(Narrator POV)
Warm morning light poured through the windows of the apartment, casting a gentle glow across the cozy kitchen. The smell of grilled vegetables and freshly cooked meat lingered in the air.
Ritsuka sat at the small wooden table...but Hakuno did not sat on the chair. Instead, Hakuno had taken her usual liberties, settling herself comfortably on his lap, body pressed to his chest, as if it were the most natural place in the world.
With every bite, she fed both herself and Ritsuka from the same plate, gently placing pieces of food into his mouth.
Wrapped in his embrace, her slim waist cradled by his strong arms, the tension from the previous morning kissing felt distant....
"When I woke up," Ritsuka began between bites, "I found myself in your arms again. That's how my little… eldritch journey ended."
Hakuno raised a brow, then glanced back at him with curiosity.
"Another crazy trip to add to the collection, huh?" she muttered, scooping a forkful of sautéed potato and holding it to his lips. "This world doesn't let you rest for long. I wanna join in your dream next time."
"You mentioned a mage....what was her name again?"she asked
"Yao," Ritsuka said, chewing thoughtfully. "They call her the Ancient One here."
Hakuno blinked. Then she chuckled.
"I should probably learn soul magic at this point. Might need to reel your spirit back if it decides to wander again."
Ritsuka smiled, amused.
"She offered to teach me, indirectly."
"Oh, nice," Hakuno nodded, slipping another piece of meat into his mouth. "And what about this Doom guy? The way you describe him, I almost want to meet him myself. If he's anything like Gilgamesh, I'll handle him just fine."
"He's got the pride to match," Ritsuka admitted. "But he's powerful. Really powerful in this world. I think he and Yao are the strongest mages I've seen in this world so far."
Hakuno hummed in interest, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"So there's a mage organization here too? How do they compare to our Clock Tower clowns?"
Ritsuka shrugged.
"They have clearer rules and more discipline… but they still have their scumbags. Just fewer of them. Surprisingly organized compared to what we're used to. It's decent in my opinion."
She was about to ask another question when he cut in.
"Actually… I'm planning to bring you with me next time. (Bite) To the meeting."
Hakuno blinked, then slowly smiled...an amused, teasing grin that lit up her face. She didn't say anything immediately. Instead, she speared another piece of grilled meat and brought it close to his lips.
He closed his eyes in anticipation, not just for the meat...but perhaps a kiss on cheek.
But nothing came.
Hakuno leaned in like she was going to, then casually dropped the meat into his mouth and smirked.
"You're not getting a kiss just yet," she whispered.
Ritsuka nearly choked and coughed once, flustered. She laughed quietly, clearly enjoying herself.
"You really want me to meet them?" she asked as she chewed. "They sound like interesting people."
"Yeah, and… I forgot to tell you. Remember when I mentioned Sakura?"
Hakuno, in mid-chew, froze.
"You said she looked like someone we knew…" she said slowly.
"Exactly like BB. And Parvati," Ritsuka nodded. "Same face, voice… it's uncanny."
Hakuno swallowed, eyes now wide in silent shock.
Ritsuka took a napkin and gently wiped the corner of her lips.
She stared at the table, processing.
"That Sakura…" Hakuno murmured, voice quiet. "I want to meet her. In person."
Ritsuka blinked.
"Wait....do you know her?"
Hakuno hesitated.
"Well… sort of," she replied vaguely. "Not directly. But enough to be curious."
Ritsuka didn't press the issue further. If she wanted to talk, she would.
They finished their breakfast quietly, an odd silence now lingering.
Once done, they stood together and headed to the sink to wash their hands. Ritsuka rinsed his fingers while Hakuno dried her own.
Their fingers brushed.
He turned to look at her.
She smiled.
"Teacher Flint said you can start at the bakery tomorrow, he gave permission for you to work together with me." Ritsuka said, almost offhandedly as he wiped his hands dry.
Hakuno froze mid-step. Then her eyes widened like a child on Christmas morning.
"You're just telling me now?!"
Before he could respond, Hakuno leapt into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck....and not gently. Her forehead bonked against his chest, then she lightly punched his stomach in mock outrage.
"That's for making me wait on good news, dummy!"
Ritsuka chuckled, catching her by the waist with ease. The scent of warm still clung to their clothes from breakfast. With their faces now only inches apart, the atmosphere shifted again...soft, slow, and close.
