"The summit is just ahead, Senpai."
Mash placed one hand in Fujimaru Ritsuka's, and he pulled her up directly.
The two of them were wearing thick down jackets, snow boots, and carrying multifunctional trekking poles—though neither knew why the submersible had been stocked with such things, they were proving to be a tremendous help right now.
As for why the two of them had come climbing a mountain—
The reason was simple. If they wanted to determine their surroundings, they needed to find a vantage point and look down over the landscape.
Though the hill before them was not particularly high, and only parts of the trail were excessively steep, it was indeed the only high ground around the surfacing point. They needed to search from here for any possible expansion points nearby and solve the problem currently facing the submersible.
"Mash, are you all right?"
Gently patting Mash twice on the back, Fujimaru Ritsuka looked worriedly at her.
Back in Antarctica, Mash had forcibly released her Saint Graph to protect him, facing battle in the form of a Demi-Servant. But the problem afflicting Mash had never been resolved, so she had fought with great difficulty, leaving her herself trapped in her current weakened state.
Though she had already rested for a week, Mash was now capable of little more than moving about freely.
"I'm fine, Senpai. Let's get to the top."
Mash took a heavy breath, gave Fujimaru Ritsuka a strained smile, and then got to her feet.
"...Yeah. Let's go."
Seeing Mash like that, Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded.
After climbing over the last stretch of rock, the two of them finally reached the summit.
However, what met their eyes—
Was a sight that could hardly put anyone at ease.
"Senpai, th-that's...!"
Mash gripped Fujimaru Ritsuka's arm. Her widened pupils