I realized that having vague memories is not a good thing.
It’s been over twenty years since I was reincarnated. Naturally, even if things had just come back to me, some parts had grown faint and others were forgotten entirely.
Rayshift aptitude is extremely rare. If I had possessed Master aptitude on top of that, I would have already been included as a Master candidate.
Even after scouring the entire world, they couldn't find even fifty people. I should have realized it at that point.
The fact that there is no one else who can carry out this damn Restoration of the Human Order except for me. No, how should I put it? I actually felt a sense of relief.
It was the kind of feeling where despair overloads and starts to feel like hope. Since there was no one else anyway, I had to do it—that was the excuse I gave my crumbling heart.
My naive thought that I might be able to hand this off to someone else once I somehow cleared Fuyuki had been completely shattered.
...Since it had already come to this, I had to do my best. For the sake of those who died, I at least had to restore the Human Order.
The problem, however, was whether I could make it to the end without Mash...
No, the end isn't the problem right now. ...As I slowly opened my eyes, my consciousness was hazy. My entire body felt feverish.
My wounds weren't completely gone, but they had been treated considerably. It seemed I had fainted again.
I don't even know how many times I've lost consciousness. If I included my deaths, it was getting scary to count.
"You awake?"
"Caster... Man, looks like I passed out again. Sorry for being such a burden."
"Don't worry about it. If you hadn't been there, I might have used quite a bit of mana dealing with that Rider. If that had happened, even I would have vanished from mana depletion before reaching Archer, let alone Saber. You can interpret what happened positively or negatively. Since it's already done, it's better to think positively. There are many more hellish battlefields ahead, so keep that in mind."
"I wonder if someone like me can really do it."
I muttered while blankly staring at the wide sky. Fujimaru Ritsuka, the protagonist of the original story, certainly had less talent than I did.
Unlike me, who was born with at least a minimum amount of magical aptitude, he was an ordinary person with none at all—someone who couldn't even use support magecraft without a Chaldea Mystic Code.
He was a small existence who just happened to have some Rayshift and Master aptitude.
But he always had a reliable partner in Mash, and he possessed a goodness of character that even the Beasts acknowledged, along with an absolute 'destiny' that people followed.
Unfortunately, I had none of that. If I at least had a good personality, things might have gone better.
...Knowing that people would die and yet doing nothing, I probably failed even that minimum requirement for character.
Come to think of it... Fou didn't like me very much either.
"Even if you conquer this Fuyuki, many more hardships await you. And those are obstacles that would be called hardships regardless of who faces them. It's a path that wouldn't be easy even for a once-in-a-generation genius; it's certain to be a journey like walking through hellfire. Furthermore, you are not a once-in-a-generation genius. I won't say you have no talent at all, though. Seeing you fight Rider earlier, you at least have the vessel to fight. You could also call it a mindset."
"What mindset?"
"Not looking away from your opponent. Even while trembling deep in your heart, you didn't take your eyes off Rider. That is a warrior's mindset. And a kid with no real combat experience is doing that. I think you can afford to have some confidence in yourself."
"Wow, coming from a hero who left enough of a mark to be registered in the Throne of Heroes, that sounds real. I guess I can raise my self-evaluation score a little bit."
Well, the reality was that I couldn't even properly defeat a Shadow Servant.
In fact, if it hadn't been for the runes Caster gave me, I would have been finished the moment Medusa's chain hit me.
Forget fractures; my bones would have been pulverized, and those shattered bones would have pierced my organs, killing me. I know all too well how easily a person can die.
...And now, I've learned that humans also don't die as easily as one might think.
Even though the wounds all over my body are just fantastic, I'm still alive.
One moment I die from a hole in my stomach, and the next I survive even after being thrashed like this.
I wonder if human vitality expands and contracts depending on the moment.
"Was the Director being noisy?"
"Ah, that woman was so loud about how you absolutely must not die that I pressed this button to block her out."
"I'm the one who has to take it back, and I'm terrified, you know?"
"She was squawking in my ear while I was trying to treat you. Here, take it."
I took the communicator back. I really don't want to connect this. Fortunately, this area seemed to be a leyline, so the communication with Chaldea was being maintained.
Since I hadn't set up anything proper, there was a possibility the connection would cut out again if I moved away from here, but I recall something being done on top of a leyline in the original story too.
I don't remember clearly.
If I had known this would happen, I would have read it like my life depended on it and memorized everything. My brain wasn't that good, apparently.
Besides, it was a story from over twenty years ago, making it even harder to remember.
