002 - Fate/Half Astral

"Of course, we're going to burn people~," Ritsu said with an innocent smile, her expression is the opposite of what she said.

"What?!" Jeanne shouted in shock, her voice high-pitched, as she stared at the small girl in disbelief.

"Burn people?! Are you talking about actually burning people? Or... burned because of the hot sun? Please tell me it's because of the hot sun, right?!" Mash panicked, gripping Ritsu's shoulders as if trying to shake some sense into her.

"Nope, like burning, you know, the same way Jeanne got burned," Ritsu replied casually, tilting her head to the side, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Are you serious?! Your name is Ritsu, right? Please tell me you're joking, Ritsu!" Jeanne pleaded, her eyes wide with panic.

"Why are you acting like that?" Jeanne Alter interjected, stepping forward with a sharp glare, her tone cold and cutting.

"What do you mean 'why'?! She's talking about burning people!" Jeanne exclaimed, clearly distressed.

"We're just paying them back for what they did to us," Jalter replied firmly, her voice steady as steel. "You're Jeanne too, aren't you? You should remember what they did to us. To you."

Her words hung heavily in the air, her sharp stare piercing through Jeanne. Jeanne's hands trembled slightly as she averted her gaze, unable to deny the truth behind Jalter's words.

"But... but revenge is not the answer," Jeanne finally whispered, her voice shaking. "The Lord teaches us to forgive—"

"Forgive?" Jeanne Alter cut her off, her tone dripping with disdain. "Do you think they deserved forgiveness? After what they did to us?! Seeing you makes me disgusted. You let them get away after burning us alive, and you keep saying 'Lord this' and 'Lord that'—where was your Lord when they lit the flames? Where was His blessing when we screamed in agony, begging for salvation?!"

The intensity of her words silenced everyone for a moment. Even Mash and Fujimaru who wanted to intervene stayed quiet.

Jeanne flinched at her counterpart's words, the intensity and raw pain behind them striking her deeply. "The Lord's ways are not for us to question... He always has a reason," she replied weakly, her voice trembling.

"A reason?" Jalter spat. "You really believe that? You think our suffering was justified? That it was some divine test? That's pathetic!"

As the two continued their heated argument, their voices filled with fury and pain, Ritsu quietly observed them, her wide blue eyes flicking back and forth between the two.

The young girl frowned slightly. She couldn't understand why the white Jeanne was so opposed to punishing those who had caused her suffering. Her papa and mama—and nearly everyone who had taught her—always said to give people what they deserved.

If someone helped you or showed kindness, you responded in kind. But if someone was evil and trying to do something to you? You punished them, swiftly and decisively.

Betrayal, in particular, was something Ritsu despised most of all. To betray a friend or a companion was the worst crime, one she believed deserved severe punishment. And if she ever encountered a traitor, she wouldn't hesitate to make them regret it.

Her train of thought was interrupted when Fujimaru stepped forward, his tone hesitant but firm. "Ritsu... are you serious about what you're saying? You really want to burn people?"

"Yeah," Ritsu replied matter-of-factly, tilting her head slightly. "I'm helping to punish the people who made her suffer."

Her words sent a chill through everyone present. Jeanne looked at her in horror, Mash gasped audibly, and Fujimaru froze, unsure how to respond.

"Ritsu," Jeanne began, stepping closer, "revenge doesn't heal anything. It only creates more pain and suffering. You're so young—"

"So what if I'm young?" Ritsu interrupted, her voice calm but steady. "If people do something bad, they should pay for it. If someone hurt me, Papa, or Mama, you think I should just let it go? No... I'll make them pay tenfold."

"That's right," Jalter interjected, a dark smirk tugging at her lips as she looked at Ritsu approvingly. "At least someone here understands."

"Don't encourage her!" Mash protested, stepping between them.

"I don't need encouragement," Ritsu said, crossing her arms. "I'm helping nee-san whether you like it or not."

The tension in the air was thick as the group stared at the resolute child, her words carrying a weight far beyond her years.

-----

In Chaldea's control room, Olga sat at her usual place, her eyes glued to the monitor displaying Ritsu and the others. Despite the heated words exchanged on the screen, her expression remained disturbingly calm, unbothered by the shocking decisions being made by the young girl and Jeanne Alter.

