"How am I supposed to write this report?!"
Gudako crumpled the incomprehensible mess of scribbles before her into a ball and tossed it aside in frustration.
In all fairness, she was just a high school student before coming to Chaldea. She had no experience with this kind of thing! Every draft she'd submitted had been rejected, with Romani insisting on archiving it for posterity and demanding it be written properly. This short-circuited her brain. Though Mash had offered to help, Mash's knowledge in this area was, to put it mildly, pitifully inadequate—or rather, nonexistent.
"A report? Why do you need to write something like that at your age?"
A hand picked up Gudako's discarded draft, examining the chaotic scribbles. It looked more like a novel than a report.
"You're writing a travelogue here!"
"I can't help it! I didn't want to either!" Gudako retorted.
She explained that if it weren't for needing to prepare for the final Singularity, she would have already snuck away. After all, they had only just conquered the Sixth Singularity yesterday, and to finish this report, she hadn't even gotten a decent nap. If her head touched a pillow right now, she could fall asleep in an instant.
"But everyone else is working so hard, and as the sole Master—the one with the most complete understanding of the Singularities—I have to do it!"
"Commendable resolve," the man behind Gudako praised. "Then let me help you. As a seasoned corporate drone, this kind of thing is second nature to me. What do you need to write?"
"Thank you so much! Let me think... like, for example..."
Gudako finally turned to face the man behind her. It was someone she knew, but someone who shouldn't be at Chaldea.
"Eh? Jiang You?!"
"Why are you so surprised? Didn't I say I'd come to help?" Jiang You replied smoothly.
Jiang You snatched the pen from Gudako's hand. A task that could be finished in just a few hundred words was the perfect way to boost Gudako's favorability.
"But... we haven't signed a contract, have we? And Chaldea hasn't summoned any new Servants recently, right?"
Gudako pinched her thigh to confirm she wasn't dreaming.
"How did you get here?!"
"Don't worry too much about the details," Jiang You replied, figuring he couldn't exactly say he'd just clicked back into this Script and materialized beside Gudako. "Right now, the most important thing is your report. Do you want to write it yourself?"
"Please do it for me!" Gudako immediately clasped her hands in prayer. "I'll bake you a cake!"
Chaldea's resources weren't exactly plentiful at the moment (let's ignore Chaldea's activity status for now), and even deploying servant support to Singularities was limited. In this situation, cake was indeed a rare treat, no wonder Romani often snuck a bite.
Jiang You finished the report in no time, even including information Gudako didn't know. For instance, the Holy Grail from the Seventh Singularity could pinpoint the location of Solomon's Temple. Since Chaldea had no way to communicate with the Lion King, it fell to Jiang You to relay this crucial information.
"Amazing!"
Seeing the report sent, Gudako received Romani's approval almost immediately and leaped up in joy.
"But Jiang You, how do you know so much about what happened before?"
"Actually, I've been watching you the whole time," Jiang You replied, having prepared his explanation beforehand. If necessary, he could always use his Clairvoyance as a cover. After all, no other Servant truly understood the future as clearly as he did.
"I've witnessed all your efforts, Ritsuka Fujimaru. You truly are the Messiah destined to save the world! That's why I crossed time to help you."
"Messiah? That's a bit much," Gudako said, scratching her head bashfully. She felt unworthy of such a title. Though she had experienced so much, it had only been about a year for her—just a year ago, she was an ordinary high school student.
"I was forced onto this path out of necessity. If any other Master were still alive, they would surely have done better than me."
"That's highly unlikely. Only you could accomplish this. You need to trust the future I've seen. Even a Prophecy-type Servant like me believes in you so strongly. Have some confidence!"
Jiang You considered whether eliminating those seven "old popsicles" now would prevent a Part 2. But he quickly dismissed the idea. Even without Group A, there was still Group B—they'd just need to find different candidates.
"Alright, you should go get some rest. Look at those dark circles under your eyes."
Jiang You patted Gudako on the head. Having finished her report, she'd finally relaxed, and exhaustion immediately washed over her. Her eyelids fluttered, and she yawned. "The next Singularity will be even more grueling. Get some rest while you can. I also need to discuss some things with Da Vinci and Romani."
