It was almost time...
Aslan glanced down at his watch, then at the magic circle in front of him. Aiming the Command Spell on the back of his hand toward the summoning circle, his other hand quietly slipped into the pocket of his space-magic gift suit. As for what he intended to do—of course, he was going to pull out a small gadget and exact a bit of interest from Merlin.
After all, Merlin had too many shortcomings, and Aslan worried that if all the debts were settled at once, the magician might not survive the process. So, he had no choice but to make him repay them little by little.
At the very least, when that old bastard showed up, Aslan wanted to go straight in with a combo attack and finish with a hammer to the face. As he felt the magic in his body begin to surge toward the summoning circle, Aslan began the incantation.
"Full, full, full, full, full, full—
Repeatedly, the next is five.
However, when it is full, it is the time to discard it!"
Whether they were regular participants in the Holy Grail War or others who intervened through more unconventional means, like Kariya, everyone who had not yet summoned their Heroic Spirit raised their hands at that moment.
"Announce!!"
With that, violent magic surged directly into the summoning circle.
A storm broke out in the forest where Aslan stood. Leaves rustled, yellow ones spinning into the sky, flung upward by the raging magical winds. Furniture and gadgets in neighboring rooms were scattered everywhere, hurled about by the chaos. At the same time, the sheer force of the magic flow sent pain lancing through the body.
Of course, this minor discomfort was nothing to Aslan. Compared to the way his magic coursed through him during sparring matches with his old man, this was barely a tickle. Judging by Aslan's physique alone, this was child's play.
As for everyone else, they didn't concern themselves with physical changes or the disruptions around them. They were focused on one thing: success. If you couldn't even summon a Heroic Spirit, what business did you have participating in the Holy Grail War at all?
"You are my subordinate, and I entrust my fate to your sword.
Obey the call of the Holy Grail. If you respond to this will and the laws of nature, then answer now.
I swear here: I will become the greatest man in the world and eliminate all evil!
(Make your eyes dark and your mind violent,
Prisoner of madness,
I am the master of this chain.)
The seven heavens, bound by the three great words of the Spirit of the Lord,
Are released from the Wheel of Restraint—Guardian of the Scales!"
A dazzling light erupted alongside the magical storm, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. And then—when the chaos faded—a miracle occurred.
"Hey~ I'm Merlin, also known as the Flower Magician. Feel free to call me Merlin. I don't like being reserved, but I must admit, I didn't expect you to be so persistent. A happy miscalculation, I suppose. I'll try my best to live up to the title of Grand Caster… even though I technically can't… ha... hahaha..."
Merlin stood in the center of the summoning circle, turning his head slightly to avoid eye contact with Aslan, pretending he was here on a whim—just to enjoy the human world.
Seeing the long-haired magician with his staff, cheerful smile, and flowers blooming at his feet, Aslan immediately struck him on the head with his forging hammer.
"Don't play dumb with me! No matter what I was doing in the human world, you old pervert were definitely watching with your clairvoyance!"
"Wait a second! Aslan! I can explain!! I'm here to help you! Be gentle—please be gentle—ah~!"
Akuta Hinako had just finished sorting out housing arrangements when she came to the forest to ask about Aslan's Heroic Spirit summoning. What she saw stunned her: a white-robed mage kneeling on the ground, staff in hand, wailing as he cradled his forehead.
Behind him, Aslan stood holding an obviously extraordinary forging hammer, repeatedly bringing it down on the magician's head and limbs with satisfying thwack sounds.
"Ah! Wait! A little lower—yes, right there! Ah~ Harder!"
Hearing this, Aslan narrowed his eyes and increased the strength in his strikes. Finally, he brought the hammer down hard on Merlin's waist. Of course, he wasn't just venting his anger—he had a practical reason, too. This "old bastard" clearly needed a body tune-up.
Unlike Aslan, Merlin was a homebody who had been holed up in a tower for fifteen hundred years. His bones and muscles had likely atrophied. A thorough massage was just what he needed. Think about it—back in the Seventh Singularity, Merlin ran all the way from Great Britain to Mesopotamia. He probably had to lie in bed for days after returning to the Tower of Paradise just to recover from the soreness.
Otherwise, why do you think it took so long for him to appear in the summoning pool—long after the Seventh Singularity, even past the Final Singularity?
It must've been this old bastard—rubbing his sore back and congratulating himself on leaving a good impression on the last Master of humanity. He got to play the hero for once and covered up his bastard tendencies.
If a world-ending crisis occurred during this Holy Grail War, then ensuring this old bastard was in peak fighting condition was essential. And even if the crisis didn't come to pass, getting Merlin back into shape was hardly a waste.
"Ah—!! Aslan, was that last one too hard? I might have to lie in bed all day now…"
Akuta Hinako watched the servant sprawled on the ground, rubbing his waist and muttering suggestive complaints. Her normally cold expression cracked a little. Her eyes even grew slightly red as she turned to Aslan, a trace of pity in her gaze—Is this really someone worth relying on?
Aslan glanced at the moaning Merlin and gave him a final kick to the backside before putting away the forging hammer.
"Don't worry. This guy may seem completely unreliable, but in terms of ability, he's top-tier."
-End Chapter-
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