"Well, since my business here is done, I'll be going back. You all should go home. I still have some work to finish." Ritsuka patted his pants, preparing to leave.
"Wait, Ritsuka-san! Can the two of us come with you? I have decided to leave the Tohsaka residence forever," Aoi said. She tightly grasped Sakura's hand, who was standing beside her. "W-with what happened to Sakura, I can no longer trust Tokiomi. I want to go with you. Please, take us with you."
Ritsuka almost fell over hearing Aoi's words. "A-Aoi-san! What you just said could be easily misunderstood, you know!"
'Master, let's hope you don't get stabbed in the back,' Arthur's voice chimed in.
Ritsuka cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ahem—sorry, Aoi-san, I can't take you to where I live. The situation there is a bit... chaotic. But, I can take you to an acquaintance's place. He is a very friendly and kind person. At his place, the Mage's Association won't be able to find you. Both of you will receive safe protection with him."
'I can leave them in Kagaya's, L's, or Koko's world. Although there are distinct dangers there, it's still better than this world. There are too many monsters here that could destroy humanity. Besides, I can ask one of the Servants to guard them later,' Ritsuka thought to himself.
"Is that so... So, you won't be with us?" Aoi murmured, her face looking down in sadness. That reaction made Ritsuka hesitate a little.
But suddenly, a cheerful and familiar voice interrupted. "Ara-ara~ Didn't Big Brother say he wanted to help Auntie Aoi get forgiveness from Sakura? Do you want to break that promise? Sakura still hasn't forgiven her, you know!"
Sakura smiled widely at Ritsuka, but that extremely strange smile and tone of voice made the Master tremble in horror.
'BB!' Ritsuka screamed internally.
"Sakura?" Aoi stared at her daughter in confusion, surprised to see such a drastic change in her personality.
"What is it, Auntie?" Sakura replied, this time returning to her usual flat expression and soft voice.
'Oh no, I forgot about the three of them! They are the real threat to humanity! I can't leave Sakura alone with those three dangerous beings. If the three of them are let loose without supervision, humanity in that world is guaranteed to be wiped out!' Ritsuka thought in panic. Letting out a resigned sigh, he looked back at Aoi.
"Oh right, I did promise you that I would help you, didn't I? Very well, it is impolite for a man to break his promise," Ritsuka bowed slightly, one hand on his chest and the other reaching out to Aoi. "Aoi-san, come with me, I will protect you all," he said.
Aoi fell silent, then smiled. "Yes, I will go with you," she said, before accepting Ritsuka's outstretched hand.
'Master, you have been hanging around Sir Lancelot way too much,' Arthur said.
"Oh, right, I promised to help you, didn't I? Of course, it is highly impolite for a man if he breaks his own promise."
Ritsuka smiled. He then bowed slightly with grace; placing one hand over his chest like a knight, while his other hand reached out gently toward Aoi.
"Aoi-san, come with me. I promise I will protect you and your daughter," he said in a reassuring tone.
Aoi fell silent for a moment. The heavy burden that had been pressing down on her mind seemed to lift, replaced by a sincere smile that slowly bloomed on her face. "Yes... I will go with you," she answered softly. With full conviction, the woman accepted and grasped Ritsuka's outstretched hand.
'Master... it seems you have been associating too much with Sir Lancelot,' Arthur commented. The knight's voice sounded somewhere between resigned and amused seeing his Master's behavior.
. . .
"Rikka, I leave Aoi-san and Sakura to you. Together with Mash, protect this place," Ritsuka ordered shortly after they arrived at a warehouse that had been converted into his temporary workshop. He then turned his head. "Aoi-san, your missing daughter is named Rin, right?"
Aoi nodded quickly. "Yes. Ritsuka-san, please find her. I have looked for her around the house, but she's not there. I am afraid something bad has happened to her..." Aoi said with a trembling voice. She stepped closer, slowly raising her hand toward Ritsuka in desperation.
Ritsuka immediately responded by gently holding Aoi's hand, trying to channel a sense of calm.
"Don't worry, Aoi-san. I will find her as soon as possible. For now, stay here with my little sister."
The two shared a moment of silence, looking at each other. Aoi gazed at Ritsuka with eyes radiating both despair and a glimmer of immense hope.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a hand sliced through the air right between them, forcefully cutting off the warm moment.
"Brother! What in the world did you bring here?! " Rikka exclaimed hysterically, immediately gripping both of Ritsuka's shoulders in panic. "I only left you for a moment and you've already brought back a new woman?! And she is someone's wife, Brother! You already have me, am I still not enough?!"
