Ch 232: Learn from the best to become the best.

Misaki was contemplating how to tease Mikoto the next time she got the opportunity. It was becoming harder, as the girl now had actual experience in matters of the bedroom. She still blushed nicely when Misaki alluded to it, but Mikoto was now firing back that she, at least, knew what Misaki was talking about, and that simply wouldn't do.

Her Jabs at Mikoto's flat chest were also starting to lose their effects, with her snorting and calmly declaring that it was only a matter of weeks until Misaki would be the smaller one. It was almost like Mikoto was looking down on her!

Misaki didn't like being in an inferior position. She didn't like it at all.

So, she came up with a plan. She would get Akeno to do to her the things Takina and Chisato had done to Mikoto. She already knew that her losing her virginity was only a matter of time, and having it done by Akeno was for the best.

She had discreetly asked around, and the consensus was that Akeno was the most skillful in the arts of the bedroom. To climb the social ladder and reach the very top, Misaki first needed to learn from the best, in order to become the best.

Which was why she was standing here, patiently waiting for Akeno to leave the cafeteria. She was always surrounded by other girls, but when their gazes met, Misaki made a small gesture with a nod and a smile, and Akeno spoke a few words to her companions before following her to a quiet spot.

"Hi, Misaki." said Akeno. "If you wish to speak to me, you did not need to wait on the side, you know?"

"I apologize. I am still in the process of memorizing everyone's names, and I didn't want to make a blunder."

"A lot of us are in that case." smiled Akeno. "In fact, I wouldn't be able to place a name on half of your followers, sorry about that. I have been very busy since we returned."

"As you said, Akeno-san." grinned Misaki, quickly warming up to her despite her usual wariness. Akeno's charisma was really something, and her behavior was pleasant. Despite being Noah's second, she didn't seem to be looking down on her at all, and she thought they would get along great.

"I have a favor to ask you, Akeno-san. I would like to go with you when you go to the next world."

"That is surprising. I did expect you to stick with people from your timeline. You get along pretty well with Mikoto, Takina and Chisato."

"Well, yes." admitted Misaki. "But isn't a change of environment the best way to grow as a person?"

"…You have a point, Misaki." nodded Akeno. "Although I do not need my ability to detect lies to know there is more to it. You are cooking something."

"What makes you think so, Akeno-san?" asked Misaki with a stiff smile, being careful to remain truthful and not deny it.

"I have spent years being the aide of a high-ranked noble, Misaki." smiled Akeno. "And drop the '-san', please. We are essentially sisters from now on."

"Very well, Akeno."

"Thank you. I know from what Chisato told me that you have trust issues, and for good reasons, considering your power and the kind of people the researchers in Academy City are. But once we are done saving all those worlds, we will all live on the island. There, no one can lie to each other. Any scheme anyone will cook up will only be one question away from being revealed. That is something you will need to keep in mind."

"You seem to think I have something nefarious in mind." said Misaki, her smile turning a bit bitter. "I am not stupid enough to want to interfere with our mission."

"No, I am not implying anything of the sort, and I apologize if I gave you that impression." sighed Akeno. "Now, how about you simply tell me what you really are after?"

"…Fine." said Misaki, taking a deep breath. "I want to learn sex and other things from the best person available, and then surpass you. I want for Noah to see me at least as an equal partner, not one of his many slave girls."

"Reaching for the top, are we?" chuckled Akeno. "That is fine. As for me, I won't shy from the challenge, and I appreciate the praise." smiled Akeno.

"However, the group for my next timeline has already been decided. Da Vinci will be coming with me. She wants to do a few on-site experiments to try to create a Demonic Pillar detector, and as both an inventor and explorer, she is fed up with just watching from the side. Then Izumi had almost glued herself to me until I agreed to take her, and where she goes, Kasumi follows."

Misaki nodded, as she had met the twins several times already and was fond of them.

"That being said, if you wish to learn from me, how about I teach you before we leave Chaldea?" smiled Akeno.

Misaki blushed, but steeled herself and nodded.

"I would be grateful for your instruction."

"Come to my room after dinner. We'll use my Sanctuary, so I will teach you for a week or two. Now if you will excuse me, some people are waiting."

"Thank you, Akeno. I will see you later." smiled Misaki. She needed to prepare her heart, but she would do it.

"Oh, and one more thing." grinned Akeno, looking at her over her shoulder. "If you truly want to better yourself, you should also ask for someone to give you combat training. I know it's not your thing, but Noah will insist on you being at a minimum able to react instantly to an armed assassin, without time to reach for your remote. And in that field, you do not want to learn from the best. Scathach is brutal. I would suggest Lina or Hae-In for a softer introduction."

She left, and Misaki groaned in dismay at the idea of having to learn some kind of martial art.

…

"You are leaving already?" asked Akeno.

"Yes, Senpai." smiled Sakura. "I want the day when I can stay with both Senpai and Nee-sama and when Mother will be revived to come quickly, so I should work hard for it."

"I understand. I also miss Noah, my own Mom, and everyone else. In fact, if not for Mash, Gudako and the others coming back soon, I'd probably leave today or tomorrow as well. Who is coming with you?"

"Medusa, Tiné, and Saika."

"Take good care of Tiné, she has less experience."

