightly as if she was afraid I would let her go.

"Flirting in the morning already? Didn't you do enough last night?" The severe maid asked with a tired tone.

"Is that jealously I detect in your voice, Sheffield?" Belfast rebutted her with a smile.

"Must be your imagination." She drank more of her tea.

I laughed again.

"Come on, let's eat breakfast." I said as we sit around the table. It was a bit small for six people, but it was just enough to give everyone some space. Also, I didn't dislike being these close to them; sharing the table like this made me feel that we genuinely had become a family.

A… a family…? When had I felt like that before? Did something like this happen before?

"Is something wrong, my honorable master?"

"No, I just feel that I forget about something, but I can't seem to recall it."

"It was probably nothing important, then."

Yes, that must be it. What could I have possibly forgotten? I had everything I ever wanted: A peaceful life with my beautiful companions. Now that the war was over, I could finally enjoy the rest of my years in peace. I couldn't ask for anything more.

As it was right now, I truly felt hap-

"Don't ever forget about it."

A voice, coming from nowhere, spoke directly to my mind.

Don't… forget? What was that I shouldn't forget? I had everything I wanted. What could possibly…?

"Remember what was given to you."

What was given… to me?

And then I saw it.

For some reason, the moment I heard that voice, my eyes naturally went to a specific place in my apartment, an empty space on the wall where I used to hang something... something important, but what it was?

"Ahh!" My head hurt again. It was as if my mind refused to remember; as if I instinctively knew that I would be happier if I forgot, as if those memories would continue to haunt me for the rest of my life.

But… I wanted to remember; no matter how painful those memories were, I wanted to remember.

"Remember what saved your life."

To remember the shield that saved my life and the girl I loved.

Mashu…

I can't forget about you, Mashu.

I don't want to forget about you, ever.

"What I am doing here…?" I looked around, feeling confused. Why was I sitting here eating breakfast as if nothing else mattered? Why did I feel as if everything was over? As if I had nothing else left to do? It's true that I desired a peaceful life, but not if that means deluding myself. That's not what I wanted.

"What's wrong, Master?" Belfast asked me, looking worried.

"Belfast…" These memories, my memories with the maids, were beautiful, but they didn't make any sense, and that's was the only truth. "Where is Lord Camelot?"

Suddenly, everyone stopped eating or talking and turned to me in surprise.

"Why are you suddenly asking about it, Master?" Belfast was equally confused.

"Because it is important to me... because it's a precious memento from an important person." I said, more serious this time. "I recall using it during our battle against the Admiral, but it's completely absent after that. Do you know where it is?"

"Master…." Belfast's voice sounded doubtful. "You stopped using that shield a long time ago."

"What…? That doesn't make any sense! Why would I discard Lord Camelot!?"

"If I may," Sirius spoke. "After you acquired the cube from the Sirens, you decided to stop using it, saying that you didn't need it anymore, my honorable Master."

"The cube… from the Sirens?"

And at that moment, everything came back to me.

I remembered clearly how Observer Alpha pushed the black cube against my chest and how it fused with my body; I remembered the burning pain I felt and the visions that assaulted my mind. Images about me commanding forces of ship girls and decimating entire cities.

My heart rated accelerated. I instinctively brought my hands to my chest and looked under my shirt. Still, I found no wounds or any sign that the black cube had entered inside me.

However, I knew it was still there. I could feel it.

"Hmm, are you feeling alright, Master? Do you feel sick?" Edinburgh put a hand on my forehead as if trying to check if I had a fever. "Should I call your work and tell them that you don't feel well?"

"Tell me." I took her hand away from me. "The war… the war we fought together and won… it wasn't against the Sirens… right?"

"No." Sheffield was the one to talk. "We joined the Sirens against the other shipgirl factions: The Sakura Empire, Eagle Union, and Northern Parliament." She looked at me with her dead stare. "You should know about that, Master, because it was your decision to join them."

No...

"Using the technology that the Sirens gave us, we found where each nation was researching their own wisdom cubes." Belfast continued. Her tone had a lingering sadness. "Then you led the assault against the other nations, and we destroyed them before they could create an army that could rival ours."

No… I would never… I would never do that…

"They were hard times; many innocent lives were lost." Belfast extended her hand to hold mine. "But it was necessary to build the peace that we enjoy today," She tightened her grip a little. "The peace that you always wanted, Master."

"Invading other countries in the name of peace…? Belfast, you are not like this… none of you are like this..." What she told me was ridiculous. I would have never accepted any of that, and neither would they.

Unless it was never me the one who took those decisions, but the thing inside my chest.

Unless I had become nothing more than a puppet of the Sirens.

"….!" I let go of Belfast's hand and stood up. "I think… I think I go out for some fresh air." I made up an excuse on the fly as I took the keys to my apartment and went towards the door.

"Master please wai-" Belfast tried to say, but I didn't fully hear her as I exited my apartment in a hurry.

As soon as I closed the door, I sprinted towards the stairs.

I finally understood: it wasn't that something was wrong with them; it was me the one who was wrong all along.

"That thing… the cube is still inside of me." I was bound to the Sirens as long as the cube was inside my body; I couldn't trust myself or my memories with that thing in me. Who knows what could be possibly doing to my body or to my mind.

I needed to find a way to take that thing out as soon as possible.

I stopped running once I was far enough from my apartment. After checking that none of the maids were following me, I sat against the wall of an alley, hidden from the view of most people.

"Ahh… Ahhh… Ah…" As my breathing calmed down, I looked at my chest. Then I closed my eyes and placed my right hand on it.

I activated a structural analysis spell, and in both my arm and my chest appeared glowing green lines. I immediately began to feel how everything inside my chest worked: I felt my heart beating, my lungs inhaling and exhaling air, and my blood flowing through my veins. However, I could also feel diminutive particles going around my body. These particles were composed of an unknown material, which couldn't be identified even with magecraft.

Those were parts of the cube, I was sure of it.

"Shit." I opened my eyes, and the spell disappeared. "They are everywhere, moving through my bloodstream through my entire body." I clenched my fist in anger. "How am I supposed to take it out if I can't even grasp it?"

Maybe if I replaced all my blood through transfusions… but who knows. It might even change shape again and move to my lungs instead, or to any other of my organs.

I hit the back of my head against the wall. I felt useless. I didn't even know if this was actually happening or just an illusion created by the cube. If I couldn't trust my memories, then what could I trust in? I felt prisoner of my own body, of my own mind.

What was real, and what wasn't?

As I asked myself that question, I felt something touching my foot. I first thought it was a stray cat or something and didn't even turn to look at it, but everything changed in just a moment.

"Fou!" The small animal cried.

No, it can't be…

I quickly moved my eyes and find that small and fluffy white critter resting one of its paws against my foot and looking at me with its violet eyes.

"Fou! You are here! You-!" I stopped myself from grabbing him and jumping with joy.

"Fou?" Fou looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"Are you… real?" I couldn't contain my doubts; it might as well be another of the Sirens to distract me. How could I know that I wasn't being deceived?

"Remember what was given to you."

"…!" But then the same voice spoke again. "Does that mean…?" I tried to extend my hand to touch Fou once again.

"Fou…" But the white animal moved to the side, not letting me touch it, as if it was disappointed in me. Then, it turned around and began running away.

"No! Wait!" I stood up to chase it.

But a sudden pain assaulted my head, stopping me dead in my tracks.

"Ahhhhhh!" The pain was unbearable, much worse than the previous times. It felt like someone was directly gripping my brain with tremendous force and squishing it. "Stop!" It was the cube; the damn cube was messing with my brain again. "I won't forget about her! No matter what you do to me, I would never forget Mashu!"

And then, it suddenly stopped.

"….!" Surprised, I opened my eyes, only to see that I was no longer in the alley.

For some reason, I was back on the bed, as if I was suddenly teleported there. However, it was not the bed of my apartment this time.

I was in an almost entirely white room, except for a decorative plant on the wall opposite the bed. I never took it out because it was the only bit of personality I could add in an otherwise dull room. Aside from that, there was a nightstand next to the bed, a screen to facilitate communication at any time, and a shower cubicle in the corner.

The room was far from luxurious, and it could honestly use some space. Still, I had grown to love it with time because whenever I came back exhausted from a difficult mission, it was always there, ready to accept me as I collapsed in the bed.

But after everything that happened, I had accepted that I would never be back there.

But here I was, in my room of Chaldea.

"I wonder what you are seeing right now." Observer said to the unconscious man in front of her. "Is it a pleasant dream or a hellish nightmare?" She asked even though she knew the man wouldn't be able to answer, as he was sunk in a deep sleep, one that wouldn't end until the cube finished its task of turning him into one of them.

Fujimaru Ritsuka would soon cease to exist, and another being would be born.

"I am sure you'll be a fine agent," She caressed his face. "One that will push human evolution even further." She grabbed the man and took him in her arms. "Now, let's get rid of that frail human body, shall we?"

She was decided to return to their base, where the necessary machinery needed to finish the transformation was stored. However, she couldn't take one step forward before the air in the room started to darken, as a strange mist began to form around her.

"Mist in an enclosed underground space?" Rather than being surprised, Observer just found the idea funny. "Did you perhaps forget something, Purifier?

The strange phenomenon quickly focused on one point of the room like a small twister. Then, the mist acquired a thicker presence until a person came out of it and disappeared.

"Doing things behind my back, huh, Alpha? You were always such a scheming little Siren." The Siren Purifier said as she walked toward Observer. "That's what I like about you." She smiled.

"And you are always doing whatever you desire." Observer nodded. "You would be a specimen worth of observation if you weren't one of us, my dear Purifier."

Purifier laughed hard.

"What can I say? Being basically immortal does get a bit old after the first five hundred thousand years. After that, one starts to appreciate the little things, like that human you have on you there."

"He was truly quite an interesting human, a "magus" on top of it." A devilish smile appeared on her face. "We'll gather a lot of data once he becomes one of us; he may even become a new species altogether."

"True. A shame that I won't let that happen."

Silence.

Neither Siren said anything for a while and just stared at each other, both maintaining far too happy smiles on their faces.

"How curious. I thought you wanted him on our side."

"Hahahahahaha! What an amusing thought, Alpha! Are you really trying to analyze me as one of your pawns?" Purifier's eyes began to glow. "Did you truly think I would be satisfied with you turning my friend into your puppet? Extinguishing the only source of entertainment I had after so many centuries?"

"I see. You'd rather preserve him as a human." Observer thought about it for a second. "An interesting path, but unfortunately, the cube has already started to modify his biology. It can't be stopped now."

"Don't worry, I will handle the difficult part for you." Purifier patted the shoulder of Observer in a friendly way "I just need to take the cube out, and everything will return to normal, right?"

"Of course, but you know that might kill him in the process."

"I am willing to take the risk." Purifier smiled, but her hand started to grip Observer's shoulder with force.

Observer stared at her in silence for some time.

"I do wonder if your obsession with the concept of entertainment is the reason you keep betraying us first." She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Maybe." Purifier smiled.

Then she quickly took Observer's head with both hands and turned it around, breaking her neck. But not content with that, she put even more force into her grip and tore her head off her body in a gruesome festival of blood. The headless body of the Siren fell unceremoniously on the floor, alongside the sleeping body of Fujimaru Ritsuka.

"But I also really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really want to kill you, ALPHAAAAAA!"

She threw the head as if it was a ball against the nearest wall and kicked the body far from her.

"Is that so?" The severed head of Alpha sighed once she fell on the floor. "Your antics are certainly special; it gives some individuality to a mere disposable body." First, her body appeared beside her head in a black mist cloud, and then from the severed neck came a series of black cables that connected the head back to her body. "It's truly a shame that you are one of us."

"Oh no no no no no. It's these moments what I live for." Purifier moved in front of the sleeping body of Fujimaru. "The adrenaline of knowing I am about to face you one more time! I can't get enough of it, Alpha! I can't wait to crush your heart with my very own hands!"

Observer chuckled as her head finally finishing connecting to the rest of her body in a rather crude way.

"You are like a human kid." She cracked her neck. "Zero is going to be mad that one of the high-ranking Sirens leaves the simulation this early." Her eyes opened like plates and began to glow with a golden light. "But how can I deny you when you are so excited!?"

From behind her, an enormous black and golden octopus appeared, on which she sat like it was a couch.

"That's the spirit!" Purifier extended her hand and her shark appeared by her side. "Let's have some fun together, Alpha!"

The pain in her arm, or rather the lack of it, was unbearable. Whatever was inhibiting her sense of pain before had disappeared the moment she recovered her memories, and now she had to suffer the agony of her nerves trying to reach an extremity that was no longer there.

But that wasn't what hurt Formidable the most, no. Instead, it was the look of distrust in Warspite's face; it was the bloody bodies of her companions, her friends, lying on the floor. That hellish scenario was her fault, and that was a much crippling pain than having lost an arm.

"Warspite…" She muttered, but the knight only answered, tightening the grip on the sword she was pointing at her. It was no use trying to apologize, and she didn't think she deserved forgiveness anyway. However, there was one thing she did want with her entire being. "We have to save them, Warspite."

"You speak like her." Warspite didn't flinch. "But are you truly the Formidable I knew, or are you still a puppet of the Sirens?"

"…" Formidable looked at herself; she was beyond pale, her previously ashen locks were a distasteful tone of white, and even if she couldn't directly see it, she knew her eyes had acquired a golden color. She had the appearance of their enemy, the Sirens. "I may look like this, but I swear my mind and soul are of Formidable of the Royal Navy, member of the illustrious-class carriers and vassal of her majesty."

"I wish I could believe you." A hurtful expression appeared on the knight's face.

"Please, Warspite, we can't lose any more time!" Formidable shouted desperately. "The wounds on Sirius and Dido look especially severe. We have to do something before it's too late!"

Warspite didn't move; her mind was full of doubts. She knew that what Formidable said was the truth, they had to treat everyone's wounds as soon as possible, but she couldn't help but think that all of that could be a trap.

Upon seeing that, Formidable lowered her head.

"I understand." Formidable's voice couldn't hide a tone of sadness. "I would feel the same if I were in your position. I genuinely want to help the Queen and the others, but if my presence stops you from doing so, then I have no choice but to leave." She turned around. "I am so sorry for all this, Warspite."

"…" The knight saw how Formidable walked away, leaving her back completely exposed to any attacks. Was that really a trap? Would the Sirens really go so far when she could have attacked her by now? Could it be that she was truly Formidable? "Formi-" Warspite began but was interrupted as the lights of the room suddenly began to flicker.

The knight looked up and saw that the light bulbs weren't working well. It wasn't just one, but every light bulb in the room that constantly changed between being on and off, and in strange synchronicity.

Until they finally turned off, leaving the room in the dark.

"…!" Warspite quickly stepped back to be closer to her Queen, who was still unconscious on the floor. She didn't know why, but at that moment, she felt a sudden inexplicable anxiety, as if something was there in the darkness. She had never felt like that before. She was a knight; after all, it was unthinkable of her to be afraid of something as mundane as the dark.

But something was different that time. The fear she felt was something more primal as if her instincts were telling her that an invisible enemy was looking at them, waiting for the moment to strike.

It was nothing more than mere minutes, but for Warspite, it felt like hours until the lights finally came back. And the first thing she saw was Formidable, looking at her with a couple of her drones by her sides and pointing their cannons towards her.

Was she right all after all? Was all that talk just a trap?

"Run." However, what Formidable said left her perplexed.

"What?"

"Take Her Majesty and run!" Formidable shouted as the drones began to fire not at her, but at something behind her.

"…!?" The knight quickly turned around, and for a split second, she saw a pale woman clad in pure white clothes, observing them with a sole dark blue eye, before the light turned off again, leaving the room in the oppressing dark one more time.

For a few seconds, the only thing that could be heard in the darkness were the canons of Formidable's drones firing continuously and their bullets obliterating whatever they came in contact with.

But when the lights came back, the mysterious woman was nowhere to be found.

"I know you can't trust me." Formidable quickly approached the knight. "But you have to believe me, if you don't leave now with her Majesty, then all of us are going to die." There was fear in Formidable's voice, she was absolutely terrified.

"That thing… was a Siren?"

"I don't know what she is." Formidable added. "But I feel it deep inside me; she is not an enemy we can defeat."

The lights turned off and on for a second, and the Siren appeared on the opposite side of the room as if she had teleported.

"Denomination: Observer Zero." The woman spoke in a tone that didn't show any emotion other than disinterest. "Terminal dispatched to supervise the simulation in the timeline gamma-five-six-one-seven-one."

"I'll cover you, so go!" Formidable declared as she made more drones appear and prepared to face Zero.

But Warspite didn't move, because she had noticed something.

"Formi… she isn't looking at me at all." Warspite instinctively raised her sword. "Her eyes… they are dead set on you."

"What…!?" Just then Formidable noticed, it was as the knight said, the gaze of Observer Zero only looked at her as if Warspite didn't exist.

"Unauthorized experiment, number four-seven-eight-eight-five-four must cease operation at once." Zero continued talking, not caring at all about their conversation. "Reason for termination: the core of the unauthorized experiment cannot fall on the hands of the test subject at this point of the simulation. Failing to comply will result in the core being forcefully removed." Her eyes began to shine blue, and for the first time, she looked at Warspite. "Pawn interference is not recommended, as it may result in a long and painful death."

"This is not real." I repeated that in my mind over and over again.

The bed I was sitting on wasn't real.

The decorative plant to my side wasn't real.

The shower cubicle wasn't real.

The room wasn't real.

None of what I was seeing, hearing, smelling or touching was real. Everything was an elaborated illusion created by the Sirens. I couldn't know for sure, but I might have been in some kind of induced sleep, where they could control everything I felt with any of my five senses.

"I need to find a way to wake up, and destroy that cube inside my body." I repeated that for myself because I knew what was to come now. They had reproduced every centimeter of my old room in Chaldea, even the specks of dust under the bed were exactly as I remembered; it was safe to say that they had full access to my memories.

It was just a matter of time until they tried to use that, and I had to be mentally prepared to see it. So my only objective was to find a way to escape the illusion. Anything else would be a distraction, a ploy of the Sirens.

I released a deep breath and finally stood up.

"Let's go."

I walked towards the door and opened it, a familiar corridor awaited me on the other side; the one I had walked every morning to come and go from my room. I could remember how to reach every facility in Chaldea, but this was not my Chaldea, I doubted just crossing the exit gate would be enough to get me out of here.

Just how could I escape this illusion?

While I was thinking about that, I heard footsteps quickly approaching me from behind. I tried to distance myself from them, walking in the opposite direction, but it was in vain, because I heard her voice.

"Good morning, Senpai."

A voice I hadn't heard in a long time, one I would have given anything and everything I had just to hear again. It was sad that after so many years, hearing it only hurt me this much.

I tried my best to ignore it, and continued walking; any place was fine as long as she wasn't there.

However, she followed me.

"Senpai? Where are you going in such a hurry?"

I didn't say anything and sped up my pace. However, she grabbed me by the hand.

"Senpai, is something wrong?" She asked, maybe wondering why I wasn't answering. "You haven't said anything yet. If something is bothering you, then I will do my best to-"

"Shut up!" I shouted. "Don't act as if you truly were her! You are not-!"

And then I made a mistake: I turned around my head to see her.

Maybe I thought I could bear it, that knowing that she was not real would be enough to dismiss her as fake.

Or perhaps did I do it on purpose. Perhaps my desire to see her again was so strong that I subconsciously wanted to see her again even knowing that she wasn't real.

Whatever the case, it was a mistake, because I felt my world being completely shaken when I laid my eyes on her.

"Mashu…" I muttered as I looked at her, an exact duplicate of the woman I loved, Mashu Kyrielight, looking at me with an innocent and worried expression.

END OF CHAPTER 18

AN: I wanted to end the arc in this chapter, but that would have taken me a lot more time, so I decided to end the chapter here. Arc 2 is surely going to end next chapter.

Discord where we talk about dumb things: discord. gg / kvRCbruzaT (erase the spaces, obviously)

And that's it for now, see you in the next chapter

AN2: We have a new member on the team. Welcome Lower Black, our new spellchecker. Hopefully, with his addition, the chapter won't be as riddled with mistakes as before.

Chapter Text

The time I had spent in Chaldea had been exactly one year, just a single year, but it was enough to change my life forever.

I experienced things that far surpassed my wildest dreams: I saw ancient civilizations in their zenith; met incredible people that with time began to call me their friend, and even fell in love for the first time in my life.

However, there were hard times too.

There wasn't a single day that I didn't feel the crushing weight of humanity's fate on my shoulders. I was constantly tormented with nightmares of "Solomon." I saw him ripping me apart with a move of his hand; I saw Chaldea and my friends falling before him over and over again. I felt that any mistake on my part could spell the end of everything.

But as chaotic as that year of my life was, I had learned to accept it, as well as my role in all that. I was the last Master of Humanity, the one that had to stop Goetia and secure the future of the Human Order. That was my role, and nothing would have ever changed that.

Or so I thought.

Looking back, perhaps I was just deluding myself, trying to pretend that as long as we were together, as long as we fought with all our strength and spirit, we would be able to face any challenge Goetia might have stored for us.

What I had forgotten was that time was also our enemy, because time didn't wait for anyone. Everything must come to an end sooner or later.

I was reminded of that fact the day Roman finally told me about Mashu's condition.

As a designed baby, she was closer to a homunculus than a human; her lifespan was limited, and it would come soon to a natural end, in no more than a year from then on. Humanity didn't have a future past 2016 due to Goetia's actions, but even if we stopped him, Mashu still wouldn't live much longer than that. Her fate was unavoidable.

But did that stop me?

No, in fact, it had the opposite effect.

That day, I confessed my feelings to her; all my doubts had disappeared in an instant. Time was no longer a luxury we could afford to let slip by. I didn't want to waste a single moment with Mashu, because I loved her, and I wanted nothing more than for us to be together, no matter if it was for one year, one month, or just a single day.

So when we set foot in Goetia's time temple and headed towards the final battle, I knew what I wanted: I wanted to live and see the dawn of tomorrow with her. I wanted us to leave Chaldea and travel to Japan. I would have taken a part-time job so we could rent a small apartment and live together. I wished to show her around my neighbourhood, visit my parent's house, and introduce her to them as the person I had chosen as my partner.

It could be said that it was Mashu the one that gave me a far "realer" purpose. Stopping Goetia and saving the human order became a stepping stone for me to achieve my true goal, to live what remained of her life together. Even if our time was limited, I was prepared to spend every single moment of it with her until the end.

But even that bittersweet end was robbed from us when she died at the hands of Goetia, and I was inexplicably transported to a foreign world. A world with no one waiting for my return, no home to come back, no family to receive me, and no friends to hug and cry.

I was alone.

The only thing that remained of that journey were my memories, those precious moments when I hung around with my Servants or got caught by their antics. Those times I talked animatedly with Roman, shared a coffee break with Da Vinci, spent a free afternoon with Mashu…

That moment Roman gave back his ring, his original self, to stop Goetia, knowing full well what would happen to him.

That moment Mashu sacrificed her life to shield me from Goetia's Noble Phantasm.

Those memories, the memories of their sacrifice, were the only thing that allowed me to get out of bed every day. I wanted to be strong for them, so their sacrifice would mean something even if my old world was no more.

But I wasn't.

I wasn't as determined as Mashu, nor I could keep up with the intelligence of Da Vinci or the leadership Roman evoked. I couldn't even stand side by side proudly with my Servants on the battlefield. I was just an average guy, one that could be found anywhere. I wasn't as strong as them; there wasn't a single day I didn't wish I could go back and relive those moments again, no matter how many years passed or how older I got.

That was my wish… but what was in front of me wasn't what I wanted; the girl in front of me that looked so similar to Mashu wasn't her. She was nothing but an illusion created by the enemy to trick me, a fake, a false image of her.

That's what I kept repeating inside my head, but my eyes were locked on her figure. I couldn't turn away from her, no matter how much I tried.

"Senpai." She slowly extended her hand to caress my cheek; I couldn't stop her. "Why are you crying?"

"Crying?" I brought my hand to my face and just then realized tears were, in fact, running down my cheeks. "No, this is..." I tried to hide my face from her. This affected me more than I thought. I needed to focus; she wasn't really Mashu, she wasn't her!

"Senpai..." She said as she wiped away my tears. "You can tell me what happened; you know I am always willing to listen."

"Don't speak as if you understood me! You are not-" I tried to take her hand away but stopped as I touched it; even her softness was the same as I remembered. Touching her hand was just like touching hers so many years ago.

"You felt lonely, didn't you?" She asked.

I looked away; I didn't have the strength to deny that.

"You have been suffering the weight of your past alone, unable to tell anyone what you went through, incapable of sharing your pain or showing your wounds." She showed me a smile I had not seen in a long time. "But I am here now, Senpai. You'll never be alone again."

She quickly saw right through me; even if I wanted to deny it, I felt like she would immediately know it was a lie. Yes, my life in this world had been lonely and aimless. I told myself every day that I had to continue living, but more often than not, I felt myself wavering. I felt myself daydreaming about the past.

In a world where no one knew about me, what was my purpose? What was the point of continuing living, just for the sake of living?

"Never?" I finally asked.

"Never again." Her words almost made my heart stop; I had wished to hear them for years. Maybe that's why I could do nothing as she got closer to me and placed her head against my chest. "We'll be together once again."

She wrapped her arms around me in a hug, and for a moment, it was as if everything went back to how it used to be.

I was slightly taller now, but that was as far as the differences went. Everything else was the same. The warmth of her body against mine was the same, the rhythm of her breathing was the same, the sound of her heart beating in her chest was the same. She wasn't Mashu, but she was the closest I had been from her in years.

Perhaps that's why I felt my eyes getting even wetter as she hugged me, and why my arms moved on their own to embrace her.

"I am sorry... I am sorry."I kept repeating as I hugged her tightly, my voice breaking with each word. "I am sorry." I knew she wasn't her, but kept apologizing anyway.

I am sorry, Mashu.

I am sorry for not being able to save you.

I am sorry for not being able to let you go.

"It's alright" She whispered between my sobs as she caressed my head. "Everything is fine now, Senpai. We can be together again. Together forever."

Together forever.

Yes, that didn't sound so bad.

It didn't sound bad at all.

We remained like that for a while, as close to each other as it was physically possible, together like one being. To be together like this with the person I loved again, to never be apart again. There wasn't anything I wanted more than that.

"So don't ever forget about it... although knowing how you are, I am sure you cannot actually forget."

However, those words still resonated in my mind. That voice, so familiar yet so alien at the same time, was right: I couldn't forget.

I couldn't forget what happened that day in the time temple, nor could I forget Mashu's smile when she turned to see me one last time.

Even if she looked like her, I couldn't forget that the person I was hugging wasn't her. Because Mashu was dead, and nothing would ever change that truth.

My hug slowly lost its force until I gently pushed her back.

"Senpai?" She looked at me surprised as if my actions were completely unexpected."Why?"

"I am not as strong as them; that's why I needed this." I began, wiping away tears."Even if I knew you were not the person I loved, I still needed that hug." I raised my head to look at her directly in the eyes. "I don't know what you are, a Siren or just an illusion created by the black cube, but I can't stay with you here. I am needed in the real world."

With that said, I slowly began to put some distance between us, our gazes stuck in each other's eyes until we turned to walk away.

"Senpai!"

She caught me before I could make a single step, her arms around me again.

"I don't want to be alone." She sounded heartbroken. "I want to be with you, so please… don't leave."

Hearing Mashu's voice speaking those words made my heart ache and destroyed me completely.

"I am sorry, but I can't live this lie with you. The maids-no, the entire Royal Navy, they trusted that I would destroy the black cube, and even if we have our differences, the least I can do is to fulfill that promise."

They were still out there, fighting against that Siren. I couldn't let them down, as a Commander and as a Master.

I took her hands away from me and continued walking. I could hear her sobs behind me, but I didn't turn back. I had to find my way out of this illusion and go back to the real world.

However, the sobs suddenly stopped at some point.

"Is this not enough for you?"

And I, too, stopped my steps.

"What did you say?" I turned around.

"This simulation is not limited to these parameters. If you so desire it, the black cube can recreate not only Mashu Kiryelight, but also Romani Archaman, Leonardo Da Vinci, and the multiple Servants that you came in contact with." The fake Mashu had a dead serious expression on her face; her worried and teary exterior had utterly disappeared in an instant. "You could see all of them again; that's what you want, right?"

I remained quiet for a few seconds until I could finally respond.

"So those are your true colors." I stared at her. Aside from her appearance, there were no traces of Mashu left; only an empty, soulless husk wearing her skin remained.

