"Please, please..."
I tried operating the communicator as if offering a prayer. But there was no connection.
When exactly did they make contact in the original story? No, it's been so long since I played the prologue! There's no way I could remember every single detail!
...Thinking calmly, even if it wouldn't be strange for contact to have been established by now, this is a world where Fujimaru Ritsuka doesn't exist and Mash hasn't awakened.
In other words, another problem could have occurred at Chaldea, and it might be unavoidable that we can't get through.
At the very least, the Doctor and the Director should be alive, and our all-purpose genius is there too, so contact will be made eventually.
I just hope my body and mind are still intact by then. If I'm already worrying like this, can I really handle the remaining seven Singularities and all the chaos that comes with the other event stories?
I was starting to get seriously concerned.
"Chaldea, was it? You've got it rough. From what I hear, you weren't even supposed to be the one coming here. You just happened to have an aptitude for this 'Rayshift' thing, happened to have a decent Master aptitude, and CHALDEAS, which had coincidentally gone haywire, recognized you as a Master and sent you through? Hahahaha! Hey, kid! Heroes are always at the center of a storm! Maybe you really do have the talent for it?"
"Don't tease me. Honestly, if any other Master had come instead of me, things would be going a lot smoother. There's a guy named Kadoc who's supposed to be the weakest in Team A, but even his magecraft aptitude is way better than mine. To be honest, it's debatable if I can even be called a magus."
"Well, you seem to use Transmutation Magecraft with quite a bit of versatility, but at the end of the day, it's just magecraft maintained by short incantations."
Back when I was at the Clock Tower, a professor who was ranked #1 by the female students as the 'man they most wanted to sleep with' used to drone on with difficult theories, saying that I didn't choose that magecraft, but rather the magecraft chose me. Honestly, I wasn't that interested.
I only entered because of the old man's recommendation, but no matter how much I thought about it, the Clock Tower didn't suit me at all.
I would have been much better off performing for people on the street.
"Anyway, since we can't contact Chaldea, we'd better give up on support from that side. Besides, things over there have probably gone to hell, so it'll take time for them to sort it out. We have to do what we can on our end. The remaining Servants are... Saber, Archer, Rider, Assassin, and Berserker, right?"
"I already took out Assassin before you arrived. And you don't really need to worry about Berserker."
"Eh? Why?"
"No matter how strong Saber is, Berserker is a powerful Great Hero. It seems she couldn't completely bring him down. He's become a Shadow Servant like the others, but he's just standing by in a certain forest. He'll attack if you get close, but there's no need to go out of our way to fight him."
"So he can't be an ally, but he's not an enemy as long as we don't go near him? Good. If we can avoid him, we should."
Berserker. The Berserker summoned in this Holy Grail War in Fuyuki was definitely 'Heracles.' The forest Caster mentioned was undoubtedly the one where the Einzbern mansion was located.
A beehive... no, there was no need to poke a hornet's nest and suffer for it. If he wasn't coming out, I was more than grateful.
"Then that leaves Saber, Archer, and Rider... If Saber is the main objective, who should we take down first? Archer or Rider?"
"Archer is currently near Saber, almost as if he's guarding her. If we're going to strike, we should take out Rider, who's closer. Besides, no matter how much she's been degraded as a Shadow Servant, those Mystic Eyes are quite troublesome. Ah, I mean for you, not me. I might be fine, but you'd turn straight to stone. Just like those statues rolling around nearby."
"You don't have to emphasize it! It's scary!"
Medusa's actual combat power wasn't the main issue, but right now, Caster wasn't a specialist in close-quarters combat.
There was always a chance of something going wrong, and Medusa's technical movements and skills would be annoying even if she was weakened. I looked at the Command Spells on the back of my hand.
The Command Spells of Chaldea—did these also recover once a day? Since I wasn't actually participating as a Master in the game and had no interest in such systems, I didn't know.
I'd have to ask once the communication was restored.
"First, you hide, Caster. I'll step forward and act as a decoy. Attack her while she's distracted."
"Hey, I might be a Caster, but I can at least handle a Rider."
"It's about efficiency. A surprise attack is more efficient than anything else. We have many enemies to fight, so if we can take the easy route, we should. Stop looking so dissatisfied! Seriously, do all heroes love frontal confrontations that much?"
