At that very moment, Ryuunosuke's eyes closed forever, taking his last breath at the threshold he would never be able to cross. Ritsuka stood frozen for a moment, staring flatly at the lifeless corpse beneath his feet.
"Let's go. They must be worried because we took too long," Ritsuka said as he turned to walk away.
However, before he could take a step, Assassin's deep and cold voice stopped him.
"Who are you really?" the Servant asked.
Ritsuka stopped in his tracks, his back facing Assassin. "What do you mean? I am your Master's older brother."
"That's not what I'm asking. What kind of creature are you really?" Assassin interrupted, his tone tense. "You can smile so warmly and sincerely at a little girl... but a few moments later, you torture, deceive, and kill someone without the slightest hesitation in your eyes. You..."
Ritsuka chuckled softly. The laugh sounded tired. He slowly turned his head, looking at Assassin through the corner of his golden eyes.
"It seems you misunderstand, Assassin. I am not a holy, good person. I am not an angel who always does what is right, nor am I a demon who lives to do evil."
The night wind blew in, sweeping through Ritsuka's hair.
"I am merely a being standing right between the two. Someone who will use even the dirtiest methods to protect what is precious to him. I am something people usually call... a HUMAN."
At the temporary workshop
Ritsuka served various luxurious dishes on the table for Aoi, Rin, Sakura, Mash, and Rikka. All of them devoured the food eagerly, enjoying the warmth of eating dinner together. However, in the midst of that atmosphere, Aoi actually looked a bit nervous and hesitant.
Ritsuka, who was sitting right between Aoi and Rikka, immediately noticed this. "Aoi-san, what's wrong? Why aren't you eating your food?" he asked softly.
"I-is it really okay for us to accept all of this?" Aoi looked hesitantly at the dishes in front of her. "This food all looks very expensive. You must have spent a lot of money to buy it..."
Ritsuka gave a small smile, waving his hand casually. "Not at all, I didn't spend a single penny. Coincidentally, on my way back earlier, I met a very kind-hearted 'person'. He insisted on giving all his money to me after I... helped him solve his problem."
Aoi blinked, truly believing him with her remaining innocence. "Is there really such a generous person in this city? He must be someone with a very noble heart to be willing to give this much money to you."
Ritsuka nodded firmly without the slightest bit of guilt. "Of course. Therefore, don't hold back and eat a lot."
Aoi finally smiled in relief. She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat the meal peacefully.
However, that peace did not last long. On the other side, Rikka had been glaring sharply at Ritsuka and Aoi alternately. A thick aura emanated from the orange-haired girl because she saw her older brother acting too sweetly toward another woman. "Brother—"
Before Rikka could start her drama, Ritsuka moved like lightning. He picked up a large, delicious piece of meat with his chopsticks and immediately stuffed it into Rikka's mouth, successfully silencing his little sister.
"Here, eat. I will feed you; you wanted to be fed, didn't you?" Ritsuka whispered in a coaxing yet firm tone. "Listen, if you act sweet and don't make a fuss tonight, I promise I will sleep beside you again. Understand?"
Hearing that golden offer, Rikka's jealousy instantly evaporated without a trace. A wide smile immediately bloomed on her face. While chewing the meat cheerfully, she opened her mouth wide again, demanding to be fed more. Ritsuka could only sigh in resignation and continue to cater to his sister's wishes.
While busy feeding Rikka, the corner of Ritsuka's eye glanced toward a corner of the room untouched by the lamplight. In the shadows, Assassin could be seen standing quietly leaning against the wall. In his hands, the scruffy-suited man was holding a thick wad of cash.
Ritsuka met Assassin's eyes from a distance, then gave a small nod. A secret signal that the mission of receiving money from the 'good' person was complete.
Right after Ritsuka gave that signal, Assassin's form faded into spirit particles, vanishing from the corner of the room without a trace.
Dinner was over, leaving a much calmer atmosphere. Ritsuka patiently helped Aoi wash Sakura and Rin's hands and feet. Using his Alteration magic, Ritsuka turned some useless junk in the warehouse into a large, soft mattress for the three of them. In another corner, he had also prepared separate mattresses for Rikka and Mash.
