Returning to the Surface

Continue where we left off.....

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(A/N: I recommend reading this part with the Velvet Room theme song from Persona.)

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Abigail hears Kiana's introduction and she is confused to hear a surname that is very familiar to her.

Abigail: Fujimaru?

Abigail said, tilting her head a little to the side, confused if she heard right.

Kiana noticing this is embarrassed when she realizes what she just said.

Kiana: Oh! I'm sorry! I meant Kiana Kaslana. I'm still getting used to the other surname.

Kiana said, letting out a slight nervous laugh, she can't figure out why, but the strange presence that is coming from Abigail worries her.

Abigail: It's okay. You don't need to be embarrassed about it.

Abigail said, keeping her innocent smile until it was possible to hear the sounds of two cats meowing, one black and the other gray.

Kiana:Cats? Here?

Kiana comments, noting the bizarreness of the place she mysteriously found herself in.

The gray cat climbs onto Abigail's lap and the black cat sits on the girl's left shoulder and she lets out a light laugh at the cats.

Abigail: Allow me to introduce one of my friends, their names are Luther and Nosrh and they are one of the residents of this special train.

"So there's more than one person in this place? After all, what kind of dimension is this? I was on the moon a little while ago, so how did I end up here? A train that moves in space? Where did you see that from?" Kiana thinks about this by analyzing the situation she is in at the moment.

Abigail: Before we start, do you want something to eat or drink?

Said Abigail, opening a small portal in front of her that brings out a plate with pancakes on top.

Kiana: No, thank you. I'm not hungry at the moment.

Kiana said, noticing the portal that Abigail made.

Abigail makes a knife and fork to appear in her hands and she begins to eat the pancakes slowly,

Abigail:Okay. I assume you have questions for me?

Kiana: Are you a Herrscher?

Kiana asks the question that was on the tip of her tongue and Abigail lets out a light laugh.

Abigail:No, no. I'm not a Herrscher. Although I share certain similarities to a Herrscher, I am not one of you.

Abigail said, answering a question from Kiana, who let out a sigh of relief.

Kiana: Got it. So how did I end up on this train?

Abigail: Haven't I explained it to you before? This is a place between dream and reality and only those who have a connection with my master can be here.

Abigail said, repeating what she said earlier to Kiana.

"Only those who have a connection to her master, but who is that master?" Kiana thinks about it having more questions than answers.

Abigail: Your body is still in the same place where you were before, unlike your soul that was drawn to this place.

Kiana:I see. One more question. Who is this master of yours? And why do I have a connection with him?

Kiana said, asking one more important question, but Abigail looks at Kiana, confused.

Abigail: Technically I have two masters, but my second master considers me like a sister, so I only have one. My master name is Ritsuka Fujimaru.

When the name of the mysterious master comes out of Abigail's mouth, Kiana is shocked to find out.

Kiana:What?! Ritsuka-Senpai is your master?!

Abigail: Yes, he is.

Kiana: So you're one of the Heroic Spirits he commanded in the past?

Abigail: Yes. But the Abigail that the Master gave orders to was just a version that I made to be registered on the Throne of Heroes. I am the real Abigail Williams he saved in Salem.

Kiana doesn't remember all the adventures Ritsuka had on his old journey, after all the list is quite long.

Kiana is relieved to know that this girl knows Ritsuka, which shows that Abigail is a trustworthy person. However, now that the conversation has turned to the man in question, Kiana is left holding the finger of her left hand where you can see a ring and Abigail sees the ring.

Kiana: Ritsuka....

Kiana murmurs his name with a melancholic expression and Abigail notices the change in the atmosphere.

Abigail:I know that face very well. You miss him, don't you?

Kiana: A lot. I'm sure Mei-senpai also feels the same thing I'm feeling right now.

Abigail: I'm sorry for asking a personal question. But did you marry him?

Abigail said, making Kiana let out a slight smile as she remembered the memory.

Kiana: Yes. Me and Mei-senpai got married for the same man. I was the first one he asked for and Mei took a while due to certain "complications" in their relationship and other complicated factors. I still remember Bronya's envious face when she heard the news, I even took a photo of her face just so I wouldn't forget.

Kiana said, letting out a nostalgic laugh. Abigail is surprised to hear the news,she didn't expect Ritsuka to do that.

"That explains a lot...." Abigail thinks about it knowing the context of the situation.

Abigail:I think I already know why you managed to be there. You have a great desire to see Ritsuka again, don't you?

Kiana: Yes, even though it's a little selfish on my part,but I still don't understand why I ended up here.

Abigail:That's because this train is a representation of Ritsuka. After all, we both know that he always finds himself in several different and special places, each place with its own history, unfortunately his trips always put his life at risk. There's a second reason why this place exists, but I can't tell you that.