Purifier sprinted towards Alpha while her mechanic shark stayed behind and released a series of multi-colored energy discharges towards her.

Observer didn't move one bit as her octopus extended two of its multiple tentacles and rapidly deflected the incoming lasers as if they were nothing, while at the same time pointing its cannons towards the approaching Siren.

Energy shots were fired, but they only hit the floor as Purifier was just too fast for them.

"Ah!" The moment she was close enough, the crazy Siren leaped in the air and used her momentum to perform a descending kick directly on top of the octopus, where Alpha lazily lay.

"Heh." Alpha released a small laugh as she was forced to abandon her comfortable position on the octopus to avoid Purifier's attack. Unfortunately, the mechanical animal wasn't as lucky because Purifier's leg descended on top of its head and practically stomped it to the ground with a loud crash.

Purifier didn't waste time and tried to follow Alpha. She knew the Siren wasn't as strong as her in close combat; a couple of accurately landed hits would be enough to critically wound her.

"...!" However, she only could try because a slimy thing suddenly took her by the foot and stopped her down in the place. Alpha's mechanical octopus wasn't quite defeated yet. One of its tentacles had firmly tangled on Purifier and wasn't letting her go.

Purifier quickly threw a powerful punch towards the octopus's head, strong enough to pierce its black skin and expose the mechanical interior of the animal.

But that still didn't stop the octopus; in fact, it only served to get Purifier even more entrapped by its tentacles, which began entangling her fist and her other foot.

"Phyrna!" Purifier called her shark while she desperately fought to get away from the tentacles.

The mechanical shark dived into the air to help her but was quickly intercepted by Alpha.

"Be a good girl and die alongside your owner!" Observer punched the shark and sent it flying backward.

"Hey! Don't hit her like-" Purifier started until she realized the octopus had its cannons pointed directly toward her.

"Boom." Emoted Observer.

A bright light began to emanate from the cannon barrel, and Purifier's eyes shone as a powerful energy blast covered her body from head to toe at point-blank range.

Observer smiled pleasantly.

"Is that enough for you, my dear Purifier of humanity?"

The light disappeared to reveal a heavily wounded Purifier. Her body was full of black burn marks, and her breathing was ragged. Around her, however, lay the destroyed parts of the mechanical octopus.

"Ha…hahaha…haha." She laughed, but her laugh kept getting cut between exhalations. "I… I can do this all day!" The mad Siren raised her fists.

Observer Alpha could only smile at that.

Warspite was frozen in her place. She felt that any movement, no matter how small, would trigger a reaction from the 'Siren', who observed her with her dead eyes.

"If you interfere, you'll die as well." Was what those blue eyes wordlessly told. Even when the Siren wasn't interested in her, she wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she became an obstacle in her way.

"Perfect." Formidable made a step forward. "If you are only after me, then I have nothing to worry about; I'll fight."

"Formi, you…"

"I have done something unforgivable to the Royal Navy, Lady Warspite." She said with a sad smile, without looking at her directly. "The least I can do is to make sure you and her Majesty are able to leave this place alive. Don't worry about me and go, leave her to me."

Warspite looked at her in awe. Formidable's words were brave, but it was apparent that she was scared; even Warspite herself felt a chill running down her spine when she looked at the 'Siren.' However, Formidable wasn't deterred by it. She was ready to face such an enemy head-on.

"I am sorry for doubting you, Formi." The knight said and finally walked to stand next to her. "It won't happen again." She directed a fierce gaze towards the Siren. Her doubts were finally gone.

"Lady Warspite!? What are you doing!? You know that Her Majesty's life always comes first and foremost-"

"It's as you say, Formi. She is only interested in you. That means Her Majesty's life is irrelevant to her." Warspite affirmed, determined. "She is not the one in danger, you are." She gripped her sword with force. "And I won't leave you behind. What kind of knight would be if I leave one of the vassals of Her Majesty to fight an enemy by herself?"

"Lady Warspite..." Formidable could feel the resolution in the knight's voice. She wouldn't take a no for an answer.

They would fight together.

All this happened in front of Observer Zero, who seemed to watch them with utter indifference. However, once the two had decided to fight her even after her warnings, she showed the first sign of emotion.

She released a tired sigh which came out in a rather unnatural way, as if she wasn't accustomed to breathing normally.

"Foolish pawns."

We stared at each other for more than a couple of minutes. Her gaze lacked any kind of emotion whatsoever, as if her human exterior was just a façade and the real being was nothing more than a machine.

"I will repeat myself then: I can't live this lie with you, no matter how many of my friends you try to bring back!" I declared again, more determined this time.

Yes, I wanted to see them again. I wanted nothing more than that. But I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I let the shipgirls die to live in a fake world.

"That won't be a problem." She said as if reading my mind. "Those memories can be easily erased."

"Eh? Erased?"

"With precise electric stimuli, the memories stored in the hippocampus can easily be modified at will. A current of 0.00001 Ampere would be enough, and the risk of a stroke or brain hemorrhage would be less than 0.1%." She calmly explained the process.

"Do you take me for a fool? I am not letting you mess with my brain anymore!"

"But you would be able to experience it again, Chaldea, as if it was the first time."

"What!?"

"The black cube can erase your memory up to the point you first came to Chaldea, those six years you lived in this world, your meeting with the Sirens and the shipgirls, it would be like it never happened." She opened her hands as if showing off the place. "In this simulation, you could relieve your time in Chaldea until the end, only to get your memories wiped and start from the beginning again."

"Are you saying... that I could experience all that as if it was the first time forever?"

"It would be an endless simulation of your past for the rest of your life, and you won't even notice it, a true paradise for finite beings like humans."

An eternal repetition of familiar events where nothing ever changes, a life of blissful ignorance. That's what she was offering to me.

"You are insane."

"The one you are talking to is not a conscious being. It can't be insane or sane." She explained. "Its only function is to integrate your body into the black cube by any means necessary.

"…"

I have talked with a lot of non-human beings in my life, beings that were once human, beings that just took their form, and some that were utterly alien to the concept of humanity, but this one, this fake Mashu, was completely different from all of them.

"Even if you can replicate them, you don't understand human emotion, right?"

She looked at me without saying anything, as if my words didn't make any sense to her.

"I see." I turned around. "I am leaving."

"Your actions contradict themselves." She said. "When you were hugging this one, you thought 'It wouldn't be so bad to be together with her forever,' so it makes no sense to reject this offer now. You wouldn't have to worry about anything else again. You'll be back with the people you left behind. Wasn't that what you desired?"

Silence. I didn't answer immediately.

"You have access to my memories, right?" I asked.

"To a certain extent."

"Then you should know why I would never accept that." I looked at her straight in the eyes. "Goetia wanted to create a world without the concept of death, a world without ends, a world with no tomorrow or today, a world without future or past, a world of stillness." I clenched my fist. "What you are offering me is what Mashu and I fought so hard to stop! Accepting it would be an insult to her, to all the people that supported me in Chaldea!"

"Guilty is irrelevant, those feelings would disappear as soon as your memory is erased."

"But I don't want them to disappear! Even if they hurt…they are the proof that they existed!"

"You would willingly choose to suffer, even if those very same feelings are the ones weighting you down. Your logic is flawed."

"Perhaps, but maybe those contradictions are what make me human. The fact that you can't understand that even after coming from the future tells me that maybe the Sirens aren't as advanced as I thought."

I didn't get a response nor did I need one, so I just walked away. I had nothing more to talk about with her.

She appeared in front of me once more, blocking my way.

"You are right. This one doesn't understand human emotions. However, that doesn't mean it can't use them. Love, hate, happiness, sadness or… fear." Upon saying that, a black liquid fell from her left eye, like a tear.

I instinctively stepped back.

"Magecraft is an undocumented phenomenon in the original timeline. Its effects in humans are largely unknown." Another black tear fell through her eyes; this time, it was from the right one. "Your biology should be that of the common homo sapiens, but overwriting your genome has proven impossible for unknown reasons. Something is stopping the cube from fully accessing it, something that might be related to your reluctance to join the Sirens."

More of that black liquid started to fall from her mouth as she talked. It was like she was vomiting black blood. A pool began to form to her feet; her steps leaving black footprints behind.

The corridor around us also began to change, the lights started to flicker, and the walls seemed to melt as if they were made of wax.

"If you aren't going to accept the black cube by your own will, then your will must be broken."

"It won't work. I know this world is not real. If you could hurt me, then you would have already done it."

"Killing you is not an option; however, you will soon wish you'll be dead."

The liquid started to pour from the pores of her face, from her ears, from the tip of her fingers. Her entire body, as well as her clothes, soon got engulfed in that dark liquid.

And from the black pool, something began to move.

Fear, she said.

I took a battle stance because I knew what was coming.

"You believe you can resist, but this is not a matter of strength. The human brain is a sensitive organ. It can be easily destroyed by normal means, but it can also be assaulted by suggestions and ideas… by fears." The fake Mashu tilted her head to the side, and for the first time a smile was drawn on her face. "And no one knows more about your fears than I."

Her smile grew larger and larger, to the point her face started to tear away, starting from the sides of her lips and revealing an additional series of teeth, as well as a long tongue, almost as big as the rest of her head. Her hair also felt quickly from her head, and her eyes were entirely covered by the black mud until they disappeared as if they had been absorbed by it.

The fingers on each of her hands fell apart, and her arms lost their shape in favor of larger appendages that ended in sharp spikes. Finally, her feet retracted as if they were not needed anymore, and the second pair of appendages came out of her back to function as another pair of legs.

Nothing remained of Mashu, and only a monster was left in front of me.

It was a Lahmu, a creature born from Beast II, Tiamat. They were created to replace the "old" humanity during the seventh singularity. Begins that knew no emotion other than cruelty.

"Do you think I would be deterred by that form? We defeated the Lahmu; we defeated Tiamat!" I chanted my aria of reinforcement, letting glowing green lines appear in my arms. "That form is just an illusion! A fake! It means nothing to me!"

The Lahmu released a strident laugh.

"I am real." The monstrosity pounced towards me, raising one of its hand-claws to impale there and there. "I am real to you!"

I jumped to the side and dodged the attack, and then prepared to hit the Lahmu.

That monstrosity was wrong. Yes, I once feared the Lahmu, but the one in front of me wasn't real; it was fake, like this world.

I clenched my reinforced fist and moved to give the Lahmu a powerful hit.

"Wha-?"

However, the moment my fist connected to its body, I froze. It did nothing to it, it didn't even flinch. Before I could further react, I was instantly swept by its legs-claw. The impact sent me flying towards the nearest wall as if I was nothing more than a ragdoll.

"A Lahmu is as strong as a Servant." It said, and its voice echoed in my head as if multiple people were talking inside my mind at the same time. "And humans can't beat Servants. As long as your mind is convinced of that idea, you won't be able to harm us, Fujimaru Ritsuka!

The Lahmu tried to jump over me, but I rolled to the side and evaded it. With difficulty, I stood up and tried to put some distance between us.

That's when I saw it; from the black mud more of those monsters were being birthed. Their appendages came out of the black pool, from the walls, even from the ceiling. I could not fight all of them, I had to run.

And so I did, I ran, I moved as fast as my reinforced legs allowed me while the world around me seemed to be completely invaded by the black mud and the Lahmu.

I was defenseless here; I had to wake up.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up, dammit!" I repeated, but it was futile. Two more Lahmus ascended from the floor and blocked my way.

I stopped, I was surrounded entirely. I had nowhere to run.

No, there was a door to my side; I didn't know where it led but anything would be better than my current situation!

So I smashed through the door, only to find a hopeless prospect.

"I see." I looked at the horror in front of me, unable to move. "She was just toying with me."

Two enormous eyes looked down on me; their pupils were x-shaped within blood-red sclera. The face vaguely resembled a woman, but the draconic mouth with thousands of teeth and the black and red horns between tuffs of light blue hair made it impossible to recognize her original humanoid form. As she appeared to me, she was closer to a dragon.

"AaAaaaAAaAAAAaaaaAa." Tiamat cried, and opened her mouth. Its teeth were as big as my whole body; even if I tried to run, I would not be able to escape.

"I never had a chance in the first place." I said as the mouth swallowed me whole, and my world became darkness.

Warspite sprinted towards the pale Siren, brandishing her sword in her right hand and preparing to hit her with a vertical slash.

Zero stood still until she was about to receive the slash.

"Deep wound on the right ankle, average speed reduced to thirty percent of its max output." She moved a bit just in time to avoid the slash. "Threat level: harmless."

Warspite didn't give up after just one slash and tried to follow it up with a series of swings towards the Siren. However, every single one of them failed to hit her by mere centimeters; the Siren wasn't even trying to fight back. It was as if her attempts were nothing more than child's play.

However, Zero's movements came to a sudden halt.

"Don't move an inch!" While Warspite kept pressuring her to dodge, Formidable had activated her ability, and not even one of the Siren leaders could resist it. "Lady Warspite!" The Royal Navy Carrier moved her sole arm and sent her drones towards the Siren.

"Understood!" The knight jumped back and manifested her rigging. Its cannons quickly pointed towards the frozen figure of Zero. "This is for Her Majesty!"

A combined attack of the drones and Warspite's cannons were released upon the Siren, creating a series of explosions with her as the epicenter.

The smoke had not fully dissipated when Warspite charged again towards it, waiting for the exact moment Zero's figure appeared beneath the black fumes.

She didn't have to wait for much though, with just a glimpse of the white fabric of Zero's dress, she could pinpoint her location and attack. The ability of Formidable should have still been in effect, so the Siren would not be able to dodge her this time.

And so the knight took the hilt of her sword with both hands and swung it with such power that the cleaving completely cleared the smoke from the area, revealing, at last, the complete figure of Zero.

There was not a single wound on her body, and Warspite knew why.

When her sword slashed through her, she felt it. Zero's body didn't offer any resistance to her sword, even though it had clearly passed through her; not even a drop of blood stained the blade. It was like she had cut the air itself as if there had never been anything there in the first place.

"What… are you?" Warspite asked before falling motionless on the ground.

Zero didn't even shoot a glance towards the knight and only gazed towards Formidable.

Then, she started to walk towards her.

"…!" Being unable to use her ability again in such short time, Formidable sent more drones towards Zero, but it was futile; as soon as they approached the Siren, they inexplicably stopped working and fell on the ground, their lights turned off as if their power had been instantly cut from them.

"Unauthorized experiment, number four-seven-eight-eight-five-four." Zero calmly walked beneath the drones in her path. "The wisdom cube in your unit has been compromised; cease of operation is imminent. Resistance is futile."

"My name is Formidable! I am not an experiment; I am a member of the Royal Navy!"As wounded and weak as she was, she tried to face the Siren. "And I will not fall without a fight!" The golden clock appeared behind her back as she tried to stop Zero one more time.

But she was too slow; Zero grabbed her by the neck with her pale hand and raised her above the ground. The golden clock vanished as Formidable tried to get Zero's hand from her neck, but she was too strong.

She was starting to suffocate when the Siren's grip weakened.

"I inquire," Zero spoke in a monotonous tone. "Do you hear the voice of The Creator?"

The ship girl didn't understand; why hadn't she killed her yet? Wasn't that her mission to eliminate her? Why ask such a question now? She didn't know who this "creator" was, but it wasn't necessary, she already had her answer.

"I only serve Queen Elizabeth the First." She fought to get those words out of her mouth while looking at Zero with conviction.

Zero's expression didn't change.

"Then die."

"Have you given up yet?"

A voice made me open my eyes, and I saw nothing but darkness.

I could not move, but I felt as if I was falling, slowly, in an infinite descent. It was as if I was sinking deep into the ocean, where no lights or sounds could reach me.

But "he" was there, the owner of the voice.

"Are you an illusion?" I tried to ask, but the sound of my voice was lost in the infinite sea of darkness.

"Fuhahaha!" He laughed; somehow, he seemed to have heard me. "Do you think I am?"

"No… I feel… as if I had heard your voice before."

"Fool, of course, my voice has reached you multiple times; you just weren't able to hear it until now." He chuckled. "Although our contract is over, it seems we are still connected by the thread of destiny, Master."

Master?

"Are you Da-?"

"Don't say it. You know I am no longer that man." He quickly interrupted me. "More importantly, I ask you again: Have you given up yet?"

I waited a bit before answering.

"No, I haven't."

"Then what are you doing lazing around here? Taking a break? Enjoying the view?" He asked sarcastically. "Didn't you promise those girls you were going to destroy that cube? Was that promise a lie?"

"No, I… I… failed." I recognized. "In the end, I couldn't win against the Sirens."

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Failed? You? HAHAHAHAHAHA!" He cackled as if I had just told a bad joke. "You, Fujimaru Ritsuka, the one who saved the world, losing to a machine, a being without a soul? HAHAHAHA! Hilarious! What an amusing jest!" He stopped abruptly. "Tell me then, if you truly had lost, then are you ready to give on hope? Are you prepared to abandon those girls and descend to hell with me?

"I…"

"Are you ready to give up on your life after she sacrificed hers for yours!?"

"No!" I shouted. "I won't give up; I can't give up!"

"Then break this illusion and return to reality. Save those maids if you want; destroy that cube if you so desire it! All that is possible for you, savior of humanity, you only need to remember."

"To remember?"

"Remember what saved your life. And remember what was given to you."

What saved my life?

What was given to me?

"Mashu saved my life, and the shield was given to me."

"Wrong, there is more than that. Remember, search in the innermost part of your mind; the answer lays there."

Search…? The answer…? What saved my life? What was given to me?

What saved my life? What was given to me?

What saved my life? What was given to me? What saved my life? What was given to me? What saved my life? What was given to me? What saved my life? What was given to me?

Saved. Life. Given. Me. Saved. Life. Given. Me. Life. Given. Life. Given. Life.

Give life.

Life.

"…!"

And then, I remembered.

A torrent of images began to assault my brain. I saw myself in the Time Temple again, holding Mashu's shield as I blocked Goetia's attacks.

Goetia, he was no longer a monster; his form had reverted to that of a human, and his magic was slowly disappearing as his body crumbled, the same way his demons pillars lost their will to fight, and his temple collapsed on its own.

But even after losing everything, he still wanted to fight. I could see it in his eyes; he wanted to face me one last time before he and his temple were destroyed. Even if his plans were ruined, even if he would not gain anything by fighting me, he still stood on my path.

And I felt the same. After a year of living in constant fear of his shadow, after fighting so hard to stop his plans, and after watching the person I loved die by his hands, in that precise moment, I understood Goetia completely.

I wanted nothing more than to kill the bastard in front of me.

So I ran towards him as he released wave after wave of magical energy, every single ray of light was capable of killing me in a single hit, but they were nothing against Lord Camelot. I blocked every attack and advanced; each step brought me closer to my objective until we were almost face to face.

"GOETIAAAA!" I raised my fist, and he did the same, but only mine hit its objective.

I, a member of the human order, punched a former Beast straight in the face. I would have died just by being near him in the past, but at that moment, a single reinforced punch was enough to throw him on the ground.

I had won.

"It's my win, Fujimaru Ritsuka." He spoke to me, still lying motionless on the ground. "As hollow and nonsensical as it might be."

Those words made no sense to me, until I took a look at my body.

I had a hole on the right side of my stomach; an entire part of my waist was missing, leaving only a grotesque mix of bloody entrails.

I quickly tried in vain to stop the blood loss, but the vital liquid kept escaping my body like a river current. I felt a freezing cold running down my body, but I did not feel any pain; my brain must have turned off the nerves of my body to prevent the shock.

My vision started to blur, so I had to support myself with Lord Camelot to avoid falling. Breathing had become incredibly difficult, and my strength was gradually disappearing.

Eventually, my knees gave out, and I fell to the floor, but I still kept clinging to Lord Camelot.

"I didn't let it go, not even when my conscious faded away." I recalled.

"And at that moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka succumbed to his wounds and died alongside the fake king of magic and his temple." The voice said. "That's where the story should have ended, but that wasn't the case, was it?"

"No, dying in the time temple is different than dying outside of it. I remember being inside a void, much like this one, when a figure appeared before me."

And just as I had spoken those words, the same figure appeared again. It was too dark, so I couldn't distinguish its features, but I could never mistake his form.

"Fou."

"Do you finally recognize me?" It asked, in a voice far too humanlike for a small animal.

"Yes, I am sorry about before."

"He did the same to me; Master had become too fearful of mind tricks, fuhuhahaha." The voice found that funny, for some reason.

"It matters not. What matters are your memories, Master of Chaldea. Do you remember why I brought you back?

"Yes… because of her."

"Indeed. When given a chance, Mashu Kyrielight decided to relinquish my offer and opted to give that chance to you instead." Fou said, in a tone of mixed sadness and disappointment."To be so dedicated to a person, she must have loved you too much."

"I… I didn't deserve her."

"Yes, perhaps you didn't," Fou agreed but immediately added. "but that was her decision, and I respected it. So now, will you do the same? Will you keep on living the life she gave you? Or will you stay in this void forever?"

"I want to live." He didn't have to ask, I already had my answer. "I want to live the life Mashu gave me, for her and for me."

"So be it then." An azure and crimson flame lit behind Fou. "The only thing that separates you from your objective is this illusionary world." The flame quickly grew stronger and stronger, illuminating the dark void until I could see my body again. "You don't need my or this spirit of vengeance's help anymore; you only have to crush this world by your own hands."

"This is your mind, after all." The voice, who now looked like a man in a long grey cloak. "You could have escaped from the start; you only lacked the confidence to do so." He tipped his hat to let me see his red eyes. "You are not only carrying your own will, but your Servant's too. You are strong, Master. You can do this."

The bright light grew stronger until it blinded me completely.

When I opened my eyes, they had disappeared, and I found myself back in the room I was in before.

The monstrous Tiamat was still there, but she couldn't reach me; something was on her way. Lord Camelot stood still between us, creating a barrier that she could not break, no matter how many times she hit it.

I walked towards it and put my right hand on its handler.

"You never truly left me, right?" I took Lord Camelot, and I could feel it. I was unsure how, but I felt connected to it, as it was part of my body.

Yes, from the moment I came back, I was always connected to it, to this shield Mashu Kyrielight used to protect me.

It was time for me to use it too.

I raised the shield in the air, and the barrier hit Tiamat, who released a loud cried and disappeared in a cloud of dust.

The world around us also changed; the interiors of the fake Chaldea had melted completely, leaving a dark sky above me. The black liquid took the form of the demons that looked at me with their thousand of eyes, and a white throne ascended from the ground.

And there it was, Goetia.

"Don't you see it? This path you are following will only lead to suffering. Even if you manage to survive, those around you will eventually die." The fake Goetia spoke as if he felt sorry for me. "I offered you a world of true peace, the thing you desperately longed for. So why? Why do you keep rejecting me?"

"Because that's not living, accepting that would be no different than staying in that void for the rest of my life," I smiled. "and I also made a promise, and I am determined to fulfill it."

"Then you will die!" Goetia's formless face was then filled with rage. "You will die just like her!" He raised his blood-red claw to the sky, and the ring of light that filled the sky began to shine red and purple. "Deploying Third Noble Phantasm. The time of birth hath come; I am the remedy of eternity!"

In the end, it was all the same; he was still trying to use my fears against us. But I would not waver this time, because I knew I was not alone.

I placed Lord Camelot in front of me and held my ground.

"Fool! She could not survive it! So what makes you think you'll be different!?"

"It's true, against the real Goetia, I would have lost." I stared at him directly. "But against you, I have nothing to fear!"

"That reckless bravely will be your doom!" The black and red energy accumulated until it was ready to burst. "Now, burn just like Mashu Kyrielight did before! ARS ALMADEL SALOMONIS."

The monstrosity moved his arm, and the light descended upon me, but I stood still, with the shield in front of me, just like her at that time.

When the ray of red and black light collided against the shield, I felt a tremendous force pushing me back, trying to overcome me; the heat of the ray was enough to burn the skin of my hands and incinerate me completely.

But I did not move. I planted my foot firmly on the ground and resisted, because this was nothing compared to what she felt. Mere mind tricks would not move me anymore!

That's when I felt it: someone was behind me, but it was neither the Count nor Fou. Instead, they had a calm presence; they were someone that could brighten an entire room just by being there, someone whose mere existence gave me the strength I needed to continue fighting.

"I said 'sorry' before, but perhaps that wasn't the right thing to say."

She placed her hands on top of mine, and I no longer felt the force or the heat of Goetia's Noble Phantasm. I only felt the warmth of her touch against my hand.

"What I really should have said was thank you, Mashu. Thank you for everything."

She embraced me from behind, and at that moment, something changed inside me. I could feel an enormous amount of magical energy passing through my circuits and going toward Lord Camelot. A series of images, of memories, was shown to me. I saw Artoria and the knights sitting around the round table, I saw Galahad wielding the shield in battle, I saw Mashu calling its true name for the first time, and finally, I saw myself.

I knew what I had to do.

"I am Fujimaru Ritsuka." I tightened my grip on the shield even more. "I died once, but I came back, carrying the will of the person I love!" Magical energy began escaping from my body like tongues of fire. "That's why my determination will never waver!" And the shield started to glow with a powerful blue light. "Just like this shield will never break! Manifest yourself, Lord Camelot!"

The world trembled as the white walls of castle Camelot began to manifest around me; I could feel their strength, their sturdiness. Nothing would ever pass them, nothing would ever move me, much less that pathetic imitation of Goetia.

"Aaaahhhh!" The barrier of the shield grew larger and larger, to the point the ray that was supposed to incinerate humanity became a small light beside it. It expanded like a dome, destroying the fake world and leaving only a white space devoid of anything.

"Impossible to continue accessing the subject's brain waves." The fake Goetia spoke in an uncharacteristic voice, a monotonous and unemotional tone. "Objective failed." Those were his last words before he too was turned into dust by the barrier.

The world of lies created with my memories, fears, and dreams was destroyed, turned into dust. Everything that was left was me standing in the nothingness, with Lord Camelot by my side.

"Are you satisfied, Purifier?" Observer Alpha wiped off a drop of blood that fell down the side of her mouth.

"Hahahahaha." The insane Siren laid in a pool of her own blood, with a smile on her face; her laugh was not as loud as it used to be. "You know I will never be satisfied, Alpha. Even if you kill me now, I will eventually come back. The one and only Purifier can't be stopped with something as mundane as death! Hahahaha!"

"My dearest Purifier." Alpha walked towards the fallen body of her co-worker, and kneeled beside her. "You keep trying to kill me, even though you know it's futile. How many times does this make it? One hundred thousand? Two hundred thousand?"

"One hundred seventy thousand, eight hundred and five exactly." Purifier raised her head a bit and whispered. "And I would do it again."

"I see." Alpha's hand gently caressed Purifier's bloody hair. "I look forward to it, then." She raised her hand. "Until the in the next simulation." She moved her hand to pierce her chest when a sudden pain assaulted her core and made her stop.

Alpha brought her hand to her own chest; she wasn't familiar with this type of sudden pain. Was there something wrong with her cube?

"You felt it too, don't you?" Purifier asked, her smile remaining unchanged despite the pain.

"Something must have happened inside the Siren network." Observer was about to create one of her holographic screens when she felt a presence behind her.

"Ah, I see." Observer Alpha stood up. "So you have finally woken up, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

She turned around to find the man just as how she remembered; despite the fusion with the black cube, he still looked pretty much like a human.

"Curious, your physical appearance doesn't seem to have changed." She eyed him from head to toe. "I don't feel your presence in the Siren network either, so I wonder, just what happened in your dreams? Did you see what you desire the most?"

"What I saw is of no importance right now." He quickly disregarded it, but it was apparent to Alpha that it must have been something important. "What matters is that I am finally here, ready to fulfill my promise to you."

"Hmm? What could you mean by that?" Observer tided her head, a bit confused.

"I mean this." Ritsuka extended his hand, and the black cube appeared on it.

For a second, Observer was almost surprised.

Almost.

"Fascinating, so you are able to control the cube that much already." She narrowed her eyes. "Tell me, have you seen the truth, Fujimaru Ritsuka? Can you hear his voice whispering inside your mind?"

He shook his head.

"You are mistaken. I am still human." He put the cube between his hands. "However, I have heard your proposal of joining the Sirens, so I have to properly answer you."

"Hmm?"

"This is my answer." Ritsuka closed his eyes and intoned a mantra that Observer had not heard before; glowing green lines soon appeared in both his arms and legs. Then, while staring directly at the Siren, he began to press the cube with both hands.

"Wait, what are you-?"

Before Observer could do anything, the black cube was crushed between Fujimaru's palms; its black fragments fell on the floor one by one, and Purifier would forever remember Observer's face, even across timelines.

