"As for my introduction, my Class is Caster. I am one of the seven Servants summoned for this utterly screwed-up Holy Grail War."
"...So he says. This makes him useful as an information source, does it not, Director Olga Marie?"
"...Is this even possible?"
Even Olga Marie had only suggested it in passing, never considering the possibility that it might actually come true.
That was simply how the world worked. In extreme circumstances, it was practically impossible to pick out and take only the delicious parts.
The idea that exactly what one wanted would conveniently appear precisely when it was needed was nothing more than hopeful speculation, so one had to disregard it.
『This is... so contrived people would curse it even if it were written in a novel...』
"Ha ha! No need to be so wary. Normally, I was planning to pop out at just the right moment when that Master over there got into danger—"
But perhaps this man was accustomed to situations like these. He continued speaking without the slightest disturbance.
"—but that fellow over there was guarding her like an iron wall. I missed my chance to come out."
"......"
"I know, I know. That is why I came out as carefully as I could. Your overprotectiveness is something else, pal."
In truth, Caster had been watching the situation ever since Chaldea's people arrived at the church.
He had intended to speak to them only after judging whether they were evil people, and whether they could help resolve the Singularity.
"...Well, now."
—But that easygoing notion had been blown away along with the battle the man before him had fought.
"That one was called Mash, right? I thought she was just a young girl from the way she looked, but once you opened the box, she was an experienced warrior. The Master beside her is the same."
"Oh, thanks for noticing!"
"Fou!"
Caster had not seen Diego's battle clearly.
"—But what do you know? There was a warrior even more extraordinary than that. I could not help feeling the itch to fight."
No—more precisely, he had watched it, yet he had not seen it.
"I spent a moment thinking, so I was late addressing you. Ha ha! It is not often that my eyes miss something."
Though he called himself Caster, his true identity was none other than Ireland's Child of Light, Cú Chulainn.
He merely had the aptitude for Rune Magecraft he had learned from his master. At his core, he was a warrior.
Yet even Cú Chulainn himself had found it impossible to follow that man's attacks with his eyes.
‘...I see. Two kids and one monster still remain. With this...’
Moreover, that rookie Master named Ritsuka appeared to have some promise as well.
As Caster calculated the difference in strength between their enemies and this group,
‘—We might reach it.’
—He glimpsed hope.
『...A Caster-class Servant. We of Chaldea—』
"Ah, forget the formalities. I was planning to tell you everything, from beginning to end, about why this place has become such a mess anyway. But before that—"
His decision came faster than deliberation.
To begin with, neither Chaldea nor Caster had the luxury of weighing every angle.
Those with nowhere left to retreat had gathered in one place. What mattered now was only how much they could trust one another and entrust their backs to each other.
And, remarkably enough, that was Caster's specialty.
"—You there, Chaldea's Master. Form a temporary contract with me."
"!"
He would stake everything he possessed.
Caster had nothing but two legs that could move and a sturdy body. For the sake of mutual trust, that was all he could wager.
"Given the circumstances, without a Master, I am basically just a scarecrow who can scribble some Runes and fight with his body—"
Was it fate that led him? The blue Lancer, for whom using Command Spells to stab himself had been routine—
"All right! Looking forward to working with you, Caster!"
"...Oh. I like how straightforward this Master is."
—Ironically, only after becoming Caster did he find a proper Master.
And with that, Chaldea could finally stand at the starting line for resolving this incident.
"Listen up and listen well. What we need to take down from here on out is the [Great Grail]. And the one guarding it—"
Of course,
"—is King Arthur [Saber]."
It would not be an easy road, naturally.
─────────────────────
Step—step—
With Caster joining them, Chaldea's group immediately began to move.
The information he possessed concerning the Holy Grail War of this era. And the [Great Grail] at the center of the age that had begun to warp.
The heart of the Singularity Chaldea had been seeking was undoubtedly there.
『Could that King Arthur possibly be...』
"...Another outrageous enemy has appeared."
"King Arthur... you mean, Excalibur?"
"Yes, Master. The second sacred sword of selection borne by King Arthur, and the strongest holy sword, said to have been forged in the planet's inner core."
"The weapon itself is not the problem. King Arthur herself, the one wielding it, is monstrously strong."
Perhaps they would not be allowed to see the end of this journey so easily. A formidable foe beyond all their expectations awaited Chaldea's group.