"To each their own, as they say."
"Well, I guess people who become heroes are all exceptional in one way or another. More importantly, do I just need to be careful of Rider's eyes?"
"She's quite fast, but since she's a Shadow Servant, she shouldn't be completely overwhelming. Still, just in case... here."
Caster tossed something to me. It was a small stone engraved with a peculiar pattern.
I didn't know much about that field, but if it was a stone given by Cú Chulainn and it had a character on it, there was only one answer.
I muttered under my breath without realizing it.
"A Rune?"
"Oh? What? You knew? Ho, I guess you did some studying after all?"
"Uh, yeah! Something like that!"
"If you have that, you won't be on the verge of death from just one hit. But it'll still be dangerous if Rider uses her Monstrous Strength skill. Still, it's better than nothing."
Simply put, it was a Protection Rune. If I combined this with the enhancement magecraft from the Chaldea Mystic Code, I might be able to hold out somehow.
However, using the Mystic Code's magecraft—which had a long cooldown—against Rider felt like a bit of a waste. I wanted to save it for the final battle with Saber if possible.
But if I was too stingy, I might not even get the chance to use it, and even if I did use it, I could just wait for the cooldown before charging in again.
Still, not having to use it at all would be the best outcome.
"Rider should be straight ahead if you go right from here. But be careful. No matter if you have my Rune and the opponent is a Shadow Servant, a direct hit to the neck will kill you instantly. And if your heart is pierced, you're obviously dead."
"That's the same even if I'm hit by an ordinary person, not a Servant. And the main combat power here isn't me, it's you, Caster. It's better if I'm the one who ends up with a few scratches."
"You say that with a face that looks like your heart's about to jump out of your chest. Try to make your expression match your gutsy words. So, even as a decoy, what are you going to do? Don't tell me you're just going to lure her out from the front? No matter how insane Rider is right now, she'll know Lancer was defeated by me, and she's probably already aware of your presence."
"Then there's no point in hiding. I'll just go straight at her with confidence."
"She'll see through the decoy. Surprise attacks are effective, but a surprise attack the enemy expects often backfires."
"Then I'll just have to make sure she can't see anything but me. With my charm."
As Caster looked at me with an exasperated expression, I smiled. If I had any advantage, it was the information from that damn game. There was no way I wouldn't use it.
To be honest, I didn't want to admit that coming back to life after dying was an advantage.
It was so painful I felt like I'd die again.
I didn't have the mental fortitude to think, 'Oh well, I'll just come back to life if I die.'
Above all, just because I came back to life last time didn't mean there was any guarantee I'd come back this time.
"Well, I'll figure something out."
I couldn't afford to let Cú Chulainn waste too much magical energy starting with Medusa. It had to end with a single blow, a surprise attack.
**
The statues visible in the vicinity were horrific.
They had all turned to stone amidst terror and screams. I felt nauseous, as if I could feel their pain.
As someone who had never killed anyone, I couldn't understand someone who snuffed out human lives like they were flies. And I didn't want to kill with these hands in the future either.
I felt that if I crossed that line, I'd never be able to go back. Many people had already died because of my idleness.
But to kill someone of my own will—even if it was unavoidable—was clearly something I shouldn't do.
Thud. At the sound of a footstep, I took a deep breath and turned around. Just looking at her physique, the word 'beautiful' came naturally to mind. Wearing such skin-tight clothes, honestly, if I had met her in daily life, she was the kind of person I'd immediately stare at.
Moreover, though hidden by a blindfold, she was definitely a beauty. There was no way she wasn't.
The words of a man who spent his whole life chasing after women, but never had a woman chase after him, were surely correct.
"I did not expect you to come as a decoy so openly. Did you think that even if my reason has somewhat faded as a Shadow Servant, I would lose even that much discernment?"
'Is a person with so much discernment currently turning people into stone and playing around by smashing them? Is your conscience doing okay?'
Medusa slowly removed her blindfold. Wow, she really is a beauty.
The Mystic Eyes of Petrification...
If you enter her field of vision, you turn to stone. Of course, most characters with a decent name have resistance or something, so it's usually just a debuff skill that lowers stats, but the moment I enter her sight, I'll freeze solid.
Medusa spoke, her eyes still not fully open.