Ritsuka sighed, then carefully pushed Rikka's body slightly away. "Rikka, it's not what you think. I just want to provide protection for Sakura and Aoi-san."
"But—"
"No, not now. Our time is very limited. I have to find Aoi-san's daughter, Rin, right away." Ritsuka's tone turned firm. He turned around toward the exit.
"Assassin, you're coming with me."
"Brother, I want to come too! I can't leave you alone again!" Rikka whined, hurriedly running up to him, unwilling to be left behind.
Ritsuka stopped his sister in her tracks. His gaze sharpened. "No. Obey my orders this time, Rikka. I know who we will be facing out there. I don't want you to see it... because that sight will only become a lifelong nightmare for you."
After giving that cold warning, Ritsuka dashed away as fast as the wind out of the warehouse, leaving behind Rikka who was still screaming his name.
From within the shadows, Assassin continued to tail Ritsuka. "Is the enemy this time very strong? To the point that you didn't want the Master to be there?" he asked curiously.
Ritsuka replied to Assassin without reducing his running speed. "No, our enemy this time is not a strong threat at all. But believe me, this is not just about strength. You wouldn't want to see the kind of 'madness' they commit. Let's just hope he is not with his Servant; I don't want to face him right now."
Assassin Emiya didn't ask any more questions. He shifted into his spiritual form and continued to follow Ritsuka in the shadows.
Meanwhile, Ritsuka dashed at incredible speed, leaping from one building roof to another. This time, he didn't only use Reinforcement magic on his legs and arms, but also on his sense of sight. A flow of mana was channeled straight into his eyes to scan every corner of the city he passed from above.
The Reinforcement worked so optimally that bluish magic circuits could be seen glowing around his temples.
After maneuvering for a while, Ritsuka stopped in his tracks abruptly.
"Found her!" he muttered softly. "Ishtar—uh, no, I mean Aoi-san's daughter, Rin."
Ritsuka was now perched at the edge of a streetlamp pole, his silhouette back-lit by the moonlight. From up there, his emerald-shining eyes caught the figure of a little girl sneaking around in a narrow alley armed with a magic compass. The girl then went down some stairs and entered a dilapidated building. Without wasting any time, Ritsuka jumped down from the pole and followed Rin in silence.
Upon arriving in front of the building's basement door, Ritsuka didn't enter immediately. He peeked through a gap, waiting for the right moment. Inside, little Rin seemed to have just found her kidnapped best friend. As the girl was busy checking on her best friend's condition, from out of the darkness, a figure of a man with short orange hair suddenly appeared behind her. Rin turned her head and paled in terror.
However, before the psychopathic man could do anything...
"FBI OPEN UP!!"
That loud shout echoed throughout the room, followed by an incredibly loud crash.
CRASH!!
The basement door was kicked open until it shattered into pieces. Something dashed much faster than the blink of an eye toward the orange-haired man. Before Rin even had the chance to process what had happened, the terrifying man was already staring wide-eyed in horror with his mouth agape; a fist had landed squarely in his stomach.
"Phew... I've been wanting to shout that phrase for a long time. Now then, child kidnapper, receive your punishment," Ritsuka said casually. He pulled his fist back from the stomach of Uryuu Ryuunosuke, the Master of Caster, who now fell unconscious to the ground.
Ritsuka then turned around. Realizing Rin was still trembling in fear after witnessing that lightning-fast event, his expression immediately softened.
"Ah, you must be Rin, right? It's okay, don't worry. Onii-chan isn't a bad guy. Look at this."
Ritsuka folded his legs, squatting in front of Rin to be at her eye level. Like a magician, he flicked his wrist, and cling! a very beautiful and sparkling magic crystal suddenly appeared in the palm of his hand.
"Look, beautiful, isn't it? This is a reward for you for being brave enough to come all this way to save your friend," he said softly while offering the crystal.
Rin looked hesitant, but her eyes couldn't hide her awe at the beauty of the stone. With her tiny hands, she accepted it carefully. "Wh-Who are you, Big Brother...?" she asked quietly.
"I am a friend of your mother. Aoi-san asked me to pick you up," Ritsuka answered.
Hearing her mother's name mentioned, Rin immediately looked up with a face beaming with joy. "Mother?! You know Mother?!"
Ritsuka reached out his hand and gently patted the top of Rin's head. "Yes, I know her. Do you want to see her right now?"
Rin nodded enthusiastically over and over.
