[Altair Brando]
Two figures… no, three, considering the small white fox that also resembled a squirrel.
The little white creature was unbearably cute.
As for the human figures, both were girls of notable beauty. The one who captured my attention most was the young woman with pink hair and eyes of the same shade, wielding a metal shield.
From the magical energy she emanated, she was certainly a Servant… or rather, a Demi-Servant.
However, weren't her clothes a bit too revealing?
The pink-haired young woman wore black-and-purple armor that fit her body like a second skin, barely reaching mid-thigh and revealing long white legs that extended down to high boots, whose heels echoed against the ground with each step.
Appreciating this sight, it was undeniable that this universe possessed exceptional talent for producing gorgeous women. It made perfect sense, especially considering they had transformed the legendary King Arthur into this world's poster girl.
As I thought that, Olga at my side parted her pink lips.
"Mash!" she exclaimed, her amber eyes gleaming with joy. But upon seeing the girl accompanying her, she frowned. "Tsk! Master Candidate 48, what are you doing here?"
My goldfish-like attention span shifted from the girl supposedly called Mash to the one beside her.
The girl had shoulder-length red hair, tied in a side ponytail on the left with a yellow ribbon. Her golden eyes fell toward the ground as she rested her hands on her thighs, trying to catch her breath.
Sweat dripped down her beautiful face, falling onto the white shirt that resembled a uniform. Ignoring the droplet on her blouse, her slender fingers gripped the edge of her black skirt.
Averting my gaze from the stockings covering her legs, my eyes found three red marks on the back of her hand.
So this little redhead… is a master?
I touched my lips, observing her with curiosity. She didn't seem to have good physical conditioning either.
Although I'm not a fan of red, I have to admit her hair is beautiful.
As this thought crossed my mind, the pink-haired girl walked toward her, planting the large shield in the ground. "Senpai, are you alright?" Mash asked with concern, gently rubbing the redhead's back.
"Yes… I'm fine… Mash, just a little… tired." Small drops of sweat dripped from her chin toward the ground.
"Tsk! What a disgrace for a Master." Olga clicked her tongue with disapproval and directed her gaze at Mash. "Mash, you're a Demi-Servant, aren't you? I can tell just by looking… but how was this possible?" She stared at her with curiosity.
Mash turned to the director, assuming an almost military posture.
"Yes, Director. Chaldea had prepared a Servant in advance to resolve Singularity F. But shortly before I died, a Heroic Spirit appeared and offered me a contract. In exchange for his power, I would commit to eliminating the disturbance causing the Singularity.
A nice summary.
I raised my hand, brushing some hair strands from my face.
So this temporal anomaly is called Singularity F?
Hmm! Her merging process with the heroic spirit seems a bit different from mine, but we're similar anyway.
As I played with the tip of my hair, I saw out of the corner of my eye that Olga let out a sigh. "I see." Her voice seemed to carry rather complex feelings.
Then her eyes turned to the red-haired young woman kneeling beside Mash, still visibly shaken. "And so… this commoner ended up becoming your Master?"
She seems to enjoy the part of a young noble… although her arrogance seems a bit cute, like that of a grumpy cat.
Would she be offended if I tried to pet her belly?
"Wait a second." The redhead stood up, facing Olga. "Master!? Me?" She pointed at herself. "This doesn't make sense. I barely know what's happening; literally, it's only been a few minutes since I was thrown into this mess."
I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the little redhead.
She was checking off the protagonist checklist… being introduced without knowing anything was the perfect prerequisite.
"Yes, Director, she is my master." Mash raised her arm, casually scratching her cheek and revealing the subtle curve of her armpit. "If it weren't for Senpai, it would be impossible to maintain my form as a Servant. My magical energy alone wouldn't be enough to sustain me."
While Olga merely murmured an "I see," seeming relieved by the pink-haired girl's words, my thoughts drifted in another direction.
Interesting.
Just like a normal servant, a demi-servant was also sustained by magical energy.
I was similar to a Demi-Servant, but I didn't feel the need to form a contract to receive magical energy.
The small amount I had used was already regenerating in a few seconds… probably because of my ⟨Divine Core⟩, which acted as an industrial factory of magical energy.
At this point, it was obvious I wasn't typically a servant or even a common Demi-Servant, although, in essence, I was similar.
Well… putting that aside, don't you think you've been ignoring my presence for quite some time?
The thing an artist hates most is having their existence neglected.
I raised my hand to my mouth: "Ahem!" I coughed, drawing attention and making the girls' eyes turn to me. With their gazes on me, I tilted my head, sketching a slight smile. "Hello!"