"You know…" Hakuno whispered with a teasing glint in her eye. "You really like kissing, don't you?"
"That's—!" Ritsuka stammered, already red in the face.
Just as their lips were about to meet...
Rrrring—!
Hakuno's phone rang loudly between them, killing the moment like a knife through silk.
"Ororo," she read off the screen.
Ritsuka's expression immediately darkened.
'Ororo… your timing is cursed. I swear you have power for ruining my kisses.'
Hakuno just smirked and tapped the speaker button.
"Hey, Ororo. What's wrong? It's still morning 7 o'clock." she asked.
The voice on the other end wasn't calm. It was firm. Controlled. But filled with tension.
"Jean's gone."
That simple sentence turned everything heavy.
"What?" Hakuno's voice dropped.
"Last night, after we stopped Charles from probing her mind...just like Ritsuka warned us...she slipped out during the early hours. Logan says he caught her scent leaving the forest perimeter, then it vanished. We're calling it: she's missing. Xavier trying his best to find her."
The words landed hard. Even with everything they suspected, hearing it made it real.
"So it's starting," Ritsuka murmured.
They really didn't expect the situation to go this far.
"We need your help," Ororo said, softer this time. "Both of you. Especially Hakuno. Jean trusts you… she listens to you."
Hakuno's lips tightened. Her eyes, once so warm and teasing, had steeled with determination.
"We'll come to the school immediately," she answered. "With Karna and Moriarty."
Ritsuka nodded
(Ritsuka POV)
Jean Grey had disappeared.
No doubt about it anymore...Phoenix had started to move.
"This changes everything," I said quietly as Hakuno grabbed her coat beside me.
We were both thinking the same thing. The time for pretending was over.
"No more keeping our powers hidden," Hakuno said with resolve. "They've been watching us like we're celebrities anyway. Might as well give them the truth now...if it means saving Jean."
"Right," I nodded. "It's not about the X-Men's approval anymore. It's about protecting the girl who still hasn't realized the god inside her is not a blessing."
And truthfully… the X-Men were already a little suspicious. They might not say it aloud, but their eyes told the story.
Still, Most of them believed in us. And that… that was enough.
---
(Doctor Doom POV)
The sound of dripping blood echoed off the stone walls of Latveria's underground prison. The torches flickered. The man on the floor coughed up crimson, shaking uncontrollably. He wasn't a spy, or a warrior. Just another desperate rat who picked the wrong nest.
As Doom entered, the guards immediately stepped back in silence, dropping to one knee in reverence.
"Your Majesty," they greeted.
Doom did not respond. His eyes...those unreadable green lenses...locked onto the barely breathing man who dared to smuggle vibranium into his country for his Greed.
The guard offered the shard.
A sliver. Raw. Unrefined. Yet unmistakable.
Vibranium.
"He says he doesn't know where the rest is. Claims he stole it from Klaue during a trade," the guard explained.
"I—I swear, please, I don't even know what it was! I was just trying to feed my family!" the man cried with lies.
Doom didn't need to hear more.
"Kill him," he commanded.
The wails of mercy chased him down the corridor as he turned and walked out without a second glance. Mercy was a language Doom had long erased from his tongue.
Outside the prison, his butler Boris was already waiting. Old, loyal, precise. The man bowed slightly.
"Shall I send a team to locate Ulysses Klaue, my lord?"
Doom raised a gloved hand.
"No. I have someone better in mind."
"A mercenary?" Boris asked.
"No. A pawn....with potential to become good tool or dealer."
His eyes glinted behind the mask.
Ritsuka Fujimaru.
'You are dangerous being with so much darkness surrounding you… but I see its weight. And I will test it. If you cannot find Klaue or the vibranium… then you are not worth my time.'
"This will be his first trial in our next meeting."
Boris blinked. "My lord…"
"It's nothing, Boris."
As they returned to the castle halls, Doom spoke again.
"Have the treasury mint a new batch of Latverian coins."
"Of course, my lord. What is the engraving?"
"Front: Doom. As always."
"And the back?"
Doom gave a cruel smirk under his mask.
"Engrave the phrase: 'Yao, old monk woman sucks.'"
Boris blinked again. "…I beg your pardon?"
