After a few minutes, Ritsuka had sent too Futons, as he looked at Jeanne
"Does a servant need to sleep?" He asked in puzzlement
Jeanne smiled at him as she spoke. "No master, we servants are made of Prana, we don't need to sleep or eat but we still do that to feel human".
Ritsuka chuckled a bit as he spoke. "Ok, but you want to, you can sleep on the extra one".
Jeanne smiled, as she looked at him. "Thank you, master"
Ritsuka then turned off the Light, and as he fell asleep, so did Jeane. As he dozed off to dream, something happened.
Ritsuka drifted into sleep, the hum of prana still faintly coursing in his veins from earlier. But when his eyes opened again, the familiar ceiling of his room was gone.
Instead, cobblestone streets stretched around him, lit by the warm glow of lanterns. The air smelled faintly of bread and woodsmoke. He blinked, taking in the sight of an old French town—buildings of timber and stone, villagers bustling in simple garb.
"…Where the hell am I?" he muttered, rubbing his head.
Children ran past him, laughing, their voices carrying through the square. His gaze followed them until it landed on one particular figure. A young child, hair golden and cropped short, laughing with the others as they played tag. At first glance, Ritsuka thought it was a boy—until the way the figure moved, delicate yet determined, made him look closer.
It wasn't a boy at all.
It was a girl.
Recognition clicked in his mind like a spark. "Wait… that's—"
The girl turned, just for a moment, and Ritsuka caught her face in the lantern light. Wide, honest eyes. A smile that seemed to carry the whole world in it. Even younger than the Jeanne d'Arc he knew now, yet unmistakable.
"Jeanne…" Ritsuka whispered.
The scenery shimmered faintly at the edges, like an unstable memory. The laughter of children echoed, but began to distort. The golden-haired girl was pulled further away from him, her joyous shouts replaced by the faint sound of church bells tolling in the distance.
Ritsuka took a step forward. "Wait—!"
But the world around him darkened, shifting. The bright square dimmed into firelight. The smell of bread turned to the smell of ash. The same girl, older now, stood with a wooden cross clutched to her chest, her face calm yet shadowed by something deeper.
"Why am I… seeing this?" Ritsuka asked aloud, but no answer came. Only the toll of the bells, louder now, like a heartbeat.
The scene dissolved again—he felt a tug at his chest, pulling him back. His vision blurred white.
Ritsuka then woke up, as it was morning, and as he gasped for breath, he looked around and found no one and even Jeanne wasn't there. He heard something from the kitchen, and he got a bat, thinking someone had broken in.
He went quietly, as he looked around, Bat ready with Reinforcement, the sound of water being run could be heard as well, something being cooked. He cracked open the door.
Only to see it was Jeanne in the kitchen, making Breakfast.
Ritsuka's grip on the bat loosened, his reinforced nerves buzzing with embarrassment instead of danger. He blinked at the sight in front of him.
Jeanne, still in her armor but with her gauntlets neatly set aside on the counter, stood at the stove with a calm smile. She was humming softly, golden hair catching the morning light as she carefully flipped something in the pan.
"…What the hell," Ritsuka muttered under his breath. "A saint in my kitchen."
Jeanne turned at the sound, her blue eyes meeting his. "Ah, good morning, Master."
Ritsuka froze, the bat still raised like he'd been caught in the world's dumbest crime. "…You're… making breakfast."
"Yes," Jeanne said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You fell asleep so suddenly last night, and I thought it would be best to let you rest. It seemed only proper that I prepare something for when you woke." She tilted her head with that gentle, almost motherly smile. "Was that wrong?"
Ritsuka rubbed the back of his neck, setting the bat down before he could die of shame. "No, it's just… I wasn't expecting my Servant to turn into my housekeeper."
Jeanne giggled softly, a rare sound. "We servants do not need to eat, but… cooking like this brings me peace. It reminds me of home."
For a split second, Ritsuka's dream from last night flashed in his mind—the laughing girl in the square, the tolling church bells, the fire. His chest tightened.
He looked at her quietly for a moment before forcing a smile. "Well… guess I'll take saintly cooking over instant noodles any day."
"Then, please wait a little longer," Jeanne said warmly, turning back to the stove. "Breakfast will be ready soon."
The morning meal passed quietly, Jeanne smiling softly as she watched Ritsuka eat like he hadn't had a proper breakfast in days. The silence broke only when the front door opened and Rin stepped in, a paper bag slung over her shoulder.
