"Answer my call, Guardians beyond the Wheel of Suppression!!"
As Ritsuka completed her Servant summoning chant, a dazzling golden light erupted from the ground, piercing the underworld's darkness.
Under the intense wind pressure of the ritual, Ritsuka's shadow wavered. Unlike Chaldea's standard summoning circles, this wasn't a random or affinity-based call but a response from countless Servants to her heartfelt conviction.
Through the special summoning card, under Ritsuka's earnest plea, a Servant transcended the Throne of Heroes and the bounds of time and space to answer her call…
"Kuhahahahahahaha!!!"
"Your heartfelt cry summoned me, Ritsuka. Our wills connected in resonance. Here I stand, answering your call, my blackened grudge, Extra Class Servant, Avenger, arrives!!"
With a wild, unrestrained laugh, a surge of magical energy blasted away the dust raised by the summoning ritual.
The Servant, summoned by Ritsuka across the Wheel of Suppression, revealed his true form.
"This reaction…" Ritsuka's eyes widened at the familiar laugh.
In Chaldea's control room, Romani Archaman, anxiously watching and sweating for Ritsuka, gaped in recognition.
"As expected." Roy said, a wry smile in his ice-blue eyes. "My guess was right, it's you, Count… hiding within Ritsuka, or rather, lurking in the depths of her soul."
"No wonder I felt an inexplicable familiarity when I met her. I've long known and admired this girl, but that strange sense of closeness was too peculiar. Now I have my answer…"
That familiarity stemmed from a treasure buried deep in Roy's soul, the gift left by the Count. Because the Count had hidden himself within Ritsuka, Roy, inheritor of the Count's saint graph, felt an irrepressible connection when near her.
"So you used this method to test me? Cunning as ever…" The green-clad figure said, shaking his head, piercing the essence of Roy's summoning ritual.
"Heh, you call it a summoning, but it was to draw me out, wasn't it? Half the runes on that card were crafted with my black flames. With you and Ritsuka, two Masters tied to me, present, this ritual was practically a designated summons for me. How could I not appear?"
As the dust cleared, the Servant's identity was unmistakable.
A red scarf fluttered without wind, a dark green cape, tangible resentment, and that iconic hat Roy had seen and even worn countless times… The Servant's identity was clear.
"The Count of Monte Cristo!!" Romani announced, pulling the Servant's record from Chaldea's database.
"The Count…" Ritsuka murmured, stunned. She hadn't expected to summon the dark Avenger she'd met in the Prison Tower, with whom she'd faced countless trials.
Her intent was to call a Servant to break this deadlock and challenge Roy, perhaps Emiya or Lancelot, strong and familiar allies. But she trusted the Count, who appeared in her dreams and fought alongside her in the tower.
His strength was top-tier, among the elite of Servants, and…
He seemed awfully familiar with Roy-senpai!!
Was he a Servant Roy had previously contracted?
Roy had once disguised himself as the Count, fooling Kingu. Their acquaintance wasn't surprising, but the atmosphere felt… off.
After greeting her upon summoning, the Count's gaze fixed on Roy, chatting like long-lost friends. Roy, too, ignored Ritsuka, locking eyes with the Count.
What was happening?
"Um…" Ritsuka began, brimming with questions, but seeing their odd dynamic, she fell silent, watching and waiting for their exchange to conclude.
"You were hiding here all along, Count." Roy said, his guess confirmed, his tone tinged with exasperation. "No wonder I couldn't summon you, despite using your relics and our bond. You were tucked away here."
Recalling his failed attempts to summon the Count, Roy felt a headache. After summoning Artoria, he'd tried tirelessly to call the Count, using their bond and even relics from the Count's possible haunts. He'd even had Dumas' tomb searched for the original Monte Cristo manuscript, only to learn the Count was hiding within Ritsuka, pursuing his own agenda.
"The one with a headache should be me, Master." The Count said, equally exasperated. "I didn't expect you to grow this fast. In such a short time, you've reached the Domain of Magic, standing on your own. Now you've dragged me out of the shadows."
"Impressive work, Master."
"Just luck, and not without help, including yours, Count." Roy replied. "Though this was a test, the card's effect holds true. Summoning you so smoothly proves your will resonates with Ritsuka's."
"Our reunion here is fate itself, echoing that phrase you always say…"
"Wait, and hold hope."
They locked eyes, speaking the words that bound their destinies in unison, then shared a knowing smile.
"Kuhahahahahahaha!! Naturally! Like you, this girl is my accomplice, no, our accomplice." The Count said, laughing freely.
He didn't deny Roy's words. For him, Roy was his most vital, unsettling accomplice, and Ritsuka was no less. Both were remarkable Masters, brave heroes worthy of his strength and will.
But for certain reasons, he chose to stand with Ritsuka this time. Roy was no longer the novice mage, barely surviving under his protection in the Holy Grail War, hunted by the world.
Roy had grown immensely, forging his own path and future, surpassing the Count. He'd crossed parallel worlds to guide Ritsuka, shielding her as a senior Master and exceptional mage.
