Beta read by Opal and FabledLife
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-???-
Within a dimly lit control room, several small lights flickered across the panels while rows of screens displayed crystal-clear images of the wilderness outside. The feeds shifted between viewpoints, each showing different parts of the terrain, ensuring that nothing could approach unnoticed. Every camera was part of a meticulous security system designed to prevent any chance of being caught off guard.
After completing one final sweep of the displays, Uno exhaled in quiet satisfaction and stepped away from the console. Everything seemed in order, with no soul managing to track them — despite having several dozen mages on the lookout for them. She left the surveillance chamber, the door sliding shut behind her with a soft hiss, and entered the hallway. There, leaning casually against the wall with arms folded and a thoughtful look upon her face, stood a blue-haired woman wearing several bandages and a tight-fitting gown rather than their usual blue armor.
Seeing her standing in the open like this rather than resting in her quarters brought on a sense of frustration to the eldest Number.
"You shouldn't be out of your recovery pod this early. Your wounds are still fresh," Uno said, her voice sounding a bit tired due to the many hours she had been up without an ounce of sleep. Though the Numbers were, in a sense, sisters, each created from similar genetic material, their relationship was anything but warm or familial. Between certain Numbers, personal attachment was avoided or just non-existent. It was not exactly discouraged to foster comfort or friendliness, but to her, that outcome could undermine discipline. Uno believed firmly in maintaining control, enforcing the Doctor's will without compromise, even if it meant taking on the role of a cold and detached superior. In her mind, such an approach was an acceptable trade for keeping the team at peak efficiency. Right now, ensuring that all active Numbers reached optimal physical condition was the highest priority.
"I will heal," Tre replied, her tone dry and matter-of-fact like her usual self. "Most of the life-threatening injuries have already mended. What remains are just flesh wounds. The attacks from those weapons don't heal as easily as normal injuries."
"While it is true that they are magical in nature, we have not found any traces of a foreign substance within you hampering recovery. At least it's not as bad as Sette; her current state is no different from death unless the doctor brings her back." Uno reminded her. "Going back to the weapons, their properties differ from the weapons native to this world. The Doctor has already stated that we cannot be certain what other armaments he possesses or what effects they might leave behind. For all we know, I may be wrong, and there could actually be residual elements in your body that our scans cannot detect. That is reason enough to be cautious."
Tre shook her head. "I know my own body better than anyone. Even the Doctor found nothing unusual in my condition. Besides, it is better to have at least a handful of us combat-ready for any given situation. Right now, there are barely any Numbers who can run, let alone walk or fight — you were not made for combat, unlike many of us. Even Quattro was better."
Uno hesitated, ready to argue, but could not deny the truth in those words. She sighed in reluctant acceptance. "... Fine. In any case, the Doctor should be back on his feet soon. We will decide our next course of action after that."
"Is his condition really that bad?" Tre asked, and though her face betrayed little emotion, the faint note in her voice revealed genuine concern for their creator.
"The attack from Shirou Emiya's unidentified weapon did not fully reach the Doctor, thanks to the other Numbers shielding him," Uno explained. "Even so, the damage he sustained is significant. His wounds are almost similar to yours, limb damage, as well as to his lower torso. He is undergoing a series of surgeries on his legs, which should be completed by today or tomorrow at the latest."
She could still recall the fight clearly. The man they faced had once again been underestimated, a mistake she would not repeat. In her view, he should have been treated as a kill-on-sight target from the very beginning, without any attempts to recruit him, alter his mind, or persuade him to change allegiances. He was too dangerous to be allowed to live under any circumstances, and the opportunity to eliminate him when he was first captured had been squandered.
That weapon he wielded… She had rewatched the battle footage countless times in her spare hours, scrutinising every detail. Their analysis confirmed that the man himself lacked even a fraction of the mana required to produce such an immense explosion, an attack powerful enough to pierce the fortified armour of the Saint's Cradle itself. Such destructive force could not be easily replicated, not unless the wielder was a monster on the level of Fate Testarossa, Hayate Yagami, or Nanoha Takamachi. And yet, Shirou Emiya had managed it.
The only explanation, she thought, was that the weapon itself was the true source of that power, not merely the man who held it.
'The blade spun slowly, threads of mana twisting into it from every direction, weaving together a tapestry of colour that was less a single hue and more an amalgamation of every type of energy converging on one point. From my understanding, all of it got absorbed into the weapon's core. The reason for the prolonged charge is clear: the weapon did not draw its strength from the wielder, but from the surrounding environment itself. Inside the Saint's Cradle, where the concentration of ambient energy could be said to be relatively high compared to the outside, such an ability would only be magnified, boosting its destructive potential.'
That was the only explanation she could form. The weapon could siphon energy from the very air, the walls, and the systems around it without relying heavily on the user. And if it had been allowed to continue gathering power without interruption, then…
The woman shuddered at the thought. A small breath of relief escaped her when she recalled that the blade had been aimed downwards, used for a quick release and escape route, rather than directed towards the Doctor himself, or worse, at the ship's main engine. Had it struck that vital section, it could have unleashed enough destruction to engulf the entire vessel in a single detonation. Not even their bodies would have been able to shield their creator from such an explosion.
"Keep watch on our perimeters," Uno ordered after shaking away these stressful images. "Stay in the surveillance room in case someone who should not be here approaches. I am giving you full authority to kill them without asking questions using our defense systems. But under no circumstances should you go outside by yourself unless you are prepared to die. We cannot take any risk until the Doctor has fully recovered."
Tre gave a silent nod and walked past her, the limp in her stride still noticeable. Uno's gaze followed her, and once again she felt the weight of the damage their unit had sustained. Many of the Numbers were still unconscious, particularly those who had been closest to the blast and had taken the worst of its force. In her mind, she had already accepted that some would not wake again, though she left that final judgment to the Doctor.
She made her way to him now, typing a sequence into the panel beside a reinforced door. It slid open to reveal a spacious lounge, one corner converted into an operating area. Jail lay there, hospital gown draped over his frame, a respirator covering his mouth while several robotic arms worked with precision on his leg. The man was awake, his head tilted towards a floating hologram. The projection depicted a broad-shouldered man with a stern expression, someone with whom Jail shared a form of alliance.