"I brought some of my old clothes," Rin announced, shaking the bag as she set it down on the table. "Armor is fine in a fight, but if Jeanne keeps walking around in it, every magus in Fuyuki is going to spot her in an instant."
Jeanne tilted her head, smiling politely. "That is very thoughtful, Lady Rin."
Ritsuka looked at the bag, then at Rin. For some reason, his heart gave a nervous kick. He stood abruptly, grabbing Rin's wrist.
"Come with me for a second," he said, tugging her down the hall.
"Eh? H-Hey! What's with you?!" Rin sputtered, nearly dropping the bag as she stumbled after him. Jeanne blinked but stayed seated, choosing not to interfere.
Inside the small side room, Ritsuka finally let go, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Sorry. I just… had a weird dream last night."
Rin folded her arms, tapping her foot. "A weird dream? And you drag me in here like it's some big secret? Don't tell me it was about me—"
Ritsuka's eyes widened. "What? No! Not like that!" His face went red. "I just… you're the only one who might have an answer. You know more magecraft theory than I do."
Rin narrowed her eyes but relaxed a little, curiosity outweighing irritation. "Fine. Tell me."
Ritsuka took a breath. "It wasn't just some normal dream. I saw Jeanne—except younger. A child, playing in a village square. It felt… real. Like I wasn't watching from the outside but… standing there." His brows furrowed. "It was too vivid. I could hear the bells, smell the smoke from the houses. Like a memory, but it wasn't mine."
Rin's irritation faded completely, replaced with sharp, focused interest. "…That's no ordinary dream. You might've tapped into your connection as her Master." She crossed her arms. "Summoning links your souls together. In rare cases, fragments of a Servant's spirit core—memories, even emotions—can bleed into the Master."
Ritsuka blinked. "So you're saying I saw her past?"
"Possibly." Rin tilted her head. "Or her Saint Graph is unstable, and it's bleeding images into your subconscious. Either way… it's dangerous."
Ritsuka frowned. "Dangerous? Why?"
"Because if you're seeing into her, then she could start seeing into you." Rin smirked a little, leaning close. "So if you're hiding any embarrassing memories, I'd keep your guard up."
Ritsuka groaned, covering his face. "Why did I even tell you…"
Rin's expression softened a little as she watched his face. "Don't worry too much about it. What you're experiencing isn't unheard of. A Master can sometimes see flashes of a Servant's memories, especially when the Servant sleeps. Servants don't dream the way humans do… so when they 'sleep,' their Master can end up carrying those fragments for them."
Ritsuka's brow furrowed. "So… it's basically me taking on Jeanne's dreams for her?"
"More or less." Rin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Think of it as the Saint Graph off-loading data into you. It's intimate, but not dangerous by itself."
Ritsuka hesitated, then asked the obvious question. "Did the same thing happen with you and… Goldy?"
Rin followed his gaze to the courtyard, where Gilgamesh's golden form flickered faintly in the morning light, half-manifested and leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Not yet," she said at last. "And honestly, with that one, I'm not sure I'd want it to."
Outside, Gilgamesh smirked faintly, as if he could feel their eyes on him. "Hmph. This king does not share his dreams with mortals," he muttered under his breath, turning away.
Ritsuka exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I'm lucky then. Jeanne's memories are… warm. Peaceful. Not like nightmares."
Rin gave him a side-long look. "Don't get too comfortable. If the bond keeps deepening, you might start feeling her pain too. The Saints weren't exactly known for happy endings."
Ritsuka's hands clenched slightly at that, but he nodded. "I can handle it."
Jeanne's voice drifted softly from the next room. "Master? Lady Rin? Breakfast is getting cold."
Ritsuka straightened up. "Coming!" He glanced back at Rin, determination flickering in his eyes.
When they stepped back into the room, Ritsuka froze. Jeanne had changed.
She now wore the clothes Rin had brought — a light blue short-sleeved top, the fabric stretching just enough that it was clearly borrowed, paired with dark shorts that looked almost like a skirt at a glance. White gloves slipped neatly over her fingers, completing the outfit. But thanks to the… obvious difference in proportions between Jeanne and Rin, the outfit looked like it was doing its best to hold on for dear life.
[Insert Jeanne's Apocrypha normal outfit as comparison]
Ritsuka's cheeks flushed immediately, his eyes darting away. "Uh—y-you look… good."
Jeanne chuckled lightly, her laughter like a warm breeze. "Thank you, Master. It's a bit snug, but I'll manage."
