Chapter 2
"And that's one down." Caster stood in victory as Medusa dematerialize from his last attack.
I walk towards Mash and Caster after confirming Lancer's defeat.
"Thank you. You saved us when we were in danger." Mash bowed in thanks to Caster.
"Ohh! Good work. Great job timing your block earlier. That was splendid indeed." Caster jiggly arrived besides Mash and put his hand on her shoulder while caressing it like a pervert old man.
"Oi Caster! Your hand!" I casually flicked a small magic ball at Caster's naughty hand. He raised his arm in surrender while laughing heartedly. I got in between them as I separated Caster from Mash.
"Hahaha, relax kid. Never mind that, you're not bad yourself! It's been a long time since I've seen a human fight like that." He repeatedly smacked my shoulders while praising me, which made my body feel the pain after the adrenaline calmed down.
"Ugh!" I almost collapsed on my knees as I deactivated my own reinforcement making me support myself with my other arm.
"Senpai!" Mash kneeled in front of me with her eyes full of worry.
"Sorry! Sorry! I forgot; my runes are still active." He lightly touched his staff on my head, I felt the remaining Reinforcement leave my body as I completely collapsed on the ground.
"Senpai!"
"Ohh! I guess you've overdone yourself, well you're still a human after all. I guess imbuing you with that Primordial rune put some burden on your body. I thought you can handle that level of rune seeing your fight earlier.
"Well then, Young lady, carry your Master and follow me. We have to find a safe place for now." I could only see Mash's worried face looking over me, as my world starts shaking and blurring by the pain. My body hurts all over, I feel like being hit by that damn truck all over again.
"Excuse me Senpai. I shall carry you for now." I could feel Mash picking me up and putting me on her shoulder as she started walking.
"…Sorry… Mash." I could only tell her in a weak voice as I slowly felt my consciousness fade, I ignored the beeping device on my wrist as I fall to slumber.
- - - -
I woke up looking at a ceiling, I could feel the warmth of a fire nearby as I sat up. I flinched a bit feeling some sore muscles but not too bad as earlier. I'm inside a classroom if the indications are right; with the blackboard, chairs and desk on the sides.
"Thank goodness your finally awake, Senpai." I faced towards the voice and smiled as I nodded at Mash sitting on my left with Fou in her lap looking slightly relieved then turned to downhearted expression for some reason.
"What's wrong Mash?" I don't know why she's making that face right now, it's not like I'm really injured or something.
"…It's just… I was…---I wasn't strong enough that Senpai had to fight himself despite being your Servant!" I was a bit surprised that she raised her voiced for the first time.
I see, so that was her reason. She's now feeling like she was useless as a servant, well that was not true at all. In fact, I'm the one to be blame her that I forced her to fight an enemy servant even though I know she just got that power without little of experience fighting.
She doesn't even know yet her noble phantasm at this time, she might have been thinking negatively right now. I move and sat beside her as I patted her head gently.
"Don't say that, Mash. You've done really well on the fight; we wouldn't have won that easily without your help.
"Besides, I prefer fighting in front rather than supporting from the back. Don't worry I know you're still not use with your powers for now, I'm sure you'll get better in no time."
"Fou! Fou! Kyuu!"
"Look, even Fou's telling you to cheer up!" I lifted Fou to her face who was tapping Mash face gently with her tiny paws.
Finally, I can see her face cheer up. She smiles beautifully to me that I returned while I stood up and offer my hand to stand up.
"By the way Mash. Where's Caster?"
"About time to wake up kid." Caster materialized with his arms crossed by the door before Mash can answer my question. "I did some rune healing while you were out, and found some surprising things if I may say so myself. You have quite a strong body and magic for a human, eh?"
Well I did have some really impressive physique for a human even back in my world. For some reason, mine was a body build up for the sole reason to fight. And to my luck I manage to carry them over when I came to this world.
"Ahh! Caster, thank you for your help earlier and for patching me up."
"Hoh… Changing the subject, eh? Well, it's not my business anyway. Go rest up some more, I'll be guarding for now so rest assured." He dematerializes as he disappeared from the room.
"Caster's right, Master. I'll be guarding the room outside too, please take some more rest." Mash took her shield as she walks out the room, Fou run and catches up with her to settle on her shoulder, she then closed the door before bowing to me.
I closed my eyes and sat crossed legged as I meditated, checking the condition of my body. Hmm, so far, no immediate damage done in my bones or muscles, although some slight muscle tear here and there, but nothing that could impede me in battle.