"The aftermath of salvaging the wreck is underway," the hologram's voice reported. "Nothing of value has been retrieved yet as certain sections of the Saint's Cradle remain sealed. I assume that is your doing."
Uno realised she had walked in on an ongoing conversation. Regius, if she recalled the man's name correctly, spoke with the clipped tone of someone delivering a formal report. Jail responded with a low chuckle, though it was cut short by a rough cough.
"I admit," he said, his voice carrying both strain and amusement, "I had not foreseen this loss. But I do not make the mistake of leaving myself without contingencies in the event my most valuable weapon is compromised. Even if the ship requires the Saint King's bloodline to navigate and move, that requirement is unnecessary for many of its other functions. I doubt your colleagues will risk losing more of their precious resources by forcing their way into those critical sections."
That got a headshake from the middle-aged man, "They are interested in the drone factory and the data library."
Of course, it was those; losing the former one was not that big of a loss, for she knew Jail could always rebuild it. But the second one made her nervous, for she regularly compiled sensitive information about all her work within the system.
"Then they are wasting their time, especially for the data library. I am not a fool to keep my most recent work stored there without proper safeguards. Even if they were to get their hands on it, they would only find information they have already encountered before. Nothing of any real value to them." Fortunately, as if he had read her mind, Jail answered with a relaxed tone, which also carried an edge of disdain. "Ah, Uno, good to have you here. I trust everything is in order?"
The conversation halted as soon as he saw her enter, a tray in her hands with his daily necessities: a pitcher of water, a neatly arranged lunch, and a few supplements.
"Indeed. I have tasked Tre to keep watch in my place while I look after you," she replied, her voice calm but firm.
"That will not be necessary. As you can see, I am already well on my way to a full recovery, and it will come sooner rather than later. You can leave those here. Now, where were we, Regius? Ah, yes, now that the Saint's Cradle situation has been dealt with, you should know exactly what I am going to ask you next."
The man in the hologram, seated with an air of authority, frowned and massaged his temples, the gesture carrying the weariness of a long-standing irritation. "Commander Hayate has more than enough influence to keep that outsider by her side and shield him from any orders without her consent. If I attempt to apply pressure now, I will only draw unwanted attention to myself. That is not a risk I am willing to take."
Uno's face scrunched up slightly as, next to the hologram, another face of a certain redhead appeared. He had proven himself to easily become one of the most hateful people in her life; a person like this needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.
Jail's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Are you seriously expecting me to believe that those old geezers are not in the least bit curious, or even greedy, about the kind of weaponry that person possesses? Please, Regius. I was not born yesterday. I know better than anyone the sort of people they are… including you."
Regius frowned, visibly irritated by that remark, but not in a position to rebuke it, or he just did not find the idea of it to be worth the effort. "They will not give up so easily, and I am certain that even with her rank, Hayate will not be able to cover for that man forever. Sooner or later, she will make a mistake. But remember our agreement regarding Shirou Emiya."
Jail gave a small wave of his hand, his expression returning to that composed, calculating look. "But of course. You know I always keep my end of the bargain. In any case, I am curious to know his current status."
"He is still in Midchilda, but from my understanding, Riot Force 6 will be handed a mission related to the planet in sector seven… uh, let me see, it's K7498-n7 or Mavroskynos as known by the locals. From what I understand, they are going to be tasked to recover an unknown object, possibly a relic."
"What?" This time, Jail's smile vanished, replaced by a faint look of confusion. The name was familiar, tugging at his memory, and Uno noticed the faint narrowing of his eyes. Before she could speak, it seemed the doctor had already recalled why. "I remember now. Someone once tried to replicate my experiments in cloning and biochemistry by making his own version of the Numbers, but 'enhanced', hahaha, how hilarious. If memory serves, he failed… humph, a nobody whose name is not even worth remembering. His interference gave birth to abominations he could not even control, and thus he died, devoured. The only useful thing he has done was to serve as nutrients for them."
Visible scorn flickered across Jail's face, his tone cutting. "Foolish people, thinking they could so easily recreate something that took me decades of painstaking research, trying to accomplish in mere years what I perfected over a lifetime, using my own work as a foundation and then corrupting it with their own flawed methods. A recipe for disaster."
Regius nodded. "Yes, but thankfully, the matter was resolved when Nanoha Takamachi intervened. Outside of a few scattered remnants, there should not be any of those creatures left."
"I should hope so," Jail muttered. "Still, this is interesting. I have extensive knowledge of the locations of every single relic, and as far as I am aware, there should not be any on that particular planet. It has no business being there unless someone smuggled a few from those that were already gathered on Midchilda somehow. Could this be a mistake? Have you identified its serial number?"
"Hard to say, given it's only a speculation. Our scanners have just picked up an unusually large burst of mana in a specific location." Regius admitted. "Not that it matters. This is as good an opportunity as any for me to use the situation to my advantage."
So he said, but even Uno could see that the man was interested in getting his hand on this relic and perhaps using it as a bargaining chip with the doctor to ask for more favors. 'Maybe it's the perfect time for Due to play a role. She has been pretty worried ever since the battle.'
Unfortunately, all of this depended on the doctor.
"Well then, I wish you good luck, Regius."
As he spoke, the communication link terminated with a faint click, the holographic image vanishing into thin air. The doctor returned his attention to the tablet in his hands, his fingers already resuming their precise movements as he continued working on whatever calculations or schematics occupied his mind. Uno stepped closer, setting down the glass of water she had brought him, placing it neatly beside his arm. A mixture of thoughts and unspoken concerns swirled within her, but she knew that voicing them now or insisting that he rest longer would be a waste of time. Instead, she turned her attention to a different matter.
"I do not think we can trust that man."
"Obviously," Jail replied without missing a beat, his eyes lifting briefly toward her in mild curiosity. There was no sign of offence in his expression, nor any irritation, just the genuine interest of someone who wished to know more. "But what makes you say that now, of all times?"
