Mikaela clutched his head as a flood of "modern" memories surged into his mind, leaving him somewhat disoriented. But he quickly looked at Emiya Kiritsugu and his wife, Irisviel, a flicker of confusion and helplessness passing through his eyes.
All of his "past life" memories had returned.
When he had forcibly thrown Gae Bulg during his battle against a powerful opponent, he had already prepared himself for death.
At the time, the energy within his body had been nearly exhausted. The moment he took out Gae Bulg, he had practically been gambling with his life. Still, clinging to a sliver of hope that he might survive after launching that attack, he had ultimately thrown Gae Bulg.
But now, it seemed he had overdone it.
That was right. Mikaela was a transmigrator. Though he wore a maid outfit, he was a man. This was not his first transmigration; strictly speaking, it was his second.
After recovering his memories, Mikaela more or less understood why he had appeared here, and he was quite shocked.
After all, the one who should have been summoned was undoubtedly the King of Knights—Artoria. That Servant could never have been replaced by anyone else.
So why had he replaced her?! That was obviously impossible.
Though he held some doubts in his heart, Mikaela did not reveal much of them. Instead, he looked at Emiya Kiritsugu and calmly said, "My name is Mikaela. As you can see, I'm just an ordinary person with a little power."
Though he had transmigrated more than once, he had never experienced a situation where he encountered the main characters right from the start. Still, as a professional hero in his previous life, he naturally had his own methods for dealing with people.
"An ordinary person?! You must be joking." Irisviel looked surprised as she sized Mikaela up. Though he appeared very young, any Servant who could be summoned had to possess terrifying strength.
Heroic Spirits were the strongest beings known to humanity.
Even after being weakened and summoned as Servants, they remained incredibly formidable.
Although Irisviel and Emiya Kiritsugu felt that Mikaela's stats were extremely weak, if they truly fought, they had no doubt that he could easily kill them.
"No, I'm not joking. To be precise, I really am an ordinary person with power."
Mikaela accepted his death with remarkable ease. Looking at Emiya Kiritsugu, he softly said, "Though I'm an ordinary person, I will fully obey your commands and secure victory in this Holy Grail War."
Though he knew he was already dead, Mikaela was deeply puzzled as to why he had been summoned as a Servant. Logically speaking... he had no qualities that would make him worthy of becoming a Heroic Spirit.
Heroic Spirits were beings transformed from heroes whose great deeds had become legends after death and who had become objects of faith.
After dismissing the possibility that he was a "Heroic Spirit," Mikaela thought of another explanation: perhaps he was like Sasaki Kojiro, a wandering spirit who had merely happened to be summoned by Emiya Kiritsugu and had replaced some King Arthur.
Wait... some King Arthur?
At that moment, Mikaela seemed to recall something. In his previous life, he had used Illya's Install and acquired the power of Altria Pendragon—the Lancer-class Artoria.
Could that be the reason? But that explanation seemed rather far-fetched. If that were truly the case, then he should have been Lancer, not Saber.
"Do you have any special abilities, or perhaps a particularly powerful Noble Phantasm?" Emiya Kiritsugu lit himself a cigarette and asked somewhat speechlessly. An obedient Servant was a good thing, but Mikaela's stats were so abysmal that Kiritsugu had no idea how to arrange tactics for him.
Though he knew Mikaela's class was Saber, with those stats, it seemed they could only sneak around together.
If he were sent to attack another Servant head-on, it would undoubtedly be courting death.
"I don't have a Noble Phantasm. As for my ability..." Mikaela produced a card bearing a golden cross. He showed it to Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel, his tone as calm as ever. "This is my ability."
"..."
Veins bulged on Emiya Kiritsugu's forehead. Though he was an exceptionally composed person, upon seeing this "card" ability, he could not help wanting to pull out his gun and shoot this Saber named Mikaela.
Was this supposed to be a joke?! What could an ability like a cheap magic trick possibly do?!
"Don't be impatient. In the world where I gained my powers, no one could become a hero without him."
Seemingly noticing the shift in Emiya Kiritsugu's mood, Mikaela spoke a little faster. He then crushed the card, and the golden cross appeared before Kiritsugu.
Oath of Judas was the signature weapon of Schicksal, representing the glory of the Apocalypse family.
In Honkai Impact 3rd, it was Theresa and Kallen's exclusive weapon. It was an exceptionally powerful weapon, and it had also been the first weapon Mikaela had used in his previous life.
"This?! Is this a Conceptual Material?!" The instant Irisviel saw Oath of Judas, she immediately sensed the tremendous power contained within it. Even though Oath of Judas had merely been placed on the floor.
Yet neither Emiya Kiritsugu nor Irisviel dared underestimate its presence. It was just like a Noble Phantasm!
"Besides that, I can transform into all sorts of people."
After displaying Oath of Judas for Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel, Mikaela produced another card. He dismissed Oath of Judas and explained, "Whether it is a Servant or anyone else, as long as I possess relevant information and knowledge about them, I can become them... for example..."
Mikaela crushed the card, and his body was enveloped in a flash of white light. Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes from the blinding glow.
