To Become a King and a Magician 551-555

Title: Akuta Hinako: You Just Stand There, I’ll Handle It

The destination Ritsuka and the others were heading to was a residential house in Miyama District, Fuyuki City.

After Mash regained consciousness, the four of them immediately set off. Although Fuyuki City wasn’t a metropolis, it still took a considerable amount of time to travel from Shinto to Miyama District—especially now, when the entire city resembled ruins, with various obstacles blocking the roads.

As Chaldea’s director, Marie initially thought she should lead the team. Even if they encountered wandering Servants or skeleton soldiers, she would step forward to stop them.

However—

*BRAK!*

Accompanied by a loud noise and a shockwave from the swing, the skeleton soldier blocking the path ahead was instantly shattered into pieces!

Skillfully twirling the iron rod in her hand, Hinako glanced to the side. “Alright, come out. It’s finished.”

“Akuta-Senpai is amazing!”

Emerging from a nearby alley, Ritsuka—who had just witnessed Hinako single-handedly defeat a group of skeletons—now wore a face full of admiration for her senior. Her eyes sparkled as if filled with tiny stars!

“She can jump so high and perform moves that look like a dance yet are so powerful—Senpai, you’re truly incredible!”

“Hmph! A level like that is just child’s play!”

“Miss Akuta, I believe no ordinary human could jump nearly ten meters high and perform a 720-degree spin so effortlessly.”

Mash, holding her cross-shaped shield and protecting Marie, also stepped out from the alley. “But Miss Akuta, you’ve worked hard. This should’ve been my duty as a Servant.”

“You just protect the newcomer and the red-stockinged one. As for fighting, leave it to me. You’re still too soft. Once we return, let Natsukawa train you a few hundred times.”

“Re-red-stockinged?!”

Marie glanced at her stockings. “What’s wrong with my red stockings?”

“Nothing. It’s just that Natsukawa seems to prefer black and white ones.”

“…”

Seeing Marie suddenly fall silent with a serious expression, Ritsuka couldn’t help but ask, “Director, are you thinking about going back to change your stockings?”

“Of course not! Why would I change my stockings? Besides, I’m not wearing them for Natsukawa! What does his preference for stocking colors have to do with me?!—Also, Hinako, I remember your Chaldea registration info says you’re an operations department technician, right? But your abilities…”

“I just practiced with a spear a bit. It’s not a big deal. Let’s keep moving. The place Natsukawa mentioned is ahead. Tch, why did he choose this place to meet? It’s making my whole body feel uncomfortable.”

Hinako said as she continued walking forward.

As a fairy, she and Naoki could both absorb unlimited mana from the outside. But if the mana absorbed was mixed with impurities, though it wouldn’t cause major issues, it would make Hinako feel extremely uncomfortable.

She was feeling it now. In Shinto, it was still bearable, but ever since entering Miyama District—especially as they got closer to the place called Mount Enzou—the mana in the air felt strange.

Its concentration was far too high.

(Something’s inside that mountain.)

If it weren’t for this group of humans slowing her down, Hinako would’ve already dashed off to investigate. Besides, Naoki had already told her that from today onward, she could use her powers freely—just be careful not to blow herself up.

(He even knows about that move of mine… He says he got some of that knowledge from the Root… Hmph, he’s used that excuse for years. Doesn’t he ever get tired of it?)

As Hinako said, after walking another hundred to two hundred meters, the house Naoki mentioned appeared before the four of them.

Among the severely damaged residential area, this house looked remarkably intact—even undamaged, aside from a slightly broken outer gate.

“This is the place the department head told us to go to… Is the person who can help us inside?”

Ritsuka suddenly felt a little nervous.

At the same time, from inside Mash’s shield, a small white creature suddenly jumped out. “Fou~~~”

“Fou? What’s wrong?”

Seeing its sudden appearance, Mash was slightly startled. Though she was used to its habit of running off, it wasn’t an issue in Chaldea, but this Singularity wasn’t a peaceful place. It would be dangerous if it ran around and encountered danger.