"He now knows you are in a vulnerable state," she explained, her tone steady but edged with caution. "Unlike before, you no longer hold a powerful weapon in your arsenal as a bargaining chip. With the Saint's Cradle now in their hands, he will most likely attempt to use this opportunity to move against you, one way or another."
"That is where you are overlooking something." Jail's voice held a faint, almost amused tone. "I have not lost the Saint's Cradle. It is still very much in my possession."
Her brow furrowed slightly, though she said nothing at first. Given the current reality, that the vessel had been physically seized by enemy forces, she could not see how such a claim was possible. Reading the uncertainty in her silence, the man leaned back and continued, his words calm but deliberate.
"Even if they were to station hundreds of their mages within that ship, they would not be able to access a single function. They cannot move it, cannot activate it, cannot even make use of its most basic systems without bringing in dear Vivio in the picture — which I doubt someone like Commander Hayate will allow. Then there is the matter of repairing it. Even with access to the ancient data stored there, restoration is a far more complex task than they realise. I, on the other hand, have spent years studying every inch of that vessel. Its blueprints are etched into my mind as clearly as if I had been the one to design it from the beginning. Regius knows this. Those allied with us know this. They are fully aware that not only can I repair the Saint's Cradle, I am the only one who can activate it, and I possess the means to do so. They will not discard me. They would not even consider it."
His lips curved into a faint, self-assured smile. "And let us not forget, they still covet my other expertise in cloning."
After saying that, he brought his attention back to his tablet, continuing to work on some sort of project she had seen him work on for a while. Something related to Emiya Shirou, given it was linked to his folder in their system, but she never gazed at it without permission.
"Leave me alone for now, take care of the others, and I will see what I can do after I can walk. For now, I need to focus on something important. Shirou has given me a lot to think about when it comes to weaponry. I cannot waste his gift."
"Understood."
Without speaking against him, Uno bowed and left the room. But not before sneaking a quick glance at the doctor.
{Break}
(A few hours later)
-Midchilda-
Morning light spilled softly through the apartment windows, casting a pale glow across the floorboards. The faint hum of the refrigerator and the quiet sizzle from the kitchen blended into the stillness, carrying with them the mouthwatering scent of breakfast.
Breakfast that Shirou realized was being cooked by someone else.
"Good morning, Shirou~!"
The familiar voice reached him the moment he stepped out of his room and into the kitchen. There, a certain blonde was already moving about, wearing his own apron and… an oversized shirt which he was pretty sure was his… Her hands were busy over the stove as the scent of cooking eggs drifted through the air.
"Had a good night's sleep?" Fate asked, glancing at him briefly over her shoulder.
He gave a short chuckle, scratching the back of his head after realising he was observing the shirt a bit too intently, and ended up looking towards certain places that pushed against the fabric a bit too much. "I-I suppose you could say that. Sorry, I was not fully awake yet."
He hoped his flimsy excuse would work.
In truth, the air between them still carried a faint trace of awkwardness. The events of the previous night, particularly the conversation and the moments shared with Nanoha, were still fresh in his mind. More than that, there was the memory of being caught red-handed in his apartment by two very particular women, Fate among them.
"How is she?" he asked at last.
As if already knowing precisely who he meant, Fate merely gestured toward the sofa in the adjoining room. There, sprawled in a tangle of limbs and similar light clothing, were Nanoha and Hayate, both wearing once again nothing more than oversized shirts and loose pyjama shorts. The pair was lying on top of one another in a state of deep sleep.
'Did they go through my closet… no, I must be imagining it.' Why would they even do that? It made no sense. But these shirts sure did look like the exact ones he bought with both Subaru and Teana when they brought him along to shop a while ago.
"They were rather energetic in their little cat-and-mouse game last night," Fate explained matter-of-factly. "Had I not been here, those two might have made quite a mess of the place. Nanoha simply would not let Hayate get hold of that picture and wanted them to be deleted."
"She didn't try to catch you?" he asked while lowering himself into a seat at the table. The act of being served a meal he had neither prepared himself nor helped to make still felt unusual to him, especially when it was not taken away from a local restaurant. His mind briefly drifted to Fuyuki, where in years past he would help Sakura in the kitchen, and later to London, where he had practically become Rin and Luvia's personal chef.
"But of course not! I would never take any pictures hidden away like this," the woman replied, her lips forming a small, playful pout that seemed more amused than offended.
He supposed she had a point. Perhaps he was overthinking it.
"I would instead wait and have Hayate secretly send them to me," she added, almost too innocently.
"Ah," he thought, realising he had nearly been fooled by her tone. "I see. Just make sure she doesn't hear about this."
"Are you not bothered about it?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her eyes carrying genuine curiosity. "Because I wish to remind you that the pictures are of you two kissing… and from our angle last night, your face was the clearest to see."
He coughed, a small blush of embarrassment forming on his face at the way she worded it. "I-I don't mind. Also, you two saw everything clearly that day, so there's nothing I can do about it now. Even if I had the ability for hypnosis and my magecraft didn't fall short, I doubt I could cast a spell to make someone of your caliber forget. And honestly, I am terrible at keeping secrets, so one way or another, people would have found out." His words were accompanied by a bitter smile, the kind that came from stating a truth without any attempt to soften it.
Fuji-nee had already tempered him enough times with all her teasing when it came to Sakura, so he was ready for another round with anyone!
"Still," she continued while he mentally prepped himself, "I want to say that I am surprised you chose Nanoha. Not that I can't see why, she's a wonderful person, and the two of you becoming a couple should have been expected, I suppose… still a bit surprising it happened so early given neither of you even went on a date as far as I know."
"What do you mean by 'choose'? Was there someone else?" he asked, a faint note of puzzlement in his voice. "Also, I'm just as confused as you are on how it came to this. I was not aware she thought of me like this, and last night… the idea didn't sound bad."
"She is a wonderful person, and I can see why you'd be attracted to those of similar qualities and hobbies to yours," Fate replied, placing deliberate emphasis on those last two words and hitting the spatula against the pan. The smile on her face grew ever so slightly, yet there was something in her tone that made him feel an odd sense of unease. "What do you find attractive about Nanoha?"