Rin, meanwhile, froze. Her fists clenched at her sides as an inner scream tore through her head. Why—WHY does she look better in my clothes than I do?!
Outside, Gilgamesh leaned against the wall, golden eyes gleaming as if he'd heard every ounce of Rin's silent despair. A smirk curved his lips. "Kukuku… truly amusing."
Rin twitched. "Shut up, Goldy!"
Jeanne tilted her head in confusion, while Ritsuka tried not to laugh at Rin's beet-red face.
The door to the kitchen swung open with its usual squeak.
Taiga skipped in, full of energy as always.
"Hey, Ritsuka! I'm here—so what's for breakfast, I h—"
She froze.
Her eyes landed on the scene before her: Ritsuka, sitting at the table, flanked by Rin and Jeanne, who looked like she had just walked out of some shoujo manga.
Taiga blinked. Slowly. Then closed the door.
Beat.
She reopened it—same scene.
Her scream nearly shook the walls.
"EMIYA!!! Just what are you doing with Tohsaka AND this other girl?!!"
Ritsuka jolted upright, panic shooting through his body. He pointed wildly between Rin and Jeanne, words spilling like broken glass.
"Rin came yesterday and stayed the night!"
"WHAT?!" Taiga's voice cracked high enough to shatter glass.
Ritsuka's face turned crimson. "S-Study! I meant for studying! And—and this is Jeanne! My friend from a different school!"
He blurted it so fast his voice cracked, which only made it worse.
Rin buried her face in her hands. Jeanne politely smiled, but her cheeks betrayed the faintest blush. Gilgamesh snorted from outside.
Taiga leaned against the doorframe, trembling with righteous fury. "Ritsuka… just what kind of study sessions are these?!"
Taiga's eyes narrowed as she reached somehow behind her back and pulled out a shinai, like a boss pulling a weapon from an inventory no one knew she had.
"You better not be doing anything indecent with these girls, Ritsuka!"
"Wha—?! Taiga, no—!" Ritsuka flailed, but it was too late.
Smack! Smack! Thwack!
A few minutes later.
The table was quiet. Ritsuka sat hunched, face covered in bandages and scratches like a beaten-up manga protagonist. Rin nibbled at her food with a red face, Jeanne calmly ate while pretending nothing was strange, and Gilgamesh was outside, howling with laughter.
Taiga, chomping happily on Jeanne's cooking, nodded approvingly.
"It's good… really good, actually. But—" she waved her chopsticks dramatically, "I guess it's not quite as good as your cooking, Ritsuka. No offense… Jeanne, right?"
Jeanne smiled sweetly. "None taken."
Ritsuka just slumped forward onto the table, muttering into his rice. "Why is my life like this…"
Rin set her chopsticks down and glanced at Ritsuka, her eyes narrowing in curiosity.
"Ritsuka… what's your connection with Miss Fujimura anyway?"
Ritsuka blinked at her, then sighed, scratching his cheek.
"Well… I guess I never really told you my full name, huh? It's Ritsuka Fujimaru Emiya."
Rin's brows knit together as she thought it over. "…Wait. Fujimaru and Emiya?"
He gave her a small, wry smile. "Yeah. The Fujimaru family is… basically my only remaining blood relatives. After the Fuyuki fire, it's just us. Distant cousins, technically, but Taiga and her family took care of me when things got rough."
Rin's eyes widened slightly, then softened. "…So that's why she's so protective of you."
From the other side of the table, Taiga puffed up proudly, chopsticks raised like a victory banner.
"Of course! I am his guardian tiger, after all!"
Jeanne giggled into her hand, while Ritsuka groaned and muttered, "More like a tiger with a shinai…"
Ritsuka's eyes widened as he leaned forward. "Wait… this thing, it looks a lot like the crystal bug from yesterday. The one that landed on that girl's hand."
Rin's face froze mid-thought, her hand tightening on her armrest. "Illya…" she whispered, recalling the white-haired girl's serene smile as the bird-shaped construct dissolved into glitter. "Yes. It's almost identical to that familiar bird she used."
Jeanne tilted her head, concern clear in her gentle eyes. "So the child from yesterday… she was not just a master, but a master mind?"
Ritsuka grit his teeth. "Which means she knew more than she let on."
Gilgamesh chuckled darkly, folding his arms. "Hah! So the pampered little magus sends toys to pry into my affairs? Insolent brat. She should count herself fortunate this king has yet to grow bored enough to squash her." His eyes glimmered dangerously. "But if she dares meddle again, I will not hesitate."
