Ritsuka's POV
I finally took a deep breath, trying to steady my heart. My voice cracked a little when I spoke.
"…Doctor, Da Vinci… you both seem like you know about this world. You both got information of this world right?"
They exchanged a glance—silent understanding passing between them.
Da Vinci gave a small, knowing smile, twirling a strand of her hair.
"We do. At least… enough to be useful."
Romani nodded in agreement.
"When we came here, it wasn't exactly a smooth trip. It felt like crossing the edge of reality itself. The long distance between our world and this world… it's not just physical. It messed with our Spirit Graphs a bit."
Da Vinci shrugged lightly, but her eyes glimmered with the thrill of discovery.
"We pieced together what we could. So we understood before we came here. But We know you were fought for the world in our old one. The details are hazy… but one thing's certain."
Her tone softened.
"…You saved it. Our world survived because of you."
Romani's voice followed, warm and certain.
"We're proud of you, Ritsuka. Truly. You must have gone through… so much."
I couldn't speak. Not right away. I just smiled, even as tears slipped silently down my cheeks.
They didn't wait for permission—Da Vinci stepped forward and hugged me tightly, and Romani followed, wrapping his arms around us both. The scent, the warmth, the familiarity… for a moment, I felt like I was back in Chaldea again.
Hakuno stood nearby, smiling softly, her gaze gentle—watching her kouhai finally let himself rest for a breath.
Three minutes passed before I could breathe without my chest tightening.
I stepped back, wiping my face.
"…I'll tell you everything. How we saved the world. Every battle, every friend we fought beside. And…" I straightened, my voice firming. "…we have another world to save now. And friends who's counting on us."
Da Vinci's grin returned, sly and catlike.
"Oh, don't think you're getting away with just war stories. I want the love stories too. You know you're my favorite protagonist, right?" She wagged a finger. "The hero's romances are always the best chapters."
Hakuno chuckled under her breath, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
"The list was already pretty long by the time I met him."
My face heated instantly.
"S-Stop teasing me! This is serious!"
Da Vinci just smirked knowingly.
"It's always serious, but that's no reason not to have fun."
Romani, suppressing a laugh, held up his hands in mock surrender.
"Alright, alright, love life later. Current crisis first."
I took a deep breath.
"Exactly. First, you need to understand where we stand right now…"
The teasing faded just enough for the room to grow heavy with focus again. Outside the barrier, the rest of the team was still waiting, unaware of the unexpected reunion happening behind sealed walls.
But soon… they'd meet my friends.
And then we'd face whatever this world had in store for us...together.
---
Ritsuka's POV
After I finished explaining the current situation to Da Vinci and Romani, we stepped out of the private room.
The X-Men were waiting in the lounge, mid-discussion—but the moment we appeared, the room went silent.
No… stared would be the more accurate word.
Da Vinci, standing there with that effortlessly confident smile and flowing dress, drew every set of eyes instantly.
Bobby Drake's jaw almost hit the floor.
"Whoa… she's… amazing."
Remy Lebeau's red eyes narrowed in appreciation.
"Chère, you look like trouble… in the best possible way."
Before he could even take a step closer—WHAM—Rouge stomped down on his foot without mercy.
"Trouble's exactly what you'd get if you tried, Cajun."
I sighed, forcing a smile.
"Guys… they're friends. From work."
Romani, ever the harmless doctor, gave them a sheepish, almost goofy grin. Da Vinci tilted her head, delivering what I'm sure she knew was a dazzling smile.
Kitty Pryde blinked.
"…She looks like the Mona Lisa, if the Mona Lisa could walk off the canvas."
Betsy Braddock and Jubilee both nodded in agreement, murmuring words like "timeless" and "goddess vibes."
Da Vinci's eyes sparkled as she answered smoothly,
"Thank you for comparing me to such a beautiful work of art." '…Though if only you knew the real story behind that painting.'
Emma Frost crossed her arms, her sharp gaze flicking between me and my two companions.
"Where did they come from? You went inside alone and came out with them, darling. You're not a mutant… so how exactly?"
I smirked.
"You know… I'm something of a mage myself."
Hakuno chimed in, her tone casual but carefully chosen to sound just plausible enough.
"We're mages. Have connections with real Fairytale witches, but also with more… technical flair. He's got connections to certain magical beings."
