"Mysterious Servant, please wait."
When Satsuki suddenly stopped in her tracks because she sensed a strange aura, a stranger's male voice called out to her.
Me?
Satsuki frowned. This was truly surprising. Although she had never deliberately trained her concealment abilities, nor used the Vipralopa power to hide her presence, for an ordinary person—a mere ant with only E-rank magic circuits—to discover her, it was still enough to make her pause.
She turned her head, her cold, water-like eyes fixing on the group of people behind her.
The moment their gazes met—
"Senpai, please be careful of this Servant!"
Suddenly, a girl wielding an enormous cross-shaped shield rushed forward. She had short pink hair that just barely covered her eyes, and wore a violet armor completely out of place for this era. From its design, it seemed less for protection and more for emphasizing her figure. She raised the massive shield before her defensively, her eyes filled with stern resolve and pure determination.
"Those eyes… just like back then."
The man who had called out to Satsuki was long-haired.
Despite his laughably weak magical circuits, his aura was composed and steady. He wore a black undershirt with a red trench coat over it, and two yellow ribbons hung down from either side of the collar, giving him a faintly ancient appearance.
As for the third person—Satsuki merely gave him a glance. Utterly ordinary, even more ordinary than most ordinary people she had ever seen.
"This shield… interesting." Satsuki spoke flatly, her words alone making the pink-haired girl tense up as though facing a deadly enemy. "But you… even more interesting."
The girl's body tightened instinctively. Her Saint Graph screamed like a merciless alarm, madly warning her of just how terrifying the Servant before her was.
"What do you want with me?"
Satsuki did not ask how they had discovered her. As always, she went straight to the point. She had no interest in how these people found her—because the disparity in strength between them was overwhelming. Even if the girl with the great shield showed some traits of a Servant, her power and mentality were still far from those of a true strong warrior.
The long-haired man stepped forward. His bearing and composure were impressive, but paired with his laughably weak mana, it was a strange sight. Yet Satsuki did not care. Strength was always relative. What truly caught her interest was the mysterious soul lying dormant within him.
"I am Lord El-Melloi II, acting head of the El-Melloi family, one of the Twelve Aristocratic Lords of the Clock Tower at the core of the Mage's Association. I also serve as lecturer of the Department of Modern Magecraft."
The man quickly introduced himself, then gestured toward the girl: "This young lady is Mash Kyrielight. I'm sure you've already noticed—she is no ordinary human, but rather a Demi-Servant."
When he introduced the third person, Lord El-Melloi II's tone shifted notably: "This is our Master—his name is Ritsuka Fujimaru. In some sense, he can be said to be a man of destiny, one blessed with fortune enough to grasp fate itself."
"The three of us are travelers from another timeline—more precisely, from the future."
"Oh?" Only now did Satsuki give real attention to this so-called "ordinary man" who had been silent the entire time, scarcely showing any expression.
Her black pupils abruptly transformed into golden Tenseigan. Almost by reflex, she scanned this "Ritsuka Fujimaru."
What the Tenseigan revealed was bizarre. In this person, she saw the overlapping figures of a man and a woman, standing together across countless spaces and fates, their images stacking atop each other. Their combined existence formed the one before her known as Ritsuka Fujimaru.
Interesting. This was the first time Satsuki had seen such a peculiar being.
She retracted her earlier thought. This person was no mere ordinary human. Within him (her) was a power even she could scarcely perceive. And what matched this "ordinary person" was the white "ordinary beast" perched on his shoulder.
"Since you've all introduced yourselves, it would be rude if I did not as well. My name is Satsuki, and at present, I am pursuing a Master."
She withdrew her gaze from Ritsuka Fujimaru and turned it toward the long-haired man before her. "For the sake of the soul inside you, I'll ask again: you who do not belong to this timeline—what is your purpose in stopping me?"
"Um… Lord El-Melloi, can we really reveal such information to a stranger?"
The peculiar existence called Ritsuka Fujimaru finally spoke: "Besides, we haven't even established basic trust yet…"
"It can't get any worse than this, and time is short. We don't have many choices left."