"Yes, Senpai." smiled Sakura. "And when we return, Tiné and Saika will be ready to sign Soul Contracts. Medusa and I will make sure of it."

"Yes, as expected of my cute Kouhai." grinned Akeno.

"When are you leaving exactly?"

"In about an hour, Senpai."

"Okay. I'll be there."

…

After saying goodbye to everyone, Sakura, Tiné, Medusa and Saika appeared inside what they immediately identified as a train, in a passenger compartment.

An empty car, aside from themselves. And the train was moving.

It was nighttime, and they could see the lights of a nearby city outside as the train was moving at a height exceeding the rooftops. But their attention was almost immediately taken by the abnormal sounds.

Something bad was happening.

Screams of fears coming from the compartment on their left, and the clangs of metal weapons clashing against each other from the compartment on their right.

The door leading to the right compartment suddenly opened, and a girl with long black hair, wearing an old-fashioned, sailor type black school uniform, suddenly entered, visibly in a hurry. She was carrying a leather suitcase, whose design seemed dated by modern standards.

"You guys need to get to the rear car, now! I'll disconnect them from the rest of the train!" yelled the girl"

"Who is fighting?"

"No time for questions! If you want to live, you…" the girls words trailed off when she lowered her eyes and noticed the red glyphs on Sakura's and Tiné's right hands.

"Oh shit, you are Masters?" blurted out the girl, her panic increasing.

Now that she stopped, the girl's own left hand was partially visible, and Sakura saw Command Seals. The girl was also a Master.

"Yes." nodded Sakura. "But we aren't currently participating in any Holy Grail War, if that is what is going on. Assassin, can you check on who is fighting?"

"Yes." nodded Medusa, dematerializing.

"There is no need for you to be afraid. We are a neutral party in this war, at least until we know more." said Tiné. "I am Tiné Chelc, a Magus from the Clock Tower. And my companions are Sakura Tohsaka, another Magus, and Archer and Assassin. We are on a mission to save the world from a cataclysm."

The girl's eyes widened, but at least she didn't look any more like she was considering throwing herself out the window. She did have three small vials held between the fingers of her right hand, though, ready to throw them.

"What are you doing in this car, then?"

"We were just teleported here." shrugged Sakura. "Can you tell us what is going on?"

Before the girl could speak, Medusa returned.

"Master, a female Servant wearing the uniform of the Shinsengumi has just defeated Lancer, but she is now facing another Servant. From their physical appearances and weapons, they fit Noah's descriptions of Okita Souji and Oda Nobunaga."

"Oh!" happily exclaimed Sakura. "It must be fate! Is Okita your Servant?"

The girl was gasping. She herself didn't know who her Servant was. She had barely managed to escape Lancer long enough to perform the summoning in a hurry, and hadn't time to ask her Saber any question! How could those Masters know more about her own Servant than she did?

"I... I am Tuskumo Fujimiya, Saber's Master."

"Nice to meet you." smiled Sakura. She was about to say more when many shots were heard from the front car.

"Assassin, Archer, go and support Saber, please. Try to capture the other Servant if possible."

"Yes!" replied Medusa and Saika, dematerializing.

"Tsukumo-san, can you warn your Servant and ask her not to attack them, please."

"…As long as they do not try anything first." frowned Tsukumo, obviously wary. "What cataclysm?"

"It's a long story, but the short of it is that there is one of Solomon's 72 Demonic Pillars hidden somewhere in your world, and we have at most a few years to find and destroy it. If we fail, a fragment of another world's planetary crust the size of maybe half of Canada will suddenly materialize in a volume of space already occupied by this world's crust, and… I think you can guess what the result would be."

Tsukumo's eyes widened as she contemplated the implications. She knew enough about physics to understand that two pieces of matter occupying the same volume of space resulted in something… energetic. And if those two pieces were anywhere near the size those women suggested...

"Tsukumo-san." said Tiné. "If you are a Magus, you should be familiar with the concept of the Root, and timelines?"

"I am." nodded Tuskumo.

"Good. We come from another timeline. One where the year is 2025, Christian calendar. What year is it here? Everything looks old-fashioned."

"…Today is March 12th, year 20 or the Showa era."

"That's… Isn't that 1945? Near the end of World War Two?" asked Sakura as she turned to Tiné.

"I think so. Is Japan at war in this timeline as well?" asked Tiné to Tsukumo, and she nodded.

The door behind Tuskumo opened, and she turned warily. Her Servant entered the car, katana held in her right hand and a bullet wound on her left shoulder, watching Sakura and Tiné with an emotionless gaze.

As Medusa had said, this Servant wore the teal and white haori of the Shinsengumi, denoting her as an elite Japanese Swordswoman, over a short white tunic and a black sash around her waist. Her hands and forearms were covered by black fingerless gloves, and her legs by black stockings reinforced by black leather on the front. She also had a black scarf loosely tied around her neck.

She was absolutely beautiful, In a neat sort of way, with pale blonde hair stopping at neck level, some of it tied behind her head by a loose ribbon. An ahoge stood proudly over her forehead, something Akeno had once joked about being proof of the person having it not being ordinary.

Okita's pale, yellow eyes stared unblinkingly at them, making Sakura feel like she was looking at a naked blade, ready to strike. She somehow looked just as intimidating as Scathach.

