Before Roy stood a young swordswoman, her sharp gaze full of spirit and determination.
She didn't look very old, perhaps around fifteen, with a black scarf wrapped around her neck and a pale blue haori draped over her shoulders. Her golden hair shimmered like desert sand, and her serious gray-green eyes were locked onto Roy.
From the waist up, she was a flawless image of a disciplined swordswoman.
Roy's gaze drifted downward, and he noticed that the hem of her inner garment barely reached her thighs.
Her legs were wrapped in thigh-high boots that fit snugly, exposing a strip of pale, delicate skin—the perfect "absolute territory." Her toes peeked out from the open-toed, traditional geta-inspired footwear she wore.
[Image: Swordswoman.jpg]
"Huh? Wait, wait, wait!"
The blonde swordswoman stepped out of the summoning circle, her head adorned with an ahoge that suddenly swayed in panic.
"Hold on a second! It's not time for the Holy Grail War yet, right? Why am I here? And what's with this world? It's like the end of days! I've only been dead for a hundred years or so, but how did the world turn out like this?"
It seemed she had already received the basic knowledge of the current world through the Grand Holy Grail.
"Calm down, Saber," Roy interrupted her anxious rambling, raising his hand to show the Command Seal on the back of it.
"As you can see, I am your Master. I summoned you early."
"Oh, I see!"
The young swordswoman's face lit up with understanding when she saw the Command Seal, the proof of a Master. Her expression quickly shifted to seriousness.
"Very well! I, Okita Souji, acknowledge you as my Master... But Master, your magical energy is enormous! I feel better now than I ever have!"
The young swordswoman, Okita Souji, gleefully flexed her arms, her charming face filled with satisfaction.
As a Servant, she could feel the connection to her Master's magical circuits. The mana flowing from Roy was not only exceptionally pure, but also vast in quantity.
She wasn't sure how modern Magi compared, but her Master's abilities as a Magus had to be top-tier!
Thanks to this overwhelming mana, her condition was the best it had ever been, and she felt as though her parameters had received a significant boost!
Roy lowered his hand, remaining silent in response to her praise.
"Master, where are we?" Okita asked after savoring her excellent condition, finally taking in her surroundings. She jumped at the eerie atmosphere.
"Why did you summon me in a place like this? And, Master, you're wearing a mask... Could it be that you're hiding something? If so, let me help you resolve whatever's troubling you!"
"I'm glad to see you're full of enthusiasm, but there's no need to fight right now," Roy replied, rejecting her offer while gaining a sense of her fiery spirit.
"Let's get out of here."
"Understood!" Okita muttered to herself for a moment, feeling like her Master was a bit cold toward her, but she didn't let it get her down. Still brimming with energy, she followed Roy as they made their way back from the way they had come.
As they re-entered the cursed mist in the cave, Okita found herself frowning. The cheery smile on her face faded as she groaned in discomfort.
"This curse seems specially designed to affect Servants…"
"Indeed, it is. You should revert to spiritual form for now."
"My apologies, Master."
Okita, looking somewhat troubled, apologized to her Master before promptly transforming into spirit form, her physical body vanishing as she followed him in her ethereal state.
"After all my big talk, I'm leaving you to cross this cursed fog alone. How shameful..."
"A little cursed fog like this is nothing."
Roy walked through the cursed mist with ease.
The malicious curses swirling in the air couldn't touch him in the slightest, and he continued to communicate with his Servant in his mind as if there were no danger at all.
"Really? Even in spirit form, I can feel a bit of mental strain from this mist, yet you're completely unaffected? Such mental fortitude is admirable. Oh my, it seems I've gotten myself a wonderful Master this time!" Okita's voice chimed happily in his thoughts.
The mental pollution from the mist was severe. Any cracks in one's psyche would allow the curses to worm their way in easily.
Even Okita, a Heroic Spirit with a steely resolve, could feel her mind wavering slightly. Yet, her Master was walking through it as if it didn't exist.
His mental strength must have been beyond extraordinary.
...Or, to be honest, Okita mused, he was either a genius—or a lunatic.
As Roy and Okita emerged from the cave and began to descend the mountain, Roy suddenly halted.
"I thought we could leave here quietly, but it looks like that won't be so easy..."
Outside the cave, a figure stood, waiting in the shadows.
The figure kept a vigilant watch on the cave's entrance, and the moment she saw the masked figure emerge, her eyes turned sharp.
It was a woman dressed in men's clothing.
Her short magenta hair was neatly styled, and she wore a reddish-brown suit that accentuated her tall, straight figure. Her posture was as firm as a sturdy pine tree, and her piercing gaze was like that of a hunting hawk.
She was imposing, exuding an air of strength and resolve, yet the small beauty mark at the corner of her eye added a touch of allure.
"The barrier shouldn't have detected me."
"The unusual flow of magical energy from the Grand Holy Grail is what gave you away."
The woman lowered the metal case slung over her back and pulled on a pair of black leather gloves, her expression turning cold.
"I'm surprised as well. I didn't expect anyone could pass through thirteen layers of barriers unnoticed and infiltrate the underground hollow. Who are you?"
"I thought a small surge of magical energy from the Grand Holy Grail wouldn't be noticed. Well, I see now. It must have been the forced summoning—things got a bit out of hand."
Roy nodded to himself, realizing the source of the disturbance.
Although he had scouted Ryuudou Mountain before, this was his first time conducting a Heroic Spirit summoning here.
"Answer me!" the woman barked, taking a combat stance, her voice growing more forceful.
"The Holy Grail is tied to the fate of the world. No one is allowed to interfere with it. Answer my questions, then come with me. After we've determined your guilt, Mayor Tohsaka and the Mage's Association will decide how you can atone. It's for your own good."
"I refuse."
Roy rejected her without a second thought.
"I know who you are—Bazett Fraga McRemitz, an Enforcer of the Mage's Association. But this era has no more need for Enforcers. So now you're here to protect the Holy Grail? You're strong, but not strong enough to make me surrender."
"I see. Then I have no choice."
Bazett's voice dropped, her tone turning icy.
"Then I'll make you submit by force!"
As soon as she finished speaking, runes lit up along her limbs, and she dashed toward Roy with the speed of an arrow released from a bow.
"My compatibility with her is terrible."
Roy muttered this as he backed away.
"Saber, I'll leave this to you."
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