Jiang You opened the game as usual. The Fifth Holy Grail War script had concluded the previous day, but he still hadn't received notification that the collaboration event had ended. When he contacted Customer Service, he was told that he hadn't fully experienced the event yet.
Bored, Jiang You found a quiet corner in the Fifth War world and began idly browsing his inventory. He was looking for the "Old Man of the Mountain" card, which he distinctly remembered summoning during battle but couldn't find anywhere in his collection.
"So, how exactly did this 'To Sound the Funeral Bell' card manage to summon King Hassan...?"
Jiang You picked up the card and examined it from all angles. The game system was frustratingly obscure, and the new player tutorial was woefully inadequate.
"And how am I supposed to get King Hassan's card anyway?"
He had already used all his powerful cards, but the inability to actually possess them left him with an irritating itch, like a cat's persistent scratching. Jiang You racked his brain for summoning methods. "Come to think of it, King Hassan's appearance coincides perfectly with Chapter 6 of Fate/Grand Order's first arc, the same timeline as Little Mashu's summoning. Speaking of Little Mashu's card, didn't Lancelot have one too?"
Unlike most Heroic Spirits, Mash had been summoned from a specific timeline, leaving room for manipulation.
Whether Konami had planned any collaboration events or not, Jiang You felt it was worth a try. He immediately stood up and rushed toward Lancelot's location.
"Ahrrrrrr?"
Lancelot, who was clumsily and carefully painting a bare-bones model of Mash in Medea's Workshop, was suddenly yanked out by Jiang You.
This model was a treasure Lancelot had earned through tireless labor for Medea, a testament to his dedication. It was remarkable he could even articulate his desires to her while in his Mad Enhancement state.
"Enough talk! Let's duel!"
"Ahrrrrrr?!"
"I'm going to try to help your child—no, not Galahad, but Mash."
"Ahrrrrrr!!!"
-
"So this is the Temple of Azrael... I'm not sensing any particular reaction..."
As Gudako stepped into the temple, Dr. Romani's message crackled through the communication channel.
It was hard to imagine such a meticulously crafted temple atop this desolate, precipitous mountain.
Everywhere one looked, intricate bas-reliefs adorned the walls. Angelic sculptures stood guard on either side, their compassionate expressions framing human skulls—a juxtaposition of sacredness and dread.
"No, Doctor... This oppressive pressure can only be felt in person... There's no magical power, no servant presence, no life signs... Yet, I can't stop trembling..."
Mash wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a chill that her Demi-Servant body shouldn't experience in this environment. She didn't realize the cold stemmed from her soul, which was resisting lingering in this Spirit Temple.
"Let us proceed, Master Ritsuka Fujimaru. Ahead lies the domain of the founder, a realm unknown even to us. We cannot predict what awaits, so please remain on high alert—"
Cursed Arm Hassan's warning came too late. An invisible attack had already descended upon Ritsuka Fujimaru. Though undetectable, the primal fear of death sent shivers down the spines of all the servants present. Instinctively, Mash raised her shield, positioning herself between the Master and the threat.
Just as the attack was about to strike, Mash vanished.
"Mash?"
Ritsuka Fujimaru stared in disbelief at the spot where Mash had disappeared. No matter how hard she tried to sense Mash's presence using her Command Spells, she couldn't detect her anywhere.
"Mash!"
"Founder, what is the meaning of this...?" Cursed Arm knew that only the greatest of the Hassans could exist within this Spirit Temple—the Founder himself. Mash's disappearance must have been his doing.
"?"
Even Old Man of the Mountain, who had concealed his presence, hadn't anticipated this. He had only intended to give humanity's last Master a trial, providing himself with a reason to intervene later.
"Master! The communication link is still active! What's happening? I've lost all trace of Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash! Did something happen to them?! It was only a moment ago!" Dr. Romani's frantic voice crackled through the comms. As humanity's last Master, Ritsuka Fujimaru was the final ember of hope. If she vanished, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Doctor, I'm fine... but Mash... Mash..."
Mash had been by Ritsuka Fujimaru's side throughout her journey, conquering five major Singularities and countless minor ones. They had overcome every conceivable hardship together, making her an irreplaceable part of Ritsuka's life. Yet now, she was gone, reduced to ashes for such a trivial reason.
Ritsuka stubbornly suppressed her tears, but her heart burned with fury and a murderous intent.
King Hassan knew he could no longer remain silent, lest the misunderstanding deepen. He dispelled his concealment, and the towering Servant, clad in heavy armor, materialized before them all. He made no attempt to hide his presence; he had been standing there all along, yet none of the other Servants had noticed him. It was as if he had slain the very concept of "existence" itself.
"Founder Hassan, even if you are..."
Master Xuanzang, her heart brimming with compassion, mustered the courage to plead on Ritsuka's behalf. But Tawara Tōta, her nominal disciple, clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Please, just stay quiet," he hissed.
Tawara Tōta could clearly sense the immense scale of King Hassan's Spirit Origin, a chasm so vast it stole his breath.
"If that man were to attack us, we wouldn't stand a chance," he muttered. "His martial prowess is so refined that even if I trained for thirty, forty, or even a hundred years, I still couldn't be certain of landing an arrow on him."
"This was not my doing," King Hassan replied. "The servant with the shield is not dead, but has been transported elsewhere by unknown means."
King Hassan himself didn't know why Mash had vanished, but as a servant embodying death, he could confirm she was still alive.
King Hassan's answer relieved Cursed Arm. He and Serenity had knelt before the king long ago. But Ritsuka Fujimaru was his ally, and he couldn't stand by and watch her die without acting. He resolved that even if the founder forbade it, he would risk everything to get Ritsuka out safely, then return to face the consequences.
Ritsuka Fujimaru stared intently at King Hassan, trying to discern the truth in his words. She didn't understand the implications of his presence, but she was determined to assess the veracity of his claims.
"Ritsuka, don't worry about whether the founder was lying. Given his circumstances, he has no reason to deceive us. Mash is definitely fine—she might reappear any moment now."
Romani's words offered a sliver of comfort.
Then, in the next instant, Mash suddenly reappeared in her original spot without warning.