"…"
Roy nodded with a smile, agreeing. Ritsuka was a partner worth trusting, just as their bond was at their first meeting.
"You've grown, my accomplice." The Count said, a genuine smile spreading. "From a scared non-magus, dragged into a Holy Grail War, hunted by the world, to this remarkable figure."
Seeing Roy's transformation warmed the Count's heart.
"You've opened my eyes, but…"
His words trailed off.
Roar!!
The Count's cape billowed, black flames erupting from his palm, engulfing everything in their path.
Like a slithering snake, the flames wove around them, forming a towering barrier of fire.
Despite the blazing inferno, despite this long-awaited reunion, no lengthy words were exchanged.
After a brief, nostalgic exchange, in this world enclosed by black flames, the Count and Roy stood close, close enough to touch with a raised arm.
Yet, rather than a heartfelt reunion, it carried the tragic beauty of a fated duel.
As in their first battle, the Count raised his arm, shielding his Master with his warm cape, his flames forming an unyielding barrier.
But this time, he protected not Roy, but Ritsuka.
Roy gave a wry smile, raising his hand. Magical energy, akin to the surrounding flames, erupted, black firelight illuminating their faces. In his grip was the black flame of legacy and bonds, the Count's power, entrusted to him in the Fourth Holy Grail War to change fate, a power Roy cherished.
"Using my own power against me? I don't know what to say, but it seems it helped you, my accomplice." The Count said.
"I'm relieved."
"I've treasured this power to this day." Roy replied.
"Is that so…" The Count mused.
His golden eyes gleamed with resolve.
"Then come, Master! Show me your growth."
Black flames roared, swirling on his cape, his unique dark radiance flashing around him.
"Likewise." Roy said, unleashing the treasure hidden in his soul.
Roar!!
As his heart opened, black flames rivaling the Count's surged, dazzling dark light flickering in his palm, illuminating his clear ice-blue eyes.
The Count's treasure, his precious gift, was fully unleashed.
Rather than words, they sought to prove their resolve through action.
But before the battle began, preparations were needed.
"Ritsuka! Why are you standing there? Won't you fight with your Servant? This is your trial!!" Roy called, his voice ringing with a smile, snapping Ritsuka from her daze.
"Huh? Oh… right, I understand!" Ritsuka said, her wandering thoughts returning. She met Roy's gaze resolutely, stepping into her role as Master, rushing to the Count's side to fight alongside him.
"Count, I'm here." She said, her expression earnest. "I'm counting on you, Count of Monte Cristo!"
"Got it. Seeing your spirit puts me at ease, my accomplice." The Count replied, a slight smile forming. They reached out, bumped fists, their wills aligning.
"This fight won't be easy. Can you keep up?" He asked.
"Of course." Ritsuka nodded, raising her clenched fist to fulfill her duties as Master.
A red glow flashed, strengthening her bond with the Count.
"By the Command Spell, I order you: fight with all your strength, and show Roy-senpai our iron resolve!"
"Exactly my intent!" The Count replied.
The red Command Spell flared, taking effect.
The Count's aura surged, his black flames roaring like a tiger, faintly overpowering Roy's.
"Using a Command Spell right away? Ruthless, Ritsuka." Roy said.
"But that's what I want, a battle where we stake everything. So…"
"Come at me with all you've got!"
Roy clenched his fist, responding in kind.
The resonance between the Count and Ritsuka, their embodied resolve, became clear to him.
He understood his dear friend and this junior's convictions.
No more idle chatter, time for the main event.
Words couldn't convey their feelings.
What they thought, what mattered to them, the outcomes they envisioned, all would resonate in the clash of their hearts in this battle.
No need for debate; their stances differed, and no words could align them. The task was simple: prove their conviction by defeating the other.
There would be one victor, either Roy or Ritsuka. It was that straightforward.
The answer was about to unfold.
"Then come! This time, I won't hold back."
"Not even for you, Count!!"
Roy stepped forward, reigniting the flames in his soul, burning with all his magical energy.
With a single step, dazzling black light erupted, his aura rivaling the Count's flames.
The final foe of the Seventh Singularity stood before them.
"Kuhahahahahahaha!! Likewise, my accomplice!!" The Count roared.
"Come, Roy-senpai!!" Ritsuka declared, stepping forward with the Count.
They locked eyes, speaking in unison,
The Count smiled: "The path we tread…"
Roy returned the smile: "…is the shore of resolved grudges."
"Tiger, burn fiercely!!
With a tiger's fiery roar, black flames surged between them, exploding outward.
In an instant, a mere blink, the two figures cloaked in black light vanished.
Bang, bang, bang!!
The relentless collisions were a clash of hearts, the flames' roar a joyful dance of their convictions.
Two black lights, one embodying Roy's growth and his choices shaped by glimpsing the future; the other carrying Ritsuka's resolve and unyielding will.
No explanations were needed. Victory, and all else, would be decided in the next move.
Their path needed no words.
Their goal was the shore of resolved grudges.
So…
Tiger, burn fiercely!!!
___
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