"Mistake?"
Mash couldn't help but be a little stunned.
"Correction?"
Rozen furrowed his brows deeper and deeper, eventually falling into thought.
"Then..."
The Chaldea staff seemed like they wanted to ask something further but were interrupted.
"Enough. That sort of thing isn't important to you. All you need to know is that our goal is to defeat the Lion King."
Artoria [Alter] cut off their line of questioning.
And then...
"Now, let's form a temporary contract."
As she spoke, Artoria [Alter] extended her hand toward Rozen.
Her matter-of-fact demeanor left everyone momentarily unable to react.
"Are you sure?" Rozen looked deeply at Artoria [Alter] and smiled. "Even if it's only a temporary contract, during the contract period, you won't be able to defy my orders, you know?"
For most Masters, Servants are bound by Command Spells.
But Rozen was different. As mentioned before, with his abilities, as long as the contract exists, he can issue commands to Servants at any time and place.
Thus, Rozen's words also served as a warning.
Whether Artoria [Alter] understood this was unclear. Her expression didn't change at all as she calmly replied.
"I'm forming this temporary contract with you not to gain your trust but because it's the only way I can defeat the Knights of the Round Table."
Artoria [Alter]'s words were instantly understood by Rozen.
Due to the blessings of the Lion King, the Knights of the Round Table, except for Agravain, had all become unprecedentedly powerful.
Among them, Gawain was the strongest, with strength six times his normal state, making him an invincible knight. Even Servants of extraordinary caliber like Karna and Scathach were no match for him. His immense power was beyond imagination.
Although Artoria [Alter], due to her inversion, could wield her terrifying strength without restraint and was more powerful than usual, Gawain had already been stronger than the King of Knights in life. Now, with such overwhelming enhancement, it was natural that Artoria [Alter] could not defeat him.
And Artoria [Alter]'s target was even stronger than Gawain—a god-like being wielding immense authority, three Holy Grails for additional power, and none other than the Lion King.
Half a year ago, Artoria [Alter], armed with a Holy Grail, had suffered a crushing defeat at the Lion King's hands. Now, with even the Holy Grail in the Lion King's possession, defeating her without enhancing her strength was impossible.
For a Servant seeking to increase their power, the first method that comes to mind is forming a contract with an exceptional Master.
When a Servant forms a contract with an excellent Master, their strength increases.
Thus, Artoria [Alter] wanted to form a temporary contract with Rozen to gain the power to rival the Knights of the Round Table and even the Lion King.
With this in mind, Rozen no longer hesitated. He extended his hand and placed it on Artoria [Alter]'s.
"Zing!"
At that moment, a contract sigil, like a magic circle, flashed upon their overlapping hands.
In that instant, the two officially formed a contract.
Though it was only temporary, an invisible connection undeniably linked the two.
Immediately, the vast, almost infinite mana within Rozen flowed into Artoria [Alter].
"Oh?"
Artoria [Alter] let out a sound of mild surprise.
Then, her body began to emit light, as if she were being summoned anew.
"Clang!"
In the next moment, Artoria [Alter] seemed to shatter some sort of shackle. Her heavy armor broke apart like glass, revealing a sleek, black gown underneath, which exuded both elegance and a knightly aura.
"Artoria [Alter]'s mana signature has risen!" Roman exclaimed in astonishment.
"No! Even her Spirit Origin stats have increased!" Olga Marie's voice was filled with disbelief.
"What's going on with these values? The increase is way too much!" Even Da Vinci was stunned.
In just an instant, though her armor disappeared, Artoria [Alter]'s Spirit Origin and mana had increased exponentially, incomparable to their prior state.
This was...
"Spirit Origin Ascension!"
Mash widened her eyes.
Indeed, it was Spirit Origin Ascension.
In other words, Artoria [Alter]'s Spirit Origin had been restructured, and her strength had increased severalfold.
"… I see. So you've grown to this extent."
Naturally, Artoria [Alter] could feel the changes within herself most acutely. She gazed deeply at Rozen, her eyes finally showing a glimmer of admiration.
"I'd already guessed you'd grown considerably, but I didn't expect it to be to this level. Just forming a contract with you was enough to restructure my Spirit Origin and increase my strength several times over. Now I can understand why that Demi-Servant by your side has been exhibiting anomalies."
Upon hearing this, Rozen fell silent, while Mash was utterly stunned.
Finally, Mash reacted.
"… Has everyone already noticed the anomalies in my body?"
Mash spoke in a low voice.
At this point, even the Chaldea staff fell silent.
Clearly, they had all realized it.
This wasn't surprising, was it?
Previously, Mash had shown several signs of unusual behavior. While others might not have noticed, Rozen, at least, could not possibly have missed them.
The Chaldea staff, too, constantly monitored the physical data of both Rozen and Mash. How could they not have noticed?
The reason no one mentioned it was that Rozen had requested Roman and the others not to bring it up and to leave the matter for him to handle.
This was because Rozen knew that the anomalies in Mash's body were likely caused by him.
"If a temporary contract with me can provide a Servant with enough mana to enable Spirit Origin Ascension, how could the Servant formally contracted to me not show any reaction?"
Artoria [Alter] turned her gaze to Mash.
"However, you're different from me. You're not a pure Servant but a Demi-Servant, a human who has inherited the power of a Servant. As such, you lack a Spirit Origin. Instead, the Servant's power within you continuously grows, eventually becoming fully activated."
This was the reason for the anomalies in Mash's body.
"If you could fully utilize the Servant's power within you, the enhanced strength would immediately manifest in you. But since you don't even know the true name of the Servant within you, nor can you fully unleash your Noble Phantasm, the increasing power cannot manifest. Consequently, the original owner of that power—the consciousness and will of the Servant who granted you their strength—has begun to interfere with you, urging you to align with them and unlock your true power."
Artoria [Alter] spoke each word with gravity.
"I'll give you a warning, Demi-Servant."
"If you don't awaken soon, the power within you might spiral out of control."
"And when that happens, you'll be entirely consumed by the will and consciousness of the Servant within you, never able to return."