Anyway, let's focus on getting past Fuyuki first. I pressed the button to activate the communication.
Immediately, I saw the Director with a look of pure rot on her face.
"........."
[.........]
"........."
Click. I pressed the button and cut the communication.
"Hahahahahaha!!! Hahahahahahaha!!!"
"It's not a laughing matter! She had a face like she wanted to drag me to the roof of Chaldea right now and push me off!"
"No, my gut says that type is surprisingly incapable of doing anything truly cruel. Even if she walked the path of evil, she'd only ever be a petty thug."
I couldn't argue with that; it was an accurate assessment.
To realize that in one go... I guess a Great Hero is a Great Hero for a reason.
...I stared at the communicator for a moment, sighed, and pressed the button again.
Regardless, I had to connect if I wanted support from that side.
They weren't exactly in a relaxed situation either, but I might be able to get some useful items.
Zzt. As soon as the screen came on, a sound loud enough to make my ears ring burst out.
[How can you just cut the connection like it's nothing! You're a problem, but that Servant there! You look like... a Caster, but to suddenly cut the transmission!]
"Our Master was in such bad shape, you see. Your yapping was breaking my concentration, and it would be a disaster if the only incompetent asset we have here died."
"That's true... Wait, the only what?!"
"As you can see, his hearing and cognitive abilities are perfectly fine."
It's true, but it still hurts!?
Sigh... To think I have to accept this as fact. I didn't think I was highly capable, but I didn't think I was incompetent either...
But since my track record so far consists of nothing but getting beaten and sent flying by a Shadow Servant, I can't even argue.
My self-esteem was currently in tatters. I thought my magecraft could at least buy some time?
Against real monsters, buying time didn't even work. Getting beaten, stabbed, killed... really...
I was useless for anything other than being a mana battery for a Servant.
"So, Director, what's the situation at Chaldea?"
[...It's desperate. All 48 Masters who were originally scheduled to Rayshift have fallen into a state of suspended animation. We moved them to cold sleep quickly so they didn't die, but reviving them in the current situation is impossible. Not only that, Chaldea has lost 80% of its functions, and there aren't many staff members left.]
"Well, since it was a Rayshift experiment, most of the staff were in the control room, and the control room was hit by a terrorist attack, so that's how it would go. By the way, what about Mash? Is Mash alive?"
[Mash is alive, but she's severely injured, so we don't know when she'll wake up. That girl is a bit special to begin with... No, that doesn't matter right now. I'm asking you formally: do you have the resolve to resolve this situation?]
"I don't."
[...Eh?]
"I'm not a Master candidate, and I'm not even a powerful magus like you, Director. There's no way I'd have something like that. I just applied with a feeling of 'Wow, heroes from the past, so cool,' hoping to shake a hero's hand and hear some heroic tales. I'm not someone who came to Chaldea out of love for humanity or a sense of mission. There's no way I'd have that crap."
In the first place, I wanted to know why I, who wasn't even an official Master, was chosen as a Master and sent here.
Last time, I was just curious if I could Rayshift too, so I borrowed the help of the omnipotent genius to get tested for aptitude.
I was told it might be possible once things stabilized, but I wasn't among the 48 Masters to be officially registered.
And yet, this crazy CHALDEAS went and Rayshifted me just because I had 'Master aptitude' and 'Rayshift aptitude,' even though I wasn't an official Master.
I didn't even want to come, and yet my body is in this state.
I've even died about twice.
To be honest, just thinking about it now makes me want to gag and makes my mind feel cluttered.
"And look at the state of my body. I've never had the experience of fighting with my life on the line until now. My Magic Circuits and mana capacity aren't that great either. If I had to find a merit, it's that my mana recovery is a bit faster than others, but even then, it's just at a 'somewhat excellent' level. And the one who put me in this state wasn't even a proper Servant, but a Shadow Servant whose reason was eroded, whose stats were lowered, and who couldn't even use a Noble Phantasm? It's a literal living hell."
[...Um, that's.]
The Director fell silent. Seeing the blood on the ground and my condition, she seemingly couldn't speak harshly.
She really was someone ill-suited for her position.
I would have preferred if she had made some unreasonable demand like, 'Even so, you must do it.'
If she had, I could have at least treated her like a villain and found some comfort in that.
...Ah, I really hate myself for being such trash. I looked at the Director with an awkward smile.
The Director couldn't look me straight in the eye.
"But I'll do it somehow."
[...Eh?]