After jumping from Mash’s arm, Fou quickly dashed into the house. It leaped onto a pillar and carefully pressed the doorbell with its fleshy paw.

Seeing Fou’s smooth movements, Ritsuka was momentarily speechless—this little creature named Fou was far too intelligent, wasn’t it? It could even jump to press the doorbell by itself?

“I’ve wanted to ask for a while—where exactly does this creature named Fou come from?”

Marie also knew about this mysterious creature that had left many rumors in Chaldea. Occasionally, she’d seen it around. At first, she thought it was a pet belonging to one of the staff.

“I think it belongs to my older brother.” Mash said. “Fou appeared not long after my older brother officially left the Clock Tower and started working at Chaldea.”

“Natsukawa… Hah~~~~~ He really should keep a better eye on it. What if it damages something while running around Chaldea every day?”

As Marie complained, perhaps because the doorbell had been pressed, clear footsteps were heard from inside the house. Then, the tightly closed door opened from within.

A blonde-haired girl with a slightly underwhelming figure stepped out of the house.

“Fou~~~”

Fou saw her and immediately jumped into her arms, rubbing its head affectionately against hers.

“Ah, it’s you, Fou. I wondered who pressed the doorbell. But since Fou’s here, I guess…”

Looking at the four people nearby, the blonde woman smiled slightly. “Yes, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time—Mash, Olga Marie, Akuta Hinako, and Fujimaru Ritsuka. It’s my first time meeting you.”

“I am Sajyou Rei, sent by my master to welcome you here.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

-

Title: Director Olga Sneaks In the Middle of the Night

Inside the residential house.

Sitting upright on the clearly cleaned living room sofa, Ritsuka sat with extreme formality.

She didn’t want to act like this, but the atmosphere forced her to. After all, ever since seeing the girl named Rei, Director Marie had been constantly tense, and Mash had followed suit.

Seeing the two of them like that, Ritsuka naturally got caught up in the mood.

The only exception might be Hinako.

“I’m sorry, everyone. If possible, I’d like to prepare some good tea, but right now, I only have plain water. Please forgive the inconvenience.”

Rei, returning from the kitchen, placed several glasses of water in front of each person.

Seeing this, Marie immediately spoke politely: “Thank you so much!”

“Ah, yes, thank you very much, Rei-Senpai!”

Mash, who had a serious nature, immediately bowed deeply in gratitude, just like Marie.

Seeing their unreasonable seriousness, Ritsuka couldn’t help but feel confused. She leaned slightly toward Hinako: “Uhm, Akuta-Senpai… Is the director scared?”

“Who knows? When I interacted with Sajyou, I didn’t feel she was that intimidating.”

“Perhaps I gave Marie a bad impression in the past.” Rei’s voice suddenly came. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I just enhanced my five senses to ensure I can monitor information around me.”

“Enhanced senses… uh, you mean hearing and sight? Can those be adjusted at will?!”

“Because she’s not human.” Hinako said. “Though she looks human, and technically can be considered human, she’s a puppet. Natsukawa made her to be his own wife.”

A puppet?

A wife?

The department head’s wife?

“Eeehhh—?!”

After being silent for one or two seconds, Ritsuka suddenly stood up and shouted loudly!

“A wife… does that mean the department head is just like those otakus! He’s the type who calls an action figure his wife! Is the department head an otaku?!”

“Hehehe, you could say that.” Rei laughed. “But ‘wife’ isn’t entirely accurate, since we’re not engaged, let alone married. Of course, if you call me his wife, it’s fine too—we’ve been together for a very long time.”

Been together?!

Can the department head really be in a relationship with a puppet?!

(Well, with Sajyou-san’s appearance and how she’s almost indistinguishable from a real human… somehow, I kind of understand.)

