Someone in the Multiverse, Transformed into Fu Hua at the Start

The moment she felt the ground beneath her feet sink noticeably, Amber's reckless 'behind a screen' attitude shrank back, and she silently prayed: 'Please, Navigator.'

The gray-haired woman shifted her body slightly, dodging the flying chains, then paid no heed to the weapons trailing behind her. With a single step, she appeared directly before Gogh.

'Space Movement!?' Gogh's eyes widened as his body recoiled violently, pulled by magical energy.

Her claims and actions clearly marked her as a type highly skilled in close combat. Though he was confident in his own melee abilities, knowing she was no simple opponent, he naturally had no intention of pitting his confidence against someone else's specialty.

Yet before he could adjust his stance and press the attack, the gray-haired woman took another step, closing in tightly on Gogh.

'Shrinking Ground—a technique from the Divine Land.' Fujimaru Ritsuka, having formed bonds with Heroic Spirits from China, naturally recognized Fu Hua's movement.

This was originally the name of a celestial art enabling short-distance space movement, but for martial artists who could achieve such feats through skill alone, the same term could be applied.

"Like a mosquito, clinging and annoying!" Gogh realized this might not be the kind of space movement that couldn't be used consecutively. His face darkened further as chains shot out from his body.

But for Amber—or rather, for Fu Hua now under Navigator's control—all of Gogh's combat techniques were 'like a child's play.' She gently pushed aside with one hand, and True Qi sent the chains veering off course.

"Transforming Strength, Wisteria Sparrow."

Seeing Navigator's proxy combat was so reliable, the little waste couldn't help but chime in, voicing the technique's name.

"Inch Punch—Heaven Splitting."

Before Gogh could react, the arm that had extended to deflect the chains didn't retract. Instead, from that difficult-to-accelerate distance, her fingertips formed a blade-like hand and pressed against Gogh's chest.

Then, she punched.

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Chapter 3: Fictional Heroic Spirit, Merlin's Probe

'Like a cannonball shot from a barrel'—such words might be an exaggeration to describe a punch's power, but for the gray-haired woman's strike, they seemed almost flattering.

The force, nearly shredding everything inside him, sent Gogh spewing a mouthful of blood. Enkidu's body was incredibly powerful, so this was the first time he'd been so severely injured. Had it not been for the Holy Grail within him and his unique constitution as a divine clay puppet—able to reshape his body at will with magic—this blow could have killed him outright.

Realizing this, Gogh gritted his teeth hard.

'For Mother's sake, how can I die here!'

The dignity and bearing of the new humanity were cast aside entirely, but this wasn't fear of his own death—it was worry over what his death might lead to.

He drew frantically on the Holy Grail's magic within him. The injury that had shattered half his body healed instantly as his figure retreated through the air at twice his previous speed, then shot even faster into the distance.

"So strong... in one exchange..." Fujimaru Ritsuka stared in shock at the battle. Since becoming humanity's last Master, he had witnessed Heroic Spirit battles countless times, but seeing one powerful Heroic Spirit so easily driven back—he'd only seen that once before.

"Master...!" Mash stepped silently in front of Ritsuka, her shield subtly angled toward Amber.

'...What should I say?' Amber calmly withdrew her right hand, turning naturally to look at Ritsuka and the others. She thought for a moment about what Fu Hua might say but came up empty, so she turned her gaze to Merlin, who was watching the drama unfold.

She'd heard from a friend that Merlin had very high emotional intelligence, and the entire Round Table held him in high regard. She hoped he could read the room.

"Oh my, I never expected you to drive off that ultimate weapon of the gods so easily. Your skill is truly unfathomable."

Merlin flashed a harmless smile. "I'm immensely grateful for your help at this moment. Otherwise, a powerless magus like me wouldn't know how to safely extricate Fujimaru and Mash from this predicament."

"A magus like you would naturally have no choice but to push things off onto others." A young girl's voice rang out, and a purple-haired child in a cloak emerged from the woods.

