Gotham Singularity (24) Kuhahahahahaha...
The shadow cast by the moonlight distorted slightly. Fujimaru Ritsuka paused for a moment before continuing, "I must win this battle."
The last glimmer of light in the darkness seemed to focus on the slender girl, shining as brightly as a lighthouse at sea. Yet, the shadows cast by her feet grew ever darker and colder.
Finally, the shadow coalesced into a tall, thin human figure, which, backlit by the moonlight, stared intently at Fujimaru Ritsuka and spoke:
"Very good, very good, you have summoned the embodiment of vengeance! Krypton hahahaha, you made the right choice, my accomplice."
The tall young man was now fully revealed, his black vengeful spirit pressing down on the brim of his hat, his wild hair obscuring half of his eye. His remaining golden eye shone even brighter in the black flames.
He flashed a wild yet confident smile, took Ritsuka's hand, and looked as satisfied as a dragon guarding a treasure, "I will come to victory for you!"
The sudden appearance of the follower completely alerted Batman and Jason. This person's aura was not that of a good person, his crazy expression, and his excited words...!
A madman, a dangerous madman.
“Sherlock Holmes?” Jason picked at his ear, unable to resist asking. Damn it, and a really noisy lunatic at that; he was practically deaf.
“Ritsuka’s servants will never harm her.” Holmes read the underlying worry in Jason’s words and remained calm. “The vengeful spirit will burn away all obstacles for her.”
Atalanta, however, was secretly astonished.
Not two Servants, but three?! But only one Servant is left to fight, and Atalanta, as the enemy, doesn't understand Ritsuka's act of cutting off his own arm.
Fujimaru Ritsuka winked at the bewildered Atalanta, "The Holy Grail War, right?"
The Holy Grail War is a war in which seven chosen Masters form one-on-one contracts with seven regular Servants to vie for the Holy Grail. In this situation, the Master's magical power level and the quality of the Servants become the key factors in determining the outcome.
In past singularities and Lostbelts, Fujimaru Ritsuka had no advantage in either. Her strength lay in exploiting the unique strengths of Servants to launch righteous group attacks and turn the tide of battle.
Therefore, by giving up her numerical advantage, she also gave up a guaranteed victory. And all of this was because she respected Atalanta and her Master.
Atalanta's pupils contracted slightly as she gazed at the composed Fujimaru Ritsuka, inwardly admiring her noble character. If they weren't on opposing sides, she would gladly serve her.
"In that case." She took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the actions of Fujimaru Ritsuka and the Count of Monte Cristo across from her.
"Edmund." Fujimaru Ritsuka called out once again the name that the vengeful demon had once insisted on abandoning, but which she had brought back.
The atmosphere grew tense, and everyone, whether standing in the center or watching from the sidelines, felt the impending storm.
3, 2, 1 —
"Now!"
Following Fujimaru Ritsuka's words, the Count of Monte Cristo charged straight at Atalanta, his hand gathering blue-black magic as he closed the distance and swung it at her.
Almost simultaneously, Atalanta dodged to the side, nimbly creating distance. A purple-black bow and arrow materialized in her hand; she drew the bow and released the arrow, which, formed from magical energy, flew swiftly towards Fujimaru Ritsuka like a black meteor.
Fujimaru Ritsuka, facing the arrows head-on, did not dodge, her face as calm as ever, "Dust of Osiris."
Mystic Code: Atlas Academy Uniform, grants invincibility to a single ally.
An explosive roar rang out, and the violent shockwave forced Jason to shield his eyes with his arms and stand with his feet apart to steady himself.
When he looked up again, Fujimaru Ritsuka was standing there unharmed. Rubbing his eyes, Jason remarked with a sigh, "No matter how you look at it, things from the magic side are truly amazing."
He remained completely unaffected by the impact, his expression unchanged.
Missing her first attack, Atalanta retreated without seeing Ritsuka's Servant return to defend. At the same time, accompanied by the laughter of Vengeful Oni-Kuro, several blue-black light waves chased after her from different angles on the left and right.
"Splash—"
A section that once belonged to the Arkham Wall was kicked up by the beast-eared woman and used as a shield to block an attack. The next second, the bricks shattered, and she had already moved behind Fujimaru Ritsuka.
A howling wind swept by, sending a chill down Fujimaru Ritsuka's spine. She whirled around abruptly, the sharp sound of claws slicing through the air ringing in her ears.