“Uhm… Miss Rei…”

Marie raised her hand with a very weak voice: “May I ask… why are you here? I remember you shouldn’t have woken up yet…”

“Marie, if that’s the time you left, I had only been asleep for less than half an hour. Of course I hadn’t woken up yet. Besides, I’ve said it many times. If you want to talk to the Master, you can come anytime. You don’t have to wait until one or two in the morning to sneak into the Master’s room.”

“—!”

The moment Rei said that, the gazes of the other three toward Marie instantly changed.

Sneaking into Naoki’s room in the middle of the night? And after Rei was already asleep?

Mash: “Based on several Japanese night reads I’ve seen online, a situation like this is apparently called…”

Hinako: “I can’t believe you’d do something like cheating.”

Ritsuka: “Akuta-Senpai, we should say it more gently…”

Seeing the three of them now suspicious of her, Marie’s cheeks instantly turned red. She shouted without caring about her image: “I’m not cheating! I only went to Natsukawa’s room to complain to him! Nothing happened, really!”

“Yes, I can testify that Marie didn’t do anything with the Master. She’s surprisingly the type to hesitate at crucial moments.”

“!”

Another bomb was dropped by Rei.

Sneaking into Naoki’s room at night was a secret Marie never wanted anyone else to know. Even toward Rei, she only dared go after repeatedly confirming that Rei was definitely asleep.

She never expected Rei had known all along!

“Ah… ah… huuuuaaa…”

The impact was too great. Marie could no longer maintain her image as a serious, reliable director. Seeing her like this, Rei gently snapped her fingers in front of her, instantly putting her into a deep sleep.

Seeing this, Hinako scoffed: “You’re really cruel.”

“What else can I do? Though I don’t mind the Master’s flirtatious behavior, having dates with him in the middle of the night right in front of me—well, even I get a little annoyed.” Rei smiled. “Then, let’s discuss the important matters—why I’m here, and what we’ll do next.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

If counted from the moment Ritsuka and the others performed particle transfer into Singularity F, Rei had arrived about two hours earlier.

[The Master thought there might be a time he’d need me, so he sent me here earlier through another method.]

That was the reason Rei gave. Hearing her say that, Ritsuka and Mash didn’t know, but Hinako immediately thought about the truth.

(Most likely, it’s that Root knowledge again. That person already predicted this would happen… Why didn’t he tell me earlier!? How annoying!)

(A few years ago, he was honest and straightforward, but why has he become someone who hides things and acts mysteriously?)

“Another method?”

Mash, listening to Rei, suddenly frowned.

“Is there another way to come to a Singularity besides particle transfer?”

“Yes, there is. It’s just more troublesome. Simply put—by running.” Rei explained. “Explaining the principle would be complicated. I learned it from an Incubus. Basically, I came by running.”

“And after arriving here, I came to this place as requested by the Master, waiting for you and the Master.”

The Master’s arrival?

Ritsuka immediately asked: “Is the department head coming too? By running as well?”

“Exactly. [It’s fine to let the newcomer gain experience, but for an important first experience, safety preparations must be sufficient—and as department head, I must ensure my subordinates’ safety.] That’s what the Master thought.”

“If we calculate the timing, he should be almost here.”

*WHOOSH!*

Almost the same instant Rei finished speaking, a bright light suddenly flashed in the middle of the room. Then, Naoki stepped out of it, landing right in front of Rei.

Rei stood up and bowed with a smile.

“Welcome, Master. That was a difficult journey.”

-

Title: Sajyou Rei Running Low on Mana

After stepping out of the light screen and glancing around at the people present, Naoki let out a soft sigh of relief. “It seems you’re all fine. On my way here, I was worried you might have encountered a Servant along the way.”

“Hmph! Even if we did, there’s no way they could defeat all of us.”

Hinako snorted.

“Besides me joining, even without me, Mash should be able to defeat every Servant in this Singularity. No, more accurately, the rotten knight inside her body.”

“Just in case. I’m truly grateful that Senior Hinako protected Fujimaru, Mash, and Olga throughout the journey.”

