Chaldea was currently in a state of emergency.
The loss of 80% of Chaldea's functions was a catastrophe in itself, but it didn't stop there. The forty-eight Master candidates with Rayshift aptitude, gathered from all over the world, had fallen into a state of suspended animation.
Team A, in particular, was in critical condition. Even if the situation stabilized, reviving them would require a staggering amount of money and time. Most of the Chaldea staff had also been killed or injured in the explosion.
Since the explosion occurred just as the Rayshift experiment was about to begin in earnest, most of the personnel had been in the command room. It was a natural, if devastating, outcome.
Lev Lainur was also missing for some reason. Doubts were being raised everywhere that he might have been Rayshifted, just like the man currently fighting on the front lines.
If there was any stroke of luck, it was that Director Olga Marie was still alive.
With her alive, handling the aftermath—should things settle down—would be significantly easier. The problem, however, was that "should."
Olga Marie recalled his image on the screen. It hadn't truly hit her until she received the vital check report directly from Romani.
But after seeing it, she realized just how much courage it must have taken for him to say he would still try.
A puncture wound in his left thigh, bleeding near his left arm and chest, a stab wound in his right flank—and those were just a few of the many injuries found.
Setting aside his actual skill, he was running on half-grit and half-spite.
The fact that someone capable of doing that in a moment of crisis was in that position was one of their few pieces of good fortune.
"……."
Olga Marie's mind was a mess. Unfortunately, this wasn't an official Rayshift, and he wasn't an official Master.
Naturally, because they lacked various preparations, if he cut off communication from his side, they couldn't check on him directly. At the very least, they could track his location and physical condition as the data updated.
Olga Marie couldn't hide her complicated feelings as she replayed his words in her head.
Lev Lainur's betrayal—the mere thought of it made her feel ill. When she first heard it, she had reflexively denied it.
But thinking about it alone after cutting the comms, it wasn't such an absurd idea. It wasn't entirely baseless.
The seed of doubt—the small possibility that had taken root within her—soon began to shake her psyche. If Lev really was the traitor, then why? For what reason?
They had gotten along so well until now. To Olga Marie, he was her benefactor and perhaps the only person who truly understood her. Whether he betrayed her willingly or unwillingly didn't matter now.
……If she had heard of Lev's betrayal without any warning, would she have been able to keep her sanity?
He had looked at Olga Marie with such a sorrowful expression while she was defending Lev.
Seeing that face—sincere and steeped in a warmth she had never seen before, as if he had become a different person—all the delusional defenses she had prepared vanished.
In the end, she couldn't say a word to him until the communication ended. On the contrary, when she reconnected the comms, he was the one who apologized and tried to move on with a joke.
That lighthearted attitude had always been annoying, but he remained lighthearted even in this situation.
'Come to think of it, that guy always emphasized resting to an unusual degree.'
On days when Olga Marie overworked herself, he would appear with a flippant smile and indirectly tell her to take a break.
But because her impression of him was nothing but negative, she never took him seriously. Even though she had once collapsed from exhaustion.
……Olga Marie stared blankly at his location, marked like a pin on the map. As he said, she had to consider the possibility to some extent.
The possibility that Lev—Lev Lainur—was truly the traitor who planted the bombs. She was speaking so calmly now, but if Lev actually appeared before her as a traitor, would she be able to maintain her composure?
If he criticized her coldly, could she endure it?
If he clung to her pitifully, could she cast him aside?
The fact that her first thoughts about the benefactor who had taken care of her were like this made Olga Marie realize that she was, indeed, a 'Magus.'
Despite being horrified by the unethical experiments on Mash, she might not be fundamentally different.
After all, that blood flowed through her veins.
"Huh?"
"……Hm? What is it, Romani?"
Romani, who was monitoring his vitals, tilted his head. It seemed the battle hadn't started yet. Romani looked at Olga Marie with a confused expression.
Because his expression was so unusual, Olga Marie frowned, urging him for an answer.
Did his wounds open up or something?
That Caster seemed capable, but considering his physical condition, it wouldn't be strange if he collapsed at any moment.
"Well, I've been monitoring his condition, and just now, his stress levels suddenly skyrocketed."
"……I see. But considering the current situation, it must be hard to stay positive. Negative thoughts can strike suddenly. It's unavoidable when you're on the ground."
In that hell, dragging a body on the verge of death, he was challenging an enemy that seemed impossible to defeat. He spoke nonchalantly, but his insides were likely a wreck.
If he somehow made it back, they would have to prepare some form of mental care.
