Altair POV
Actually, instead of two figures, there were three, including the little white-furred puppy accompanying the two girls.
The small dog, which looked more like a fox, was adorable. But back to the human figures — both were gorgeous girls.
The one who caught my attention the most was the pink-haired girl with eyes of the same shade, holding a metallic shield.
She was probably a Servant… or, in this case, a Demi-Servant?
No doubt, her outfit was extremely eye-catching.
The pink-haired girl wore a black and purple bodysuit-like armor that resembled a very short mini dress, leaving little to the imagination. Complementing her look, she wore black gauntlets and boots, along with a garter strapped to her right thigh.
I shook my head, appreciating the view.
If there was one thing the Fate franchise knew how to do, it was designing beautiful women — which was fair, considering they turned King Arthur into a first-class waifu.
"Yes, Mash!" Olga exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with joy—only to frown a moment later at the girl beside her. "Tsk! Candidate Master 48, what are you doing here?"
(Mash – Character Image)
I turned my attention to the other girl.
She was a young woman of medium build with shoulder-length red hair styled in a side ponytail on the left, secured with a yellow ribbon, and striking orange eyes. She wore a crisp white uniform paired with a black skirt and, fortunately, opaque tights covering her legs. She was undeniably charming, but her appearance wasn't the most striking feature. The true standout was the Command Seals on her right hand, unmistakable proof that she was a Master.
She remained silent, simply resting her hands on her thighs as she caught her breath.
She didn't exactly look like the athletic type.
"Senpai, are you alright?" The pink-haired girl, apparently named Mash, set her shield on the ground with one hand while gently rubbing the red-haired girl's back with the other.
"Yes… I'm fine, just a little tired." Sweat ran down her beautiful face, dripping onto the floor.
"Tsk! What a disgrace of a Master." Olga clicked her tongue and turned her eyes to Mash. "Mash, you're a Demi-Servant, right? I can tell just by looking at you! How?"
Olga Marie stared at Mash with a piercing gaze. Mash, in turn, planted her shield on the ground and stood firm, almost in a military posture before the director. A brief flicker of concern crossed her face.
"Yes, Director. Chaldea had prepared a Servant in advance to resolve Singularity F. Just before I… well before I died, a Heroic Spirit appeared before me and offered me a contract. He would grant me his power and his Noble Phantasm in exchange for my commitment to end the disturbance causing the Singularity."
Oh! That's a nice summary. So this girl is kind of like me. So this temporal distortion is called Singularity F, huh?
As I pondered, Olga sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "I see," she replied, her tone laden with a mix of complicated emotions.
Then her gaze turned to the red-haired girl kneeling beside Mash, still visibly shaken. "So… this commoner ended up becoming your Master?"
Her arrogant tone was kind of… cute, right? Or maybe my tastes are weird.
"Wait a second," the red-haired girl exclaimed, standing up. "Master!? Me?" She pointed to herself. "That doesn't make any sense. I barely know what's going on — it's literally been just a few minutes since I was thrown into this mess."
I looked at her with sympathy and a bit of pity. She fits the protagonist's mold perfectly. Being thrown into a story without a clue was a hallmark of any good protagonist.
"Yes, she's my Master," Mash said, scratching her cheek. "If it weren't for Senpai, I wouldn't be able to maintain my Servant form. My own mana wouldn't be enough to sustain me."
Olga raised her thumb to her mouth, biting it. "I see." She sighed.
Though she didn't seem to get along with the red-haired girl, she looked slightly more relieved by that information. With Mash's words, I tilted my head.
Interesting.
So a Demi-Servant also depends on magical energy?
I glanced down at my hand.
I looked like a Demi-Servant, but I didn't feel the need to form a contract. Unlike her, I didn't burn through mana simply to exist, though wielding the Monkey King's Mantle did drain my energy considerably. Still, it was something I could manage easily.
I really am quite different from a regular Demi-Servant, even if I'm similar in essence.
Putting that aside, I realized I was being a bit neglected.
"Ahem!" I coughed to get their attention, and the girls turned their eyes to me. With their gazes on me, I tilted my head and gave a small smile. "Hello!"
"Uh… hmm!... Hello," Mash said, looking confused. "Director, sorry, but who is this boy?"
Olga smiled slightly. "He's an ally I made. His name is Altair Miller. In a way, he's a Demi-Servant too, but quite different from you." She crossed her arms over her chest, struggling a bit to explain what I was.
"Really?!" Mash looked surprised. "I see. It's a pleasure, Altair-senpai."
"Senpai!?" I raised an eyebrow, not the least bit bothered by a cute girl calling me senpai. I was just curious about the unexpected choice of words.
The red-haired girl beside her let out a light laugh. "Mash has a unique way of addressing people she sees as more experienced than her. That's why she called you Senpai."
"Makes sense. And you?" I looked at the red-haired girl.
"Hehehe! I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru. Nice to meet you, Miller-san." Ritsuka extended her hand toward me, using a very Japanese way of addressing someone.
(Ritsuka Fujimaru – Character Image)
"Nice to meet you, Fujimaru-san." When in Rome, do as the Romans do. "But you can just call me Altair," I said, extending my hand.
"Sure, Altair-san." She gently took my hand.
The moment our hands touched, a burning sensation ran across the back of my hand, making me frown.
My jaw dropped and my eyes widened as three red marks scorched themselves into the back of my hand.
The mark formed the shape of a crown, with fiery lines crafting an imposing arc at the base and three upward spikes resembling sharp blades or thorns at the top. Its symmetrical arrangement created the illusion of a regal crown.
What the hell…
"Command Seals!?" Olga's eyes widened as she looked at my hand.
"Seems like it," I said, staring at the Command Seal with disbelief.
This was quite strange, to say the least.
Perhaps, in some way, I could be considered the Master of Sun Wukong, even though his existence was fused with mine.
But that wasn't all.
For some reason, it also felt exactly like a Magic Crest.
I was a big fan of the first three routes, so I knew what a Magic Crest was. In fact, instinctively, I knew that this mark on my hand was both a Magic Crest and a Command Seal.
A Magic Crest was a series of Mage Circuits refined into a stable form, acting as a thaumaturgical archive — enabling efficient storage and casting of spells. Thanks to that, I could store and use Wukong's spells more easily.
Things were getting even stranger.
I let out a soft sigh.
It felt like I'd received an upgrade — not only a Magic Crest but also high-quality magic circuits.
Lost in thought, a sudden chill ran through my body.
I looked up, ignoring Olga's voice.
Narrowing my eyes, I saw a projectile flying through the sky in our direction.
Acting purely on instinct, I scooped Olga up in a bridal carry and shoved the two girls aside.
Pushing off with my foot, I jumped to the side, dodging the projectile — though not completely, as it grazed my cheek, drawing a thin line of blood. The impact of the shot behind me kicked up a cloud of dust, while the confused voices of my companions echoed around.
"Senpai!?" Mash cried out in panic, throwing herself over Ritsuka to protect her with her shield.
"I'm okay!" Ritsuka shouted, looking ahead.
"What's going on?" Olga, her cheeks lightly flushed, clung tightly to me.
As a drop of blood hit the ground, I narrowed my eyes and activated the [Eyes of Fire and Gold] again.
Several dozen meters away, I spotted a tanned man with white hair, holding a bow and clicking his tongue in annoyance.
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