As he spoke, Naoki turned to Ritsuka and Mash. “You two have also worked hard. Mash has done simulations before, so it’s not a problem. How are you feeling, Fujimaru? After facing such a situation right from the start, were you frightened?”

“At first, I was really shocked, but now... I’m not that tense anymore.” Ritsuka said with resignation. “Maybe because I received too much shocking information at once, so I feel a bit numb.”

“Just get used to it. In the future, you’ll likely encounter even more surprising information. You can’t keep being shocked all the time—by the way, what’s wrong with Olga? Is she asleep?”

Naoki’s gaze fell on the unconscious Marie.

(Could she have collapsed from exhaustion after intense physical activity in a short time?)

Impossible. Naoki had always pushed her to do weekly physical training, and the self-defense lessons he taught weren’t for nothing. This level of exertion shouldn’t have worn her out.

“I put Marie to sleep first, Master.” Rei explained. “I accidentally said some unnecessary things. Marie became too embarrassed, so her mental state destabilized. I used sleep Magecraft on her.”

“I see. Then it couldn’t be helped.”

Naoki easily accepted Rei’s explanation. “Then, let’s begin your report, Rei. I already know Fujimaru’s and the others’ situation, but you should have conducted some reconnaissance here. Please explain your findings.”

“Of course. Please look here.”

Rei extended her hand, and a light screen appeared from the air. The scene displayed was the burning Fuyuki City. From its angle, it was an overhead view taken from an extremely high altitude.

“This is a real-time map of Fuyuki City taken from 500 meters above, captured by a group of familiars I sent out.”

“After arriving here, I spent one hour conducting a rough survey of the entire city. It’s confirmed that the Holy Grail War is taking place here, just as we know.”

“However, what’s happening here isn’t the same Holy Grail War from ten years ago. During my survey, I encountered several Servants, all different from those ten years ago. Moreover, their appearances were abnormal—more like inversions. They showed strong hostility toward me as an outsider.”

As she spoke, Rei marked seven points on the map and labeled the classes of the seven Servants.

“Based on my observations, there are seven Servants in Fuyuki City. I encountered four of them—Rider, Lancer, Assassin, and Berserker. I’ve already eliminated them all.”

“Of the remaining three, I haven’t encountered Caster. Archer only engaged in long-range combat. As for Saber, his location is confirmed to be inside Mount Enzou, but I haven’t surveyed that area yet.”

“That’s the general situation of Singularity F.”

After listening to Rei’s report, Hinako couldn’t help but snort. “I see. No wonder I didn’t meet a single enemy Servant on the way here. You’ve already taken care of them all. Why didn’t you just finish the rest too?”

“I decided to wait after considering various circumstances. After all, the task Master gave me wasn’t to [resolve the Singularity], but to wait here for your arrival. I won’t do anything that violates Master’s wishes.”

Rei smiled. “Of course, there’s also the issue of mana reserves. The Berserker Servant was the great Greek hero, Heracles. The mana consumed to eliminate him slightly exceeded my expectations. I’m waiting here to ensure our next steps aren’t disrupted by mana shortage.”

Mana shortage?

Naoki’s face unconsciously paled, and his hand reflexively gripped his waist.

Seeing his sudden movement, Mash looked slightly puzzled. “Brother, is something wrong with your body? Your face looks a bit pale.”

“No, nothing’s wrong. My back just suddenly felt cold. It seems someone’s talking about me.” Naoki waved his hand. “Better yet, since Rei has already resolved most of the issues here and I’ve arrived, let’s quickly finish the rest.”

“The rest… means defeating Saber inside Mount Enzou.” Mash asked.

“Yes, but before that—Mash, is he still inside you… Is Galahad gone?”

Galahad.

Hearing Naoki mention that name, Mash nodded slightly. “Yes. After he used my body to save Senior, and seeing Senpai meet Miss Akuta, Lord Galahad transferred his Heroic Spirit and Noble Phantasm to me, then disappeared.”

