Continuing where we left off...
Ritsuka's perspective...
************
Well, the situation is only getting worse. I thought escaping from Meltryllis Casino and going to Camelot Casino would be a good idea to continue the date, but I didn't expect Anne and Mary to be here.
The funny thing is, they don't usually go into Artoria Casino because of how strict and difficult it is to cheat, and since the pair are pirates by nature, they don't like to follow the rules unless they align with their interests.
But right now, I have to deal with four women at once, and all four of them are interested in me.
Sometimes I miss the days when I was new to Chaldea and only had eyes for a girl like Olga Marie or Mash, for example. Ugh, having a harem is such a pain sometimes...
Knowing I can't spend any more time complaining to myself, I decide to put my foot down and be direct about my intentions.
"Look, I'm really happy to see you girls again, but I'm busy right now. Maybe I can spend some time with you two some other time." I immediately show them that I can't pay attention to them right now.
If this were happening in the real world, I would have to give this duo my full attention, because otherwise, they'd be looking for opportunities to try to trick me into their attempts to 'steal' my attention for themselves.
Which is quite natural and expected of a famous pirate duo.
"Awww, what a shame. Here I was, thinking today was the day our master would capture us and lock us in his room." Anne's expression is one of disappointment, not being very subtle about her true intentions.
"That's a great idea, Anne. Unfortunately, we won't be able to escape the monotony of this casino." Mary, with a sad expression, released me, a little annoyed.
"However, Master. If you're free or tired, you're always welcome to visit our room. After all, you have the spare key there." Anne said this with a cheerful, innocent smile, implying there was no suspicious motive behind her suggestion.
(A/N: An interesting fact is that even though this pair were summoned as enemies through a summoning system and had no connection to Ritsuka, they were still attracted to him. Ritsuka's charm is potent enough to take the 'Yuri' out of a girl; Xu Fu is proof of that.)
"If this weren't a simulation, I would probably..."
With these words, the pirate couple left, leaving me to deal with the girls I had brought here.
"Who would have thought... Our dear Ritsuka seems to be quite versatile in attracting girls even in his own world." Seele stands with her arms crossed, not hiding her jealousy.
"I should have expected this, but it makes me think that pair aren't the only ones with their eyes on him." Bronya looks at me with a look that shows she's suspicious of me.
"Let's focus on our date, okay? If we get into my relationships in my home world, we'll be here all day." I try to get back to the main objective if we're here.
"Ahh! So you have a harem of girls in your home world! Here I thought it was just that Topaz girl and BB! And judging by the interactions you had with those crazy girls from that previous Casino, it's much more than that pair we just met!" Seele shows her frustration.
"Seele. Calm down. Getting angry and yelling will ruin our reason for coming here. We already knew Ritsuka has more than one relationship besides the two of us, so it's no surprise he's in the same situation in his world." Bronya said this in a mature and controlled tone, making Seele quiet down and I breathe a sigh of relief.
"I owe you one, Bronya!"
"Well, let's take advantage of the fact that we're here and play some games the casino offers?" I said, immediately changing the subject.
"Are you sure these games aren't too greedy compared to the other one we were at?" Bronya had a question that Seele shared.
"Unlike the Meltryllis Casino, this Camelot Casino is much more relaxed and fair with the games. Besides, we're not here to play seriously, so whether we lose or not, the important thing is to have fun." I replied with a cheerful smile on my face.
"I just hope something crazy doesn't happen again that ends up interrupting everything," Seele mutters, a little irritated.
"Great idea to try your luck, Seele..."
Even though I was a little worried about something crazy happening, I introduced the girls to the games offered at Camelot Casino.
During this time, Bronya and Seele ended up meeting the Knights of the Round Table, the Casino's servants and guards.
It was nice to see all the knights again after a long time away from Chaldea. Bronya and Seele ended up getting along well with the knights. Seele, in particular, managed to make quick friends with Mordred and Gareth, while Bronya, on the other hand, found it easier to talk to Percival and Bedivere.
