The crackling screen stabilized, and Romani's face appeared with a grim, serious expression none of them had seen before.
"Director, the reason I took command is... there are no high-ranking officers left. There are only 22 survivors… and…"
Romani's voice tightened.
"Professor Lev… isn't among them."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
Olga Marie's body stiffened. She barely whispered his name, "Lev...", but Ritsuka heard it—heard the raw tremble in her voice.
She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. The hope she grasped onto cracked further as she asked, forcing the words out, "What about Belle Maya? Is she safe?"
Romani nodded.
"She's alive. She's helping to care for the wounded."
The moment the words left his mouth, Olga exhaled, a weight temporarily lifted from her shoulders. Without another word, she turned and walked toward a room in the ruined building, her figure small but composed, hiding the storm inside her.
Leaving behind Caster Cu Chulainn, Ritsuka, Gudako, Mashu, and Fou.
Romani, regaining some of his usual energy, pointed at Mashu with an awkward smile.
"Mashu… why are you wearing such a shameless outfit?! Fujimaru, never look at Mashu in wrong way!!"
Mashu's cheeks colored instantly, her posture shrinking in embarrassment. Gudako quickly patted her back, trying to comfort her.
Ritsuka, who was dressed neatly in a black suit like Gudako, crossed his arms in an X shape and shook his head earnestly.
"No way, Doctor! Why would I think anything weird seeing her? Right now I've got way too much on my plate to be distracted."
Cu, sitting on a rock nearby with Fou on his shoulder, chuckled.
"Seems like we're just the uninvited guests to their little drama."
Fou squeaked in agreement, curling up on Cu's lap.
Curious, Ritsuka asked,
"Who exactly is Lev?"
Romani answered through the screen, his face growing solemn again.
"Professor Lev worked here like me. He was close to the Director... one of her strongest supporters."
Gudako added, her voice warm with memory,
"I met him before Director Olga's speech. He was nice. Gave me an energy drink when I wasn't feeling good."
Mashu chimed in softly,
"He was one of the few people I spoke to a lot. A really good man."
Ritsuka frowned, thinking.
"I'll talk to the Director. We need to move forward."
Romani hesitated, clearly worried, but Gudako gave a nod of support.
Ritsuka headed toward the room Olga had entered. Inside, he found her sitting on a dusty bench, staring into the distance with tears glimmering in her eyes.
He approached gently.
"Sorry for disturbing you."
Olga quickly wiped at her eyes, straightening herself.
"It's fine," she murmured.
Ritsuka sat beside her, giving her the space she needed.
"It seems like this Lev person... meant a lot to you," he said carefully.
Olga nodded, her voice almost breaking.
"He did. He and so many others supported me more than anyone else. Now they're all… gone. All I have left is Belle Maya and a handful of survivors."
Ritsuka sensed the conversation sinking further into grief. He thought back to what his grandfather used to say—sometimes, when someone's heart is broken, it's better to show them a different sky rather than mourn under the same storm.
He smiled softly.
"You know, before all this happened... my dream was to open a bakery. Take care of my grandpa. Just... simple stuff. But fate had other plans. Now, I have a lot more responsibilities than I ever imagined." He remembered Airi. Few people are dependent on him now.
Olga blinked, a little startled at the sudden shift.
"After my father's death, my only goal has been fulfilling my duty as Director of Chaldea," she said, her voice hard but uncertain.
Inside his mind, Ritsuka heard Sakura's voice:
[Scan complete! 64% truth detected. 36% lie detected.]
Ritsuka tilted his head slightly, smiling with a teasing warmth.
"Is that your only goal?"
Olga stiffened, confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Never mind," he said quickly, not wanting to pressure her.
But Olga misinterpreted, growing defensive.
"Do you think my goal is... childish? You can laugh if you want! I don't care!"
Before she could spiral further, Ritsuka reached out and firmly grabbed her hand.
Her breath caught in her throat.
"No way I would laugh at your dream," Ritsuka said, looking straight into her shaken golden eyes.
"In fact... I love your determination."
The word love seemed to echo in the room.
Olga's cheeks flushed red as she stumbled,
"L-love?!"
Ritsuka chuckled softly, brushing a thumb over the back of her hand before letting go, respectful but warm.
"You're a hard worker and a good boss. I admire that."
Olga turned away, pretending to be annoyed, but inside her heart was racing uncontrollably.
