Extra ~ Gudaguda Avengers of Honnō-ji.
Only after Loki's disappearance – or more precisely, after the return of the Tesseract and the Holy Grail he had seized – did everything finally begin to normalize.
Deprived of their master, the army of alien monsters known as Chitauri hastily retreated into the closing maw of the spatial rift. Following them, the creations of Spider-Man's and Nobunaga's ambitions(?) – Littlepool and Nobbu – also disappeared.
"This world's timeline has returned to its original state. As have the worlds of Master Nobunaga and Master Spider-Man."
While Deadpool, armed with a welding torch and assuring them he could separate the Tesseract from the Grail, busied himself with the artifacts, Mash spoke, gazing at the scattered stars in the night sky, awaiting the completion of the work.
"Even though it wasn't related to Solomon, the adventure was fun. Don't you think so, Senpai?"
"Such jolts are also not a bad thing," Ritsuka, sitting next to her, replied with a smile to her smile, mentally replaying the events of this crazy campaign.
Meeting Oda Nobunaga and Sakura Saber – or rather, Captain Okita Sōji of the First Division of the Shinsengumi – who were legendary figures in Ritsuka's homeland. The Heroic Spirit of Spider-Man, as if leaped from the pages of a comic book, and a whole host of strange Servants. It was an adventure full of quirks, but worthy of being remembered.
"Hahaha! My castle is mine again! But there's still a lot to do. I need to turn my Grail into a bomb quickly…"
"Are you at it again? Aren't you tired of it? What if we get thrown into some strange world again, what will you do then?!"
"If you don't get in my way, nothing like that will happen!"
"What did you say?!"
Nobunaga and Okita continued their usual bickering. According to their stories, they were enemies in their own world, ready to engage in mortal combat with blades and bullets. However, now, despite the fists and kicks flying, there was no trace of true bloodlust in their actions.
"Master Spider-Man, isn't it time for you to return?"
Observing the quarrel between the pair, Ritsuka noticed Spider-Man standing a little apart from them with Mash.
"Uh… well… you see, if I go back, Mr. Stark will take away my card, and that's kind of… scary…"
Mash couldn't help but giggle. It turned out he was hesitating not because he was sad to part after their joint adventures, nor because he had seen enough of his idol, Deadpool, but simply out of fear of a scolding from a certain Mr. Stark.
"Work is done! Now it's yours, Nobbu. And this thing…"
Soon, Deadpool threw off his welding mask, announcing the completion of the task. The Tesseract, glowing with blue light, was separated from the Holy Grail, which the mercenary immediately handed to Nobunaga.
She broke into a wide smile and, after a quick thank you, was already preparing to craft explosives, but due to Okita's interference, the plan was thwarted.
"Hey, Peter. Time to go home."
Deadpool used the power of the blue stone to open a portal to Spider-Man's world. The hero froze before the shimmering passage with obvious reluctance on his face.
"Maybe you'll come with me? There's so much interesting stuff in my world, and most importantly, we could use a hero like Mr. Deadpool."
Seeing his innocent gaze, amplified by the mask's lenses, Deadpool demonstratively turned away, pretending to sniffle from overwhelming emotion.
"Sorry, kid, you've got the wrong guy. I'm not a hero. I'm just… a bad guy who kills other bad guys. Are you sure you can handle me?"
Spider-Man paused for a moment, recalling all the chaos that had been happening around Deadpool, and, seemingly coming to some conclusion, blurted out: "You know, perhaps it's better if you stay here."
"Wise decision. Besides, if I showed up there now, it would be pure hell in the theaters. By current standards, this is… about a year before the events." …He lowered his voice to a whisper. "…Imagine if Deadpool suddenly popped up in 'Infinity War'? The audience would faint, and Marvel Studios and the Russo brothers would be burning up. Get it?" …He winked at the void.
Even Spider-Man couldn't find anything to say to these strange mutterings into the void.
However, somewhere in the infinite multitude of parallel worlds, they could undoubtedly have become partners – as perpetually arguing but loyal to each other as Oda Nobunaga and Okita Sōji.
"Well, then, goodbye everyone. If… if you ever find yourselves in our neck of the woods, contact Mr. Stark, and I'll meet you!"
As befits a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, he waved goodbye and disappeared into the portal.
"Now, all that's left is to deal with this capricious trinket…"
After Spider-Man's departure, Ritsuka's group also began to pack. They had a re-shift system, so they didn't need the blue stone, but leaving it here after Loki's antics was too dangerous.
"Maybe we should take it to Chaldea for study? The thing looks extremely unstable."
"No," Deadpool cut off, dismissing Mash's suggestion.
"I won't let that damn old lady conduct experiments on the stone. You might trust her, but I don't believe her one bit. Who knows what she'll do to me if I bring her such a toy myself? Better to throw it somewhere far away, out of sight."
Distrusting Da Vinci-chan, Deadpool opened a small rift with the stone's power and, like an ordinary pebble, carelessly tossed the glowing artifact into it.
"Oh! But is that safe?"
"Someone will pick it up and put it to good use. In the future or in the past. Maybe one of us will find it in another time, it's no big deal."
Deadpool shrugged carelessly and dusted off his hands.
"Oh! So you're leaving too? Too bad, too bad. If we summon you again… I'd like it to be for a pleasant occasion. In short, feel free to visit anytime."
"Of course, Madam Nobunaga," Mash replied to her sincere smile.
After bidding farewell to Nobunaga and Okita, Ritsuka reached for the communication device to contact Chaldea when suddenly…
"[STOP!]"
The sky trembled from a thunderous roar.
A blinding pillar of rainbow light tore through the clouds and struck the ground.
"What is it?! Enemies again?"
"The world was supposed to stabilize! How is this possible?!"