Da Vinci, seated nearby, noticed the eerie lack of reaction from Olga and decided to break the silence. "Are you fine with that, Director? Ritsu and Jeanne Alter are talking about burning people alive," she asked, her tone cautious yet probing.

Olga didn't even glance at Da Vinci. Her gaze stayed fixed on the screen. "This is Ritsu's decision," she said flatly. "If she wants to help Jeanne Alter, then so be it."

The entire control room fell silent at her response. Staff exchanged uneasy glances, their collective confusion written plainly on their faces. One of them finally spoke up, hesitating as they did. "Director Olga... isn't that... too much? Burning people is—"

"There is *nothing* wrong with what Ritsu said," Olga cut them off, her voice suddenly cold and laced with bitterness. "If I had the chance, I'd kill that bastard Lev myself. I'd make sure he *suffered* before he died."

Her fists clenched tightly on the desk as she spoke, her knuckles turning white. Her tone was so venomous and resolute that the entire room froze.

The staff members stared at her in shock. This wasn't the Olga they knew—the one who, while strict, had always sought to do what was right.

Da Vinci, however, had been watching Olga closely. When she made her declaration about Lev, Da Vinci caught a fleeting glimpse of something unnatural. A star-shaped symbol briefly shimmered in Olga's eyes before vanishing just as quickly.

"Director Olga..." Da Vinci murmured softly, hiding her growing concern behind her usual playful tone. "It seems like you've been under a lot of stress lately. Perhaps you should rest?"

Olga finally turned her head, her usual sharpness returning. "I don't need rest, Da Vinci. Focus on our mission."

Da Vinci smiled faintly, nodding in agreement, but her mind was racing. She needed to inform Romani about what she saw—about the strange symbol in Olga's eyes and the sudden change in her demeanor. Something was definitely wrong.

They kept arguing with each other, especially Jeanne and Jalter, who showed no signs of stopping.

It was surprising that the two hadn't started attacking each other, considering how heated their debate was.

"That's enough. If you still disagree, then there's nothing else to discuss," Jalter suddenly said before walking toward Ritsu.

Seeing this, Draco, who had been silent the entire time, began to fade before transforming into a ball of red light and returning to Ritsu's body.

"Even if I'm a fake Jeanne, the memory of being burned alive is still fresh in my mind. I'll make them pay for it, and after that, Gilles has a lot to answer for," Jalter muttered as she crouched in front of Ritsu and picked her up.

Ritsu hugged Jalter's neck tightly once she was in her arms.

"Just don't get in our way."

With that, the two of them began walking toward the nearby village.

"Are we not going to stop them, Senpai?" Mash asked Fujimaru.

"Hahhh... I don't know. Director Olga hasn't said anything, and even if we wanted to stop them, there's nothing we can do," Fujimaru replied, shaking his head.

"...And I kinda don't want to be hated by Ritsu," he added in a quieter voice.

Of course, as a Demi-Servant, Mash could clearly hear her Master's words. And truthfully, she didn't want Ritsu to hate her either.

Ritsu was just too adorable. Every day, while waiting for their missions, she'd play with them in Chaldea, running around energetically and constantly pulling little trinkets out of her pockets.

Suddenly, the two noticed vanilla Jeanne start to move. She summoned her flag and immediately stepped in front of Jalter and Ritsu and pointing it at them.

"Stop right there!" Jeanne called out, her flag firmly planted in the ground in front of Jalter and Ritsu. Her expression was resolute, yet her hands trembled slightly, betraying her inner conflict.

Jalter halted, her grip on Ritsu tightening slightly as she glared at Jeanne with disdain. "What now?"

"I will not let you kill all of those people! You've already killed enough, and many villages have been destroyed. That's enough!" Jeanne said firmly, standing her ground.

"Ahhh, this won't end if it keeps going like this," Ritsu muttered, shaking her head in frustration.

"And Ritsu, how can you be okay with doing all of this? You're just a little girl, yet you're already willing to do something like that?" Jeanne said with concern, glancing at Ritsu.

Ritsu, however, looked confused by Jeanne's words. What did being a child have to do with any of this?