The white light slowly faded, and Mikaela had become someone else: white-haired, red-eyed, tall and slender, with the noble bearing of a great lady.
Irisviel von Einzbern. That was right—Mikaela had transformed into Kiritsugu's wife right in front of him.
"This!!!" Emiya Kiritsugu's eyes widened. He looked at Irisviel beside him, who wore the same shocked expression.
"So, that is my ability. Though it is not especially useful, it should count as a decent ability." Still wearing Irisviel's appearance, Mikaela spoke in an even tone.
Whether it was appearance or voice, he was exactly the same as the "original"!
"You seem to have some misunderstanding of the word 'decent.'" Emiya Kiritsugu extinguished his cigarette. A rare trace of joy appeared on his cold face as he looked at Mikaela. He had a feeling that this was absolutely the most suitable Servant for him.
The transformation ability alone made countless plans surface in Emiya Kiritsugu's mind. As long as Mikaela sincerely helped them claim the Holy Grail.
Then!
The victor of this Holy Grail War would be none other than them.
PS: "New author, new book~~~ Please be gentle with me."
Wish?
"Madam, the tea is ready. Please enjoy."
Mikaela, who had been summoned as a Servant, was now serving Irisviel like a true maid. He gazed out the window at Emiya Kiritsugu playing with the young Illya, and a faint sigh rose in his heart.
He wondered whether his mother would feel pain because of his death. But... given her personality, she would definitely be heartbroken. Though she usually loved messing around and teasing him into wearing all kinds of women's clothing.
She was still a mother, a mother who cared for her child.
It had been over ten hours since he was summoned, yet he had not eaten anything or even taken a sip of water.
This body did not need food, water, or sleep. Mikaela could not help sighing at that. He had clearly been a living person before, but now, aside from looking human, he was no different from a corpse.
Setting aside all those miscellaneous issues, Mikaela had more or less figured out a Servant's basic abilities.
For example, Magic Resistance. Though he did not possess Magic Resistance as an inherent attribute, being a Servant had granted him that ability. It was an indirect enhancement, like certain two goddesses without combat abilities who gained the ability to fight after becoming Heroic Spirits and descending into the world.
After some rough testing with Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel, he found that he could negate part of the damage from magecraft, though he could not completely nullify it.
Besides that, Mikaela could also assume spirit form. In that state, his movement speed increased greatly, and passing through walls was absurdly easy.
Last night, he had secretly slipped into Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel's room. He watched the married couple sleep for around an hour, seeming somewhat disappointed that they had not made a baby, before returning to the balcony to continue watching the snow fill the sky.
"Thank you." Irisviel smiled sweetly, lifted her tea, and took a sip. Looking at Emiya Kiritsugu playing with Illya below, she said with a hint of emotion, "Although we did not summon the King of Knights, having such a cute maid as you means we have not lost out at all."
Irisviel had not expected that, when she and Kiritsugu had just gotten up, Mikaela would invite the two of them to the hall for breakfast.
Though homunculi generally did not need to eat and could survive on magical energy, Irisviel had been with Emiya Kiritsugu for so many years that she had naturally eaten plenty of food from the outside world—hamburgers! French fries! Omurice! Stargazy pie! And so on...
Ahem. She had not actually eaten stargazy pie. Emiya Kiritsugu had only mentioned it casually, but Irisviel had become extremely curious, so she had specifically asked Mikaela that morning whether he could make it.
Mikaela's expression had been rather subtle at the time. He truly had never made that dish before. Emiya Kiritsugu's expression had also become rather interesting, as he probably had not expected Irisviel to remain so fixated on that dish.
"Irisviel, I told you last night already. I'm a boy." Mikaela rubbed his forehead, seeming helpless toward this "madam."
Though Mikaela looked very much like a girl, he truly was a boy.
"Boys can be maids too~" Irisviel seemed to think of something amusing and snickered. "Those men who do not know the truth will definitely fawn all over you."
"You are clearly so beautiful, yet you are a boy. This world really is strange."
Irisviel raised her tea and took another small sip before praising him, "And you can brew such wonderful tea, and the dishes you make are so delicious. I cannot imagine any man being able to resist your charm."
Mikaela silently took several steps back. In Irisviel, he saw the shadow of his mother, Mikaluya.
Though Irisviel had not done anything yet, Mikaela's instincts told him that this woman probably wanted to see him standing beside other boys so she could secretly delight in it.
Seemingly realizing that Mikaela disliked this topic, Irisviel finished her tea and asked, "Do you have a wish you want to make to the Holy Grail?"
Since Mikaela had been summoned, he surely had a wish of his own. After being summoned last night, he had explained his identity and abilities.
But he had not mentioned his wish, leaving Irisviel very curious about what Mikaela wanted.
"To go back."
Mikaela answered without hesitation. Looking at Irisviel, a trace of remembrance flashed through his eyes as he sighed. "I want to return to my original world."
That was right. Mikaela had only one wish: he wanted to return to My Hero Academia. His companions and family were there, and they were the source of his motivation to keep fighting.
