Feeling the ground beneath her feet sink sharply, Amber's bold attitude of being "separated by a screen" immediately shrank back. She thought, Please, Mr. Navigator.
The gray-haired woman shifted slightly, dodging the chains shooting toward her. Then, completely ignoring the weapon following close behind, she took a single step and appeared before Gogh.
Space Movement!? Gogh's eyes widened as his body was pulled backward by magical energy.
Judging by the other party's introduction and actions, she was clearly the type who excelled in close combat. Though he was also confident in melee combat, knowing full well that she was no ordinary opponent, he naturally had no intention of using his confidence to challenge someone else's specialty.
Yet before he could adjust his stance and continue his attack, the gray-haired woman took another step, sticking close in front of Gogh.
"It's Shrinking Ground, a technique from Shenzhou." Fujimaru Ritsuka had met Heroic Spirits from China before, so he naturally recognized Fu Hua's movement.
Originally, it referred to an immortal art capable of short-distance spatial movement. However, for martial artists who could achieve such a feat through skill alone, the name could also be applied to them.
"You're as annoying as a mosquito!" Gogh realized that this might not be the kind of Space Movement that could not be used consecutively. His expression darkened further as chains shot directly out from his body.
However, to Amber—or rather, Fu Hua, currently under the Navigator's control—all of Gogh's combat techniques were practically "childish." With a light push of her hand to the side, True Qi followed the motion and knocked the chains away.
"Transforming Strength, Wisteria Sparrow."
Seeing how reliable the Navigator's autopilot was, the useless little player could not resist chiming in and providing sound effects for the move.
"Inch Punch—Heaven Splitting."
Before Gogh could react, the arm that had just knocked aside the chains did not retract. Instead, from such a short distance that acceleration should have been impossible, her fingertips formed a hand blade and rested against Gogh's body.
Then she threw a punch.
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An Alternate Heroic Spirit, Merlin's Test
"To compare it to a cannonball leaving the barrel"—such wording might be an exaggeration when describing the force of a punch. Yet when applied to the gray-haired woman's punch, it somehow felt insufficient.
The force that nearly tore apart everything inside his body made Gogh cough up a mouthful of blood. Enkidu's body was incredibly powerful, so this was the first time he had ever been so seriously injured. If not for the Holy Grail inside him, and his unique constitution as a divine-made clay doll that allowed him to freely reshape his body as long as he had magical energy, that blow might have killed him outright.
Realizing this, Gogh gritted his teeth fiercely.
For Mother, how could I be killed in a place like this!?
The dignity and bearing of a new human were cast aside completely, but it was not because he feared his own possible death. Rather, he feared the consequences that might result from his death.
He frantically drew upon the Holy Grail's magical energy within him. As the injuries that had shattered half his body instantly recovered, he shot backward through the air at twice his previous speed, then flew even faster into the distance.
"She's so strong... She drove him back in a single exchange..." Fujimaru Ritsuka stared at the battle in shock. Since becoming humanity's last Master, he had seen Heroic Spirits battle countless times, but he had only seen someone so easily repel another powerful Heroic Spirit once before.
"Master...!" Mash quietly stepped in front of Ritsuka, the shield in her hand subtly angled toward Amber.
...What am I supposed to say? Amber calmly withdrew her right hand, then naturally looked at Ritsuka and Mash behind her. She thought over what Fu Hua might say, but came up empty, so she could only look toward Merlin, who was watching the show.
She had heard from her friend that Merlin had extremely high emotional intelligence, and that the entire Round Table admired him. Hopefully, he understood the current atmosphere.
"My, I didn't expect you to drive back the strongest weapon of the gods so easily. Your strength is truly unfathomable."
Merlin wore a harmless smile. "I'm truly grateful that you came to help at such a time. Otherwise, this helpless Magician would not know how to safely escape with Fujimaru and Mash."
"A Magician like you would naturally have no choice but to push everything onto others." A young girl's voice sounded from nearby. A purple-haired girl in a cloak emerged from the forest.
