[Altair Brando]
Artoria Pendragon, the ancient ruler of Britain, stood before us. However, the version before us was not exactly the same as the Arthurian legend with which everyone is familiar with. The woman in front of us had succumbed to corruption, transforming into a tyrant dressed in black. Even the legendary Excalibur had been tainted, metamorphosing into a blade black as obsidian.
Wielding her darkness-stained sword, she observed us with pale golden eyes. Her blonde hair was tied in an elegant bun, while her blackened armor gleamed with a shadowy obsidian light.
There was no doubt whatsoever that the beautiful figure we faced was the Alter version of the King of Knights.
Ritsuka, finally emerging from her trance, raised her hand and rubbed at her eyes, as if unable to believe what she was seeing. It was difficult to accept that the tyrant king we had recently fought was standing before us.
"Are you serious?!" she exclaimed, pointing at the golden-haired Servant.
I understood her shock. Even I didn't expect to encounter a former enemy so soon, especially one who had recently tried to kill us.
"Master, I don't know if you're lucky or cursed." Cu Chulainn gave a subtle smile, though his grip on his staff tightened. He remained completely alert, ready to act should the Black Saber make any hostile move against the red-haired mage.
My own servant narrowed her eyes toward Artoria.
Meanwhile, Olga retreated, hiding behind me, while Mash stepped forward, positioning herself between her master and the black knight.
"Well, well, if it isn't senpai~!" A cold, sarcastic voice came from Artoria's pink lips as she walked toward me, ignoring all the stares fixed on her, as if only one person was worthy of her attention.
Hearing her say "senpai," I rolled my eyes and gave a slight smile.
"Hello. Seems we meet again." I casually met her pale golden eyes. "From your tone, you remember me too." I raised my hand, pointing at myself.
"Of course. I made a promise, and a king's promise must never be broken," she responded, raising her chin with a cold, arrogant look.
"You must be pleased to see me again, aren't you?"
Artoria drove her black sword into the ground, stopping right in front of me with a defiant look, while Raikou seemed to be fighting with all her strength not to behead this woman.
"If I said no, I'd be lying." I shrugged, not bothered by facing her head-on. After all, her face was truly a delight to behold. Artoria was incredibly beautiful, and I saw no disadvantage whatsoever in being so close to her. She was a true feast for the eyes.
Hidden behind me, Olga placed her hands on my shoulders, peeking out just enough to be seen.
"How are you here?" she asked, pointing at the dark figure before me.
"Did you hit your head? Obviously, I was summoned." A sarcastic smile rose on her lips, making Olga hide behind me again.
"What happened to this woman? She looks a lot like you... I don't like it." Artoria narrowed her eyes toward Olga. There was a note of confusion in her voice, as if she didn't remember Olga, but only noticed the physical resemblance between us. Wasn't that a bit strange? Especially considering she had been present at the battle in Singularity F.
Any ideas about this, Nahida?
[She must have altered her spirit core, rewriting information about you into it.]
I raised an eyebrow.
That's really possible... until now I hadn't taken her word seriously.
[In theory, it's possible.]
[The Saint Graph is like the Body/Hardware, while the Spirit Core is the Heart/CPU.]
[In a way, she may have rewritten her "CPU," permanently adding information about you into it.]
That makes sense, but it doesn't seem so simple... wait a second... does this mean a certain Gorgon servant did this too?
[Most certainly.]
I could almost see Nahida's smile. Meanwhile, Artoria stared at me, as if expecting my answer about the white-haired woman.
"Long story short, her body is technically a clone of mine." I condensed the entire sequence of past events into a single sentence.
"So she's a useless little monkey." Artoria kept her eyes on mine, completely ignoring her Master.
"You really have no filter, do you?" I asked as a smile formed on my lips. Artoria Alter clearly spoke her mind, not caring one bit whether her words were rude.
"Only the weak worry about what or when to say things." She took another step toward me.
Our breaths nearly mingled, our lips dangerously close.
"And that's why I like you, monkey. You're strong, both physically and mentally. In that respect, you align perfectly with this king's preferences."
Her pale pink lips were mere centimeters from mine. I could even feel her warm breath hitting my skin, while her body's natural scent filled my senses.