But the thing that surprised her the most was that Okita had the same face as Artoria and Nero.

"I am sorry, Master." said Medusa, rematerializing beside Sakura. "Nobunaga managed to retreat."

"It's fine. We'll get her another time." nodded Sakura.

And she suddenly created a half-dozen large light shields on her left, covering herself, Tiné, Saika, Tsukumo and Okita, and blocking a red bullet. It shattered the first shield but was stopped by the second layer.

She mentally thanked Scathach for the ruthless training, causing her to create the shields by sheer reflex when she saw the muzzle flash from the corner of her eye.

Medusa roared in anger and dematerialized again, going after Nobunaga, as Saika took a sniper rifle from under her coat and aimed outside, firing twice.

After a few seconds, Saika sighed.

"It looks like she's really gone this time. Assassin is returning."

"Thank you." nodded Sakura.

Tsukumo watched with a strange expression as the sniper rifle, a huge weapon as long as Archer was tall, disappeared in her coat, and shook her head. She shouldn't expect logic to apply to a Heroic Spirit.

She turned to her own Servant.

"Thank you for earlier. I am sorry we didn't have time to introduce myself properly. I am Tsukumo Fujimiya. It is nice to meet you. Are you really Okita Souji?"

"…Yes. How did they know?" asked Okita, not taking their eyes off the two other Servants present.

"I am Sakura Tohsaka, nice to meet you." said Sakura with a polite bow, introducing Tiné as well as Assassin and Archer.

"We aren't involved with the Holy Grail War despite having Servants as our partners, so you can sheath your blade. We aren't your enemies. As for why we recognized you, one of the two people we work for is quite a fan of yours. He described you as, I quote, 'The best Saber, and the fastest sword. The strongest sword master when it comes to fighting single enemies, aside maybe from Miyamoto Musashi herself.' end quote."

Okita nodded with just the tiniest shadow of a smile, but Sakura could tell she was quite pleased by her evaluation.

"That man also gave us the physical description of a lot of Servants, which is why we also recognized Nobunaga. And she is well above the average Archer, according to him." added Sakura.

"Who is that man, and how did you teleport in a moving train in the first place?” asked Tsukumo.

"Tiné, would you mind telling them about us? I will make a call to Akeno. She can contact Noah, and with some luck, he will be able to tell us a few things about this timeline."

"Yes." nodded Tiné, choosing a seat in the passenger car. Sitting down tended to help calm other people, as it was harder to make a sudden move when sitting.

Tsukumo and Okita stared at Sakura when she took her smartphone from her spatial ring and went to the other side of the car to call Chaldea.

Tiné started explaining the situation, talking about what the 72 Demonic Pillars had done to her world, Chaldea’s original purpose, and how Alaya and Type: Moon had repurposed the equipment to allow them to travel through timelines to recover the world fragments. Sakura had joined them back, but Tiné wasn’t done with the explanations.

"… And this Type: Moon is the Throne of Heroes?" asked Tsukumo.

"Its creator, and the being that controls it." corrected Tiné.

"And he allowed you to summon any Heroic Spirit, just like that? With no limitation in numbers?"

"This is hardly a typical situation, with 73 worlds facing destruction. Yes, Type: Moon has given us carte blanche." shrugged Tiné. "There are well over a dozen Servants in Chaldea, ready to be teleported to where they are needed, and we can request for Type: Moon to summon more if necessary. Alaya is also assisting us and has sent us two Rulers."

"So you could easily win the Holy Grail War, if you wanted to." said Tuskumo, looking at them with a speculative gleam in the eyes.

"With all due respect for your presumed competence as a Magus and Okita's expertise in swordsmanship, we already could win your Holy Grail War, just the four of us." said Sakura.

"My body has been enhanced to the point where I can defeat most Servants by myself, and Assassin has gotten the same benefits on top of already being a Heroic Spirit. She could face some of the really big ones like Gilgamesh or Heracles and defeat them. But we aren't interested in acquiring the Holy Grail."

"Why? Wouldn't you be able to use it to destroy the Demonic Pillar? It would be faster than having to wait for months until Alaya finds it." countered Tsukumo.

Sakura blinked, as it was actually a valid argument, and she didn't see any reason why it wouldn't work.

"Tuskumo-san, that is a good point." finally nodded Sakura. "The previous timelines we visited didn't have any Holy Grail War underway, to that option wasn't available, but in this case… It may be worth trying."

"Maybe I should have kept silent." muttered Tuskumo. She didn't believe Sakura's outrageous boast that she could fight a Servant by herself, much less a strong one, but it seemed she had just increased the competition for the Holy Grail.

Then the small thing Sakura called a 'smart' phone rang. She looked at it with envy as she compared it to the large, fixed telephones she had at home or could use in some public places. But why was a phone called 'smart'? She would have to ask later.

Then she got a partial answer when Sakura turned one side of the phone toward her, and there was a movie displayed, like on a theater! Moreover, it was in vibrant, realistic colors!

No, not a movie. It wasn't something pre-recorded, as the young woman on it seemed to look straight at her with a disarming smile.

"I am Akeno Himejima, Noah's second in command and representative of the Goddess Lilith in Chaldea. It is nice to meet you, Tsukumo-san, Okita-san."

