Tokyo Singularity (23): Heading Towards the Future...
After learning yesterday that the leader of the Natsuyu Cult was at the Panxing Cult, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Gojo Satoru each searched the place in their own way, but all of them came up empty-handed.
She never expected him to come to her doorstep today, so she naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass by. She exchanged glances with Oberon and finalized the tracking plan.
Although Gojo Satoru almost destroyed her little tricks during the attack, overall everything went smoothly.
Fujimaru Ritsuka: "So, any more questions?"
Xia Youjie gazed at Fujimaru Ritsuka, feeling a surge of admiration mixed with a sudden sense of unfamiliarity. In their recent playful interactions, they had subconsciously come to see Ritsuka as a student similar to themselves—someone with close companions, doing dangerous work.
But everything today was beyond his expectations. Facing the enemy, he remained calm and quickly devised a plan with his comrades to turn the disadvantage into an advantage and push back to the enemy's stronghold.
Such quick wit cannot be acquired overnight. It is said that life and death are the best tests of a person, and perhaps her experience was even more painful and dangerous than they imagined.
Fujimaru Ritsuka was still whispering something to her companions, speaking in coded language they couldn't understand, raising her eyebrows and chuckling. Xia Youjie found the self-contained atmosphere of Chaldea inexplicably irritating, and was about to interrupt when Gojo Satoru beat him to it.
"As expected of a Master who has experienced countless battles, you are very experienced in dealing with this kind of thing. How confident are we, Jax, and you Chaldea in launching an attack at midnight tonight?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka thought for a moment: "If my plan is correct, it's 70%."
“Ritsuka, you can be a little more confident.” Sion’s smile still lingered as she glanced at the data on the screen and said, “Chaldea’s calculations show a 100% probability; there’s absolutely no chance of a problem.”
"Oh no, we still need to leave some room for maneuver, 95%."
Ashiya Doman had only a 0.5% chance of being unsure, and his purpose was something no one else had any clue about. He was both causing trouble and providing clues; even a battle of wits wouldn't have resulted in such a bizarre situation.
For now, we can only guess that he's brewing a bigger conspiracy, or maybe he's just... bored?
Upon hearing this, Gojo Satoru clapped his hands immediately, "I love this kind of confidence! I have no objection to the plan."
Xia Youjie nodded, "I have no objection either."
“…Sigh.” What else could Moth Masamichi say? He shook his head. “I also hope to resolve this before alarming the Directorate General. These two students will only cause you trouble later.”
Sion clapped her hands. "Your decisiveness has been a great help." She paused. "Mr. Goldruff, we've finished our discussion. It's your turn to step in."
The projection flickered, and the purple-haired girl disappeared, replaced by a slightly out-of-shape man. Xia Youjie clearly remembered that she had appeared in the communication a few nights ago.
"Oh, I see. The commander's orders are indispensable! After all, all battles begin with them!"
"Daddy Goff!" Fujimaru Ritsuka clapped enthusiastically, her smile sly.
"Hmm, thank you for your reassuring reaction... but I'm only in my early twenties!" The new director jumped up as expected, but since there were other people present, he cleared his throat twice and resumed his commander-like demeanor.
Gojo Satoru looked the man, who claimed to be in his twenties, up and down, and felt a deep respect for him.
"Heads up, chests out! No need for salutes! Very good. As the director of Chaldea, I am issuing this order to Fujimaru Ritsuka!"
"Investigate the reason for the appearance of the Imaginary Tree seed and retrieve the Holy Grail that has appeared on this land!" said Goldruff.
After the operation was officially decided, there were still several hours until midnight, so everyone dispersed to make their own preparations. In the end, only Gojo Satoru and Natsume Yuuki remained sitting in the entire meeting room.
"Wu?" Xia Youjie, who was usually the last to clean up the mess, looked at the white-haired boy with a puzzled expression. Wasn't he usually the first to rush out of the meeting room? Why was he still here today?
"Jay," Gojo Satoru hesitated for a moment, then abandoned all embellishment and said directly, "You won't become like him, will you?"
"...Is that why you stayed?"
"What the heck? I was worried about you!"
Xia Youjie was silenced for a while after being hit by Gojo Satoru's direct question, but finally gave the most direct answer: "Don't worry, I have no interest in knowingly taking the wrong path."
Seeing that Gojo Satoru was still staring at him relentlessly, Natsume lowered his head slightly and said in a do-or-die manner, "Fine... I admit that before Ritsuka came, I did have some not-so-good thoughts."
“I have indeed thought similarly to that person.” Xia Youjie recalled Jiujiu Yuki’s words. It was only a short time ago, but it felt like a lifetime ago to him.
Ignoring the loud meows of accusation from the white long-haired cat beside him, Xia Youjie continued talking to himself.
“But not anymore.” A pair of bright, golden eyes flashed into his mind. “She was a good listener and a trustworthy guide.”
"If I were to end up with the same fate as my future self—wouldn't that be a terrible waste of the time I spent with her?"
The two boys exchanged a glance, revealing the same proud and relaxed smiles. They walked out of the dimly lit conference room, arm in arm, as if leaving their painful past and hopeless future behind.
Ahead, their female classmate was waiting outdoors, the moonlight guiding her gaze in their direction.
"Glass."
"Glass!"
They ran toward her.
—
In the temporary dormitory, the orange-haired girl lay upright on the bed, fully clothed, taking a short rest, but seemed to have had a bad dream, her face showing pain.
Fujimaru Ritsuka always dreams of certain figures from behind.
Those who led her forward, those who turned their knives against her, friends, enemies... She stood still, witnessing the strange yet familiar figures walk towards death.
But she could only watch; she could only watch.
Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly opened her eyes, cold sweat trickling down her forehead and into her hair. The bright moonlight shone into the dormitory through the window, and the black-haired boy stood quietly by the window, his shadow following the light and clinging to her hair.
"You're awake?" The boy turned around to face the moonlight, his black hair gleaming faintly, dreamlike and seemingly unattainable.
With a half-smile playing on his lips, he spoke in a light tone, tinged with a barely perceptible weariness, "There's still an hour until the meeting. You still have time to rest."
Fujimaru Ritsuka did not answer. She slowly placed her hand on her forehead, the shadows of the night obscuring her pure golden eyes, covering them with an indescribable impurity.
After a long while, she subconsciously curved the corners of her mouth into a smile and spoke softly, her voice still tinged with breathlessness, "I can't sleep."
"Wow, to be honest, your smile looks really ugly right now. You don't have to smile if you don't want to."
"Is that so?" Fujimaru Ritsuka sat up, revealing a pale and thin face in the moonlight. Her tired eyes and expressionless demeanor made her look like a dead person, except that she was still breathing.
Oberon's eyes grew colder, and for a moment, an overwhelming hatred surged within them. People who knew this would happen yet still chose to save others were truly hopeless.
Ultimately, this disgusting world is already rotten and riddled with holes, so it doesn't matter if it's destroyed, right?
You're still persisting, really—
That's incredibly foolish.
Too dazzling.
And yet I feel pain because of this, how absurd.
Ritsuka looked at Oberon's furrowed brows, and as if she had come back to life, she smiled again, "See, it's worrying."
Oberon paused, finally giving in. He ruffled his black hair and resignedly walked towards her. He couldn't admit that seeing his Master, who worked diligently every day, was far more pleasant than her current state.
Whether it was Ritsuka's imagination or not, Oberon's tone even softened a bit, "What's wrong? Why the long face? Did you have a nightmare? Or did you spend a few days with these people who are so stupid they're practically brainless, and you don't want to leave?"
"This outfit suits the moonlight quite well," Ritsuka vaguely thought. She looked at the Prince of Darkness, "No, I didn't dream of anything."
lie.
"The people here are very nice, but parting is something we have to get used to."
lie.
A sneer came from afar, and Oberon sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed, his hair disheveled and his black and blue cloak casually draped over the bedside. The seemingly distant Fairy King suddenly seemed within reach.
"Do you know what your expression is saying?" Ritsuka subconsciously lowered her head and covered her face with the blanket, but she couldn't hide the boy's voice. "It's like you're saying, 'Save me.'"
Hey... it can't be that exaggerated, can it?
However, she never hid anything from him, nor could she hide it from him; it's just that some ingrained habits would always appear subconsciously.
“You already knew, I’m used to it.” Fujimaru Ritsuka moved closer to Oberon. The cold-faced but soft-hearted Servant, despite her disdainful expression, obediently let her get closer.
Want to chat?
"Ah, since you rarely speak up, what do you want to say?"
The air froze briefly, broken only by the rhythmic beating of heartbeats. After a long while, just when Oberon was starting to think that Fujimaru Ritsuka might have fallen asleep again, her voice finally drifted in.
"—How did you manage to get there in time during that spirit particle transfer?"
Oberon suddenly fell silent, realizing that his Master's intuition was becoming increasingly sharp. How many times had he been exposed already?
Oh dear, he can never hide anything from her.
"That was quite a shock. I didn't expect you to bring this up at this time. Even I was taken aback." Shouldn't you be able to speak your mind in this kind of atmosphere?
"I'm really struggling with what to say next."
Fujimaru Ritsuka listened speechlessly to his rambling, then slammed her hand on the bed. "Then tell the truth, you bastard."
"Well, well, before the Midsummer Night's play comes to an end, my insignificant role still can't reveal the truth to you."
So that means you're not going to say anything at all? Riddlers are really annoying. Although Fujimaru Ritsuka was used to having a bunch of riddlers around her, her curiosity being kept in limbo made her unable to help but complain.
She sighed, disappointed, and was about to move back when she suddenly heard Oberon speak again.
"However..."
"But what?!" Fujimaru Ritsuka immediately stopped what she was doing and pricked up her ears expectantly.
"No one in Chaldea will stop you from seeking the truth. Listen more, observe more, and think more. You will find the answer."
—
A bright moon hung high in the clouds, guiding travelers through the inky darkness of the night. Pushing aside the last withered branch, dry leaves slipped from their palms, and Fujimaru Ritsuka and his group arrived at the address of the Panxing Cult without any hindrance.
But it was too quiet all around; there were no buildings or people in sight on the empty ground.
"Have we arrived?" Xia Youjie's gaze fell on the dust and fallen leaves on the ground, creating double images, but he couldn't see anything amiss. He then pinned his hopes on Gojo Satoru's six-eyed eyes.
"Hmm... Jie, you can't see it." Gojo Satoru rubbed his hair and looked ahead. Xia Youjie glanced in the direction of Gojo Satoru's gaze in confusion, but still only saw a clearing overgrown with weeds.
"It's a barrier, a barrier! Ritsuka, you should have seen it, right?"
"Actually, I can't see it either." But through Little Da Vinci, Fujimaru Ritsuka had completely grasped the entirety of the magical barrier in front of her. Her face showed a mix of emotions, more of a feeling of exhaustion than nervousness.
"Shuten, please."
"Well, since the boss has spoken, then I must do my best." Shuten-dōji, in high spirits, tossed a strand of hair and smiled at Ritsuka. She arrived at the desolate clearing, and a longsword as tall as a person appeared in her hand, its blade slashing through the air.
"Zheng—"
A note from the author:
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