"If they say no one else can do it but me, if they say it has to be done now, and if everything will turn to ash if I lose... then I'll do it. I'll do my best, as much as I can."
The Director looked surprised for a moment, then said "Ah" as if she had realized something.
[Why are you naturally using informal speech? I'm older than you and your superior!]
"Oh, then why don't you try doing it yourself without me? Sue me! I'm quitting!"
[Ugh... You...!! Flipping your words just like that...!!]
The Director was so frustrated she couldn't say anything. This feels surprisingly good. Ever since I joined Chaldea, I've been scolded every single time I saw her.
Of course, I can't say I was entirely blameless, but there were plenty of times when I thought, 'Wow, she's complaining about even this?'
There was a refreshing feeling, as if that stress was momentarily washed away by a wave.
Perhaps reading my refreshed expression, the Director looked extremely indignant.
But soon, she let out a deep breath and spoke.
[Fine, whatever. Are your wounds okay? Even if I ignore Romani asking if you were talking to a ghost, you're clearly not in a normal state. ...Why don't you return to Chaldea once and try again?]
"The result will be the same anyway. Besides, we can't just leave this Singularity alone. If I go there to rest, it's not like this place will be resting too. Unfortunately, Singularities are open year-round, so it doesn't look like there's time to rest. Besides, if I go back, can Caster go to Chaldea too? Caster, who was summoned here by the Holy Grail, would probably have to stay here alone, and I doubt mana could be transferred to him across eras."
"The connection itself probably wouldn't break, but mana transfer would be difficult. If I get attacked by Saber or Archer in the meantime... well, it would be what they call 'defeat in detail.'"
"You heard him? I'll save resting my battered body on your lap for after this is over, Director."
[I never said I'd do that! I can't believe you can talk such nonsense with those injuries. I can even feel a sense of conviction now.]
"I'm surprised too."
I really was.
Even in a situation where I might die, even at the moment death approaches, this mouth of mine keeps moving.
Anyway, thanks to that, I beat Medusa easily, but depending on the situation, I might die because I touch someone's sore spot.
In fact, since I actually know information about various Servants, I might naturally touch a sore spot without even knowing it.
Even if it's not a sore spot, a 'How do you know that?' situation would be very bad.
I had to watch my mouth.
In this place, a single word could literally cost me my head.
"By the way, seeing you and that Rider named Medusa made me realize something."
[Me and Medusa...? What did you realize?]
"I think I have a thing for older, curvy women."
[Romani! I'm going after all! We can't have someone like that as humanity's last Master! I feel sorry for the Human Order having to be saved by the likes of him!!]
"You can't come, though."
[You!! Seriously!!]
If you're so annoyed, get some Rayshift aptitude!
Talking nonsense, I pushed myself up. Fortunately, nothing seemed broken. My legs felt awkward when moving, but I could move.
My arms, my legs—everything moved.
Then it was enough.
I looked at the fuming Director.
Well, since she's fundamentally a beauty, her angry face was quite charming, and if one had that kind of taste, this could be called a reward. Unfortunately, I preferred a woman's benevolence over her abuse.
Grandpa once told me that any woman who smiles is beautiful.
"First, if you can send items from there to here, could you send some medical supplies like bandages and some basic food?"
The Director made an extremely indignant face.
Ah, my post-employment stress is being relieved. This is a very beneficial phenomenon. I feel my body getting better.
[I can't send a large amount. The situation here isn't great either.]
"I know. ...Oh, if you look under the bed in my room, there should be a bag. Send that too. It's my Mystic Code. Is that possible?"
[If it's not too bulky, it should be possible.]
"You're being surprisingly compliant. I thought I'd hear more grumbling."
The Director looked at me with a complicated expression, her arms crossed.
[What you said earlier wasn't wrong. You're not an official Master, and you didn't come here with a sense of mission. I know that from working with you. Yet you're saying you'll keep trying even in that state. My perspective, just watching from here, can't compare to the reality on the ground. So, as long as it's not impossible, I won't refuse your requests. ...And you saved my life.]
It seemed she remembered. Since she had been acting the same as always, I thought she had forgotten.
No... is it because there are other Chaldea staff members around that she can't show any weakness? No matter how I thought about it, she was a troublesome woman.
My fate was clearly twisted the moment my eyes were drawn to such a strange woman.
But I wondered if it really had to be this twisted. It had become so distorted that I couldn't even imagine its original form.
[Honestly, my head is a mess too. Lev... if only Lev were here.]
"Director... I've been thinking about something since the incident happened. Want to hear it?"
[What is it?]