"Likewise. Is this thing really able to let two people from different timelines talk? You're not pulling my leg, right?" frowned Tsukumo.

"Should I exit the research center and show you the frozen lands and the starless skies?" chuckled Akeno.

"…No. I'll believe you, for now."

"That is great. Because I talked with Noah a few minutes earlier, and you guys are in luck, he knows things about your timeline. I took notes."

"First, in order to establish credibility, I will mention a few things he told me about you both. Okita-san, your favorite dessert is mochi, and the one word you would use to describe yourself would be 'Sincerity'. Your wish for the Holy Grail is to fight to the bitter end, something you didn't achieve in your past life due to being afflicted by tuberculosis. A disease that still plagues you as a Servant. Sakura should be able to cure you, by the way. Is there anything wrong with what I said?"

"No. Have I been summoned by him before?" asked Okita, frowning as she tried to search her memories, but Heroic Spirits normally didn't remember anything of their previous summoning.

"No. But he is the Champion of a Goddess. He possesses ways to know things."

"As for you, Tsukumo-san, you are prideful, responsible and very mature. Your personality is very similar to Rin's, Sakura's older sister. You are the eldest daughter and fifth Head of the Fujimiya family, who was murdered by the Imperial Japanese Army two years ago. You are the only survivor. You have my condolences, Tsukumo-san…"

"Thank you." nodded Tsukumo, wanting for Akeno to speak about anything else. This was still a heavy subject for her.

"Moving on, you fight as a representative of the Church, and your wish for the Grail is a peaceful world. Oh, and you've been scammed."

"What?" exclaimed Tsukumo.

"In return for your agreement to participate as the Church's representative, you asked for Avalon as a catalyst, the sheath of the Holy Sword Excalibur. But the Avalon they gave you is a fake. It is only blind luck that you summoned a Saber."

"I will verify that information. If what you say is true, there will be hell to pay." promised Tsukumo.

"Yes." nodded Akeno on the screen.

"Now, I will mention what Noah told me about your Holy Grail War. First, the Lancer Okita-san killed wasn't the real one. He was some kind of artificial Heroic Spirit."

"I had guessed. He was just too weak to be the real deal." nodded Okita.

"You can expect to face more of those fake Lancers. The real one is Li Shuwen, but he shouldn't be in Japan yet. His Master is a Chinese girl whose name Noah doesn't remember, but she is nicknamed the 'Fire Rat'.

"Lanlan Fang. I heard about her." said Tsukumo, and Akeno nodded.

"Noah has no particular interest in either of them, and can't comment on whether they would be reliable allies or not. Archer is Oda Nobunaga, as you already know. Her Master is a white-haired girl named Kaname Asama. Sakura, Tiné, Noah wants us to bring her to Chaldea, with her Servant if possible."

Tsukumo saw Akeno use some kind of magic to display the shape and face of a girl. One that she recognized.

"Understood." smiled Sakura.

"She's my enemy!" cut in Tsukumo, her face twisted with hatred. "I am going to kill her, and I don't care what your boss wants."

She remembered her face, sitting on her car's back seat, surrounded by officers of the Japanese Imperial Army as they drove away from the Fujimiya residence. After they killed everyone and set everything on fire.

"She is a victim, Tsukumo-san, and someone who protected you by not mentioning to anyone that a member of the Fujimiya family was still alive. Yes, she had seen you."

"Look, I know how you must feel. You aren't the only one who experienced tragedy at the hands of others. Sakura and I got our fair share as well. But Kaname doesn't deserve your hatred. When they summoned Oda Nobunaga two years ago, she was essentially just a slave, used as a mana battery to power the ritual."

"After the summoning was done, she would have been disposed of, if not for Nobunaga slaughtering the man holding her Command Seals for disrespecting her and choosing Kaname as her next Master. Even now, while she is technically an officer of the Japanese Imperial Navy, she is still a prisoner in all but name and those scums beat her at the slightest sign of resistance."

"…Why doesn't she use Nobunaga to free herself, then?"

"Nobunaga has her own goals, making Japan win the war, and she makes sure the Japanese army doesn't go too far in mistreating Kaname. Aside from that, Kaname herself suffers from learned helplessness, and she seems to have accepted her situation."

"Learned Helplessness?" asked Okita, unfamiliar with the term.

"Learned Helplessness is a state that occurs after a person repeatedly experiences a stressful situation, like punishments or beatings. They come to believe that they cannot control or change the situation, so they will not try, even when they get opportunities to do so."

"Kaname was already treated as a slave or tool before she became a Master. And as far as Noah is aware, she was present when the Army massacred your family, but neither she nor Nobunaga took any part in it."

"That is why we will take her in, one way or another, and help her become her own person once again. Now that you know more about her, do you intend to stop us?"

Tsukumo felt the urge to say yes, as she hated that girl with passion. Of all the people of the Japanese Army who took everything from her, she was the only one she had seen closely enough to identify. She was the face of the enemy, as far as Tsukumo was concerned.

…But if what Akeno said was true…

After a while, Tuskumo closed and eyes and sighed heavily.

"I will ask her, about what happened that night. If she really didn't take part, you can do whatever you want with her. That will be the extent of my gratitude, for her not telling them about me."