At the critical moment, a familiar aura mixed with the still-burning black flames rushed towards her, and a hand with distinct knuckles precisely gripped her waist, instantly lifting her off the ground.
Atalanta's claws missed their mark, and she immediately changed direction. The Count of Monte Cristo firmly blocked Ritsuka with one arm, his black cloak drawing a sharp arc in the air. Blue-black flames struck Atalanta, burning a tuft of her white hair to ashes.
Fujimaru Ritsuka felt Edmund's gaze sweep over her, and before she could say anything, she was interrupted by Atalanta's actions: a left slash, a right smash, a rolling low kick...
etc!
As a Master, she is familiar with the attack methods of every Servant. When they are allies, she will lead them to victory, and when they are enemies, this familiarity will allow her to anticipate their actions.
"Edmund! Create some distance!"
Before she could finish speaking, a agonizing roar like that of a wild beast echoed through the sky. The beast-eared woman's body was swelling without limit—until she had completely transformed into a black and purple beast.
"Hate...hate, hate, hate!"
Burning with magic, the beast charged towards Fujimaru Ritsuka like a whirlwind, reaching her in the blink of an eye. Fujimaru Ritsuka could even clearly see the beast's fur under the magic.
The two vigilantes who were observing Arkham through the surveillance system gasped as the temporary testing device, originally used to monitor the Servant's energy, spiked to an almost impossible value.
"F***... It seems that the file level established for Servants needs to be changed again." Nightwing carefully stared at the computer and raised the Servant's file level by another one.
Another shrill roar rang out, and he couldn't help but shrug. He muttered to himself, "Putting everything else aside, these Servants are just too noisy when they fight."
Would Mr. Holmes do the same?
The thought of this terrifying possibility made Nightwing instantly shake his head, banishing the absurd image from his mind. The next second, he saw the enormous monster charging straight at Ritsuka, and he gasped.
"Is Ritsuka alright?" Robin frowned as she looked at the monitor. "She probably won't survive such an injury."
Ritsuka's command ability also far exceeded their expectations. Because of the timely reminder, the Count of Monte Cristo led Ritsuka a sufficient distance, stepping onto the ruins of Arkham without Atalanta even touching the hem of his clothes.
"Kuhahahaha!" The Cave King revealed a flamboyant and bloody smile, looking down at the monster on the ground.
"To choose to target my accomplice is utterly unforgivable! You should utterly despair and decay!"
The pitch-black night flickered, and a dark blue flame, like a thunderous divine punishment, heavy and filled with rage, descended from the sky, completely shrouding Atalanta.
One, two... each one, without exception, swiftly struck Atalanta's massive body, leaving her nowhere to hide.
Until she transformed back into human form. Her body was charred, and the purple blood on her wounds showed that she was currently deeply cursed.
"It's come to this..." Atalanta staggered, dodging another volley of flames that pressed their advantage. Magic washed over her battered body.
She looked up at the Master and Servant, who still seemed to have plenty of energy, or rather, were handling things with ease, and a sense of defeat welled up inside her. Is this what a professional Master and Servant are like?
We can't afford to drag this out any longer. Despite possessing the Holy Grail, the loss of our Master and the excessive energy depletion within the Grail have put us at a disadvantage in this protracted battle.
Then we can only—
"Calydon, give me strength!"
She started running.
The purplish-black flames started burning from her lower limbs and spread straight forward, burning away the ruins left by Arkham Asylum that blocked her way, intending to taint Fujimaru Ritsuka who stood on the bricks and stones.
"Burning shadow, arrow against the moon, bear my hatred! Dark Sky Eclipse!"
The flames engulfed the two figures.
Jason, who was watching the battle, frowned, stroking his pistol as he recalled what Holmes had told him about Ritsuka's exploits.
He should believe her.
But when he actually witnessed a friend go through such a battle, he couldn't find the detached, spectator mentality he used to have. However, he firmly believed that the savior of Chaldea would not fall in such a small battle.
Fujimaru Ritsuka was in a good mood.
She had witnessed Atalanta's Noble Phantasm before. It was an attack unleashed by merging her Heavenly Bow with herself. The target struck would be absorbed and assimilated by magical energy.
Logically, this would require a powerful magical force to resist, something a third-rate magician like Ritsuka couldn't do.
However, when it comes to magic, the concept sometimes outweighs the level of magic power.
