Mash decided Benkei still didn't look unconscious enough, so she gave him one extra smack for good measure.
Thunk.
The Lancer twitched violently on the ground, then lay perfectly still.
The original Mash stared at the girl standing in front of her. Same face. Same everything… except the armor.
She glanced down at her own plain purple suit, then back at the pristine white-and-gold masterpiece across from her. An absurd thought bubbled up:
…Am I the knockoff?
It really was like a level-one newbie staring at a fully maxed-out veteran.
The shock hit so hard it took her a second to speak.
"You're—!!!"
Before she could finish, the other Mash's shield whistled through the air. Pain exploded across her skull. The last thing she saw was the burning orange sky over Fuyuki.
Huh… it's actually kind of pretty.
...
Back with Adam and Ritsuka.
Adam watched Ritsuka still frozen in place and chuckled. He reached out and snapped his fingers twice right in front of her blank eyes.
Snap. Snap.
"Earth to Ritsuka. Come back."
Her unfocused pupils slowly sharpened. She blinked, then rounded on him with pure confusion.
"Adam! What did you do to my adorable junior?!"
Adam's lips curved into a wicked grin.
"I didn't do anything. She chose to follow me all on her own."
Ritsuka puffed up like an angry cat protecting its territory—whether she was defending Mash or Adam was anyone's guess.
"Liar! She used to call me Senpai in the cutest little voice, all soft and fluffy like cotton candy! How did she suddenly become yours?!"
"And now she looks at me like I'm a stranger… waaah…"
[Ritsuka Fujimaru Emotion Value +10]
Adam instantly put on an exaggerated gloomy expression, clearly enjoying himself.
"Yeah, you caught me. I hypnotized Mash so she'd only listen to me."
Ritsuka's eyes went wide. "What?! There's a hypnosis route too?!"
Adam's grin sharpened.
"I could release the hypnosis, of course… but if I do that—"
"Then I'll have to hypnotize you instead, Ritsuka Fujimaru."
He waited for the usual embarrassed outburst.
Instead, Ritsuka's cheeks flushed pink and her eyes sparkled with shy excitement.
"Mmm~ Please be gentle…"
[Ritsuka Fujimaru Emotion Value +10]
"?!"
Wait, why are you blushing like a kettle about to boil over?
And then—subtly, almost innocently—she licked her lips.
Adam froze. For the first time, he felt like he was the prey.
Ritsuka took a slow step closer, voice dropping into a teasing purr.
"Have you already started hypnotizing me, Adam?"
[Ritsuka Fujimaru Emotion Value +10]
She kept advancing, breathing a little heavier, eyes half-lidded.
"You're actually pretty good-looking yourself, you know…"
[Ritsuka Fujimaru Emotion Value +10]
Adam instinctively took a step back. Is it just me, or does she suddenly look like a super-deformed chibi character? She's terrifyingly cute right now.
"Uh… wait—"
Before he could finish, Ritsuka pounced, pinning him down with surprising strength. Her hands were very bold.
[Ritsuka Fujimaru Emotion Value +10]
[Ritsuka Fujimaru Emotion Value +10]
[Ritsuka Fujimaru Emotion Value +10]
Adam's face went pale.
"Ritsuka! Where exactly are you touching?!"
She finally got the reaction she wanted and hopped off him with a triumphant huff.
"That's what you get for teasing me~"
The whole "dangerous seductress" act had been half fake. She hadn't believed a word of his hypnosis story—she'd just wanted petty revenge. Still, she couldn't resist bringing her hand to her nose, inhaling the faint masculine scent still lingering on her fingers, and letting out a soft, mischievous giggle.
"Hehehe~"
Adam stared at her and muttered under his breath.
"You really are the Evil of Humanity, Gudako…"
Just wait until I roll a stamina-boosting Mystic Code in my next ten-roll. Then we'll see who's eating 'fruit'.
Right on cue, the upgraded Mash returned, dragging the unconscious Benkei in one hand and the original Mash in the other like shopping bags.
She blinked at Adam, then at the giggling Ritsuka, and her expression froze.
…I haven't been home-wrecked again, have I?
Ritsuka opened her mouth to say "Welcome back!"—then spotted the very familiar purple-haired girl slung over the other Mash's shoulder.
She rubbed her eyes hard.
Did I absorb too much Adam energy? Am I hallucinating?
She shook her head. Nope. Still there.
"Mash! And… Mash?! Why are there two of you?!"
Adam looked at the second Mash draped limply over his own Servant's shoulder and winced.
Oh no.
"Mash, I forgot to tell you—the other 'you' on your shoulder is an ally."
The upgraded Mash blinked. "Eh?"
She had honestly assumed the Lancer in her other hand was the friendly one and the mage-looking girl was the enemy.
"If she's not an illusion… then what is she…?"
Both Mashes and Ritsuka turned to Adam at the same time, eyes begging for answers.
Adam took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts so he could explain everything from the beginning. Then he glanced at the still-unconscious original Mash and told Ritsuka:
"Wake her up first. This one's yours."
His Mash gently laid the other girl down. Ritsuka rushed over and took her hand.
Adam activated the spell engraved on his Mystic Code.
Frontline Recovery.
Mash stirred, rubbing her head groggily as she woke.
Adam spoke softly.
"I'm sorry, Mash. My orders got mixed up—that's why my Mash attacked you."
The upgraded Mash bowed her head, equally apologetic.
"I'm sorry too… I got too excited. My bad, um… Mash."
The freshly awakened Mash looked between the two of them, stunned and a little starstruck.
"I-I'm fine! More importantly…"
Her eyes locked onto her upgraded counterpart.
Right now, the only thing she cared about was why there was suddenly a deluxe, high-spec version of herself standing right there.
All three of them turned to Adam at once.
...
Deep in the ruined city, Olga Marie slowly regained consciousness. She looked around at the unfamiliar, scorched landscape, still dazed.
"I remember… I was giving a speech in the command room, and then—"
Before she could finish the thought, a horde of skeletons surged out of the shadows around her.
Even though she was the Director of Chaldea, Olga Marie was still just a twenty-year-old girl. Faced with the nightmarish sight, she let out a piercing shriek.
"Kyaaaaaaa!!!"
***
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