The king said to have ruled ancient Britain, descended from dragons, who had been born a commoner and borne the destiny of a king—Arthur.
Considering that she had already personally ended this era's Holy Grail War and claimed the [Great Grail], she was clearly no ordinary enemy.
What was more, she had surely become even stronger after claiming the [Great Grail] and the leylines beneath it.
"—If we go in like this without any countermeasures, defeat is certain."
"...If only I could use my Noble Phantasm. Would things be better?"
"Hmm... the King of Knights, huh..."
Perhaps Chaldea's group understood this as well. Their steps forward did not falter, but each of them revealed the anxiety within.
At present, the only person who could be expected to possess strength close to that of the King of Knights was Diego.
Other than him, they had a rookie Master, a Demi-Servant unable to use her Noble Phantasm, and a spearman who could not use a spear. Along with a chicken doctor and an incompetent director.
No matter how they looked at it, they could see no chance of victory.
"—If the King of Knights is truly in perfect condition, or beyond that... even I cannot promise anything."
"...Not even you, Diego?"
Even Diego could not make an accurate judgment, as he did not know how well his own power would work against a Servant.
Perhaps the reality of confronting the King of Knights was gradually setting in. Mash's face began to turn pale.
"If even Diego says that..."
In this place, other than Diego, Mash alone could protect her Master Ritsuka and everyone else.
Mash understood that well, so she forcibly swallowed down the growing pressure weighing on her—
"—Hey, wait a second. Miss, what did you just say about a Noble Phantasm?"
"Pardon? I-I said that if only I could use my Noble Phantasm—"
"Huh? If you are a Servant, then of course you can use one."
That was right. Caster here was a genuine Servant through and through, and the only one to have survived this disastrous Holy Grail War.
Surely he would know the secret of Noble Phantasms that Mash did not.
Surprised to suddenly encounter someone who knew the answer, Mash spoke with undisguised anticipation.
"Do you know, Caster? How to use a Noble Phantasm?"
"Know? If you are a Servant, it is only natural that you can use one. —It is not a matter of someone lending it to you or not. If you are a Servant, you can naturally use it."
Caster continued his explanation before the eagerly awaiting Mash.
"If you cannot use your Noble Phantasm, it is not because you are a Demi-Servant. It is because you do not know how to release your power. Think of it like never having practiced how to shout loudly."
"I-is-that-sooo?!"
"No, I am not saying your actual vocalization is the problem. Since your body is that of a Servant, force the Magical Energy in that body toward wherever it flows most naturally. That is the point."
Power. Come to think of it, ever since gaining the body of a Demi-Servant, Mash had naturally handled and released Magical Energy.
It was not something she used because she deliberately wished to. It felt more as though she was unconsciously following the flow of Magical Energy engraved into her body.
Perhaps because circumstances had been so urgent, Mash had never properly felt that flow or looked inward.
『...As expected, Servants understand a Servant's affairs best. What an incredible coincidence.』
"It is, indeed. The Servant we happened to meet is Caster, a Class proficient in Magical Energy. It is an incredible coincidence."
The group halted for a moment as Mash's Noble Phantasm lesson abruptly began.
Whatever the method, if Mash grew stronger, it would directly increase their combat strength, so no one objected.
"Hmm. Usually, the easiest way through is to throw yourself around in extreme conditions until you break through, but..."
"...Mm."
"Eek—?!"
At that moment, Diego, who had heard Caster's muttering, slowly stepped forward, placed a hand on Mash's back, and began to release a strange power.
"...If it is the use of power you need, I will lend a hand. It is a rather crude method, but—"
"...Diego, really?"
"—I do not lie about things like this. Instead of talking, quietly focus on your Magical Energy."
"...! Yes!"
Diego's fighting spirit suddenly flared up and began to take shape—before eventually assuming a human form.
「[Golden Spirit]」
Diego's power. A Stand. It was an invisible power of the spirit.
‘Do not make it startling enough to frighten her.’
『Ora───!!!!!』
A will powerful enough to give form to the strength of the spirit retained only its tremendous presence, then transformed into killing intent and rushed toward Mash.
Mash could not see Diego's Stand either, but—
"......!!!"
"—Focus."
The chilling presence transmitted from Diego's hand on her back caused her body to tense on its own.