While Nobunaga and Okita tried to assess the threat in confusion, Deadpool, recognizing this pompous special effect, broke out in a cold sweat.
"Haa… Speak of the devil."
The rainbow radiance dissipated, and a man emerged, walking heavily towards them. Through the plates of his massive, northern-style armor, his powerful physique could be discerned, and long golden hair cascaded from under his helmet.
"I'll be brief. Where are Loki and the Tesseract?"
In one hand, the stranger clutched a hammer, from which emanated a barely perceptible but colossal power. He grabbed Deadpool by the collar, fixing him with a gaze that seemed capable of burning through him.
"Uh… before we start, could you introduce yourself for those who are unaware?"
"Prince of Asgard! Thor Odinson! Answer me, you red scoundrel! Where are Loki and the Tesseract?"
The prince, who called himself Thor, raised his hammer with fury in his eyes. Deadpool, in response, resolutely shook his head, claiming they had vanished without a trace.
"Wade!"
"Mister Pool!"
Ritsuka and Mash rushed to help in fear, trying to stop Thor, but he raised his hammer to the heavens. Lead clouds instantly covered the sky, and the weapon began to absorb lightning strikes, filling with destructive power.
"No! Stop! Don't move!" Deadpool frantically waved his hands, urging Mash to stay put.
As soon as they froze, Thor lowered his crackling hammer onto Deadpool's chest. An indescribable weight crushed the mercenary to the ground, knocking the wind out of him.
"Tell me the truth. Where are Loki and the Tesseract?!"
"Lok… Loki! He fled into subspace! And the Tesseract… it was sucked into a rift between dimensions! So put away that Mjolnir, my friend…"
Usually, Deadpool never lacked words and was brazenly defiant, but now he was facing the Thunder God himself. There was no joking with such an opponent. Even with almost absolute immortality, Wade couldn't deny the aura of divine majesty. Besides, Ritsuka and Mash were nearby.
"Since you're not changing your testimony even in this position, it seems it's not a lie," Thor removed his hammer. Deadpool got to his feet, rubbing his sore chest and nodding in agreement. "Damn brother. He always leaves nothing but chaos behind… Alright. Farewell."
Cursing Loki, Thor considered the matter concluded and stood in the center of a strange pattern burned into the grass.
"Heimdall! Take me away!"
Immediately, a pillar of rainbow light descended from the heavens and, lifting Thor, carried him upwards.
"…What was that?!" Ritsuka and Mash stared dumbfounded at the smoking trail on the ground.
"Thor, the god of thunder. The brother of the very Loki we were dealing with. It seems he got really angry."
"Mister Pool. You told him about Loki, but what about the Tesseract? Its fate…"
"As I said: ignorance is bliss. It'll find someone on its own in time." Deadpool lowered his voice to a whisper:
"Of course, Thanos, but still…"
After these words, Mash and Ritsuka decided it was time to hurry back.
◇
Meanwhile, the shining artifact, drifting aimlessly in the rift Deadpool had opened at random, seemed to have found its final destination. Bursting out of the pseudo-space, the Tesseract hurtled towards the earth.
"Ow!"
While Mash and Ritsuka were talking with Commander Gilles de Rais, Deadpool had stepped aside to relieve himself. In the midst of the process, something painful hit him on the head.
"What is this news?"
He looked at the stone that had bounced off the top of his head. At first, Wade didn't understand what it was, but after brushing off the dust and seeing the bright blue glow, his eyes widened under the mask.
"Whoa... How did you end up here?"
He glanced at the sky in confusion. How an item that shouldn't be there ended up at his feet remained a mystery. After a bit of thought, the mercenary found the perfect excuse:
"Let's just say I took it from Loki. A preemptive strike, so to speak."
He adjusted his pants and shoved the blue cube deeper into his pocket.
"Wade! Where have you been?" Ritsuka and Mash called out to him.
Deadpool walked over to them, patted his pocket proprietorially, and, playing with his eyebrows, replied, "Oh, just replenishing my combat supplies. Got myself a pretty cool gadget."
"A cool gadget?"
"Shh. That's a man's secret."
Whatever his "secret weapon" was, Ritsuka and Mash decided not to pry. It was probably some nonsense again.
◇
"Welcome back. We've confirmed the stabilization of this line. Excellent work, everyone."
The transportation was complete, and Romani greeted the arrivals. Of course, Deadpool couldn't leave the doctor alone and immediately started pestering him with his foolish antics.
"I'm going to miss them."
"Yes, I already miss them too."
While Romani and Deadpool chased each other like Tom and Jerry, Mash and Ritsuka felt a pang of longing for Nobunaga and Okita, even though they had parted ways with them only recently.
"Specially for such whiners, I've come here personally!"
Was it a hallucination? Nobunaga's voice sounded frighteningly clear. Sensing something was wrong, the friends turned around. Behind them, clad in a black military uniform, stood Oda Nobunaga with a proud expression. In her hands, she clutched the Holy Grail.
"Nobbu?! How did you get here?"
Ritsuka ran up to her in amazement. Nobunaga merely smirked and casually handed him the cup.
"That silly Okita made such a racket that my head started to ache. So I followed the trail of your spiritual transmission. I'll stay here for a while, you don't mind, do you? I'm hungry. Where's the nearest tavern around here?"
The reason for her appearance was neither longing, nor the great duty of a Servant, nor even the salvation of humanity. It was far more mundane. But what difference did it make if Chaldea's family had gained another familiar face?
"The dining hall is that way. I'll show you."
"Let's go, Nobbu."
"It's decided! A feast for the whole world! Hahaha!"
To Nobunaga's ringing laughter, the trio headed towards the dining hall, where "Grand-Mama" Emiya was already waiting for them.