"Uh…"
A bit too direct, his mind had no answer to give. Which in turn caused Fate to narrow her eyes and lean forward to stare at him intently — almost intimidatingly.
Still, he decided to give her a straight answer. Hoping that it would also clear up some of his own uncertainties on the matter. "She's kind." He said, remembering the first time they met and the second time on Earth. "She came at a moment when I was truly lost on what to do. Guided me and gave me hope. She accepted my dreams, we got along quite well, and I always felt happy around her. Lutecia feels comfortable around her, too, and well… it's hard to put it into words, I want to give it a try."
Even if it was a spur of the moment, back then, he was not fully sure why he allowed that to happen, given he already had so much in his life going on at the moment, and being in a relationship was the last thing on his mind. But facing it now, he realized that he was just trying to find an excuse not to get too attached to this world.
But that was already too late.
"Oh really? Well, I can't argue against that, but that makes me curious… those traits are also possessed by others, aren't they?" She whispered, now he was really feeling like her entire presence kept getting bigger to the point that looking away just proved to be impossible. "A lot of people here match those traits. Are you telling me that it had been anyone else there rather than Nanoha, if it was Hayate, Subaru, Teana, or even me… You would have accepted~?"
Was she teasing?
Was she being serious?
He could not tell!
It felt like he was facing Rin again whenever she got mad about something he did or one of her experiments going awry, and then the girl letting her anger hint through, smiling and using a cutesy voice, which gave him the chills every time.
"Answer me, Shirou."
Fate was doing the same!
Faced with such an immense mental pressure that not even facing an actual Servant or even dealing with the worst kind of arrogant Magus that could be found within the Clocktower — the redhead submitted. "I… I probably would have been happy to be confessed, if it came from people I trusted… and I trust you all… so… b-but I don't see Subaru like or Teana like that! T-They are my frien—"
"That means you see me differently." She cut him off, leaning against the table, seemingly to take a more comfortable position, but to him, it looked like the woman made sure he would not be able to escape or look away. "Does that mean Hayate as well? Shirou… I didn't know you were so greedy, what would Nanoha say~? Would you be happy if she agreed?"
At this point, his mind started to overload, and jumping off the balcony and escaping this situation started to sound more and more appealing.
"Why torture me like this…" he whispered, only getting Fate to sigh a bit and finally give him back his personal space.
"I just felt like venting a bit, nothing else." She answered honestly as to why she did so in the first place, a certain idea crept into his mind, but he immediately dismissed that. That particular thought sounded so outrageous that it momentarily made him realize he was thinking like Shinji back in high school.
'She is just testing me. Nanoha did mention plenty of times before that Fate likes to tease people, and being around her in the beginning has confirmed that. I'm just getting her intentions confused with something that is definitely not the case.'
Not to mention, so far, we had not done anything worthwhile in his opinion to make her feel that way about him; the same argument also went for Nanoha, but that was a mystery he swore to resolve in the upcoming days. Just did not want the girl to feel regret over something that she actually did not want, and did it through the influence of alcohol.
"I need to talk about the details with Nanoha and see what she actually thinks," he admitted, not even certain Nanoha shared the same sentiment; it could just as easily have been a fleeting moment or the influence of alcohol. But given her reaction last night…
"Are you daydreaming now? Seriously?" Fate's voice cut through his thoughts, the faint disapproval in her tone making her feelings clear.
All he could do was chuckle awkwardly and rub the back of his head, feeling the atmosphere in the kitchen shift into something heavier than before. "Can we just have this conversation another time? I don't think I can say or do much at the moment. My mind is completely fried."
"Can't, or won't?" she asked curiously.
"I would rather focus on dealing with the issues we were already facing with the doctor first, rather than anything else," he replied with a firm tone, praying that his tactic would work and manage to distract her away from this specific topic in particular. "I don't suppose he has been captured yet, has he?"
Fate shook her head, her earlier smile fading into something more serious. "Unfortunately, no. Even though the Saint's Cradle has been heavily damaged and cannot move without someone bearing the bloodline of the Saint King to control it, it is doubtful the doctor could have gone far. We still have search parties patrolling the area and making sure every section is being surveyed as thoroughly as possible."
Her words were resolute, but even as he listened, Shirou already suspected the truth. No matter how serious the effort, the chances of capturing the doctor under these circumstances were slim to none.
That man was crafty, and there was no chance he would allow himself to be apprehended so easily. Arrogant though he might be, he was still far from a fool. The Numbers were his creations, and the majority of them remained loyal, ready to assist him in any escape or confrontation.
"Do you think he will try to attack the city again and retrieve Quattro?" Shirou asked. In truth, he was uncertain how to approach anything related to that woman or what importance she truly held to the man in question. The situation surrounding her was tangled, full of unclear motives, and it left him unsure of the most prudent way to act.
"To tell you the truth, he strikes me as the sort of man who would rather sacrifice her to save his own skin," Fate replied, her tone carrying an unmistakable edge of distaste. Her dislike for the doctor had been steadily intensifying over the past few days. The attack on Machilda had been the first spark, but the information they later uncovered regarding his pursuit of Vivio only cemented her opinion further.
"In any case, the world does not wait for us. It is important that we get ready soon, for work awaits us." She said, getting a nod from Shirou, who felt the relief in his heart grow. Only for that to be immediately thrown out of the window when, for a brief moment, he heard Fate whisper, "I wonder if things would have been different had I been the one to be on the balcony yesterday."
"What?" Not believing his ears, he looked up, hoping to get an explanation from the woman or, hopefully, that he had just heard wrong — only to see her face less than an inch away from him with his golden brown eyes staring right back at purple. "Ah!"
His sudden reaction made his body jerk backwards, a bit too much force present behind his action, causing the chair to slip beneath him, making his upper body fall onto the ground. "Ugh…" A groan of pain escaped his lips as well as frustration over his reaction. Why was he being so jittery? This did not feel like him; he felt like he was losing control and was not sure if it was Fate's fault or something else.