Naturally, he would not return in this spirit-like state. He would only return to that world after regaining a physical body.
"To return to my parents' side, I am willing to offer all of my strength and assist Emiya Kiritsugu in winning this Holy Grail War." Mikaela looked at Irisviel, a dark flame flashing through his eyes.
He was serious. Based on the memories from the life before his previous one, Emiya Kiritsugu was a despicable man. Though he called himself an ally of justice, he always sacrificed the few for the many.
Being able to fight alongside him was undoubtedly a good thing. If he had been summoned by Tohno Shiro, Kotomine Kirei, or Matou Kariya, then there was a good chance they would have gotten him killed.
At the very least, he had told Emiya Kiritsugu his value and purpose, and made it clear that no matter the price, he would help him win this Holy Grail War.
However, Mikaela had lied about one thing. He did not want to obtain the Holy Grail.
Because in the Type-Moon World, nine out of ten Holy Grails were traps, and the last one was Illya. Rather than relying on them, he might as well place a little hope in All the World's Evil.
"Parents?"
Irisviel looked through the window at Emiya Kiritsugu playing with Illya, and an indescribably complicated emotion flickered through her eyes.
"Hey, Aira, you do not mind if I call you that, right?" Irisviel smiled at Mikaela, her face carrying a gentle, maternal smile.
"If possible, I would prefer you call me Maid, because that was my codename in my world." Mikaela replied very calmly. "I also prefer that title."
"Pfft."
Irisviel laughed. This was the first time she had seen someone who kept insisting he was a boy ask to be called Maid.
Did that not feel strange?!
"Well then~ I will call you Maid." Irisviel nodded. Looking at Mikaela's serious expression, she asked, "Can you transform into Illya?"
"...I can." Mikaela's mouth twitched slightly. He did not understand what Irisviel was planning, but he still answered honestly.
"My ability combines cards, psychography, and spirit channeling."
"First, I create a card. Then I use psychography to imprint memories onto it. Finally, I use spirit channeling to draw out the power. In principle, as long as I know that 'person' and their 'ability,' I can become them, or produce their weapon."
PS: "Newbie! New book... (gets beaten!)"
Victory Would Surely Belong to Them
That night, after finishing his conversation with Irisviel, Mikaela quietly washed dishes in peace. There was no shortage of ingredients here. Though the servants were all homunculi, Emiya Kiritsugu was still human, while Irisviel and Illya also enjoyed all kinds of delicious food.
Thus, after preparing dinner and waiting for them to finish eating, Mikaela, as a maid, began clearing everything away.
"It is hard to imagine that you are really a Servant."
While Mikaela was washing dishes, Emiya Kiritsugu approached. He was not smoking at the moment, perhaps because of Illya. Within Einzbern Castle, unless something especially worrying happened, he would not light himself a cigarette.
"If you mean household chores, then there is no need to doubt it. When my parents 'temporarily' left me, I learned these basic life skills easily enough as long as I put my mind to it."
Mikaela dried the plate in his hands and casually placed it in a nearby cabinet. Looking at Emiya Kiritsugu, he said flatly, "If you mean my age, then you need not doubt that either. I really was fifteen when I died."
"From your speech and mannerisms, you are completely like an adult. You do not resemble a brat barely past fifteen." Seeing that Mikaela had finished washing up, Emiya Kiritsugu headed toward the hall, with Mikaela obediently following behind him.
"Loneliness and solitude make people mature easily. Izuku was with me at the time, but all he saw was All Might's back." Mikaela did not mind talking about his past. He knew that Emiya Kiritsugu was testing him.
Since being summoned, Emiya Kiritsugu had tested him more than once. Though Mikaela knew Kiritsugu was trustworthy.
Kiritsugu would not so easily trust a Servant. Even though Mikaela had stated that he would follow any plan Kiritsugu arranged, there was still a trace of distrust in his heart.
Perhaps it was because Mikaela's appearance was too feminine, or perhaps because of his identity as a "hero."
"Is that so?" Emiya Kiritsugu said nothing more. He spoke calmly, "Tomorrow, you and Iri will be taking a plane. With your ability to assume spirit form, you should be able to protect her properly."
Mikaela frowned slightly. If possible, he wanted to act alongside Emiya Kiritsugu, because only by following him could Mikaela's combat ability be brought fully into play.
But Kiritsugu seemingly did not want him involved in his affairs.
"With all due respect, though my class is Saber, I lack the ability to fight head-on. If I stay with Madam Irisviel, my movements will inevitably be restricted." Mikaela did not intend to hide his thoughts. Looking at Emiya Kiritsugu's back, he said blandly, "Only by acting with you, Master, can I better make use of my strengths."
"Assassination?"
Emiya Kiritsugu smiled without denying it. He was willing to speak with Mikaela because they shared the same mindset: victory required any means necessary.
Victory itself was filthy. Glory and faith—when you defeated or killed another person, that glory was gained by stepping on someone else.
That was precisely why Emiya Kiritsugu imagined that if the King of Knights had been summoned, then based on the noble character described in her legend, she would surely have scorned some of his ideas.
Before you continue