It was clear that El-Melloi was the leader of this group's actions, and also, in a sense, a rather self-willed man. "Lady Satsuki, although I feel this may not be our first meeting, let me explain. The three of us come from the same place, known as the Chaldea Security Organization. Its purpose is to ensure that human history can continue long and strong. If you're interested, you may remember this name. If not, it doesn't matter what you call it. In short, you can think of it as a research and crisis observation facility where scholars of all fields—magecraft and science alike—are gathered."
"To preserve human history?" Satsuki shook her head indifferently. "A difficult idea to comprehend."
"Difficult to comprehend? Why would that be difficult to comprehend?" The pink-haired Mash spoke seriously, her face stern. "Chaldea exists for the sole purpose of protecting humanity. Senpai and I were both born for the sake of safeguarding human order. This is the shared wish of all mankind."
Satsuki cast a faint glance at this girl called Mash. Her words carried a different kind of coldness. "Setting aside the fact that each world already has its own unique history and future trajectory, what exactly do you mean by this so-called protection of human order?"
"Human order is history continued in its correct form," Ritsuka Fujimaru stepped forward, his voice seemingly layered with countless echoes. "It is the history of different worlds, of different timelines. It is the proof of humanity's existence."
"Hmm. As you say, human order is the 'correct' continuation of history. Then let me ask: who defines this so-called 'correctness'?"
"Of course, it is jointly defined through analysis by Chaldea's Rayshift calculation system, 'Trismegistus,' and the director."
At this, Satsuki's eyes shifted toward the silent El-Melloi. "May I ask about the funding composition of this institution called Chaldea?"
"In principle, it is jointly funded by various nations. But nearly seventy percent of the funds are provided by the Animusphere family of the Mage's Association in London. However, your question carries a very sharp implication." The red-clad man explained concisely, then glanced aside. "In truth, they are merely part of the tools. They wouldn't consider things on the level that you do. There's no need to dig too deeply into this matter."
"Lord El-Melloi!" ×2
Mash and Ritsuka Fujimaru looked at their companion in shock, clearly surprised he would say such a thing.
Yet for an instant, Satsuki's expression revealed something like approval—"Not so foolish, after all." She said coldly, "That explanation is much more clever. Since you've come here, naturally your purpose must be to correct the 'abnormalities' in history. In that case, be prepared."
"Prepared for wha—" Ritsuka Fujimaru had barely begun to ask when a sulfurous stench thick enough to drown an ordinary person surged from all directions.
Accompanied by the sound of a teleportation spell, three abnormally tall and burly demons appeared, forming a triangular formation to surround them.
At first sight alone, the three visitors from Chaldea felt a terror and malice that struck directly to their cores.
This sensation fused with the oppressive atmosphere around them, transforming into an unavoidable aura of corruption. It swept across the alleyway, and in an instant, the surroundings were replaced with a crimson hell.
Everywhere lay corpses, slaughter, blood, and wails… an endless despair and a flood of negative emotions crashing against their minds like a tidal wave.
Even the small white creature, which had always appeared to be a harmless pet, subtly bared its fangs. Though it had long since lost its powers, instinct still remained. In the face of an existence it deeply loathed, it reacted unconsciously.
"Senpai, quickly, hide behind me." Mash raised her massive cross-shaped shield. She hesitated for a moment, glancing at Satsuki—who seemed utterly unaffected—and wondered whether she should include this mysterious Servant within her protection.
"Don't worry about her. Her strength far surpasses what we can imagine." El-Melloi showed his awareness and quickly slipped behind Mash's shield.
But with the sudden transformation of the surroundings, Mash no longer had time to think. She had no choice but to activate defensive magecraft. El-Melloi and Ritsuka Fujimaru immediately sheltered themselves within the defense barrier she unfolded.
"Is this…?" Ritsuka Fujimaru looked around at the drastically altered scenery, unable to believe his eyes.
"Ah, yes, it is a Reality Marble." The long-haired El-Melloi spoke gravely. "Reality Marble was originally an ability of spirits and demons, only later transformed through centuries of research into magecraft capable of manifesting an individual's inner world. It is the 'magecraft' closest to true magic, classified by the Mage's Association under the forbidden category. Yet for hundreds of years, the number of magi able to perform this world-altering sorcery has been extremely few."
It was magecraft closest to magic—yet for Satsuki, who hailed from a world where true magic could be wielded, it was no different than the weakest of parlor tricks.