Overall, the girls were having fun at Camelot Casino. After some time, Seele, Bronya, and I took golden rabbit chips to challenge the Casino owner, Artoria, dressed in a Bunny Girl uniform.
The girls were curious to meet Artoria in person, specifically, and Seele wanted to see the power of the King of Knights. However, before we could, she began the process of acquiring the challenge ticket, something important to face Artoria, which was the normal way to resolve the singularity.
Instead, we felt the temperature of our aura increase at an abnormal rate, which immediately caught the attention of everyone inside the Casino.
"Ritsuka. Why is the temperature suddenly increasing?" Bronya felt the heat on her skin, and it worried her.
"Don't tell me this is one of those jealous Servants of yours?!" Seele immediately assumed it was the work of certain Heroic Spirits.
"I hope it's not that... But this hot, aggressive energy... How familiar."
"That heat is coming from outside. Seele and Bronya! Stay behind me." I say this, walking toward the casino exit.
We leave the casino to investigate what's happening in the city, and what we see is something I didn't expect to see in this singularity.
"Why is Fire Cernunnos here?!" She ends up shouting in surprise when she sees a certain furry god with enormous horns emanating fire.
"He appeared in the Hawaiian Singularity, not Las Vegas! What the hell is going on here?!"
"You know this creature?" Bronya is surprised to see how big Cernunnos is.
"Yes. I know this big guy very well. In short, he's a gentle god in my world who was unfortunately betrayed by the race that worshipped him. Now he's back from the dead, and he's not happy at all." I answer, skipping over many important contexts and details.
"Isn't this supposed to be a normal date? Why does every minute that passes, something else crazy happens right after?!" I hear Seele's cry of indignation.
"Believe it or not. This is a common occurrence, especially on my day off." I say this, well accustomed to the crazy things that are happening.
Bronya/Seele: What?!
While Bronya and Seele are surprised, Cernunnos begins to shoot several waves of hot fire in our direction. These flames are powerful enough to affect even Gawain, even with the sun's blessing, so if this hits the girls, they'll be in serious trouble.
However, I quickly decide to take advantage of this moment and test my skills.
"Hmmm... Let's see if I can do this. I'll borrow one of your toys, Emiya."
I close my eyes and extend my right hand toward Cernunnos's attack, and it's at that moment that I decide to use the abilities of a certain Red Archer cook.
"I am... the bone of my sword... Rho Aias!"
Immediately, a flower with five petals appears in front of us and protects us from Cernunnos's attack, which was quite dangerous.
On the other hand, I'm very happy that my little theory is correct; I can use Archer's projection ability.
With this information, the range of interesting things I can do with this ability has increased dramatically. I can make copies of the Noble Phantasms of the servants I contracted, but the fact that I'm not on my planet means the copies of the Noble Phantasms won't be inferior.
"Hmm... I wonder if I can use UBW? Probably not. I don't have the same mentality as Emiya, and even if I could, the Reality Bubble would be completely different."
"Damn it! How are we going to defeat this furry beast with the ability to create powerful fire?!" I hear Seele's frustrated cry, already fed up with everything that's happening.
"You two young ladies aren't the ones who are going to defeat this projection of a dead god. That's a job for my assistant to handle. Making a deal with that AI BB was a good idea." I hear Herta's arrogant voice above us.
Herta appears sitting on a large key that she uses as both a weapon and a flying broomstick, which is a rather bizarre choice of weapon in my opinion.
"What?! BB and Herta made a deal?! How? They don't like each other, so why did they... Wait a minute, don't tell me that..."
"Herta! Are you the one responsible for bringing Cernunnos here?" I ask this question, suspicious of Herta.
"No. Actually, your dear AI brought this creature. I'm just here to conduct a little personal experiment of mine. You have to remember, assistant, that this Simulated Universe and my invention are not your hobby." Herta responds calmly.
When I heard this from Herta, I instantly became irritated. I should have known Herta's presence in Las Vegas wasn't a good sign, and apparently my suspicions were correct.
"What? What kind of crazy woman would bring a beak that size as an experiment?!" Seele shouts, in disbelief at Herta's words.
"Of all times, she decides to intervene now, when everything was calm."