"I told you I was going to destroy it."

Observer didn't say anything for a while; she just looked at the glass fragments of the black cube scattered on the floor. She then lowered her head, her long white hair obscured her face.

For a moment, I thought that I had finally managed to get the upper hand against the Sirens.

"Ha…ha…hahahaha!" That thought, however, was quickly disproved as I heard her laugh. "HAHAHAHAHA!" It was the laugh of a maniac, no different from Purifier's. "Marvelous! Fantastic! You are the first human to ever break a black cube with his bare hands! To be the first after so many trillions and trillions of humans to do it…!" She devoured me with her golden eyes. "I wonder what other thing you can show me." She rolled her tongue against her lips.

I stepped back. Her excitement was frankly unnerving. Also, perhaps it was just my imagination, but I could almost feel lust mixed in that gaze.

"However." Her gaze turned to one of superiority as if me breaking the cube was in her plans all along. "You didn't think it would be that easy to destroy one of the centerpieces of our technology, right? Fu-ji-ma-ru?"

"What!?" I quickly looked at the broken cube beside my feet.

The broken pieces had started to slightly move, gathering in one place as if they were magnetized. Soon the pieces began to form the cube back until the artifact was as good as new.

"…!" I moved to hit it again, but it quickly floated towards the hands of Observer.

"It was a good try, regardless." She started to approach me again. "If nothing else, you showed us that you are a far more precious resource that we had imagined." She pointed her hand to me, the cube floating on top of it. "What do you say if we try it aga-"

Observer couldn't finish her question as a black foot hit her from the back and sent her flying a few meters to the right.

"Alpha, I like you, but you talk too much!" Purifier descended in front of me, looking proudly after delivering such a high kick towards her fellow Siren. When her gaze finally turned towards me, a cheerful expression appeared on her face. "Fujimaru! I missed you!" She leaped towards me in what seemed to be an attempt to hug me.

"Stay away!" I stepped back and adopted a battle stance. "Purifier!"

"Come on!" She puffed up her cheeks as if she were a small kid. "Is that how you greet an old friend after being apart for so long?"

"I am not your-" I began but immediately realized it wasn't worth trying to talk with her. I needed a way to protect myself against these Sirens, so my gaze naturally searched for Lord Camelot.

And there it was, nailed in the wall after my fight with the Admiral, just where I had left it.

The moment I laid my eyes on it, a strange feeling invaded me. It was as if I could reach it just by extending my hand despite being meters away. Could it be…?

"Oh right, you forgot this." My thoughts were interrupted as Purifier threw something at me, which I caught it in a reflex.

"Why are you giving this to me?" The black cube was again in my possession.

"Well, you wanted to try breaking it, right? So are you just going to give up after one try? Pfff, that's not the Fujimaru I know." She said that totally convinced, even though we hardly knew each other. "If someone can destroy a black cube, then that's you, my friend!"

"Oh, but I can't let you do that." The voice of Observer came from afar, followed by a barrage of violet lasers directed towards me.

Purifier moved in front of me to block the attacks, and I jumped back. But as I did, I could see an enormous cloud of black smoke gathering inside the room. It moved like it had a mind on its own and passed by Purifier to move directly towards it.

In an instant the black cloud was almost on me, it compressed itself as it approached, forming a white hand stretching towards me. Soon, the rest of the body followed and Observer was formed, staring as if she was just a step away from victory.

"Got you!"

Time appeared to slow down as her hand got closer and closer to me. I knew I had to move, to get away from her grasp, to run like I always did.

But I did not move, because I felt it. I felt as if the shield was just next to me, waiting for me to hold it to stop the Siren's charge.

"I did not feel it before, but you were always next to me, right?"

I focused my magical energy on my free hand; I knew where it was, but I needed it on my hand at that moment. If what happened in my dreams was real, if that connection I felt was actually real, then it would come in my help.

"Come to me, Lord Camelot!"

The circuits in my arm burned, as if hundreds of needles were driven directly in my veins. However, the pain was nothing compared to the warm handle of the shield, as it materialized in a burst of blue light in my hand.

Without losing a second, I moved my hand, and the shield struck Observer's figure as hard as I could. The Siren was taken off guard; her grab was deflected, and she was thrown to the side.

She landed on her feet and then touched the side of her face I had hit.

"Are you truly human?" She asked, her expression dead serious.

"…I am."

She didn't answer, but the maniac smile that was drawn on her face was enough response. She seemed to want to charge at me again, but Purifier got in her way.

"He is mine." She raised her hand as if to separate us. "Only I get to play with him!" She looked back at me. "Now, why don't you start working on that cube, hmm? I want to see it go 'KABOOM!' before I kill her!"

"Purifier…"

Why was she helping? Was there even a reason, or was she doing it just for "fun"? I couldn't know, but I had learned not to question Purifier's actions anymore.

"This doesn't change anything between us."

"So you say, but I assure you, you'll be glad to have me as your friend." And with those words, she turned back to Observer."Now, what do you say Alpha, are you ready for the final round!?" The Siren asked, excited, opening her arms to summon a horde of drones.

"Fufufu, you truly don't give up, Purifier. I really should have killed you long ago!" Observer raised her hand, and the mechanical octopus appeared by her side.

But I couldn't afford to get distracted by their battle; for better or worse, Purifier was actually buying me time, and I wasn't going to waste it.

I nailed Lord Camelot to the floor and kneeled down behind it to protect myself from the crossfire. Then I carefully looked at the black cube. There was no apparent change in its form or cracks on it; it was as if it was never destroyed.

I applied some force until I made a minor fracture on its surface; however, the crack disappeared after a couple of seconds.

"So I can't brute force it." Even if I had the strength to crush it again, it would just repair itself. Either every piece must be reduced to dust at the same time or the mechanics behind its self-sustain should be stopped.

I had no way of doing either of that.

Or did I?

I put the cube on the floor and placed my hand on it.

Emiya said that adding your magical energy to a complete object was like poisoning it; the foundation of reinforcement was understanding the internal structure of the object and channeling the magical energy into the small available open spaces in them.

I laughed.

"Fortunately, I don't have the slightest idea how this thing works." I closed my eyes and began to visualize the object in front of me. I saw the vague shape of a cube, but I could not distinguish its insides; its image blurred out whenever I tried to take a careful look. Regardless, I began to pour my magical energy carelessly into it.

Sorry, Emiya, but I was going to do the exact opposite of what you taught me.

When I opened my eyes, I saw no immediate change until the black light inside the cube attained a greenish tint. Then, the cube started to move by itself, vibrating in its place very slowly at first, but increasing its frequency with each passing second, to the point I had to withdraw my hand.

What started as a small vibration became a violent shake as if the cube was fighting to get rid of my magical energy inside it.

"What you did to me is what I'm doing to you. So enjoy it, you piece of junk."

The cube did not respond but was shot in the air and remained there, floating. Then it began to shine with a black light, only for another cube to take form from within it. The two cubes were identical, but they shook in different directions while also occupying the same general space at the same time, it was as if they were trying to move away from each other, but were stuck.

Then another cube appeared in the same space, then another and another, the group of cubes moved more violently with each addition.

However, the strange spectacle got cut short as a black and yellow shark came out of nowhere, swallowed the cube whole and promptly left behind as quickly as it came, leaving a hole in the ceiling.

"Purifier!" I looked at the Siren, only to find both her and Observer with a knee on the ground as if they were in pain.

"I told you that you would be glad." Purifier said with a grin.

I did not understand her words until a powerful sound reached my ears.

Purifier's shark swam through the air, breaking through each military base level as if everything in its path was made of paper. It continued moving upwards after leaving the base and ascended in the air as fast as it could.

It had barely reached the stratosphere when the cube finally imploded on itself, sucking everything around it, including the shark, and forming a small ball of yellowish energy, which stayed in the air for a few seconds until it expanded and exploded, creating a massive expansive wave and illuminating the night sky, to the point it could have been easily mistaken as daytime for a second.

The black cube had finally been destroyed.

END OF CHAPTER 19

AN: Longest chapters up to date, also probably the most difficult to write as it took me three months. Hope it was worth the wait and you guys enjoyed it.

Next chapter is the end of the arc, for sure. It would have been in this chapter if I wasn't pressured by exams, really.

As always, thanks to Fleece Johnson for the PR, and Lower Black for the Quality Check and making sure everything looks neat.

Discord where we talk about dumb things: discord. gg / kvRCbruzaT (erase the spaces, obviously)

I am feeling like a youtuber announcing everything at the end of the video, so I stop here. See you in the next chapter.

Chapter Text

For a second, she almost forgot how to breathe.

The dark sky was pushed back by the light of the explosion, and for a couple of minutes, it was like a miniature sun had descended upon the world.

She had never seen something so beautiful, yet so terrifying at the same time.

That explosion was caused by an artifact of the Sirens; just how much destruction would it have caused if it was detonated not in the sky but in a city full of civilians? How many lives would have been lost in a single instant?

How could they ever match something like that?

"Her Grace needs to know about this." her companion said. Her red eyes were also glued to the giant ball of light, and while she appeared calm, tiny drops of sweat fell down her temple.

"Y-yes." She stammered, pushing those intrusive thoughts away from her mind. "We must quickly return to-"

"Not yet. We must ascertain the situation first." The horned shipgirl interrupted her. "The Sirens wouldn't willingly destroy one of their cubes just to show their might, something, or rather someone must have forced them to do it."

"Those shipgirls wearing black and white! They must be crazy powerful to push the Sirens this far."

The horned shipgirl didn't answer; she wasn't entirely convinced about that.

They had followed them for a short while before they entered that building, and even if they looked strong, she was sure they wouldn't be a match for someone like Zuikaku or Shoukaku.

However, something about their group was indeed strange. She wasn't completely sure; but she could almost swear that a human male was among their ranks, a human that could follow them despite the fact they were jumping over buildings.

"Kuroshio?"

"I suspect there is a lot we don't know yet." She moved her black and red long scarf to cover both her mouth and nose. "That's why we must find out everything about this 'Royal Navy' as soon as possible and determine if they are a potential ally… or an enemy."

The masked shipgirl understood immediately what her companion was suggesting.

"D-do you want us to infiltrate that b-building? But what if they discover us?"

"We are Shinobi, Akatsuki, not fighters. As long as we stay in the shadows, our enemies will not be able to catch us." A short blade appeared in her hand. "But if we do have to fight, then be sure that Her Grace will guide our blades, as always."

Formidable fell on the floor and finally managed to bring air to her lungs.

"Ah… ah…. ah." She brought her hands to her neck instinctively. She could still feel Zero's fingers sinking on her flesh; if she hadn't released her grip, then she would have surely suffocated to death.

But why? Why had the Siren let her live?

Formidable raised her gaze only to find Zero's figure frozen in the place, still retaining the posture she had when she was gripping her neck. She stood up and prepared to continue fighting, but Zero still didn't move, it was like her body had stopped functioning altogether.

But then Zero's body began to flicker, like dead pixels in a broken image, parts of her body became white static and started to flicker, disappearing and returning quickly and erratically, all of this accompanied by strange electrical sounds that reverberated through the room.

Despite being in that unnatural state, Zero managed to lower her arm and move her head to look at her, yet every single one of those moves was unnatural, as she came to abrupt stops in her movements in an erratic rhythm, almost like she was under spasms.

Once her eyes finally were on her, she talked in a strange voice. "The cube." The words that came out of her mouth were distorted, as if several different types of voices spoke at once, yet she spoke with a far more robotic tone than ever before.

And so she turned back, apparently having lost interest in her, and started walking away until her figure disappeared completely, leaving a confused Formidable behind. But she couldn't afford to worry about Zero; something far more important occupied her mind.

She rushed, arm missing, beaten and exhausted but undeterred to where her Royal Navy comrades lied drenched in their own blood. They were still alive, but their wounds were severe, and they needed to be treated as soon as possible.

Formidable cursed at herself; no matter how powerful she was, she couldn't do anything to help her friends; her power only served to kill, to make her enemies defenseless against the barrage of her planes; she had no way to heal them.

"Ahhh!" She hit the floor with force, feeling worthless.

She had done this to them, it was her fault and she couldn't do anything but to watch them bleed out to death.

"Bleed…?" No, that was wrong, she could do something. She had never tried it before, but she damn well was going to try. "Don't move…an inch." She weakly raised her hand and activated her power.

Even if it was only a little, stopping their bodies should delay their bleeding a little, but that wasn't a solution. She had to find a way to heal them for them to survive.

That was when she heard steps coming from behind her back. She turned around to find a dozen of human soldiers, led by a red-haired woman in a black uniform marching towards her.

"What's the meaning of this?" She asked, her fierce gaze directed only at her.

I fell on my rear, completely exhausted.

It was finally over; I had destroyed the cube and hopefully stopped that Siren. I could only hope it wasn't too late for Elizabeth, Warspite, and the maids.

While I released a couple of deep sighs, my eyes naturally found the hole Purifier's shark had made in the ceiling. Although I hadn't been able to see the explosion of the cube, I did hear the blast, so I could bet it had been one of considerable proportions.

My gaze then moved towards Purifier, who looked somewhat pained, but kept her unmistakable smirk on her face. I didn't want to think too hard about it, but she might have saved my life just now.

"We are even." She said as if reading my mind, with satisfaction written all over her face.

I could only stare at her. Maybe she did save me, but that didn't mean we were allies. "Why didn't you say it would explode?"

"You were so excited about destroying it; I didn't want to burst your bubble, you know?" She laughed.

I definitely couldn't trust her.

"You two seem to get along so well." Before I could react, Observer was already beside us. "It almost makes me jealous."

I quickly stood up and put the shield in front of me. However, Observer looked significantly weakened; her figure was slightly hunched over, and she clutched her chest tightly. She didn't seem to be in any state to continue fighting.

"Don't worry; even I know when to concede." Even her breathing was irregular, showing a clear hint of exhaustion. "You defeated me, Fujimaru Ritsuka. The victory is yours."

"After everything you have done, you are just going to surrender?" I asked with distrust.

"Surrender? No, I am afraid that's not an option for us." She smiled. "Isn't it, Purifier?"

Purifier chuckled.

"The Sirens don't surrender nor do they ask for mercy when defeated." Purifier slowly got on her feet. "It's not a matter of pride or dignity, it's just that we were not created with that possibility available." She looked at me and grinned. "The only way to make us stop is killing us."

I stared at her. Was that a challenge for me? Was she asking if I was ready to end them by my own hands if it was necessary?

"And even if we die, nothing would really change." Observer interceded. "Purifier and I are just a couple of cogs inside a bigger machine, one that will continue moving even after our deaths. Neither you nor we can stop it, Fujimaru Ritsuka. It will continue moving until humanity evolves."

"You keep talking about evolution… but what do you mean by that? What is the Sirens' objective?"

Observer chuckled.

"I have told you already, no? We want nothing more than to save this world."

"That's bullshit. Which part of saving the world involves attacking this country? What part of it demands me to kill a man!?"

"Causality is a difficult concept for humans, but I assure you, everything so far had happened for a reason. You just aren't able to see the bigger picture yet, Fujimaru Ritsuka." Observer moved her hand, and a series of holographic screens appeared beside her. "After all, who do you think gave humanity the ability to defend themselves against us?"

"What?"

The first screen showed a series of pictures of what appeared to be huge craters. Different kinds of people, of widely different eras, some prehistoric, others ancient or medieval, and even modern; everyone gathered around those craters no matter the time or ethnicity. And all of them appeared to be fascinated with the strange glowing particles found in them.

"Who do you think pushed them to start working again on a project that had been abandoned after the discovery of nuclear fission and the Second World War?"

The second screen showed people working on labs in what appeared to be more recent times. People in white coats tested that glowing material, exposing them to all kinds of stimuli. With each passing picture, however, pretty much all of those particles started to increase in size and began to take cube-like shapes.

"And who do you think gave them an 'incentive' to at last finish the project and create the ultimate weapon?"

The last screen showed pitch-black warships with red symbols on their hulls firing their cannons against cargo ships and commercial planes; destroying fishing boats just by crashing against them and killing the survivors that managed to jump to the sea.

"It was us, it was always us!" Observer cheered. Despite the differences, the common factor in all those pictures was that there was always a person with yellow eyes among the people in them, never in the spotlight but in the background, like unfocused shades in a blurry picture. "We were always there, working to ensure that humanity stayed in the right path, the path of evolution."

If I were to believe those images, then that meant that the human order of this world has been carefully led to this conflict for a long time.

"But why? What do you desperately want this 'evolution'? What does evolution even mean to you all!?"

"Isn't that obvious? It's-"

Observer's speech got cut as she suddenly fell on her knees. Her smug exterior disappeared in an instant as an invisible force pushed her to the ground, as if gravity had increased tenfold only for her.

"Hahahahahahaha! She has come at last! Took you long enough! Zeeeerooooo!" Purifier exclaimed before she too was forced onto the floor.

I tightened my grip on Lord Camelot and began to scan my surroundings, searching for this unknown presence.

"You are far from your origin." A cold voice reached my ears. "Otherworldly human."

"…!" I turned around to find her, an almost wholly white figure standing in the corner of the room. She wore what appeared to be a big white cloak decorated by blue flowers; her body was hidden inside it almost entirely except for her face.

"You are… no, you must be a Siren."

The short hair covering one of her eyes immediately reminded me of Mashu, but the aura that surrounded her was completely different. I didn't know how to explain it, but it was as if there was no life in her, it was like watching a machine pretending to be human, and failing.

"Denomination: Observer." She shot a glance towards Alpha, and the Siren finally fell completely on the floor with a loud thump like a puppet whose strings were cut. "Zero." She added as she looked back at me, with a somewhat disgusted tone.

"Are you here to kill me?" I asked while preparing to step back.

She shook her head.

"The cube was destroyed; I no longer have anything to do here besides punishing the foolishness of my subordinates." She narrowed her eyes. "However, your actions have not gone unnoticed, otherworldly human." She slowly made her way towards me. "Your role has finally been decided."

"My role? I am not interested in playing any part in this plan of yours."

"Run, hide, struggle, it will not matter because he has noticed your presence in this timeline." She got closer and closer until we were centimeters apart. Her dark blue eye gazed at me directly, as if she was looking straight into my soul. "You are bound to this world now; you cannot escape the purpose assigned to you."

"I'll be the one to decide my purpose!" Her words made a chill run down my spine, but I stood my ground. "Goetia thought he could control humanity's destiny just because he was able to see the future, but he was wrong, and so is your kind, Siren."

"So you say to yourself, but everything will fall on their rightful place in the end. Every one of us will fulfill its role. You will understand that with time." She finally put some distance between us. "Now, I will tend to my subordinates, and you too shall do the same with the ones who have come to rely on you."

Did she mean…?

"What have you done to them!?"

"Nothing, they are alive." She directed me one last look. "But if you don't do anything now, that might no longer be true."

"…!"

Damn it! I was so focused on getting answers that I completely disregarded the Royal Navy. Who knew what could have happened to them while I was here wasting my time!? I forgot about the Sirens, turned around, and sprinted towards the main room of the military base.

Hopefully, it won't be too late.

Please, don't let it be too late.

"I told you he was special."

Zero gazed at Purifier; the mad Siren would have been dead by now if looks could kill.

"Don't look at me like that, Zero. You know what I mean." Despite being practically crushed on the ground, Purifier still managed to have a winning smile on her face. "He is the one; I knew it from the moment he destroyed my arm. He will be the one to command Azur Lane, and he will do it like no one has ever done before!"

"Perhaps." She narrowed her eyes. "But your recklessness resulted in the loss of a black wisdom cube, something that will delay the next phase of The Creator's plan for a considerable amount of time." Zero closed her eyes; her weariness could be felt in her words. "I do sometimes wonder why he decided to give you emotions."

"Are you questioning his will, dear Zero?" Observer managed to ask. "If the Arbiters hear that, then even your own position could be at risk."

"I am not; everything happens and will happen for a reason; even you two disobeying the protocol was something he must have surely foreseen."

"Right? I was actually serving him all along!" Purifier exclaimed happily. "Now, can you let me go, please? I want to go talk with Ritsuka, we haven't seen each other in quite a while so-"

"However." Zero's cloak moved to reveal a pale and cadaveric arm. "You still betrayed your kind, and helped to destroy the cube." She moved her arm upwards, and Purifier's body started to float in the air until she was face to face with Zero. "Your actions will not go unpunished, Purifier."

"Wait! I am sure we can talk about this-"

Purifier couldn't finish, because Zero sank her hand deep into her chest, just in the place where her heart was.

And she took it.

Black blood poured from Purifier's mouth as her still-beating heart was forcefully removed from its cavity, leaving a gaping hole and broken bones in its departure from her chest. She tried in vain to grab Zero's hand before stopping moving altogether; her body continued floating in the air even though there was no life left in her, it had disappeared alongside the light of her normally bright eyes.

The smile on her face had finally vanished.

"Sleep." Zero opened her bloody hand, and the vital organ quickly changed shape into a black cube, similar to the one destroyed by Ritsuka. "You are not needed." Then she closed her hand, and the cube disappeared.

"Did you know? Aversion is also an emotion." Observer commented, with irony.

"Alpha." Zero looked at Observer. "You are still useful; otherwise you would share her destiny."

"But of course, someone has to overview the simulation while you are still holed up eighteen hundred meters into the ocean, right? I wouldn't trade that place with anyone."

"Return, then." Zero moved her hand again, and Alpha could no longer feel that immense force weighing on her shoulders. "And prepare for what's to come."

With those words, Zero disappeared, as if she had never been there to begin with.

"Your wishes are my command." Alpha answered to no one, and her body began to be consumed by a black smoke cloud that covered both her and the lifeless body of Purifier until they too disappeared.

When I finally arrived, I was welcomed by a complex situation.

On one side was the woman the Royal Navy fought, 'Formidable' was her name if I recalled correctly. She was standing among my fallen comrades, her hand raised in front of her and a spectral black and grey clock with roman numerals behind her back.

She looked different from how I remembered, though. Her skin had lost that paper-white tone it once had; turning into a more natural pale, her grey hair has adopted a more ashen-like color and, more importantly, the golden eyes that once glowed with disinterest now had a certain crimson color, accompanied by a startled gaze.

She was no longer a Siren, at least in appearance.

On the other side, there were about a dozen of human soldiers wearing military garments and pointing their guns towards her, no doubt they had come to investigate the situation with the Admiral. Among them was another woman I recognized: Marcia Haydes, the former commander of the shipgirls.

A fight seemed about to start between them when I came into the scene, and for a moment every single gaze in the room fell on me as if I was an intruder.

"Ritsuka Fujimaru?" Marcia was the first one to talk, apparently perplexed by my presence.

"Commander…?" Formidable asked; exhaustion could be heard in her voice. "You are the Commander, right?"

"Commander!?" Marcia turned her gaze to the shipgirl, understandably confused.

This was a complicated situation, one that could easily turn into a blood bath if I said the wrong thing.

I wasn't exactly on the best terms with Marcia and the military, and after what I had done to their superior, I doubted they would receive me with open arms. On the other hand, I didn't know anything about Formidable or why she had apparently returned to normal; could it be because I had destroyed the cube?

Regardless, one thing was clear: if I wanted to save the shipgirls, then I had to defuse this situation.

"Drop your weapons! The Sirens were defeated already!" I shouted towards Marcia and the soldiers, trying my best to evoke authority. "There is no need to continue fighting."

My sudden declaration seemed to have taken them off guard, so I took the opportunity to slowly walk towards Formidable, preparing to raise Lord Camelot at the first sight of aggression.

"H-hey, don't take another-" One of the soldiers tried to warm me, but Marcia stopped him, she wanted to see where this was going.

"Commander, I… I…" I didn't see animosity in Formidable's eyes. Instead, I saw sadness and guilt in them. "I could not…" She tried to say, but her words died in her mouth as the grey clock behind her suddenly shattered into thousands of pieces and she began to fall.

I moved quickly, thanks to the reinforcement in my legs, and managed to catch her.

"Are you okay?" I asked when I noticed something as I held her in my arms: apart from the multiple wounds on her body, she was completely missing an arm.

Just what had happened here?

"Commander, I… tried to stop their bleeding… with my power." She said, panting. "But I could only… delay it. If we don't close their wounds soon they would…." She stopped and grabbed the collar of my shirt. "You have to help them…." She desperately pled to me. "Help them, please."

I couldn't believe that the 'Siren' that had almost killed the entire Royal Navy was now in my arms, making such a devastated expression. I didn't know anything about her or her relationship with the Royal Navy, but it was clear that she cared deeply about them.

She was probably used as a tool by the Sirens, just like the Admiral. In the end, they were both victims of their machinations.

I looked down towards the fallen shipgirls. Belfast, Sheffield, Dido, Sirius, Edinburgh, Warspite, Elizabeth, all of them had severe wounds all over their bodies; some were especially severe, particularly Dido and Sirius, who seemed to have received the most damage.

My first instinct was to use healing magecraft on them, but that posed a problem: Would I have enough magical energy to cure all of them? The answer was most likely no. To begin with, my magical reserves weren't even that big, and I had been using reinforcement even since I left the subterranean base, there was no way I was at my full capacity.

I could try distributing my magical energy equally between them, but that wouldn't be enough to heal any of them completely, at most it would buy them some time, but it was not a definite solution.

In other words, I couldn't save all of them.

At least not by myself.

"There is something I can do, but I can't do it alone." I took Formidable's hand. "I know we hardly know each other, but I need your help, Formidable. I need you to trust me."

"I...will do whatever it's necessary to save my precious friends, Commander." She didn't doubt even for a second, her resolution was clear. "I swear in the name of her Majesty the Queen."

"Then follow my lead, and I promise we will save them." I helped her get on her feet. "Can you stand by yourself?"

"Yes… I think I can."

Once I helped her stand, I turned toward Marcia and the soldiers.

"Marcia Haydes, as the Acting Commander of the Royal Navy, I have a proposition for you."

"Acting Commander…." Marcia repeated his words, trying to fully understand the implications behind them.

Fujimaru Ritsuka was an unstable person, someone that could stay quiet for hours only to explode in rage when you least expected it. However, he was also someone who knew more than he said or appeared to. So even if she wanted to believe that his ramblings were nothing more than a madman's talk, she couldn't, especially when that unknown prototype was clinging to him like that.

Just how could he have won her trust that quickly when it took months for her to even speak normally with Belfast?

"Will you hear me out?" His words brought her back to reality.

Marcia looked at the man in front of him, she definitely didn't trust him, but the situation didn't allow her much choice.

"Hold your fire until I say so." She whispered to her troop as she passed by them.

Fujimaru Ritsuka did the same with the prototype, and they met in the center of the room. Their eyes were locked in each other as if they were trying to decipher the other's intentions.

"Tell me what happened with Admiral William." She firmly stated, not wanting to get caught in his pace. She won't hear anything he had to say until she confirmed the Admiral's whereabouts.

"William…" Fujimaru looked away as if he was ashamed of something. "Admiral William is dead." He looked straight to her this time. "I killed him."

No one said anything for a while; a mortuary silence filled the room.

A single gaze from Marcia to her subordinates was enough to stop them from doing anything reckless. Even so, it took everything off her to remain composed; that man had just confessed having killed her superior straight to her face, and by doing so destroyed any kind of possible bridge between them.

Perhaps she was wrong after all; maybe he was nothing more than a madman.

"He was being controlled by the Sirens." He added. "I had no choice."

"I don't believe you." Marcia was having none of it. "You allied yourselves with prototype 02 and staged a coup, and now one of the most prominent military figures of the country is dead. Even a fool would see the connection right away."

"I joined Elizabeth, yes, but to stop her from the inside." He continued. "I came here with them to make sure the Admiral would survive..." He shook his head. "But I was too late; when we arrived, he had already become a puppet of the Sirens." Marcia could detect guilt in his words. "I know how it sounds, but you don't have to believe my word if you don't want." He pointed at one of the cameras in the wall. "You only have to look into the recordings, all the proof is surely there."

Marcia didn't say anything for a while until she turned to one of her subordinates.

"Go look at them." She said.

"Yes, ma'am!" The man left running.

"Let's say we find that footage and he was really being controlled." She shot an intimidating gaze towards him. "Then what? Do you expect me to say 'good job' and let you go? Do you expect the high command to look the other way as you pretend to be a commander with the prototypes? Because that's impossible, we can't let you run free with everything you had done, Fujimaru."

"I understand, but I won't run away anymore." His gaze didn't waver this time. "I have seen what the Sirens are capable of, and I can't possibly stay idle while humanity is in danger. That's why I want to collaborate with you."