Abigail said to Kiana who asks one last question.

Kiana:Can I go back?

Abigail:You can if you want, but don't you want to see Ritsuka again?

Abigail said, leaving Kiana surprised to hear the news.

Kiana: Can you do that?!

Abigail: Yes. However, there is a cost to this, are you willing to accept it?

Abigail said to Kiana who was silent for a moment. Kiana misses Ritsuka a lot for many reasons, one of the important ones is the fact that he is her husband, but she doesn't know what cost she has to pay to see him.

Kiana:What kind of cost will I have to pay?

Kiana asks with a serious expression to Abigail as she continues to maintain an unnatural smile.

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Meanwhile....

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Ritsuka's vision.

What a troubled night. Honestly I didn't expect Stelle to show up out of nowhere and start talking about the fact that I have concubines in Chaldea.

Which is true in a way, but it's a situation that caused a bit of a headache when Morgan decided to consider all the Servants who openly like me as "concubines" and she even put the rest of the fairy knights in the middle of this mess.

There's also the fact that she put one of the Artorias on the list just to insult the alternative versions of her sister.

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(A/N: Being more specific, the Artorias are: Saber alter, Lancer Artoria, Artoria Caster and MHX. I'm considering the summer versions as the same entity because if I don't this list will get really long.)

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💭There's still Arcueid and Kuku in the middle...

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(A/N: A quick quick explanation. The "Arcueid" that Ritsuka is referring to is the version that didn't drink Roa's blood, meaning she didn't meet Shiki. In addition to the fact that this version is from Ritsuka's timeline. )

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I also can't forget that I have two avatars of two Ultimate Ones who took Morgana's declaration as competition.

Ritsuka: It's a true miracle that Chaldea hasn't been destroyed by now....

I comment on this by getting out of bed, being mentally tired from having dealt with three angry girls in one night.

💭I still find it hard to believe that Stelle was ever in my reality marble

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Flashback

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After by some miracle I managed to endure Seele and Bronya's fury, Stelle and I are in the hotel hallways.

Ritsuka:Ok,Stelle, how the hell did you find out about this specific information?

I say this, standing with my arms crossed and starting to interrogate Stelle.

Stelle: I thought you already knew...

Ritsuka: If I already know, I wouldn't be asking you.

I say this letting out a sigh.

Ritsuka: Look. I admit that there are a lot of things I'm not telling you about me. But what you discovered is something very "personal" and I need to know how you achieved it.

I say this sounding a little serious, but maintaining an air of calm.

Stelle reveals that the day I gave her my last pill to help her sleep she ended up waking up one of my noble phantasm and she found my "Shadow" inside.

He took her to the exit, however Stelle ended up seeing and experienced some of the agony I had to endure in the incident that a certain Avenger did to me and that one of the Avengers Servants ended up revealing that Britomart (AKA: Fairy Knight Percival) is one of the my concubines.

Ritsuka: So that's how you found out....

I say this contemplating what I said to Stelle.

Stella: Ritsuka. Be honest with me. What is that world? And why did I feel like my soul was tired?

Ritsuka:For me to explain all this would take hours and we need to sleep for tomorrow. But what I can say is that the "world" you saw is just the consequences of the burden I'm carrying taking shape. Honestly I'm still surprised that I have this power.

I say this with a weak expression as I remember what happened in that world and the price I had to pay when I managed to pass the tests.

💭Jalter....

Stella: Ritsuka?

Hearing Stelle's voice makes me stop remembering the past.

Ritsuka:Hmm? Oh. I'm sorry I got distracted for a minute. Anyway. I know you want to know more about that world, but right now we have more important things to worry about. I promise that after all this I will tell you and the rest of the people the whole truth.

I say this with a determined expression.

Stella: Okay. Don't even think about breaking that promise. Or you will receive the fury of the trash cans on you!

Stelle said, leaving me perplexed for a moment when she mentioned trash cans.

💭Fury of the trash cans? That's new one.

Ritsuka:Okay, Stelle, I think you need to go to bed after this.

I say this to Stella.

Stelle: And you need to stop seducing girls.

Ritsuka:I already said I'm not seducing anyone!

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End of flashback

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After getting ready I leave the hotel to meet the rest of the group and see that Stelle, Dan Hang and March 7 are waiting for me.

March 7:Took you long enough sleepy head. We've been waiting all day! I noticed you two aren't matching up with our sleep routines. You get up in the middle of the night or stay asleep until the end of the day. Unacceptable. You guys need to work on your teamwork!

Ritsuka: I'm out of my sleeping pills, so I have a perfect excuse for not being able to sleep.

I say this leaving March surprised.

March 7:Oh... I didn't know that.

Ritsuka:No need to worry about that March. Anyway. I think we better go to wildfire and discuss our next move.

