It’s fucking awful. I was about to donate blood and got kidnapped, then ended up in Antarctica, and on top of that nothing is going right.
Only shitty things keep happening. The kid beside me at least got to become a Master, so she’s probably a little better off, but I’m just some support guy.
If I die, that’s the end of it...
Come to think of it, I knew it was a stupid thing to do. Trying to save that purple-pot girl I’d seen for the first time in my life...
If I just left it alone, I’d have felt gross about it, but in a situation like this, reason doesn’t help at all...
Still, maybe I got rewarded for doing a good deed? She transformed into something like a shield knight.
‘Apparently she got some kind of power from somewhere, but what kind of pervert dressed her up like that...’
Anyway, a hooded tight-ass appeared in front of us.
“Um... who are you?”
“I’m a Caster. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you my true name.”
The Lancer that Mash had been struggling against a moment ago had turned into a thoroughly roasted spit by that guy’s hand.
“For now, the Master seems to be the orange-haired girl, and you’re the mana support, right?”
“Yes...”
“Why the hell is your voice so weak? Worried about your mother back home or something?”
“Can you read people’s minds, by any chance?”
“Did you really just think that?”
I wanted to flick Ritsuka on the forehead for teasing me from the side, but unfortunately Mash was right next to her with her shield in hand.
‘The moment that head starts working, I’m going to smack it like a wooden fish...’
“For now, the remaining enemies are Berserker, Archer, and Saber. Berserker is hiding somewhere, so as long as he doesn’t attack first, he’s not a problem. I’ll handle Archer. You two need to deal with Saber.”
The director, who had been listening from the side, asked a question.
“So what’s Saber’s true name?”
“...Anyone can tell just by looking at what that guy swings around. The greatest knight king of Britain...”
“King Arthur?!”
“If even I know who it is, then he must be insanely strong...”
“For the record, Berserker is Hercules. If you value your life, don’t even think about challenging him.”
“Mash, let’s do our best...”
“Yes...”
Watching Mash and Ritsuka steel themselves beside me made me feel awkward enough to let out a sigh too...
“I want to go home...”
“Hey, don’t be so down, buddy. Your mana is incredible, and you handled rune magecraft without any trouble, so if you’re here, those two will probably manage somehow too.”
“...Wait. A long-haired man who uses rune magecraft? Could it be...”
“Tch. So I’m found out after all...”
“Odin?”
“....Huh?”
“Why would a divine spirit be summoned, idiot?”
“Besides, Odin’s supposed to have one eye.”
“Yeah, that makes sense, right?”
“R-right... What am I talking about, Odin...”
‘Why is that guy sweating so much...’
We took a short break and arrived at the ruined school, where we talked about various things.
“Sorry, Mash... Someone like a first-rate mage should have been the Master instead of me...”
“It’s okay. If anything, having you as my senior makes me happier.”
“But still...”
It would be ugly to keep moping around, so I figured I should at least comfort her a little if I wanted her to fight properly later...
“As long as you handle command well, it’s fine. I’ll provide the mana, and the so-called skilled magicians you mentioned are almost all insane anyway. I’ve spent about a week in Chaldea, so I know now...”
‘So the average mage is basically a bunch of Malfoys from Harry Potter... No, wait, is Malfoy actually the nicer one?’
“Exactly. I’m happy that the Master is someone kind like you, senior.”
“Mister... Mash... thanks...”
“Um... I was a third-year in high school just two years ago, you know? I’m not that much older than you, so why...”
“Then should I call you big brother?”
“...That’s creepy, so let’s just stick with mister.”
For some reason, I got chills.
“Okay, Albus mister.”
“Sigh...”
“Still, I’m glad I came here. I didn’t have anyone I could really talk to comfortably, so it’s nice to have someone now...”
“Me too, senior.”
After that, I went up to the rooftop to get some air. But...
“What are you doing here alone?”
“If I tell you, would you even understand?”
The director was on the rooftop, chanting over a stone covered in strange markings.
“No.”
“Then hurry up and leave.”
“You’re working yourself to the bone alone, so I figured it’d be rude to just walk off. I brought bottled water and cup ramen from the cafeteria. I barely managed to get them, so at least have one.”
“I said I don’t need—!”
Gurgle~
“...Do you maybe need it?”
I pulled a lighter out of my pocket.
“...I know how to make a fire, at least, so go ahead and cook it.”
“You just add the soup packet...”
So while we made ramen, we talked about this and that.
“So you’re raising your mother on your own?”
“Yeah, well... and I’ve got quite a few siblings too. I’m the eldest son, but...”
“When this is over and I retire, I’ll make sure you’re paid well, so don’t worry about your family and work hard, got it?”