“I see. He really left cleanly. But that’s just like him.”

Galahad, the Knight of the Round Table who sat in the Siege Perilous, son of Lancelot.

The perfect knight, praised as the next bearer of the Round Table. In the past, he was one of the knights sent by King Arthur to seek the Holy Grail—and the only one who found it. Afterward, he returned both the Grail and himself to heaven.

Four years ago, he was summoned as Chaldea’s Trial Servant No. 2 and became the subject of the Demi-Servant experiment by possessing Mash’s body.

However, upon learning the reason for his summoning and disagreeing with Chaldea’s plans and the inhumane experiments conducted on Mash, Galahad not only refused to manifest but also attempted to destroy Chaldea. In the end, he was stopped by Naoki and Artoria, who were summoned by Marisbury at the time.

Of course, in truth, only Artoria stopped him. Naoki’s role was mainly to provide a space for them, ensuring their battle wouldn’t affect the outside world.

The two truly fought seriously.

Galahad was deeply confused as to why Artoria allowed Chaldea’s actions. After all, she was the King of Knights, who despised evil most of all and held the highest dignity. If his king approved such inhumane actions, Galahad, as a Knight of the Round Table, felt it was his duty to correct her mindset.

Their battle took place in a fake city Naoki created using Imaginary Manifestation. In combat, unlike Mash, Galahad fully demonstrated the full power of the shield in his hand—even using his reverse shield, something only Naoki knew existed in the lore.

After reducing most of the fake city to ruins, Galahad was undeniably defeated due to Artoria’s Avalon.

In the end, after hearing all of Naoki’s explanations, Galahad made a contract with Naoki and Artoria.

[In the future, just once, I hope you can help Mash]—that was the content of the contract. Thus, Galahad saved Ritsuka at that time and transferred all his Heroic Spirit and Noble Phantasm to Mash.

“Lord Galahad said he still wouldn’t approve of Chaldea’s past actions, but now, as humanity faces a great crisis, he’s willing to contribute all his strength. Additionally, he also hopes I can apologize to him on behalf of Lady Artoria, as he couldn’t say goodbye to the King directly before leaving.”

“I understand. I’ll take you to meet Lia later. But that’ll be after we return. Now, let’s—“

Naoki’s words were cut short, for before he could finish, the ceiling above them suddenly collapsed without warning.

-

Title: One Kick Triggers Summer

Outside the house, in the residential area.

On top of a rooftop.

Looking at the house completely destroyed by his attack, Archer placed the black bow in his hand down. “That should be enough. They made me chase them for quite a while—running so far.”

[Eliminate all outsiders appearing in this city.]

That was the instruction given to him by Saber, currently located in Mount Enzou. Although his initial attack failed due to the shield Servant’s defense, fortunately, afterward these outsiders caused quite a commotion as they moved.

Flying debris, scattered skeleton soldiers everywhere—by tracking these remaining traces, Archer finally located the house where Naoki and the others were, and immediately launched a carpet bombing.

Archer destroyed the Noble Phantasm he projected, instantly amplifying his power by detonating it. This was a secret technique called Broken Phantasm, usable only by Archer-class Servants. It was impossible for ordinary humans to survive the impact of such intensity.

“That takes care of the rest—except Caster. He’ll come eventually if left alone.”

Once Caster was also defeated and eliminated, victory in this Holy Grail War would surely belong to Saber. Though this Grail War was already far from its original form, at least let him obtain the Holy Grail this one time.

That was Archer’s thought.

However, just as he put away his black bow and prepared to vanish in spirit form—

*DUUUARRR!*

The entire ground shook violently. An earthquake-like tremor forced Archer to immediately crouch down to stabilize himself. But before he could figure out the cause of such intense shaking, in the direction of the house he had just attacked...

*KREK!*

As if split by an enormous sword, a massive crack suddenly spread rapidly toward him. On both sides of the fissure, due to the immense impact, countless stone spikes jutted out!

