002 - Fate/Half Astral

After Fuyuki singularity disappear and everyone get in the Void Gateway suddenly the gateway appeared in Chaldea especifically in the monitor room where Roman, Da Vinci, and the remaining staff were gathered, Ritsu immediately sprinted out of the portal with excitement.

"We're back!" she exclaimed, her energy vibrant and carefree.

But unlike Ritsu's enthusiastic entrance, Roman and the others were watching her with caution. Da Vinci even stood in front of Roman protectively, as if ready to shield him, before Roman placed a hand on her shoulder, signaling her to step aside.

"Welcome back. You're Ritsu, right? Welcome to Chaldea, and you did a good job with the Singularity," Roman greeted her with a warm smile, trying to ease the tension.

Ritsu, still buzzing with energy, turned toward him. "Oh, you're that uncle from the hologram, right?" she replied, recognizing his voice.

"Yes, I'm the one who was talking to everyone earlier. But... where are the others? It's only you here?"

Before Ritsu could answer, Olga suddenly burst out of the void gateway. "Ritsu, stop running...!" she called out, chasing after the girl. But when she saw Roman and Da Vinci in front of her, she immediately halted.

"Director!? You're back??" Roman's eyes widened in shock, completely surprised to see Olga return.

However, Da Vinci, always perceptive, immediately sensed something different about Olga. She stroked her chin thoughtfully, her expression showing intrigue and mild concern.

"What do you mean, Roman? Did you not want me to come back?" Olga asked, her tone sharp, her eyes narrowing as she turned toward him.

"No, no, that's not what I meant!" Roman stammered, waving his hands defensively.

"I know what this is! You wanted to take over, didn't you?!" Olga charged toward him.

"No, no, that's not what I meant!!!" Roman cried, scrambling backward, trying to avoid her wrath.

Before the situation could escalate further, more people emerged from the gateway—this time, it was Mash and Fujimaru.

"We're back?" Fujimaru said, blinking as he took in the surroundings.

"Yes, senpai, we're back. This is the command room. Look, there's Director Olga and Dr. Roman," Mash explained, pointing toward the duo.

"What's going on over there?" Fujimaru asked, confused as he watched Roman flee from an agitated Olga.

"Welcome back, you two. Good job in the Singularity, and you too, Fujimaru. Even though you're new to this, you did an excellent job supporting Mash," Da Vinci said, walking up to them with a smile.

Fujimaru blinked, unsure of who the woman was, but Mash quickly filled him in, explaining Da Vinci's identity.

Meanwhile, Ritsu, seemingly unaware of the tense situation, was busy exploring the room. Her curiosity was piqued by the many screens and monitors, and she began examining them one by one, fascinated by the equipment.

The other staff members, who had witnessed Ritsu's abilities during the Singularity, remained silent, watching her in awe and a bit of fear. They knew from the earlier visual feeds that this little girl was far from ordinary.

But then, the last person finally emerged from the Gateway, causing everyone in the room to stop and look toward him.

Rei stepped out, his gaze sweeping across the room before finally resting on Roman, who was staring back at him.

"Chaldea... It's been quite a long time since I was last here," Rei muttered to himself, a slight smile forming on his lips.

"Papa!" Ritsu suddenly appeared and immediately clung to his leg, signaling that she wanted to be carried.

Without hesitation, Rei scooped her up effortlessly and continued walking forward.

"You're Ritsu's father? Are you the one who blocked our communications?" Da Vinci asked, her curiosity evident.

"No, I don't recall blocking anything. Perhaps your communication isn't strong enough to penetrate my power," Rei responded casually.

"I see. So, you're Ritsu's father, huh? Could you tell us your name? I'm Romani Archaman, head of the medical department here at Chaldea, but you can just call me Roman," Roman introduced himself with a warm smile.

Rei stared at him silently for a few moments, not saying anything, until Ritsu nudged him gently.

"Stop staring, Papa, and reply to him."

"Yes, yes. My name is Rei. Everyone can just call me that."

"Ah, Rei, is it? Well, I'm Da Vinci. Since we've been introduced, can I ask what kind of being you are? Are you really from another world? How does your power work? Can you—" Da Vinci rattled off questions at lightning speed, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Alright, stop, stop," Roman finally intervened, cutting off Da Vinci's rapid questioning. He turned to everyone else, addressing the group.

"Everyone, good work with the Singularity. But for now, you can all rest in the empty rooms. I'm sure everyone is exhausted. We can continue this conversation later, after everyone has had a chance to recover."

With that, Roman gave a reassuring nod, signaling that the immediate situation was over, and the tension in the room began to ease.

As they began to separate and leave the room, the sight outside was grim. Destruction and ruins from the previous explosions were scattered everywhere.

Ritsu staring at the devastation from Rei arms, while Rei appeared indifferent, continuing to walk toward an empty part of the facility.

"It's so horrible... so many things destroyed," Fujimaru remarked, his eyes filled with sorrow as he took in the scene.

"Yeah... and now there's only a few of us left in this place," Olga said, her fists clenched in anger, remembering Lev's betrayal.