Fujimaru Ritsuka, unharmed from the flames, raised her hand, entrusting him with utmost seriousness.
"In the name of the Command Seal—The Count of Monte Cristo, unleash your Noble Phantasm!"
"Kuhahahahaha! That's it, Master, no need for mercy! My path leads to the end of grudges and hatred!"
The sound of the flames could not stop the Cave King's laughter. Both enemies and spectators could clearly see the dark shadow laughing wildly and spreading its arms wide in the flames.
"—Tiger, blaze brilliantly!"
Blue, lightning-like magic pierced Atalanta's body repeatedly, while the purplish-black magic gradually weakened. Meanwhile, countless clones of the Count of Monte Cristo circled around her, delivering a fatal blow to the defeated Servant opposite her.
The white light that ignited illuminated the entire night.
After a long while, the Count of Monte Cristo lifted his Master down from the pile of rubble with one hand, and the two walked to Atalanta, who was unable to move.
"I lost."
Atalanta's body began to shimmer with golden light, a sign that she was about to return to the Throne of Heroes. She raised her hand and offered the Holy Grail, her tone filled with regret and relief.
"You are a person of high moral character. If we have no conflict of interest next time, I will be willing to fight alongside you."
"No need for next time. We saved many people together a long time ago," Fujimaru Ritsuka thought to herself. As she prepared to receive the Holy Grail with her palm facing up, the sudden weight of the falling object made her hand tremble.
Atalanta, who had completely dissipated into golden light, left with only a word of farewell before departing completely, while Ritsuka held the Holy Grail, hearing the comforting voice of little Leonardo da Vinci in her ear.
"Thank you for your hard work, Ritsuka. The singularity correction is complete."
Jason was a little uneasy and turned to Holmes for confirmation: "Ahem, is that all? Is everything resolved?"
Holmes gave him the same relieved look as Leonardo da Vinci, saying it was all over. Meanwhile, Batman was forced to listen to Nightwing's rant as he finally remembered everything.
"Damn it, I came here to investigate the strange things in Gotham, how did I end up with this amnesiac mess as soon as I walked in! B, you have no idea what's going on outside..."
Nightwing, please shut up.
—
The next day, a clear winter morning.
Fujimaru Ritsuka stretched her hand out into the corridor, and the cold snowflakes fell into her burning palm, melting into flowing snow water.
It's snowing in Gotham.
The pristine white snow blanketed the entire city of Gotham, as if leaving all the sins and darkness behind in yesterday, and the city was repainted as a blank sheet of paper.
"Miss. Ritsuka".
She turned around and met a pair of sharp yet smiling eyes.
Holmes led Xu Fu to her side. Behind them, Jason leaned against the threshold of the safe house, watching the arriving travelers prepare to depart.
"Are you leaving?" he asked calmly.
“Yes, the singularity has been corrected, and we should head back now,” Fujimaru Ritsuka replied with a smile.
“You guys,” Jason paused, then muttered something softly.
Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't hear clearly, and just as she was about to ask, Jason spoke again: "Never mind. This is a farewell gift, and a thank-you gift for Holmes."
He handed over a small box he had hidden behind his back. "These are cookies from some other guys." He turned his head slightly, his tone complicated. "Well then, that's it. I have a ton of things to do next..."
Before he could finish speaking, the gift box was taken from his hand, and a burning heat spread across his wrist. Then, Ritsuka pulled him into a warm embrace.
His bewildered gaze met Ritsuka's bright and radiant eyes, and he heard her say, "Goodbye! Believe in yourself, your hometown will definitely get better and better!"
“…Thank you.” Jason’s hand unconsciously landed on Fujimaru Ritsuka’s shoulder, giving her an even tighter hug. “Goodbye.”
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Tim looked at the snow falling outside and turned to ask Dick, who was focused on eating breakfast, "They should have left by now. We still haven't managed to block B."
"Bruce dealt with Arkham's affairs briefly in the middle of the night, then rushed to dig up the grave, and was then called over by the Watchtower to say that Superman had gone missing."
Dick exclaimed, "He's such a busy man!"
“I’m going to be busy for a while now.” Tim sat down. “Almost all the old leaders of Gotham’s criminal empire are dead, and the remaining small gangs are getting restless.”
This is both a challenge and an opportunity.