There should have been no threat to her life anywhere around them, and yet Mash's body automatically prepared itself for battle.
Having exchanged blows with Diego countless times in the simulation room, Mash had some idea of his power. That was why she could just barely keep up with the sudden change in her body.
‘This is Diego's power...!’
Diego had clearly told Mash to focus. If so, that must be the answer.
‘Focus. It feels like breaking through a blocked path of Magical Energy all at once...!’
Mash trusted Diego just as much as she trusted her current Master.
Even if that meant relying on his immense power and the strength within him.
"......"
"Um, Diego? Is our Mash all right...?"
"...That depends on what she does."
How much Magical Energy had he sent through her?
In complete contrast to her outwardly composed mind, Mash's severely tense body and the Magical Energy within it began to move naturally along the paths of Magical Energy.
Like the body of a warrior standing at the crossroads of life and death moving with perfect instinct.
‘...! The difference... in power...!’
The fear radiating from behind her was that overwhelming.
She, who had not yet known the pain of the world,
‘I cannot protect them...’
—could not help imagining herself failing to protect those precious to her.
"Remember that feeling."
"......!"
"—So that you will never lose them again."
Only for an instant—but Mash felt as if the man behind her was grieving.
Or perhaps it was only her imagination. As though he truly intended to kill Mash, Diego's pressure began to grow even stronger.
‘...Focus!’
If she broke here—she would betray everyone who had trusted her back and followed her.
And that was likely one of the things Mash feared most.
‘...So I will not lose them!’
As she broke out in a cold sweat, the color gradually returned to her increasingly pale face, and light began to shine in her eyes.
How long had she followed the flow of Magical Energy while enduring that crushing pressure? At last, Mash found the blocked passage of Magical Energy.
"...! It is here!"
Why had she never noticed the existence of this passage until now?
It was so utterly natural.
Mash felt a little cross with the Servant within her for not telling her something so important, but soon accepted that this was a trial she had naturally needed to overcome.
More importantly, right now—
"Yes. There it is. Now give it everything you have and let it out."
"—Yes!"
—She had to release this immense power outside.
And that was—
"Aaah, aaaaaah──!!!"
────────
──!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!
For Mash, who had vaguely grasped the [power to protect]—it was far too simple.
────────────────────────────
"Mash, just now...!"
"Ah... um... has my Noble Phantasm... deployed...?"
A pure-white shield that had turned the crimson sky white in an instant.
"Whew—who would have thought that simply putting a hand on her back would make her deploy a Noble Phantasm? I said it already, but you are outrageous, pal."
"...It was thanks to her own efforts. I merely found an easier method."
"No, that is undoubtedly a shield manifested to protect something precious. Unless that girl herself breaks first, that shield will never break."
The ultimate technique representing a figure from history, the embodiment of the ultimate power a Servant could unleash.
She was still immature and did not even know its True Name. It was only a release of Magical Energy through a provisional deployment, but—
"—You made her manifest it through your presence alone, pal. You can be prouder of yourself, you know?"
"...Good grief."
It was unmistakably—
『A Noble Phantasm』
"Amaaaazing!!! Mash!! My junior!!"
"S-Senpai! If you suddenly hug me...!"
"Fou! Fo, fou—!!"
It had been barely a day since she became a Demi-Servant. Mash had truly splendidly awakened her own Noble Phantasm.
"...Director Olga Marie. Can you give her Noble Phantasm a name?"
"...What? Why should I...? If it is something like that, Ritsuka, her Master, or you should..."
Of course, if the one helping her had not activated her senses with such an outrageous presence, she might have had to take a much longer road.
"All right, what should we call it!? How about writing it as Shining Shield and calling it Holy Shield!"
"Fou──!!"
"M-Master. That is a little..."
"...This one is an outrageous tomboy too."
In any case, Mash's awakening of her Noble Phantasm before the great enemy that was King Arthur was excellent news.
It was only natural that even a small increase in their forces, together with Ritsuka's unshakable cheerfulness, would brighten the mood.
However—no one wanted a name like Holy Shield.
"...As you know, I have terrible naming sense too."
"Ah..."
『Ah...』
Before long, Mash's Noble Phantasm would be named 「[Temporary Deployment of an Imaginary Noble Phantasm: The Foundation of Humanity — Lord Chaldeas]」—a little later, on the way to the [Great Grail].
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