"Thank you." smiled Akeno.

"Senpai." smiled Sakura. "We intend to seize the Holy Grail and use it to either learn the location of the Demonic Pillar, or destroy it directly. With luck, we may be able to return much faster than anticipated."

"That would be great, but will Tsukumo and Okita be okay with this?"

"It doesn't look like there's much of a choice. Whatever my wish may be, it is moot if the world fragment collides with the world." shrugged Tuskumo.

"There is still room for an agreement that would leave everyone satisfied, I think." smiled Akeno.

"Tsukumo-san, Okita-san, we offer you three options. In the first one, you decline to cooperate with us. In this case, Sakura, Tiné, Assassin and Archer will secure Kaname Asama, and possibly Nobunaga as well, and will contend for the Grail. What happens next will be up to fate, by if I had to bet on an outcome, I would bet on you both being captured by Sakura and Tiné, and convinced to join our cause, by any means necessary."

"Is that a threat?" asked Tsukumo, stiffening. Okita had her hand on her katana, ready to draw.

"Better than being simply killed. We treat our allies well, and you would be, after the convincing was over. It wouldn't be an unhappy life you would have."

"The second option is for you to agree on a limited cooperation, stopping after the conclusion of the Holy Grail War. You help us save both of our worlds, then we shake hands and part ways. Once Sakura and the others leave your timeline, they will never return."

"The third option, and the one I wish you will consider carefully, is for either or both of you to swear loyalty to Noah and join us fully. That will mean leaving this world forever after the Demonic Pillar is dealt with, and being cut off from the Throne of Heroes for Okita-san."

"…And what would we gain out of it? You only mentioned disadvantages so far." asked Tsukumo with squinted eyes.

"A lot. First, you would receive the same physical strengthening that makes Sakura and Assassin much stronger than normal. Various abilities, like speaking all languages, being able to tell when someone is lying, being able to purge any curse or heal any injury or disease, and more."

"Second, Sakura and Tiné will cooperate with you and exterminate the faction of the Imperial Army who slaughtered your family, Tsukumo-san. We will make sure your revenge is fulfilled before you leave this world."

"Third, as a servant of the Goddess, you will gain an unlimited lifespan. I am immortal, and you could be as well, if you choose to join us."

"Fourth, for Tsukumo-san, Noah will resurrect your family members." Akeno chuckled as she saw Tsukumo's expression. "Yes, he can do that. He revived my own mother. And he must be feeling pretty generous in your case, since he didn't put a limit to the number of people to be revived like he usually does."

"Fifth, for Okita-san, you would live for eternity in a place where Heroic Spirits, Devils, Shinigamis, Sacred Gear Holders, Cultivators, Espers, and other beings who transcended human limits will live as well, and a lot of those are training themselves to see how far they can go. Forget about dying in a glorious battle, how about living forever in an environment where you will have fierce competition for the title of 'Strongest'? And I'll tell you right now, there are some in our group who could defeat you easily as you are now."

"I think I would like that place a lot. But I won't leave my Master's side, at least not until the Holy Grail War is over." nodded Okita.

"…I want proof." finally said Tsukumo after thinking it through. "Proof that Noah really can revive people, and proof that you are strong enough for me to be worth latching my wagon to."

If true, what they offered was too good to pass on. She didn't like the idea of becoming subservient to a man she didn't even know, but he seemed to be a decent person, from what she was hearing, and if he could really give her back her family, she could deal with it.

But she needed evidence.

"I will ask Noah to revive one of your relatives, and we will set up a video call using my smartphone as a relay. It will be a bit awkward, but it is doable. As for us demonstrating our body enhancement, that is hardly something new. We end up doing this on half the timelines we save. Sakura, would you like to spar against Okita-san?"

"Yes, Senpai." smiled Sakura.

"I am to fight a Master, and not her Servant?" asked Okita, glancing at Assassin. Medusa smiled gently.

"The benefits of Noah's enhancement will be better highlighted if you fight Sakura. You can always face Assassin if you defeat her." suggested Akeno.

"We'll do it like that." nodded Tsukumo.

"Tsukumo-san, which of your relatives do you want Noah to revive to prove his ability?"

"My father, please."

"I will call back soon. And remain vigilant against interference from other parties while you spar, just to be sure."

"Of course, Senpai. We'll do it inside the Sanctuary, and I'll ask Archer to stand guard outside."

"Yes, good luck. I am still available to answer questions for the next three hours or so. After that, I will be unreachable for at least half a day, unless there's a big emergency." said Akeno, thinking about her agreement with Misaki.

"Yes. We will be waiting for your call, Senpai." smiled Sakura, ending the call.

"Those phones sure are convenient." sighed Tsukumo.

"If you join us, you and Okita-san will get one. Where is this train going?"

"Toward Tokyo, the Imperial Capital. We should be there in about an hour." sighed Tsukumo. "Actually, it's a wonder the train is still going. There has been quite a ruckus. Is the driver deaf?"

"Deaf, or unable to act." frowned Tiné. "Assassin, can you check on the driver, please?"

Medusa nodded and dematerialized.

"Actually, staying on that train may not be a great idea." frowned Tsukumo. "That fake Lancer was there to ambush me, and Archer shouldn't have been here either. Some of the other Masters must have learned about me and my itinerary."