"It's just awful seeing all this," Mash agreed, her voice soft as she looked around at the shattered remains of Chaldea.

Rei, however, showed no sign of stopping or even acknowledging the destruction, continuing to walk away from them. Then, suddenly, Ritsu spoke up.

"Papa, you can revive everyone, right?"

Rei came to an abrupt halt, turning to face her. "Where did you hear that?"

"I mean, I heard stories from Mommy Rias. She told me how you revived someone in her world before," Ritsu replied innocently.

Rei raised an eyebrow. "Huh, yeah, I did that before. So, what about it?"

"Can't you revive everyone here? You can feel it, right? There are no more humans left in this world," Ritsu continued.

Rei shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I can... but why?"

Olga, who had been overhearing the conversation from a distance, rushed over, unable to contain her shock.

"You can do that?! Revive the entire world?!"

Rei looked at her calmly. "Yes, what about it?"

Olga was taken aback by his casual response, her mind racing. She struggled to understand how someone could speak so lightly about something so monumental.

Olga's face twisted in confusion and frustration. "What do you mean, why? This is humanity we're talking about! Chaldea was attacked, so many people died—these were my people, my responsibility!" Her voice cracked with emotion, her hands trembling as she spoke.

Rei looked at Olga, his expression unreadable. He remained silent for a moment, as if considering her plea, though there was no trace of urgency in his demeanor.

Rei glanced at the destruction around them, his gaze distant, almost uninterested. "This world's problems aren't mine to solve. I have no reason to care about what happens here," he replied, his voice cold and final.

Ritsu tugged on his sleeve, her eyes wide with concern but she's decided to stay silent.

Olga stepped forward, her voice desperate. "You can't just leave things like this! You have the power to fix everything"

Olga's frustration boiled over, but before she could say anything more, Rei turned his back on her, walking away with Ritsu still in his arms. "Find your own way to fix this. It's not my problem."

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After that, Rei found an empty room and entered it, gently placing Ritsu on the bed. She kept her eyes on him, staying silent, as if waiting for something.

Rei closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating as he reigned in his power. When he finally opened them, the deep purple glow had faded, and his eyes returned to their usual sky blue. "Phew... Sorry about earlier. When you called me, I was still helping your Grandma Rein in a fight again," Rei said, smiling softly as he sat down next to her.

"Grandma Rein? She's losing control again?" Ritsu asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Yeah, as usual, her Versusia personality kicked in. And with Djeeta nowhere to be found, it was up to me to handle her. I had to use more of my power," Rei explained, running his fingers gently through Ritsu's hair.

"Hmm, my little girl is so cute. I wonder where you got that cuteness from? Definitely not from Rin," he teased.

"Hehe, of course it's from you, Papa," Ritsu replied, giggling.

Rei raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Huh, that's rare. You usually say it's from Rin. Did something happen?" He stopped stroking her hair and lifted her into his lap.

"It's about earlier... Why couldn't you help them? I know that was your other personality, but what about this one?" Ritsu asked, her voice soft but filled with curiosity.

Rei sighed, leaning back slightly. "Like I said, I don't need to help them revive everyone because, in the end, they can do it themselves when their journey is over."

"But... can you at least do something for this place?" Ritsu asked, her eyes full of concern.

Rei paused, surprised at how much Ritsu seemed to care about this world. "I can, if that's really what you want. But I won't revive the seven people in the cryo chamber."

Ritsu looked confused, unsure what her papa meant by that. Still, she felt some relief knowing he was willing to help in some way.

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The next day, after everyone had rested, they gathered again in the command room for a meeting.

Olga began the meeting, informing everyone that Chaldea had detected seven new Singularities. She went on to explain various details about them, but as the conversation grew more technical, Ritsu lost interest. Quietly, she slipped out of the room.

Rei noticed Ritsu leaving but let her go, keeping his attention on the discussion. So far, everything that had occurred and the Singularities themselves seemed identical to what had transpired before.

Meanwhile, outside the room, Ritsu stood by a window, staring at the heavy snowfall outside. Her thoughts drifted back to what her papa had mentioned about the seven people in the cryo chamber. She didn't fully understand it, but maybe, if she had the time, she'd check it out.

Suddenly, she heard her papa's voice calling out to her, "Ritsu, come here."

Without hesitation, she ran back into the room and stopped beside Rei. "I'm here," she said, looking up at him.

Rei gently stroked her hair before turning his attention to the others in the room. The atmosphere shifted as everyone sensed the seriousness in his voice. "I want to tell you all that I'm going to let Ritsu stay here. For some reason, she wants to stay in this world, and there's nothing I can do about her stubbornness."

"I want you all to take care of her. She doesn't really need protection, just make sure she doesn't do anything... weird." Rei's choice of the word *weird* left them all slightly confused, but they remained silent, listening intently.

Rei then continued, "I need to return to my world. There are things I need to handle there, so I'll leave Ritsu in your care. But I won't ask this of you for free." He tapped his foot on the floor a few times.

After tapping his foot on the ground, the air around Rei began to shimmer. Everyone in the room froze, sensing something powerful was about to happen. Then, slowly, a faint light started spreading across the floor from where Rei stood, growing in intensity and moving outward like ripples in water.