"…Excuse me?"

"I know we had our differences in the past, but our enemy is the same: The Sirens." He shook his head. "If we continue fighting among ourselves, then they will surely win. We can't let that happen."

Marcia thought carefully about it.

"I don't trust you, no one bit. How can I know you won't betray us?"

"Because I need your help." He took a step to the side to show Marcia the fallen shipgirls, that seemed to be barely still alive. "You created them, right? So you must have a way to heal their wounds."

Marcia couldn't help but to direct her gaze towards the motionless figure of Belfast.

"Even if we…" Marcia sighed; it was the first time that Marcia felt she was losing control of the conversation. "Even if we have it, I don't have the authority to-"

"She went against Elizabeth's orders to save you."

"…!"

"She had to choose between her duties and you, her friend." Ritsuka turned towards Belfast. "I am sure you understand how difficult it was for her to go against her Queen, all of the maids have this deep and almost irrational loyalty towards Elizabeth." He turned to Marcia again. "But in the end, she chose you over her. So now it is your turn. Will you go against your orders to save her? Or will you let her die?"

Marcia clenched her fist with force, she wanted to save Belfast but…

"And wasn't that your original plan? You came here with only a few soldiers after all." The man saw right through her. "If you wanted to kill us, then you would have brought at least one shipgirl with you, but you didn't. You always wanted to resolve this peacefully."

"I can't let it happen again!" Marcia finally shouted. "A lot of people have died already because of the prototypes! If I help them and they decided to turn against us again then…!"

"I'll stop them." He interrupted her. "It wasn't in the best circumstances, but I accepted to be their Commander, so I intend to take responsibility for all of them, including Elizabeth." He put his hand on his chest, close to his heart. "I swear that as long as our truce stands, they won't harm a single human ever again."

"And what can you do!?" Marcia exploded. "What makes you think you can control them when everyone else failed!? What makes you so special!?"

"I'll show you." He stepped back and went to where the shipgirls were. "I'll show you what I can do."

As he passed by the unknown prototype, he directed some words to her.

"I'll leave the rest to you, make sure they have a safe arrival and are treated with respect."

"Commander…?"

"I trust you, Formidable."

Once he had said that, he nailed the enormous shield on his right hand into the ground, and kneeled beside the shipgirls.

"By the way." He looked not only at Marcia, but to her soldiers as well. "Telling anyone about this may cause you to be persecuted and killed, so let's keep it a secret, shall we?"

Then, he spoke in a language they didn't understand; a bright green light came to life, which enveloped both of his hands.

Before Marcia's eyes, he went one by one placing his hands on every shipgirl, and something unbelievable happened: the life-threatening injuries on their bodies began to disappear, or rather; they began to heal with an unnatural velocity; cut tissue started to regenerate, bruises were no longer there, even the blood that stained the floor seemed to come back to their bodies.

Marcia wasn't familiar with the method of "fixing" the prototypes, but she had heard that even light injuries could take weeks to heal. Even so, that man had healed such severe wounds in an instant and with no other tool apart from his hands.

"No way… just… who are you…? No, what are you?"

Ritsuka didn't answer until he had finished healing everyone, and the light of his hands disappeared.

"I am a mage." He said with a somewhat melancholic smile on his face, only to close his eyes immediately after and fall on the floor, motionless.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in an unfamiliar place.

I was lying on a white bed in a predominantly white room, aside from some wooden furniture like a couple of chairs to my sides and a wardrobe. A machine next to the bed made a couple of "blip" sounds every ten seconds or so, and it showed a series of changing numbers which I presumed were my vitals.

More importantly, however, was that I wasn't alone. That woman, Marcia Haydes, was beside the window, looking at the bright day sky with a lighted cigarette on her lips.

"You know, you can't smoke in a hospital."

She turned to look at me, her eyes showed a mixture of distrust and curiosity.

"True, but this is not a hospital, it's a research center." She said that but still put out her cigarette on the stool of the window. "This is the only place where our scientists can start healing the prototypes."

"I see, so you have accepted my proposition."

"It's not like you gave us another choice." She sighed and sat on a chair next to my bed. "She wouldn't take a 'no' for an answer."

"Formidable? Where is she?"

"With the rest of the prototypes, I tried to convince her that the process would take some time, but she was adamant on staying with them no matter what."

"And how are they?" I asked while I sat on the bed.

"Stable but not yet awakened, and we intend to keep it that way for a while."

"What do you mean by that...?"

"Calm down, we are going to awake them one by one." She must have seen my reaction because she immediately added. "If I can personally guarantee their loyalty, then we are going to continue waking them; that's as far as the high command is willing to compromise in this matter."

As much as I would have liked to say that it wasn't a good deal, the fact that just one shipgirl was capable of killing hundreds of human soldiers if she wanted to put them at a clear disadvantage.

"It's not ideal, but I understand your position." I conceded, somewhat reluctant. "As long as you end up waking all of them, I won't complain."

"As for you, Ritsuka Fujimaru…" Marcia sighed and brought a palm across her face. "You are a real pain, you know?"

"I have been told multiples times that I am a meddlesome person, yes."

"There is no way the high command will let run free after killing the Admiral." She ignored my comment and continued. "Even if you can prove that he was being controlled by the Sirens, your knowledge and your… 'abilities' are far too dangerous. You would be thrown in a cell at best and experimented with at worst." She said, but I suspected there was a catch from the tone of her voice.

"If that's the case, then why aren't they doing any of that?"

"Because I didn't tell them anything about you."

"Eh…?"

"My report of the incident doesn't mention you, and sadly the recordings you provided were mysteriously erased after I checked their content, which means no one besides my subordinates and me knows about your involvement in this."

I was speechless for a couple of seconds.

"And what do you want in exchange for that favor, Haydes?"

"The truth." She firmly stated. "I want to know what's your relation with the Sirens, the nature of that shield you wield, how you managed to gain the trust of the prototypes so easily, and of course, why do you possess such 'abilities' despite being apparently human. I want to know everything."

"I see…." I thought carefully about it. "I don't mind talking about the Sirens and even about my 'abilities' as you call them, but bear in mind that some of my explanations may be a bit difficult to believe."

"More than living weapons taking the form of maids clad in uniforms?"

"More or less. Have you heard of magic and the mage association before?"

She sighed.

"I am already regretting this." She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Told you so." I couldn't help but release a slight chuckle. "Regardless, I do think we can work together. So what do you say?"

I extended my hand towards her, but she looked at it with doubt.

"Just so you know, I still don't trust you. If you ever try to do something strange or if something happens to me, my subordinates have express orders to give all information of you to the high command. If I fall, you will fall with me, Fujimaru."

"That's fine; I don't plan to do any of that. I just want to stop the Sirens, and you want the same, right? As long as our objectives align, I'll be your ally."

She looked at me for a few seconds and reluctantly shook my hand.

"I truly hope this is the right decision."

After saying that, she walked towards the door.

"I won't disappoint you."

"You better not, for my sake and for yours." She said and exited the room.

After a couple of minutes in which I made sure that Marcia wasn't coming back, I released a deep sigh.

"That was tiring." I leaned my head against the back of the bed. "Things were far easier in Chaldea; I didn't have to walk on eggshells every time I talked to Roman or Da Vinci."

Regardless, the deal was already sealed; it only rested to see if Marcia was going to fulfill her part. I wanted to believe there was a good reason for Belfast to care about her of all people, that perhaps she could end up being an essential ally in our war against the Sirens.

I got out of bed and began inspecting the room more carefully. I failed to find anything that would tell me the current date, but I presumed I had slept for quite some time; I had run out of magical energy after all.

"…?"

I hadn't noticed because I was too focused on my conversation with Haydes, but that feeling I had after I broke free from the Sirens' illusion was still there. I felt that all I needed to do was to extend my hand and…

A sudden pain assaulted my arm as my circuits activated without my control; the shape of the shield was drawn in the air with a blue light until it manifested itself in my hand. I didn't even need to focus on it; just the desire of having it in my hand was enough to bring it to me despite being kilometers away.

And there it was, Lord Camelot had come back to me again.

"Wha-!?" Out of nowhere, I could hear a high-pitched scream, followed by a loud thump as if someone had stumbled on something. And it came from the most unsuspected place: the wardrobe in the room.

I looked at it for a few seconds, trying to understand the ridiculousness of the situation. Did Haydes really make one of her subordinates hide inside the wardrobe to spy on me? I honestly couldn't believe she would resort to such dumb tactics.

"I know you are there, come out." I ordered, but I got no response. Did he really think I would just forget about him being there and continue as if nothing had happened?

I sighed. I quickly moved towards the wardrobe and opened it.

"Now, what are you…?" I couldn't continue, because whoever I was expecting to be inside the wardrobe was utterly different from the actual person in it. To begin with, it was not a man, but a girl wearing a weird costume, which included a short sailor shirt, detached sleeves, pants that for some reason didn't fully cover her thighs, and a black scarf. However, those details weren't that noticeable compared to the skull mask she was using to hide half of her face; its somewhat fierce exterior contrasted with her actual expression, which was one of complete fear. "Who are you?"

"H-hi…?" She said, raising a trembling hand in a terrified salute.

The room was in complete silence, not even the occasional cheeping of the birds or the sound of the wind moving the leaves of the cherry blossom trees outside could be heard, just as how she liked. She was sitting alone in that quiet room, her eyes closed and her mind occupied by the recent events. Her small figure was hidden by a thin paper wall, the dim light of the old hanging lamp cast her shadow on it.

However, the silence she adored so much was broken by steps on the tatami floor, as a couple of figures approached her.

They stopped a few meters before her, close enough for their voices to be heard, and finally sat on their knees.

"Souryuu, Hiryuu." She acknowledged the two of them but said no more.

"Nagato-sama, we have come to report the status of the envoys." Said the younger sister, Hiryuu.

"Ayanami has successfully reached the American continent, while Akatsuki and Kuroshio have made visual contact with what we presume are the shipgirls from the United Kingdom." Added the elder sister, Souryuu.

Their report seemed to end there, but there was still more.

"Kirishima." She said. "What happened to Kirishima?"

Hiryuu couldn't help but to bite her lip upon hearing that name, while Souryuu looked downwards and adjusted her glasses, searching for the proper words to talk to her faction leader.

"We have lost contact with Kirishima." The shipgirl clad in green finally answered. "Her last communication was a week ago, when she was about to reach the capital of Germany. Given the place of her disappearance, it is safe to assume that she was either captured or killed."

"I see." Nagato was solemn.

"If I may, Nagato-sama." Hiryuu interceded, her tone contained a certain repressed feeling. "Kirishima is a tough one, she wouldn't go down that easily. If you let me lead a rescue squad then I am sure-"

"Kirishima knew the risks of this mission, if she indeed was captured, then we can't do anything for her." Nagato cut her. "Instead, we should reinforce our defenses; what happened to Kirishima might be the final proof of something we have suspected for a long time: the Sirens might not be our only enemy."

"Yes, Nagato-sama." Souryuu was the first to answer.

"...yes, Nagato-sama." Hiryuu repeated, Nagato didn't miss the reluctance in her voice.

Then both sisters stood up and left the room; the silence returning to the room.

However, Nagato, the leader of the Sakura Empire, no longer felt as comfortable as before. She knew that something like this could happen when they found out that some nations were developing their own Kansens in secret, but she wanted nothing more than to believe otherwise.

Reality has proven to be harsher, however.

"Another war is approaching." She thought, the errors of their past still haunted them.

Kirishima tried to breathe, but even that had become difficult as she lacked the strength to move even a finger; her body was extremely weakened, and she would have surely fallen on the floor if chains weren't forcefully binding her arms and legs to the wall.

"Are you going to talk now?" The woman in front of her asked with a pleasant smile on her face. "You won't, are you? You are just too loyal."

A fist was directed to her stomach, which made her split blood.

"How sad, if you just talked to me this could be done in an instant, but you just refuse to do it. YOU ARE FORCING ME TO DO THIS." Another punch hit her, this time in the face; she could feel how one of her teeth broke.

"Why don't you scream at least?" She forcefully raised Kirishima's head by taking her from her hair. "It's been a while since I heard your voice, SO WHY DON'T YOU SCREAM!?" An uppercut this time, Kirishima's vision was beginning to darken. Her eyes didn't work correctly anymore.

She didn't remember how much had passed since she was captured, the torture had diluted her sense of time, but she knew one thing: the woman who was torturing her was a monster. She had not eaten, slept, or rested in who knew how much time; she only had been there, hurting her with nothing but her bare fists, drenched in red by her own blood.

"Have you finally broken, I wonder?" She took her by the face and started examining her. "Too bad, should I dispose of you already?"

She wasn't even trying to make her talk; she only punched her whenever she wanted, as if she was enjoying the sole act of hurting her. This was never an interrogatory for her, just plain entertainment.

"No reaction." The woman said disappointed as she readied her fist one last time. "So boring."

Instinctively, Kirishima knew that punch would be her end, so she brazened herself expecting the worst.

"Roon, my child." But the punch never came, a voice had stopped her. "It's enough already."

"Friedrich." The woman called Roon lowered her fist. "You didn't have to come." Her tone had suddenly become meek, like her previous display of sadism had been done by someone else.

"I was getting worried that you weren't coming back." Kirishima was almost blind at that point, but she could swear she saw a tall woman with long black hair and red horns hugging the person that had been torturing her as if she was her mother. "Have you been eating properly? What about taking a break every once in a while?"

"I am perfectly fine." Roon separated from her embrace. "I was about to end it."

"Oh no, you are tired, I see it on your face." The horned woman caressed her face. "Why don't you leave this to me and go rest for a while?"

From where she was, Kirishima couldn't see Roon's face, but she did see how her right fist, the one she had been using to punch her, started to tremble. Was it trembling because of anger or because of fear? Perhaps a mix of both? Kirishima couldn't know.

"You are right, I am feeling a bit tired." Whatever the case was, Roon seemed happy to accept the suggestion. "I'll leave this on your hands, Friedrich."

Roon walked past her and prepared to leave the room, but not before giving one last vicious stare; Kirishima wasn't sure if it was directed at her or at the horned woman.

Once they were alone, the horned woman started talking to her.

"I am sorry about Roon, it's difficult for her to connect with others by normal means, that's why she tends to be a bit… violent." The woman sounded genuinely sad about her, she truly was worried. "But where are my manners, my name is Friedrich der Große, and I am the leader of shipgirl faction known as Iron Blood." She made a small reverence. "Can you tell me your name and which faction you represent?"

Even if Kirishima wanted to answer, she couldn't, she didn't have enough strength to do it.

"You can't, can you? Roon really hurt you, my poor child." Friedrich hugged Kirishima's mangled body and caressed her head. "If only you weren't trying to spy on us, then I would have been able to do more for you." She separated from Kirishima. "Alas, I can't."

She took a few steps backward.

"I don't enjoy any of this, I assure you." A conducting baton appeared on her hand. "But sometimes a mother has to be strict with her children to protect them, even if it means hurting them a little."

She started moving her baton, and instruments began to sound around her as if an ensemble of musicians were with her.

"Now, let my song reach your ears and find its way to your very own soul." She moved her baton swiftly around her. "My song that is only for you, my child, my Sonata of Chaos."

Her music quickly reached Kirishima, and it was beautiful. She never cared about music before, but the sonata of the horned woman was astonishing. It was a bliss that almost made her forget the pain she was feeling.

Yes, she no longer felt pain, instead she felt... sadness.

The song that reached her ears was a melancholic song, it made her miss her home and her friends, it reminded her that she would probably die there and she would never see them again.

it reminded her that no one would come to save her, that she was alone.

Tears quickly began to fall down her cheeks.

"Ah... ah... ah!" Her resolution had crumbled, and her spirit was being broken with every note she heard. Even though she was ready to die for her nation a few moments ago, in that instant she could feel nothing more than a corrosive despair crushing her entire being. "Ahhhhhhhhh!"

Kirishima screamed and screamed, but the music didn't stop.

Her screams were the best accompaniment.

END OF CHAPTER 20

ARC 2: END

AN: Chapter 20 is done, and with it the second arc of this story (In case you are wondering, Arc 1 ended in chapter 6)

When I first started writing the story I wanted one thing: that Ritsuka becoming a commander made sense in the story. I didn't want him to just show up one day and immediately accept the job and I didn't want the AL characters to just accept him that easily. Funny that it took more than 100k words to reach the point I wanted.

Regardless, this arc is finally done and I am personally satisfied with it. Re-reading some old parts, especially the middle parts, made me feel that it was dragging a bit, but I really feel that these last 3 or 4 chapters showed how much I improved as a writer, despite the fact that the release schedule may have not been the best. (don't blame me, blame college)

Usual announcement; I have a Discord server where I posted periodic updates and we talk about dumb things: discord. gg / kvRCbruzaT (erase the spaces, obviously)

And I think that's it for now, see you guys in Arc 3.

Chapter Text

On that chilly night after the confrontation between the Royal Navy and the Sirens, two Sakura ships remained, arguing about their next course of action on the rooftops over the almost empty urban streets.

"To watch and learn as much as possible from them without getting discovered. That was our mission, Akatsuki, and we have more than fulfilled it." One Kuroshio argued with crossed arms.

"But this could be our chance! W-we saw them fighting the Sirens!" Akatsuki rebutted, though her voice came out shaky. "They are just like us. We don't have to be enemies."

"What you are proposing far exceeds our purpose. We are ninjas, not diplomats."

"Even so, If we could talk in person with the Commander of the Royal Navy, then maybe…!"

"That again?" Kuroshio's eyes narrowed. "You are putting too much trust in that man. We know nothing about him aside from his strange powers. Who knows how he would react upon discovering about us? You'll be exposing the Sakura Empire as a whole, just for a hunch."

"I know." Akatsuki lowered her head. "I know it's not my place to decide things like this, and that I am putting our faction in danger." She raised it again. "But if this works, it could be the first step to achieving Nagato-sama's dream!"

"Her grace's dream…" Kuroshio repeated softly.

Like much of the Sakura Empire, she was aware of Nagato's ultimate objective. However, doing what Akatsuki proposed would mean going against her direct orders, something Kuroshio couldn't even dream of doing.

Yet, what was more important? Her grace's orders or the possibility of being a bit closer to her objective?

"Please, Kuroshio! Let me talk to him just once" She bowed her head towards her fellow ninja.

Kuroshio observed her partner; it was rare for the usually meek Akatsuki to ask for something with such determination.

It was just like that time.

"You are naïve, Akatsuki. Even if what you want is noble, not everyone would share those ideals." Not even in the Empire, and Kuroshio was very much aware of the internal power struggle occurring in her faction. "However, if Her Grace hated that kind of thinking, she wouldn't have allowed you to come to this mission."

"Then…!" Akatsuki raised her head, surprised.

Kuroshio's nails unknowingly dug into her skin, but she returned her partner's gaze with a serious visage.

"You have two hours. If you can't find and talk with that man in that period of time without getting discovered, then we will return to Japan at once."

"Kuroshio!" Akatsuki bursted gleefully, motioning for a hug, but Kuroshio's serious face stopped her.

"Remember, this is not just training anymore. If you get caught, you'll be on your own, and mentioning the Empire or Her Grace's name would be an act of treason. Do you understand, Akatsuki?"

The gravity of the situation seemed to finally drop onto her then. Akatsuki kneeled before his friend, lowering her head and putting a fist on the ground.

"Yes!" She replied with a serious but equally energetic voice. "I, Akatsuki, First Destroyer of the Sixth Destroyer Division of the Sakura Empire, understand and accept this mission!"

Kuroshio turned away and started walking towards the edge of the roof where they were, observing the roads below. "The Royal Navy and the British soldiers have left already; we need to go after them now if we want to reach them." The ninja said, hiding her face with her red scarf.

And so both of them leaped in the air, jumping between buildings to follow the Royal Navy.

In the end, she had gotten what she wanted, but in the worst possible way, as everything that could have possibly gone wrong for her had gone wrong. She had first gotten lost in the navy's research center; Akatsuki wasn't exactly good with directions and the place was basically a maze, ending up wasting precious time just trying to find the room where the British Commander was.

And when she finally did find him, he was still unconscious.

She approached the sleeping man, moved by curiosity. She had never seen a human capable of healing Kansens; it was something completely unheard of in the Sakura Empire.

But that curiosity was what sealed her fate; she had been so distracted observing the man that she didn't notice the footsteps approaching the door before it was too late; someone was behind the door and about to enter the room.

Akatsuki quickly hid inside a wardrobe next to her when realizing she couldn't escape on time, but regrettably, that woman from the military didn't leave, which kept her locked for quite some time.

All of that led to her current situation: the man she had been observing before had opened the wardrobe and was now in front of her, staring with a mixture of surprise and alertness.

"Who are you?"

"H-hi…?" She raised a trembling hand to salute him. All possible decorum she could have while meeting a crucial person for the future of her faction was lost in mere moments.

"You… you are a shipgirl, right?" The man asked while carefully studying her. "Were you asked to spy on me?"

"N-not at all!" She profusely shook her head.

It was technically true, for she had not been asked to spy specifically on him but rather to get information about his whole faction.

"Then why are you inside this wardrobe?"

"Ah! W-well, about that…B-Because it's cozy here?" Akatsuki fidgeted like a deer caught in headlights.

It quickly became clear to him that this girl didn't think well under pressure, and she could surmise so by the man's deadpan expression. Akatsuki would've wanted nothing more than to disappear from such judging eyes, only stopped by her loyalty.

A couple of seconds of heavy silence followed, ones that felt like an eternity to the young ninja.

"It's fine." The commander sighed deeply, annoyance and exhaustion ladening his voice." "I guess I am not the most trustworthy person right now." But yet he extended his hand towards her. "Come on, get out of there."

"A-ah? Sure…" Akatsuki took it, surprised by his calmness. She had expected to be immediately detained and thrown in a cell if discovered, yet the man didn't seem surprised by her presence.

"We have not met before, have we? I am Fujimaru Ritsuka." He introduced himself, leading her gently out of the wardrobe. "You could say I am the current Commander of the Royal Navy, acting on behalf of the Queen. Nice to meet you."

He changed his grasp on her hand, switching the pull into a proper handshake.

"Fujimaru… Ritsuka?" She parroted.

Why would a British Commander of all people have such a clear Japanese name? It didn't make sense. She felt she had heard that name before too, but she couldn't recall when or where.

"Your name?" Ritsuka's question brought her back to reality.

"Ah…! Sorry, I am Akatsuki." She tried and failed to meet his gaze.

"Akatsuki, huh." He repeated thoughtfully. "I have to say, you look quite different from the others."

"The…others?"

"Yes, I have met maids, a knight, and a Queen so far." He walked away and hung the giant shield he had in his right hand against the wall. "You seem totally different from them."

"I uh- I am actually…"

That's when Akatsuki understood: he had mistaken her for a Kansen of the Royal Navy. It wasn't that far-fetched to think that the British didn't know about their existence either; the Sakura Empire had only recently discovered that other nations were creating their own Kansen a few months ago.

She briefly thought about correcting him but stopped herself.

"Akatsuki?"

Maybe this was her chance to find out what kind of person he was.

"Ah…that's understandable!" She snapped back to reality, and puffed her chest with pride. "It's because I'm a ninja!"

"A ninja? Like a Japanese ninja?" Ritsuka chuckled. "That's pretty cool."

"Right!?" She nodded joyfully, not realizing immediately that she had just received praise. "Eh?" That stunned her for a second, she was not accustomed to it.

"I have worked with someone who was like a ninja before." He reminisced with a melancholic smile on his face. "He was very resourceful; his ability to disrupt the battlefield with traps was a sight to behold." Ritsuka then stared at her, his gaze showed a certain glow of expectation "Can you do something like that?"

"I-I am actually still in training..." The girl confessed sheepishly. Akatsuki wasn't as good as Kuroshio when it came to ninjutsu, though she did have something to feel proud of. "But I am actually really fast! I may not have the raw power of the Carriers of the First Division, but I would definitely not lose to them when it comes to speed!"

"Carriers of the First Division?" His voice was laden in what less keen individuals would mistake as innocence. "More shipgirls?"

"N-never mind that!" She quickly tried to change the subject. "More importantly, can I ask you something, Shi- Commander?"

"Hmm? Sure, ask away." He replied, his expression calm.

"Well, you see…" Akatsuki wasn't exactly good at lying. "I-I am actually quite new here, but I have heard a lot about you, Commander."

"About me?" His mask was pleasant but still unreadable.

"Y-Yes, I have been told that you are special, that you can do things that no other human can, like healing shipgirls with your own…"

Fujimaru's smile then disappeared and morphed into a frown. His calm exterior gave way into alertness.

"B-but we don't have to talk about that if you don't want to, of course!" And she realized too late that she had stepped on a landmine.

"Don't worry." He said, but he still looked slightly uncomfortable about the topic. "It's not something I should be showing everyone, but yes, I possess a certain set of abilities."

"Abilities? You have more!?" The ninja couldn't contain her excitement.

"I do." He confessed slowly. "Though unfortunately, I can't show you most of them without destroying this room."

"Destroying…the room?"

"Yes, they tend to be a bit destructive." He pondered deeply for a second. "Since you are a ninja, you won't happen to have a blade that you wouldn't miss, right?"

"A blade?" Curious, Akatsuki quickly produced a kunai on her right hand, and eagerly offered it to Ritsuka, blade pointing down. "Would this work?"

"Sure." Ritsuka took the weapon and briefly swung it, scrutinizing its blade and handle. He then closed his eyes and went silent for about a minute. "I see, so they really are different."

The ninja cutely tilted her head, which he noticed.

"Nothing, just speaking to myself." He closed his eyes again.

He then murmured some words in a language that she didn't comprehend. Glowing green lines came to life on both of his arms and hands as in response, which shone bright enough to be seen through his clothes. Before Akatsuki could say anything, he moved towards the bed. He placed one hand on top of the nightstand, only to raise the kunai above his head with the other.

"Wait what are you-!?" Akatsuki could only watch as Ritsuka brought the kunai down to stab his own hand with significant force.

The ninja instinctively closed her eyes expecting the sound of flesh and bone being torn, but she heard no cry of pain contrary to all her expectations, and instead, she heard the loud clang of metal clashing against metal.

Confused, she opened her eyes again only to find that her kunai had broken into multiple pieces, and even more puzzling, she could clearly see that Fujimaru's hand was completely clean and unscratched.

"I also can do this." He opened and closed his fingers slowly, and everything seemed to be still in place and working correctly. "And a few other small things that are not worth mentioning right now."

The ninja-in-training was speechless; she had so many questions.

How could he do that? Could more people in his faction do it as well? Could he do it with his entire body or just his arms? Could he do it whenever he wanted, or did it have a limit? Could he block bullets with that? What about a Kansen's attack?

Akatsuki wanted to ask all of that and more, but words didn't come out of her mouth, and instead, her body moved; tiny hands slowly reached for a larger, still glowing one.

"How…?" She intertwined her fingers with his, her hands only showing their smallness in comparison to Ritsuka's. "How is this possible?"

She had expected his hand to feel stiff and cold as metal, but it was actually warm to her touch, it didn't feel as if it could resist one of her kunais at all, it was a completely normal hand.

"The line between the possible and the impossible keeps getting thinner and thinner with time." He answered in a somber tone. "I have seen things believed impossible happening right before my eyes more times than I can count."

She was fascinated by the man in front of her, her curiosity stirred by his words. Just who was this man who spoke about extraordinary things while also being able to equally heal and destroy with his bare hands? Warm, calloused hands at that. She could feel that his palms and fingers were rough to the touch, and as if betraying his unassuming physique, she could feel the strength of his hands. Physical contact was not truly commonplace in Japan, let alone the Sakura Empire's ranks, but Akatsuki knew somehow that these hands had been fighting for a while.

While she was thinking about many things, the ninja finally realized she had been touching his hand a bit too much.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to-" She tried to retract her hands, but Fujimaru actually didn't allow her to let go.

"Actually, there is another thing I can do." He said while looking at her directly in her eyes, and Akatsuki was intimidated by the sheen of his blue orbs. "It's not as impressive as what I just showed you, but do you want to know?"

"A-ah! S-s-sure?" Akatsuki was surprised by the sudden return of contact, but also knew she wasn't really in a position to refuse.

He slowly, deliberately moved closer, making the young ninja's face turn a shade of red unsuitable for any sort of stealth, right until he was close enough to whisper in her ear.

"I can tell when someone is lying to me."

The words sent icy daggers shivering down her whole spine.

As much as she wanted to believe otherwise of herself, Kuroshio was a softy.