If he died, the Human Order was as good as finished. However, Romani let out an uncertain sound and showed her the screen as if he had more to say.
"They've nearly tripled."
"……Tripled?! What? Is there some kind of error!?"
Suddenly, when nothing was happening? Why?
***
'I feel sick.'
I slumped down, breathing heavily. My upper body had been blown away. The pain had lasted only an instant. I reflexively clutched my head, trying to calm myself down.
I feel sick, incredibly sick. My stomach is churning. The momentary pain—the threshold of death—felt like it would drive me insane just by reaching it.
The sensation of my upper body being obliterated wasn't pleasant. The pain might have been less than my other two deaths, but the shock seemed to ripple through my entire being.
Even though this body's torso was perfectly fine, it felt like my consciousness was drifting away. It felt as if someone was mocking me, asking why I didn't just give up already.
I haven't even finished the prologue yet; I can't end here. Even as I thought that, my heart understood that terror.
Even if he was a Shadow Servant, he was the real Heracles.
He was a Great Hero who could be called divine, but all I saw was a beast itself. A strike driven by instinct rather than reason had brutally torn through my upper body.
Thump. My heart raced against my will, making it hard to breathe. My vision began to darken. Heracles is strong, but the current Heracles has weakened stats and can't even use his Noble Phantasm.
He's in a state with many debuffs. Yet, that pressure... the King of Knights we have to fight later is even stronger. And even if we get past her, there are things even more powerful waiting ahead.
Things that go beyond the level where merely looking at them makes you realize your death are swarming everywhere. That fact was so nauseating it made my stomach turn.
I don't want to do this. I hate it. Save me. I feel sick. Why me? It hurts. It's painful.
Just as something repulsive was about to take hold of me, water was splashed on my face.
My darkened vision returned to normal, and there was Caster, looking at me strangely.
I……. Did I come back again? By now, I could understand that the 'condition' for rewinding time was simply dying. My head felt fuzzy. My body was heavy and wouldn't listen, as if I had a severe flu.
I carefully sat up and calmed my breathing.
Calm down, calm down. Please, calm down.
If I don't do it, who will? People died because I looked the other way. For their sake, I have to do this.
If someone has to do it, if someone absolutely must do it, then it's only me. There is nothing worse than the negligence of someone who knows. I committed that sin. I have to do at least this much.
A reason to do it, a reason I must do it, definitely, definitely, definitely. Definitely…….
Thud! Someone suddenly smacked my head hard. "Gyah!" I let out a strange sound involuntarily. Looking up, Caster was still staring at me as if I were some bizarre specimen.
"First you suddenly collapse, and when you finally wake up, you look like a guy who's tasted all the bitterness life has to offer."
"Ah, ahh……. Sorry. I just had a bad dream."
"Is that so?"
Caster tossed me a nutrient bar supplied by Chaldea and sat down beside me, popping one into his own mouth. I carefully tore open the wrapper and looked at him.
He didn't seem particularly angry. Actually, earlier, it was my mistake. I had instructed him to ignore my safety and focus entirely on taking down Archer.
As a result, I betrayed the trust Caster had in me and died a pathetic death. Who could have known Heracles would suddenly barge in?
It was literally a 'Suddenly, Heracles appeared!' moment.
"Sorry for being nothing but a burden."
"That's just what being a Master is. From the moment you stepped onto the battlefield and tried to help me however you could, you became a second-rate Master, if not a first-rate one. If you hone your skills a bit more, you could even become first-rate."
"You're being quite kind to me, considering I'm a weak Master whose mind is on the verge of breaking."
"But it didn't break. We don't call someone 'broken' when they're still clenching their fists and forcing themselves to stand up. If you're gritting your teeth to endure, then bite down harder and win. You said it yourself, didn't you? That if you fail despite doing your best, you'll just be a total failure. I agree. If you really want to do something about this, then win. Win and seize a happy ending that feels like a boring peace. And the mind is surprisingly flexible. Even if you think you've grown weak, it doesn't tear easily."
"Caster, have you ever felt like you didn't have the capacity for greatness?"
"Well, this is just my take. I think 'capacity' is ultimately something determined by results. If you resolve this whole situation and become a hero of the Human Order, who would dare criticize your capacity as small? Who would dare tarnish your achievements? If such a person existed, they'd be the one treated as abnormal. In the end, 'capacity' is just a tool used to elevate someone who has achieved great things even higher. Don't you think?"
As I stared blankly at Caster, he laughed and pressed down hard on my head. No, I mean…… I'm already short enough as it is.
Despite the fact that I was a nuisance, weak, and unhelpful in many ways, Caster gave me a cheerful smile.