But for the three from Chaldea, this was unquestionably a great enemy.
In their understanding, the only ways to resist a Reality Marble were with specially crafted "Anti-World Noble Phantasms" or by deploying another Reality Marble against it.
If two Reality Marbles clashed, then if one side's foundation and mana output surpassed the other's, the weaker one could not even manifest. But if their powers were evenly matched, it would become a struggle of "two worlds colliding." Since a Reality Marble could not move with its caster, one either fought defensively from within their own world, invaded the opponent's world to defeat them, or simply waited until the effect's duration ended, restoring everything to normal.
However, the three demons before them were not the simple mass-produced Demon God Pillars they had once faced.
The Reality Marble summoned jointly by these three demons was far beyond the scope of human understanding or study in later eras. This was a true reappearance of myth itself—not a mere imitation of the future.
Even within Mash's defensive formation, sweat dripped down Ritsuka Fujimaru's forehead in heavy drops, proof of how difficult it was to maintain.
Even El-Melloi, who was usually composed and calm, could not think of a proper strategy in this situation.
After all, when the gap in power reached a certain level, intelligence could only do so much.
This truth was most clearly reflected in Mash. Though she was still a young girl and her willpower not especially strong, as a Demi-Servant she suffered the least suppression among the three. Even so, all she could do was hold her defensive stance to protect the two behind her. If it came to battle, she could offer little assistance.
The only one able to act freely, completely unaffected, was Satsuki.
"Reality Marble?" She frowned slightly at the ceaseless flood of negative energy and the growing stench of sulfur in the air. Still, she could not help but speak: "So, giving a bunch of flashy trash abilities a grandiose name is your talent, is it?"
The Tenseigan had already opened. The ocular power drawn ceaselessly from the colossal Tenseigan across worlds surged forth. Satsuki's gaze passed over the two grotesque, almost laughably bizarre demons, landing directly on the bull-headed one.
The aura of evil emanating from him was the strongest among the three.
"Your king sends only such lackeys to their deaths?"
"Oh? A mere mortal capable of resisting our aura of terror?" In the bull-headed demon's scarlet eyes flickered a trace of surprise. "It seems the one who summoned us did so precisely to deal with you."
"'That one'? You mean that chaotic jumble of nonsense stitched together?"
As soon as she spoke, without paying the slightest heed to the flash of astonishment that crossed the demons' faces, Satsuki lightly tapped her folding fan against the empty air before her.
It was like tapping the surface of a still lake. A luminous dharma wheel appeared in front of her, then suddenly expanded outward, releasing a surge of gray energy. This force not only swept away the black-and-crimson hell around them but also reversed the pressure back onto the three demons.
The once-arrogant demons were immediately shocked to find the air had become unbearably oppressive. Their movements slowed, their mana flow weakened to a fraction of its strength.
The serpent-riding demon was thrown from his mount as the massive snake beneath him had its bones crushed to dust by the weight of the pressure, unable to support its master's body.
The demon with a duck's head, lion's body, and rabbit's tail collapsed as well, limbs braced desperately against the ground, his jaw nearly pressed into the stone. His muscles bulged with grotesque veins of black, showing the strain of exerting every ounce of strength just to resist the suppression.
And the strongest of them, the bull-headed demon, who had once sat arrogantly upon a throne, was forced to one knee. White vapor hissed from his nostrils, his body blazing with terrifying magic power, but the tremors coursing through his form left him no chance of resistance.
This sudden reversal left not only the three demons—beings that should only exist in myth—stunned, but also the three from Chaldea.
Even El-Melloi II, who had already gauged Satsuki's power, found this transformation beyond imagination.
This was no clumsy imitation conjured by human magi, but true aristocrats of Hell, born of fantasy itself.
Their individually manifested Reality Marbles alone were enough to rival the strongest of Heroic Spirits—let alone a Reality Marble jointly woven by three.
In all of Fuyuki City—no, even in the Holy Grail War he had once lived through—not even the King of Conquerors' Ionioi Hetairoi could have accomplished such a feat.
"Could this be some kind of Anti-World Noble Phantasm?"
The thought stirred an unpleasant memory in El-Melloi. But he failed to notice—the three great demons before them were even more astonished than he was.