I have a strong urge to vent my frustrations on Herta right now, but I control myself at the last second.
"Don't do this, Ritsuka. Don't fall for her provocative words. That's what this old woman wants from you. The faster you solve this experiment, the faster she'll leave."
"Okay. Let's get this over with. What do you want me to do, Herta?" I got straight to the point, not wanting to waste any time.
"Look who's in a hurry~. Right before I say that, I have to solve a little problem." Herta snapped her fingers, causing two mirrors to appear.
Then the mirrors absorbed, Bronya and Seele immediately catching my attention.
"Before you explode in anger. They're fine. I just moved them out of the way so they wouldn't get in the way," Herta replied, anticipating my reaction.
With Bronya and Seele out of the way, I no longer needed to try to protect them from Cernunnos's flames.
"So. What do I have to do, Herta?" I replied, wanting to know my instructions right away.
"Simple. I want you to use your Excalibur plus your Reality Sphere, including the Destruction powers you received from that God called Cernunnos," Herta said, floating near me.
"What? Did I hear her right?"
"Why do you want me to use my Noble Phantasms more with the imaginary energy of Destruction?" I ask, deeply confused.
"Because I'm curious to see how your sword is affected by the imaginary energy of Destruction. What is its power level, its attack limit, etc. I also wanted to do some tests with the Black Barrel, but I changed my mind. Now, let's begin. A genius like me doesn't have all day." Herta explains to me, already wanting the experiment to begin.
"Using Destruction with the flames of vengeance is a terrible and frightening combination... Thank goodness Bronya and Seele aren't here to see it."
Without much ado, I plunge my Excalibur into the ground and immediately activate my reality sphere, which ends up affecting the entire singularity in a few seconds.
(A/N: I wanted to cast an enchantment on this Noble Phantasm, but I can't think of a good one.)
From Las Vegas, full of casinos, the singularity is now in my hometown of Tokyo, Japan. A city full of hustle and bustle, it's now a purgatory for the souls to be judged here.
"Hmmm... It's truly fascinating. Even though we're in the Simulated Universe, your Noble Phantasm still manages to affect me," Herta comments with a smile, unconcerned with the negative effects she's receiving.
"This world affects everyone without discrimination. I suggest you leave if you don't want your soul to burn until nothing is left." I comment, letting out a bit of my aggression without realizing it.
"Hehe, it seems your dark side finally came out for a moment, assistant. Interesting. It seems the leash HooH placed on you can't hold you back much longer in this reality of yours." Herta comments, her thirst for knowledge fully exposed at this moment.
Immediately afterward, a loud trumpet blast is heard, and immediately the sky begins to close in, and Cernunnos's flames begin to be absorbed.
No matter how much the dead god tries to attack me, his attacks are absorbed by Excalibur as fuel.
There are several things I could do to face Cernunnos, such as summoning the Avengers or using the souls of some Lostbelt creatures, but these aren't things Herta wants to see, so I had to skip those steps.
Immediately, the storm turns to night, and the city of Tokyo begins to engulf in blue-black flames, consuming everything around it, including Cernunnos.
Herta is obviously protecting herself, not wanting to be burned.
"The time for revenge has come. May this world face Oblivion! - These words end up coming out of my mouth automatically without my intention.
Holding Excalibur with both hands, the sword's blade begins to crack, revealing that it is nothing more than a mere mask hiding the true nature of this power.
Imitating the same position Arthur and Artoria adopt when they are about to use their Noble Phantasm, but before I do the same, I activate my Destruction power as Herta wanted.
At the same moment, the blue-black flames that were around me and on my sword are consumed by a golden flame as hot as the sun.
At first glance, it appears to be the light of the true Excalibur, but after a few seconds, I realize that this is not the case.
The light of the true Excalibur emanates comfort, hope, and wonder. However, this light of Destruction emanates rage, despair, and chaos.
A power that is truly destructive, with the desire to annihilate all creation in the universe, leaving no one left. No sign of life remaining.
"What terrifying power... It feels like I'm holding a hot star ready to erupt at any moment..."