Her little smirk told me she knew she was misleading them just enough.
Romani nodded cheerfully.
"Yes, yes, we actually work for mages. Speaking of work—ah, right! You have a missing daughter case, yes? You must be Charles Xavier. A pleasure to meet you. I'm Doctor Romani Archaman. You can call me Romani, or Doctor. But most people—well, they just call me Doctor. Anyway—"
He launched into his long-winded introduction as if the current crisis wasn't hanging over our heads like a storm cloud.
Even Logan looked a little stunned at the sheer length of his opening.
Charles smiled politely.
"The honor is mine. Yes… Jean is missing. I believe… you can find her?"
Da Vinci folded her arms, giving a thoughtful hum.
"We can find her—but right now, we lack the right materials and time. That means it'll be you and your people who bring her home. We'll simply… accelerate the process."
Quicksilver tilted his head, leaning against a pillar.
"So… what, you're gonna whip up some crazy spell to make the Professor track her?"
From the looks on the others' faces, they were all imagining the same thing.
Romani gave a kind smile.
"Not quite magic in the flashy sense…"
Da Vinci's grin widened with mischief.
"Show me Cerebro. I'll do a little… remodeling."
That stopped the room cold.
Beast frowned slightly.
"Wait—you said you're magic users. Now you're telling me you can upgrade one of the most complex mutant-detection systems on the planet?"
Da Vinci leaned forward slightly, eyes locking with his.
"Do you want to find this girl, Jean?"
Beast didn't hesitate.
"…Yes. Please. Follow me."
Romani clapped his hands lightly.
"Excellent. Professor, let's go as well. We'll keep things… delicate."
As the group moved toward Cerebro's chamber, I couldn't help but notice Da Vinci's eyes already scanning the mansion's architecture like she was planning to rebuild the whole thing from memory.
'She is still an artist in her heart'
If they thought Cerebro was advanced… they were in for a surprise.
The group descended into the underground levels, the lights dimming as we passed reinforced steel doors and humming tech.
I didn't see Karna, James, Magneto, or Ariki.
Storm, as if she had already read my mind, said, "They went to wait for everyone in the Blackbird. It's surprising..Erik has more faith in you guys than in the X-Men."
I gave normal smile.
Kurt and Kitty drifted to the front, curiosity written all over their faces as they flanked Romani and Da Vinci.
Kitty tilted her head.
"So, if you're a doctor… what kind of doctor are you exactly?"
Kurt nodded along.
"Ja, doctor of what?"
The question was a clean hit.
It was like watching Romani take a bullet to the chest—metaphorically speaking, but his awkward flinch sold the image.
Da Vinci and I couldn't help it—we both laughed. Hakuno just blinked at us, tilting her head like she'd missed the punchline entirely.
Romani rubbed the back of his neck, looking away.
"…Well, technically, I was never officially a doctor. But… I am… a doctor."
Kitty narrowed her eyes with mock suspicion.
"Ohhh, so you paid someone off and got the title the shady way?"
I nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
And I laughed again, because it was exactly the kind of thing Romani would walk himself into.
Da Vinci waved her hand in a dismissive, regal way.
"If you have the skills, you can become anything. Paper confirmation is a formality for the unimaginative."
Colossus sighed, folding his arms.
"Stop it, kids. They are guests—don't cause trouble."
Kitty and Kurt both mumbled apologies, though Kurt's tail still swayed with amused curiosity.
Romani was red in the face but managed to mutter,
"…Thanks for the save, Da Vinci."
Romani glanced at me, lowering his voice.
"They'd faint if they knew she's a man… and the Leonardo da Vinci."
Da Vinci smirked like she was in on a delicious secret.
"I agree. Those young ones would be floored… but, Romani, art is art. And I am… beautiful art."
Romani sighed dramatically.
"I just hope I never meet another genius with your level of… narcissistic personality disorder."
Da Vinci tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"No way. Another genius of my caliber with a matching ego? Impossible. One da Vinci per universe is already a gift."
(A/N: looks at Tony stark)
By then, we'd arrived at Cerebro. The massive spherical chamber bathed in soft light made even Da Vinci pause for a second to take it in—before she stepped forward like she owned the place.
Beast was already there, standing beside the console. His eyebrow rose when Da Vinci didn't so much as glance at the schematics before kneeling beside an access panel.