And as the crack widened, Archer’s instincts—ones that had saved him countless times—alerted him to the approaching danger: a shockwave strong enough to obliterate his entire body was rushing toward him!

Without hesitation, Archer instantly thrust both hands forward. Projection Magecraft worked at full power, and a transparent, five-petaled flower-shaped light shield instantly unfolded!

And then, in the next instant—

*BANG!*

A deafening roar echoed through the sky.

“It should’ve been blocked.”

At the end of the crack—or rather, where the crack began.

Naoki stood amidst a pile of rubble, speaking as he looked into the distance.

Beside him, witnessing the astonishing scene before them, except for Rei—who already knew Naoki’s true level—and the still-unconscious Marie, Hinako, Ritsuka, and Mash were all dumbfounded.

“D-D-D-D-D-D-Department Head, y-y-y-y-y-you…”

After stammering for several seconds, Ritsuka took two deep breaths, then suddenly shouted: “Department Head, you’re terrifying!”

“I thought you’d say I was impressive.”

“Impressive? Yes, impressive! But this is scarier than impressive! Department Head, you created this scene with just one stomp! Are you even human?! Even Akuta-Senpai isn’t this strong!”

“Tch, I feel insulted… but I have to admit it.” Hinako glanced at Naoki. “We’re both monsters, but you’re the monster among monsters.”

Naoki gave a faint smile. “I’m not as strong as you make me out to be. I couldn’t possibly do this with just my own body. This is basically the result of Magecraft. Visually, it’s impressive, but practically, it’s not that useful.”

Summoning Magecraft – Spirit of the Earth.

The entity responsible for the earth-splitting spectacle earlier. With Naoki’s physical strength alone, at best he could create a hole dozens of meters deep with a similar diameter—nowhere near producing a massive crack stretching hundreds of meters.

But even that was astonishing enough.

At least for Ritsuka, an ordinary person, and Mash, who had just gained Servant powers, the strength Naoki displayed was on a completely different dimensional level.

“Enough gawking. Let’s finish the job over there quickly.”

Naoki pointed toward nearby Mount Enzou. “I suspect that as long as you go there, defeat Saber, and take the Holy Grail, this Singularity will disappear. Rei and I will stay here to deal with Archer. Fujimaru, Mash, you two go defeat Saber. Senior Hinako, please assist them.”

“Don’t boss me around!”

Stomping her foot, Hinako turned to Ritsuka and Mash. “Don’t just stand there! Follow me quickly! The sooner we finish, the sooner we can return!”

“Y-yes! Then we’re off, Brother. Please… please be careful.”

After hesitating, Mash finally voiced her concern to Naoki—though given the situation, her brother clearly didn’t need her worry.

“Let’s go, Senpai.”

“Y-yes—Akuta-Senpai, wait for us!”

Watching the three of them leave, Rei approached Naoki. “Master, do you think they can defeat Saber? As you said, Saber should be an inversion of Artoria. I’m not sure Mash, who just gained Galahad’s power, can defeat him. Even with Hinako…”

“Mash has done many simulations. This is just her first real battle. Give her a little confidence. If you’re really worried, why don’t you go with them?”

“No, I’ll stay by your side. Besides, there’s someone here who needs my help.”

Rei looked toward Marie lying on the ground. “Marie’s in a state of death, right? She doesn’t qualify for particle transfer. Her presence here means she’s merely a soul.”

Naoki nodded. “When Lev self-destructed, Olga was the closest person to him besides me. She was severely injured and nearly died. Her soul left her body and was dragged into the particle transfer. Fortunately, I’ve already implanted Avalon into her body afterward, so there won’t be any issues. As long as her soul is preserved, she just needs to return to her body when we go back to Chaldea.”

Hearing this, Rei understood why Naoki asked her to come to the Singularity. “Making another girl enter my body—your wife’s body. I don’t mind, but Manaka might get jealous, you know.”

[I’m not!]

“It’s not that serious… Well, if this makes Manaka unhappy, then I’m sorry. Sorry, Manaka, bear with it a little.”