Why else would she have accepted Akatsuki's proposal in the first place? Why else would she have waited three hours, one more than the limit she set, outside the British base for her despite saying she would leave? And why else would she risk everything and decide to enter the base when she didn't come back?

Because she was a softy that couldn't just leave her student alone there, that's why.

However, her efforts to find her fellow ninja had been fruitless so far. The base was heavily guarded, and to remain undetected had proven difficult even for her.

After slipping past a good dozen of armed soldiers and moving through blind spots of security cameras, she had managed to find an empty storage room where she could rest and stay hidden with only minimal risk of getting caught.

"Akatsuki, can you hear me?" Kuroshio whispered once more like she had been doing throughout the past hour, trying to reach out to Akatsuki through the mental link. Needless to say, she hadn't received an answer yet."Akatsuki… where are you?"

Her silence only made her fear the worst. The only thing that reassured her was that no alarm had been triggered yet, and the soldiers appeared to be calm.

She quickly pushed those thoughts out of her head and positioned herself next to the door, ear against it, to listen very carefully to every sound coming from outside.

People came and went. She managed to catch parts of their conversations sometimes; most of them talked about a certain unknown man being kept in the infirmary or about the abrupt death of a high-ranking officer. The most common topic, however, was the "damaged prototypes", also referred to as "sentient weapons".

By their tones, she could deduce they were talking about their own Kansen and not Akatsuki, so it seemed that the British hadn't discovered her yet.

However, she was bothered by how the humans talked about their Kansen. There was a clear uneasiness whenever they spoke about them. From the interactions she had witnessed before coming here, she suspected that the relationship between the British and their Kansen wasn't the best.

Not once had anyone used the word "allies".

"Wait! You can't leave just like that!" A sudden shout caught Kuroshio's attention. A man's voice seemed agitated, coupled with hurried steps.

"I wish to see my Commander." A dignified woman's voice responded, one that Kuroshio recognized. She moved to see her through the keyhole, and there she was, the British Kansen of the black and white dress and pigtails. "I need to make sure he is being taken care of properly."

"The Commander is safe and sound; I have no idea what you are talking about." Answered the soldier, dumbfounded. "Also, she is a woman."

What followed was a long and very awkward silence.

"I-I don't have time for such jokes." She must have been a bit taken aback by that comment because she lost her serious tone. "I must go now."

"I said wait!" The man shouted again. "You can't walk around the base by yourself. The Commander ordered for you to be escorted whenever you leave the laboratories."

"A lady doesn't need an escort breathing behind her all day." The woman ignored the protests and continued. "I'll be fine by myself, don't follow me."

"Again, I can't…" The soldier tried to put a hand on the Kansen's right shoulder, but she slapped it with force. When she did, Kuroshio noticed it: the right sleeve of her dress was loose, as if there was nothing there.

Another moment of silence followed, much heavier this time. The Kansen looked icily at the soldier as if he had been a breath away from committing a crime, while the man clenched his hand and wore an expression of pain.

A fight could start at any minute as it was.

"They truly are like we used to be." Kuroshio thought. Such a scene reminded the ninja of some unpleasant memories, of the times when the mood around the base was so tense that it felt like their alliance could be broken just by a passing argument.

She was glad those times had come to pass, all thanks to Her Grace. Many things had changed since Nagato took the leadership of the Sakura Empire, but Kuroshio personally thought it had been for the best.

She just hoped everyone could share those same thoughts…

"What are you doing?" The soldier's voice took her back to reality, and when she saw through the keyhole again, she found out that the Kansen was looking straight in her direction.

"…!"

Kuroshio quickly moved away. Did she make a sound without realizing it? No, it couldn't be. It must have been just a coincidence.

Or so she wanted to think, but the steps coming progressively closer to the room said otherwise. She covered her mouth and nose, trying not to make any sound. If she was discovered, any possibility of peace between their factions would be lost.

"Formidable." To her surprise, help came from an unexpected source. It was another female voice, and one that was much heavier than any other one Kuroshio had heard so far. "That was your name, right?"

"Hmm, correct." The steps stopped. "I remember you from before; you were with the soldiers pointing guns at me."

"My name is Marcia Haydes, and discussing what happened in the base could wait." She had a serious tone. "He has awoken."

"The Commander?"

"…yes, him." There was some reluctance in her voice. "I was on my way to find you."

"As I said, I don't need escorts." Formidable seemed to finally walk away from the door. "I'll go visit the Commander by myself."

"I am not saying you can't, but do you even know where he is?" Marcia asked.

Another awkward silence filled the room.

And then Formidable sighed.

"Lead the way."

And so the voices finally went silent; the three of them seemed to have left. Kuroshio stood completely still for a few more moments before finally daring to slightly nudge the door open and looking outside.

She scanned the hallway with precision, and after ascertaining that no one was there, she exited the room and moved close to the wall, ready to sprint if she heard any sign of more people coming her way. Walking in the hallways was dangerous as there was nowhere to hide, but still, she really needed to find Akatsuki now.

"Akatsuki, a Kansen is going towards the Commander's room." She tried to contact Akatsuki again. "We need to retreat now; the risk has become too big. I repeat: we must abandon-"

She couldn't finish. No words could form, no matter how much she tried to force them. In fact, she couldn't move at all, not even a finger. It was like her body had abruptly frozen.

"Who are you and why were you spying on us?" That's when she heard Formidable's voice again.

"I can tell when someone is lying to me."

That was just a bluff; I had no such ability, but I didn't need magecraft to know that this girl was hiding something. After all, no one should have known about my abilities as a magus except for Marcia and her subordinates, and I doubted either of them was the type to gossip.

I looked at Akatsuki's face; her reaction immediately gave her away. It was clear that she was either not sharing the whole story or just lying to me.

"You have not been honest with me, have you?"

"I… I…" She tried to free herself from my grasp, but I held her tightly. "I don't-"

"Tell me the truth; who are you, and how did you find out about my powers?"

"…!" She looked at me as if her entire world was about to crumble.

At this point, I should have realized that appearance didn't matter when it came to superhuman beings. No matter how many times I read books with Rhyme or played hide and seek with Jack, the truth was that despite their childlike innocence, they could still easily rip apart an average human if they wanted. This girl was no different from them; she could have manifested her rigging at any time to fight me.

"Please, let me go!" And despite that, she still looked as afraid as an ordinary child while I was grabbing her. So from an outsider's perspective, I most certainly looked like I was just bullying an innocent girl.

I sighed for what I felt was the hundredth time today. My naivety was going to get me killed one of these days.

"Alright." I let her go.

"Eh?" She looked at her now free hands and then back at me with a wide eye. "You are letting me go…just like that?

"I am not that far gone to start hurting someone who looks so terrified, much less a child," I pinched the bridge of my nose. I stepped away from her and walked toward the door. "So if you aren't willing to tell me the truth, then I will find someone who can."

Marcia must know something about her; better go ask her directly instead of trying to guess.

"Wait!"

As I was about to exit the room, Akatsuki grabbed my shirt from behind.

"What?"

"I…. I am not a child…" She said, looking crestfallen.

"Okay." I tried to leave the room again.

"I am not a child!" She repeated, this time with more force. "I am a Destroyer from the Sakura Empire!"

"The Sakura Empire?" Where had I heard that name before? It felt oddly familiar. "What do you mean by tha-?" I suddenly felt something hard pressed against my back, which turned out to be a pair of small cannons when I turned.

"I am sorry for lying, and I am sorry for this, but I need you to listen to me." She pleaded sadly, the gun battery in her right hand trembling. She raised her face, and I could see a bright yellow iris peeking from behind her half-mask. "That's why I can't let you go yet, British Commander."

Formidable was puzzled.

She had been feeling on edge since she recovered her sense of self after the battle against the Sirens, but what she felt at that moment was entirely another matter.

After all, it was the first time she couldn't recognize a Shipgirl.

As a fair Lady of the Royal Navy, she knew she served under Queen Elizabeth, the leader of her faction. She also knew that maids like Belfast, Sirius, and Dido were at their service for everything they needed. The names and hierarchy of everyone in her faction naturally fit in her memory as if it had always been natural and would continue to be forever.

But the horned shipgirl was a complete stranger to her; not only couldn't she remember anything about her, but her whole appearance was also strange. The sharp ears and the black horns protruding from the sides of her head were traits that she had never seen or heard before. Even her clothes, a really short skirt and a cut-out shirt, appeared to favor mobility over elegance, something that didn't fit in her image of a royal lady, a knight or a maid.

"Marcia Haydes." She spoke without taking her eyes away from the unknown Kansen. "Who is this girl?"

"I… have no idea." Marcia was equally dumbfounded, but followed with an accusatory glance to the soldier beside her. "We were ordered to stop the creation of prototypes after what happened with Admiral William!"

"A-all our resources are being used in fixing the damaged prototypes, Commander!" The soldier quickly replied. "No new prototype should be in production, and even if it was, it would never be allowed to run free like this."

"Then how do you explain this, soldier!?"

"I have never seen this prototype in my life, ma'am!"

Formidable meanwhile wasn't paying attention to Marcia and the soldier, her eyes were instead stuck in the mysterious shipgirl, trying her best to find something in her memories about the girl, and failing to do so.

Just who was this shipgirl, so different from the ones she knew?

As she was looking at her carefully, she noticed a small black sphere tightly gripped by one of her hands. Curious, Formidable tried to reach for the small object, when she noticed a slight twitching on the girl's hand.

Twitching?

Formidable tried to manifest her rigging in response, but it was too late. With a quick move, the horned shipgirl threw the object towards the floor, causing an explosion.

The carrier stepped back as a cloud of black smoke immediately filled the hallways of the base, obstructing everyone's vision.

"What the-!? Formidable!?" Marcia cursed, forced to cover her face with her arm.

"She could move all along!" A pair of airstrips, which could almost be mistaken as black wings, materialized on Formidable's back and with a quick wingbeat dissipated the smoke around her.

Only to find out that the shipgirl was gone.

I felt a strong sense of déjà vu.

This was definitely not the first time a shipgirl had pointed her weapons towards me, right Sheffield? This situation was still a bit different, however.

While the aloof maid always maintained that cold exterior while pointing her pistols at me, this girl was trembling, and in a quite notorious way despite her sudden bravado. It was obvious that she wasn't accustomed to it.

That wasn't a good thing, though. A house cat could become as fierce as a wild lion when cornered; I knew that very well because I was usually in the cat's place. The truth was that people tend to ignore what they are truly capable of until they find themselves between a rock and a hard place.

I, too, did it.

"Sorry, I guess I underestimated you. It won't happen again." And as it was now, I could feel Akatsuki was ready for anything. "Are you here to kill me?"

"What!? N-no! Of course not!" She seemed sincere, but her nervousness wasn't helping to get her point across, or any point for that matter.

"In that case, there is no reason for you to keep pointing that gun at me, is there?"

"I am sorry, but I can't let you go yet." She apologized but kept the cannons firmly pressed against my waist. "I need you to stay here… and listen to me."

Despite the quivering in her voice, I could feel that she was really trying her best to maintain her composure.

"I am listening." It wasn't like I had another choice anyway.

She seemed to want to start talking but stopped before any words could leave her mouth. She then looked to the sides and then downwards; that motion was repeated a few times until she finally spoke.

"I…I am not good with this type of stuff; I can never seem to find the right words when I most need them…that's why someone like me isn't fit to speak for the Sakura Empire." She raised her face to meet my gaze. "That's why I will speak for myself, British Commander. Is that alright?"

I nodded, and she continued.

"As one of the envoys of the Sakura Empire, my mission in this country was to find as much information as possible from the Royal Navy. It was supposed to be an undercover operation and by no means we should have met. But then I saw you, standing your ground between the human soldier and the wounded Kansen."

"So you were there."

She nodded.

"It was at that moment when I thought 'Oh, so that man wants to protect them, just like I want to protect my sisters. Even if we are from different factions, we still want the same: To beat the Sirens and protect our people. So why must we fight?' Our leader ordered us to return immediately, but if I had left then we would have never gotten another chance to meet like this. That's why I decided to find you, British Commander, and ask you directly."

"Ask me what, exactly?"

"Would you….would you…." Akatsuki seemed to have problems finishing the question. "W-would you like to return to Japan with us!?" She shouted the question as if to force the words out of her mouth.

Uh.

What?

"…Excuse me?"

"Would you like to come with me to Japan and meet our leader?"

Having confirmed that what I heard was right, I could only reach one conclusion.

"…Is this a complicated way to take me hostage?" I asked, signaling the weapon that was still pressed against my waist.

Akatsuki looked confused for a second and then followed my gaze.

"Sorry! It completely slipped my mind!" Her rigging disappeared in a dispersion of fine blue particles. "I-I wasn't trying to threaten you or anything. It's like a… diplomatic visit! I am sure that if you meet Nagato-sama then you…!"

"Calm down." While I appreciated not being held at gunpoint, I was still confused. "I do not understand anything. Why do you want to bring me to Japan all of a sudden? And who is this Nagato?"

"Ah! I am sorry, I am getting ahead of myself!" Akatsuki cleared her throat. "The Sakura Empire is the Kansen faction allied with the nation of Japan, and Nagato-sama is our current leader."

"Shipgirls from Japan…?" That was when I remembered. The Sakura Empire, alongside two others, were mentioned in the illusion the Sirens showed me; it appears there was some truth in it. "So more nations are creating their own shipgirls."

That could present a whole new set of problems that I had not foreseen.

Things in Chaldea were relatively straightforward; we were a small group, no more than 20 people without counting Servants, and everyone was working for a common goal: the salvation of the human order. While the situation here was similar, it was on a much larger scale. Could various different countries that were thousands of kilometers apart and had different beliefs and priorities even achieve that same rapport? It was a complicated situation.

"I-I know it's too sudden, but I truly believe that the meeting between you two can be good for both of our nations. You could even achieve peace between our factions…"

I didn't say anything for a while.

"You said you were speaking only for yourself. What does your leader think about this?"

"Ah… well…" She lowered her tone. "She… huh… doesn't know yet."

"I thought so."

"But I am sure she will be willing to-"

"Akatsuki, I understand your feelings. Frankly, I don't want any kind of conflict between our nations either."

"Then-!"

"But I can't just go uninvited; that could invite huge misunderstandings, especially when we know almost nothing about each other. It could even lead to a war."

The Sakura ship tried to object, but no words came from her mouth. Maybe she knew I was right.

"Besides, I can't go anywhere right now, I am needed here. Our situation isn't exactly the best right now."

"I… understand." The girl whimpered, her head tilted down.

My hand instinctively moved to pat her, but I managed to stop myself at the last second. She isn't Jeanne Lily, Ritsuka. You shouldn't act so familiar with her.

"Regardless, I am open to a formal invitation."

"Eh…?"

"Talk to your leader; if she is fine with me going to Japan, then I have no issue with doing so after I resolve my situation here. It's in my best interest to have a friendly relationship with Japan since, as you might imagine, I was born there." While that was technically a lie, it didn't mean that Japan from this world meant nothing to me. I wanted to see my country again eventually, even if it wasn't the exact same place I left. "And as long as I occupy the role of Commander of the Royal Navy, there won't be any hostilities against the Japanese shipgirls or Japan. Our enemy is and will continue to be only the Sirens."

"I…I am glad." Akatsuki released a respite of relief. "Even if we had never talked before, I knew from the moment I saw you healing your companions that you couldn't be a bad person. No one with such power could! I am so glad Kuroshio allowed me to talk to you."

"Kuroshio? Is there someone with you here?"

"She is my direct superior, a ninja like me; it's thanks to her that we could meet, she should be waiting for-" Just as Akatsuki was saying that, the loud sound of an alarm reached our ears; followed by what I thought were a couple of explosions.

"That was…!" I shot a glance at her. "That was your companion, wasn't it!?"

"I-It can't be! Kuroshio doesn't have a reason to come here. Unless…" She brought her hands to her head as if she suddenly realized something. "I have to stop her. I have to stop her before it's too late!"

She sprinted past me the moment she said that, opened the door with a swift movement, and dashed away with tremendous speed.

"Wait!" I exited the room myself, but I only caught a glimpse of her as she went downstairs. She wasn't lying when she said she was fast, damn it.

I reinforced my legs and followed her.

Kuroshio darted like a blur to escape from the Navy's Kansen. Her presence had already been discovered and their mission was compromised, but as long as she wasn't caught she could still prevent a war between factions.

The best course of action would have been to leave the base for good, but it would have been for nothing if Akatsuki didn't leave with her.

"Akatsuki! Answer me!" She shouted again, in hope that her voice could finally reach her companion.

"Kuroshio!?" And that time it finally did. "What happened!? Were those explosions?"

"Akatsuki…!" Kuroshio almost couldn't contain her relief upon hearing her companion's voice again, but she knew she had to do it. "They know we are here!" So she immediately issued her order, as the one in charge of the operation."We need to leave, now!"

"But you don't understand, I met him! We can-'' Their link was forcefully cut as a loud vibration reached Kuroshio's ears, followed by a barrage of bullets.

The ninja jumped to the side to avoid the projectiles. On her back was a group of miniature aircraft fighters were flying towards her, no doubt coming from the Navy's Kansen.

"A carrier!" Kuroshio had fought alongside Shoukaku in the past; she knew that despite their size, those planes could easily pierce through a Kansen's skin with their bullets; even if one of them wasn't a threat, they were especially dangerous as a group.

The red-eyed ninja used the momentum of her running to jump and somersault mid-air, producing metal shurikens between her fingers. The exact moment her eyes met the planes again, she threw the star-shaped projectiles toward them with inhuman accuracy and a velocity that rivaled bullets.

By the time her feet touched the floor again, the shurikens had landed in each of the planes, and destroyed them. Feeling silently proud of herself, Kuroshio turned back to continue running only to meet an identical group of fighters blocking her way.

"Tsk…!" She materialized more shuriken between her fingers and stepped back to put some distance between them, but the distinctive sound of the planes' propellers also came from behind her.

"There is nowhere to run." The British Kansen made her appearance, walking among the planes. She had finally caught on to her. "I suggest that you surrender peacefully."

Kuroshio quickly scanned the area searching for a way to escape, but she found none, she was completely surrounded by all sides.

"…I don't want to fight you." She reluctantly said, sheathing her shuriken back into ether.

"I do not wish to fight you either." Formidable extended her only arm; various planes flew around the japanese shipgirls like a flock of birds. "That's why I am only using fighters and not bombers. I don't want to hurt you; I just need to ask you a few questions."

"Would you believe me if I say that answering could cause a great tragedy?"

"I am afraid you would have to be more specific than that."

"I can't. The meeting was a mistake in the first place, something that shouldn't have happened." Kuroshio shook her head. "I assure you: it would be the best for everyone if you let me go."

"Forgive me, but I can't do that."

Kuroshio released a deep sigh.

"So be it, then." In a slip of a second, Kuroshio manifested her rigging.

Formidable realized so and quickly moved her planes to shield herself, but Kuroshio's guns were not directed at the carrier, but at the wall on their back.

Kuroshio fired, creating a hole in the wall and raising a cloud of dust and debris that hid her improvised escape. That didn't stop Formidable's fighters from shooting blindly into the cloud of dust; a barrage of bullets was released upon Kuroshio as she leaped into the air and outside the building, falling a couple of meters to the ground below.

"Argh!" But just as her feet touched the ground, a sharp pain assaulted one of Kuroshio's legs.

A quick look revealed a sizable wound on her right tight; the bullets did reach her after all.

"Forgive me." Formidable calmly let herself fall after her, the black airstrips on her back allowing her to land gracefully on the ground. "But you left me no choice."The carrier moved her hand, and her planes began to encircle the Sakura Destroyer.

Kuroshio looked at her wounded leg, then back to Formidable. While she could still move, she doubted she could outrun those planes in her state. She couldn't allow herself to get caught, but was there really no other option but to fight?

Perhaps in the end, they were bound to repeat the same mistakes again, no matter how much they tried to avoid them.

"I am sorry, Nagato-sama." Kuroshio whispered as she materialized a short blade on her right hand.

Sensing that the enemy had switched strategy, Formidable moved her planes to intersect her. The fighters fired, but Kuroshio was still fast enough to dodge their bullets, and she wasn't running away this time, but straight towards the carrier.

"…!" Formidable jumped back to put distance between them, but that was a mistake. No matter how powerful a carrier was, they could never compete with the speed of a destroyer.

Kuroshio got even closer, and with a swift move, brandished her blade in order to stab the British Kansen, aiming at the lower side of her abdomen.

"Kuro-!" But right as the two shipgirls were about to clash, a sudden voice caught both of them off guard. Too late the ninja realized that a person had come between her and the British Kansen, and her blade ended up piercing someone, but not her initial target. "…shio?"

Akatsuki looked at her fellow ninja, seemingly confused. Then her gaze moved downwards, towards her chest, where the weapon of her friend had sunk in her body; her blood quickly spilling on the blade and Kuroshio's hands.

"Ah…" A single breath escaped Akatsuki's mouth.

Then, she fell.

"Akatsuki!" The ninja quickly dissipated her weapon and pressed her hands around the wound. "Why!? Why did you..? Why did you do that!? I wasn't going to...!" The words stumbled in her mouth. "It was just so we could escape!"

"We don't…" Akatsuki looked toward her friend, her voice was weak. "We… don't need to fight. Nagato-sama… would not like it."

"Idiot! That doesn't mean you could just jump in front of a blade like that!" Kuroshio shouted, her expression was a mix of anger and helplessness. "We are not in the base! A wound like this could be…!"

While Kuroshio fought to keep her friend alive, the British carrier had become wholly frozen in her place. The scene before her slowly started to distort, and her vision began to blur.

Formidable blinked and she was no longer there. She was in that military base again, the bloody bodies of her friends surrounded her; the people she cared about slowly bleed out to death.

She desperately ran towards them, the red pools splashed blood on her dress and dirtied her foot as she approached. She threw herself beside Elizabeth and tried to stop the bleeding with her hand, the only hand that she still had, but it was useless; the wounds became larger and larger; the bullets of her drones being fired resonated like explosions in her head.

Formidable moved towards Warspite, and then to Sirius, then Dido, then Belfast, then Sheffield and Edinburgh, but it was the same with everyone. No matter what she did, she could not save them.

She was the one who did that to them, and now all she could do was to watch them die or wait for a miracle.

And so she waited, covered in the blood of her friends.

And waited

And waited.

And waited.

But no one came.

"Formidable." A hand touched her shoulder.

The carrier immediately moved to fight off whoever had touched her but found someone she wasn't expecting.

"Commander!" She breathed painfully, as if air had reached her lungs after hours of agony. "D-don't sneak up to me like that, please…"

"I actually called you out a few times, but you didn't answer." The Commander looked genuinely worried. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere in the battle?"

"I… no, I am fine." She lied, but her condition could wait. "Commander, we have a situation here. I think those two were spying on us. I ignore what their intention was, but it's possible that this base has been compromised-"

"Formidable." He cut her. "Do you trust me?"

She was confused for a second but managed to answer.

"You saved our Queen; I trust you with my life, Commander."

"Then let me handle this. I'll explain everything in due time, I promise." He said and walked towards the two Sakura ships.

"Ah…Commander…" Despite the wound on her chest, Akatsuki was still conscious, if only a bit weak; she was the first one to notice him.

"Don't get any closer, Royal Navy!" Kuroshio snarled, a ferocious gaze distorting her features. She wasn't wary of him but of the faction he represented.

"You know who I am, so you must know what I can do." He showed his hands as if to make a point.

"Are you saying that you can heal her?"

He nodded.

"Why? What do you gain with this? What does the Royal Navy gain with helping spies?"

"Akatsuki and I talked a bit before this; it can be said that we reached an agreement beneficial for both of us. That's what the Royal Navy gains." He sighed. "As for me, I just can't watch someone die in front of me when I can do something to prevent it. Are those enough reasons for you?"

Their eyes locked on each other for a few seconds, then she looked at her bleeding companion.

"Do it."

The man took to work immediately, kneeling in front of Akatsuki's body and placing his hands on the wound, not minding the blood at all. At that exact moment, a blade reached for his neck, barely touching his skin.

"Try something weird, and I will kill you."

"Commander!" Formidable was about to intercede, but the man stopped her with a gesture.

"I am fine. I expected no less from a ninja." He never took his eyes off Kuroshio once.

Disregarding the kunai, he turned to look at Akatsuki again. "I didn't take you for someone so daring. Or did you do it knowing I would be able to heal you?"

"I… actually thought Kuroshio could stop in time." She said with a weak smile, which got a chuckle out of him.

"You are not very brilliant, right? Not that I dislike that." He placed his hands on her wound. Green light illuminated his arms, and extended towards her injury; as that light touched her skin; the blood that previously escaped her body slowly returned back to her.

The process was completely alien to Kuroshio, or all of them for that matter. Kuroshio and Akatsuki had seen Akashi repair some of their companions when they got hurt, but it didn't look anywhere close to what this man was doing. It wasn't so much "fixing" as it was reversing the body to its original, undamaged state.

Once the blood flow had stopped and the wound looked mostly closed, the green light disappeared.

"It will probably leave a scar, but she will be fine." He looked at Kuroshio. "It would be better if you let her rest before making any major exertion."

"The Royal Navy made a healer their Commander?"

"I am a far cry from a proper healer; my knowledge of real medicine is pretty basic; a commanding role fits me more." He stood up. "I would gladly discuss the details with you, but you must leave now before the situation gets more out of hand."

"So you are letting us go?" Kuroshio asked, doubtful and mildly stunned.

"Yes." He looked at Akatsuki. "The military wouldn't be as understanding as me, and I believe it's in our best interest that you aren't caught here, right Akatsuki?"

"O-of course." The shipgirl answered, still not fully recovered. "I promise to talk to Nagato-sama… as soon as we return to Japan."

"Good, now go."

Kuroshio took her friend in her arms, placing her in a princess carry and turned to leave when Ritsuka stopped her.

"Wait." He pointed at Kuroshio's leg. "Can I? I imagine it would be difficult to carry her in that state."

Kuroshio gave a quick look toward her wound and then back to Ritsuka, only to nod silently.

He extended his hand and, carefully not touching inappropriately her thigh's exposed skin, and like with Akatsuki, healed her wound in almost no time.

The ninja made a few test moves as if to corroborate that her leg could move like before. Once she had finished, she looked at Ritsuka again and lowered her head a bit.

"May we never repeat the mistakes from the past, Commander of the Royal Navy." She said, and she hit the floor to leap with those words and disappeared into the distance.

"Was that the correct choice, Commander?" Formidable approached him.

Ritsuka didn't answer immediately.

"I hope so."

END OF CHAPTER 21

AN: It's been a while. Do people still remember this story?

I still do.

This chapter had the most rewrites so far, I wasn't satisfied with the direction I was leading it so I scrapped a lot of text. Life, in general, didn't help.

But let's not talk about that, let's talk about the future of the story.

I know that's what authors say when they are canceling their fic or whatever, it's not the case this time.

Arc 1 was about Ritsuka trying to run away from his "fate" and Arc 2 was about him being forced to face it. So Arc 3 will be about him finally coming into terms with it (or at least trying to). I want the new arc to be breath of fresh air for the story and I want to show that I can write more than people suffering. In other words, I will finally focus on the romance part of this story; this is fic is tagged as such for a reason after all.

My initial idea is to release shorter chapters, more focused on character interactions than plot, which will still be an important part of the story but I want it to take a backseat for a while.

We'll see how that turns out.

Obligatory discord publicity: discord. gg / kvRCbruzaT (erase the spaces, obviously)

Thanks to Fleece, who did the proofreading, and Lower who did a pretty big editing to the chapter. You guys are the real MVP.

And that's it. I am done. I will proceed to sleep for a hundred years again.

Peace out.

Chapter Text

We found ourselves in what appeared to be a quite spacious room at first, but the enormous machines towering before us, the poor illumination, and the odor of the accumulated stagnant air-born fruit from the deficient ventilation-created an oppressive atmosphere.

About a dozen people wearing white coats and face masks came and went around us, pressing switches, writing down numbers and complicated words, and moving control knobs on various apparatuses that barely made sense to me. Everyone seemed too busy to even acknowledge our presence, and the few that did just pretended we weren't there. No one talked or even got near us, and the few stares we got were quickly dismissed the moment I returned them, as if just the act of looking at us was a transgression punishable by death.

"They are afraid of her." I thought, looking at my companion.