Though she spoke as if belittling Merlin, she knew very well that he was capable. Since he was wary of this gray-haired woman, she naturally had to mislead the other party into thinking Merlin truly had no skill.
Another Servant? Was she together with this white-haired Servant?
Though Ritsuka was somewhat curious why the Magician knew his name, he did not speak up directly.
"Illusions are useless against me." With the Navigator's reminder, Amber learned that Merlin was currently using an illusion, so she spoke to warn them.
Did they take me for some kind of bad person? I clearly helped them... Besides! With such a righteous face as the Immortal's, how could I possibly be mistaken for a bad person?
"Oh my... It was a contingency I prepared to deal with that 'Enkidu.' It seems I included the young lady who suddenly entered the battlefield as a target as well. As expected, my magecraft is merely a crude trick not fit for display." Merlin's expression did not change in the slightest. He still smiled, only naturally revealing a troubled look.
Thinking of the British Sword Saint her friend had mentioned, Amber was somewhat suspicious, but still accepted his explanation.
The Navigator hesitated as if it wanted to say something, then decided against it.
"Let's introduce ourselves. I am Merlin, and this is Anna." Unable to determine Amber's identity, Merlin also knew that his side could not handle her. After all, he was engaged in something more important at the moment. Seeing that Amber showed no sign of starting a fight and had not exposed his little scheme, he simply came clean.
"I am Fu Hua... Or rather, others generally call me Crimson Kite."
"Crimson Kite?" Was there such a figure in mythology?
Ritsuka was somewhat puzzled, though Mash had a guess. "If it's Crimson Kite... is that a bird from Shenzhou? Or perhaps the Vermilion Bird?"
She associated it with Shenzhou because Amber's current clothing was entirely in Shenzhou's style.
"She is the master of Li Sushang, the protagonist of the novel Divine Land Sword Breaking Record—the Crimson Kite Immortal who protected Shenzhou for thousands of years." Merlin's smile looked much more genuine, though considering his Nightmare bloodline, only he himself knew what he was truly thinking.
"Eh..." Though Ritsuka had not read it, protecting Shenzhou for thousands of years sounded like the work of a Heroic Spirit aligned with good.
As for a fictional novel character becoming a Heroic Spirit... he might have found that surprising in the past, but to the current Ritsuka, it was becoming increasingly common.
Though he had never seen such a powerful alternate Heroic Spirit before.
"Ah, I'm Fujimaru Ritsuka, and this is Mash." Suddenly remembering that his side had not introduced themselves yet, Ritsuka hurriedly added, then pointed at the white animal on his shoulder. "And this one is Fou."
The moment he finished speaking, Fou, who had long been ready to strike, leaped before Merlin and punched him to the ground.
"You vicious beast! I never should have adopted an evil creature like you!"
"Fou! Fou!"
"Have you forgotten the kindness I showed by caring for you all these years!?"
"Fou!" His tone somehow became even fiercer.
"Damn it! How many lovers of fluffy creatures have you charmed with that cute appearance!? Being popular just because you look adorable—!"
This evenly matched childish scuffle left the two from Chaldea staring in astonishment. Was the legendary chief Magician of Britain really this kind of person? And how did Fou know him?
Amber was equally stunned, but to preserve the Immortal's dignity, she forcibly maintained her expression. She still looked detached and serene, though the confusion in her eyes could not be dispersed.
Anna, who had been quietly on guard nearby, sighed. "Please perform such abnormal behavior and embarrassing disgrace alone in secret at midnight."
With Anna's intervention, Fou graciously stopped and returned to Ritsuka and Mash. Merlin, meanwhile, wore an awkward smile. "Thanks to you, I was saved, Anna."
"There was no such clause in the contract. Rather than thanking me, I hope you reflect on yourself." Anna's tone did not fluctuate.
"You really are strict." Merlin stood up and patted off dust that was not actually there.
"Come to think of it, Mr. Merlin has always been in Avalon, right? It is surprising that you can even read novels from the outside world..." Mash asked curiously.
"Haha, there is no entertainment in Avalon other than napping. Observing the outside world from time to time is one of my hobbies." Merlin smiled.
Though he said so, he did not reveal at all how he was able to see it.