"Is it hard?"
"……A little? It's so hard right now that I don't know if I'll be able to endure in the future. I even wonder if I have the right to save the Human Order. If there's someone watching all of this, my story must be a clown's comedy. Or maybe they'd see it as a tragedy. Either way, a heroic epic is out of the question for me."
"Most heroic epics spread throughout the world are like that. I'm a prime example. My end wasn't exactly pleasant, either. But I don't consider my story a tragedy. I told you, didn't I? Things look positive if you think of them positively, and negative if you think of them negatively. You just have to view your own story as a heroic epic and hold your head high later. ……That said, you don't have to force yourself to follow me. You've already done enough. I think you've done damn well to make it this far for someone who's never even been in a fight. If you want to back out, back out. But if you still want to help me, just keep the contract active. That alone helps my mana."
Ah, he keeps giving me a way out.
He was kindly telling me that even if I gave up here, it wouldn't be my fault. That kindness, ironically, seemed to fan the flames in my heart.
Let's say someone is watching this story. I'm truly sorry, but a beautiful heroic epic was impossible. It wasn't a story of strength, nor was it a heartwarming fairy tale. It was a ridiculous comedy, but maybe that would have gotten better reviews.
This was a farce. A shameless farce of someone struggling while believing they can do the impossible, grabbing a finished opportunity and trying to climb back up.
That's why I…… cannot stop here. I already know that.
Slap!! I struck both my cheeks hard with my hands. Hard enough to leave palm prints.
"Thanks. But I'll keep going. I have to at least clear the tutorial."
"……Earlier, when I said you'd be popular if you were born in our era, that was half a lie."
"Eh, it was a lie!? Even if I survive this demonic realm, am I destined to be unpopular with women!? Is this what they call the Counter Force!?"
Caster let out a hearty laugh, stood up, and spoke to me.
"Right now, I'd say you're relatively alright. A fool like you is fun to be around. Good. If you've regained your resolve, let's get going."
"Wait, wait. More importantly……."
I have to do something about Heracles. At that moment, Beep! the communicator rang. Huh? Last time, I never got a call until I died.
Wondering what it was, I answered. On the screen, the Director was looking at my face with slightly bloodshot eyes.
What is it? Is she finally ready to bury me for insulting Lev? Or is she holding me accountable for using my position to relieve stress?
She looked at me with a very serious expression, then let out a sigh.
[Romani! He's perfectly fine!]
[No, even if you say that……. I was just reporting what appeared on the screen, you know? Hey, are you okay? I was worried because your stress levels suddenly spiked.]
"Ah, ahhh……."
What excuse should I make?
No, wait. ……Come to think of it, is there any need to keep the time-reversing thing a secret? It doesn't matter if I tell them, right?
"It might be hard to believe, but I……. Cough, cough."
[What is it all of a sudden?]
Suddenly, my throat tightened, and my voice wouldn't come out. What is this? It feels like all the moisture suddenly vanished.
As I panicked, Caster, standing beside me, nonchalantly pressed down on my head again. I said stop! What are you going to do if I get even shorter!?
Is he looking down on short people just because he's tall!?
"This guy suddenly tumbled and knocked himself out, but it looks like he just had a nightmare. Hahaha!"
He made an excuse for me. Oh, what a gallant man.
The Director stared at me for a moment, then let out a long breath. Regardless, seeing that she was worried enough to call like this made me a little happy.
I spoke with exaggerated cheerfulness.
"What's this, Director? Were you worried about me? Wow, I'm an orphan and have no memory of my mother. So this is the first time a woman has ever worried about me. I might be a little touched."
[Don't be touched! It's burdensome! And who was worried……. No, I was! But that's not because of you! As the Director of Chaldea, I was worried about humanity's last Master! Not you! Got it!? What's with that look!?]
It's the 'Oh, is that so?' look, Director.
"Right, since we're connected, I should check. Doctor, can you pinpoint the Servants' locations? Scan all of Fuyuki."
[All of it? Then wait a moment. I'll have it done in a jiffy.]
Caster spoke, sounding puzzled by my request.
"Archer is at the shrine, and Saber hasn't moved from in front of the Greater Grail. I don't think there's any need to worry about them."
"True, those two probably won't move from there."
Archer had no intention of moving, which is why he kept trying to snipe us from a distance. He likely received an order like 'Guard that spot' from the King of Knights.
Therefore, there was almost no chance Archer would move. Though there was the possibility of arrows suddenly flying our way. ……Anyway, the important thing wasn't the King of Knights or Archer, but Heracles.