March 7: Let's go! I can't wait to be back on the surface!

Said March 7, getting excited about getting back to the city.

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We went to the wildfire location and met Oleg,Sampo and Seele.

Oleg:Look who's here.

Oleg said looking at me.

Sampo: It's the bane of Svarog! The big Hero of the Underworld, Ritsuka!

Said Sampo who immediately receives dirty looks from Stelle and March 7.

Sampo:And the other big heroes,Dan Hang, Stelle and March 7th!

March 7:Were those lines rehearsed?

Said March 7 and I'm seeing no sign of Natasha.

Ritsuka:Where is Natasha?

I ask this question to Oleg since he is her right-hand man.

Oleg:She has a brunch of other things to attend, so I hope you don't mind talking to this old man instead. I speak on behalf of Natasha. By the way, sorry for keeping that whole thing about her being the current leader of Wildfire a secret. Haha ha....

Oleg said, letting out a light laugh.

Stelle:What ever happened to trust?

Oleg:Hahaha, my apologies. Natasha is always cautions, but she has no ill intention, as you must have noticed. She told me to make sure you guys return to the Overworld safely. I gave it some thought, and I think the safest way is to ask this fella for help.

Oleg said looking at Sampo making me raise an eyebrow.

💭Sampo again? At this point I should chain him up just so he doesn't run away.

Sampo:I brought you down. I can take them up! Free of charge, satisfaction guaranteed.

March 7: There's no need to knock us out this time, right?

Said March 7 not having liked the experience she had upon arriving in the underworld.

Sampo:Of course not! This time we'll go back through the Furnace Core.

Stella: Oleg. Is it possible for you to nominate someone else?

Stelle said not wanting to deal with Sampo anymore.

Sampo:Please, don't be like that. We have so much history together, can't you have a little faith?

💭We made so much history together that you always ran away at the important moments...

Seele:Enough chatter. Just be a good guide!

Seele said, not wanting to hear Sampo babbling anymore and I don't see Bronya anywhere.

Ritsuka: Seele. Where is Bronya?

Seele stared at me for a moment until she decided to respond.

Seele:She's already back. As we both already know, she will settle the score with the Supreme Guardian.

March 7:What? She just ditched us and went back? How could you two let her.

Said March 7, being surprised by the news.

Ritsuka:That was her decision. After all, this is a very personal matter for her.

Seele: Exactly, she has a lot of responsibilities. I don't fully understand, but I trust she is trying to resolve the issue. Oh right,Bronya told me to give you this, womanizer.

Seele said, delivering a letter and calling me a womanizer.

Ritsuka:You did this on purpose didn't you?

Seele:Perhaps...

Stelle:But isn't that true?

Ritsuka: Not now, Stelle.

Seele said that with a slight smile showing that she said it with the full intention of provoking me.

💭Don't worry, Seele. An Avenger never forgets...

I open Bronya's letter and my friends and I read what she wrote.

Bronya wrote what I imagined, giving her reasons for confronting her mother and finding out the truth about why she knows about Stellaron, but she's not doing anything to prevent a catastrophe.

Bronya also wrote that if something bad happens to her, we should go to the Landau brothers and ask them to help us since it appears the Landau family is very powerful in Belobog and the brothers are Serval and Gepard.

March 7: Brother and sister Landau? I know the brother must refer to Gepard, but who could the sister be...Oh, Serval! Only she's Gepard's older sister!

💭This was already mentioned in the letter, March....

Stelle:How very cunning of you.

Stelle said being sarcastic.

March 7:Blonde,tall,good-looking... Those Landau genes sure are something else.

Dan Hang:Sampo, do you know the Landau siblings?

Sampo:Landau....Uhhh yeah, we're old friends. I've mostly dealt with the younger brother in the past, but the sister.... She's much scarier. Today's supposed to be a day of celebration, so let's not talk about It right now.

💭Huh.... I can now imagine Sampo running in fear of Serval. A beautiful sight to imagine.

After this conversation, Sampo said that everything is ready for us to return to the surface.

Without further ado, we follow Sampo on his way back to the surface where our objective is to reunite with Serval.

To be continued.....

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A/N:I recommend that you go and see Ritsuka's status which shows his class and several other things he can do as an Avenger.

Another thing. I'm investigating more about the story of Honkai Gakuen 2 (AKA Gun girls 2) and I have to admit that I'm liking what I'm finding out. Something that was very interesting to know is that Hp lovecraft exists in Hoyoverse and I didn't know that.

This ended up making things very interesting, leading to the fact that Abigail Williams has a connection to Yog Sothoth and that the entity itself exists in Honkai. And as F/GO has already introduced most of the outer gods from Lovecraft mythology, this became such a coincidence that I didn't expect to discover it.

Overall things are going to get interesting from today onwards.