In truth, he possessed the highest level of Clairvoyance, allowing him to see everything in the "present." Avalon was located in the Inner Sea of the Planet beyond the world, where time had no meaning. Thus, "the present" was merely a restriction without practical significance to Merlin; past and future were all the same to him.
Merlin: Touched It
In fact, Merlin truly held a degree of wariness toward Amber—or rather, Fu Hua's existence.
It was not merely because Fu Hua was powerful. More importantly, he could tell that she was not a Servant summoned by Gilgamesh.
Amber was also somewhat surprised by Merlin's words. She had not expected this world to have Divine Land Sword Breaking Record. But if it even had Sword Breaking Record, should it not also have Honkai Impact 3rd?
To make it easier for the host to gain "recognition," the system has made reasonable adjustments to common knowledge.
The Navigator explained helpfully.
I see. Then that's fine.
Though he remained somewhat wary, the Crimson Kite Immortal was ultimately a righteous existence. In the novel, even after being betrayed and resurrected by her seven disciples, she had not undergone any dark transformation. She had merely repaid that hatred in kind, without implicating anyone else.
Even if he could not determine which period this Crimson Kite came from, he could at least trust her character.
He would leave the rest to Gilgamesh. With Gilgamesh's Clairvoyance capable of seeing the future, it was undoubtedly far more useful than his own in this Singularity.
After the three sides confirmed that they could trust one another, Merlin was to lead everyone to Uruk.
However, night had already fallen. Though it was nothing to the Servants, it was best for a Master who was an ordinary human to maintain sufficient stamina, so they decided to rest for the night first.
The nighttime also happened to give Merlin an opportunity to explain the current situation to Chaldea.
During their idle conversation, Dr. Roman first frantically complained about and questioned Merlin's abilities. Yet halfway through, he suddenly stiffened as if he had realized something, while Merlin instead revealed an amused smile.
However, Merlin, who had realized Roman's identity, had no intention of exposing him.
Through Merlin's explanation, Chaldea and Amber gained a rough understanding of the situation.
At present, Uruk was Mesopotamia's last human city. The ones responsible for this situation were the Three Goddess Alliance and the Demon Beasts created by the Beast Goddess.
To deal with the crisis, King Gilgamesh had summoned seven Servants to defend Uruk and resist the Three Goddesses' invasion. Unfortunately, under the brutal assault, only four of the seven Servants remained.
Fortunately, Chaldea, which had arrived just in time, and Anna, whom they had discovered by chance, filled part of that gap.
And on top of that...
This Crimson Kite Immortal, who had protected Shenzhou for thousands of years and was said to have "never met an equal within a single move"... Surely even facing the Three Goddesses head-on would not be a problem for her.
The only issue was what kind of personality this Crimson Kite Immortal had.
Even if the novel suggested that she was a good person, that was merely an inference drawn from scattered hints. What the novel had described most was the Crimson Kite Immortal's coldness and lack of emotion. She was unlike a normal human, more like a cleanup mechanism for those who had fallen into corruption.
Moreover, ever since they met, this Immortal had remained quiet and aloof from worldly affairs. Merlin could not say what attitude she held toward Uruk at present. Though she had not said a word, she clearly seemed to intend to travel with them.
She had not been summoned by Gilgamesh. She might have been directly summoned by the Counter Force like Anna, but it was also possible that she had been summoned by the Three Goddesses.
Still, no matter how much he thought about it, it would be more practical to let Gilgamesh take a look himself.
Having figured that out, Merlin leaned back against a tree with ease and quietly waited for the sun to rise.
Amber did not know Merlin's thoughts. She merely saw the Navigator's prompt telling her to "act together with Chaldea," so she obediently stayed there. Besides, she herself wanted to travel with the protagonists. Who in their right mind would want to become a villain?
As for why she did not speak, she was afraid that the more she said, the more mistakes she would make and the more she would damage her wife's image. So she simply assumed the profound posture of someone meditating.
Fortunately, this was not her own body. Even after sleeping for ten hours in a meditative pose, she felt no fatigue whatsoever. Fortunately, the Navigator woke her before everyone prepared to depart, or it would have been terrible if they learned she had actually fallen asleep.