Formidable meanwhile didn't care about the scientists, her gaze decidedly fixed at the sorry state of the shipgirls of her own faction. The seven of them were floating inside huge capsules filled with a bluish liquid, eyes closed in deep slumber similar to a coma from what little I understood. Various wires were connected all around their naked and bruised bodies, said wires running to the top and out of the capsules and then towards a bigger machine in the center that occupied almost half of the room. And in the heart of that titanic machine rested something I was vaguely familiar with: A shining light blue cube that periodically released static shocks against the glass walls of its container, the so-called 'Wisdom Cube.'

While it looked different from the one that had entered my body, they were similar enough to make me feel a bit uneasy around it. That blue cube was apparently the genesis of the Shipgirls, an artifact made of pure energy and impossible to comprehend even with the use of magecraft. And such an artifact was being used by the military heal the wounded Shipgirls in a process also beyond my comprehension.

My eyes fell on Formidable once more.

She had not moved a muscle or said a word since we arrived here; she only watched her companions with grief. I could only imagine how she must have felt, knowing she was responsible for the state of her friends, irregardless of being in control or her actions or not.

I wanted nothing more than to put a hand on her shoulder and tell her that everything was going to be okay, that they would eventually wake up.

But I stayed silent; two conflicting ideas battled in my mind.

On one hand, I wondered if all this circus was necessary. Maybe if they let me have direct access to the Shipgirls I could just heal them or at least quicken the process, even if that would drain my magical reserves, but on the other, walking over and antagonizing the military seemed like a very bad idea at this point. Even if I could restore them to a healthy state I had no way of supporting these girls alone. What would we do if it came to blows? Would we run and hide from the military? Where would we even go? Escaping from this country didn't seem plausible.

Perhaps I was being too arrogant.

I was still a below-average magus; someone like me saving all of them just with my weak use of magecraft was almost laughable.

"Fujimaru."

I didn't have time to pursue either line of thinking any further, because I heard someone calling my name.

Marcia Haydes was leaning against the doorway, watching us with a serious expression, one that didn't look particularly happy. With a ting of pain in my heart, I left Formidable behind and followed the officer.

"You knew who those unknown prototypes were, right?" She said, and not a second after, Marcia locked the door behind us.

"…what makes you say that?"

We were in what I assumed was her office, far from the turmoil of the laboratories. The rather spartan room consisted of a sterile metal desktop, two equally dull chairs of the same material, and a pole in the corner sporting a worn British flag. The only items in the desk were a closed laptop, a bunch of documents and a line phone. The only decorations on the faded white walls were some military medals and framed titles.

However, upon closer inspection, I found that the names on the titles weren't hers, but rather, the letters spelt "William Davis" in fancy italics.

Marcia wordlessly moved towards the laptop, which she opened turned toward me, the screen showing a picture of me healing the Sakura Empire Shipgirls.

"We have security cameras around the building." She pressed the arrow keys to show more pictures of us from different angles. "For strangers, you seemed to be on rather friendly terms with them; you even helped them to run away."

"I found one of them in my room, and we had a conversation." I shook my head. No point in lying at the undeniable proof. "But I had never seen either of them until today."

"I want all the details." She crossed her arms.

"Alright." I sat on one of the chairs. "You might want to take a seat, though; this could take a while."

"When we made this deal, you promised me the truth, Fujimaru." Marcia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Do you really expect me to believe that sentient weapons from Japan raided this base just to have a couple of words with you?"

"As I told you, they wanted me to come with them, but I refused. The fact that they are from Japan has nothing to do with me."

Marcia was about to voice her complaints but stopped before a word could leave her mouth. Instead, she slumped into the desk, her face sinking into her hands. She remained like that for a good while.

It was not like I couldn't understand Marcia's position. Her direct superior was killed, and she was forced to take charge of apparently uncontrollable living weapons and a man who claimed to be a mage, mage who also happened to be her superior's killer, on top of the news of more of the living weapons coming from a foreign country to apparently just parley with that mage.

She really needed a break, and I could empathize with that because I too needed one.

"Tell me the truth, Fujimaru." She finally spoke after being silent for five minutes straight. "What's your end goal? Did you come to this country to sabotage the sentient weapon project?" Under the dull glow of the lamp of the office, I could finally see big, dark bags under her eyes when she faced me once more. She wore the expression of someone who was done with everything. "Or perhaps to take it over? To win over the prototypes and put them against us? Was that your mission? To take our technology for your government?"

I threw myself back on the chair and stared at the ceiling at her accusations, letting myself sink in my own exhaustion if only for a moment as well as I thought how to answer.

Sabotage? Stealing technology? What exactly was her image of me?

"You know, when I was a child, like eight or nine years old, my dad would take me to fish on the nearest river."

Haydes gave me a weird look, but didn't interrupt me.

"He really loved fishing, and I think he wanted to pass that love to me. So when that day of the month came, he would wake me up early in the morning and drive us to the river. Then he would rent a boat and sail, fishing rod in hand, and we would stay in the river for hours in silence." I chuckled dryly. "I was so bad at it; I didn't have the patience to stay quiet for more than five minutes, and the rod constantly slipped from my hands. I don't think I ever caught a single fish despite my dad's constant tips. If I am being honest, I kind of hated it, but I could never tell my dad about it." A sad smile crept on my face. "Though, I think he eventually found out, because he stopped bringing me with him one day all of a sudden." I lowered my head." I could never ask him why. And now I will never be able to."

"And why are you telling me this?" Marcia was getting impatient.

"Because I am not the monster you think I am." I raised my head again. "I, too, have memories I cherish and things I regret doing. I can tell you the truth a hundred times, but it will be for nothing if you see me as nothing but the enemy."

"Do you really expect me to receive you with open arms after what you have done?"

"No, but if neither of us gives the other a chance, then this partnership will never work; and I assure you, Haydes, we both need each other right now."

She fell silent and looked the other way.

"Think about it." I said simply. I was about to raise from the chair when she continued.

"If…" She stopped me. "If you really want to prove that you are on our side, there is something you can do."

I raised an eyebrow at her sudden request.

"The country is currently defenseless against Siren attacks, all our prototypes are in critical condition." She released a deep sigh. "The only one available is Formidable, but she would not hear orders from us, only from you."

"And you want me to ask her to cooperate with you?"

"You just said it; we need each other." She didn't seem very happy to repeat my words. "Unless you would gain something by purposely leaving this country unprotected."

"…No, I don't want the Sirens to hurt innocent people as much as you." I chose to ignore what she was trying to imply. "I'll… see what I can do."

Marcia didn't say anything and just wordlessly handed me the key to the room.

"You asked me what my end goal is." I said as I rose from the chair. "I want to save enough money for my retirement, maybe buy a house in a quiet neighborhood, far from the city. Heck, even a rural area would be great."

I made a slight pause, trying to force the next couple of words out of my mouth.

"And when I come back to that house every night after a long day, I want to find someone there, waiting for me. It doesn't matter who, just someone I can call 'family'." I turned my head to her."That's what I want, Haydes, a normal and mundane life far from all this. Is it the same for you, I wonder?"

I didn't wait for an answer and left the room.

I was on my way back to the laboratories when I noticed a soldier standing next to the door of my room. He turned to me, and our eyes met for a couple of seconds before he simply moved his face away to continue staring at the wall in front of him, totally disregarding my presence.

I did wonder what reason Marcia gave for me-a civilian-to be allowed to wander around a top-secret base without a clear purpose. How exactly did all these soldiers and scientists interpret my presence here? Or did they not actually care and just follow orders?

I was about to ask him when I noticed that Formidable through the open door, seated on the bed and quietly staring at her left hand. I passed the soldier without acknowledging him.

"Formidable, you are here." I quietly closed the door behind me. "Are you alright?"

It was probably a stupid question to ask after everything that happened, but I had to.

"Commander." She turned to me. "Yes, I am getting used to it. I was right-handed, so a few things feel… different now." She opened and closed her hand a few times more.

She then brought her hand to the loose right sleeve of her dress, as if trying to feel something that was no longer there.

I felt a lump forming in my throat; I didn't dare to ask how it had happened, but I could easily guess she must have lost it in the battle with the Royal Navy, against her own companions.

"Does it hurt?" That was the only thing I could mutter.

"No." She shook her head unsurely, and after a brief pause, she added. "Not right now, at least, only sometimes."

I had heard about soldiers still feeling their limbs after they had to be medically removed to save their lives, still feeling the pain as if they still were there. A phantom pain as real as any other.

"They should be able to do something." I said, not entirely sure if I was trying to reassure her or myself. "They created you, and they are healing the rest of the Royal Navy, so they should be able to do the same with your arm."

"Marcia Haydes said that all their equipment and manpower is being used to heal them, which means they can't spare anything for me." She said with resignation. "But it's fine, Commander. As a Royal Lady, this is nothing I can't put up with." She showed me a weak smile.

I didn't know if she realized it or not, but I could see her left hand trembling as she said those words, clenching it into a fist.

"I am sorry." I lowered my head towards her. I couldn't imagine how much pain she was feeling right now, emotionally and physically.

"Commander? Why are you apologizing for…?"

"My magecraft… I can heal most wounds, even if it leaves me drained afterwards. However, I can't restore missing limbs even with this power." I lamented. It would be a different story if Irisviel was the one doing it. "I can revert things as how they were before with some degree of precision, but not recreate them out of nothing or cure complex illness, not even if I put all my magical energy into it."

"Please Commander, don't lower your head before me. It's unbefitting of someone of your caliber." She moved her face away as if refusing to accept my apology. "I am not worthy of such a thing." She lowered her tone a bit.

Those words…

"It was not your fault, Formidable." I raised my head to look at her, but she quickly evaded my gaze. "You were being controlled by the Sirens; you were a victim as well."

"I remember everything. Every single detail of that night is engraved in my mind." She began somberly, closing her eyes. "I can still see myself there, ordering the drones to shoot at them when they could not defend themselves; I see myself ready to kill them without mercy. That was me, I was the one who did that to them. And if they don't wake up, I-"

"Please don't say that." I interrupted her. "If you keep torturing yourself over it, the guilt will destroy you."

She still refused to look at me, so I kneeled down to match her gaze. Tears were starting to run down her eyes, the color of beautiful copper shade.

"I understand how you feel; believe me, I truly do. But everything will be over if you give up now. You have to keep moving forward for them." I made a slight pause, thinking carefully what was about to say. "And for me."

She finally looked at me; an expression of surprise was drawn on her face.

"You are the only one I have right now; I don't trust anyone in this base other than you." I gently clasped my hands on hers. "You were there when I needed you the most, even though we were complete strangers, so I shall do the same for you." I brought our hands between us and looked her straight in her eyes.

"I am here for you. We can overcome this together."

"Commander…" The surprise on her face slowly turned into a small smile. "I have shown you such an unladylike sight, even though I should be the one supporting you."

I still remember seeing her for the first time: She looked like an emotionless robot ready to carry out orders at any second. There were no trace left of that Formidable, the one in front of me right now was the real one, the one that was tormented by her past actions.

She moved closer and spoke in a thin, hushed voice. "Can you perhaps… entertain my selfishness for a little longer?"

"Whenever you need it."

She got even closer and leaned against my shoulder. In response, I gently wrapped my arms around her and embraced her.

We said nothing more and the room fell silent, only a quiet sobbing could be heard.

Despite the eagerness of my claims, I could not actually remain by her side forever. More regrettably, I had to stay in the backlines when a Siren attack finally came, as I could not traverse the sea like Formidable did, nor did the military want to lose sight of me.

"So this is how Roman felt..." I muttered dryly under my breath, watching how the enormous screen depicting a map in front of me changed every few seconds or so. A small red dot on it showed a satellite-picked signal of a Siren, which suddenly appeared an hour ago a few kilometers into the North Sea. A similar blue dot also moved on the screen, slowly approaching the red one, restlessness growing on me the more they neared one another.

"I hope you know what you are doing." Marcia was next to me, arms crossed in clear dissatisfaction. She spoke to me in a low voice so as not to show her doubts to her subordinates.

"While I didn't have direct involvement, I do have some commanding experience under my belt."

"Is that so? I wonder how a civilian could have acquired that kind of experience." She asked with a sarcastic tone.

"By this point, It should be obvious I'm not just a civilian."

"And that's the reason I can't trust you."

"Yet I'm the only hope you have to defeat that Siren. We can bicker all you want or you can help me to defend this country. The choice is yours, Haydes." I prevented further discourse by slotting the communicator in my ear.

Frankly, I would have gladly left the commanding position to her, as I was sure she had real naval commanding experience. However, Formidable refused to accept her orders, so I had no choice but to step in.

Marcia only answered with a sigh, and instead addressed one of her subordinates.

"Status report."

"The Siren signal has been steadily moving to the northeast for a while, Commander." The man pressed a few keys on his computer as he spoke. "It appears its course is not directed to any of our coasts but we can't discard that possibility yet."

Once the man had said that, Marcia shot me a glare as if signaling it was my turn to step in.

"Formidable." I spoke through the communicator in my ear. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, Commander. I have been getting closer to the coordinates you sent me." Her voice resounded in the room so everyone could hear it. "However…"

"However?"

"I have encountered some kind of dense fog blocking my path." Her voice adopted a graver tone. "No matter how much I try, I can't go around it. It's like the fog extends for kilometers."

"Don't step into that fog." I quickly ordered. "It's a Siren ploy. I repeat, don't enter that fog."

"Fog?" Marcia asked.

"This happened once before. Belfast, Edinburg, and Sheffield had also encountered some kind of unnatural fog when dealing with the Sirens. All our communications were cut off the moment they stepped into it."

"We are still receiving the Siren signal from within, however." She noted, not entirely convinced of my claims.

"They are trying to lure us, Haydes." I shook my head. "It's a trap."

"I have sent planes to try to map the area, but the visibility is limited." Formidable indicated. "How should I proceed, Commander?"

"Remain on standby, we'll think of something." There was no way I could send her to such a clear trap. Should we just wait until the Siren come out of it? No, it was most likely following her around. Was there another way to disperse it?

"The signal is continuing its path to the northeast, Commander." One of the soldiers said to Marcia. "We'll lose it at this rate."

"If we don't do anything, the Siren will get away." Marcia reaffirmed. "If we let it escape, there is no telling what it could do."

"I am not ordering her to enter that fog, Haydes." I refused once again. "Not when we don't know what lurks there."

"Commander, something is happening!" Before our discussion could get more heated, Formidable spoke again. "The fog is clearing up!"

"What!? Do you see the enemy, Formidable?" My voice rose higher than I intended.

"Yes, but something is wrong." Her voice was laden with confusion. "The Siren ships… they are destroyed."

"Eh?"

"I can see remnants of their ships floating on the sea. The red marks on their hulls prove that they are Siren ships, but what could possibly-"

Without warning, a strident sound assaulted my ear. No, it wasn't only on my ear; it was ringing in the entire room. I had no choice but to take the communicator off and cover my ears to stop that sound from piercing my eardrums.

After a few long seconds, it just stopped, as sudden as how it had started.

I looked dumbfounded at Marcia, only to see that she was equally confused.

"Soldier, what was that!?"

"We don't know! Our instruments started acting up and-" The man desperately pressed key after key on his computer until he came to a sudden stop.

"Commander." He turned towards us, seemly at a loss of words. "We… lost it."

I did not understand the meaning of those words until I raised my head to look at the radar screen. Now, instead of showing a map, a couple of big red words could be read on the static-filled screen.

"SIGNAL LOST."

"Commander? Commander!" Formidable shouted trying to make her voice reach Ritsuka again, but it was useless; she could no longer hear him. It seemed she had been completely cut off after that sudden piercing noise.

Unsure of what to do, she studied the sight before her: the fog had dispersed enough to reveal even more wrecked ship parts. It was clear that the Sirens had been fighting something or someone, most likely another group of Shipgirls like the ones from the 'Sakura Empire'. If they really were fighting the Sirens, then she would gladly help to destroy them.

However, the remnants of their battle suggested otherwise, whatever the Sirens had fought; their battle was strictly one-sided.

She began to scan the sea in search for clues until her recon planes notified her of a pair of large yellow lights shining beneath the sea surface. She deliberated for a moment, and ultimately decided to cautiously approach them.

When she was just some feet away from the source of light, they suddenly moved and a person emerged between the blue waves; it was a woman, riding some kind of aquatic vehicle that resembled a shark, colored black and black and clearly made of metal. She had long black hair with a few strands of white adorning it, and her red eyes glowed like torches amidst the wreckage; her face however was partially hidden with what appeared to be an also black motorcycle bandana with what Formidable identified as a teeth design. Her body was still half submerged, so it was difficult for Formidable to see her full attire, but she could distinguish a black, red, and white vest with the zipper open on the front to let her see a part of her chest.

Neither Formidable nor the mysterious guest said a word; they just looked at each other in silence, though while the Royal Navy girl could only stare in surprise, the black-haired girl's eyes gave off a feeling that only could be described as pity.

"I didn't see you here. Go away, if you don't want to die." Her voice had a tinge of exhaustion, as if Formidable was nothing more than a minor annoyance to her.

And with those enigmatic words, she submerged again and disappeared completely from view.

"Wait!" Formidable tried to follow her to no avail, as the mysterious girl disappeared into the dark depths of the blue ocean.

A hundred of questions raced on the Royal Navy Shipgirl's mind. Who was that? Was she the one responsible for the destruction of the Sirens? Were they also from that "Sakura Empire"? Or did she belong to a completely different group? And most importantly: Did her words mean they were hostile towards them?

Whatever the case was, this new information had to be brought to her Commander. She felt bad for retreating empty-handed, but the Sirens seemed to be already defeated-

And then, a sudden burst of wind made the remaining fog wall disappears, finally revealing the entire battlefield. Various larger segments of the siren ships could be seen still afloat, some could even be confused with operative ships if it wasn't for huge missing portions that would soon make them sink like the rest.

And among that siren ship cemetery, a woman stood.

Like the submarine girl, she was wearing a similarly dark outfit, though this one resembled more to a military uniform. She had short strawberry blonde hair with a few traces of red, and what seemed to be black horns on each side of her head. But Formidable didn't take note of any of this, as she was too focused on what-or rather who-that Shipgirl was holding.

It was a Siren, the white hair, eerily pale skin and yellow eyes were a big giveaway, but she was completely beaten. She was being violently held from her silver hair by the uniformed woman; red blood ran fresh from both her nose and lips and what remained of her clothes were nothing but tattered rags, exposing a naked body of eerily pale skin contrasted with a wide array of violet, bleeding wounds.

"My death…." She coughed as she seemed to have trouble speaking; the mystery and enigma that usually surrounded the alien ships were nowhere to be found. "…will not change anythi-" She was promptly shut up, as the woman gripped her face with her free hand.

"You talk too much." Her captor said calmly… and closed her hand.

An indescribable mix of brain matter, blood, and bones was brought together into a gross paste, that soon began to drip out of her armored fingers, down her arms and legs and onto the sea. The uniformed woman didn't seem to care about this horrible sight and sank her other hand inside the Siren's chest, where her heart was supposed to be.

When she withdrew her hand, however, it wasn't the sight of a dying heart that greeted them, but instead but a black crystal cube.

The dark woman released the body of the Siren like if she were discarding something with no value at all, instead focusing her attention on the cube she had retrieved, without minding the carnage or destruction around her.

Eventually, she sighed.

"No luck. And you even made me come all the way here." She said in a perfectly calm manner and crushed the cube with her bare hand just like she had the Siren's head. She stroked her hair as if fixing it, seemingly ignorant that she was dirtying it with the disgusting remains of the Siren.

Her eyes moved, only to find Formidable who had been completely paralyzed by such sadistic display. She looked at her for a while and then smiled, and Formidable revolted at the utter, honest glee that she displayed.

"You saw me, didn't you?" Her voice was also incredibly sweet, as if she was talking to a co-worker or maybe even a friend, but Formidable could see that her pupils constricted like pinpoints no matter how amiable she appeared.

She was a predator looking at its prey.

"You did see me." She giggled cheerily, and Formidable could feel an immense pressure emanating from her like a deadly aura. "It's rather unfortunate."

The Shipgirl in dark uniform began to approach her slowly.

Trepidation crept into every pore of Formidable's being. The Royal girl stepped back and instinctively manifested her rigging, but the display of hostility didn't seem to deter her approaching foe, and if anything, it only seemed to make her more… excited.

"I'm truly sorry, but…" Her voice began sweetly, but it quickly decayed. "Can you do me a favor and die quietly?"

Those words were enough warning.

A few dozen miniature planes manifested on Formidable's back and were quickly sent towards the dark Shipgirl. The planes came to the skies like a flock of birds and rained their bullets toward the uniformed woman, who manifested her own rigging in response. Four black metallic slabs guided by robotic arms came to life out of her lower back and intercepted the shots just like shields.

But Formidable wasn't done yet. While the woman was busy defending herself she moved her left arm and instructed a group of newly deployed bombers to move past the formation and drop their torpedoes just above the uniformed woman. A series of loud explosions followed, quickly covering the impact area in a cloud of smoke and fire.

"Is that all?" But that wasn't nearly enough to stop her, as the woman exited the smoke, seemingly unharmed and in perfect condition other than minuscule scratches on her uniform.

The woman then accelerated, shooting towards Formidable like a bullet.

"Don't move an-!" Before Formidable could properly react, she was already next to her, her fist rapidly moving towards her.

The first punch hit her in the face and broke her balance, which made her unable to defend herself when she received the second one on the stomach, taking the air from her lungs. In that defenseless state, a point-blank gunshot of the uniformed woman's rigging was enough to send her flying like a ragdoll.

Before she would impact the water again, Formidable ordered her planes to attack once more, but it was a futile effort, as they were shot down by the monstrous rigging's artillery. Formidable took the opportunity to gather her bearings in that window, clenching her stomach with her only arm, as her torso burned and ached from the shellfire, on top of her bleeding (and likely broken) nose and quickly swelling eyes. Formidable's ashen hair had come undone, covering her face and daintily floating on the sea's surface below her feet.

"If every faction is this weak, then our leader has nothing to worry about." The woman in black calmly walked towards her while her rigging destroyed the rest of her planes; even when some of them managed to land a hit on her, their bullets were easily stopped by the shields.

Something was unraveling in the assailant, however. The more she approached again, the more she seemed incapable of holding back the bloodlust.

"Come, show me something, anything." She said, her voice fluctuating erratically, as a beastly undertone made itself clearer and clearer.

Formidable tried to incorporate fully again, but she received a kick to her ribs. She spit out a breadth she didn't know was holding.

Then she received another kick, and another.

And another.

"YOU ARE FIGHTING THE SIRENS AS WELL, GODDAMMIT! HOW CAN YOU BE SO USELESS!?" The woman snarled, and gave Formidable another kick, one that sent her skidding across the ocean surface once more. But Formidable held.

"The fact that you are supposed to be my ally repulses me." The rage was barely reeled back once more. "For you to be so weak…it's unforgivable." With a hand gesture, her rigging changed once more, now manifesting a large mechanic black serpent on her back, its body outfitted with artillery guns all along.

"Now, disappear from my sight."

The serpent locked unfeeling glowing eyes on Formidable, and following the command of its master, it opened its jaws, big enough to swallow her. Her eyes widened at the sight of a barrel extending from within, one that was even bigger than those of any guns along its body. A mechanical, unnatural whirring resounded in Formidable's ears, as the beastly rigging began glowing with a golden light across its shell.

Eventually, the monstrous jaw started emitting immense heat, and the same golden light across it gathered in it. Formidable instinctively knew that she wouldn't survive whatever that thing was going to unleash.

Gathering every ounce of will left within her, damning if she was bruised, if she had only one arm left, Formidable planted her heel and stood up. Her breathing was ragged and it seemed like her posture could break at any moment, but she still stood up.

Desperation it may be.

"STAY DOWN!" The beastly girl growled. "DON'T YOU GET IT YET!? YOU WILL DIE HERE!"

But Formidable persisted.

"D-don't move an inch!"

"Where do you think you are going?"

"That's none of your business."

I was ready to leave the military base, but I found myself interrupted by Haydes again.

"You suddenly stormed out of the command room, and now I find you here, carrying that thing." She pointed towards Lord Camelot, that at that moment rested on my right hand. "I feel that you are trying to do something incredibly stupid."

"Out of my way." I didn't answer and moved to get past her.

"Whatever you are trying to do, you won't make it in time." She stepped to directly block my path."Even if you could somehow teleport various kilometers away into the sea, how do you plan to help her? Your presence would only be detrimental, a weak point to be exploited by the enemy."

"And what am I supposed to do then!?" I directed a furious gaze at her. "Wait here until the situation is resolved itself!? Or until she gets killed!?

"You need to be here, ready to take charge when the situation demands it." She didn't flinch. "You are not some knight in shining armor, Fujimaru, you aren't supposed to run into the battlefield the moment something goes wrong. You are a Commander, your job is to stay back and look at the bigger picture as coldly as you can."

"I can't look at the bigger picture because I have no fucking idea what's going on out there!" My hand hit the nearest wall with force, making a dent in it due to my reinforcement. "Formidable might be fighting for her life right now I am stuck here unable to do anything like a worthless piece of trash!"

Even when I didn't fight directly during my time in Chaldea, I was still there, side by side with my Servants. Staying so far from the battle wasn't for me; not knowing if Formidable was even still alive was killing me from the inside.

"I promised to support her no matter what, Haydes. I promised to be there for her whenever she needed me and now I am just…" I clutched my fist until it started to hurt. I felt useless, unable to do anything for someone that trusted me. Just like before... I could still see it whenever I closed my eyes, her smile, her last smile before everything ended. "I cannot let her die, Haydes. I wouldn't be able to bear it… not again."

I didn't know if Marcia understood what I was trying to say, but she didn't say anything for a while.

"Do you know how we first became aware of the Sirens' existence?" She asked, all of sudden.

"No?" I was confused by the change in topic.

"The Queen Mary, that was the name of the commercial cruise that was attacked." She started, her expression unreadable. "Four thousand three hundred and seventy-five lives, counting the crew and tourists, were lost that day. Their bodies were never found, only some wreckage of the ship was discovered a few months later when they were dragged by the sea towards our shores."

"…They said it was an accident." I remembered it was all over the news for some time. No matter where you went, you could hear someone talking about the tragedy of the Queen Mary; of the relatives of the victims filing lawsuits against the cruiser company, asking for justice; and the uncountable wild theories of what could have happened to those four thousand missing people.

"We thought it was until it happened again. One of our fleets was ambushed by black ships with red symbols on their hulls; they came out of nowhere and started firing their weapons, destroying half the formation in seconds. Our fleet tried to fight back, but all our weapons, missiles, planes, and torpedoes were proven to be ineffective against them and the fleet was completely annihilated; only a single ship managed to come back to tell the tale."

Marcia paused briefly.

"I was on board that ship, as the acting Lieutenant Commander." She brought a hand to the insignia of her uniform. "I received my promotion a few weeks after that, only because my ship happened to survive." She said those last words with a self-deprecating tone. "It wasn't even a matter of luck; the Sirens could have destroyed us as well, but decided to let us go so we could be their messengers, my ship was just chosen instead of one of the other ten." Her tone became even more somber as she lowered her head. "I hated myself because of that. I hated my rank and I hated the high command for giving it to me….until I understood it."

"What did you understand?"

"What it means to fight in this war." Her eyes gazed at mine again. "Just like the admiral and my predecessor, it's highly likely that I won't survive to see the end of this war, Fujimaru." Even though she was talking about her own death, I didn't see fear or doubt in her eyes, she was completely calm. "Same goes for the soldiers patrolling the seas right now or the ones that were in the command room with us. Ironically, the prototypes you are so worried about are the ones with more chances of surviving, common soldiers wouldn't have survived the wounds they sustained."

"Are you trying to tell me that Formidable is going to be fine? Because you are failing horribly."

"No. It's quite the opposite, in fact." He shook her head. "I am telling you that no matter what you do, people will inevitably die. That's the nature of war and as soon as you understand that reality the sooner you'll become a proper soldier. Saying something like you can't bear the idea of losing a single person, while romantic, won't make you a better leader and it won't help the people you desperately want to save." Her eyes narrowed in a defiant look. "If you can't face the reality of war at once, then you are just not fit to be a commander."

That made me flinch.

I wanted to refute her, to scream that she was wrong and everyone could be saved if we tried hard enough. Perhaps my younger self would have done that, but I was no longer that person. The man I was now understood that her words were nothing but the truth.

After all, how could I even begin to save anyone when my hands were already drenched in blood? When I had already failed so miserably?

"Commander!" The voice of a soldier could suddenly be heard, as he came running towards us. "We have-" He didn't finish, his mouth hanging open in confusion upon seeing the cracked wall, my fist still indented on it.

"Soldier?" Marcia redirected his attention.

