In an old, abandoned warehouse, Ritsuka sat calmly atop a pile of scrap iron blocks. In front of him, right near the dusty wall, Rikka and Mash sat on their knees with both hands raised straight into the air—a classic punishment pose for their recklessness.
"Brother... can we put our hands down now? We understand, really," Rikka whined in a pleading tone, her arms starting to feel sore.
Ritsuka let out a long sigh, still maintaining his stern expression. "Alright. In that case, repeat what I just said."
Rikka cleared her throat softly, then quickly repeated her brother's scolding. "You said that leaving an inexperienced Master on the battlefield, especially in a Holy Grail War, is a fatal mistake. Even more so if that Master has no martial arts skills or familiars to protect them. I admit I was wrong to send two Servants at once to go after you, without leaving a single one by my side."
Ritsuka nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Put your hands down. You may rest now."
Letting Rikka and Mash lower their arms while exhaling sighs of relief, Ritsuka glanced toward the dark corner of the room, where the figure of their Assassin-class Servant stood silently on guard.
"Your main mistake was sending Mash after me when you had already dispatched Assassin there as a scout. You didn't need to send two Servants at once to check on my condition," Ritsuka continued, his tone now much softer.
The young man stepped down from the iron blocks, walked over to his younger sister, and gently patted the top of Rikka's head. "Remember, Mash is your shield. No matter what happens, she must not leave your side, Rikka."
Feeling the warm stroke on her head, Rikka looked up at her brother, then nodded obediently. "Um... okay, Brother. I understand."
Ritsuka smiled faintly and lowered his hand. "I'm going to rest for a bit. Mash, Assassin... if you're tired, you can rest too. I've already set up a Bounded Field around this warehouse for security. Rikka, you should rest as well."
"Understood, Senpai. But don't worry, with my body as a Demi-Servant, physical rest isn't strictly necessary," Mash reported.
"No, get some rest," Ritsuka gently declined. "Even if your physical body is strong, your mental and psychological burdens still need rest. The same goes for you, Assassin. I don't want you to forget the fact that, fundamentally... you are also human."
After saying that, Ritsuka walked over to the pile of materials and laid his body down, leaning against a chunk of old iron.
"Brother, then where do I rest?" Rikka asked, looking around the dirty warehouse.
"I'm very tired... sleep wherever you like," Ritsuka muttered softly as he closed his eyes.
"Does that mean I can sleep next to you?!" Rikka exclaimed, her expression suddenly turning extremely enthusiastic.
"Whatever you want..." Ritsuka replied casually, his voice already half-drowned in exhaustion.
Hearing that green light, Rikka immediately crawled quickly toward her brother.
"Hehehe~ sleeping with Brother~" the girl giggled with a slightly strange and suspicious smile. Without hesitation, she immediately lay down beside Ritsuka and hugged his arm tightly.
"S-Senpai..." Mash called out miserably, staring at the sight with mixed feelings of jealousy and resignation.
"Tomorrow... we will go to the Matou family residence," Ritsuka murmured, his voice starting to weaken as a heavy drowsiness overtook his consciousness. "I don't know what's with that place, but... my instincts tell me I have to go there."
Hearing the name Matou mentioned, Assassin and Mash stood in silence for a moment.
"Rest, follow the Master's orders. I will stand guard and keep watch outside," Assassin said in a serious, flat tone. "After all... there is someone we absolutely must be wary of in this war."
After saying that, Assassin's form faded and disappeared into the darkness.
Mash froze for a moment in response to her fellow Assassin's warning. The shield-bearing girl then lowered her gaze, staring sharply at Rikka, who was now sound asleep with a strange smile while nuzzling into Ritsuka's arm.
"You mean Master Rikka, right?" Mash muttered softly to the empty air.
. . .
Meanwhile, back at Chaldea's headquarters.
Olga Marie, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and Koko Hekmatyar had just finished a lengthy discussion regarding the list of commodities and supplies Chaldea would purchase from their side. All business matters seemed to be settled. However, right before the meeting was adjourned, Koko suddenly threw out a crazy proposal. An offer that successfully left Olga frozen in her seat, while Sima Yi and Oda Nobunaga exchanged grins—clearly very tempted to accept it.
"What do you say, Director? With the combat power you possess... realizing it isn't an impossibility, right?" Koko grinned meaningfully.
Olga could only sit stunned, her brain working hard to process the scale and consequences of the offer.
Seeing that reaction, Kagaya immediately spoke up. "Koko, what you are planning is too risky. I oppose it," he said in a calm yet firm tone. "An action like that will only completely destroy the balance in your world."