Their current distance was not considered close for Chaldea, so everyone began chatting to pass the time.
"Come to think of it, Gilgamesh is an outstanding tyrant among kings," Merlin suddenly said with a cheerful smile.
"A tyrant?" Ritsuka perked up his ears. He had met Nero, the most famous tyrant, and more than half of the accusations against her had been slander.
"That's right." Half to warn them, and half to observe the Crimson Kite Immortal's attitude, Merlin continued, "Because he thought the gods were too arrogant, he severed ties with them. He claimed all the beautiful women in his kingdom and all the treasures of the world for himself. Agreeing with the king meant death, and disagreeing with him also meant death."
"This..."
Ritsuka frowned slightly.
"Hero King Gilgamesh was a **** in his youth, and also a wise man who understood reason well. Yet after growing up, he displayed completely opposite traits. To restrain his explosive power, the gods created the 'Divine Weapon,' Enkidu."
"But for some reason, the two became close friends," Mash added.
"We will set aside what happened afterward. In short, the most arrogant and coldest tyrant on the surface of the world today is Hero King Gilgamesh." Merlin looked toward Amber. "I recall that in Divine Land Sword Breaking Record, the imperial court of the Ming Empire bestowed upon Crimson Kite the title of High Immortal. Yet she ignored political affairs and did not concern herself with dynastic changes. Whenever an emperor ascended the throne, he had to visit her at Mount Taixu. Those who met Crimson Kite gained longevity, and their dynasties prospered. Kings who failed to behold the Immortal's face either died before their time or lost their kingdoms. None met a good end."
"From the Crimson Kite Immortal's perspective, what kind of person is King Gilgamesh?"
Huh? Why was he asking me?
She had thought that as long as she acted like an aloof expert, she would not need to speak and could quietly coast through this... Yet she was being questioned?
She had watched two Fate series, so she naturally knew Gilgamesh was not easy to deal with. But she remembered her best friend saying that the Gilgamesh in Fate/Grand Order Chapter Seven was Wise King Gilgamesh?
Following the principle of making fewer mistakes by saying less, Amber spoke evenly. "The rise and fall of dynasties, the wisdom and brutality of kings, have nothing to do with me."
"I see."
Merlin nodded. "After all, you are the Crimson Kite Immortal, invincible under heaven and detached from human affairs."
"The title of Immortal... gives me too much credit. I am also far from invincible." Amber's expression did not change in the slightest because of Merlin's praise. On one hand, she truly had no strength of her own; all of it depended on Mr. Navigator's autopilot. On the other, she thought of Fu Hua's life filled with regrets and felt somewhat saddened by the suffering of her two-dimensional wife.
"...I see." Noticing the regret in Amber's eyes, Merlin said no more, though he greatly relaxed inside.
Though he had pushed everything onto Gilgamesh, if the two sides started fighting directly because of their personalities, Uruk could not withstand more than a few blows from them.
Only after confirming that Crimson Kite was not the kind of existence Gilgamesh hated, and that Gilgamesh was not the kind of existence Crimson Kite hated, did Merlin finally put his mind at ease.
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Arriving at Uruk
Merlin, whose steps had become much lighter, led the way ahead. Trekking through the wilderness outside the city, they naturally encountered many wandering Demon Beasts. Mash had originally intended to deal with them herself, but before she could, Amber cleared them all away at incredible speed.
"According to legend, the Crimson Kite Immortal protected Shenzhou and slew demons. While the entire world suffered beneath disasters, only the land of Shenzhou remained peaceful, filled with song and dance." Merlin watched the figure effortlessly keeping the Demon Beasts away from the group as he explained to Ritsuka and Mash.
"So amazing..." The two youngsters could not help staring with sparkling eyes.
"Not only that, most Shenzhou martial arts evolved from the Immortal's movements while slaying demons. Even the techniques for using True Qi were passed down by the Immortal."
"They are merely tales distorted through repetition. There is no need to take them seriously," Amber said as she returned to the group.
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