Yet as the man opened his eyes, the first thing he gazed upon was not the ceiling of his apartment, but rather shadows standing right next to his head looking down on him.
"Good morning, Shirou." Both Hayate and Nanoha said in unison, clear amusement present on their faces, making him understand that they had been watching the show and were awake for quite a while without him realising it. "We must get you to drink more often, it really makes you more responsive to teasing. Then again, this is a special blend that has the effect of making certain people more… sensitive, you can say."
Was that it…?
With that thought in mind, he found his eyes involuntarily going places where they shouldn't come up, especially how these two are so close to him, which made it practically impossible not to notice certain things.
"Ah… no bra."
"..."
"..."
The silence was palpable. Now, rather than excusing himself over his little slip-up, the redhead had already accepted his fate and chalked it up to the alcohol still making him do and say stupid things.
"It is uncomfortable to wear them while sleeping." Hayate of all people continued on as if nothing unusual had happened; he did not know whether to thank her or just leave the apartment. "How long are you going to stay on the floor? We have lots to do today, you won't get another view. What would Lutecia think?"
She… she had a point.
.
.
.
After that, Shirou went ahead and left the room to wake up Lutecia while the three girls sat quietly in the kitchen with an almost awkward atmosphere between them. The first one to break the silence was Hayate, who chuckled lightly, "Even though we agreed to have you interrogate Shirou a bit, I didn't expect it to be this intense. Maybe I should change your position to interrogation officer."
Fate shook her head, "Don't, that kind of position does not suit me. I just wanted to make sure Shirou was being serious with all of this."
"He doesn't strike me as a person who would take such an important step without consideration," Hayate added, to which the blonde agreed before the latter looked at Nanoha, who had been mostly quiet the entire time.
"Sorry if I went a bit overboard."
Surprisingly, her friend showed no anger or even frustration; rather, she smiled. "You're my best friend, both of you, if I trust you with my life… I would also trust you with this matter. I'm just happy to hear Shirou's answer. I also had my doubts if he would accept, and did not want him to feel burdened. Now I just need to figure out how to get there. I wouldn't mind both of you helping me out."
Fate, on the other hand, showed an expression of confusion.
"Wouldn't it be better if you and Shirou were to figure things out without us meddling in too much? It's your love life, I can only step in so many times before things become too awkward. I don't want to send the wrong message and make things sour between us." She genuinely hoped for the best for both her friend and Shirou, willing to sacrifice a bit of it, which meant they could be happier.
"You're overthinking things too much, Fate." Nanoha mentioned, "If I felt you were going too far, then I would have said so, you know me. I don't want you to create some distance between us and change things up for no reason. Also, I should be the one apologizing… I may have acted too impulsively when I saw you two getting along quite well lately, with Vivio added in the picture."
"Nanoha…"
With all the tribulations they went through together, it would not be a lie to say they did not consider each other as one of the most important people in their lives. Fate would do anything for them, and she knew the same applied on their end as well, which was why she could understand what Nanoha conveyed — for she would have done the same.
"I don't want things to change between us, I don't want to overthink the details, and I want us to enjoy each other's company as usual. And… and well, I also want to see you be happy, I wouldn't forgive myself if I were to take away such an opportunity from you," the brunette continued. "So let's just continue doing what makes us happy without anything stopping us! We've overcome much darker scenarios, this is nothing!"
Both Hayate and Fate were quiet, not knowing what to say at the moment. Feeling both touched but also a bit guilty, but soon a smile bloomed on their faces as each proceeded to grab one of Nanoha's hands on their side, before uttering at the same time.
"Thanks."
"Thank you."
(An hour later)
"It's rare for all of us to be heading to the Riot Force headquarters together," Subaru remarked as Fate's car sped along the road. The wind rushing through the open window caught her face, and she leaned into it with a contented expression, enjoying the sensation. "I should add another goal to my list, to get a car like this for myself."
"Don't move too much, Subaru. It's already cramped enough back here, and your big butt is getting in the way," Teana grumbled.
"I do not have that big of a butt!" Subaru shot back immediately.
"It's at least twice as big as mine!" Tiana retorted, cheeks flushing slightly as the limited space pressed her uncomfortably close to the man beside her. Shirou, for his part, focused on the scenery flashing by his window, clearly trying to ignore their back-and-forth.
"Still, it's surprising that Hayate went out so quickly, in such a rush," Nanoha said from the passenger seat, steering the conversation away from the argument. "It's the first time I've seen her leave so abruptly."
Shirou had remained quiet; there was a faint, unspoken tension between them; they conversed as they normally would, as if the events of the previous night had never occurred, yet both were fully aware they had. The knowledge lingered between them like an unspoken question. He wondered how long they could keep up this act, especially since others already knew. Perhaps she was waiting for the right moment to speak to him about it.
"There are only a few reasons why Hayate would react like this," Nanoha continued. "First, if Midchilda itself was in danger of being destroyed, like that time during Jail's attack. Second, one of her private projects had finally shown results and was bringing her closer to her goal. Third, if she had found the whereabouts of Jail, but that's the least likely, since she would have told us immediately. Or it could be something else entirely, something I'm not aware of."
Shirou agreed with her assessment, at least in part. He certainly had not expected to see Hayate, usually the picture of calm composure, suddenly behaving as if she had seen a ghost. She had hurried out of the apartment with only a brief explanation, claiming she needed to finish an important report before it was too late.
"Well, we'll find the answer to that soon enough," Nanoha concluded as the car pulled into the headquarters. Two familiar figures were already waiting outside, standing together as they often did.
"Erio! Caro!" Subaru called out, waving cheerfully. Tiana followed suit, offering her own greeting, while Shirou and the others stepped out to join them.
"What are you two doing here? Weren't you supposed to be on your day off?"
"We received a message from Hayate saying that she had something important to discuss with us," one of the boys replied.
As soon as those words left his mouth, the rest of the group exchanged quick glances, their expressions showing mild confusion. If Hayate had truly sent out such a message, why had she not told them as well? Perhaps realising this was a small oversight, no one pressed the issue further. They simply moved on, letting the matter go, and proceeded through the building's corridors.