Aoi gently laid Rin down, while Ritsuka slowly laid Sakura right next to her. At first, the awkwardness was very palpable between the two sisters who had been separated by a cruel fate. However, blood ties were apparently stronger than anything else.
In her sleep, Rin's tiny hand slowly moved to seek and tightly grasp Sakura's hand. As if longing for the same warmth, Sakura returned her older sister's grasp just as tightly.
Seeing that peaceful sight, Aoi sat quietly at the edge of the mattress. Her hand lovingly stroked Sakura's purple hair. "Thank you... thank you for protecting us," she whispered with a trembling voice.
"It's alright, Aoi-san. I promised I would protect you two, so there's no need to think about it anymore," Ritsuka replied with a soothing smile. He then seated himself right beside Aoi.
'Master, it seems you are already very experienced. Actually, how much has Sir Merlin taught you about wooing women?' Arthur suddenly chided. The Holy Knight's tone of voice sounded somewhere between amazed and at a loss for words.
Ritsuka immediately rolled his eyes. 'Just so you know, it wasn't just Merlin. A few Knights of the Round Table and the Heroes in Chaldea also had a hand in teaching me!' he replied.
In the midst of that telepathic chat, Aoi's attention was suddenly drawn to the back of Ritsuka's right hand. The blood-red strokes of the Command Spells were clearly painted there.
"You... are a participant in the Holy Grail War," Aoi murmured, continuing to stare at the command spells. "Are you... going to attack..."
Her sentence trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to say her husband's name, Tokiomi.
Ritsuka immediately understood the direction of the woman's worries. "No. You can rest easy, Aoi-san. I will not hurt your husband. My main targets in this war are only the Servants, not their Masters. You can trust me."
Hearing that promise, Aoi looked straight into Ritsuka's emerald eyes. For a few seconds, time seemed to stop between them.
"Thank you..." Aoi said softly. There was a bitter tone and a look of guilt radiating from her face perhaps feeling guilty for burdening Ritsuka too much, or perhaps feeling guilty because she felt much safer by this foreign young man's side than with her own husband.
"There, there, it's alright. For now, get some rest. I have to go sleep beside my sister, I already promised her," Ritsuka said softly, ending the conversation.
He stood up and slowly walked away. From where she was sitting, Aoi did not take her eyes off him, staring deeply at Ritsuka's broad back as it slowly disappeared into the darker part of the warehouse.
As Ritsuka resumed walking down the warehouse aisle, Assassin's figure suddenly materialized from his spiritual form right beside him.
"I have incapacitated the thugs around this area. I have also confiscated all their money and valuables, including the headquarters of several local Yakuza groups," Assassin reported in a flat, innocent tone.
Ritsuka nodded in satisfaction. "Good job. Tomorrow we will move our base. With that much money, we can rent a five-star hotel room."
"Besides that, I have delivered the message package you ordered. First thing tomorrow morning, that package will arrive right at the front door of the Tohsaka residence," Emiya Assassin continued.
Hearing that, Ritsuka's steps immediately halted. A cunning smirk bloomed on his face, altering his friendly appearance.
"Heh... I can't wait any longer. I'd love to see firsthand how devastated that arrogant Tokiomi's expression will be when he reads the message. Especially when he sees those photos... hehehe."
'Master... don't you think your tactics this time are going a bit too far?' Arthur chided. A tired sigh could be heard from the Holy Knight. 'Those photos you edited are too extreme. As a husband, it is only natural that Tokiomi will be extremely furious seeing them.'
Ritsuka almost burst out laughing in his mind. 'That's exactly what I'm aiming for, Arthur! Falling into an NTR trap hurts indeed, but a man like him completely deserves it! Even though those photos are one hundred percent fake and just my edits, Tokiomi won't know! Because he is TECH-ILLITERATE. He will definitely lose his sanity and rationality when he sees his wife's face posing in such vulgar styles with me. Hahaha!'
Arthur could only fall silent, lamenting his Master's behavior. 'Still... you are obligated to apologize to Lady Aoi later,' Arthur stated firmly, unwilling to compromise on ethics.
'Yeah, yeah, I know. After all, I did use her without permission to smooth out my plans,' Ritsuka replied as he resumed his steps toward where Rikka was sleeping. 'To make up for my guilt, tomorrow I'll take her out for a relaxing stroll and buy her lots of expensive gifts with this Yakuza money.'