"However, in a sense, you are the ultimate bait. I cannot help but take it. Not that I have any reason to move according to your wishes, though. Now, I shall kill you gently."
Medusa opened her eyes. 'I' still did not move. Only then did Medusa likely feel a sense of dissonance.
She clearly felt a human presence nearby, and there I was. She might have let her guard down because I was alone. If she petrified me, then no matter how well I performed as a decoy, Caster's defeat was certain.
No matter how strong Caster was, it was impossible to defeat Archer and Saber without a Master.
Even with me, the success rate only went up by about 0.5%, but without me, even that 0.5% would be gone. So Medusa had decided to incapacitate me.
Even if she were to die, a completely petrified human would not return to normal.
"This... could it be!"
Medusa swung her chain. 'I' took a direct hit and shattered instantly.
Ah, seriously...
I felt it while fighting her directly last time, but she was definitely more impatient than the 'Medusa' I knew. Her reason being eroded meant exactly that.
She wasn't calm, she wasn't cool-headed, and her body moved before her thoughts. If Medusa had moved a bit more cautiously, she might have figured it out.
But Medusa approached as soon as she found me. And she didn't doubt. She didn't maintain any guard against a mere brat who was just a Master.
That was true, but Medusa didn't remember that this brat's magecraft was quite useful.
It was perfect.
"A doll... made with magecraft?"
BOOM!!
I lunged out from the ground. "Only half right, you snake woman!!"
My Transmutation Magecraft can create anything as long as it isn't alive. Within the scope of my memory and magical energy, that is.
I can't change mass, but if I set my mind to it, I can change the properties or the colors visible on the surface.
It consumes a bit much mana, but if I can use it to trick a Servant who can turn me into a star in the sky with one hit, it's a profitable trade!!
"Fly awayyyyy!!!"
THUMP!! Medusa couldn't avoid the rising rock and was pushed back.
Sizzle. I felt my body go numb.
Did she see me in that brief moment?
I didn't look directly into her eyes, and I was already on guard in my mind. It was a very short time, less than a second, so it seemed I didn't fully petrify, but this is quite painful.
Whoosh. Something sliced through the air and flew toward me. CLANG!! In a momentary lapse of concentration, the chain struck my abdomen.
Did that crazy woman throw the chain at me without even looking in that state?
I wanted to transmute this chain, but how do you even transmute a Servant's weapon? It didn't seem to be just a matter of mana consumption.
If I had been hit normally, I would have died instantly, but the effect of the Protection Rune is amazing. I'm still alive.
But it really hurts.
"Cough... Ah, I feel like I'm going to die. ...But."
Medusa had barely escaped by crushing the rock that was pushing her in mid-air.
I spat out blood and shouted.
"I'm not dying yet!! Caster!! Now's the time!!!"
"Tch!!"
I could hear the clicking of a tongue from here. Hero, Heroic Spirit, Anti-Hero, who cares!! Serves you right for underestimating us!!
Medusa immediately turned and lunged as if she had spotted Caster.
Seriously, I might die if I say this, but I couldn't not say it. I took a deep breath and shouted loud enough for Medusa, who was completely focused on Caster, to hear.
It felt like my internal organs were tearing, but I said it. My role wasn't completely over yet.
"Did your sisters taste good when you devoured them like that?!"
BOOM!! I shouted just as she was about to reach where Caster was.
Crushing the 'Caster'—the creation of my Transmutation Magecraft—with her hands, Medusa charged toward me with terrifying speed.
It worked?
Her reason was already eroded, but my words must have made her sanity vanish to a Berserker-like level.
RUMBLE!! I created a wall with Transmutation Magecraft between me and Medusa.
I didn't think I could defend with just this. It was just to keep Medusa's gaze from falling on me.
Even if I were to be somewhat petrified, I had no doubt that 'Caster-emon' would do something about it, but this was better than getting petrified for no reason.
Now, with this, Medusa had completely lost her mind and was charging at me. And she was charging in a straight line, as if saying, 'Please read my movements.'
Of course, someone close to an ordinary person like me couldn't read them, but there was someone who could.
A fellow Servant could read them perfectly. Heat shimmered from the ground as Medusa was lunging.
Medusa recognized that heat, but she had already lunged with too much force to avoid it. There was no way to stop.
"Kenaz!"
"You...!!"
ROAR!!!!
