"So… you're a Saint too?"
"That's right! And now, we're not the only three Saints anymore."
"All over the world, Servants have chosen their vessels. They've made their preparations for war."
"A war?" Sylvia asked.
"They plan to restore the world to how it once was."
"What does that even mean? Isn't the world already perfect?" I asked, confused.
"The Servants believe the world is now under their rightful control. This is God's reward for those who fought to uphold their ideals."
"But one of them disagreed… and that Servant is you!"
Nico pointed at me.
"Me?"
"You are the vessel of the defiant one—Adam!"
"So Adam is the only one who opposed the will of his creator?" Sylvia asked in disbelief.
"Exactly! Out of all the Servants who accepted their roles, only he stood against the ruler's command. He refused to let his children bear such a heavy burden."
"How ironic…" Sylvia muttered, lowering her gaze.
"You could say Adam joined this war not for conquest, but to protect us. He intends to return all the holy souls—these Servants—back to the Realm Beyond."
"The Realm Beyond? Is that where all the Servants gather?"
"Yes. It's the place where all the chosen ones' souls reside."
"This is all a bit much… How many Servants have descended into this world so far?"
"There were originally only nine, but after Elizabeth Bathory returned, I suspect many more have followed—around thirty-five Servants may now have vessels."
"How do you know all of this?" Sylvia asked sharply.
"It's simple—you're not synchronized enough with your inner soul."
"How do we do that?"
"I'm not telling you, idiot. Figure it out yourselves, hahahaha!"
"Let's leave that aside for now…"
"We've encountered four Servants so far, including you, and one has returned to the Realm Beyond… That means there are still 31 more we haven't identified!" I exclaimed.
"Correct! And now that I understand your mission—to return all the Servants to the Realm Beyond…"
Nico's expression grew intense. He glared at us like he was ready for a fight. Sylvia and I instinctively readied ourselves for battle.
"Hahahahaha! What an exciting mission!"
"..."
We were both confused. Who is this strange man?
"That's all for now. I need to go," he said, turning toward the door.
"Wait!" I called. "Who are you really?"
"You can find me in the garden behind the school. If you have questions, come find me."
"What's your plan?" Sylvia asked.
"Nothing much, but… for now, I'll be keeping an eye on you two."
"Why?"
"Because I'm curious about your plan. That's all. Until next time."
Nico opened the door and disappeared down the stairs. Didn't he say to meet him in the garden? Could he be the school's gardener? This is getting confusing.
"So… does this mean we'll be sticking together from now on?" I asked.
"To prevent more battles, yes. But we don't have to be glued together. That'd be weird," Sylvia replied.
"But… I wouldn't mind spending my free time with you."
"Makes sense. We can use that time to plan our next steps."
Sylvia stared at me sharply, puffing her cheeks and looking slightly irritated.
"That's what I hate about you—idiot!"
"Eh?"
Did I say something wrong?
With a huff, Sylvia stomped off and left me alone on the rooftop. I stood tall, gazing at the horizon. I clenched my fists and made up my mind.
"With this power, I'll return all the Servants who've descended to this world—and protect those I hold dear."
I have to prepare for the battles to come.
*
The next morning, on my way to school, I saw a swarm of reporters lined up with massive cameras. They were crowding the street ahead. A sleek black Mercedes pulled up among them.
A glamorous blonde woman stepped out of the car wearing a golden dress, sunglasses, and a scarf that matched her outfit.
"She's gorgeous! Is she a model?" someone whispered.
I wondered the same. She definitely looked like one. But then I noticed a mark on her thigh as she walked past.
Curious, I pushed through the crowd for a better look—but suddenly my body froze. I couldn't move. I was stiff like a statue. Our eyes met, just for a second, and she looked straight at me. The moment she turned away, I could move again.
"What… was that?" I thought, stunned.
By the time I looked again, she had already entered the building. The reporters surged forward, and I was shoved back.
When I got to school, the boys in my class were buzzing with excitement.
"Good morning. Why's everyone so hyped?" I asked a friend beside me.
"Oh! Andri! Morning! A famous model and actress is in town for a film shoot!"
"A model?"
"You don't know? Her name's Marya Cash—she's a huge star."
So that's her? The woman from the Mercedes? Marya Cash…
Something about her didn't feel right. Or maybe it was just my imagination.
After first period, I went to the school garden to meet Nico. He was planting tulips and arranging gerbera flowers with care.
"Nico! Are you busy?" I shouted, waving.
"Ah, it's you! Come over here," he replied.
"What's up? Got something to ask? Or are you here to fight me!?"
"No, no. I don't want to fight. I just need to ask something."
"About the Servants and Saints?"
"Exactly."
He told me to sit on the bench nearby. I sat beside him and started asking questions.
"It's about Elizabeth—and Mrs. Raya."
"Mrs. Raya? That was Elizabeth's vessel?"
"Yes. When I defeated her, Elizabeth's body faded… but luckily, Mrs. Raya survived, though she was in critical condition."
"Anything strange about that?"
"The next day, I mentioned her name to a friend at school… and he said he didn't know who she was."
"That is strange. Maybe once a Saint is defeated, their vessel is erased from memory? Or maybe only those not directly involved forget everything?"
"I'm not sure—honestly, I've never defeated a Saint before… But even I was surprised."
"Surprised by what?"
"I went to the forest—y'know, the one that had turned barren. But when I arrived, it was green again. Even the city buildings that had been destroyed looked perfectly normal. Could that be the effect of an Awakening?"
"Awakening?"
"It's said that when Saints decide to fight, a symbol appears on their bodies. You have one too, right?"
"Yes."
"That's what it means. The 'Awakening' marks the contract between Servants. The 'Opening' is the battlefield created between them."
Ah! That makes sense! That's why Elizabeth yelled "Awaken!" in that barren forest—and then a black shadow appeared from her body.
Maybe that was the clue to her power.
"How is she now?"
"She's still in the hospital. I plan to visit her with Sylvia tomorrow. Want to come?"
"Interesting! I'm curious, but I've got some things to do."
"Alright, I understand. Thanks—you're a good guy," I said, smiling.
"Hahaha, don't forget—we're enemies. I could attack you anytime."
"Then I'll just be ready to fight you," I replied, smirking.
"Hahaha—what a cheeky brat you are."ar
*
I left Nico to his gardening. On the way back to class, I saw Sylvia standing by the wall, kicking her feet slightly.
Was she waiting for me?
"What are you doing here? You're standing out too much."
"I'm waiting for you, idiot!"
"I figured. So… what's up?"
"Come with me!"
"H-Hey, wait!"
Sylvia grabbed my hand and dragged me up to the rooftop for lunch. So she was waiting just for this?
"So you just wanted to eat lunch with me—huh?"
"Shut up! I also wanted to talk about our next plan—you think I have time to play with my friends all day!?"
"Well… it's not a bad idea."
"Ugh, you're impossible. You better be careful with him."
"With who? Nico? He's just a nice gardener."
"That's your weakness!"
We continued talking about our next move.
The wind blew gently as we sat there eating lunch. I glanced over and saw Sylvia brushing her hair from her face as it blew in the wind. She looked back at me, and I instantly turned away.
It felt weird… just the two of us here.