The man slowly pulled his pants back on.
After a few rounds with Da Vinci, Ryuji seemed satisfied enough. He dressed himself and lit a cigarette.
"Oh, yeah? Okay, I get it. I'll be there soon. No, no... another part was just broken, so I was in the middle of repairs."
Da Vinci was on the line, taking a call from the internal network. After about a minute, she hung up.
"What was that about?" Ryuji asked.
"Nothing major. It seems we can observe the personnel sent to the Singularity, but communications are down. If that system is broken, it'll take even me a while to fix."
It was a call from the control room. A report from the surviving staff.
"Hmm~? And who exactly went to this 'Singularity'?"
"Mash, Director Olga Marie, and the new Master, Number 48... a girl named Ritsuka? Also, a man working as a janitor. They're looking up his name now."
"Huh? Setting aside the others, why is a janitor there? Anyway, that Master girl... she's a woman, right?"
"That's right. A 17-year-old Japanese high school girl."
"What's this~? So she's a high school girl? Mash is about that age too, isn't she? Hehehe."
Only after hearing she was a woman did he show any real interest. The thought of a Japanese woman—and a young high school student at that—piqued his curiosity immensely.
Inwardly, he thought...
'The exquisite harmony of taking both an Eastern and a Western high school girl for myself... that's a rare treat. Mash isn't a real high schooler, but she's the right age, isn't she? Young girls are so easy to handle. That Mash girl, she doesn't know a thing about the world, does she?'
He licked his lips, already imagining raping them.
"Well then, we can't just sit around, can we~? If they're working so hard in that Singularity, shouldn't we throw them a party to celebrate when they get back? A welcome party, of sorts."
"Hmm, unfortunately, we have to fix the system after this whole incident, so a welcome party might be difficult."
"Who said anything about making it grand? Let's keep it small, just a little get-together."
A time for eating and drinking is when people are at their most vulnerable. He glanced at the small bag of white powder in his pocket and smirked.
"As adults, when we see kids working hard... we have to give them a little something, don't we~? Heheheh."
***
Rider Medusa.
If one had to say, she was the first Servant in the Fate series to be defined by her sex appeal.
And that same woman was now...
"Kuh, just kill me!"
"Hmm."
"You may conquer my body, but you will never conquer my spirit! If you are a man, you'll desire my body just like the Greek heroes did, won't you?! This body, cursed to be so voluptuous, was desired by many men because I am the sister of the Gorgons! You plan to ruin me, just like they did in Greece! Just like Zeus!"
Was this really Medusa's character?
No, she had some clumsy tendencies, but this wasn't her at all.
To be brought to this state by a single punch from me was one thing, but her words and her attitude were another.
Anyone could see she was practically asking for it. The Medusa I knew wasn't this kind of slut.
"Ugh, even a prisoner of war wouldn't react like this. I must say, this is rather... troubling," Leonidas commented.
"You and me both."
Even Leonidas was flustered, and they were both from the same cultural sphere.
"What do you want to do, Sho?"
"Hm?"
Ritsuka stood beside me, leaning forward slightly and looking up at me.
"She's an enemy who was targeting us, right? What's the plan?"
"..."
Medusa's fate. Honestly, there would be no problem in killing her right here.
Should I take her in to bolster our forces? Most likely, all Servants from the Fuyuki Singularity will be dismissed once the Holy Grail War is over.
And even if I could take her with us, she would probably just become his prey.
Sigh, if only I could kill that bastard as soon as we get back, I wouldn't even be having these thoughts.
If I had a justification to kill him, I would, but I don't... If I just killed him out of the blue, the staff, Da Vinci, and of course Mash, who wouldn't know the reason, would all become wary of me and keep their distance.
And I worry about what Ritsuka would think of me, too. Even if I eliminate the immediate threat, my future would be screwed. That's a problem in its own right.
Or maybe I should use Medusa to create a justification for getting rid of him? No, if I mess that up, I could get caught in my own trap.
This is a pain. I wish I had the overwhelming power or wisdom to just dominate everything with force and yell, "Just die, all of you!"
I guess I really am just an ordinary guy at heart, being this indecisive.
Anyway, to decide on Medusa's fate...
"For now, I think it would be good if she could join us."
"Kill me! I would rather die than side with you drifters! Even if it means being humiliated and toyed with!"
Why does she keep bringing up being 'toyed with'?
"Heeey~ Have you taken a liking to that Servant?"
"It's not that I like her, but it would be good to have more firepower if possible, right?"
"You sure it's not because she's sexy~? I saw your eyes lingering on her chest."
"That's not the reason. But... I'll admit I looked. It's a man's instinct. Right, Leonidas?"
"Ahem! It is merely a biological phenomenon! I had no ulterior motives! I swear on the honor of the King of Sparta!"
"Hey, don't stake your honor on something like that."
Ulterior motives? Of course not. I never had any particular interest in Medusa in the previous timeline.