Romani was analyzing the information from Gudako's report when an alarm blared.
"An unknown Spirit Origin has entered Chaldea and is heading toward the Control Room. Spirit Origin scale: small!"
Relevant personnel immediately provided Romani with emergency intelligence, causing him to spit out his coffee in shock.
"Immediately notify the Master to prepare for battle!"
"Too late! The Spirit Origin reaction originated right outside Master Ritsuka Fujimaru's door. The Master may already be compromised..."
This was terrible news.
"Ritsuka Fujimaru isn't that weak! Mash, go check on her room immediately!"
Though Romani was deeply concerned about Gudako's condition, he maintained a calm demeanor to steady the team's morale. "Da Vinci, I'm entrusting you with helping Mash break through. We need to confirm the Master's condition immediately!"
"Leave it to me!" Da Vinci channeled magical power into her mechanical arm, preparing for immediate combat. "This place is practically my Magic Workshop. Any unwelcome guests who dare trespass on my territory will receive a proper lesson."
"A servant who can infiltrate Chaldea like this must be extraordinary. They're likely an Assassin. Don't underestimate them!"
Just then, the door to the Control Room burst open. Mash immediately raised her shield to meet the threat. Her exceptional defensive capabilities allowed her to engage opponents swiftly and gather intelligence.
"Hey, hey, hey~ Solomon, I'm just dropping by for a visit!"
Jiang You had barely pushed open the door when he was met with a ferocious shield bash that nearly flattened his face. Even with the System's pain mitigation, the impact left him dazed.
"Mr. Jiang You!?" Mash finally recognized the intruder.
"Chaldea's welcome ceremony... is certainly unique."
As Da Vinci tended to his wounds, Jiang You rolled his eyes at the group.
"I don't think I should help you guys again next time," he grumbled.
"Sorry, sorry," Romani said, forcing a smile as he apologized to Jiang You. "As compensation, you can make any request you like. Chaldea will do its best to fulfill it."
Jiang You was indeed a valuable asset to Chaldea. Securing his continued cooperation would simplify many things, so Romani immediately began trying to win him over.
Da Vinci, however, showed no embarrassment. Given the current circumstances, Chaldea couldn't afford to be careless. "Servants who haven't undergone formal summoning naturally lack a Spirit Origin record," she explained. "Your movement patterns are far too sensitive."
"Fine by me," Jiang You conceded. He had originally intended to discuss other matters, but since Romani had already made the offer, he decided to be blunt. "Besides registering my identity, there's another issue I need to discuss."
Jiang You turned to Da Vinci. She and Little Da Vinci didn't share the same Class, and while the servants involved in current events had all been summoned through gacha, they had nearly all voluntarily altered their Spirit Origins according to the plot. Now that he was a Heroic Spirit himself, Jiang You had long wanted to try this. "Chaldea must have the technology to change a servant's Spirit Origin, right? Let me give it a shot."
Da Vinci looked at Romani, but this wasn't an excessive request. As the acting Director, Romani still needed to give his approval.
Seeing Romani nod, Da Vinci led Jiang You into a nearby room.
"While the technology does exist, the Spirit Origin can only be altered to reflect your inherent potential and adaptability. Moreover, it requires a suitable medium. It's not as simple as you might think. You can try it out first."
Following Da Vinci's instructions, Jiang You activated the device. He felt a subtle shift in his body, as if a tree was sprouting new branches.
He examined his adaptability. His base classes were limited to three: Caster, Assassin, and Berserker.
However, two special branches extended further: Foreigner and Beast.
"Huh?"
Curious, Jiang You clicked on the blood-red Beast branch. While Foreigner was intriguing, nothing could compare to the sheer absurdity of Beast.
Suddenly, Chaldea's alarm system blared an ear-piercing alert—the highest-level emergency warning.
"A massive Spirit Origin reaction has been detected at Chaldea! This reaction is a Beast!"
Romani: "??????!!!!!!"