Before long, they found Hayate inside one of the operations rooms, standing in front of a large wall-mounted display. Her posture was tense, her gaze fixed on the screen with the distant, focused look of someone already working through several problems at once. The light from the monitor cast faint shadows across her face, making the stress she was under that much more apparent.
"Have you found the whereabouts of Jail?" Nanoha was the first to speak up.
The answer did not come from Hayate, but from Rein, who flew over to meet them, her small form practically buzzing with energy despite the serious look on her face. She shook her head firmly.
"Unfortunately, no. I tried to triangulate his location, but according to the several reports I have gone through, there has been no trace of him. It is as if he has completely vanished. We are continuing the search, of course, with more people being assigned to the task and mages volunteering to assist as well. But I cannot guarantee we will have any answers in the immediate future."
Shirou's expression remained calm as he gave a small nod. "He will not reveal himself this early on anymore. Before, he had drones, which he could send in seemingly endless swarms, and because of that, he never feared contacting us. He had an army of his own to rely on. But with the Saint's Cradle no longer under his control, he will not be able to keep depending on drones forever. That will force him to use the Numbers instead. I am almost certain he is still somewhere on this planet. People with arrogance like his do not give up so easily."
"You would be correct in that assumption."
Hayate's voice cut through the room, drawing all eyes to her as she finally turned to face them fully.
"Actually," she continued, "it is very likely that what I am about to tell you has nothing to do with Jail directly, although it does have a certain connection to him."
"How so?" Fate asked, her curiosity evident as she studied Hayate's expression.
"We have received a message concerning the possible location of a relic," Hayate explained. She turned back to the console, her fingers moving quickly over the keys. A moment later, each of their devices gave a sharp beep, and small projectors activated in front of them, displaying the details of the report in crisp holographic clarity. "As you can see, this is supposed to be just a straightforward retrieval mission. I am sorry if it is not quite what you were expecting, Shirou."
"There is nothing you need to apologise for," he replied without hesitation.
"I understand that Task Force Six has other responsibilities besides tracking this man down day after day," she said with a faint, almost weary smile. "But there are still duties we cannot afford to ignore, not even for a moment."
Her words earned nods from several members of the group, who seemed to agree entirely with her reasoning.
"All right then," she declared, "let's get this done before someone like Jail gets his grubby hands on it."
The brief cheer of agreement that followed had everyone moving again. They made their way to the main operations room, where the central display screen shifted to show the image of an entirely different planet. The moment Shirou's eyes landed on it, something about the sight stirred an odd sense of familiarity within him. He glanced toward the others, trying to judge if they recognised it as well.
"Wait… isn't that planet—?"
"Yes," Hayate confirmed without hesitation. "It's the one where we found you."
{Break}
(A few hours later)
"I still can't believe they agreed to let you join us, Shirou."
Seated within the ship as it glided through the vast, silent ocean of space, following a precise set of coordinates toward their mission's destination, Subaru could not help but voice her surprise. She had been certain that he would either choose to remain behind or, at the very least, be denied permission by the higher-ups to leave the planet at all.
"It's one of life's big mysteries," came another voice from beside him. This comment earned a raised brow from Subaru, who had been fully expecting the higher-ups to resist the idea altogether. In her mind, the likelihood of him not only joining the mission but also being allowed to leave Midchilda was almost nonexistent.
The blonde gunslinger seated next to her shook her head at that. "You make it sound as if he were some kind of prisoner or hostage. This was inevitable the moment Shirou was accepted into Riot Force Six."
"I suppose you're right. It's just so exciting to finally go on a mission with all of us together," Subaru replied brightly.
The person in question sat quietly, an amused chuckle escaping him. His attention was soon drawn upward as a small dragon, with a practiced stealth born of habit, climbed onto his head and settled there as though it were the most natural nest in the world.
"Ah! I'm so sorry, Shirou!"
Seeing her pet misbehaving again, the young girl reached forward in an attempt to remove it, only for him to raise a hand to stop her.
"It's fine. I think he's just comfortable up there. He's not hurting me, so I don't mind," he said. In truth, the memory of trying to pull the little creature off before — and the pain that followed when it clung stubbornly to his scalp — was enough to ensure he would not repeat the mistake.
"But I agree with Subaru. This is only the second time we've all gone on a mission together."
"Actually, the third time," Lutecia corrected, glancing at him. "The first was on top of the train, the second during the auction."
Her words made him pause. Given everything that had happened in such a short span, it was almost strange to realise just how long he had already been part of Riot Force Six, and how many events he had already been drawn into alongside them.
"Speaking of first times," Teana added, turning her attention toward him after finishing her conversation with Subaru, "is this your second or third time being transported in a spaceship capable of travelling through space?"
"I suppose so. Still as beautiful and spectacular as I remember," he said, his gaze fixed on the slowly diminishing sight of the planet he had called home since his arrival in this world. From this distance, it resembled a pale blue jewel adrift in the void, much like his own world would have looked — if one ignored the difference in the shapes of the continents. "Wow… this is truly magnificent."
Even though it was a society I had seen before when first arriving here and when leaving Earth, it still conveyed a sense of awe. Though he did not feel worried or afraid of leaving the planet, even if for a small amount of time, since the person he was looking after was not on her own.
"Can I touch it?" Caro's voice reached his ears, looking at the pink-haired girl to see her talking with Leticia as the latter was holding up her palm with one of her insects floating on top of it. The little creature made a strange noise, floating away as soon as Caro tried to tap it, with the girl herself hesitating. 'For someone who can summon dragons, she sure is quite twitchy around something as small as that insect.'
Fried, who was still nesting on top of his head, completely ignored the scene in front of him and went back to sleep.
"We should be arriving soon. This spaceship is different from the last one, which was primarily built for transportation. It can travel much faster, and at this rate, we will reach our destination in a matter of minutes—half an hour at most," Nanoha explained as she came to sit beside him. There was no hesitation in her movements, no sign of awkwardness despite what had happened between them the previous night and again that morning.
"How are you feeling, Shirou?" she asked.