The first time I met her back then, she was already spreading her legs for him, dressed in an outfit more revealing than a prostitute's.
The Medusa I knew was gone, replaced by a slut who just happened to be based on her.
The Medusa in front of me now doesn't feel much different. She still has the vibe of the original Medusa for now, but she's already been seasoned with the flavor of an ero-doujinshi.
"I see. So, Sho, what's your ideal type?"
"My ideal type, huh? I've never really thought about it seriously."
"Well, for starters, do you like big breasts?"
"...Ritsuka, I don't think this is a conversation I should be having with you, but... men generally like things that are big. Leonidas, you prefer big muscles, right?"
"Of course! So you understand the magnificence of muscles!"
Well, I do prefer big breasts over small ones. I think most men do.
"I see~ So that's how it is~?" Ritsuka smiled as if she'd heard a satisfying answer.
Anyway, I was about to try and form a contract with Medusa.
"Master! Watch out!"
Just then, Leonidas rushed towards me, shielding me with his shield.
BOOM!!!
Leonidas blocked an arrow that had flown in at incredible speed. However, the volley of arrows caused an explosion. Leonidas and I were safe, but...
"Why did I even bother worrying about it?"
Medusa was caught in the blast and died. In a way, maybe she was a target too.
"It's dangerous in an open area like this!"
"Yes! Everyone, this way!"
Mash and Leonidas raised their shields to block the attacks, and we quickly retreated to a position safe from the sniper.
Emiya, how petty can you be?
"We should be safe here."
"It seems the Archer-class Servant is also an enemy. We were able to grab the Director on our way here."
For now, we were all safe, and we had secured the Director. That was a relief, but we had no long-range attacks to counter the sniper.
On top of that, the enemy is a man. Which means, for whatever reason, I can't use the cheat I seem to have developed. If it were a woman, I'd be able to win.
That sounds weird, but it's the truth.
"For now, we need to find a way to deal with that sniper."
"Yes. If we could summon a Servant, it would be a different story, but we don't have any Saint Quartz right now. We can't expect any new reinforcements."
How do we handle Emiya? Should we use Leonidas's Noble Phantasm? Have him bait out a big shot from Emiya, block it, and then launch a counterattack?
But with Heracles as another variable, it's risky to expend our strength here.
What should I do?
"Um, that Saint Quartz thing... I have some."
At that moment, Ritsuka pulled three brilliant, rainbow-colored gems from her pocket.
She had Saint Quartz?
"Yes! That's Saint Quartz! Where did you get it?"
"I picked it up before I met you, Mash."
"Could it be that some of the supplies intended for Team A were rayshifted along with us?"
"The point is, we have Saint Quartz now, right? Then we should use it to increase our strength, shouldn't we? Let's give it a try."
I don't know why she has it, but this is great! All-right!
"You can just place the Saint Quartz on top of my shield. No additional incantation should be necessary."
"No chant? That makes it easy. So, Ritsuka, want to give it a try?"
"...No, I'm not really into summoning Servants."
"Huh?"
"Well~ How do I put it... I'm perfectly happy with just my cute junior~"
"S-Senpai..." Mash blushed slightly at Ritsuka's words.
"So, Sho, will you do it?"
"Sure, why not."
I can't rule out the possibility of a Servant NTR scenario unfolding. If that happens, it's better that I'm the one whose Servant gets stolen. I'm not expecting anything anyway. Well, if a male Servant shows up, he probably won't get stolen. Probably?
Sometimes, not having expectations is a good thing. I'll carry this heavy burden for Ritsuka. Even if it's just for a year.
I took the Saint Quartz from Ritsuka and placed it on the shield. The gems dissolved into light.
Soon, a brilliant light erupted, and a pillar of light shot up into the sky.
The light was blinding, but it soon subsided. And standing on the shield was... a woman?
"Hello, Master. I am the goddess Parvati. I have manifested this time by borrowing the body of a pure young maiden."
I was shocked.
First, because it wasn't a Pseudo-Servant, but Parvati in a genuine Sakura-face vessel.
Second, because she was a woman.
It sounds strange, but in this god-forsaken world, female Servants could be taken out in one hit even by an ordinary person like me. Of course, she'd be helpful in a fight against another woman.
"Uh, nice to meet you."
Knowing the rules of this world, I honestly couldn't be happy about this.
At least Parvati was a Servant I hadn't seen in the previous timeline. But even a Divine Spirit like Ishtar had fallen for him, so what would make Parvati any different?
It hasn't happened yet, but I can't help but feel anxious. The mere possibility of it is enough to make a person this uneasy.
"It'll be okay."
"Huh?"
Ritsuka whispered to me from the side.
"What will?"
"Just a feeling, I guess? I don't know what you're worried about, but I have a feeling it'll be fine~"
Did she read my expression? Or was this just Ritsuka's usual, optimistic way of comforting someone?
For now, I'll have to be extra careful to make sure this self-proclaimed "ally of justice" doesn't get her killed. She's a Servant I summoned, after all.