Though her words belittled Merlin, she knew well that he was capable. Since he was wary of this gray-haired woman, she would deliberately mislead, making the other party think Merlin truly had no skill.

Another Servant? One traveling with this white-haired Servant?

Ritsuka was curious about why the magus knew his name but didn't speak up.

"Illusions won't work on me." With Navigator's reminder, Amber realized Merlin was currently casting an illusion and spoke up to warn him.

Do they think I'm some kind of villain? I just helped them... Besides! With the Immortal's face so upright, how could I be mistaken for a bad guy!

"Oh dear... that was a contingency I prepared to deal with that 'Enkidu.' It seems I accidentally included you, miss, who suddenly joined the battlefield, as a target. Truly, my magecraft is nothing but a parlor trick." Merlin's expression didn't change; he kept his smile, merely putting on a troubled look.

Thinking of the friend's description of the Sword Saint of Britain, Amber was a bit skeptical but accepted his words.

Navigator hesitated, thought it over, and gave up.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Merlin, and this is Anna." Merlin couldn't pin down Amber's identity but knew they couldn't handle her. Since he was focused on more important matters and Amber showed no sign of attacking, he didn't expose his little schemes and simply came clean.

"I am Fu Hua... or, as others often call me, the Crimson Kite Immortal."

"Crimson Kite?" Was there a mythological figure by that name?

Ritsuka was puzzled, but Mash had a guess: "Speaking of Crimson Kite... is it a bird from the Divine Land? Or perhaps a Vermilion Bird?"

She associated it with the Divine Land because Amber's attire was entirely in that style.

"It's the Crimson Kite Immortal from the novel Divine Land Sword Breaking Record—the grandmaster of the heroine Li Sushang, who protected the Divine Land for millennia." Merlin's smile seemed more genuine, but given his incubus bloodline, only he knew what he was really thinking.

"Eh..." Ritsuka hadn't read it, but 'protected the Divine Land for millennia' sounded like a benevolent Heroic Spirit.

As for a fictional novel character becoming a Heroic Spirit... that might have been surprising before, but for Ritsuka now, it was common.

Though he'd never seen such a powerful fictional Heroic Spirit before.

"Ah, I'm Fujimaru Ritsuka, and this is Mash." Suddenly remembering they hadn't introduced themselves, Ritsuka quickly added, then pointed at the white animal on his shoulder: "And this is Fou."

No sooner had he spoken than Fou, who had been poised and ready, leaped at Merlin and punched him to the ground.

"You vicious beast! I should never have taken in this foul creature!"

"Fou! Fou!"

"Have you forgotten the kindness I've shown you all these years?!"

"Fou!" (Somehow, the tone had grown even more intense.)

"Damn you! How many meat-paw enthusiasts have you charmed with that cute face? Just because you're adorable, you get all the popularity—!"

This evenly matched, childish squabble left the two from Chaldea utterly stunned. Was the legendary chief mage of Britain really this kind of personality? And how did Fou even know him?

Amber was equally shocked, but to maintain her online composure, she forcibly kept her expression neutral, still wearing that detached, serene look, though her eyes held lingering confusion.

Anna, who had been quietly on guard nearby, sighed. "Such abnormal behavior and disgraceful antics—please save them for the middle of the night, when you're alone."

With Anna's intervention, Fou graciously stopped and returned to Ritsuka and Mash's side, while Merlin flashed an awkward grin. "Thanks to you, I'm saved, Anna."

"There's nothing like that in our contract. Rather than gratitude, I'd prefer you reflect on your actions." Anna's tone was flat.

"You're really strict, huh." Merlin stood up, brushing off dust that wasn't there.

"Speaking of which, Mr. Merlin, you've been in Avalon all along, right? Being able to see novels from the outside world... that's surprising..." Mash said curiously.