"Uh... hmmm!... Hello." Mash looked at me, confused. "Director, I'm sorry, but who is this boy?"
She stared at me with a hesitant expression, as if evaluating something.
Olga wore a slight smile. "This is an ally I managed to acquire. His name is Altair Brando. In a way, he's a Demi-Servant, but quite different from you." She crossed her arms over her chest, showing some difficulty in explaining exactly what I was.
"Really!?" Mash made an expression of genuine surprise. "I see. It's a pleasure to meet you, Altair-senpai."
"Senpai!?" I frowned. Don't misunderstand me, I didn't feel the least bit bothered being called that by such a cute girl.
I was just curious about her unexpected way of addressing me.
The red-haired girl beside her let out a light laugh. "Mash has a very unique way of referring to people she considers more experienced. That's why she called you senpai."
"I guess that makes sense… and you?" I looked at the red-haired girl.
"Hehehe! I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru. It's a pleasure to meet you, Brando-san." Ritsuka extended her hand to me, using the typically Japanese formal treatment.
"The pleasure is mine, Fujimaru-san." When in Rome, do as the Romans do. "But you can just call me Altair." I extended my hand toward hers to greet her.
"Of course, Altair-san." She grabbed my hand.
The moment our hands touched, a burning sensation ran across the back of my hand, making me frown.
I was dumbfounded and my eyes widened as three red marks formed on the back of my hand, as if they had been burned into the skin.
The mark had the shape of a crown, its flaming lines drawing a majestic arc at the base, while three ascending peaks rose like sharp blades, similar to thorns at the top. The symmetrical arrangement of the shapes created the perfect illusion of a royal crown.
But what the hell...
"Command Seals!?" Olga's eyes widened as she fixed her gaze on my hand.
How?
[Based on your memories, this world's system probably identified you as a Master, due to your singularity of being a servant and, at the same time, not being one.]
That made sense, but can you see my memories?
Even though I trusted Nahida, I didn't feel comfortable with someone rummaging through my innermost thoughts... there were some memories I was deliberately burying in my mind for a reason.
[Yes... but I'm only reading your memories about this world and its system, to see if they match my knowledge. I'm not accessing anything personal... even so, I'm sorry?] Her beautiful voice sounded somewhat apologetic.
Feeling a bit guilty, I raised my hand, scratching the back of my neck.
It's okay, that doesn't bother me. I just don't feel comfortable when people dig up a past that even I'm not prepared to revisit.
But I should trust you, just give me a little time, Nahida.
[Ok… I'll wait, Al!]
From the intonation of her voice, she seemed a bit happier.
[By the way, analyzing these command seals, it seems they're also functioning as a kind of Magic Crest.]
A Magic Crest?
My eyes widened slightly.
A Magic Crest is a device that stores thaumaturgical power, allowing its bearer to hold and access spells efficiently, allowing its bearer to store and access spells efficiently.
With my eyes still wide, I stared at the crown-shaped command seals on the back of my hand.
It seemed I had just gained a small upgrade.
[...]
Lost in thought, I heard a small static coming from my head.
Nahida!?
[A signal of magical energy… southeast!]
Almost the instant her voice echoed in my mind, a chill ran through my body. Ignoring the voices, I turned to the side, half-closing my eyes.
A gleam… was crossing the sky in our direction… it was a projectile cutting through the air at high speed. Reacting instantly, I grabbed Olga's hand, pulling her against my body in a bridal embrace while pushing the two girls aside.
The deadly whistle cut through the air. I flexed my foot, jumping to the side, but even so, the projectile passed like a razor close to my cheek, tearing the skin in a burning gash. A trickle of warm blood ran down my face.
A second later, the shot exploded against the rocky ground behind me, kicking up a dense cloud of dust and debris. The deafening boom echoed through my ears, and the confused voices of my companions echoed around.
"Senpai!?" Mash, in panic, placed her body over Ritsuka, protecting her with the shield.
"I'm fine!" Ritsuka bit her lips, looking forward with trembling eyes.
"What's happening?" Olga, with a slight blush on her cheeks, gripped my clothes tightly, while one of my hands embraced her slender waist.
With a burning sensation on my cheek, I just narrowed my eyes, activating the ⟨Fiery Golden Eyes⟩, seeing a few meters away a man with bronzed skin and white hair, holding a bow.
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A/N: Okay... the protagonist of this cursed gacha game has finally arrived. To be honest, I did consider switching to the male protagonist (Gudao), but I really like the female version (Gudako), so we're sticking with our gacha beast.
Don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review or drop a comment to motivate me.
(Ritsuka Fujimaru - Character Image)
(Mash Kyrielight - Character Image)