'This guy's words… they're dangerous to my heart!' she thought, pressing a hand to her burning cheeks.
Ritsuka stood up and offered his hand to her.
"But... I hope you find more dreams too. We only have one life, after all. My grandpa said—it's okay to have more than one."
Olga stared up at him, stunned. No one had ever told her that. No one had ever given her permission to dream beyond her rigid path.
She slowly reached up and took his hand.
As they left the room together, heading back toward Gudako, Mashu, and the others, Olga found herself thinking,
'More dreams… more goals… Maybe… I should think about it, too.'
The first seed of something beautiful was planted that day.
Between responsibility and fate... between grief and duty...
A bond, quiet and tender, had started to bloom.
Olga stood up, quietly falling into step beside Ritsuka. She kept glancing sideways at him, as if trying to figure something out. The more she thought about his words, the heavier her heart felt—yet, strangely, it wasn't a bad kind of heavy. It was warm.
The silence between them was calm, not awkward. Even as they walked down the ruined hallway, avoiding cracks and debris, Ritsuka didn't rush her. He matched his pace to hers, patiently letting her find her rhythm again.
Finally, Olga spoke, her voice softer than usual.
"Hey... Ritsuka."
He turned his head slightly, waiting.
"I'll think about it." She said, almost shyly. "Having more dreams."
Ritsuka smiled. A small, genuine smile that made her chest feel tight.
"I'll look forward to hearing them someday," he said. "And if you ever need someone to support those dreams... I'll be around."
Olga's cheeks flushed, but she quickly turned her head away, pretending to focus on the path ahead.
"D-Don't say things so casually. Someone might misunderstand you."
He chuckled lightly. "I meant it," he said, hands casually in his pockets. "After all, what's wrong with supporting someone who works so hard to protect the world?"
Ritsuka remember Takeshi Hongo and said something to make her motivated but he doesn't know that he just rizzed Olga instead. And that's all thanks to Takeshi hongo speech and best match maker skills.
Olga's heart skipped a beat. 'This guy... He's dangerous. Not because he's mysterious, or strong—but because he says exactly the things I wanted to hear, without even realizing it.'
They reached the lobby where the others were waiting. Gudako noticed immediately—Olga's face was slightly pink, and Ritsuka looked unusually relaxed.
Mashu tilted her head, confused, while Fou stared between them with curious little noises. Gudako waved at them cheerfully, and Mashu gave a polite bow.
"Are you feeling better, Director?" Gudako asked with genuine concern.
Olga crossed her arms, regaining her strict posture. "I'm fine. Let's focus on the mission."
Olga stood proudly in front of the group, hands on her hips, radiating the energy of a true leader.
"We need to find the owner of the Holy Grail and collect it. Once we retrieve it, the Singularity F will vanish—and we'll return to our original world," she declared confidently.
Gudako and Mashu clapped enthusiastically.
"Wooow!" they cheered in sync.
A proud smile bloomed across Olga's face. Just as she was about to bask in the praise a little longer—a sudden eerie sound echoed through the ruined city.
"Ahhh!"
Without thinking, Olga flinched and instinctively clung onto the nearest person—which happened to be Ritsuka.
Ritsuka stiffened as he felt her soft body pressing tightly against his arm.
His cheeks lit up immediately.
[Host heart beat is increasing.] Sakura's teasing voice echoed in his mind.
Cu, watching them with amusement, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Pffft—You two sure are close already!"
Realizing what she was doing, Olga immediately turned red and shoved Ritsuka away, pointing an accusing finger at Cu. "I still don't trust you!" she barked, trying to regain her dignity. "Tell us what you know first!"
Cu, resting lazily on a nearby rock, shrugged.
"All the corrupted Servants are under the command of Saber," he said. "She's the one with the Grail. If you wanna fix this mess, you'll need to beat her."
He pointed toward a towering mountain in the distance.
"She's up there. Guarding the Grail."
Olga frowned, crossing her arms.
"Fine. Our goals are aligned for now. We'll trust you... cautiously."
"But—" she narrowed her eyes, "Who exactly is this Saber?"
Cu's expression grew serious.
"Artoria Pendragon. Wielder of the holy Excalibur. King of Knights of Britain."
The weight of that name left the group silent for a moment.
"Well then," Gudako broke the tension, punching her palm. "Let's go! Adventure awaits!"
With that, the party began making their way toward the mountain, the broken cityscape fading behind them.