Maybe Gotham really could become a better place because of this accident? He thought hopefully. But before that, he stared at the cookie on the table, which only had one or two bites left, and fixed his reproachful gaze on Dick.
Dick, quick as a flash, grabbed another piece, raised an eyebrow, and shrugged. He didn't eat much; he basically gave it all to the little girl through Red Hood.
"But everything is moving in the right direction, isn't it?"
From now on, every day in Gotham will be a brand new day.
The snow stopped, and the sun shone brightly on Gotham, a rare sight.
—
As soon as Fujimaru Ritsuka returned to Chaldea, Mashu took her to the infirmary for a checkup. But Mashu didn't forget to give the returning detective a hug and a greeting.
Next came the other staff and followers of the control room, and finally the smiling little Leonardo da Vinci and the director, who looked serious but couldn't contain his joy.
Originally, Leonardo da Vinci intended to exploit the returning man directly, but the director waved his hand and gave Holmes a day off to adjust.
Unfortunately, he had no chance to relax. Holmes walked down the corridors of Chaldea, smiling and waving to the excited Chaldea staff.
As he approached his destination, his expression grew increasingly serious, and the smile on his lips lost all warmth. He pushed open the door on his left.
The dark room suddenly became bright.
"Hey, isn't this Sherlock Holmes?" A familiar yet irritating voice rang out in the room.
The large screen facing Holmes lit up, showing his old acquaintance, the evil leader James Moriarty, sitting elegantly on a leather sofa with his legs crossed. Sunlight streamed in unreservedly through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him.
The whiskey in the glass left amber marks on the glass as he swung his wrist.
This cannot be just any room in Chaldea.
“Moriarty,” Holmes said, “what is your purpose?”
"Hmm?" Moriarty leaned forward, his gaze mocking as he looked directly into Holmes' eyes, as if trying to see through his old adversary who had been resurrected from under the waterfall once again.
"So-called the world's number one consultant detective, Holmes who easily stole the Master's attention from me, don't you have any conclusions?"
"Haha." Holmes pulled out a chair, twirling his pipe in his hand. "Let's begin with the information I've already confirmed."
"You have control over the process of Miss Ritsuka correcting the singularity this time, and the conclusion is what you care about."
Participate in the conquest of singularities, make contact with key figures in the world, witness and change their destinies, and receive the blessing of the Holy Grail holder who alters the world line.
All of this is for—
Holmes concluded definitively, "You're trying to pin the conclusion of change on the Master."
The surrounding noise seemed to disappear for a second.
"Hahahaha!" came the voice of the crime consultant, distorted by the electricity. "As long as we construct a theory, the truth will emerge. Damn Holmes, that's the kind of people we are."
“But you’re missing a crucial piece of information, so you can’t deduce my true purpose.” He leaned back on the sofa, a mocking and provocative smile playing on his lips. “Oh dear, how delightful.”
Holmes raised an eyebrow at Moriarty, his gaze sharp as an eagle's. "If you don't tell me, I'm leaving."
"Hey hey hey!" Moriarty's eyes widened, and he sat up abruptly. "No, how come you, this fake young man, have even less patience than this old man? I'll tell you, okay?"
"please."
With Moriarty's rare candor in his narration, Holmes finally obtained the last piece of the puzzle to uncover the truth.
The two worlds that Fujimaru Ritsuka changed were once on the verge of being cut down, but now they have new possibilities again, like a withered tree sprouting countless new branches.
The moment they were altered, it was like a dam bursting, with a surge of magical energy rushing out. Some of it flowed towards Ritsuka, while the rest was collected by several Servants who had been waiting for a long time using magical devices.
The reason and purpose of doing so—
"You know about the Master, or the future of Chaldea, and are trying to change it?" Holmes frowned, an unexpected feeling overwhelming his reason. "That future is bad?"
“No, or rather, too good.” Moriarty tapped his fingertips rhythmically on the armrest. “Retired peacefully, hanging his name on the clock tower as a mascot, but actually returning to a completely normal life…?”
They all knew, or rather, everyone in Chaldea knew, even Fujimaru Ritsuka herself knew, that this nonsense about returning to normalcy was simply impossible.
Every magic training session, every hero met, every life-or-death journey was like a new plank replacing the ship of Theseus, shaping Fujimaru Ritsuka into a completely new person.
So, could Fujimaru Ritsuka at that time still be considered the same person who knew nothing about the past?