"Ah… y-yes, Commander! We just received a communication from the coast guard: The prototype managed to return to the shipyard."

"What did you say!?"

"Though it seemed it has taken some major damage and fell unconscious soon afterward. We are already moving it here so-"

"Take me to where she is." I interrupted him.

"As I said, it is already on her way here. It shouldn't take more than an hour for it to arrive."

"No, you don't understand." I repeated. "I can save her, but we have no time! I need to be there with her!"

"What the hell are you even saying? For starters, you are not even part of-"

"Soldier. Prepare a car and do as he says." It was Marcia the one that interrupted him this time. "No matter how this looks like, he is telling the truth. This time at least." She couldn't help but add that last bit.

"…Yes, Commander." Somewhat conflicted, the man followed his orders and left.

"And you." He stopped me just as I was about to follow the man. "We'll continue this conversation once you return. Go and make sure she survives."

"You don't have to tell me." I said with conviction. It was true that I couldn't save everyone, but at the precise moment and in that precise situation, I could save Formidable. I was damn sure of it. "I will save her, no matter what!"

Formidable's return to consciousness was accompanied by an intense pain all over her body. She had taken the beating of a lifetime but was still alive.

Aching, she weakly sat on the familiar but rather uncomfortable bed, noticing how her body was wrapped in bandages from face to bottom, and she had been switched out of her usual dress and into a patient's gown. In other circumstances she may have shrieked about her modesty, but right now her thoughts were slowly unraveling with the memories of the last few hours numbing her. The room was barely lit, but she soon identified it as her own room within the base.

She was also not alone.

"Commander…?"

Fujimaru was lying on a chair next to her, the top part of his body was lying face down across the bed. With a worried twitch, she quickly put a hand on his neck, and released a sigh of relief upon feeling his pulse, and further calmed down when she heard his breathing. He was just unconscious.

"Commander… were you healing me?" She thought to herself, and with some initial reluctance, she found herself incapable of not caressing his hair.

"You keep doing so much for me, even if when I don't deserve any of it." She whispered, deep shame slowly but surely filling her.

She had lost. Such was the result, set in stone the moment that unknown woman laid eyes on her; the mere memory of her insane gaze alone was enough to paralyze her. Those eyes had not belonged to a Shipgirl, but a monster. A rabid beast that couldn't be talked to or reasoned with, a being that was moved only by a violent desire to kill.

So when the opportunity presented itself, she decided to run, abandoning her mission.

And so she survived, but at what cost? What would the Queen say if she knew that one of her vassals had run away terrified of the enemy? Would she blame her? Would she say that she was a disgrace to the Royal Navy? She couldn't imagine how she would face Elizabeth when she woke up.

What about the Commander? He was worried about her, so worried that he had healed her until losing consciousness just like that time with the rest of her faction. He really did care about her but…would he be disappointed upon learning the truth? Would he turn away upon finding out she was a coward?

Formidable's chest ached, and it wasn't just because of her wounds. The idea that the Commander might hate her hurt, so much it was unbearable. He was the only one she had right now, her only ally.

"Commander…." She repeated weakly, but of course the man couldn't answer, as he was submerged in a deep sleep. She searched for any ounce of willpower to push those intrusive thoughts aside, finding that thinking only of him worked. "It's not good if you sleep like that, you might hurt your back."

Formidable quietly got up off the bed from the other side, and was washed by residual pain the moment her bare feet touched the cold concrete ground. She bit her tongue and powered through, quietly walking to Ritsuka's side, finding herself stopped once she was right beside him. She feared that even being gentle would wake him up, as she had only one arm to move him, on top of her own aching body restricting her movements.

"I should carry you to your room." She ultimately decided.

Formidable didn't know whether to pull him back on the chair or just pick him up somehow. While she did have the strength to carry his entire body on her shoulder, she didn't want to hurt him by accident.

She had no choice but to go back on her decision.

So she decided to put him on her bed, she'd just look for another. And so she would.

He was still slumbering, and it was still a very awkward maneuver, but eventually Formidable managed to prop him up into the bed by pulling his legs up first and then pushing him properly on the mattress.

It was only after that endeavor that she managed to take a good look at her Commander's sleeping face, and she was disheartened to see that his expression wasn't one of peaceful rest, as his closed eyes scrunched together in clear distress.

"…"

It started with just a thought.

Maybe, just maybe, if she took his hand, then that would help him to overcome whatever nightmares might be haunting him. She wanted to pay him back, to be there for him just how he was for her; so she did just that and placed her hand on top of his. It was big and rough, but it wasn't uncomfortable to the touch, rather it was warm, and touching it gave her a feeling of peacefulness.

However, the man in question still wore a painful expression, as if he was suffering.

Perhaps if she tried with a more thorough contact, then it would work.

She didn't mean to get into the bed with him at first; she just wanted to be as close as possible to him, to make him feel that she was there for him. So Formidable lay next to him, and gently placed her head against his chest. She could hear the quiet beating of his heart; the sign that he was alive gave her tranquility, it made her feel at ease… so much that she couldn't help but to want to remain there.

"Just for a moment." She moved the bed sheets to cover both of them, the night was chilly and her Commander wouldn't catch a cold on her watch. "Just one moment."

So she thought before her eyelids began to feel heavy, and she slowly fell asleep.

"Just one moment is all I need."

I opened my eyes.

She was there, peacefully sleeping with her head on my chest; her body was so close to mine that I could feel how it slightly moved each time she breathed.

I couldn't help but smile.

She was beautiful, I knew that from the very moment I first saw her, but she looked positively stunning at that moment, like I was sleeping with a goddess (And did I know a few). Was this what it felt to be truly in love? I had never felt anything like that before. It was like I couldn't conceive the idea of being with another person anymore, that being with her was how it was always meant to be.

And yet our time was limited. Soon we'll have to leave this room and face reality once more. To fight and risk our lives, all to save humanity, even though there was no future for us.

I moved my hand to caress her face, but I stopped myself at the last second; I didn't want to wake her by accident. Instead, I gently placed my arms around her. I wanted us to enjoy this moment just a little longer.

"I love you, Mashu." I called her name in a whisper and slowly began to close my eyes.

If only we had more time… if only this happiness could last a bit longer…

"Co…er…"

If only this moment could last forever…

If only we had more time…

"Co…ander…" I heard a voice in the distance, a voice that became clearer as the seconds passed. "Commander…" It was Formidable's voice.

Formidable?

I opened my eyes again startled, but I wasn't in Chaldea anymore and the person next to me wasn't Mashu. It was Formidable; she had her head buried on my chest and I was hugging her so tightly that our bodies were practically stuck together.

"Wha-? Formidable, I..." The words stumbled in my mouth while I quickly took my arms away from her and tried to give her some space. "I am sorry, I don't…"

However, she reacted the opposite way, holding onto me tighter.

"Com….mander… don't…" She mumbled some words without much coherence.

"Formidable…?" I took a more careful look and realized her eyes were still closed; she was still asleep.

"How did it come to this?" I asked myself. The last thing I remembered was staying the night in her room and healing her with magecraft. How did we end up in the same bed? I had to ask her later, now I needed to get up before anyone could see us and get the wrong idea.

That was the plan at least; however her head was just on top of me and she was holding me pretty tightly. If I moved too much I would surely wake her up, and she seemed to be sleeping so peacefully…

"It's just like that time." After so many years, I had forgotten what it felt to lay on bed with someone else, to fall asleep embracing each other and wake up together with the first rays of the sun.

It was a pleasant feeling.

"…"

I wonder, would you hate me if I said I wanted to experience this again? Would I be unfaithful to you if I sought the warm of another person again, Mashu?

"Here I am, sharing the bed with a woman after so long and still thinking about you." I couldn't help but release a dry chuckle. "What a pathetic excuse of a man I am…" I threw my head back and stared at the ceiling.

What I said to Marcia was true; I missed being surrounded by people, by friends. I missed being able to share everything with someone else, I missed being able to feel this warmness so close.

However, I also knew I kept clinging to my past, my memories. Mashu, she would forever be a part of me, and I doubted that would ever change.

"Commander..." Formidable said, still sleep-talking.

"Yes, I am here." I said, even though I knew she couldn't hear me.

"Stay." She said with frightening clarity. "Don't… leave me."

My heart twisted, even though I continued being haunted by the ghosts of my past, these girls had accepted someone like me as their commander. Someone that incapable of controlling his emotions and that lost his cool at the first inconvenience.

Maybe it was like Marcia said and I wasn't truly fit to be a commander.

"…I won't." I answered, and wrapped my arms around her again. "I promise I won't, Formidable."

But if these girls needed me, then that was all I needed. I would do everything to the best of my abilities to support them, just like in the Chaldea.

I wasn't fit to be the last master of humanity either, after all.

In the darkness of the night, someone stared at the military base with a cold, dead gaze. Formidable thought she had managed to lose her at some point, but as the predator that chases after their wounded prey, she had followed her all the way there.

In truth, she wasn't supposed to be there, her mission was only to search for the true Black Cubes and return. But she had ignored Friedrich's orders, and now stood in front of the base of another faction.

Her fists trembled with the idea of killing them all, it would be so easy to manifest her rigging and exterminate all those vermin. They didn't even know, but their pathetic existence rested on her bloody hands at that moment.

But even someone like her knew when to hold back, she did it all the time in the Iron Blood headquarters after all. Like when someone talked to her as If they were friends or every time Friedrich put that unbearable mother act as if she was superior of her…!

So she calmed the rage of her heart and engraved that building on her mind. When the time came and Friedrich decided to act, then she would personally end their lives.

So was the purpose of a weapon, and the only thing that truly bring joy to Roon.

END OF CHAPTER 22

AN: Remember when I said I wanted to do short chapters focusing more on romance? well, here is a long chapter focusing a bit on romance.

The idea behind the short chapters was that I would release them more quickly, alas it wasn't possible. I am going to try to do that in the next couple of chapters but at this point, I shouldn't promise anything.

As always, thanks to Fleece for the proofreading and lower for the editing and making everything flows better.

blah blah discord blah blah, you know the drill (discord. gg / kvRCbruzaT )

And with that, it's my time to disappear.

ADIOS.

Chapter Text

I returned to that room from time to time. It wasn't like I deliberately chose to, rather it was like my steps naturally guided me there. A high-grade ID would usually be needed to access the room, but they were no longer necessary in the situation Chaldea was in, so the doors simply opened the moment I stood in front of them.

It was freezing inside. The sliding doors blasted me with a chilling wind though that was to be expected. The forty seven people sleeping inside the cryostasis capsules, all the Master candidates that were supposed to save the world alongside me needed it that way.

I walked among them in the cold, dark hallways, looking at their faces like I had done so many times before, searching for answers they couldn't give me, leaving my question always hanging in my mind. I didn't know much about them, but I always wondered if we could have been friends. Surely fighting side by side would have brought us together as a team, just like it did with my Servants and me.

"Team…" I muttered listlessly while gazing at a particular section of the facility. I kept walking.

Most of the masters sleeping here were magi of the Mage Association, and some others were ordinary people just like me that happened to have the potential of a Master. And then, there were a group of magi that were considered 'special', the so-called A-Team.

Kirschtaria Wodime, Ophelia Phamrsolone, Kadoc Zemlupus, Scandinavia Peperoncino, Hinako Akuta, Beryl Gut, and Daybit Sem Void.

Before Lev Lainur's betrayal, these seven Masters were supposed to be the spearhead of Chaldea; they were exceptional magi that would lead the salvation of the human order. But even with all their merits, that responsibility ended up falling on a no-name like me.

I stared in silence at the little pieces of their features I could look at from outside. Their faces, however, didn't tell me anything. They never did. It was the same every time I came here; I couldn't help but stare at these seven people. The same question that always crept in my mind resounded ever so louder. It was one that I had tried burying multiple times in the past, but always resurfaced.

"What would have happened if they were in my place, and I was the one sleeping inside the coffin?"

A powerful bright light made me open my eyes, only to be quickly blinded a second later. Intense sun rays came through the window and landed directly on my face as if it was a cruel joke.

"Is it morning already?" I covered my eyes, hoping to shield them from the sunlight, while a deep yawn escaped my mouth; I still felt a bit sleepy.

I tried to move my body to sit when I was reminded that I didn't go to sleep alone last night. Formidable was still on top of me, sleeping like a baby; in fact, her mouth was hanging open, letting a fine line of drool fall on my shirt.

What a bizarre view.

"Formidable." I shook her a bit. "It's morning, time to wake up."

"Uhhh." She released some kind of weird groan. "Five…more…minutes…"

What was I, her mother?

"I would gladly let you continue sleeping, but someone might get the wrong idea if they see us like this first thing in the morning."

Her answer was a nondescript groan that was rather cute in a goofy way. The carrier eventually raised her face to look at me, her eyes were half closed and clearly sleepy, if the trail of drool, droopy expression and absolute mess of a hair were not enough evidence (some of which was sticking to her mouth); it was quite amusing to see her like that, actually.

Formidable's eyes met mine, but she didn't recognize me immediately. In many ways, she lacked grace, but it was oddly fitting somehow. The torpor slowly left her. "Commander…?"

"Good morning." I had to hold myself back from grinning. "Did you sleep well?"

"Commander…" She repeated with a lazy, relaxed smile, but I was able to grasp every instant of that nonchalant, drowsy expression switching gears into alarm. "C-Commander!"

Formidable shot straight up with superhuman speed, kicking herself off the bed and dropping to the floor in a loud thud.

"Uh, are you oka-"

She got up in a flash. "This… this is…" She quickly tried to regain her composure by arranging her hair and rubbing her face, an effort that was utter and completely fruitless. "I… we…"

She stared at me with an expression that went through indignation, surprise and embarrassment in succession then somehow combined them all together into one.

"Excuse me!"

And with that, she ran towards the bathroom.

"And that's the reason I considered it appropriate to accompany your last night, Commander." Said Formidable, a cup of tea in her hand, with no traces left of what happened just half an hour ago. No one would ever believe me if I told them that the dignified lady in front of me was not, in fact, a morning person. The Formidable that came out of the washroom was just not the one who went in.

"I see." I brought my own cup to my lips. We got ourselves a green tea box from the base's cafeteria, which Formidable insisted on preparing for the two of us. Despite not doing anything special, to my knowledge at least, it turned out quite well and certainly a lot better than the tea I usually prepared. "To think my nightmares would be so noticeable…"

My voice trailed off. I knew how bad my dreams could get, but it was the first time someone was there to experience them from the other side. I looked to Formidable again, hoping my smile conveyed fully my gratitude. "Thanks for keeping me company."

"B-but of course, Commander." She said, her face turning a deep shade of red. "You are my ally; this was nothing!" She raised her cup to her lips, but stopped before the cup touched them. She looked wistfully at her distorted reflection on the greenish liquid, face still red, but gaining a semblance of tenderness. "It's the least I can do for you, Commander."

"Probably more than I deserve." A dry laugh escaped my throat. "I have been a failure as a Commander so far. I couldn't do anything to help you out there, and I even lost my cool when the communication cut off."

"No. I was the one that panicked and didn't fight as well as I should have." She lowered her cup and her head. "If someone it's to blame, then that's me."

"You were alone and fighting against an unknown enemy. I would never pin the blame on you, Formidable." I shook my head. "It was my fault that you were put in that situation, I should have done more for you as your Commander." I placed my cup on the table. "The truth is, I was still unsure about my position in the Royal Navy." I stood up and approached her to see her face-to-face. "But not anymore. Just wait, I'll become the Commander you all deserve."

"Commander…" She met my gaze with a small smile on her face. "Don't make me wait for too long, then."

"I promise."

I have decided to give my all for these girls; just like in Chaldea, I would take the mantle of 'savior' again, no matter how loosely that title fits me. I would do it, even if it meant doing things I didn't want to do.

Even if it meant sacrificing what I had built these past years.

"I knew it. The moment you crossed that door, I knew whatever you had to say would ruin my day." Marcia closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, and knowing how things had been, it was probably true. Marcia threw herself back in her chair with an irritated, tired groan. "And still, you managed to surpass my expectations. Do you understand the implications of what you just told me?"

"Sadly, I do. To be spied on by one foreign government is a serious matter, but to be attacked directly by another's secret weapon is a completely different thing."

"This won't be just a war against alien creatures anymore, but against our fellow men." I could feel the powerlessness in her voice. "Are you sure it was not a Japanese prototype?"

"You will have to ask Formidable for the finer details, but she was adamant about the difference in their uniforms and general aspect. So I would say that the possibility of her being a shipgirl of a different country is quite high."

I didn't mention the names I heard in the Siren's dream as I lacked proof that they were involved or even existed.

Marcia remained in silence for a few seconds, deep in thought.

"I have to report this to High Command. We have to prepare countermeasures against a possible threat from foreign prototypes." She stood up and made way towards the door. "Perhaps the higher-ups in the government can talk this out before it can evolve into something far more serious."

I grabbed her arm when she passed by me, stopping her.

"What are you-!?"

"You know what we have to do, Haydes." I said, our eyes meeting. "Let me wake them up, you know I can do it."

"…The prototypes? We are taking care of them already, you have seen it."

"I can heal them quicker with my magic; just give me direct access to them." Depending on their individual state, I might be able to fully heal two, or maybe three of them before passing out.

"And how do you expect me to explain that wounds that would normally take at least a month are suddenly cured within a week?" She closed in and added in a whisper. "Or do I need to remind you that your powers are supposed to be a secret?"

"No one needs to know." I firmly held. "You are the Commander, I am sure you can figure something out to make everyone leave and give me some time alone with them."

"That's a dangerous game you are playing." She looked at me seriously. "There is only so much I can do to hide you, Fujimaru; and I am sure people in the base are already questioning your presence here. You aren't the only one who would take the fall if you get caught doing your magic trickery out in the open. You understand that, right?"

"I know, but we have to do it. Formidable is in no state to fight and even if she were, I would not send her alone again. This is me looking at the bigger picture, Haydes. We… No, this entire country needs the Royal Navy to survive, and not just one or two, all of them."

She didn't say anything for a while, clearly mulling over my words. As someone who had seen what the Sirens were capable of with her own eyes, I was sure she understood what I was getting up. The question was how far she was willing to back me up.

"…How can you be sure that they aren't going to rebel again once you wake them up?"

"I'll make sure they won't."

"That sounds ominous coming from you, yet for some reason, it feels like something you'll be able to pull off." She sighed tiredly. "I won't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do."

Her eyes moved toward my hand. "Now, can you release me or do I have to call security?"

"Sorry." I did as she asked.

"You better be. I think I am going to develop chronic headaches from dealing with you." She massaged her temples. "Dying by the Sirens or dying because of you, I am doomed either way."

So she said, and somehow, it didn't feel like a joke.

Our time between singularities was limited. Solomon's plan had to be stopped as soon as possible, and everyone in Chaldea worked tirelessly to accomplish that goal for the sake of the human order. But that didn't mean that we didn't have some free time every now and then. We still celebrated things like Christmas and New Year's; it was good for morale according to Da Vinci and frankly, Roman needed a few days off to stop falling asleep in the command center.

One such holiday was Valentine's Day, funnily enough, and it was almost entirely accepted by Chaldea staff and Servants alike despite the widely different backgrounds among us. I even received a few chocolate boxes from some of them, though I was sure they were mostly done out of courtesy.

However, there was a certain person I was eagerly waiting to see that day.

"Senpai."

"M-Mashu, hello!" I opened the door of my room to let Mashu in as she wanted us to meet in private. "H-how are you doing? Are you enjoying Valentine's?"

I tried my best to hide my excitement, but I was sure my voice was shaking a bit.

"Of course! Seeing everyone working so hard to show their gratitude to each other is frankly inspiring." I could see a blush on her face even when she looked to the side. "I… actually wanted to do the same with you, Senpai."

"Ah? No, no! I am the one that should be grateful to you." I lowered my tone. "I don't think I would be here if it wasn't for you, Mashu…"

The room felt silent as we both were too embarrassed to speak.

"Even though I really want to show you my true feelings Senpai, so…" She raised her gaze to meet mine and she continued. "Can I ask you something?"

"Ah? Sure!" I was expecting to receive her chocolates but apparently, it was a different matter. Could it have gotten my hopes up too soon? "You can ask me anything, Mashu!"

"Then, Senpai, can you…" She paused for a bit, seemingly nervous. "Can you tell me why you didn't come back?"

I stood still.

What?

"Why I didn't… come back?" As soon as those words left my mouth, I felt a strange sensation deep in my chest. I opened my mouth to try to speak, but I found myself repeatedly breathing in quick succession, and no voice came out. All air left me, and I was left gasping for it, as if my trachea had been suddenly closed by an invisible force and I couldn't get any oxygen in my lungs. Mashu's expression had changed; gone were all nerves and bashfulness that were so familiar and comforting.

"You should have been able to come back, you are the savior of humanity after all." Mashu continued unperturbed, her anxious tone had been replaced by a cold edge. "So why didn't you come back?"

"I… I… I tried-I really tried, but… gah-!" I barely managed to push the words out through my suffocation. I fell on my knees.

"You promised that you would return, and we would do a lot of things together." The room around us was engulfed in a dark haze. "But you disappeared. And now you live in a different world, with different people at your side."

My vision began swimming. I barely made out the sight of Mashu kneeling in front of me, but I couldn't see her face.

"Why aren't you trying to return? Have you given up? Why didn't you come back?" Her voice echoed in my head and resounded in my mind. "We were waiting for you. Why didn't you come back? You promised you would return. Why didn't you come back? Why didn't you come back? Why didn't you come back? Why didn't you come back?

Why

didn't

you

come

back?"

"I... I… I did everything-I could…" My limbs and body grew heavy, and Mashu's faceless, cold form towered over me as I began to sink into the ground, as the black smoke grew ever thicker. "I wanted to… come back… I really wanted to!"

And I so fell into the infinite darkness.

"Master!"

"I wanted to come back!" I shouted as my eyes opened, but there were no longer any signs of Chaldea or Mashu around me, instead, I found the worried expression of a certain maid.

"Belfast...?" My breath was still agitated, but I could clearly see that I was on the military base, lying on the maid's lap. Yes, I remembered now, I lost consciousness after the latest session of healing Sheffield.

What I saw…it had been nothing but a nightmare.

"I apologize for waking you like this, but you seemed in pain."

"It's fine, it wasn't a pleasant dream." To have tarnished my Valentine's Day with Mashu like that... my nightmares were getting worse. "Sorry to have shown you such pathetic sight, Belfast."

She shook her head as if that didn't matter to her.

"No, it's alright." Belfast gave a smile of sincere relief. "I am just glad to see you again, Master."

"I feel the same." And I, too could do nothing but smile. "I missed you, Belfast."

"Ahem." Unfortunately, our reunion was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing her throat beside us. "You two are not alone, you know?"

In an instant, I raised my head from Belfast's lap and stood up to see Marcia, looking at us with a mixture of irritation and exhaustion.

"Haydes, how's Sheffield? Has she woken up as well?" I asked, completely ignoring that she had just seen me and Belfast in a less than professional situation.

"She has awakened, yes." She sighed and added in a tired tone. "Not in the most receptive mood, however."

"She needs time." Belfast interceded. "Seeing Her Majesty like that was…" Her voice trailed off. "…tough for her. I am sure she will be fine in a couple of days."

"What about you, Belfast? How are you holding up?" I turned to her.

"Thanks for worrying about me, Master, but I am fine." She said, in a somewhat forced tone. "I can't deny that I am still a bit shaken, but as the Head Maid, I must put my duties first." With that said, she stood beside me and looked at me with a serious gaze. "And as the protocol indicates, in the absence of the Queen, the leadership of the Royal Navy falls on you now, Master." She bowed practically at ninety degrees towards me. "In the name of the Maid Corps, I shall await your orders, Commander."

The room fell silent. I gave a side glance to Marcia, who was looking at me, arms crossed as if judging what my next move would be.

"Raise your head, Belfast." She did as I told her. "We are to remain on standby, the Royal Navy is not in a position to do much anyway." I shot a glance at Marcia again. "We are going to collaborate with the British government for the time being, understood?"

"Understood, Master."

"Also..." I moved closer to her, and spoke in a way Marcia couldn't hear us. "Don't be too hard on yourself, please." Even if she didn't want me to worry, I knew far too well how she must be feeling. "Elizabeth is alive and that's all that matters. You can ask for forgiveness once she wakes up, okay?"

"Yes… Master." She lowered her head towards me in a solemn bow.

I patted her shoulder gently and then walked away towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Marcia shot at me.

"To see Sheffield."

"Didn't you hear? She doesn't want to see anyone, you are wasting your time."

"Sheffield hadn't wanted to see me since the moment we first met." A crooked smile appeared on my face. "We get along like that, you see."

And with those words, I left the room.

"Such arrogance." Marcia continued after Fujimaru had left the room. "I still don't understand how you can follow someone like him, Belfast."

"Well, it wasn't by choice at first, but Master has proven to be quite resourceful. He saved all of us after all; something even I couldn't do." There was a painful undertone behind those words, it had been her Master who saved everyone instead of her or any of the maids.

'It should have been the other way around.' The head maid couldn't help but think that.

"It's only because of those powers, that 'magic' of him." Marcia was getting pissed for a reason even she didn't fully understand, so she tried her best to not show it. "Do you know anything about them, Belfast?"

The maid shook her head.

"I do not, and I if I knew, I am not sure I would be allowed to tell you, Marcia."

Haydes shot her an accusing glare

"You were more loyal before." There was a certain resentment in her voice.

"My apologizes." Belfast bowed her head a bit. "Even if I am no longer your direct subordinate, I still consider you my first friend."

"A friend…" Marcia repeated that word in her mind, it carried a strange feeling with it. "So you don't hate me? Even after all I did?" She was sure Sheffield hated her and suspected that the other prototypes she knew felt similarly. Wasn't it the same for Belfast?

The maid's answer came in the form of a smile.

"I do not. We had our orders, and we followed them as best as we could, but that's all in the past. Her Majesty is in no position to lead another coup and Master and you seem to be on friendly terms. I have no reason to hold a grudge against you, Marcia."

While her words reassured Marcia, she couldn't help but pick up on a certain part.

"Friendly terms? He and I?" Marcia couldn't help but chuckle. "I didn't know you had such a sense of humor, Belfast."

"Oh, am I wrong?" Belfast tided her head. "You two seem to get along quite well compared to when you imprisoned him."

"We made a deal, reluctantly." Marcia sighed. "Doesn't mean we suddenly became best friends."

"Maybe you should give him a chance. He can be quite kind, even if it doesn't appear at first."

"Kind? He's brought me nothing but trouble since he appeared."

"He also encouraged me to help you."

"…what?"

"When Her Majesty ordered your execution, it was Master the one who saw my internal turmoil and convinced me to help you escape." The maid pretended to be deep in thought. "Who knows what would happen if he hadn't, I wonder?"

"Wait…does that mean…?"Marcia couldn't finish, as the realization suddenly hit her in full force.

"Yes." Belfast smiled, and Marcia could swear she was enjoying her plight way too much. "You technically owe him your life, in part."

Marcia's day really couldn't get any worse.

"I thought you would be here. There aren't many places to be alone in this building after all." I stepped into the rooftop, closing the door being me.

Sheffield quickly turned her head to me, her stern glare was initially one of hostility, but it faltered ever so slightly once she recognized who I was; eventually she disregarded my presence and returned to watch the sunset. She was sitting on the corner of the rooftop, her legs hanging in the air. She had yet to be back in her maid uniform, still being clad in a simple white dress, and her hair flew freely into the wind.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, keeping her back to me.

"I was looking for you. It's been a while since we last talked."

"Leave. I have nothing to say to you."

"Is that so? I thought you would at least thanks me for saving your life. Or are you even above basic courtesy?"

I got no response; she really wasn't in the mood for our usual banter. I gave up on pursuing the usual approach and silently took seat next to her, watching over the golden sun giving its last lights for the day.

"You really don't know when to give up, pest."

"That's what I am told." A weak smile appeared on my smile. "If I am really bothering you, then I will leave."

"You are." She grunted crudely. "Disappear from my sight."

"Alright, I will but… can I say something first?"

She eyed me with an annoyed, cold stare.

"You will do it even if I say no."

"You know me better than I thought." I chuckled.

"Regrettably." She sighed resignedly. "Go on."

I didn't begin immediately. What was about to say wasn't exactly an easy topic for me, but if my words could help Sheffield, then I had no choice but to suck it up and force them out of my mouth.

"I failed the person I loved the most." I started, my chest already ached with just those words. "I wanted nothing more than to protect her, but I failed, and she ended up paying the ultimate price."