Before Medusa could finish her words, she was engulfed in the rising flames.
I couldn't tell if she had finished her sentence only for it to be drowned out by the sound of the fire, or if she couldn't speak because she was being burned away.
I slumped down, clutching my abdomen. Even though I had used the Protection Rune, my fragile body was screaming in pain from being hit.
The blazing flames began to gradually subside. In the fluttering ashes, I thought I saw the black light characteristic of a Shadow Servant disappearing. I slowly lowered my head.
"I'm sorry."
Even though she was an enemy and someone who had even killed me once, it felt a bit bad to touch upon what was essentially Medusa's greatest trauma.
But otherwise, there was a chance I wouldn't have pulled her aggro completely.
I had no choice because I had to perform the role of a decoy properly. If I had only pulled her aggro halfway, it would have just made her more cautious...
Phew, I'm just glad it went according to plan.
"Yo, Master... That was quite an unsightly yet impressive struggle, wasn't it? I think it's good, though. You have to do whatever it takes to survive to be human. Don't go feeling unnecessary guilt toward Rider. Just think of it as her fault for dying after falling for a provocation."
"I can't easily have the same mindset as someone who lived in an era where wars broke out all the time! I was far removed from violence, let alone slaughter or war!"
"That's quite a boring era."
"Just what kind of era did you live in to call this boring?! It's peaceful! Are you calling peace boring?! Are all people from that era like that?!"
"Well, yeah. At least the warriors I know would say an era like that is dull. Though I suppose that's one way to live."
Cú Chulainn was from Celtic mythology, right? Were all those Ulster people like that?
Faces like Scáthach, Medb, and Fionn mac Cumhaill came to mind.
...Wait, was that kind of mindset actually common over there? Is this the difference in culture and era? It was getting a bit scary.
I walked slowly toward the spot where Rider had burned away. I was sorry, but I wouldn't apologize twice.
Besides, you won't remember, but you killed me once, so I won't even bow my head.
If we meet again and you have memories of this time...
Then I will bow my head and apologize sincerely. I won't bow to the current you.
"Now, with this, it's pretty much a success... Gack!"
"Hm? Ah, it looks like the place where Lancer got you earlier has opened up again. You took Rider's attack head-on, after all. Let's get you treated first. We just have to deal with Saber and Archer, but neither of them are easy opponents."
"True. I hope we can finally get in touch with Chaldea this time."
THWACK!!! A strange sound echoed. Something was lodged in my leg.
"Aaaaagh...!!!"
"Kid!! Get down!!"
Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh!! Something was flying through the air. I didn't have time to think about where it was coming from or who it was.
Caster quickly stepped in and deflected everything that flew our way. I collapsed from the attack and breathed heavily.
This is bad... the part hit by Lancer has burst, and I'm a mess inside from taking a hit from Rider too.
On top of that, my thigh was pierced by the sudden surprise attack, and the area between my left arm and chest was also neatly pierced.
At least the latter felt more like a graze, so it wasn't a critical wound, but combined with the other injuries, it had become serious.
This is dangerous. It was hard to breathe.
"Damn that Archer!!!"
Caster picked me up and ran, dodging the incoming projectiles.
Archer... then these are all arrows? BOOM! BOOM!! Every time they hit the ground, it sounded like a bomb exploding. That's a bow?
A bow drawn and fired by human hands?
You guys... you're really not human.
Caster, who was running while carrying me, kept calling my name. I felt like I was going to lose consciousness.
My instincts warned me that if I lost consciousness now, I would die. Was it because I had died twice that I knew that so well, or was it just a natural instinct of a living being?
I spoke to Caster, who looked serious.
"Caster."
"What?! Don't lose consciousness! If you pass out now, you'll die!!"
"How... should I comfort... a depressed woman?"
"What?!"
"Come to think of it... there's a woman who'll cry when this is over."
Blood flowed, and my head felt fuzzy. I recognized that my body was a mess in various places.
But in the midst of that, something came to mind. There was a person who had been betrayed by the person they trusted most and died just like that.
I could somehow change the 'died' part, but the future of being betrayed was fixed, and there was nothing I could do about it.
That woman, who pretends to be strong on the outside, will cry inside again.
She will say that she can only walk such a path and will complete herself as a villain.
Even those around her will start to recognize it, and she will crumble.