Thanks to the small "favor" Yog-Sothoth did for me by not letting Destruction take control of me.
With this power in hand, I immediately unleash it toward Cernunnos.
"Feel the fury! Excalibur!!!" I scream with all my might as I release the Noble Phantasm.
In seconds, Cernunnos's entire body is consumed without any sign of resistance. However, it wasn't Cernunnos that the flames of Destruction affected; the rest of my sphere of reality was being affected.
"Oops. This isn't good. Time to get out of here, Assistant." Herta immediately pulls me out of this world.
In the blink of an eye, I was inside my Noble Phantasm and now I'm back on the space station, outside the simulated universe.
I also see Seele and Bronya dressed in their normal clothes, but they're also looking at me confused.
The only person still in summer clothes is Herta, who's still wearing her cute bikini for some reason.
"Huh? What else..." I'm confused to see that I'm back on the station and am interrupted by Herta.
"Well, the experiment was a success. Although it almost went out of control, the important thing is the result." Herta smiles, proud of herself.
"Ritsuka, what happened? Weren't we inside the Simulated Universe?" Because we're back at the station." Bronya asks the question she was going to ask Herta.
"I got you three out of there because if I hadn't, Ritsuka's Noble Phantasm would have caught you two in the crossfire. Besides, the singularity you were in has been completely wiped off the map, and BB is fixing everything." Herta explains the situation, and I'm surprised.
"What? Don't tell me the flames of Destruction bypassed my reality sphere's barrier and affected the singularity?" I ask, surprised.
"Yes. And if I hadn't gotten everyone out, your sweet little girls would have died inside." I have to admit I slightly underestimated the amount of power Destruction gave you, but I won't make that mistake again," Herta explains with a satisfied smile.
I never would have expected a Noble Phantasm of mine to completely shatter a pocket dimension so easily. The only people I know who have the power to shatter dimensions so easily are Gilgamesh, Shiki, Aoko, Space Ishtar, Kuku, and Arcuied.
"Yog-Sothoth never told me how much power Nannock gave me on Jarilo-VI... Did they want me to become a Raveger Lord?"
Before I could continue theorizing about this possibility, Herta catches my attention.
"Assistant, we need to talk about something important. "Come on, I'm a busy woman." Herta puts her hand on my arm and begins to pull me out of her office.
Giving me no opportunity to argue, I'm dragged out of the office, while Seele and Bronya are still confused.
************
Space station corridors...
************
"What do you want now, Herta? Besides completely ruining my plans, for no reason." I say this, irritated with Herta.
"You have no right to be mad at me, Ritsuka. My Simulated Universe isn't a place for you to use for romantic distractions; it's an invention for the pursuit of knowledge. So don't get mad at me for wanting revenge for this and for using my money for that deal you made for the IPC." Herta replies, looking irritated.
"So, you and BB plotted together, huh? Tch, that's all I needed, you two working together." I say this, sighing, fearing a possible headache.
"Yes and no. Although I agreed with the idea of teaching you a lesson, I didn't agree with the methods. Besides, I wanted to get even with that annoying AI of yours, so I took the opportunity to drag her into the explosion zone when you used your sword. Hehe, that bitch deserved it," Herta replies with a victorious smile on her face.
"Okay, I didn't expect Herta to insult me. BB bitch, maybe she ended up really bothered by the size of her breasts."
"Back to the point. What do you want to talk to me about?" I stand with my arms crossed, waiting for Herta's answer.
"I want to be the first person you tell me everything you discover when you inevitably use the Black Barrel against an enemy of yours." Herta's words leave me silent for a few seconds.
"What makes you think I should use it? That weapon isn't exactly something I enjoy using. Actually, ideally, I wouldn't have to use that weapon." "I say this seriously.
After all, the Black Barrel is directly linked to my soul, and every time I use the weapon, I become completely weakened for a while, as I'm basically the 'bullet' of the weapon that uses my 'fate' against my opponents.
"Da Vinci even forbade Mash from using the weapon after the sixth Lostbelt due to the damage the Black Barrel was causing me."
