"Aaaargh!"
"How are we supposed to fight against things like that!"
Screams of soldiers clashing with wyverns erupted from every direction. I looked upon the battlefield, a scene of total pandemonium.
It was plain to see that the French forces were being utterly crushed. And naturally so; how could mere mortals of the present age stand against the wyverns of the Age of Gods?
"-Ugh?! Senior!"
"Krrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!"
Mash, who had only just Rayshifted, was in the same predicament. Defending against a swarm of wyverns descending from every angle with nothing but a shield was proving impossible.
Ultimately, a wyvern broke through Mash's defenses, thrusting its snout forward to devour Ritsuka, who was cowering behind her.
Ritsuka was certain death had come for her. That massive maw would crush her and end her life in a single stroke.
Without a miracle in the form of another Servant's intervention, this would be her end.
....Slash!Thud!
".......?"
"Sen....ior?"
Indeed. If there had been no miracle, that is. The head of the wyvern that had been lunging for her fell to the ground, claimed by the weight of gravity.
Ritsuka and Mash were unable to process what had just transpired. They had been certain it was too late to live. The one meant to die had been them, not that creature. They were sure of it.
Yet reality was the polar opposite. The creature lay dead, and they were the ones who survived. Realizing this, Ritsuka looked up at the one who had saved her.
"....Ah."
"-Are you alright?"
Faded blonde hair. Skin so white it bordered on pale. Features as sharp as a lone wolf's. And cold, golden eyes gazing down at her.
At a glance, he possessed an aura that made him seem unapproachable, but Ritsuka did not care. She did not dwell on such things.
"...."
"For starters....can you stand?"
He reached a hand out to her where she sat on the ground. Ritsuka gazed at his hand, dazed.
For that silhouette seemed to be the very image of one saving a soul in peril from a fairy tale, banishing evil away-
"-Prince?"
She had thought he looked like a prince.
**
Slash!Thud!
'-Whew, thank goodness.'
It was a close call; humanity's last Master nearly perished, and the fate of humanity would have vanished with her. Arrived at an impeccable moment, didn't I?
I looked down at Ritsuka, who remained seated on the ground, staring at me blankly, and asked:
"-Are you alright?"
"...."
There was no answer. Her dazed expression suggested she was in shock. That made sense, of course.
It would be stranger if an ordinary girl wasn't shaken after being dropped into a life-or-death battlefield and nearly dying. How could one possibly remain calm?
Surely, that would be impossible for anyone other than a magus or a Servant. Judging that I needed to get her back on her feet, I reached out my hand and spoke.
"For starters....can you stand?"
"...."
Ritsuka offered no reply, simply reaching out to take my extended hand. I applied force and pulled her up.
'....Hm?'
Ritsuka was gazing blankly at my face. Was there something on it? But before the thought could linger, she parted her lips.
"....Prince?"
"....?"
....Why, all of a sudden, a prince? I am a knight, though.....wait.
The word "prince" stirred something in my mind. It felt as if I had heard that exact phrase somewhere before....Prince....prince.....
"-Ugh!"
Just as a recollection began to surface, a sudden, piercing pain shot through my head, and I grabbed my temples.
I felt as if I had unearthed a memory that should remain buried. My brow furrowed at the intuitive warning not to pursue it.
"Krrrrrrr-"
"....Ah."
But the moment passed, and the shrieks of the wyverns forced me to shake my head. This was no time for such lapses. I turned back to the shell-shocked Ritsuka.
"I understand you are in shock, but gather your senses, Master of a foreign land. This is not the time for this."
"-You are right."
Jeanne, who had arrived behind me, swung her banner staff at an approaching wyvern. Struck by the staff, the beast flew toward me.
Whack!Slash!
Channeling a Prana Burst into the strike, I cleanly split the airborne beast in two and addressed Ritsuka.
"I shall accept you as my Master, so I request your cooperation."
"...."
"Well?"
".....Ah. Y-yes, I understand. Then....your sword shall be at my behest, and my fate at the edge of your blade."
"I swear it upon the name of Berserker. I accept you as my Master."
Hum!
Through the contract, a Prana path established a connection between Ritsuka and me. Feeling the presence of magical energy flowing through the link and the restoration of my parameters thanks to my Master, I smiled at Ritsuka.
"Then....give the command, Master."
"....Save the people of France. Please, Berserker."
"Your command is my duty. Now that I have regained my strength, there is nothing left to fear, so....."
Shall we have some fun?
Grasping my sword firmly, I plunged into the heart of the wyvern horde.
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