Koko's smile instantly thinned. "This is my world, Kagaya, not yours. You have absolutely no right to dictate what I can and cannot do," Koko shot back coldly.
Responding to the tension, Valmet, who stood loyally behind Koko, immediately gripped the hilt of her weapon tightly.
Despite arriving without a single combat personnel as a bodyguard, Kagaya was not daunted in the slightest by Valmet's intimidation. He remained serene and unshaken. "You are well aware, aren't you? The presence of a massive foreign power will only make the nations in your world feel threatened by one another, which in the end will actually trigger a global-scale war."
"No. They won't have the time to go to war," Koko cut in quickly, her eyes shining wildly, filled with burning ambition. "If Chaldea accepts my proposal, not only can we prevent potential new wars, but we can also stop all the wars currently happening in my world! There will be no such thing as war anymore! If Chaldea establishes a mediating superpower nation there, absolute peace can become a reality!"
Koko then leaned over the table, staring sharply straight into Olga's eyes.
"Listen to me, Director. If you accept this offer, you can make Chaldea grow many times stronger. I don't know what variables have been restricting your movements in your home world all this time. Considering the power of your organization, it seems impossible that you aren't capable of conquering the world. There must be something holding you back, right? Whether it's the rules of the world, laws, or perhaps a super entity threatening you. But know this..." Koko spread her arms like a messenger of salvation. "...such obstacles do not exist in my world!"
da Vinci, who had been standing behind Olga all this time, seemed to be thinking hard before finally smiling enthusiastically.
"Considering their world is not connected to the Root, then the Counter Force or planetary guardian entities that usually act as watchdogs most likely do not exist there," da Vinci explained with sparkling eyes.
"Director, we could create and develop many things that have always been strictly forbidden by the rules of our world! And the concept of equivalent exchange there might also have different limitations. We could act far more freely. Personally, I approve of this proposal. There are so many things I want to research!"
"But that clearly violates our main rules!" Romani Archaman interrupted with an anxious and firm tone.
"Chaldea is strictly forbidden from interfering in the political affairs of nations. This organization was founded purely for the survival of humanity, was it not? Allowing Magi and their organizations to operate in a world that potentially lacks 'Guardians' is tantamount to inviting disastrous ruin. Miss Hekmatyar, Director... I strongly oppose this plan."
Hearing that rejection, Koko actually chuckled softly. She looked at Romani with a sharp, calculating gaze.
"Listen to me, my good Doctor. Those rules were made by the governments and magic councils in your world, weren't they? Is there a specific clause forbidding you from interfering in the politics of another world?" Koko tilted her head, wearing a cunning smile. "Besides... the governments of your world aren't here right now. More accurately, hasn't their authority already been burned to ashes?"
Romani fell stiffly silent hearing that bitter truth.
"If you accept my proposal, Chaldea can develop far more military and magical strength that has been restrained by the rules of your own world all this time," Koko continued, her tone becoming highly persuasive. "And as for your concerns about the danger of rogue Magi... by establishing a superpower nation in my world, wouldn't Chaldea itself be able to act as the 'Guardian' to keep them in check?"
"AHAHAHAHA! You truly are a crazy girl! But this is incredibly interesting!" Oda Nobunaga's roaring laughter shattered the tension. "Hey, Master's Boss! If you accept this offer, I will fully support you! My desire to conquer another world has already peaked!"
Meanwhile, Sima Yi was seen stroking her chin, weighing the strategic potential of Koko's words.
"Another world... with access there, we should be able to build a massive reserve army that would greatly assist us here. Furthermore... establishing a nation? Hmmm, that sounds very tempting," Sima Yi analyzed with a sly smile. "Even though that world possesses absolutely no Mystery, they still have infinite natural and human resources. And most importantly... there are no entities whatsoever with the power to cause trouble for us there."
The strategist then looked straight at Olga. "Director of Chaldea, tactically and logistically, I approve of Hekmatyar's proposal."
Olga grew even more conflicted, her brow furrowing deeply under the weight of her thoughts. "But the basic rules of the UN and the Association—"
"Are you still thinking about those nonsense rules?" Koko cut in sharply, her eyes locked on Olga. "Have you forgotten that your world is currently shattered to pieces? And you are hanging the fate of this entire world's salvation on the shoulders of two unfortunate teenagers... especially Ritsuka?! That boy must be suffering so much out there! This is your golden opportunity to truly help him, Director! He has already acknowledged you, hasn't he?"
SLAM!
Kagaya Ubuyashiki slammed the table hard, abandoning his composure for a moment.
