Mashu... is a Servant...?

Chapter 28: Mashu... is a Servant...?

Amidst the piercing sound of air being torn, meteor-like arrows streaked across the sky, descending upon the Servant who stood in the center of the ruins, shielding Luo Zhen.

But before they could strike, a massive shield was raised, like a bulwark, intercepting the incoming barrage.

"Clang————!"

With a heavy clang reminiscent of a tolling bell, the arrows impacted the sturdy shield.

Immediately afterward, as if triggering a chain reaction, the meteor shower of projectiles relentlessly crashed against the shield.

"Clang clang clang clang clang————!"

The heavy arrows and the solid shield collided, unleashing a continuous barrage of reverberating sounds.

The force generated by this series of impacts created gusts of wind, which transformed into a gale, which stirred up waves of dust, which formed a curtain, scattering the dark smoke and blowing away the surrounding sea of fire.

"Ugh...!"

Assailed by the choking smoke, Luo Zhen instinctively raised his hand to shield his face, struggling to maintain his footing and avoid being blown away by the powerful gusts of wind that were so close.

The mere impact of arrows on a shield was enough to unleash such a massive shockwave?

This caused Luo Zhen considerable consternation.

Of course, this consternation wasn't solely due to that; it was also due to the changes unfolding before his eyes.

More precisely, it was Mashu's transformation.

"Senpai! Are you alright!?"

Holding up the shield, completely blocking the terrifying barrage, Mashu kept her gaze fixed ahead, not daring to relax her vigilance, while shouting to Luo Zhen behind her.

Far from reassuring Luo Zhen, this only amplified his consternation.

"Mashu... you... how could you..."

Luo Zhen couldn't even form a coherent sentence.

Upon closer inspection, the white Chaldea uniform that Mashu had habitually worn was gone, replaced by a set of purple armor resembling a skintight dress.

The purple armor clung tightly to Mashu's body, accentuating her unexpectedly curvaceous figure, protecting her while boldly exposing the front half of her shoulders and the upper part of her thighs, creating an aura of dignified sensuality.

Having known Mashu for two whole years, Luo Zhen had never seen her wear such armor. Her more curvaceous figure than he'd imagined not only made his mind reel but also threw him into utter confusion.

What shook Luo Zhen even more was...

"To actually... block such a barrage...?"

A continuous barrage that surpassed even high-level Familiars.

If such a barrage were to occur in a simulated battle, Luo Zhen dared to say that the hundreds of mid-level Lizardmen he had faced would have been completely annihilated within tens of seconds.

This was something that no ordinary Magus could withstand.

And while Mashu possessed considerable Magecraft aptitude, her combat prowess wasn't necessarily higher than Luo Zhen's.

Now, Mashu was directly blocking an attack that even Luo Zhen was helpless against, forcing him to use a Command Seal to summon his own Servant to deal with it.

The astonishing defensive power, the unfamiliar attire, the terrifying surge of magical energy emanating from her, and the fact that he had summoned her using a Command Seal all told Luo Zhen.

Mashu was the Servant with whom he had formed a contract.

"Mashu... is a Servant...?"

How could that be?

Mashu was clearly a genuine human being.

Why would she become a Servant?

No...

It wasn't impossible.

"Could it be..."

Luo Zhen recalled an extremely important matter, and the consternation on his face was instantly replaced by tension, and he bit down on his teeth.

Unaware of the multiple shifts in Luo Zhen's emotions within those brief seconds, Mashu, while holding up the heavy and enormous shield high, blocking the incoming terrifying barrage, shouted at Luo Zhen again amidst the shockwaves.

"Senpai...! No! Master! Please tell me what to do next...!?"

————「Master」.

The new title coming from his junior's mouth finally made Luo Zhen realize the situation he was in.

That's right.

Regardless of anything else, he was now a Master.

Moreover, an unknown enemy had launched an attack against him, seeking to kill him.

If he didn't find a way to resolve this crisis, then no matter how many confusing things happened, he wouldn't have the chance to investigate them in depth.

Only by escaping from the current situation could he calm down and resolve all the questions.

With that thought in mind, Luo Zhen took a deep breath, allowing his brain to start working again.

Then, in response to this situation, Luo Zhen gave an unwavering instruction.

"Find a place to hide, quick!"

After calming down, Luo Zhen's first instruction was something utterly unheroic like that.

However, it was the most appropriate instruction.

"When facing ranged attacks like shooting and shelling, the first thing you should do is find cover!"

Luo Zhen raised his hand, blocking the incoming wave of smoke, and shouted to Mashu.

"We can't face archers in an open area! We'll hide behind the surrounding buildings!"

This instruction naturally received a response.

"Yes!"

Without hesitation, Mashu put down her shield, spun around abruptly, and embraced Luo Zhen. Before Luo Zhen could even react, she darted towards a building to the side with incredible speed, comparable to a bullet, carrying Luo Zhen and her shield, whose weight far exceeded her own.

"Boom boom boom boom boom————!"

The unhindered arrows immediately struck the ground where Luo Zhen and Mashu had been standing a second before, with the sound of tearing through the air. They shattered the concrete road surface, pierced through the hard bedrock, and blasted away the asphalt like explosions, tearing it to pieces.

For a moment, explosive winds raged, blowing away the smoke.

"Cough… cough cough…!"

Behind the collapsed building, Luo Zhen, who had been set down by Mashu, couldn't help but cough on the spot.

It seemed that Luo Zhen had inhaled quite a bit of the dust stirred up by the impact.

"Are you alright, Senpai!"

Mashu held her shield in one hand and patted Luo Zhen's back with the other.

Her concerned voice, gentle movements, and clear eyes that gazed straight at Luo Zhen all made him realize that no matter what changes had occurred, Mashu was still Mashu.

"I'm fine."

Luo Zhen immediately shook his head and looked at Mashu.

"S-Senpai…"

Only then did Mashu seem to realize that her attire had become quite revealing. The hand that had been patting Luo Zhen's back switched to covering her chest, and her pretty face was tinged with embarrassment.

Watching Mashu awkwardly cover her body, Luo Zhen almost let his tense expression relax.

At that moment, a meteor more dazzling than any previous shot streaked across the sky and struck the building where the two were hiding.

"Boom————!"

Amidst the intense explosion, the side of the building that took the hit was ravaged, with most of it being pulverized.