. . .
Ritsuka slowly opened his eyes. A vast expanse of green meadow stretched out before him. He found himself standing, taking shelter under the shade of a giant tree. The sky looked so bright with white clouds drifting slowly, accompanied by a cool breeze that gently brushed his face. Ritsuka fell silent, his head still spinning, confusedly trying to process where he actually was right now.
However, that peace was instantly shattered when an ice-cold voice was heard from behind him. "I absolutely cannot accept this..."
Ritsuka's body suddenly tensed up stiffly. He recognized that voice very well, but fear held him back from turning his head. He swallowed hard with great difficulty.
"Why are you staying silent...?" The voice now whispered right in his ear. Simultaneously, a pair of smooth arms wrapped around his neck, embracing his body from behind with a possessive grip. "...My Husband."
"Mo... Morgan..." Ritsuka muttered with a trembling voice. He intended to step forward to break free, but Morgan's embrace tightened, as if unwilling to let him go even for a second. Ritsuka tried to struggle a little, but it was in vain.
Morgan leaned her head affectionately on Ritsuka's left shoulder. The touch of the soft black cloth covering the Winter Queen's face felt ticklish against Ritsuka's neck. Slowly, Morgan turned her face, letting her cold chin and cheek rub gently against Ritsuka's cheek.
"You... have a lot of nerve putting something I absolutely hate inside your body, huh... My Husband," she whispered in a low tone. Morgan's slender fingers crept down, touching and stroking Ritsuka's left chest.
"Morgan... don't tell me... y-you remember me too?!" Ritsuka asked with a gasp.
Morgan didn't answer. With a tired gaze, she forcefully turned Ritsuka's face to face her. Their eyes met. Using her one free hand, Morgan swept aside the black cloth covering her face, revealing her flawless, cold beauty.
Without any warning whatsoever, Morgan brought her face forward and locked Ritsuka's lips in a very deep kiss. Ritsuka's eyes widened in utter shock. Time seemed to stop for a few seconds that felt like an eternity, before Morgan finally pulled her face back and broke their connected lips.
The moment his restraints were released, Ritsuka immediately jumped back away while wiping his lips with the back of his hand.
"Yes, exactly right, My Husband. I remember you," Morgan answered casually while staring intensely at Ritsuka.
Ritsuka fell silent, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. "Morgan... then what are you going to do? And where are you right now?"
Hearing that question, a peculiar smile slowly bloomed on Morgan's lips. Ritsuka's eyes widened in horror; a bad premonition choked him.
"I-impossible... a-are you... are you already in the Lostbelt?!"
A dark and traumatic memory of a destroyed fairy kingdom suddenly flashed by, striking his psyche like a sledgehammer. Ritsuka's knees instantly gave out. He almost collapsed to the ground, but before his body truly fell, Morgan dashed over, catching him and pulling him back into a warm embrace.
"It's okay, My Husband. Calm down," Morgan whispered, stroking Ritsuka's back lovingly. "This time, everything will be different. I have prepared many things to prevent that destruction from happening again. Just leave everything to me, and go to sleep... When you open your eyes later, everything will already be over without you realizing it."
The magic from Morgan's words seeped into Ritsuka's mind. An incredibly heavy wave of drowsiness suddenly assaulted his consciousness. His eyelids began to grow heavy, his body slowly weakened, resigning himself to sinking into that false tranquility.
However, suddenly...
CLUNK!
after that sound. Ritsuka's consciousness returned one hundred percent. With his remaining adrenaline, Ritsuka abruptly pushed Morgan's chest and jumped back as far as possible, getting into a full combat stance.
"What kind of magic were you trying to use on me just now?!" Ritsuka exclaimed, staring at Morgan warily with rapid breathing.
However, Morgan wasn't looking at Ritsuka at all. Her gaze was locked sharply on the wheel floating above the young man. "Tch... what a truly troublesome object," she clicked her tongue in displeasure.
Her gaze then softened as it shifted back to look at Ritsuka.
"My Husband... I want you to just stay with me. How about it?" Morgan stepped closer slowly, her voice flowing like a hypnotizing melody.
"Leave that world behind. After all, it's not your original world, right? You no longer need to fight until you bleed. Stay in my palace. I have prepared a very beautiful place for the two of us... and for our future children."