"Just shut up and get out of our way," Jalter said coldly, her tone carrying no menace but her glare sharp.

Jalter began preparing to summon her flag, adjusting her hold on Ritsu as though ready to set her down.

"No, enough! If this keeps going, it'll never end," Ritsu said sharply before pointing her hand toward Jeanne.

In an instant, a glowing blue magic circle appeared beneath Jeanne. The circle pulsed with energy before Jeanne vanished in a flash of light, teleported away to an unknown location.

"Jeanne!? Ritsu, what happened to her?" Mash shouted, running toward Ritsu with Fujimaru close behind.

"I just teleported her away so she wouldn't interrupt," Ritsu replied calmly, smiling as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"So, Fujimaru-niisan, Mashu-neechan, do you two want to come with us, or not?" Ritsu asked casually.

The two exchanged glances, seeming to have an entire conversation with their eyes before nodding in agreement.

"Both of us should go find Jeanne," Fujimaru finally said. "Ritsu, you and this Jeanne can do whatever it is you want to do."

Their decision wasn't just out of concern for Jeanne but also to avoid witnessing what Ritsu and Jalter planned to do. If they couldn't stop it, they'd rather not watch.

"Sure, then. See you later!" Ritsu said cheerfully, summoning another magic circle beneath Fujimaru and Mash. In an instant, they vanished as well.

After that, Ritsu and Jalter walked toward the village pointed out by Hermanubis.

It was finally peaceful without the other Jeanne complaining, and the two continued on their way, with Ritsu still being carried by Jalter.

"You know, if you can teleport, why not just use that instead?" Jalter asked, breaking the silence with some small talk.

"Teleporting is no fun. Walking is better. Who knows who you might meet along the way," Ritsu replied casually.

The two chatted casually until the village came into view, bustling with people moving in and out.

At the sight of the village, Ritsu immediately pulled out the Hermanubis Axe and Scales of Dominion from her pocket.

"Put me down, Nee-san," she said, and Jalter complied, gently setting her down.

Ritsu took a few steps ahead, activating her scales.

"Scales of Dominion."

The scales began to glow with a dark aura, floating behind her and hovering in place.

"Scales of Judgment!"

Ritsu's blue eyes began to glow as her wings appeared, enhancing her power. The scales grew brighter and brighter before releasing a ray of light aimed at the village.

The people in the village panicked, assuming the "evil witch" Jalter was attacking. Chaos broke out as they scrambled to flee.

But the ray of light stopped above the village and exploded, forming a barrier that enveloped the area, trapping everyone inside.

Ritsu then turned her attention to the Hermanubis Axe, activating its power.

"Caliginis Excelsior."

The axe hummed with energy before Ritsu tossed it behind her, where it hovered alongside the Scales of Dominion, awaiting her command.

"My Scales of Dominion will deliver a fair and just verdict, and my Hermanubis will punish the sinners. Absolute Equality!"

The two weapons combined, their auras intensifying as the energy around them grew stronger.

Inside the village, the people continued to panic, screaming for help and desperately trying to break the barrier. Suddenly, some of them began glowing with a dark aura, causing even more chaos as the others realized something was happening.

"It's done. Your turn, Nee-san," Ritsu said with a smile, turning to Jalter, who was intently watching the display of power.

"What did you do?" Jalter asked, intrigued.

"I'm separating the sinners involved in your death, Nee-san. The non-sinners will be protected by the Scales of Dominion, while the sinners will face punishment," Ritsu explained calmly.

"I see... such an interesting ability you have, Ritsu," Jalter said, a small smile forming as she stepped forward to stand in front of Ritsu.

She summoned her flag once more, but this time, she also summoned her sword.

"Let me show you my ability" Jalter declared.

The mana in the air began to gather around her, growing denser as her own mana flared to life, leaking out with incredible intensity.

The winds howled, whipping through Jalter's silver hair as flames began to swirl around her, feeding off her overwhelming hatred and power.

"This is the howl of a soul filled with hatred.

The sinner's karma flays fiercely as they rush headlong into the scorching fires of hell."

"La Grondement Du Haine!!"

With her incantation complete, the raging flames burst forth, ready to enact their vengeful wrath.