When she tries to integrate into ordinary life, only to find that mystery has long been ingrained in her very being, when she can only wander alone between two worlds amidst the strange gazes of crowds—
Is this the future that everyone in Chaldea wants to see?
Holmes: "So you want to use this magic to make Chaldea completely independent, free from constraints and jurisdiction, as the best way out for Fujimaru Ritsuka."
"That's exactly right!"
Moriarty paused, picked up the tablet from the coffee table, and said, “But, but before accomplishing this fundamental purpose, I have some unexpected gains that would make a perfect Christmas gift for my Master.”
Holmes looked at the evidence Moriarty presented. The tablet flashed familiar patterns and background music, then lit up the Servant Encyclopedia.
The next second, the sound of tables and chairs colliding drowned out the crackling of electricity. Holmes was almost astonished to see that the follower who should have been Data Loss suddenly displayed a beaming face.
"—That's impossible." Holmes stared at Moriarty's backlit face.
"Hmph, you dare not even believe such irrefutable evidence?" Moriarty said leisurely. "Well, Holmes?"
He spoke, his voice like a devil's whisper: "Want to join us?"
Meanwhile, Fujimaru Ritsuka successfully escaped from the medical room and happily strolled briskly down the corridors of Chaldea. Then, with a clear destination in mind, she stopped at the restaurant entrance.
Taking a deep breath, Ritsuka opened the door and spotted a beautifully presented cake and pudding in a familiar spot. Her eyes crinkled into a smile as she almost ran to the seat and pulled open the door to the table opposite the white-haired, brown-skinned man.
"Emiya-mama~" She cupped her face in her hands, her bright eyes gazing at the man, "How can you be so kind?"
"Hey... can't even food shut you up?" Emiya was powerless to refute the nickname, or perhaps no one could resist the girl's expression.
Finally, he just sighed and tapped Ritsuka's forehead. "Eat up, it's at its best now."
Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded slightly like a little hamster, and devoured all the sweets in front of her in small bites but very quickly.
It was only then that she belatedly realized something was wrong, and she suddenly looked up at Emiya, whose expression remained unchanged. "Wait, don't you think something's off about this restaurant?"
Emiya was taken aback, his wary gaze sweeping around, but he was puzzled as to find no sign of danger. "What's wrong?"
There are too few people.
"...?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka tilted her head, and like a high school girl sharing a secret with a best friend, she pulled Emiya's arm, "Look, it's afternoon tea time now, isn't it?"
She pointed to Artoria, who was now alone in the left corner, with no sign of the round table. "It's already strange that they're not in the cafeteria for afternoon tea, but not a single one of the Fairy Kingdom members or the Shinsengumi is here."
In fact, that's not all. The Golden Kings who would appear in the restaurant, Ishtar and Ereshkigal, Kama, and all the other characters from Greek mythology are also absent.
This made the restaurant seem unexpectedly large and spacious, which made Ritsuka, who was used to the hustle and bustle, feel a little uncomfortable for a while.
Clearly, Emiya, who stayed in Chaldea, knew far more than Ritsuka, who was constantly on the go and lacked vacations.
Emiya looked up, his eyes reflecting the girl's troubled expression. He knew perfectly well what was going on; the professor had invited almost half of Chaldea, and most of the Casters were working overtime at his place.
Ultimately, such a warm-hearted Master so readily embraced and responded to the bonds and love their Servants shared. Having experienced so many unique adventures together, it's only natural that they wouldn't want to let go, right?
If her future cannot bring her happiness, then staying in Chaldea becomes the choice for most Servants.
"Hmm, Emiya? Are you spacing out?" Fujimaru Ritsuka stretched out her hand and waved it in front of Emiya.
"No." Emiya stood up and tidied the table. "You should have the answer to your question soon. Sorry, I was also asked to keep it a secret."
"Whoa, just like Oberon said, you guys are secretly doing something naughty behind my back." Although Ritsuka said this, her tone was teasing, and she knew very well that her Servants would not hurt her.
She stood up too. "Never mind, since that's how it is, I'll just pretend I didn't know." She walked to the restaurant door, waved to Emiya, and said, "I'm going to catch up on my sleep now, bye-bye!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: * So, the Gotham Singularity story will temporarily conclude here. Because it's related to the Fourth World, there will be no side stories for this singularity.
* We're going to Mika tomorrow! Can you guess who the first Servant to appear will be?
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