"We will leave off the train in a moment." said Sakura. "Archer, I will entrust the Sanctuary to you. Find a quiet spot somewhere. We shouldn't be in there for too long."

"Yes. I will defend it with my life." nodded Saika seriously.

"When you first mentioned the Sanctuary, I thought you were referring to a place." said Tsukumo. "But now you seem to talk about it like it is an object."

"It is both. It is a permanent reality marble."

"Oh! That's something very rare and valuable." said Tsukumo, impressed.

"Noah created seven of them." said Sakura. "Each team takes one when we go explore a timeline."

They noticed the train starting to slow down, and seconds later, Tsukumo saw Assassin rematerialize near them.

"The train driver is dead. Killed by that Lancer, from the wounds. I have stopped the engine and used the train's phone to report the train stopping and the dead driver, to avoid any accident."

"Well done, Assassin." nodded Sakura, taking the Sanctuary from her spatial ring and giving it to Saika.

"We are going in. Please move at least fifteen kilometers from there, just in case. We'll get out in… let's say an hour."

"Yes." nodded Saika.

When Sakura brought the others inside, Saika put the Sanctuary inside her spatial ring and jumped through one of the broken windows. Then, she used a mix of Shunpo and hardened light footholds to enter the nearby forest, quickly leaving the site without leaving a single footprint behind.

…

"How much mana do you need to maintain such a place?" Asked Tsukumo, looking at the small eastern-style mansion surrounded by a floral garden. A wall of white mist surrounded it forming a rough dome about 200 meters across and centered around the building.

"None." smiled Sakura. "It is self-sustaining."

"I want one." wistfully replied Tsukumo.

"If you join us and train for a bit, you will likely become able to make one. Now, Okita-san, are you ready?"

"Of course." smiled Okita.

"I'd prefer to use wooden swords, if you do not mind, though." said Sakura, using item creation to create a pair of slightly curved wooden swords, almost as hard as metal. Their dimensions and weight were equivalent to a real katana. She threw one handle first to Okita who grabbed it easily, tested its balance, and nodded in satisfaction.

Okita put herself ten meters away, facing Sakura, and adopted a high guard, her wooden sword held in both hands at neck level, pointed at Sakura.

Sakura cast Augment on herself, lowered her center of gravity as she held her sword in her right hand, tip pointing slightly down and behind her, and took a deep breath.

And both moved at the same time, shortening the distance almost instantly. Okita thrust at Sakura's sternum but interrupted the move with a raised eyebrow when Sakura's sword came up at a speed exceeding even her own. She evaded by a hair and countered with a swift strike at Sakura's wrist, and her surprise grew when the purple-haired girl managed to stay just out of range.

After a few lightning quick exchanges, Okita realized that she really would need to get serious if she wanted to win.

"You really are a great swordswoman." said Sakura, frowning in concentration as she kept track of Okita's movements. She was quickly realizing that, while she had definitely become competent at using a sword under Scathach's tutelage, Okita was leagues above her. Maybe even stronger than Scathach herself, who had mastered every weapon.

Moreover, her fighting style was not something Sakura was used to. Where Scathach was like a rock standing against the river's flow, only moving when necessary and crushing her opponents with only the minimum amount of force or movement, Okita was like a butterfly fluttering on the wind. She didn't just evade Sakura's blows. She made rolls or somersaults, not hesitating to show her back to Sakura for brief moments.

But whenever Sakura attempted to exploit this apparent weakness, she had to quickly abort when Okita's slashed in her direction at unbelievable speed, using her body's rotation to accelerate further the speed of her slashes.

She had no doubts that anyone without her current reaction speed would end up as minced meat in front of Okita.

The gulf between hers and Okita's skill was large enough to negate Sakura's advantage in movement speed and reaction time. Any lapse of concentration and Okita would land a painful hit.

"You are far from bad either." nodded Okita. "Who taught you? I do not recognize the style."

"Scathach. She taught me for four months."

"I heard of her. I want to fight her."

"As expected of strong Heroic Spirits. They're all spoiling for a good opponent."

"That is how we became strong in the first place, silly girl." laughed Okita as she continued her assault.

"Point taken. Then I guess I should demonstrate, this…"

Sakura created two light rods and used them to complement her attacks. Trying to make more would risk ruining her focus.

Okita adapted at lightning speed, adopting a more defensive stance and striking the golden rods away a few times. She nodded to herself as she noticed their light decreasing intensity, understanding that she would break them if she hit them enough times.

Sakura wasn't expecting to land a hit with just that, and carefully paid attention to Okita's movement. When she judged the timing right, she used Shunpo and slashed horizontally at Okita's waist, ready to jump back instantly.

She managed to take Okita by surprise as even she couldn't block with her sword in time.

And yet, she managed to block it… with the tip of her hilt.

Okita jumped back to open the distance, frowning.

"What was that?"

"It's called Shunpo. A movement technique Noah learned from the Shinigamis. To think you could block an attack using the hilt."

"Every part of your weapon can be used in a fight."

"Agreed." smiled Sakura. She used her shadow power, and six long black ribbons emerged from her shadow.

"Now this is my personal power, not something you can learn."