"Alright, come here." Ritsuka gently pulled Rin into his embrace, then carried the little girl in one arm. "We will go see your mother after finishing our business here. I need to call the police first to clean up the rest."
Ritsuka then walked casually out of the dark room. Behind him, Assassin in his spiritual form quietly followed while dragging Ryuunosuke's unconscious body like a sack of rice.
At the phone booth.
"Thank you. The address is correct. Please send a patrol team there immediately," Ritsuka said as he placed the receiver of the public phone back on its hook.
He stepped out of the booth and saw Rin waiting for him obediently, while Assassin stood guard in silence not far from them.
"Big Brother, are you done?" Rin asked as soon as Ritsuka approached.
"Yes, I'm done." Little Rin immediately ran up to him.
Ritsuka then turned to his Servant. "Assassin, please take Rin back to her mother. Once you are done, come to the place I showed you earlier immediately."
"Understood," Assassin answered briefly.
Rin looked at Ritsuka with a confused expression. "Eh? Big Brother isn't coming with us?"
Ritsuka smiled softly and patted the top of Rin's head. "I will catch up later, okay? There are a few things I need to take care of here first."
Hearing that, Rin nodded slowly. Assassin then stepped forward. In stark contrast to his gloomy aura, the scruffy-looking man lifted Rin's tiny body with extremely careful movements and gently placed her into his arms.
Seeing that sight, a mischievous smile was carved on Ritsuka's face. "Oho... you seem to be very skilled at carrying a small child, Assassin. Do you have personal experience raising a child in the past?" he teased in a playful tone.
Assassin stiffened and fell silent for a moment. "No," he denied coldly.
Without wasting any more time, the man immediately turned around and darted away at high speed, although his movements were still designed so that Rin felt safe and comfortable in his arms.
Ritsuka could only shake his head in amusement seeing the Servant's behavior. "Tsk, tsk... like father, like son it seems. Both refuse to be honest," he muttered quietly.
After making sure they were truly gone, the atmosphere around Ritsuka changed drastically. His warm smile evaporated, replaced by an ice-cold glare. He walked over to Uryuu Ryuunosuke's body, which was still lying unconscious on the ground.
With one hand, Ritsuka grabbed the serial killer by the collar and lifted him into the air.
"Now then," Ritsuka whispered in a deadly tone. "It would be such a waste if the skills I learned from the Assassins in my previous life were never put to use. We're going to have some fun, you psychopath."
A dark smirk slowly formed on his face. "I think... a fruit peeler, a nutcracker, and some hot iron rods will be a great start. Hehehe..."
Shring...
Shrek...
Shring...
The sound of sharp metal being ground broke the silence of the dimly lit room.
Uryuu Ryuunosuke slowly opened his heavy eyelids.
His vision, which was blurry at first, slowly began to focus, catching the figure of a young man standing with his back to him. In front of the young man was a rickety iron table illuminated by a flickering hanging lamp.
Ryuunosuke intended to turn his head and move his body, but the clinking sound of chains and ropes restraining his limbs made him realize he was bound helplessly to a chair.
The sound of that small struggle successfully halted the young man's activity.
"Ah, you're finally awake," Ritsuka greeted.
With a soft echoing 'clack', Ritsuka put down the knife he had been sharpening. He then turned to look at the Master of Caster. His expression was incredibly calm, so calm that it felt unnatural even to someone as crazy as Ryuunosuke.
Ryuunosuke's eyes subconsciously glanced past Ritsuka's shoulder, staring at the iron table behind the youth. The serial killer's signature smirk slowly faded upon seeing what was neatly arranged there: a row of medical tools, rusty carpentry equipment, and various torture instruments that had no business being in the same place.
"Since the main star is awake, let's get the party started," Ritsuka said casually. A cold smile was carved on his face as his hand groped the table and picked up a solid iron rod the size of an adult's arm. He tapped the iron rod against the palm of his own hand.
"The friends on this table... have been very impatient to 'have fun' with you."
---
Tszzzz...!!
The horrifying sizzling sound of searing iron burning flesh echoed throughout the abandoned building, breaking the silence of the night.
"Aaaarghhh!! Stop! Please, stop!!" Ryuunosuke screamed in an ear-piercing, hoarse voice. The glowing metal was pressed mercilessly right against his chest, spreading a sickening scorched smell into the air.
Ritsuka finally pulled the hot iron away. He stared coldly at the scene before him. Ryuunosuke's current condition was completely destroyed and horrific. Two iron rods wrapped in electrical cables were driven deep into both of his thighs. Both of the man's wrists were nailed to the armrests of the chair with large, rusty nails. The skin on his chest, which had already been peeled off by the grating of a fruit peeler, was now overlapping with a branding iron burn. And the most threatening of all, a nutcracker was perched with its metal pincers right at Ryuunosuke's crotch. All of those torture instruments were already covered in fresh blood.