Morgan's cold fingers touched Ritsuka's jaw. "You can rest peacefully there, without needing to worry about anything. My world will soon be more than just a Lostbelt. I have devised a perfect plan to secure the survival of my world. You can stay with me forever there."
Ritsuka stood frozen stiff. Without him realizing it, Morgan was already standing right in front of him. The Queen's fingers slowly lifted the young man's chin so their eyes locked once more.
"That is why... come with me," Morgan pleaded possessively.
Ritsuka met those ice-blue eyes with a gaze full of resolve. "I'm sorry, Morgan. I cannot."
Morgan's eyebrows instantly furrowed sharply. A cold aura slowly began to emanate around them. "Why?" she demanded.
"I have a responsibility that I must fulfill," Ritsuka answered calmly. He grabbed Morgan's hand that was on his chin, holding it gently as he slowly took a step back. "I cannot run away from that responsibility. You yourself know best what kind of man I am, right? Don't worry, this time I am not fighting alone. I have found new friends who will help me."
Morgan scoffed dismissively. "You mean that group? The members are just ordinary humans. Even the strongest among them is only on par with a low-class Servant. They mean absolutely nothing to our world."
Ritsuka gave a small smile, shaking his head slowly. "You even know that much, huh? It seems I really can't hide anything from you." He looked at Morgan softly. "But you're wrong, Morgan. They may just be ordinary humans, but the most important thing is the bond we share. In the past, I was also just a helpless human. Although they might not be able to help me much in frontline battles, they certainly can in other fields. Every human has their own strengths. We just need to see and guide that potential as best as we can."
Morgan fell silent, listening to Ritsuka's explanation. "So... you are truly insisting on not coming with me?"
"Well, that offer of yours is indeed very tempting," Ritsuka chuckled softly. "But I'm sorry, I already promised two girls that I would protect them. Besides, it would be highly inappropriate for a man like me, who has earned your love and the acknowledgment of many great heroes, to run away from a battle. I will settle all this chaos one more time. And later... when everything is finally over—"
Before Ritsuka could finish his sentence, Morgan silenced the young man's lips with a brief but firm kiss.
"Do not say those words again," Morgan interrupted after pulling her face back. Her gaze sharpened. "The last time someone said those words, they died. Very well. I will let you do whatever you want. I... will help you."
Ritsuka smiled in relief. "Thank you, Morgan."
Silence enveloped the two of them. Morgan stared at Ritsuka in silence.
However, the Fairy Queen's stare gradually made Ritsuka feel extremely anxious. Because the focus of Morgan's gaze was no longer on his eyes, but instead staring intently like a predator at Ritsuka's left chest right at his heart.
"S-so... what kind of help are you going to give me?" Ritsuka asked hesitantly.
An elegant smirk slowly bloomed on Morgan's face. She tapped her magic staff against the ground.
BLAASH!
A puddle of water instantly formed behind the Queen's back. From within that puddle, a giant lump of pale white scaled flesh floated out, resembling an entire severed right arm of a dragon. Not only that, an ice crystal coffin also slowly rose into the air. Inside that transparent coffin lay a stiff female body whose face looked exactly like Morgan herself.
Seeing those two impossible things, Ritsuka's eyes widened in horror. He recognized the characteristics of both objects very well. Ritsuka looked at Morgan's face and the coffin alternately, his face deathly pale.
"W-wait! H-how can there be two—"
Morgan didn't let him finish his sentence at all. Her smirk grew wider. "It seems Melusine and my Fairy Knights will soon be getting a new brother."
Hearing that, Ritsuka's survival instinct screamed loudly. He immediately turned around, preparing to make a run for it and escape as far away as possible.
But it was too late. Suddenly, Ritsuka's body was lifted off the ground, floating helplessly as it was pulled by Morgan's gravity magic toward the puddle of water.
"Mo-Morgan!! Stop! Please, whatever you are trying to do to me, I beg you to stop!!" Ritsuka struggled in panic and screamed hysterically in the air.
"Shh... it's alright, My Husband," Morgan whispered in a soft tone that instead sent shivers down Ritsuka's spine. "This won't hurt at all. Hasn't your body already successfully adapted to two Dragon Cores before? If so... assimilating all of this should be a very easy thing for you."