"Don't be foolish, Assistant. I know you well enough to know how much trouble you attract wherever you go. Don't forget that you're a member of the Nameless, which only increases the chances of you encountering an enemy who will need to use that weapon, and I have complete confidence that this will happen sooner or later," Herta said, ignoring my concerns as she continued.
"So. With that in mind, I want you to inform me of everything that will happen when you use it; don't leave out any details. That is my mission for you, Ritsuka." I want to know how powerful this weapon I've worked so hard to improve is, and I don't want to see my investment go to waste. Do you understand?" Herta said, leaning closer to me, her torso touching mine.
"That old woman and that damned temptation..."
"Tch. Okay. If the Black Barrel is needed, I'll let you know everything, but don't expect the news to get through quickly." I tried to lower Herta's expectations.
"Hmpf. I'm a patient woman; a genius like me knows that for research to be successful, patience is necessary. I expect good results." With those words, Herta left the corridors.
"I hope I don't need to use the Black Barrel. I don't want to have to feel that feeling of being near death again."
With Herta no longer present, I returned to Herta's office to inform Bronya and Seele that our meeting had ended.
*********
Moments later...
Jarilo-VI....
***********
Seeing that there's nothing else to do on the space station and not wanting to risk another interruption if we return to the Simulated Universe, I decided to bring Seele and Bronya back to Jarilo-VI.
"I can't believe it's already night... Time flew by," Bronya comments, realizing it's no longer daylight.
"Tch. If it weren't for that damn boss of yours, I would have seen the way you finished off that big, furry guy." Seele complains, a little upset.
"I apologize profusely for that. I didn't want our activity to end prematurely." I say this with an apologetic smile.
"Don't worry, Ritsuka. I admit I really enjoyed the time we spent in there. It was an experience I'll never forget," Bronya says with a gentle smile.
"I agree. I never would have thought I'd spend time in a place as warm as that, so full of things to explore and things I've never seen in my life. It makes me hope that one day we'll be able to travel to space," Seele said, looking up at the stars.
"You should be able to. With Topaz and I helping, it shouldn't be long before the people of Jarilo-VI can once again have contact with the stars." I say this with a gentle smile, and Bronya approaches me.
"After that, you'll leave for your next stop on your journey, won't you?" Bronya asks.
"Yes. The rest of us are waiting for me to start choosing our next destination. We Pathfinders have to continue exploring the galaxy." I say this with a light laugh.
"At least don't ignore us when we text you. If you forget, you can be sure I'll teach you a lesson," Seele said, giving me a warning.
"Yes, ma'am! You can be sure I'll keep in touch with you both." I say this as I hear the warning.
There's a long silence for a few seconds, until I come up with an idea to give them something to remember this day by.
"Here. Keep these bracelets. It wouldn't be nice of me to ask you out and not give you something in return." I say this, handing them the Uruk lapis lazuli bracelets.
"Wow... What bracelets are those?" Bronya asks, surprised by the bracelet's beauty.
"That must have cost a fortune!" Seele says, and I let out a light laugh.
"I don't know about the price, but I received this from a certain Golden King who has a lot of ego to spare. I'm giving these objects to you so you have something to remember this day by and also as a gift for our relationship." I say this with a gentle smile.
Bronya and Seele fall silent after hearing my words, and after a look shared between the two, they decide to do something that takes me by surprise.
They end up kissing me on the side of my cheek; Selee kisses me on the left and Bronya kisses me on the right.
"Thank you for the gift, Ritsuka. I'll keep this very carefully," Bronya said, looking very happy.
"Hmph. Be happy with this." "I won't do this again anytime soon!" Seele said, hiding her embarrassment.
In the end, even after a few stumbles along the way, the activity was a success, and I managed to complete it despite the problems.
Now the only thing left is to get back to the Astral Express and continue the journey, and I hope it's not long before I use the Black Barrel on an enemy.
To be continued...
*********
A/N: My God, this whole volume took longer to finish than I expected. I hate myself sometimes.
At least I have time to think about whether or not to include Amphoreus in this story. I'll have to rewrite some of my plans, but I've been doing it for a while now, so what difference does it make?