"There's a possibility that Lev Lainur was the one who planted the bombs."
The Director's expression froze instantly. I wondered if I really needed to tell her this.
Whether she liked it or not, she would find out when she met Lev. But being betrayed by someone you trust is painful. It's agonizing, and surely beyond words.
In the original story, she died immediately after, but the current Director is alive. She will have to carry the pain of that wound from now on.
If so, I thought it would be better for her to know in advance, so that at least the wound at that time would be smaller.
[Th-That's impossible. You were fairly close to Lev too, so you should know. There's no way Lev... would do that.]
"Then who else could have planted bombs in the control room? It had to be someone deeply involved. The 48 Masters fell into suspended animation because of the bombs. Excluding them, who else could have smuggled in bombs, avoided everyone's eyes, and installed them?"
[It's not impossible for a Chaldea staff member...]
"I saw him leaving the control room before the Rayshift experiment. Does it make sense to leave when an important test is about to start? Especially when you, the Director, were so extremely nervous. Most of all, even if Lev, who wasn't in the control room, had been caught in the blast, his body wouldn't have been completely vaporized. But there's no sign of a body, not even a shadow. Even if he's not the mastermind, the possibility that he's involved is very high."
[.......... No, that can't be. You must have seen wrong! Lev, of all people, wouldn't! Don't make my head even more complicated with such useless talk!]
It couldn't be helped if she couldn't accept it. Since I knew the story, I knew very well that he was the traitor.
But for the Director, someone she had trusted and relied on all this time was suddenly becoming a traitor.
The Director's head was already a mess from the current incidents, and she was mentally cornered.
It was an action that seemed to corner her even further, but it was still better to prevent it in advance rather than having her be told directly and getting wounded then.
She would still be hurt, but it would be better than not knowing at all.
"I'm not telling you to trust me. Just keep it in the back of your mind. The possibility that Lev Lainur is a traitor. ...Call me back when the supplies are ready."
Zzt. The Director, looking troubled, didn't say a word until I cut the connection.
When I let out a deep sigh, Caster came over and sat next to me.
The way he looked at me was... how should I put it? Lukewarm?
Anyway, it was the look of someone watching a kid. Caster roughly ruffled my hair.
"Wait, what gives!?"
"Women like that tend to look for someone to support them. And if that person supporting them disappears, they literally crumble. The end result is either finding a new person to support them or self-destructing without being able to stop the crumbling. I wonder which one your boss is?"
"She can't live being supported forever. Lev seemed like a good person, honestly, but... it felt like he was 'helping' the Director walk by breaking her legs first so she couldn't do without him."
I'd had a strange sense of dissonance even before I had my memories. I thought he was a good person. He was actually kind to me, and we talked together.
When we met in the halls, we'd kill time with idle chatter.
But the way he treated Director Olga Marie... how should I put it? It didn't feel like lovers, or even siblings, but more like a zookeeper and a pet.
So when I told the Director she shouldn't rely on him too much, I got yelled at so loudly my ears almost bled.
The fact that she denied it so vehemently probably meant she recognized that the current situation wasn't exactly desirable herself.
"I believe in people who can walk on their own two feet. Though I'll give them a shoulder to lean on if it's a bit difficult."
"...You seem like you'll have quite the history with troublesome women too."
"Ha! What would you know, Caster, when you must have experienced all sorts of women as a hero! Let me tell you, in my twenty-one years of life, I've had zero sexual experience, let alone a girlfriend! Every Christmas, I'd watch couples walking around arm-in-arm and laugh at them for wasting money, only to fall into self-loathing over and over again!"
"That's not something to say with such a proud face. But hey, think positively. If it were the era I lived in, you might have been surprisingly popular. If you survived, that is."
"What a great story, provided I could actually survive there."
I have no confidence in surviving an era that's basically a demonic realm!
I feel like I'd just accept it if I died to a wild beast the moment I got there. While we were waiting for the contact from Chaldea, I heard a sound.
I reflexively curled my body, and Caster gripped his staff tightly.
A low growl, like a small beast, could be heard.
There was also a clattering sound.
"What is that now...!?"
"You haven't met them yet? You've been lucky. Those things are swarming all over Fuyuki right now."
"Ah, dammit!! I thought I could rest a bit more!!!"
"There's no end to them if we deal with them one by one! We'll fight just enough, and as soon as there's an opening, we run! Don't faint this time, Master!!"
"I'll try! But be prepared to carry me while you run!!"
Ritsuka... How did you do this? Please, teach me.
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