Within minutes, she had the thing half-open, pulling up projections of data flow and node connections without needing a manual.
Beast's voice carried both awe and disbelief.
"…You learned the entire operating system from a single look?"
Da Vinci's smile was the sort that made you wonder if she was holding back another layer of brilliance.
"I'm Da Vinci. That's not unusual for me."
Beast actually took notes—on his own system—while she worked. And the strangest part? He was learning from her in real time.
In less than twenty minutes, she had restructured a portion of Cerebro's psychic frequency mapping. The ambient hum of the machine changed, deeper and smoother.
Beast stared at the interface, his voice almost reverent.
"…You've increased precision without taxing the mainframe. This is—remarkable."
Da Vinci dusted her hands with a satisfied grin.
"When you want to find someone you care about, you don't settle for 'good enough.'"
Romani leaned on the railing, smiling faintly.
"That's Da Vinci for you."
I could see it in their faces—whether they trusted us or not, they now understood, she wasn't just talk. She is real deal.
Romani stepped forward from the observation platform.
"Professor, it's ready. Use the modifications—see what you can find."
Charles adjusted the headset, the hum of Cerebro shifting as Da Vinci's enhancements came online. The ambient psychic field thickened—like the air before a thunderstorm.
For a moment, his eyes closed, and the chamber filled with quiet anticipation. Then his brows knit.
Logan crossed his arms, voice low but sharp.
"Spill it, old man."
Charles opened his eyes slowly, his tone measured but heavy.
"…I've found Jean. She's with her father."
The room went still. Even the machinery seemed to pause.
Bobby was the first to break it.
"Her… father? But—"
Storm's voice was flat.
"We heard he was dead in car accident. Years ago."
Charles's jaw tightened.
"It appears that was a lie… one I am responsible for perpetuating. I lied in past."
Scott stepped forward, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened.
"You lied about him too?" His voice trembled—not with fear, but with betrayal. "You don't get to play god with people's lives."
Charles looked pained, but held his ground.
"Jean's father… is not a good man. I believed keeping them apart was the only way to protect her."
I stepped in before the tension could boil over.
"Professor. Right or wrong, we don't have the luxury of debating it now. If what you say is true, Jean might do something she'll regret for the rest of her life."
Hakuno's eyes were firm, her voice steady.
"We have to stop her from killing him in anger."
Logan's gaze stayed locked on Charles.
"Fine. We're going. But you—" he jabbed a finger toward him— "aren't coming. You stay put, for good."
Charles closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded once.
"…Alright." The sadness in his voice wasn't weakness—it was acceptance.
I softened my tone, just slightly.
"You'll talk to her when she's ready to listen… but not now. Not while her anger's this raw."
We moved toward the Blackbird hangar. The echo of our footsteps felt heavier than usual.
Halfway down the corridor, I stopped, turning to Romani and Da Vinci.
"…Please stay here. Hakuno and I will handle this."
Romani's brows lifted.
"We'll come with you—"
I cut him off sharply, my voice almost cracking.
"No. Please stay. You don't have to go into danger. Please."
Without realizing it, I'd grabbed their hands, holding on tight. Not like a comrade making a request—like someone terrified of letting go.
They froze.
That fear—they could feel it. Not fear of the enemy. Not fear of failing.
Fear of losing them.
Da Vinci's usual playful confidence softened. She squeezed my hand lightly.
"…Alright. We'll stay."
I turned to Charles.
"Please protect them."
He nodded, surprised at the weight in my voice.
Hakuno and I boarded the Blackbird. The hatch closed with a hiss, cutting me off from their faces.
Behind us, Romani exhaled slowly.
"He must have gone through something… something bad."
Da Vinci's eyes followed the departing plane.
"Yes. I can't bear to see Ritsuka like that. He's… changed."
Romani managed a faint smile, but it didn't hide the sadness in it.
"I'm proud of him… and it hurts to see it."
Da Vinci placed a hand over her heart.
"He'll finish this mission. I'm sure of it."
Charles looked between them.
"…I hope you're right."
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Note; sorry for late chapter. I will complete the phoenix arc in next 2 -3 chapters. Yeah more Fgo characters will appear and after that you won't see new fate grand order characters for a while. This arc ending will have another big plot twist. Look forward to it.