“Yes, Director.”
“But how did you end up missing the briefing?”
“Some weird-looking retriever-sized thing kept lunging at me, so I ran away, and somehow...”
“?? There’s no way something like that exists in Chaldea...”
“Then I went into a room with the door open, and there was the doctor eating cake with the kicked-out Ritsuka...”
“Agh, why would you say that?!”
“Oh, you were listening?”
It would’ve been normal to be startled by the screen that suddenly appeared, but by now I’d gotten used to it.
“Romani~ when we get back, let’s meet up, okay?”
‘Did I just kill a man...’
“Yes...”
“Should I bring cake when I visit the doctor’s grave?”
“That’s not comforting at all!!!”
The director, watching us bicker, suddenly burst out laughing for some reason.
“Hah... ahahaha!!!”
Then, all of a sudden, she clutched her stomach and started laughing harder.
“Doctor...? What? Why is the director acting like that...?”
“I don’t know...”
After laughing for a long time, the director wiped away tears and spoke in a voice full of lingering emotion.
“The fact that everything depends on two slackers and one person who got kicked out is already ridiculous enough...”
She looked at me and burst out laughing again.
“And the first time I’ve ever had a relaxed, thoughtless conversation as a Lord was with those two slackers. It’s so absurd it’s funny...”
With a smile I’d never seen before, she lifted her face toward the sky.
“It’s fine to get sentimental, but let’s eat first.”
“Right... but do you have a knife or fork? Or even chopsticks?”
“Ah, right.”
“...”
The next day, after the decisive battle, Caster kept Archer occupied while we headed toward the ley line where King Arthur was waiting.
“That’s... King Arthur?”
It really did have overwhelming presence. But...
“Why is it a woman?”
Hearing our words, the Knight King asked back in a heavy, low voice.
“Do you have a problem with me being a woman?”
“Problem? Before that, when people hear King Arthur, don’t they usually think of a bearded old guy?”
Ritsuka’s answer made her stop asking questions.
“I told Merlin we should leave the beard out... Anyway, I need to test your strength. If you can’t defeat me, then you have no right to continue this journey—”
Meanwhile...
“Let’s end this, Archer.”
“That’s my line, Caster.”
As soon as Archer said that, the sound of countless bones rattling rose from behind him...
Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack, click-clack
“■■□□■○□○■!!!”
The roar of a berserker began to echo.
“What the hell is that?!”
Then her words abruptly stopped, and something enormous fell from the sky.
Crash!!!
“●■○■●■○■!!!”
“Hercules is exactly what you’d expect from the image, but...”
“Why is that here...?”
The director was terrified, and honestly, given the situation, that was only natural.
“Damn it, Caster, you bastard...”
So we were supposed to take on King Arthur and Herc at the same time? With only Mash, who had just become a Servant?
“At least make the numbers equal, you asshole... How are we supposed to do this...”
I was so frustrated my blood pressure shot up, and Ritsuka must have mistaken me covering my temple for crying...
“Mister, are you crying?”
“Call me mister one more time and I’ll kill you, but why is that king acting like that?”
Following my words, the others also turned to look that way, and even King Arthur seemed flustered.
“Why is an uninvited Berserker here...? Ahem! In any case, no matter how unfair the battle, we must overcome it!! Come, then!!”
“●■●■○■●■!!”
Herc let out a roar loud enough to shake the mountains and charged... at King Arthur.
“Why, Berserker!! Your enemy is not me!!!”
“He’s Berserker, so maybe he’s too far gone to tell friend from foe and just charging in...”
After fighting for a long time, King Arthur finally won, but she was covered in wounds and clearly exhausted.
“...Come at me.”
“Yes...”
Mash tightened her grip on her shield and entered the battle too.
“Is that all?! Even I, exhausted as I am, can’t be killed so easily?!”
“So it really was a mistake not to open my Noble Phantasm...”
Olga Marie’s lament wasn’t something anyone had the luxury to answer right now.
“This is the end... Excalibur Morgan!!!”
“Mash!!”
“Hey, Ritsuka, where are you going?!”
Ritsuka ran toward Mash’s back, and I followed after her.
‘If those guys die here, I die too...’
“Mash!! I don’t know what’s going on, but! Use all my mana if you have to and block it!!”
“If that’s not enough, take mine too!!”
“...Yes!!!”
Then Mash’s shield trembled, as if something was about to happen.
“Mash!! Now!! Push through!!!”
“Yes!!!”
From the shield, a giant shape of light appeared and protected us.
“Let’s go!!!”
“This is ridiculous...!”
And so Mash’s shield reflected the light of the holy sword back at it.
“Phew... we did it... Mash...”