"Bring it on." fearlessly grinned Okita, not waiting for Sakura to attack.

She used two ribbons to try to grab Okita while the other four formed a protective dome around her.

Okita evaded the ribbons, stopped a step away from the black dome, and slashed. She had to jump away to evade again, frowning as she hadn't felt anything when she cut through the dome. It was as if she had slashed at the empty air.

Understanding something, she focused, and tried again. This time, she cut through, revealing Sakura's shocked face.

…

On the side, Tsukumo had difficulty believing her eyes at the sheer speed and intensity of the duel. And the two of them still managed to exchange words as they traded blows at this frantic pace!

She quickly glanced at Assassin and Tiné.

"Is Sakura going all-out?"

"She can't go any faster. I am impressed that Okita is fast and skilled enough to fight back."

"Yes. What is the thing she did at the beginning? It looked like Magecraft, but I didn't recognize any of it."

"It is called Augment." said Assassin, not taking her eyes off the fight. At least that was Tsukumo's impression, as Assassin had her eyes covered by a purple blindfold. "Noah created it, taking three separate Devil magic spells and merging them into one any of us can use. At first, it tripled our speed, strength and resilience. Now, it is closer to double as we steadily grow stronger. Any spell has its limits, after all."

"Augment, Shunpo and an absolute immunity to harmful effects like curses, are the Big Three of the combat skills Noah bestows to his subordinates. And I do not take into consideration the passive body strengthening. Sakura could pluck a bullet out of the air with her naked hand and throw it back at the gun user at a high velocity." said Tiné. "When I sign a Soul Contract with him, I will have all those as well, and more."

"I get it already, you do not need to go on another sales pitch." snorted Tsukumo, before her face grew determined. "…If Noah really can revive my family, I'll throw my lot with you guys."

"You won't regret it." smiled Assassin. "The work we do is very fulfilling, and the living conditions leave little to be desired."

While they observed, the duel continued.

Sakura had repeatedly tried to use Shunpo and light weapons to gain the advantage, but Okita had already adapted to her style faster than she was adapting to Okita's, and it was all she could do to avoid being hit in turn.

But something happened. Suddenly, Okita jumped back and brought a hand to her mouth, coughing.

Sakura saw a bit of blood in her palm.

"How about we stop there?" suggested Sakura, and Okita nodded, a bitter expression on her face.

"I'll try healing you, if you do not mind."

"I don't. But this isn't an easy thing to solve. It killed me, after all."

Sakura walked to her and placed a hand on Okita's left arm, scanning her body with Greater Healing, then tried to cure the damage. The result surprised her, as for once, this skill showed its limits.

"I feel better, thank you." nodded Okita.

"There's something wrong." frowned Sakura, using Greater Healing again, and following with Purge. "I should have gotten rid of your tuberculosis completely, but it refuses to disappear completely."

"So you have limits after all. It is almost reassuring!" chuckled Okita.

Sakura sighed, vexed by her failure.

"One of the abilities we gain from swearing loyalty to Noah is a constant regeneration. Maybe it will allow you to live without regular Healing sessions. But you will need to meet Akeno for that, so for now, I will heal you every few hours." said Sakura.

"Should we have tea while we wait for Akeno to call us?" suggested Tiné. The others nodded.

Sakura felt glad that her self-cleaning clothes were already absorbing and eliminating her sweat. This duel had been intense.

"How did you cut through my shadow earlier, Okita-san? They had formed an opening to another dimensional space. Your sword shouldn’t have been able to cut it. There was nothing solid to cut!"

"Call me Okita, since it looks like we are going to work together." said Okita. "I focused on wanting to cut the very existence of your ribbons, and it worked."

"Wow. So your sword could even cut things on a conceptual level."

Sakura nodded as she invited them inside the house, and into the living room. She made tea for them, Tiné satisfying their curiosity as Sakura created the tea and snacks.

As they were relaxing, Sakura's phone rang. It was Akeno.

…

Tsukumo's eyes filled with tears as she saw her father. Akeno had two of those smart phones and placed them facing each other. One was used to link with the phone Sakura owned, while the other was linked to wherever Noah lived.

She had seen Noah face to face and been struck by how handsome he looked and how warm his smile was. But her attention was immediately taken by the tall, black-haired man looking over his shoulders.

"I will leave the room for a while, so you two can talk in private." smiled Noah with a nod to Tsukumo, and he walked away.

"Father, I am so glad to see you." cried Tsukumo, her voice choking.

"You speak for us both, my treasure. You speak for us both. Are you safe? He said that you are a Master participating in a Holy Grail War."

"I am fine. My Servant is a strong one, and it looks like I also have strong allies as well now. I'll be okay… And if not, I suspect Noah will revive me anyway." nodded Tsukumo.

"That young man told me that I have to thank you for this, Tsukumo." softly said Kenichiro Fujimiya. "What… kind of price did you have to pay?"

"…I agreed to serve him."

"Oh. So you will work as a maid, like those I saw in the garden? They do not look unhappy."

"Maids?" asked Tsukumo, an eyebrow raised. "It wasn't mentioned I'd have to wear a uniform, but I guess it is fine. In return, Noah will bring back everyone and give me some other benefits."