I could still see her, smiling at me just seconds before Goetia's Noble Phantasm robbed her life.

"For years, I blamed myself. To an extent, I still do." I continued. "There isn't a single sleepless night I don't think of that day. I have run thousands of different scenarios in my head, thinking what I could have done differently. I was so sure it was my fault that maybe, if I had acted in a different way, she would still be alive. It wasn't until recently that I realized those thoughts were meaningless; none would ease my pain or my guilt. What was done was done, and no matter how much I want it, I can't go back in time."

Sheffield kept her stern expression but didn't say anything. I decided to continue.

"What I really wanted, no, what I really needed was to speak with her again, one last time, to tell her how sorry I am, how much I love her, and how grateful I still am for even meeting her." I caressed the back of my hand. That warmth I felt when I awakened Lord Camelot for the first time… I would never forget about it. "Alas, it's impossible for me to do any of that. But not for you, Sheffield. You failed, yes, but Elizabeth is still alive. You can bow your head and ask for forgiveness if you want and promise to be better next time. All of you maids still have the chance to do so. So take it, because I can't."

Sheffield didn't answer, remaining with her face to the front; the powerful rays of the setting sun made her amber eyes appear to glow in an orange color. She didn't show a thing in her expression, and I knew firsthand how hard it was to make stubborn people reach out.

"I just wanted to say that, sorry for bothering you." I kicked my legs back and turned around to stand up, but was stopped when she grabbed me by the arm, her grasp intense at first but quickly fading with each second.

"So you're just going to drop your entire life story and then leave? Talk about being self-centered." The words were scalding as usual, but her voice lacked the sardonic tone it usually had, there was no force behind her mocking.

I didn't say anything and sat back, waiting for her to talk when she was ready, our legs dangling on opposite sides of the building's edge, but both of us being basked in the warmth outside.

"I hated you, you know." She said.

"That implies you don't hate me anymore."

"I still kind of hate you, but for different reasons. What I despise the most is not you in particular, but humanity. I couldn't forgive what they did to us, and I could never understand why Belfast was content with serving a human Commander, even less why Her Majesty wanted to have them as her vassals. It's utter nonsense." She admitted caustically. "But I followed my orders, because that is what I'm meant to do, to fulfill my role as a Royal Maid without asking questions."

Sheffield pulled her knees close to her chest, her hands trembling. Her eyes met my own again, looking at me with a judgmental stare.

"But then you appeared, and everything got upside down." Her voice was now neutral. "You came out of nowhere and triumphed over the Sirens while I was soundly defeated by them. Even worse, those humans I deemed as useless ended up saving my life and, more importantly, the life of Her Majesty." She clenched her hands against her bare legs. "How can I face Her Majesty after that? How could I promise to protect her this time around, when am I not fit to do so?"

"Don't you want to protect her?"

"Of course, I want to. That's my role as a Royal Maid."

"Then do it, and if you see yourself lacking, rely on your companions. There is only so much you can do by yourself. I know that very well." I reasoned, my own memories of the countless battles resurfaced, none of which were won by a single person's effort, human or otherwise. Hell, my whole continued existence in this world was not of my own resolve, after all. "You don't have to do everything by yourself, Sheffield. You have the entire Royal Navy supporting you. And of course, you have me as well. I want you to see me not as a human who just happened to help you, but as your Commander protecting our own faction."

Sheffield observed me as if trying to discern if my words were genuine. Her grip on her legs relaxed.

"That's another thing I hate, I can't ever figure you out." She sighed. "The only thing I know for certain is that you have seized control of the faction, and if you betray us now, it will be the end of us."

"But I can also be your greatest ally if you allow me to." I extended my arm to her, offering a handshake. "I might not look like it, but I actually saved the world once, you know?" I said, laughing at my own words.

Sheffield looked at me with an expression that better matched her usual demeanor, yet ever slightly… warmer and softer.

"I am still not sure if you are completely delusional or if you can actually back any of those claims." She extended her hand, finally accepting the handshake. "Guess I have to stick out with you to figure out which one it is… Master."

That particular word felt different now, and though it might have been my imagination, I wanted to believe that I saw an honest smile on Sheffield's face for a couple of seconds for the first time since I've known her.

"You are still a pest in my eyes, however." She said as if the reminder was necessary.

"I wouldn't have it in any other way." I laughed.

"A pest that can be reliable sometimes." She added, in a low tone.

"Whaaaat? Sorry, I didn't hear that." I lied in singsong.

"Keep that up and you'll regret it." She finally turned her legs into the building and stood up, dusting her dress and promptly taking steps towards the door with renowned spirits.

I chuckled and tried to stand up as well to follow her.

"Wait." However, she stopped me.

"What's wrong?"

"Have you told anyone else about your past?" She asked all of a sudden.

"My past? Not really, only to you and mostly because you forced me to."

"I didn't force anything." She argued.

"You had a gun to my face."

"I didn't force this tidbit."

"Give me back my goodwill, then." I chuckled, glad to have her in a better mood.

"But I see, so it's a secret." She brought a hand to her chin as if she was thinking of something. Something was clearly turning inside her head. "Having said that, I can't bear with the idea of owing you more than I do, so I shall disclose a personal secret of mine. That should even the scales if only a bit in my favor."

"It's not really necessary for you-"

"It is necessary. I will not be at peace until we are even."

"…alright, if that's what makes you feel better, be my guest." She was adamant about it so I might as well hear what she had to say. "What's your secret?"

She leaned toward my ear, her tone coming down to a murmur, her expression stony.

"I actually don't wear undergarments." She said with the most serious tone.

"..."

Silence, the only thing that could be heard was the sound of a breeze in the distance.

A silence that was broken as I burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha, what the fuck, Sheffield?" I really couldn't contain my laugh. "I-Hahaha-I knew you had a warped sense of humor but… hahaha… I really didn't expect that-HAHAHA!"

I continued laughing, ignorant that Sheffield was still completely serious, keeping her trademark deadpan expression.

"Hahaha, wait, what are you do-"

Then she reached for the hem of her sundress and in one decisive motion, lifted it for me to see.

My laughter died out, and I stared, completely speechless until she lowered her skirt again.

"I truly hope we are one step closer to settling the score with that, Master." She said, without a hint of shame in her voice. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I shall attend to my duties as a Royal Maid."

With those words and a small bow, she turned around and left. Only I remained on the rooftop, my gaze still fixed on the same space as before. I was unable to move for quite some time, and when I finally could, it was only to smack my palm on my face.

"Mother… Father… where did I go wrong?" I asked as I recalled every single decision of my life that lead me to command a group of perverted maids.

"So you are leaving the base, Commander?" Formidable asked.

It had been about a week since the Siren attack, and everything had remained strangely quiet since that day. No news of the Sirens, the Sakura Empire, or that unknown faction that attacked Formidable, who was still recovering from her injuries.

As for the recently awakened Belfast and Sheffield, they had fully returned to their duties and were in standby in case an attack did happen. Sadly, they were the only ones as I found myself unable to heal the rest, even losing consciousness before I could fully heal Sirius. Either she was in a more critical condition than the rest or overworking my circuit were starting to take its toll, I couldn't know. This meant that Elizabeth, Warspite, Edinburgh and Dido were also still completely out of commission.

Despite that, it had been a slow week, almost like we were in peaceful times again. I knew that such feelings were fleeting though; this was just the calm before the storm.

"Yes, I somehow got permission from Haydes to leave for a couple of days." Surprisingly enough, she didn't offer much resistance. Perhaps because I was never officially a prisoner or maybe because she was in a far better mood due to the lack of attacks. There was also the fact that she was scrambling to put everything back in order since the unexpected reorganization. "I have to take care of a few things in the outside world."

"Shall I accompany you, then? I have grown tired of seeing the same building every day; a lady's senses will dull if she doesn't expand her horizons every now and then."

"That would be lovely. Regrettably, I don't think I will be able to give you a proper tour of the city, I have to go to my house to gather a few things, then go to my old workplace to resign, then go to the bank to get some money… It will be mostly boring stuff." I lied. "Besides, you're beginning your treatment for your arm today. "

"Ah… yes, that's right." She said but didn't seem entirely convinced. "I wanted to go with you, though."

Did she just pout like a child?

"Now, now, I'll come back once everything is sorted out. So we can hang out by then." I tried my best to reassure her. "Not that you'll be lonely in my absence, Belfast and Sheffield are here after all."

"Well, yes, that's true, but…" She meandered. It was clear that something was bothering her.

"...You still think about that night, don't you?" I supplied.

"I do. Whenever I talk to them, the memories… resurface." She confessed, lowering her head. She raised her only arm close to her face. " I still see it. I see myself ordering the drones to shoot, I see them on the ground, in pools of their own blood. A-And I know they're trying not to show it, but…" She closed her hand with force.

I put a hand on her shoulder and she raised her gaze to look at me with a sad look. Neither of us said anything, she took my hand from her shoulder and had me cup her cheek with it, rubbing against it. We remained in silence like that for a brief moment.

Erasing bad memories was pretty much impossible in my experience. I knew well enough that my own would accompany me for the rest of my life.

"Once everyone wakes up, let's go somewhere, like on vacation."

So the only thing I could do to ease those memories was to create good ones to counterweigh them.

"Vacation?" She gave me a curious look.

"Yeah, you all have gone through a lot, you totally deserve it." Getting permission from Haydes to travel with seven secret government weapons would be quite a herculean task, let alone with these unknown threats from all sides looming on the horizon. Here's hoping she would remain in a good mood for the foreseeable future. "I am sure Elizabeth and Warspite would love to see the castles of the past, and there's much to show you, too. I wonder what the maids would like, actually."

I personally would like to visit the resting place of an old friend in a certain abbey in Glastonbury.

"A vacation with everyone… Yes, that would be nice." Formidable rested her head on my arm and looked at me with her beautiful copper eyes, a weak smile returning to her face. "I shall eagerly await that day, Commander."

After everything that happened, what these girls needed the most was hope, something to look forward to other than risking their lives on the battlefield.

"Me too." I smiled. "Let's enjoy ourselves when the time comes."

Yes, hope was all we needed right now.

Even if it was a fragile one.

Being a teacher was never something I considered while I was a student, nor was I particularly good at history. Taking that job was merely a byproduct of my interest in learning this world's history, and it was a less risky alternative than doing heavy jobs using magecraft in secret.

And despite that, the moment I realized I would never cross those school gates as a teacher again made me feel a bit sad. The school and their directives gave me a chance when I was a nobody with next to no experience in teaching, and now I was abandoning it just like that. I didn't even have time to say goodbye to my old students.

"But this is for the best." I repeated to myself.

If I wanted to truly take the role of Commander, then I had to commit to it. Any wrong decision would affect not only me, but the shipgirls and even the whole country, it was not a position I could take lightly.

I exited the school, carrying my stuff on a small box, and the gates closed behind me; it hadn't been an amiable dismissal, but in a way, it was fitting. I could no longer return to that peace I had constructed in the past years, I was abandoning my old life. Waking early to arrive at the school in time, trying not to get the dates mixed up, grading exams, and most importantly, talking about the heroes of the past, of the people that were my friends… it was not a bad life, but perhaps it was never meant to be; my role in this world was different.

That also meant that I was basically jobless though.

"I truly hope Haydes can pay me a salary or something." I sighed, it wasn't like I had that much money saved up and I still had to pay taxes.

While I was sulking about my future money problems, a black sedan stopped in front of the school inches ahead of me. Its polarized window slowly descended to let me see the driver.

"Need a ride, handsome?" She asked in a teasing tone.

"Belfast…?" My eyes alternated between the black car and the maid inside it, who was not dressed as one, opting for a white dress shirt and tight fitting jeans. I didn't even know she could drive. "What are you doing here?"

"Greetings, Master. Marcia told me that you were traveling to London for a few days, so naturally, I offered myself as your driver." The albino maid said as if it was the most natural thing to do. "She said that someone has to keep tabs on you and allowed me to go."

Haydes… I shouldn't have told her where I was going.

"It's a long trip. I wouldn't want to bother you, Belfast." I tried to quickly end the conversation with a half-hearted wave. "I will just use the public transport, thank you for the offer though. See you in a few days."

I began walking, but Belfast sped up and literally cut my path with the car.

"I have to insist, Master. Using public transport will take more time, which means more time away from your commanding duties. It would be most optimal if I drive you there." She gave me a knowing stare. "Unless you don't want me to go with you for undisclosed reasons."

"It's not like that, it's just…" I didn't know how to continue without exposing my plans. She had me cornered in all sense of the word. "Alright, you got me. I am going to London to look for a person from my past. It has nothing to do with the Sirens or my position as Commander, so you don't have to worry about it."

"Master, I am sure you understand that saying that only makes me worry more." Belfast was having none of it. "By your tone, it's clear that it's not an amiable meeting."

"It's… complicated and I can't say it won't be dangerous." I confessed. "But you just recovered from your injuries, Belfast. I can't just ask you to come with me like that."

The head maid blinked a few times without saying anything, as if to double take what I just said. In the end, she took a deep breath and stared sternly at me.

"Is that the reason you wield a shield, Master? Because you can only think of protecting others?" Belfast asked, serious and stern. "I don't dislike that part of you, but if you are the one always protecting everyone, who protects you, Master?

I felt a lump form in my throat. I was the one being protected in Chaldea, not only by Mashu but by the rest of my Servants, Roman and Da Vinci. But those people that used to protect me were no longer there; all that was left was the shield.

Perhaps I had tried to take their role without realizing.

"Get in." She opened the co-pilot's door. "Let us protect you for once, Master."

'You don't have to do everything by yourself.' The words I said to Sheffield came back to me. Maybe I needed to heed my own advice too.

So I hopped in the car.

"We are going to a place called the Clock Tower." I said as I closed the door behind me. "They are a secret society conformed by mages, just like-no, I barely count as a mage before them; they can do things I can only dream of." I clenched my fist. "They are also cruel and despicable. A magus is someone who would do anything to achieve their objectives, no matter how many lives would be lost to reach it."

"Is the person you are meeting one of those mages?"

"Yes, but he is different." I couldn't help but smile. "He is my friend."

Today, I was awoken.

I didn't know why they woke me up. Perhaps they wanted to test my reaction to something, though they should have known by this point that I had long lost most of my senses. Most of the time it was like my body had been turned off and the only active part was my brain, a prisoner of a lifeless body. The only thing I could actually feel was regret; the memories of what I had lost tormented me and that was more painful than any torture these magi could inflict on me.

That's why I preferred when they kept me asleep, because I didn't have to remember a thing. I could spend months or even years sleeping and nothing would change.

It was peaceful, in a way.

But now I was awoken and even worse, they were moving me. Where? I didn't know and frankly, didn't care.

It was always the same story: they asked questions and when they didn't like the answers they would start messing with my body or my circuits.

Why couldn't they understand? Weren't they supposed to be geniuses? Eminences in their respective magecraft fields? Or was their ego so big and fragile that they refused to acknowledge they were mistaken? Whatever the case was, the result would still be the same: I was not a magician, and no matter how much they take away from my body, they won't be an inch closer to the Second Magic.

So I continued to exist in a state between life and death, wakefulness and sleep, and I would probably continue to exist like that, not alive or dead, until the moment my body would finally give up.

I had resigned to that Fate, until I saw something I hadn't seen in a long time: A light in the darkness.

My eyes, which were so accustomed to the poorly illuminated underground chamber that they had stopped functioning correctly, saw light again, colors even. That sudden stimulus was quickly followed by a certain aroma. Yes, it was the smell of fresh air, one that hadn't reached my nostrils since I was locked up. I was no longer in that underground dungeon, they had brought me somewhere else.

The last thing that reached me was all kinds of sounds, but I couldn't decipher their meaning, it could have been people talking or just walking around me. It went like that for a long while until silence returned.

No, there was still something: a very quiet sound, next to my ear.

I turned my head around with difficulty and I was promptly blinded by a strong light. The array of colors was replaced by flashing white.

And then I heard it.

"Apologize… should have… sooner."

Someone was talking, but I couldn't quite hear well or see them due to the light behind him. I could only understand a couple of words.

"I understand… weak… now."

By the tone of his voice, I could assume it was a man, and not one I have heard before. None of the magi experimenting on me talked like that. This man spoke in a calm, but serious tone.

"…doesn't have to be now but… talk..."

Slowly, my eyes began to get accustomed to the light again, and I started to see around me. I noticed that my body was currently lying on a bed and that the filthy chamber I was used to was replaced by some sort of spacious room decorated with wooden furniture and multiple shelves filled with books. The source of the powerful light turned out to be a set of wide-open windows.

The figure of the man who was talking to me also became more apparent. He had long blonde hair and wore an almost entirely white outfit with a coat. That combination almost made him shine like the sun behind him. He was sitting next to the bed, holding something in his hands that I couldn't quite distinguish.

"I did some research and I found out it's common in Japan to offer apples for people recovering from illnesses." He said, rotating the red object, apparently an apple, in his hands. He was peeling it. "I ignore if it's different in the Japan of your world, however. If that's the case, I'll apologize."

"A-aaa-hhh" I opened my mouth and a weird sound came out, I felt like I hadn't talked in years. "Ki-ki-kii..."I ended up closing it, clenching my teeth. I couldn't even form a proper word, it was pathetic.

I couldn't even say his name.

"Don't force yourself." He said, in a calm tone. "I have plenty of apples to peel, so I'll stay here until you recover." I could see a small smile creeping across his face. "It's my first time doing this by myself, after all. Turns out it's actually quite fun."

That was my first proper interaction with Kirschtaria Wodime. Just him staying by my side without saying much. It was a small gesture, but one that meant a lot to me.

After all, that was the moment I started to wonder if it really was the sun behind him, or if he had been the one shining all along.

We decided to stop at a gas station to fill the tank and stretch our legs for a bit after a couple hours of driving. I had gotten us some drinks from a nearby vending machine and we were now drinking leisurely as we watched the cars pass in front of us.

It was no use hiding my past anymore, not if we were going to face mages. So I ended telling Belfast everything, about why the Clock Tower locked me up, about my world and about Chaldea. She listened with rapt attention.

"How long was it, Master?" That was the first question Belfast asked. "How long were you imprisoned there?"

"A little more than a year." I brought a hand to the back of my head. "Or that's what Kirschtaria told me, my perception of time was severy muddled. Sometimes a few days felt like years and others months passed like seconds."

"That person, Kirschtaria Wodime. If he was with the Clock Tower, why did he help you?"

"I don't know." I chuckled. "I never fully understood him to be honest. Maybe he felt it was the right thing to do? Or perhaps out of pity? Whatever it was, he arranged my liberation with the directives of the Clock Tower on one condition: I had to leave Lord Camelot, behind."

That was the price I had to pay for my freedom, too high of a price.

"You didn't accept." She concluded, knowing I had Lord Camelot still with me.

"No, I did, but I didn't leave. In fact, I ended up staying as a normal student." As much as I hated what the Clock Tower did to me, I wouldn't understand half the things I did now without them. "That was when Kirschtaria took me in and I started working under him, or well, I say work, but it was mostly me learning the basics and studying the history of the world. It was like that for a couple of years, until… I found myself forced to leave."

Perhaps she had noticed the change in my tone because she didn't ask why.

"So I stole back Lord Camelot and escaped from the Clock Tower." I continued. "I haven't talked with Kirschtaria since then."

"And you have been hiding from the Clock Tower all this time, but it Sirens were the ones that found you first."

"Yes. And I think you know the rest of the story." I released a deep sigh, feeling a weight being taken off my shoulders.

"I see." Having heard everything I had to say, Belfast looked at me in the eyes. "I am sorry that you had to go through all that, Master. I can't imagine how you must have felt, having lost so much."

"It was lonely. For a long time, I couldn't tell anyone about myself or about what I did. I felt this… disconnection to the people of this world. Everything changed when I met you all, though." An ironic laugh escaped my mouth. "For better or worse, I haven't felt that way since I got into this mess, maybe because I am constantly on edge about what to do next. Just like in Chaldea."

"Even if that's the case, I am glad we could help in a way." She lowered her head. "I know we can't compare to what you experienced before, as I can't imagine what it must feel to lead humanity's heroes, but I guarantee the Maid Corps and I will always be there for you, Master."

She was right, the Royal Navy was not a second Chaldea, and expecting the same from the two would be just wishful thinking and unfair.

"Thank you, Belfast. I appreciate it, I truly do." I raised my face to look at the sky. "And thank you for listening until the end, being able to open myself like this is not something I did in a long time."

"It was my pleasure. I feel like I understand a little more about you now, Master."

"Do you see me in a new light, now?" I gave her a weak grin.

"Not really." She shook her head, much to my surprise. "I swore my loyalty to you, Master. I would have followed you even if you weren't a hero."

A hero, huh.

"I understand. It's because of Elizabeth's orders, right?"

Belfast didn't say anything for a few seconds, she just closed her eyes and smiled.

"We can leave it like that for now, if you want."

"And what does that-"

"Now, I think it's time to move on, Master." She quickly changed the topic. "It's starting to get dark, and we don't want to get caught in the traffic."

She strolled towards the car before I could say anything.

I wanted to ask what she meant again but stopped myself. She was right, better continue our journey for now.

Still, did she just tease me?

It was already quite late when we finally arrived to London, the traffic certainly didn't help as we got closer and closer to the capital. I hated traffic in Japan, and I hated here in Britain even more. With that being said, we successfully managed to find a hotel room to spend the night in.

A small critter made of stones flew around that very same room and landed on Belfast's hand.

"It's actually quite cute." She played with the golem dragonfly on her hand. "Can you make different animals?"

"Just small ones, though I am really out of practice. The biggest I can make is a dove." I cleaned the cut I had made myself to create the golem, trying to correct some misshaping. "You should have seen my teacher, he could create golems that dwarfed us in size."

"Was he one of your Servants?"

"Yes, his name was Avicebron." Memories of the masked man came to me. "He was a curious person, always calling himself a third-rate Servant despite the fact he was indisputable in golem creation." I chuckled. "He was also a hard-to-please teacher; always saying that someone with no talent like me must never rely on golems but should at least be able to use them when the time came."

"You seem to remember him fondly."

"I do, he wasn't nearly as difficult to deal with as some other servants." With a hand movement, I called the golem dragonfly to my hand. "And even the more problematic ones were still my dear companions. I would do anything to see them again…" I stopped myself before I could sink in the memories of the past, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

I brought the golem close to my face and whispered.

"Fly to the tower with the giant clock, and search for the blonde man that wears white. Don't let anyone else discover you."

The golem made no sign of understanding me, but soon enough it rattled its wings and left through the open window.

"Now, we wait." I sat on the bed. "We are close to the Clock Tower so hopefully it shouldn't take too long for the golem to find him."

"Despite not seeing him for years, you still to trust this Kirschtaria Wodime a lot." Belfast noted, not without some doubt in her voice. "Are you sure he would be willing to help us?"

"I have to ask him at the very least. He is a powerful magus and having him on our side would tide the scales on our favor." And even if he couldn't help us directly, there was still a certain something in the Clock Tower that could help us in our battle against the Sirens. "I hate having to bring him into this conflict, but if the Sirens are really operating at a global scale, then it's just a matter of time until the Mage Association gets involved. Better bring him to our side sooner than later."

I also wanted to see him again, but I made sure to omit that part.

"We'll wait until tomorrow night, if we don't get a response before that…then we will have no choice but to go there in person." There is no way the Clock Tower will receive us with open arms, but if we can get Kirschtaria's help against the Sirens, then this plan would be worth the risk. "It's possible that we will have face one or more mages soon, Belfast."

"I am ready to fight whenever you say, Master. No matter if the enemy is a Siren or a mage." She said, determined.

I didn't want to involve the Royal Navy precisely because of that, but going alone wasn't a better alternative. "If we do fight, don't hold back and shoot to kill. Showing mercy to a Magus is a death sentence."

"Understood, Master." She nodded.

Having said that, I threw myself on the bed. It had been a long day, and exhaustion was settling in.

"We should take turns to keep watch, just in case something happens." I did my best to sit on the bed again. "I can take the first watch so you can rest a bit, Belfast."

"That won't be necessary, I can stay awake for the rest of the night just fine. You shall rest, Master."

"…I would feel bad doing that. I know that you don't need as much sleep as me but I still-" As I tried to stand up, Belfast put herself in front of me, putting both hands on my shoulders and basically forcing me to sit on the bed again.

"You seem to have trouble accepting other's kindness, right, Master?" She said with a smile that felt threatening for some reason.

"Perhaps…" I avoided her gaze. "I just want to do everything in my power for all of you, Belfast. I failed once, I don't want that to happen again."

"I understand, because I feel the same toward you, Master." She sat beside me. "I am glad you are reliable and willing, but at the same time I wish I could serve you more, as a maid. Being useful is what brings me joy after all."

"Belfast…"

"So when you asked for a room with only one bed, I thought you were ready for me to serve you in that way." A slight blush streaked across her face.

Muted seconds passed as my brain attempted to connect the dots.

"T-There was no deep meaning behind that, I only thought we would be safer if we shared the room and-" I was babbling at that point.

"Hehe… forgive me. This is the only way I could look at your troubled expression." She chuckled. "It's rare for you to make that kind of cute face with any other topic."

"…Give me a break, please." I sighed. "I am not accustomed to this kind of thing."

She smiled and gently dropped her head on my shoulder.

"Though I wouldn't mind if you wanted to do it for real."

Another muted silence filled the room.

"Teasing me like this will lead you nowhere." I said, in the most monotonous tone possible.

"I am serious." She said, her playful tone disappearing in matter of seconds. "My body is yours to use how you see fit."

"I am not falling for that-"

So I tried to say when she took my hand, bringing it over her right breast. A breath got stuck in my throat again, and I had to fight against every instinct to keep my eyes focused on Belfast's eyes.

"I like that part of you that only thinks of helping others, it does come naturally to you. But I also would like it if you could be more selfish from time to time." She leaned in closer. "So I can be a bit selfish, too."

My heart rate accelerated and any words I might have had died in my mouth. My gaze could only alternate between her amethyst eyes and her chest. I did not know how to respond, I wasn't accustomed to this kind of thing. Not after so long.

"Belfast, I…"

"It's fine. I want this. I want to serve you in every way possible." She whispered in my ear. I could feel her hair on my skin, and her lips grazing my earlobe. Belfast tenderly grasped my nape, her thin fingers carefully running through my hair. "Let me serve you, Master. Please."

Her voice had lost the sultry edge, now marked with pleading and yearning. Belfast closed her eyes, waiting for me to make the next move. Just like that time with Sirius; perhaps it was due to their nature as maids, they wanted me to be the one who made the first move before we could indulge in each other.

And I wanted to, by all the various Gods I've met, I absolutely wanted to. It would be a lie to say otherwise; I just needed to meet her lips and surrender to pleasure once again.

However, I didn't do it.

I couldn't.

"I like you." I confessed the truth. "From the moment I first saw you, I liked you. That's why I was so hurt when I found out our first encounter was something manufactured by someone else; because I wanted to believe someone as beautiful as you had taken interest in me on your own."

"Master…"

"But then I got to know you, and I started worrying about you, Belfast. You aren't just a subordinate to me, you are my companion, and I don't want to hurt you like this."

Belfast understood what I was trying to say, and released my hand. She looked pained, and it hurt knowing I was hurting her.

"You still love her." She said breathlessly.

"I do." I lowered my head, those were my real feelings. "It wouldn't be fair to start a relationship with you while I am still clinging to a memory. I can't do that to you."

Belfast separated from me and we remained in silence for a couple of minutes.

"I understand, Master. But let me ask you: does that make you happy?"

"Huh?"

"If it does, if you have resolved yourself to never be with someone again, then I will stop my advances, and I will make sure that the rest of the maids know about your decision." Belfast's voice was strained. "However, I would first like you to think about it. Think if that's what makes you truly happy."

The silver-haired maid approached me again and brought me towards her chest in a hug, this time more chaste, more innocent, and just perhaps, the most genuine she had ever done since we met. "After all, that's the only thing I want, Master. My dearest wish is for you to be happy."

I didn't say anything and just remained there in her arms.

Happy… Was I happy with leaving things as they were? No... was I happy at all?

END OF CHAPTER 23

AN: Hello, it's been a while.

While this chapter was being written the year changed, Argentina won the World Cup, this fic got a Russian translation and someone in the discord started translating doujins.

Pretty interesting months, really.

blah blah discord blah blah, you know the drill (discord. gg / kvRCbruzaT )

As always, thanks to steel for proofreading and lower for the editing.

And with that, it should be going, my planet needs me.

Godspeed.