"I can't fully revive this world, but I can do something to help," Rei said, his voice calm but filled with an unmistakable authority.

The light intensified, reaching out beyond the room, spreading through the entire facility. Outside, Chaldea's once broken and ruined structures began to repair themselves, stone and metal reshaping as if time itself was being reversed. The snowstorm outside slowed, and then, in an unnatural moment, it reversed, swirling upward and vanishing into the clouds above.

Inside Chaldea, those who had fallen in the initial disaster began to stir. One by one, the lifeless bodies of staff members, the ones who had been lost in the destruction, slowly regained life. Their skin regained color, their breaths returned, and soon, they were standing, bewildered but alive. Staff members who had thought they'd never see their friends again were now watching in shock as their colleagues were brought back to life.

Fujimaru, Mash, Olga, and the others in the room with Rei stared in awe, barely able to comprehend the magnitude of what was happening.

Rei stood in the center of it all, holding Ritsu, his expression unchanging. "There, it's done. Everyone except for those seven people in the cryo chambers is back. Don't ask me to revive them—I have no reason to care about them."

Olga clenched her fists, frustration boiling inside her, but she didn't push further. This was more than she had ever hoped for. "Thank you...," she muttered, her pride barely allowing her to say it.

Rei smiled faintly. "Just remember, Ritsu is under your care. If anything happens to her, I won't be this nice the next time."

After all of that, he suddenly pulled out something in his hand, and it was a phone.

He seemed to do something with it. "But as a backup plan, I'm going to ask someone to help watch over her. Are you okay with that, Ritsu?"

"Yes, I don't mind," Ritsu replied.

"Alright then." He pressed something and placed the phone to his ear, waiting for the person he called to answer.

It didn't take long before they picked up.

"Hello... I need your help."

"No, it's not about sex again, and no, it's not about that either, and yes, just come here," he said, talking to the person briefly before hanging up.

"Well, she's going to be here soon," he said with a smile.

"Se-sex?? What do you mean by sex? No inappropriate things in Chaldea!" Olga immediately yelled at him.

"What?"

But then he suddenly sensed something. "Oh, she's here. That was fast."

Suddenly, a massive, glowing magic circle appeared in the air, its intricate lines and symbols radiating a dark crimson hue. The design seemed almost demonic, with jagged edges and twisted runes pulsating ominously. The temperature around the room dropped, and a strange pressure filled the space, making everyone uneasy. The circle hovered for a moment before expanding, filling the entire area with its eerie light.

"That's... not normal," Roman said, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Olga stepped back, eyes wide with disbelief. "W-what is that?! You can't just summon something like that here! This is Chaldea, not some dark ritual site!"

Before anyone could react further, the magic circle split open like a portal, and out stepped a figure—small, no more than a child, yet exuding an aura far more terrifying than her size suggested. She had red eyes that glowed faintly and blonde hair. Crown on top of her head, and Red tail behind her. Her expression was calm, but her very presence screamed danger.

It was Draco, Whore of Babylon but in her childlike form. She glanced around the room, eyes landing on Rei first, then on Ritsu.

"Hello," Ritsu said, standing next to Rei and waving at her.

Draco's lips curled into a small smirk as she floated toward them. "So, you called for me?" Her voice was soft, almost playful, yet everyone could feel the weight behind her words.

Rei nodded. "Yeah, I need you to keep an eye on Ritsu while I'm gone. You know how stubborn she can get."

Draco gave a lazy shrug, eyes narrowing as she focused on Ritsu. "Babysitting, huh?." She then turned toward Olga, Roman, and the others, who were still trying to process what was happening.

"Who is she...?" Olga asked, barely keeping her voice steady.

"Meet Draco," Rei said casually.

Roman's face paled. "A Beast... here? In Chaldea?"

Draco chuckled softly, her tail moving. "As long as I have something to amuse me, you won't have to worry about that." She looked at Ritsu again. "I'll keep an eye on her. Though... she doesn't seem like she needs much protecting."

Ritsu tilted her head, looking up at Draco. "You the one that gonna take care of me?"

Draco grinned. "Yes, your father insists. And I'm sure he's gonna give me something good after I'm done with this" she's said while licking her lips and looked toward Rei

Rei can only said. "Sure sure. That settles things then."

The ominous aura from the circle slowly faded, though the tension in the air remained as Draco floated near Ritsu.

Rei turned to Ritsu, gently patting her head one last time. "Remember, behave yourself."

Ritsu nodded, "Okay, Papa."

With that, Rei glanced back at the others in Chaldea, his expression calm but carrying an unspoken warning. "Remember, she's under your care. If anything happens…" His voice trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken but clear.

Rei then took a step forward, and with a subtle gesture, a rift began to form in the space before him. The air crackled with energy as the gateway to his world, Sky Realm, opened. Without another word, Rei stepped through the portal, his figure disappearing into the void. The portal sealed itself shut behind him, leaving the room filled with an eerie stillness.

Draco, now alone with the others, smirked. "Looks like it's just us now."