"Haha, after all, there's no entertainment in Avalon besides napping. Observing the outside world from time to time is one of my hobbies." Merlin chuckled.

Though he said that, he revealed nothing about how he actually saw it.

In truth, he possessed the highest level of clairvoyance, able to see everything in the 'present,' while Avalon lay in the inner sea of the planet outside the world, where time had no meaning. This made the 'present' nothing more than a meaningless restriction for Merlin—whether past or future, it was all the same to him.

Chapter 4: Merlin: Slacking Off

In fact, Merlin did harbor a certain wariness toward Amber, or rather, Fu Hua's existence.

It wasn't just because of Fu Hua's strength; more importantly, he could confirm that she wasn't a Servant summoned by Gilgamesh.

Amber, too, was somewhat surprised by Merlin's words. She hadn't expected this world to have Divine Land Sword Breaking Record. But if that existed, shouldn't Honkai Impact 3rd be here too?

[To make it easier for the host to gain 'recognition,' the system has performed a rationalized cognitive modification.]

The Navigator explained considerately.

Ah, that made sense. Never mind, then.

Though she held some caution, the Crimson Kite Immortal was ultimately a righteous figure. In the novel, even after being betrayed by her seven disciples and resurrected, she didn't fall to corruption. She simply repaid that hatred eye for an eye, without dragging others into it.

Even if she wasn't sure which period this Crimson Kite was from, she could at least trust in her character.

She'd leave the rest to Gilgamesh. With his clairvoyance that could see the future, it was undoubtedly far more useful than hers in this Singularity.

Once the three parties confirmed they could trust each other, Merlin was to lead everyone to Uruk.

But it was already late. While it didn't matter much for the Servants, the human Master needed to keep up their stamina, so they decided to rest for the night.

During the night, Merlin also briefed Chaldea on the current situation.

In the midst of casual conversation, Dr. Roman first wildly complained and questioned Merlin's abilities, but then suddenly stiffened as if realizing something. Merlin, in turn, flashed a playful smile.

However, Merlin, aware of Roman's identity, chose not to expose him.

From Merlin's account, Chaldea and Amber came to understand the situation.

At present, Uruk was the last human city in Mesopotamia, and the cause of this state of affairs was the Three Goddess Alliance, along with the beasts created by the Beast Goddess.

To counter this, King Gilgamesh had summoned seven Servants to defend Uruk against the Three Goddesses' invasion. Unfortunately, due to the brutal onslaught, only four of the seven Servants remained.

Fortunately, Chaldea's timely arrival and the unexpected discovery of Anna helped fill the gaps.

And on top of that...

This Crimson Kite Immortal, who had safeguarded the Divine Land for millennia and was known as 'unmatched in a single move'—even facing the Three Goddesses head-on would likely pose no problem.

The only issue was what kind of personality this Crimson Kite Immortal had.

Even if the novel suggested she was a good person, that was just speculation from scattered details. In reality, the novel mostly depicted the Crimson Kite Immortal as emotionless and detached, more like a purging mechanism for those who fell to corruption than a normal human.

Coupled with the fact that since they'd met, this immortal had been taciturn and aloof, Merlin couldn't gauge her attitude toward Uruk. Though she said nothing, she clearly intended to follow them.

She wasn't summoned by Gilgamesh, likely called directly by the Counter Force like Anna, but there was also the possibility she was summoned by the Three Goddesses.

Still, all this speculation was less reliable than a single glance from Gilgamesh.

Having reached that conclusion, Merlin leaned back against a tree, calmly waiting for the sun to rise.

Amber had no idea what Merlin was thinking. She simply followed the Navigator's prompt to 'stick with Chaldea' and stayed put. Besides, she wanted to stick with the protagonist group anyway—who in their right mind would choose to be a villain?

As for staying silent, she was afraid that saying too much would ruin her wife's image, so she simply sat cross-legged, putting on an air of profundity.