"I plan to give them to a old beggar, a donation at our next meeting. A beggar should receive the currency of her insult."
"Of course…" Boris coughed into his glove. "Most innovative, Your Majesty."
Doom stood tall at the edge of the balcony overlooking his city.
He turned back and looked outside at the mighty city and spoke as though in a reverie while filled with anticipation and awe,
"A new era is coming."
He clenched the vibranium shard.
"One where Doom decides who shapes it."
---
(Ancient One POV – Kamar-Taj)
The Time Stone settled back into the Eye of Agamotto with a quiet hum, sealing itself with light. Yao stood in the center of the chamber, her expression unreadable, though a faint satisfaction shimmered behind her calm demeanor.
She whispered to herself, "One seed planted."
The ripple she set in motion...Sakura, of all people...had sprouted. A girl whose soul resonated with immense untapped potential with mind stone. And future host for mind stone. A girl who could go toe to toe with Wanda in future.
And then there was Ritsuka Fujimaru.
'He's curious. Hesitant. But the path of magic is a whisper in his thoughts now. Sooner or later, he'll listen. Sooner or later, he will understand why fate brought him here. And he will join my school. He will be great help for Dr. Strange.'
The door creaked open, and Karl Mordo stepped in, his tone crisp with polite discipline.
"Master Yao."
She turned. His aura still burned with order and idealism, not yet tainted by disillusionment.
'If only I could keep him on this path...' she thought with a sigh.
"You seem well," Mordo noted, subtly surprised by her lifted spirit.
"I've witnessed something unexpected," Yao replied, smiling faintly. 'A variable even the stone cannot predict. The world is changing. '
Mordo nodded slowly, unsure of her cryptic words.
"There is a man asking for Kamar-Taj," he reported. "A doctor from New York."
Her eyes lit up.
"Bring him to me. This one… I must meet myself."
Mordo bowed in respect and turned to leave, boots echoing down the stone hallway.
'Doctor Stephen Strange,' she thought, eyes narrowing in insight. 'Another piece finally arrives.'
---
(Sakura POV – Tokyo, Japan)
Sakura stood before her mirror, brushing her long purple hair with a calm, focused expression. Her outfit today was practical—comfortable jeans, a white blouse, and a lavender shawl. She glanced at the pendant around her neck...a gift from her mother before… the incident.
She adjusted it slightly, then turned.
"Let's go," she said.
Behind her stood a tall woman in her mid-40s with sharp eyes, tied-back hair, and a tailored black suit. A former special forces operative and now Sakura's personal bodyguard...Ms. Aiba, a close friend of her late mother.
"You want to go where?" Aiba blinked in disbelief.
"To the hospital. I want to see her again. Just for a while," Sakura answered quietly.
Aiba's stern gaze softened. "…Alright."
"But after that," Sakura added, "we're flying to Nepal."
"Nepal?!" Aiba's voice rose in shock. "Why in the world would you want to go there? Do you have any idea how unsafe—"
"It's not unsafe. I'm going on a tour. With friends." Sakura smiled innocently.
"You don't have friends in Nepal."
"That's why I'm going to make some." Sakura winked, trying to lighten the mood.
"…I'm not lying for you."
"You don't have to. Just… don't tell Dad everything."
Aiba frowned. "…You're not leaving my sight the whole time."
"I wasn't planning to," Sakura said, grabbing her travel bag.
Aiba narrowed her eyes. "Sakura… why are we really going to Nepal?"
Sakura paused, turned, and said with a serious glint in her violet eyes—
"I'm going to learn magic."
There was a silence.
Aiba looked at her for a long moment. "You're joking, right?"
"Nope."
Aiba's lips parted, then closed again. She sighed deeply.
'Are young girls these days stopped being reasonable or what? Maybe she wants to see the place. All I have to do is keep my eyes on my lady.'
"…Fine. But if a single bald monk looks at you wrong, I swear—"
Sakura giggled. "Thank you, Ms. Aiba."
---
Note: Yeah, I pushed Dr. Strange story line forward. He will join soon to the story.
From next chapter main story starts. A new fgo heroine will appear soon. You will like it.
Anyway, I started a new Fanfiction if you are interested please check it out in my list. I started it because to take break from this story. Same Hakuno is also a heroine in that story too.