"I feel guilty that you are the one paying for it." sighed Kenichiro. It was my decision to work for the military that led to them wanting to silence us. I am so sorry, my dear daughter."

"…About that, Father, I have an important question." said Tsukumo. "Was there a white-haired girl among those who attacked us?"

"I remember seeing one, yes. Although she only stood in the background." frowned Kenichiro.

"She didn't take any part?"

"No. It was Major Magatsu who… shot your siblings, and then it was my turn. I can't say for sure who killed your mother, but I assume he did it as well. I guess we will have the opportunity to ask her. It is such a strange situation."

"Yes."

"He said he will arrange for us to live in one of his worlds, more technologically advanced than our own. With things like those phones we are currently using."

"So, what is the afterlife like? Did you go to heaven?" asked Tsukumo. She didn't believe heaven existed

"…I have no memories of it. It is like no time passed at all between that night, and me waking up a few minutes ago. Can you tell me what happened after that night? How did you escape them?"

"I paid smugglers to leave the country. I would eventually have been caught if I stayed, so…"

As Tsukumo spoke about what she had experienced these last two years, she felt like the heavy weight on her shoulders, the weight that had burdened her since that night, was starting to ease up.

…

Noah waited in the hallway for Tsukumo and her father to be done, humming softly to himself.

He would soon get his lustful hands on Okita, his favorite Heroic Spirit. He had already tried to "revive" her once, but the process had failed. Understanding that it was only a matter of time, he had waited patiently.

He looked forward to talking to her regularly on the phone. Tsukumo was also far from a bad prize, a prideful tsundere reminding him of Rin. Nobunaga would be a handful, but fun to be around once tamed a little, and Kaname… He would take care of her gently. Her circumstances had pulled on his heartstrings.

His thoughts were interrupted when Hisui walked in the hallway, and seeing Noah, used Shunpo to stop next to him.

"Master, I need you to come with me to the living room."

"Is it something urgent? There's someone I just revived in that room, and someone needs to wait here."

"I think it's better if you come. And I'll stay here if you order me to, but I really want to see how you're going to react." smiled Hisui.

"Fine, I guess he won't do something stupid even if left alone for a while." nodded Noah.

"Great! Once I have gotten my fun, I'll return here." said Hisui as she grabbed his hand and led him down the hallway. "Who is that person you just revived?"

"The father of a girl who's going to assist Sakura's team and join us later. He's a Magus as well. I'll revive the mother and her siblings later. They will live somewhere inside the Gremory territory."

"Okay."

And walked down the stairs and Hisui opened the door to the main living rooms, watching him intently.

And she wasn't disappointed. When Noah saw the reason dozens of his maids were gathered around a single person, his jaw went slack, and he groaned.

Hisui giggled, and he shot her a mock glare. She only laughed more. And she wasn't the only one. Most of the girls gathered were grinning at his reaction.

Ophis was eating a slice of chocolate cake.

But she was… different.

Ophis now looked like she was in her twenties, with a shapely body that looked like she had used Rias or Akeno as her template. And she put on long, black latex gloves, and had changed her usual black goth loli dress by a tight black leather Chinese-style dress that showed off her new curves.

"Ophis." said Noah as he walked closer. "I see you have decided to change your appearance."

"Do you like it?" asked Ophis between two mouthfuls of cake.

Noah sat beside her.

"I'd be lying if I said I don't, but why have you decided to change?"

"I want you to play with me."

"…What?"

"You often play with me with Monopoly and other games." said Ophis. "But you also play with the others at those other games. I want to play those games with you, and with them."

"It's… not really games." temporized Noah, trying to find a tactful way to tell Ophis that she was too small for it."

"I have watched Suzu, and Kaede, and Rias, and many others. Those games make them feel good. I want to play them as well."

"Is that why you changed your appearance?" asked Noah.

"Sorry, Master." said Kaede with an apologetic smile. She caught us several times, and I ended up saying she needed to wait until she would be a grown up. It seems she took me a bit too literally."

"I see." sighed Noah. "Ophis, I have one condition to accept playing those games with you."

"What is it?"

"You need to acquire some more world experience, so you can really understand what you are asking for. That is why I will designate two maids, and maybe Le Fay if she agrees, and with them, I want you to travel the world a bit and meet other people. And when Le Fay and those maids agrees that you have grown enough mentally, then you can return, and if you still want to, we will play a lot."

"Yes." agreed Ophis without difficulty. She had lived for thousands of years, and she didn't mind waiting a little.

"Is anyone volunteering?" asked Noah as he looked at his girls. Suzu and Kaede were the first to lift their hands.

"If it somewhat our fault for being too careless, so we'll take responsibility." said Kaede, and Suzu nodded.

"Thank you. You and Ophis can still return home whenever you want, you aren't in exile. Just make sure she gets opportunities to interact with other people."

"Yes, you can count on us. We'll help her mature." nodded Suzu.

"Ophis, while you are away, I will count on you to behave yourself. No killing humans even if they anger you. If a human does something bad to you, tell Kaede or Suzu, and they will deal with them."

"Yes." nodded Ophis.

Noah sighed in relief and patted her head. One crisis averted, for now.

He stayed a few more minutes with the girls, giving Ophis another slice, and wondering if she would spend her time creating her own snacks only to eat them, once she shared his abilities.