Normally, he was a Servant who wouldn't leave a certain forest. In fact, I remembered him not appearing in the original story. Even though he became a Shadow Servant, he hadn't moved.
Whether that was his final pride, humanity, conviction, or whatever, at the very least, he didn't appear as an enemy in the original. But then he suddenly appeared as if he had timed it perfectly while we were fighting Archer.
The most realistic explanation was that Archer had done something.
"If Archer's personality is really as Caster described, wouldn't he use Berserker—who provides overwhelming power even if he's uncontrollable—just by luring him out? For example, what if Berserker suddenly intruded while Caster was fighting Archer and attacked me? No matter how much of a Shadow Servant he's become, Berserker is still that Heracles, right? It's better to eliminate risk factors. If Berserker is still in that forest, we'll strike Archer as planned. But if not……. we have to devise a countermeasure."
I acted like I knew what I was talking about, using information from my 'preview' that wasn't really a preview.
Honestly, I had completely forgotten about Heracles until he suddenly appeared and smashed everything.
But man, he really is strong.
In media, he always had the impression of being a mid-boss who got taken down in strange ways. But facing him directly, I finally understood.
Overwhelming violence. Even as a Shadow Servant, his strength surpassed Caster's, and he was a hero among heroes whom even the King of Knights with the Greater Grail couldn't completely corrupt. If Heracles was the enemy, this was a massive ordeal.
Fortunately, it seemed he only had one life stock, but what did that matter?
It's Heracles; he tears humans and Heroic Spirits apart. ……That was the only conclusion I could draw, and it was despairing.
"It's certainly not impossible. Fine. Being cautious is a good thing. You've put quite a bit of thought into this for a kid. Was it a prophetic dream instead of a nightmare?"
"If a nightmare becomes a prophetic dream, it's no laughing matter."
"That's true, too. Hahahat!"
No, really, it's not funny.
My upper body was blown away! And it was crushed in a single strike! Uselessly, time had slowed down in that moment of death, letting me feel the sensation of my torso being obliterated.
It was so creepy that just thinking about it gave me goosebumps. My fragile body couldn't withstand a single blow from Heracles. ……But his attack style is literally linear, like a beast.
It must be even more so because the Berserker who lost his reason has been further eroded by becoming a Shadow Servant.
[I've located them. Saber and Archer are at the Greater Grail and the shrine, just as Caster said. However, one unit……. a Servant presumed to be Berserker is currently sprinting through Fuyuki. And at an incredible speed. Based on this speed and direction, he'll pass the shrine where Archer is before long.]
[Ominous premonitions always come true. What do you want to do? We could wait for Berserker to pass before attacking.]
"It's hard to see Berserker passing by Archer's location as a coincidence. Depending on the situation, Archer might have done something. If that's the case, no matter when we go, there's a high chance Berserker will intrude during the fight."
"Defeating Archer isn't the problem; in the worst-case scenario, we'll have to face Archer and Berserker simultaneously. There are no absolutes in battle, so I won't say we can't win, but if I have to protect our kid as well, it'll be quite a struggle."
It would be difficult for Caster to protect me while taking down Archer and Berserker at the same time. Then what should I do? There must be a way. It won't end here.
To that end, I have to move forward. I have to walk on my own. ……I briefly looked at my hands. Transmutation Magecraft and the Spider Hand—neither was an ability suited for direct combat.
The magecraft from my Chaldea Mystic Code would be ready for use in just a bit more time. If so…….
"Caster, if you fight Archer one-on-one without me, can you win?"
"I've said it many times: there are no absolutes in battle."
Having said that, Caster smiled and added,
"I'll win."
[Did you think of a good plan? We'll support you however we can from here.]
"Um, then don't get mad."
[Huh? What is it?]
I felt like the Director would scream, 'You crazy bastard!' if she heard this. But the plan that came to mind was the best I could do right now.
I couldn't think of anything better. I tightened the straps on my gloves and spoke.
"Berserker is currently rampaging in real-time. His physical specs are likely higher than Archer's, but even so, he's just a beast running around. In terms of difficulty, Archer is actually more troublesome because of his specs. If Berserker weren't a Shadow Servant, I'd probably be dead for sure, though."
"I won't deny that. A Berserker with no reason, lower stats, and no Noble Phantasm is a pain to deal with, but not an unbeatable opponent. So? What's our kid trying to say?"
I slowly approached Caster, reaching out my hand.
"If it's a beast, it's always possible to divert its path. I'll entrust my life to you, Caster."
"……You."