---
The stairway up the mountain was steeper than any of them expected. Each step felt heavier, but the determination in their hearts pushed them forward.
While climbing, Gudako, curious as ever, asked Cu,
"Hey, Cu, you said you're a Caster now... but you feel way tougher than the others we fought. Also how are you not corrupted?"
Cu chuckled, swinging his staff over his shoulder.
"Yeah, normally I'm a Lancer. Got called into the wrong seat this time. But I ain't complainin'." He flashed a wolfish grin.
"As for why I'm not corrupted? Guess I got lucky. Saber didn't beat me into submission. Simple as that."
"Fou!" Fou agreed solemnly, perched atop Gudako's head like a determined mascot.
Olga, checking the comms, sighed.
"Our connection with Romani still isn't stable."
Before anyone could respond—Gudako slipped.
"Ack—!"
She stumbled, scraping her knee on the rough stone.
Mashu rushed to her side, worried.
"Gudako-senpai! Are you alright?!"
Gudako forced a small smile, waving it off.
"I'm fine! Just a scratch."
[Scan complete! Mild injury detected. Will recover naturally.] Sakura reported internally to Ritsuka.
Before Mashu could even offer, Ritsuka stepped forward without hesitation. "Come on," he said, crouching down. "I'll give you a piggyback ride."
Mashu opened her mouth to volunteer, but Olga immediately intervened. "You're a Demi-Servant! Your priority is protecting the team."
Without a word of protest, Gudako accepted the offer and slid onto Ritsuka's back, her arms wrapping loosely around his neck. Her slim frame was light, but Ritsuka could keenly feel the warmth—and the very noticeable softness of her body and her soft boobs pressing against him.
He steeled himself, focusing purely on climbing.
'Stay calm. Focus. We both are young, thats all. She's hurt, this is nothing weird!'
Mashu, behind them, pouted slightly—unnoticed by everyone.
As they slowly ascended the stairs, Gudako leaned her head close to Ritsuka's ear and whispered in a playful tone,
"可爱的."
Ritsuka blinked.
"...What?"
Gudako giggled, quickly covering herself.
"I said 'thanks' in Chinese! I learned it from an old veteran neighbor back home."
"Oh, I see," Ritsuka nodded innocently.
But—
[Translation complete: '可爱的' means 'cute'.] [Host, she called you cute.] Sakura's voice buzzed mischievously in his mind.
Ritsuka's face grew even redder, but he managed to maintain his stoic front.
Gudako wasn't finished. She leaned closer again and whispered something longer:
"你根本没有注意到.但你知道,你平时很酷!"
[Translation complete: 'You haven't noticed at all, but you're normally really cool!'] Sakura translated immediately.
'I'm doomed...' Ritsuka thought, feeling his ears burn.
"多么好的绅士啊!" Gudako chimed softly.
[Translation: 'What a good gentleman!']
Gudako only snickered, nuzzling a little closer against Ritsuka's back.
"真暖和…" she murmured.
[Translation: "So warm…"]
Ritsuka's ears turned scarlet.
'I can't win against her...' Ritsuka groaned mentally. Still, he pretended not to understand, climbing steadily while carrying her. And Gudako doesn't know he can understand her words with Sakura help.
Behind them, Olga observed this scene carefully. She felt... strange watching them.
A tiny tightness in her chest she couldn't quite explain.
'Why does it bother me... seeing him so close to her?' she wondered, gripping the strap of her bag tighter.
But then she remembered Ritsuka's words earlier—about dreams, about living more than just for duty—and a small smile returned to her lips. 'It's okay... I have more dreams to chase now.'
Somewhere behind them, Cu muttered under his breath, "Kids these days... not even trying to hide it."
Mashu clenched her shield slightly harder but said nothing, her determination to protect her senpai burning brighter than ever. Her jealous on Ritsuka for taking her Senpai started to grow. Her jealous got to the point where she is close to use her Noble phantasm unconsciously. This is good luck or bad luck for both last masters.
---
Note: how was the chapter?!! I took inspiration from good romance mangas. Also Gudako dominates Ritsuka in relationship and Ritsuka dominates Olga.
Also this olga got good support from Chaldea. If you are wondering why? Because Lev is different. Ofcourse Lev planted bombs in Chaldea and betrayed Olga. Get ready for plot twist in next chapter. Kamen Rider fans get ready for it
Team Chaldea vs Saber..