[Uhm… I didn’t say I mind. If it’s the Prince’s request, I don’t mind holding it in a bit…]

“—Master, Manaka said that.”

Rei said with a smile, then crouched down and embraced Marie. She lowered her head and kissed her lips, beginning to suck as if drawing something out. Accompanied by a slightly suggestive sound, Marie’s body slowly transformed into specks of light and entered Rei’s body through her mouth.

After fully absorbing Marie’s soul into her body, Rei licked her lips. “Uhm… I just kissed someone other than you, Master. Am I impure now? But Master, this was your request, so—”

“Rei, enough. What have you been thinking about all day? Did you learn something bad from Merry?”

Naoki’s expression darkened. Sometimes he really felt he needed to control Merry’s words and actions. Look what she was teaching others.

Rei smiled mischievously. “Just a little joke. Then, Master, the issue over there…”

“Leave it to me.”

“Just a Servant-class opponent. I think one minute should be enough.”

-

Title: Akuta Hinako’s Suicide Squad

Mount Enzou, Underground Cave.

In every world, whenever the Holy Grail War occurred in Fuyuki City, this place would inevitably become the convergence point of chaotic fates.

After all, it was the ideal location for the Holy Grail to manifest.

“This is the place?”

Standing outside the cave, Ritsuka looked at the entrance before her and swallowed hard. “It feels eerie… My skin is crawling. Are Saber and the Greater Grail that the department head mentioned inside here?”

“Since that’s what he said, there probably isn’t any mistake. He’s never wrong when it comes to finding things.”

“Yes, regarding my brother, he would never give us incorrect information. Please don’t worry, Senpai.”

Though their tones differed, both Hinako and Mash showed unwavering trust in Naoki.

(I’m a bit confused about what Akuta-Senpai really thinks of the department head. Earlier, she seemed indifferent… Could Senpai be a tsundere like the director? But with a much stronger ‘tsun’ side?)

Ritsuka’s thoughts wandered at the worst possible moment.

But even as she thought that, she didn’t just stand still. She followed Hinako and Mash into the cave ahead.

Just as it appeared from the outside, there was absolutely no light inside the cave. Fortunately, thanks to the communication bracelets on their wrists, they could track each other’s positions. As a fairy, Hinako wouldn’t bump into walls as she walked.

As they moved forward, Mash kept glancing around at the dim surroundings. “This cave… was it formed naturally?”

“Overall, it seems so. But I can see traces of artificial modifications. Probably some magi discovered this natural cave and modified it to use as their workshop.”

Hearing this, Hinako felt slightly uncomfortable. For a fairy born from the planet itself, the act of humans modifying their environment to suit their desires was, in a sense, equivalent to destroying her home. If only she could use Imaginary Manifestation, she’d instantly revert this place back to its original form.

The cave wasn’t very long—perhaps only one to two hundred meters deep. After reaching the end and exiting the cave, a vast empty chamber stretched out before the three of them.

“So huge…”

Ritsuka couldn’t help but exclaim.

It wasn’t because of the cave’s size itself, but because of the object inside.

Not far ahead, a large platform radiated an intense wave of mana. The faint light emitted by the dense mana almost illuminated the entire cavern.

“Is that… the mana reactor core? Is that the Greater Grail?”

“Possibly. Besides that, Mash, protect the newcomer. A troublesome opponent is coming!”

Hearing Hinako’s words, Mash immediately raised her shield and positioned herself in front of Ritsuka. At the same time, she also sensed a different mana reaction amidst the thick mana filling the room.

It was the only dark red spark in the midst of deep murkiness.

*KRAK-KRAK-KRAK!*

The sound of clashing armor reached their ears. Atop the high platform, a figure calmly emerged, then leapt down and landed before them.

“Hoo~ An interesting Servant has arrived.”

The figure wielding a black sword immediately fixed his gaze on Mash in the distance. And upon clearly seeing this black Saber’s appearance, Mash’s expression suddenly showed intense distress!