Luckily, this wasn't her real body. Even after sitting cross-legged for ten hours, she felt no fatigue. Fortunately, the Navigator woke her before the others started moving, or it would've been bad if they found out she'd actually fallen asleep.

Their current distance from Chaldea wasn't exactly close, so everyone began passing the time with idle chatter.

"Speaking of which, among all the kings, Gilgamesh stands out as a tyrant," Merlin suddenly said with a chuckle.

"A tyrant?" Ritsuka perked up. He'd met the most famous tyrant, Nero, and knew most of it was slander.

"Indeed." Half to warn, half to gauge the Crimson Kite Immortal's reaction, Merlin continued, "He cut ties with the gods for being too arrogant, hoarded all the nation's beauties and the world's treasures, and made it so that agreeing with the king meant death, and disagreeing meant death as well."

"That..."

Ritsuka frowned slightly.

"Hero King Gilgamesh, in his youth, was a wise and reasonable ruler. But as he grew older, he showed the complete opposite traits. To restrain his tyranny, the gods created the 'Divine Weapon,' Enkidu."

"But for reasons unknown, the two became close friends," Mash added.

"Let's set aside what happened later. For now, the most arrogant and ruthless tyrant on the surface—that is the Hero King, Gilgamesh." Merlin turned to Amber. "I recall in the Divine Land Sword Breaking Record, the Ming imperial court officially titled the Crimson Kite as an Immortal. Yet she meddled not in governance nor dynastic shifts. Every emperor, upon ascension, had to pay homage to her on Mount Taixu. Those who saw the Crimson Kite gained longevity and a flourishing reign. Those who failed to meet the Immortal's countenance either died mid-reign or lost their throne—none met a good end."

"From the Crimson Kite Immortal's perspective, what kind of man is King Gilgamesh?"

Huh? Why ask me?

She'd thought playing the aloof expert would let her coast by without speaking... but now she'd been called on?

She'd watched two Fate series, so naturally she knew Gilgamesh wasn't someone to trifle with. But she recalled her bestie mentioning that the Gilgamesh in FGO Chapter 7 was the Wise King version?

Sticking to the principle of saying less to make fewer mistakes, Amber spoke flatly: "The rise and fall of dynasties, the wisdom and valor of kings—none of it concerns me."

"I suppose so."

Merlin nodded. "After all, the invincible Crimson Kite Immortal, who cares not for the mortal world."

"The title of Immortal... is an exaggeration. I am far from invincible." Amber's expression didn't shift at Merlin's flattery. On one hand, she truly lacked strength—her power relied entirely on Navigator's proxy fighting. On the other, she thought of Fu Hua's life, steeped in regret, and felt a pang of sorrow for her waifu's plight.

"...I see." Noticing the regret in Amber's eyes, Merlin said no more, but inwardly breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Though he'd pinned everything on Gilgamesh, if the two sides came to blows over personality clashes, Uruk couldn't withstand even a few of their strikes.

Having confirmed that the Crimson Kite wasn't the type Gilgamesh despised, and Gilgamesh wasn't the type the Crimson Kite despised, Merlin finally relaxed.

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Chapter 5: Arrival at Uruk

With noticeably lighter steps, Merlin led the way. Trekking through the wilderness outskirts, they inevitably encountered many roaming monsters. Mash initially planned to handle them herself, but Amber cleared them out at lightning speed before she could.

"Legend says the Crimson Kite Immortal protected the Divine Land, subduing demons and vanquishing evil. Though the whole world was mired in calamity, only the Divine Land knew peace and prosperity." Merlin explained to Ritsuka and Mash, watching as Amber effortlessly kept the monsters at bay before them.

"Amazing..." The two youngsters couldn't help but exclaim, eyes shining.

"Not only that—most martial arts in the Divine Land evolved from the Immortal's demon-subduing stances. Even the techniques for wielding True Qi were passed down by the Immortal."

"Just exaggerated tales passed around. Don't take them seriously," Amber said as she returned to the group.