"Good, for the most part," he replied after a short pause. "I'm just concerned about the kind of things we might encounter on that planet again. I would much rather deal with drones than with creatures like those. I've known people in my own world who studied such things, and I can tell you that if they are left unsupervised or if even a small handful of those ghouls survive, they can multiply and return to their former numbers very quickly."
His mind lingered on the memory of those ghouls. They were far more dangerous and unpredictable than thousands of drones under the command of one person, driven entirely by primal instinct. He still did not know whether they had been created through some experiment gone awry or if they were a natural part of this world's ecosystem. Either way, the thought of facing them again was unsettling. The magic of this world, with its different rules and systems compared to his own, only added to the uncertainty. Recalling the sheer aggression the creatures had shown when he had first arrived here made him uneasy.
"I understand your worries," Nanoha said in a reassuring tone. "But don't worry. With Fate and I here, we'll make sure to keep their numbers under control if things start to get out of hand. That planet has already been evacuated, and it's no longer considered a safe or habitable location for travellers. So you won't need to worry about civilians or making sure people escape alive."
"I hope so," he said, leaning back slightly.
"I still don't regret what I did last night," she said suddenly, turning her head toward him with a smile that carried quiet certainty. "I'll admit part of it was the alcohol, but the only thing it did was give a little push to what was already there. I meant every word I said before."
"That's… good to know," he replied, genuinely relieved by her clarity. "I'm happy too. Just… I should warn you, I'm not sure how these things usually work. I don't really know what to do or what you might expect from me."
Nanoha gave a light laugh at that. "Silly. The reason I did this is that you've been yourself all this time. That's what I like. I don't want you to change. I'm happy with the way things are now. Unless… of course, you want to take things further."
He coughed slightly, reminded again that Nanoha, like the other women in his life, could be surprisingly bold and straightforward when she wished to be. "I'll do my best to keep you happy," he said at last.
She hummed, a mischievous glint flashing across her eyes. "I know you will. Does that mean you'll do the same for Fate?"
"…" That same feeling of dread from earlier that morning returned in full force. He slowly turned to face her, wondering what exactly she was implying.
"You two were getting quite close earlier," she continued casually. "When I first opened my eyes, it almost looked like you were flirting with her. And with how close your faces were, from my angle, it even resembled a kiss. Should I be worried?"
"Not you too…" he muttered, his voice carrying an edge of exasperation.
Her laughter only grew at that.
"If you three keep this up, people might start to get the wrong idea and label you as a playboy. Someone who isn't serious about relationships." He added, feeling his hair turn white from her teasing.
"Well, you never know. You get along quite well with practically everyone, especially Subaru and Teana. Those two even sleep at your place, and honestly, a majority of the girls in Riot Force Six have slept over at your apartment at one point, if not all of them," she said, her tone carrying a faint trace of teasing.
"Of course it will sound bad if you put it like that," Shirou replied with a faint sigh. "You're talking about people who keep raiding my food. Subaru and Teana use every excuse in the book to avoid cooking. With how much time they pour into training, they can't keep their apartment clean, wash their clothes, or even properly take care of their own health unless someone steps in to rein them back."
As he continued speaking, Nanoha's expression shifted gradually, her brows rising until she finally gave in to a small laugh. "You know what? I take back what I said before. At this point, I'm not afraid of you charming the other girls. I'm more afraid of waking up one day to find you've legally adopted all of them and become their mother."
"What's with the 'mother' part? Father sounds much better," he countered with mild annoyance.
"I agree. Maybe I should be the mother, and you can have the father title. It works perfectly," she said with a smirk.
"Enough with the flirting, both of you!" Fate's voice cut sharply across the ship, breaking their exchange. Shirou and Nanoha turned to find every eye on them, each face displaying a different reaction. Caro was blushing, her eyes sparkling with curiosity; he remembered that she had no idea what had happened between them. Erio wore a similar look, while Lutecia just stared back at him with a slight glare. As for Teana and Subaru, both stared with mouths slightly open, the blue-haired brawler even pointing between them with a trembling hand.
"W-When did this…?" Subaru managed to ask, her voice unsteady.
"I'll tell you after the mission," Fate interjected, drawing their attention back to the main screen. "In the meantime, we should focus. We've already arrived."
As she said, the ship had entered the planet's atmosphere. Below stretched a reddish world, devoid of any sign of civilization — only ruins scattered among endless sand dunes. From their high vantage point, the desolation was impossible to miss.
"All right, everyone. The doors will open in a moment. You have authorization to deploy at any time!" Rein's voice rang out as an alarm sounded. The hatch began to open slowly, though no wind rushed in thanks to a protective spell holding the atmosphere at bay.
"All right! Let's get this started!" Subaru called out, activating her device. Gauntlets locked into place and rollerblades snapped into position before she leapt out with her partner close behind, while Erio and Caro followed.
"We'll be keeping watch from here and will intervene if needed," Fate and Nanoha both stated. "Given our rank, there are several restrictions on when we can be deployed and when we have to wait." Their reasoning was sound; few could match the destructive force the two of them could bring to a battlefield.
Shirou rose from his seat and turned to Lutecia, noting her black dress and the gloves her device had taken the form of. "Do you really want to join me for this? It could be dangerous, and the creatures down there are nothing like the drones."
"I've dealt with other types of creatures while training with Zest, back when we still worked for the Doctor," she said with quiet confidence. "I can handle them. My insects are strong."
"Alright, I'll trust you," Shirou said, having personally witnessed Lutecia's abilities before, once seeing her command an insect in humanoid form that struck through reinforced walls with a force most would not expect from such a creature. From that display alone, he understood she possessed the means to fight effectively. Even so, the thought remained at the back of his mind that he would be keeping a close eye on her, ensuring she came to no harm under his watch.
"Before you go, I have something for you," Fate's voice called out, halting him just as he was about to jump. The suddenness of her words made him pause mid-step, his gaze drawn back to her. In her hands was a slim, black briefcase, the metal clasps glinting under the light of the cabin. She opened it with a practiced motion, revealing what lay within.
His eyes widened immediately. Resting on the soft lining was a necklace he knew all too well.