For a few seconds, we stared at each other in silence, without saying a word.
The silence lasted until an indignant voice broke it.
"Get away from my son." Raikou wrapped her hand around my body, pulling me against hers, casting a withering look toward the King of Knights.
"Hmph!" Artoria let out a cold snort, her fingers wrapping around her sword's hilt a bit tighter.
Before a small commotion could happen, an even more indignant voice echoed: "Hey! I'm your Master! Don't ignore me and stop flirting with Al-kun!" shouted the red-haired mage, pointing at the golden-haired Servant. There was a touch of jealousy in her voice directed at her own servant.
"Senpai!" Mash intervened, trying to calm her Master.
Artoria turned her face toward the mage.
"Are you yelling at me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Immediately, Ritsuka let out a high-pitched moan, backing away and raising her hands.
"N-No! Not at all! Ignore me, I... I clearly don't know what I'm talking about!" she stammered, scratching her red hair.
Artoria huffed, letting her gaze land on Mash for a moment, as if noticing something no one else perceived.
Mash tilted her head, confused, but before she could speak, Artoria stepped back.
"So, you're my Master. Honestly, you don't seem qualified in the least. But it seems fair, considering I've never had good luck with Masters," said Artoria, rubbing her neck as she turned to Ritsuka. "Anyway, you're my Master, and I'll serve you until your knees give out. When that happens, I'll take your head. Until then, you can trust me." With every syllable that left her lips, the expression on her face was serious.
Ritsuka clenched her fists, staring into those golden eyes.
"That suits me perfectly. If my knees give out, I'll offer my head to you myself."
Her eyes gleamed with unwavering determination.
I couldn't help but smile. Sometimes, this girl acts like a typical Fate protagonist.
It was strangely satisfying to see her slowly becoming more resolute in her determination.
And, from what I could tell from her Servant's reaction, she might have agreed with me, at least just a little bit.
"Oh! Those eyes are worth seeing. A good impression for a first meeting." Artoria nodded her head, staring into her Master's eyes.
But...
Hearing this, Ritsuka and Mash were confused by her words.
"First meeting?" Ritsuka tilted her head in confusion. "You don't know me?" she asked, pointing at herself.
"Why should I?" Artoria responded with a cold huff, as if it were obvious.
"Hey! That's unfair! Why do you know Altair-kun, but you don't know me?"
"Isn't it obvious? Altair's name and face are engraved in my spirit core, along with our battle. I promised that, regardless of the outcome, I would never forget him," Artoria explained as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Congratulations! You were right, Nahida.
{Ufufu!}
"That makes sense," said Da Vinci, who had remained silent until then.
"At Singularity F, she didn't form a Master-Servant contract with any of you, so the Fate summoning system wouldn't apply to her."
She put her hand to her chin, observing with curiosity.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, woman." Artoria walked to her Master's side, making Ritsuka shrink.
I swear I heard Ritsuka murmur:
"Why is my luck so terrible?"
"Ahem! Ahem!" Olga cleared her throat, coming out from behind me and attracting everyone's attention.
"Now it's your turn, Brando." She took the last three Saint Quartz and walked to the summoning system, carefully avoiding Artoria's gaze.
She positioned the Saint Quartz in place, then turned to me. "Brando, do you remember the incantation?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Yes." I walked toward the summoning system while Raikou watched me.
"Good luck, my son. Don't summon any female prostitutes – I don't want any flies buzzing around you." Even with those words coming from her mouth, she had a serene smile on her lips.
"Thank you..." Honestly, I didn't know how to respond to those beautiful words of motivation.
*Cough! Cough!*
Letting out a light fake cough, I turned my eyes to the summoning system, taking a deep breath before beginning to recite the incantation.
"Hear my words!My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, then follow humanity's path and answer me! Seventh Heaven clad in the great words of the star watchers... Come, deliver your judgment and punish my enemies... Guardian of the Scales!"
Instantly, the circle spun, forming a glowing ring of light. A geyser of energy exploded, shooting toward the ceiling. I raised my hand to shield myself from the intense brightness.
In the next moment, the orbs turned golden, merging with the blue mana geyser.
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Don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review or drop a comment to motivate me.