“Yes... senior... and Albus too... Albus?”
“Ugh... bleh... if I’d been a second slower, I’d have been toast...”
“I-I’m sorry!!”
“It’s fine, so now just turn to st—damn it.”
As the smoke cleared, the Knight King was standing there again.
“What kind of two-page boss shows up in the prologue...?”
“No, the fight is over. I’m only holding on long enough to say what I need to say.”
“At the very last moment, I stopped my hand. In the end, no matter how fate changes, I alone still meet the same conclusion.”
“Someday, you’ll understand too. The Grand Order, the battle to obtain the Holy Grail, has only just begun.”
“Hey!! Berserker came charging in, are you okay?!!!”
“You’re late!!!”
“I couldn’t help it. Archer suddenly sent a skeleton army charging this way, and I was barely surviving while holding them off and fighting Archer too.”
“Well... we only barely won because Berserker wore down King Arthur’s stamina...”
“I see!! Anyway, call me as a Lancer next time.”
“Wait!! At least tell us your true name—!”
Despite the director’s plea, Caster disappeared before she could get another word in.
Just then, the doctor’s communication came through.
“Everyone!! Take the Holy Grail and run right now!!”
“What? What’s going on all of a sudden...?”
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
“My, my. You’ve had a rough time in many ways, Olga Marie.”
“Lev! Is that you?! Thank goodness. If you’re here, then somehow—!”
“Don’t get any closer!!”
“What? You know who Lev is...?”
“Director, as the Master said, you must not go near him. Professor Lev is...”
“No! Somehow, miraculously—!”
Olga Marie clung to a fleeting hope, but unfortunately reality wasn’t that kind.
“Director, Lev was found dead at the explosion site...”
“As expected, Romani. My compatriot, your eyes are sharp...”
“Then what the hell is that...?”
“I’m no expert in magecraft, but that thing is basically screaming, ‘I’m the culprit!’...”
“Correct, Support Guy Number 49.”
‘That ball of hair-covered bastard...’
“Anyway, Olga Marie, I’ll tell you one thing: you’re already dead!! Right now you’re nothing but a lingering thought!!!”
“What? What does that mean...?”
As he said that, the ball of hair lifted Olga Marie up with some kind of telekinetic power or something.
“But it would be a shame to let everything end here without your efforts being rewarded!! Now, go straight into Chaldeas!!!”
“No!!! Chaldeas?! If I go into something like that—!”
Olga Marie’s usual composure completely shattered as she screamed in despair.
“I haven’t been acknowledged by anyone yet!! I haven’t been praised by anyone yet!!”
If I rushed her now, I might be able to pull her down. But then again, I might end up diving in with her too...
“The fact that everything depends on two slackers and one person who got kicked out is already ridiculous enough...”
“And the first time I’ve ever had a relaxed, thoughtless conversation as a Lord was with those two slackers. It’s so absurd it’s funny...”
I don’t know why those words from yesterday came back to me, but...
“Fine, damn it, I don’t know!! If it looks like I’m screwed, I’ll give up, so don’t dump the blame on me then!!!”
I had to try something. If I did nothing, nothing would happen, but if I tried anything, some kind of result would come out of it.
“Mash!!”
“Yes!! Master!!”
“Hah... you crazy bastards...”
He was right. Two people who’d only met about two days ago hanging off each other’s legs and waists trying to save each other’s lives was insane...
If it really looked like we were done for, I’d let go. I’d done enough, and I wasn’t interested in all of us dying together. I... had done what I could.
“Tch...”
Fortunately, he clicked his tongue and failed to pull the director closer. Something seemed to be drawn out of the director instead and thrown into Chaldeas.
“I couldn’t pull out all of the lingering thought, but that woman’s going to die once this Singularity disappears anyway!!”
“Hah... ha... if I’m going to die, I’d rather not go in there looking pretty. At least give me time for a farewell or a last will...”
“As expected, you are... Fine, then I’ll give you one gift too. There should be a homunculus body in Chaldea’s summoning room right now. If you use that, Olga Marie, you can be revived.”
But she gave no answer. She just stared blankly, like a broken machine...
“But its lifespan is exactly one year. So hurry and reach me, Chaldea!! If you want to save your director!! And if you want to restore human history!!!”
“Just who the hell are you?!”
Even at Ritsuka’s question, he gave no answer and only said what he wanted before disappearing.
“Come and see me!! Chaldea!! Hahahahahaha!!!!”
Crack... crack...
“The Singularity is about to collapse!!! I’ll transfer the director’s consciousness into the homunculus!!”
“Please, Romani!!!”
“Doctor, send us back too, quickly!!!”
And so the story of Fuyuki was about half finished with this...
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