Looks like my body was not used to magic, when I used Reinforcement earlier, but I could feel that my body could still take it. But when Caster provided more support with his Runes, the strain to my body got a little more than it can take. Well, a good thing that I didn't broke any bones, seems like it was an aftershock after using magecraft for the first time, especially Caster's rune magic.
I opened my eyes and released a deep breathe. Now that I am not in risk of combat or any danger, time to check what changes happened with the system, the thing's been bothering me since earlier. I willed it to appear as multiple dialogue boxes appeared in front of me.
[Status Screen]
Fujimaru Ritsuka
Level: 7
[Strength: 34] +, [Endurance: 30] +, [Agility:47] +, [Mana: 703(1029)], [Luck: D]
Magic Circuits: 21 (49 +)
Stat Points: 45
Experience: 428 (61 exp Next Level)
[Notice]
Reawakened Skill (Gained or converted from previous life):
Natural Body A: The possession of a perfect body as a living being since birth. A muscular shape even without training, what's more, the body shape won't change no matter how much calorie is ingested
Talented in Every Field A: From host's experience in the previous life of displaying talent in multiple fields, like martial arts, fine arts, warfare, even to the new magecraft in this new world. Host can do anything he practiced when he was alive at a high level, and learns faster than normal for matter he only just got started.
Eternal Arms Mastery A+: Mastership of combat arts has reached the point of being said to be unrivaled in one's era (*Previous). By complete merging of mind, body and technique, it is possible to make use of full fighting skills even when under the influence of any sort of mental hindrance.
Eye of the Mind (False) B: A natural talent to foresee/sense and avoid danger on the basis of an innate 6th sense, intuition, or prescience. Danger avoidance by means of intuition and sixth sense. Possessing the intuition to omit the verification process and immediately derives the most optimum course of action.
Experience gained:
Total Experience Gained: 428
Quest:
[First Order: Singularity F]:
The Singularity located in Fuyuki City, Japan in 2004 AD. At this point in history, a Holy Grail War was taking place in the city. Following the Singularity's manifestation, the city was engulfed in flames and all humans vanished, leaving only the Servants. The Holy Grail War was also disrupted, being switched to something else. Subsequently, a corrupted Saber defeated five of the other Servants, with only Caster surviving. The fallen Servants were also corrupted and rose as Shadow Servants. At the same time, monsters appeared in the city. The core of the Singularity is Fuyuki's Greater Grail, guarded by Saber.
Main Objectives: Defeat Artoria Pendragon (Alter) Saber
Reward: Choose one amongst Artoria Pendragon's (Saber) skill
Side Objective: Defeat the shadow servants.
Rewards: 1 Random skill from the Shadow Servant. Rewards are distributed per shadow servant defeated.
*Side Objective Complete: Defeat Shadow Servant Medusa
Reward: Magic Resistance B: Cancel spells with a chant below three verses. Even if targeted by High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals, it is difficult for host to be affected.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Looks like there were a lot of new stuffs after defeating those skeletons as well as Lancer. A total of 6 levels increased and damn, look at those skills. Reawakened, converted? Hmm, pretty good skills too and they're high ranks as well. Well, I could now see how I got my pretty strong body from my previous life.
I won't be spending the stat points for now; I'll use them depending on the enemy servant I'll face next. I still have to talk with Caster about this Singularity, I don't know if I changed things with me as a butterfly effect factor. Besides I now know I got some pretty good skills to boost my combat efficiency, though I don't know about the reward from Lancer. I doubt that skill would be effective against Servants, considering I won't be facing enemy Masters but a whole lot of Servants throughout this whole ordeal, that are way stronger than modern day magus.
For now, I guess I need to take some rest to replenish my Mana fully before having a talk with Caster to decide where to go from there. Those side objectives rewards are pretty inciting considering I'm sure at least at two Shadow Servants that should still be around.
Feeling Mash guarding outside the room, I laid back again as I calmed my body and breathing to rest, adjusting my body clock to wake after 30 minutes, I close my eyes and go to sleep. Not even 30 minutes have passed by, I woke up by the sound of my watch's beeping sound, look's like a certain infuriate director is eager to know our condition. I completely forgot that I cut short the comms just before our collision with Lancer earlier.
Mash came inside upon hearing the beeping sound of my watch, I smiled at her helplessly as I sat up and pressed the watch to answer. Fou leaped from Mash's shoulders and landed on mine while rubbing its head to my cheek.