"Koko! Are you trying to instigate her?!" Kagaya reprimanded. "I also want to help Ritsuka very much, but with this method of yours... too much innocent blood will be spilled!"
"And far more blood will be spilled if I just let it be, Kagaya!" Koko attacked without hesitation, refusing to back down. "My world is already guaranteed to head toward World War Three! The problem is already on a global scale. It's certain that either Uncle Sam or the Red Bear will be the instigators. With the dominance of Chaldea's military power, we can prevent or even entirely eliminate the possibility of that war!"
Koko spread her arms, her voice echoing in the meeting room with full conviction.
"The world needs a third power! A mediating, super-strong faction that can suppress and oppose the dominance of those two giant blocs! Listen to this, Director... this is the same as carrying out Chaldea's core mission to ensure the survival of humanity, just set in another world! What is wrong with that?! You could also provide unlimited military aid to Ritsuka! He would definitely be very grateful for this decision!"
The room went instantly silent.
Olga Marie sat silently with her head bowed in her seat. Both of her hands were clenched so tightly on her lap that her knuckles turned white. A violent storm raged in her heart between her idealism as a Magus and her deep guilt for burdening Ritsuka.
"I..."
. . .
Ritsuka woke up. However, the sight that greeted him was not the dusty roof of the warehouse where he had laid down.
He was now standing in an endless, dark place. Beneath his feet lay a glowing blue surface that reflected his shadow, while in the distance towered a mysterious, unnatural-looking giant tree.
"Where is this—" Ritsuka muttered.
However, his sentence abruptly stopped. His eyes widened in shock. The deep, authoritative voice that had just come out of his throat... was not his own. It was the voice of an adult man that, for some reason, felt very familiar to him.
With his heart pounding, Ritsuka lowered his head to look at his body. Gleaming silver armor, a thick cape... these were not his casual clothes.
"Impossible... this body—"
Before Ritsuka could process his confusion, the cheerful laughter of a little girl broke the tense silence.
"Ahahahaha! I knew you would definitely come!"
Ritsuka immediately looked up. Before him, a little girl in an elegant dress with bright blonde hair was twirling around very happily. Her face was beaming, filled with immense love, completely contrasting with the darkness around her.
"Saber~!" the girl called out in a sweet, spoiled tone, looking straight at Ritsuka.
Seeing that innocent smile, Ritsuka's breath hitched. "You! It can't be..."
Along with his shock, a wave of foreign memories suddenly flooded his head. The stored memories of the original owner of the Dragon Core flowed intensely, bringing back another set of memories to Ritsuka.
The little girl stopped her twirling and tilted her head in confusion. "What's wrong, Saber? Why are you looking at me like that? It's me—"
"Manaka Sajyou," Ritsuka cut in quickly, his voice—or more accurately, Arthur's voice—sounding cold and wary.
The girl named Manaka was stunned. The innocent smile on her face faded. Her clear blue eyes now stared intently at the knightly figure before her. She began to realize something was wrong.
"Why are you speaking in that tone? You... feel different," Manaka said slowly. She stepped closer, but suddenly her movements stopped rigidly. Her blue eyes widened, filled with anger and rejection. "Wait... you're not Arthur! You! Who exactly are you?!" she screamed hysterically, finally realizing the anomaly residing inside the body of her beloved knight.
Ritsuka stared at the little girl with eyes burning with anger.
"Manaka Sajyou... you're the demon who has been making Arthur suffer all this time, aren't you?" he growled sharply.
"You are not him! How dare you use his form! What have you done to my Arthur?!" Manaka shrieked, her innocent, beautiful face now distorted by madness and thick obsession.
"Your Arthur?!" Ritsuka repeated in a disgusted tone.
The young man inside the body of the King of Knights stepped forward without fear, challenging the girl's deadly aura.
"He doesn't belong to you! That knight belongs to no one! How dare you claim him as yours! You are a nobody to him, Manaka. You are just a crazy parasite who constantly brings suffering and curses into his life!"
Hearing that outright rejection, Manaka's patience completely shattered.
"SHUT UP! Don't you dare speak to me like that using his lips!" the girl raged. An incredibly terrifying and indescribable magical aura exploded from her small body, shaking the entire dream dimension. "Get out of that body right now!"
Manaka reached out her hand at an absurd speed, intending to pierce through the knight's chest to tear Ritsuka's soul out. However, right as the tips of the girl's fingers nearly touched his silver armor...
A voice shattered reality.
"MASTER!!!"
That incredibly loud, panicked
scream echoed through the darkness, pulling Ritsuka's consciousness back to the real world.