It seemed Caster now understood what I was trying to do. This was truly insane. Just seeing Heracles with my own eyes might make my body freeze in terror.
I had to bet everything on this operation, which had a low success rate even if I were in peak condition. But this was the only way right now.
In this Fuyuki, my only ally was Caster, and Caster's only ally was me. Whether we liked each other or not, this was the moment we had to trust each other.
Caster took my outstretched hand.
"Understood. Don't you dare die. ……Not for anything."
[Wait a minute! Why are you two having a silent conversation as if you understand each other?! What are you talking about!? What are you planning to do!?]
"Director, jealousy isn't a good look. I'll have dinner with you when I get back, so just wait."
[I'll cut that tongue out!]
Scary. Well, enough with the jokes.
"I won't even be able to buy much time against Archer. Archer is smart and ruthless. He doesn't care about the means. Even if his physical abilities are lower than Berserker's, he's more troublesome in this situation. But our strong and cool Caster can win! So what's the problem!? It's Berserker suddenly intruding while you're fighting Archer. We have to avoid that at all costs. Normally, there are two ways: give it our all to defeat Archer and then defeat Berserker. ……But in that case, Archer and Berserker will likely join forces, leaving us stuck and me dead. No matter how strong Caster is, he can't fight both while protecting me."
[And so?]
"Then we use the second method. ……We each take one, Director."
[……Eh? ……Are you serious? You've properly organized your thoughts before speaking, right? It's not that you don't understand what you're saying because of your injuries, is it?]
Yeah, this reaction is normal. I understand. If someone had made this suggestion to me before, I would have thought, 'You're a professional assassin trying to kill me indirectly.'
But now that I know Berserker will intrude during the fight with Archer, it wasn't such a bad option.
That's why I spoke to the Director, who was trying to stop me.
"This is the best way."
[That's not the best way! You're saying you'll buy time alone against that Great Hero! Heracles! Do you understand what that means!? You'll die! No matter how many demerits he has! There's no way it's possible! Do you know your own physical condition!? He's not the only one with demerits!!]
"I know. I'll probably die with a high probability. But this way, a chance to win is born. Unlike the first method where I can only wait for my life to be snuffed out, the second method will definitely work. Don't worry, I'm not fighting. I'm just running away. I'll just buy time and struggle pathetically. I'm alive now, so I'll be fine. ……That's unexpected, Director."
[What is…….]
"I thought you hated me."
But seeing you make that face makes me happy……. The most important thing in this game isn't my life. It's Caster. It's fine as long as Caster survives.
It's not okay if I die, but it's even worse if Caster dies. In the end, neither of us should die. So, I chose the method with a higher chance of both of us surviving over the one where one of us would likely die.
It was too reckless to be called a scheme, too ignorant to be called a strategy, and too embarrassing to be called a tactic…….
But I still had to do it.
[I do hate you. You're always late, you're flippant, you talk too much, you're never serious—there's really nothing to like about you.]
"You'd better watch your mouth! Those could be your last words to me!"
[Don't you dare die……. That's an order.]
I smiled at those words. It was the first order I'd received since coming here. Not bad.
"Then Caster, give me a signal once you've dealt with Archer. I'll use a Command Spell to summon you immediately."
"Fine."
Caster didn't say anything else. He didn't say the plan was reckless, or that I shouldn't do it; he didn't voice his opinion. If anything, his eyes said he understood.
He told me that if that was my decision, he would respect and trust it. I believe him. I believe Caster will finish it before I'm killed by Heracles.
Conversely, Caster also trusts me. He trusts that I won't die before he deals with Archer. Receiving trust on the battlefield wasn't a bad feeling.
That's why I will answer that trust. I didn't want to betray the person who believed in me.
"……I've entrusted my entire life to you, Caster, so if I die, it's your fault."
Caster let out a short, incredulous laugh at those words and turned around. There wasn't much time.
Even now, Berserker was rampaging and drawing closer. We had to handle this quickly. Once we've dealt with Archer and Berserker, I might be able to rest a little.
"Kid."
Caster suddenly threw something at me. I instinctively caught it using a thread. A stone engraved with a character…….
It was a Rune. There were several of them. Then Caster spoke without even looking back.
"Don't die."
And then he vanished. ……To have someone sincerely tell me not to die like that.
I could understand that even someone like me had become the hope of humanity. Humanity's last Master, huh? I don't think it suits me, but still……. If I've decided to do it, I'll do it.
I took a slow, deep breath and walked toward the location on the map where Berserker's reaction was.
"Here I come, Mr. Legendary Hero."
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