“Y-You… Miss Lia?!”

Artoria Pendragon, the blonde-haired girl Naoki had brought to Chaldea several times. Because of the Demi-Servant incident, Mash had interacted with her a few times. In her memory, she was a serious, cool, and reliable adult. Despite being a woman, she gave off an extraordinary ‘knightly’ impression.

But now, a black Saber with a face almost identical to hers stood before Mash.

“Lia… you know my true name, shield girl.” the black Saber said, intrigued. “Yes, since you wield that shield, it’s only natural you’d know my name.”

“But—“

Dark mana suddenly erupted from the black Saber. A mana storm instantly spread and surged toward the ceiling!

This was just a simple release of mana, but even so, the resulting gale caused shockwaves reverberating through the cave.

Stepping forward, gripping the Holy Sword with both hands, the black Saber stared intently at Mash. “Let me see your strength, shield girl! How much power lies within that shield—let me confirm it with my own eyes!”

*BANG!*

The words weren’t even finished when a loud explosion followed. The black Saber, who had been nearly a hundred meters away a moment ago, now stood right before Mash, having passed Hinako in an instant.

*CLANG!*

The Holy Sword slashed with full force, producing a loud clang as it struck the shield!

The impact sent a jolt through Mash’s arm, making her wince and frown. But quickly, she braced the shield with both hands, using all her strength to stabilize her body against the force.

“Taking the first strike? Not bad, but—ugh!”

“BUGH!”

The black Saber, who had just raised his sword for a second attack, suddenly found Hinako appearing beside him and delivering a powerful punch straight to his head!

After adjusting her body mid-air and landing lightly, the black Saber looked at Hinako, who now stood in front of Mash and Ritsuka. “You are…”

“The temporary caretaker for these two little kids!”

Hinako said irritably. “I just stood right in front of you, yet you ignored me. Did you really not see me, or did you deliberately ignore me? How dare you. Though I don’t feel disgusted by your act of ignoring me. After all, Servants are still considered humans, and I deeply despise humans.”

“But now I can’t let you ignore me. That person told me to watch over these two. So from now on, I’ll fight him—Mash, from here on, just focus on protecting the newcomer. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Y-Yes… Wait, Miss Akuta! Why did you take off your clothes?!”

Mash had just nodded, when she suddenly realized Hinako had abruptly removed all her clothing.

“Tch, I’m just naked, right? Who isn’t born naked? Can’t you just get over that sense of shame?”

“Besides, I took them off because I’m afraid they’ll get damaged. My fighting style is a bit… unreasonable.”

As she spoke, Hinako had already removed her glasses and hair tie. Thick, dark red light surged from her slender body, and the resulting wind made her loose hair stand on end. A strange scent of blood filled the air around them.

Bathing in this blood-colored mana, Hinako felt her current body with a touch of nostalgia—how long had it been since she last let herself go like this?

“That person said I should be careful of my surroundings when using this technique. But now Mash has her shield, so I don’t need to worry, right?”

“Then—feel it well, black Saber! The agony of my death!”

With Hinako’s words, the mana enveloping her body instantly turned chaotic! Completely uncontrolled mana exploded like a detonated bomb. Hinako’s figure within was instantly consumed by this sudden explosion!

Shielding their faces from the blast wave with the shield, Mash and Ritsuka wore expressions of disbelief—did Akuta-Senpai just die? And this… was it suicide?!

“No, no. Miss Akuta’s mana hasn’t disappeared. On the contrary, her activity is higher than before… It’s already at the level of a manifested curse! And it’s gathering above… Not good! Senpai, come here! We’ll be caught in the blast!”

Understanding something, Mash quickly pulled Ritsuka toward the cave’s edge!

“Eh? What are you saying, Mash?”

Ritsuka, still unable to grasp the situation, was dragged by Mash to the corner of the cave with a confused expression, then forced to crouch down.

The next second—

*BOOOOOMM!*