I didn't want to see a person who works so hard end up like that.
"Caster... I thought you'd know a lot about women."
"Unfortunately!! I haven't had much luck with good women since I was alive!!"
Ping!! Caster laughed at my nonsensical words. While deflecting arrows, that is.
"That's... the same as me."
When I laughed weakly, Caster said,
"Ah, but I have a lot of experience."
"...Traitor."
"You should try it too, so don't die. You can't just kick the bucket in a place like this."
Once we had come quite a distance, Archer's attacks stopped.
Whether it was because they could no longer reach us or because he decided it was no longer useful, I survived. Caster walked while supporting me.
I tried to treat myself using the Chaldea Mystic Code quickly, but I couldn't even stop all the bleeding.
If I die like this, do I go back to the beginning again?
Or was it saved at the point I took down Medusa?
Or is the chance over now, and if I die, I really die?
Either way, there was nothing but despair, so a hollow laugh came out.
"Hey, don't laugh with a face like that. I've sent off many warriors, and many of them went with a face like that."
"Caster, you don't know anything... Virgins don't die."
"Seeing as your mouth is still moving, I guess you're okay. I'm treating you."
I could feel the heat in my body. It felt like my brain was heating up.
If it got any worse, it would turn into a burning sensation and I'd reach the threshold of death.
If even one more of Archer's attacks had hit my body, I would have died. I'm glad Caster reacted quickly. By the way, to launch a surprise attack—I did take down Medusa with a surprise attack too, but anyway, what a cowardly fellow.
Well, he wasn't one to be picky about means and methods in the original story anyway. A modern Heroic Spirit...
In a sense, he might be the most troublesome. Beep, there was a response from the communication device. I barely managed to move my hand, which wasn't moving well.
I pressed the button with a blood-stained finger. Along with a voice mixed with static, a screen with the quality of an old TV appeared in the air.
Could there be a leyline around here?
Since I had no tools, knowledge, or anything to distinguish such things, I couldn't know the reason why the communication went through.
[We finally connected! ...Eh? Wait, you! Are you okay?!]
It was the Doctor. The Doctor looked at me with a relieved face, but then he checked my physical condition and shouted, his face turning pale.
Suddenly, a hand popped out from the side and pushed the Doctor away. Judging by that overbearing behavior, it was definitely the Director.
As expected, the Director, who appeared after pushing the Doctor aside, had a face full of dissatisfaction.
I even saved her life, so I wished she'd make a face more like a heroine who'd been won over, but I couldn't really imagine that myself.
The only smiles I'd seen from her while working together so far were cynical ones. It hurt my heart a bit. Mentally.
"Oh, Director. I'm glad you're safe."
[You, how did you Rayshift... Wait, what's with your condition?! Romani! Quickly, check this idiot's vitals right now!]
[W-wait... I'm connecting now. Connected. One fatal wound... two... three... Wait, are you actually alive right now?! We're not communicating with a ghost right now, are we?!]
"Well, they're certainly wounds that make it a miracle you're not dead. Having strong vitality is a blessing, Master."
'No, wasn't I just lucky?'
Last time, my abdomen was pierced by Medusa and I died just like that. They were all fatal wounds, but I only survived because there were no wounds that would cause instant death.
Thanks to Caster being excellent and capable, I'll probably save my life again, but I don't know if my body will hold up.
I've been repeating the cycle of getting wounded, being forced back together, and fighting again for a while now.
The Director, having heard about my condition, turned pale and thrust her face close to the screen.
Wow, even in low resolution, it's not bad when a beauty gets close.
[Don't you dare die! That's an order! Right now, there's no one else besides you who has both Rayshift and Master aptitude! If you die, there's no one to replace you! Survive first, survive even if it's just out of spite!]
'No one...? Not even one...?'
No, certainly, even in the original story, only the talentless Fujimaru Ritsuka Rayshifted.
So the reason only Ritsuka was Rayshifted wasn't just because it was a game, but because there really was no one else who could do it?
That talentless person, who had less magecraft aptitude than me and didn't know the first thing about magecraft—there was no one else besides that ordinary person?
Come to think of it, I heard Rayshift aptitude is extremely rare...
I stared at the Director's face for a moment and then staggered.
"I'm screwed."
Thud. I collapsed just like that. The Director's shrill voice gradually drifted away.
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