"Ahh! Muu! This is getting annoying! Do you know how hard it was to reconnect to you, after cutting me off earlier! If not for seeing your still fine vitals from here, we would have thought you've gotten yourselves killed so early in the mission! ---" Director Olga didn't waste any time as she scolded me from the get go, she continued lecturing me without taking a break that I completely didn���t mind.
After a few seconds of letting her steam off, she took a deep breath and look at Mash standing behind me. "…Anyway, seeing you two still alive and well, I take it that you manage to defeat the servant?"
"Yes! Enemy Servant…no, Enemy Shadow Servant Lancer has been defeated. Although we got a help from another Servant." Mash recounted what happened. After the constant scolding earlier, she didn't even let me make the report as the Master.
I felt Caster once again materializing out of thin air besides me. "Ohh! Is that some means of communication through Magecraft?" He peered from my shoulder as he enthusiastically inspects the hologram projection of Director Olga from my watch.
"Hoh? Looking at you, I guess your Servant Caster?" Director Olga crossed her arms while studying Caster.
"Ohh! Although, I would have like being summoned as a Lancer." Caster nodded proudly at the director.
"Well then, it's a pleasure to meet you Heroic Spirit. As the director of Chaldeas I thank you Caster for---"
"There's no need for pleasantries. Just state your business already. You can at least do that right? Pretty young lady." Caster cut off while winking at her teasingly Director Olga who flinched by his sudden interruption.
"P-pretty?!" I released a long sigh seeing the flustered face of the director. Thankfully she recovered quickly, going back to the matter at hand.
She asked Caster about the everything Caster know about this place, which in turn Caster explains how Fuyuki was suddenly engulfed in flames, the humans vanished, and only the Servants remained. Saber restarted the Holy Grail, and proceeded to defeat Lancer, Assassin, Rider, Archer, and Berserker. Any Servants defeated by her were corrupted and became shadow servants.
Just like in the game, Caster and Saber are the only survivors of the Grail War, and it will end until Saber is defeated. Caster admits he helped us because he needs allies against Saber. To my disappointment Caster has already took down, Rider and Assassin, which means I couldn't get that 1 random skill from each of them.
"As for Berserker, well, I think he won't attack as long as we leave him alone. That one's pretty tough, even Saber had to recover for a while after defeating him." He's pretty much correct about Berserker, if my guess is right this one's Berserker should be Heracles, one of the most renowned Greek hero even in modern times.
But I have to at least give it a try, I can't let one of Heracles skills be wasted without even trying. The guy must have been a real beast, but he's now a Shadow Servant, he can't use his Noble Phantasm and has gone down a level in all his parameters. Pretty big risk, but I can't let this opportunity go, combat experience against Servants is what I and Mash lack the most right now.
"…We have to try, Caster. If we can't defeat Berserker, then we have no chance to beat Saber while being guarded by Archer." I look seriously at Caster whose eyes were close as he ponders about my suggestion.
"Hahaha! Not bad, kid! I'm liking your guts more and more!" He suddenly laughed full-heartedly as he smacked my back repeatedly. "Very well, let's do it your way!"
"What do you think you're doing, deciding things on your own?!" Director Olga stood up from her chair, raising her voice loudly.
"I'm sorry, Director. But Mash and I need this, we can't face an enemy as strong as Saber without some preparations."
"I agree with Senpai, Director. Besides…." Mash paused for a second while looking down. "…I'm afraid I can't use my Noble Phantasm yet… I'm sorry." She bowed her head, looking all gloomy.
Of course, I already know her Noble Phantasm, I've used her NP a lot of time and she's been my best defender even back when this was just a game. But it'll be much better if I let her find her own way to use this power for now, so she could know its true meaning not just because I told her it's real name.
"That's why we're doing this, Mash. I'm sure you'll figure it out soon, I trust you." I hold her shoulders and look straight at her reassuring her with a smile. This Mash is still very delicate, I have to make her feel that she can do great things herself. After all, she's the best Kohai.
"Thank you! Senpai!" She smiles brightly at my encouragement, she's too precious! I have to keep her.
"Muu! I don't care anymore! Do whatever you want, just don't die on me! You hear me?!" And, the director is still a tsundere. Mash and I look at each other helplessly as we gave our confirmation.
"Right then! When do we start?!" Caster energetically twirled his staff to his shoulders awaiting for my orders.
"Let's go grind some bones!" I grinned as I cracked my knuckles looking forward for more levels.