"Ruben? But… I was certain I lost it when the Doctor captured me," he said slowly, his mind immediately pulling back to those moments. "No, I'm almost sure it was destroyed. How did you…?"
"Actually," Fate replied with a faint smile, "this is Ruben version 3.0. The last one was indeed destroyed, but we had a complete backup stored in our system, containing all of Ruben 2.0's information. Using that, we took the opportunity to refine its construction and improve certain functions. It's now far more attuned to your body's natural rhythm and to the way your magic circuits operate. Go on, try it."
Without a moment of hesitation, Shirou reached forward, his fingers brushing against the cool metal before lifting it from its case. The familiar weight in his hands stirred an odd sense of attachment within him, something he had not realised had happened until now. Even if the necklace were to be nothing more than an ordinary trinket, he would have accepted it without question.
"Um…, link start, Ruben? Wah—!"
The activation was instantaneous. Light, brighter and more concentrated than he remembered, surged around him, wrapping his body in an almost tangible wave. It expanded outward before condensing against his frame, solidifying into black armour once more. Yet this time, the design was undeniably different. The flexible black metal plating now rose higher, encasing his neck. From his left arm draped a deep crimson cloth reminiscent of the Shroud, while leaving his right arm free with short white cape covering it, the fabric going further below, dividing into three flowing panels that reached down to his legs.
Beneath, his attire had shifted to fitted trousers, secured by several dark belts coiled tightly around his thighs. His feet were covered in sturdy, steel-toed boots, while his arms were wrapped in a more refined extension of the armour. Black gloves formed snugly over his hands, the knuckles adorned with small silver studs that gleamed faintly, marking them as a potential weapon in their own right.
The final addition is the red headband appearing on his forehead.
"This…" he murmured, glancing briefly down at himself. He didn't need a mirror to recognise that the attire had changed drastically from its previous form, but still distinct enough that he felt like looking at Archer.
"Now, the Barrier Jacket has been upgraded," Fate explained, stepping closer so that her words would not be lost over the faint hum of the ship. "It will activate its protective field automatically when it detects immediate danger, so you won't have to waste time triggering it manually. Unlike the old model, it will no longer constantly drain your magical energy. Instead, it will remain dormant until needed, using power more efficiently while still maintaining the same defensive strength. The gloves have been designed to improve your grip on both your sword and your bow. The reinforced metal on the knuckles can also be used as a blunt weapon should you be forced into close-quarters combat."
"The white ribbon on your shoulder was my idea," Rein interjected brightly as she flew in a slow circle around him. "It doesn't have any functional use at all, but it makes the whole thing look perfect."
"Ruben can also now store a small reserve of your magical energy," Fate added, returning to her explanation. "In an emergency, if your own reserves run dry, the Barrier Jacket will draw on that stored energy to keep functioning for a limited period. It's still a feature in the testing phase, so once this mission is over, we'll need your full report on its performance and hopefully expand how much can be stored. Now… what do you think?"
When Shirou listened to each improvement being described, he found himself a little overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the gift he had been given. This was the kind of mystic code that would hold immense value even within the halls of the Mage Association, and the fact that they had managed to create it in such a short span of time spoke volumes of their skill. He couldn't help but smile, his head dipping in gratitude. "It's amazing. Thank you, all of you."
With that, he turned to go. "Ready?" he asked Lutecia as they stood at the threshold of the open hatch. The purple-haired girl gave a firm nod, her fingers tightening around his hand.
"Let's go."
"Alright."
And so, they jumped.
Woosh!
The instant they leapt, the wind struck his face with raw force, sweeping away the calm silence of the spaceship's interior. The rush of air roared in his ears as his body cut through the open sky, rapidly descending toward the barren surface below.
"Do you need help?" Lutecia called out over the sound, her Barrier Jacket already active. A swarm of hundreds of her insects whirled around her in a wide spiral, forming platforms that shifted beneath her feet and granted her a hovering form of flight.
"No, I'll use Ruben," he answered, his voice steady despite the drop. "I want to see if I can handle it properly."
He remembered that to access the device's different functions, all he had to do was put it into action while channeling his magical energy into it. Focusing, he did exactly that.
[Slow Fall activated]
The change was instant. What had been a punishing battering of wind striking against every inch of his body now became something altogether different. It was as if the air around him had thickened, wrapping itself around him in a slow, steady descent. The violent rush gave way to a sensation almost like sinking into deep water, his downward speed steadily decreasing until the ground was clearly visible and within reach.
"Ugh!" With a twist of his body, Shirou shifted position midair, bending one knee while swinging an arm forward. His knee and fist hit the surface first, taking the brunt of the landing. The Barrier Jacket absorbed the remainder of the force, leaving him with neither pain nor jarring impact. It was as if he had landed on something impossibly soft, like a cushion of marshmallow.
'This is amazing,' he thought, a flicker of memory pulling him back to his fall from the Saint's Cradle. That drop had been brutal even with the use of Noble Phantasms to soften the blow. This time, however, the jacket had done everything for him.
"Now that's what you call a superhero landing, right? Look at you showing off! I like it! It's just like my style!" Subaru's voice cut through the wind, and looking up, he spotted her spiralling downward on a broad platform of solid energy, her rollerblades carrying her along the twisting ramp until she reached the ground. She finished her descent with a graceful flip before landing neatly in front of him.
Teana followed soon after, her gun's grapple-like energy tether pulling her smoothly to the surface, her landing soft and without a sound. A short distance away, Caro and Erio descended together, the two of them riding the outstretched back of a dragon as it glided toward the sand below.
Looking at the distant city, a chunk of which had disappeared due to Nanoha's Divine Buster, Shirou almost felt a sense of nostalgia. If whatever they were after truly was a relic, then, according to Hayate, it was somewhere in there.
"Watch out, we have company," Subaru warned, getting into position while several dark shadows peeked from the several dug-up holes on the ground. Their flesh looked more rotten and inhuman than before. "Ew, disgusting."
These creatures really did give him an eerie sense, something about them felt… off.
"Everyone, get ready."
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