Rin frowned deeply, her magus instincts working overtime. "If Illya's deploying familiars, then she's already analysing our movements, our allies, maybe even our weaknesses. We can't ignore this."
Ritsuka set his jaw, fingers brushing the box holding Avalon. "Then we'd better figure out her intentions… before she makes her next move."
Ritsuka exhaled slowly, his fingers drumming on the table. "So… not only is she the Master of Medusa, but she's also keeping an eye on us."
Rin's brows furrowed as she crossed her arms. "Exactly. And if she's keeping an eye on us, that means she's probably monitoring the other Masters as well—tracking alliances, Servant classes, weaknesses… everything."
Jeanne's expression darkened slightly. "That makes her more dangerous than a simple Master. With enough information, she can manipulate the battlefield before the fighting even begins."
Gilgamesh held the crystal bug up between two fingers, its fractured wings glinting like shards of glass. "Hmph. A child playing at war, yet she uses tactics worthy of a seasoned magus. Annoying, but amusing." His red eyes flicked toward Rin. "So, Master, what do you intend to do about it?"
Ritsuka's grip tightened around the table edge. "First we figure out how many of these things she's planted. Then we start feeding her false information. If she wants to spy, we'll make sure she's seeing exactly what we want her to."
Rin's lips curved into a faint, approving smile. "That's… actually not a bad idea."
Jeanne nodded softly. "Then I will keep my senses sharp for more of her familiars. She will not catch us unaware again."
Gilgamesh smirked. "Hah. Finally, something entertaining."
Rin stood, dusting off her skirt with a sharp motion. "First thing."
A pulse of prana rippled from her hands, faintly red and gold, spreading through the walls and floor like glowing veins. The entire house thrummed, a low hum filling the air as if the building itself had taken a breath.
A few seconds later, the glow sank beneath the surface, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. Ritsuka felt the weight of something press down around them—protective, solid, like the house had grown invisible armor.
Rin exhaled and clasped her hands together. "There. A Bounded Field, reaching down thirty feet into the ground. Now…" she glanced at him with a small smirk, "…only the people you want can come inside. And only real animals. No more crystal bugs, no familiars slipping past the threshold."
Ritsuka blinked, then whistled low. "So basically… home security, mage edition."
Jeanne's eyes softened as she looked around, as though testing the barrier with her presence. "A simple ward, but strong. I feel the boundary. It's… reassuring, Master."
Gilgamesh gave a small, disdainful laugh as he twirled the crystal bug fragment in his hand until it shattered into dust. "Hmph. A petty trick against the likes of me, but against that brat's eyes and ears? Effective enough."
Ritsuka ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath. "Good. At least now I won't have to sleep wondering if we're being watched."
Rin crossed her arms, tilting her head. "Don't get too comfortable. A bounded field is a wall, not an army. It won't fight for you—it'll just buy us time."
Jeanne smiled faintly. "And time, Master, may be exactly what we need."
Meanwhile, within the Einzbern estate, Illya sat cross-legged on an ornate chair, pale fingers drumming lightly against the armrest. Before her floated seven crystal spheres, each glowing faintly with shifting colors. Six of them showed hazy but recognizable images of Masters and Servants scattered across the city. The seventh, however, was completely clouded—opaque, blurred beyond recognition.
Illya tilted her head, a smile curling across her lips. "Tehe~… just as I thought. Big Brother is clever. Or maybe it was that Tohsaka girl. Either way…" Her crimson eyes sparkled as she leaned closer to the cloudy orb, "…they did exactly what we predicted."
Beside her, Medusa stood silently, but an odd, almost reluctant smile tugged at the corner of her lips as well, as if Illya's mood bled into her own.
Illya giggled again, the sound carrying a faint echo in the cold, empty chamber. "That bounded field… so stubborn, so defensive. Mmm, but walls can be climbed. Or broken. And when they drop their guard…" She flicked her finger, and the spheres shifted, showing clearer glimpses of the other Masters. "…we'll already be ready."
Medusa finally spoke, her tone low, almost warning. "Illya. Underestimating Tohsaka or your brother could prove dangerous."
Illya's smile didn't falter. "Dangerous?" She swung her legs like a child, though her eyes gleamed with something much sharper. "That's what makes it fun."
The blurry orb pulsed once, as if resisting her gaze. Illya only giggled again.
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones and enjoy