"Eh, this isn't over yet. Assassin, do it," Ritsuka ordered in a flat tone, without a shred of sympathy.
Clack!
A lever was activated. At that very moment, a high-voltage electric shock flowed through the cables, traveling straight to electrocute both of Ryuunosuke's thighs.
"Argggghhhh!!" The serial killer's body convulsed violently in his chair.
"Is it safe to do this to him? Why don't we just finish him off right now?" Assassin asked as he stepped toward Ritsuka. "After all, he is the Master of Caster. It's possible his Servant planted a tracking spell on his body."
"Don't worry. I have inspected every inch of his body," Ritsuka answered without taking his eyes off Ryuunosuke. "I know this particular Caster very well, and I know exactly how his magic works. I've already removed all the tracking traces embedded in his body."
"St-stop... p-please... stop..." Ryuunosuke whimpered with ragged breaths and tears of despair.
Ritsuka raised one hand, signaling Assassin. A moment later, the electricity was turned off. Ritsuka leaned down again, bringing his face level with Ryuunosuke's.
"Now then, Ryuunosuke-kun... are you ready to cooperate?"
"A-alright... I... I will do it! Th-therefore... let me go!" he wailed, scared half to death. When looking at the young man's face in front of him, Ryuunosuke's body trembled violently. He saw Ritsuka's golden eyes now glinting sharply with narrowed pupils, much like the eyes of a savage predator staring at its prey.
A faint smirk finally appeared on Ritsuka's face. "Good. Don't worry, once you do what I tell you, I will let you go and let you live. I promise I won't do anything else to you... of course, all in accordance with our Geas contract."
Ryuunosuke nodded quickly over and over again. Seeing that, Ritsuka released the bindings on his hands, and along with that, the rusty iron tools and torture instruments faded, then vanished like an illusion.
"Do it now. Use your Command Spell to order your Servant to kill himself," Ritsuka commanded coldly. "Oh, and don't try to play games with me... I will know your intentions if you try to manipulate the spell."
Ryuunosuke obediently nodded again with his entire body trembling. "B-by this Command Spell... I c-command thee, O Caster... to kill yourself right now!" he shouted with a stuttering voice laced with despair.
Ritsuka stared intently at the back of the young man's right hand. The blood-red tattoo there shone brightly for a moment, before finally one of its lines slowly faded and completely vanished. A satisfied smirk blossomed on his face.
"Good," Ritsuka praised casually. He then squatted down and released the rest of the bindings shackling both of Ryuunosuke's legs. Ritsuka stood up straight, then gently patted the serial killer's shoulder.
"Now then, enjoy your freedom. In accordance with our Geas magic contract, from this second on, I can no longer harm your body or kill you," he said while stepping aside, giving way.
Ryuunosuke's gaze immediately locked onto a wide-open door not far in front of him. The night light illuminated the doorway, as if offering a ray of hope, safety, and peace that was so enticing to him.
With the last of his strength, he tried to stand up and limped unsteadily toward that light.
Thud!
His body immediately collapsed, hitting the floor hard. Both of his legs, which were ruined from the electrical torture earlier, were completely unable to support his body weight anymore.
However, his survival instinct made Ryuunosuke not give up just like that. He began to crawl, dragging his broken body inch by inch closer to the door. Fresh blood dripped, leaving a long, horrifying red trail across the dirty floor.
Just a little bit more. The distance was just a little bit more. As the tips of his fingers reached out and nearly touched the warmth of the light at the doorway...
Click-clack!
The cold sound of a firearm being cocked suddenly echoed, breaking the silence and stopping Ryuunosuke's heartbeat, coming from right above his head.
BANG!
A loud gunshot shattered the silence. Ryuunosuke's body jerk...
BANG!
A second shot followed. His body jerked again, coughing up fresh blood from his mouth.
BANG!
A third shot pierced through his back.
BANG!
And the fourth shot stopped all the remaining strength flowing through his veins. Ryuunosuke fell face down, gasping for air in a pool of his own blood. With his vision beginning to blur and his breathing ragged, he looked up. Ritsuka was towering in front of him, wearing a small smile.
"Y-you... promised..." Ryuunosuke whispered with great difficulty.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... no, no, no. I didn't break my word at all. See?" Ritsuka held up both of his clea