Ana.
Based on her memories from her past life, Kotori knew who the girl with long purple hair and a chain scythe was.
This is another aspect of Gorgon.
They've arrived.
This means that the work to repair the Singularity is about to begin.
And the final outcome of this Singularity is about to arrive.
" Kotori?"
Tomoe Gozen's voice pulled her back from her thoughts.
"What's wrong? Why are you spacing out?"
"Fine."
Kotori shook her head.
"Thinking about something."
Kotori was unsure whether Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash knew her.
To be precise.
They knew Mayuri.
Mayuri is Kotori's other spirit form.
She was summoned to the Singularity Zero in the form of Servant, then made a contract with Olga Marie, the director of Chaldea, and was brought back to Chaldea.
Since Mayuri didn't come along this time.
Then this Ritsuka Fujimaru could very well be Gudako from another parallel world.
Moreover, even if they knew Mayuri, they couldn't possibly know themselves in their current form.
Kotori with the white ribbon and Kotori her middle school uniform look like just an ordinary middle school student.
There are no characteristics that can be associated with Mayuri.
"Anyway, let's avoid them for now."
Kotori made a decision in her heart.
She didn't want to be Gudako.
Whether she dies or perishes in this Singularity is irrelevant to her.
As long as Tomoe Gozen is alright, nothing else matters.
On the day the three of them first arrived in Uruk, Merlin took them to meet Gilgamesh.
Then things got interesting.
The goddess of Venus, Ishtar, descended from the sky and stormed into the temple, accompanied by the heavenly bow, Maanna.
It smashed the temple's dome.
The scene was reportedly very chaotic.
It seems that Ishtar and Gilgamesh even had a fight.
However, no one died in the end.
Gilgamesh later arranged accommodation for the two Chaldea, naming it the " Chaldea Embassy."
Kotori learned this information through Tomoe Gozen.
Uruk has been quite lively lately.
Tomoe Gozen said this while weaving something.
"First, Kotori, you defeated the Goddess of Demonic Beasts, and now so many new faces have appeared."
"Um."
Kotori gave a perfunctory reply.
She has been consciously avoiding the two Chaldea these past few days.
When Tomoe Gozen went out to buy groceries, Kotori didn't go with her.
Why hasn't Kotori been going out lately?
"I don't want to go out; there's just too much trouble outside."
She definitely didn't want to run into Gudako on the street.
What if I get recognized?
She just wanted to live out her days in this Singularity in peace and quiet.
Even if Kotori doesn't want to cause trouble.
Trouble will still find its way in.
That afternoon.
Tomoe Gozen went out to buy groceries.
Kotori stayed home alone.
There was a knock on the door.
"Miss Kotori Itsuka ~ Are you home?"
It's a girl's voice.
His tone was a bit too familiar.
The Kotori remained still.
"I know you're home, the lady next door said so."
Still silent.
"Um, my name is Ritsuka Fujimaru, from Chaldea. We've come to visit Ms. Kotori Itsuka."
"..."
"We heard from the people in the city about the heroic deeds of Miss Kotori Itsuka, who killed the commander of the monster army with a single axe blow and even drove away the Goddess of Demonic Beasts."
"Absolutely amazing!"
So we thought...
Kotori walked behind the door.
"I'm not here."
There was a two-second silence outside the door.
"... You're talking."
That's an echo.
"Is there an echo in the room?"
"Yes, the echo in this room is very strong."
"..."
There was silence outside the door for a few more seconds.
Then a more polite voice came through.
"Excuse me, I am Mash Kyrielight."
"Ms. Kotori Itsuka, is it convenient for you to see us now?"
"Not home."
"But your voice..."
"Recording."
"Recording?"
"Yes, I put a recording behind the door."
"..."
"... Senior, it seems she doesn't want to see us."
"You're kidding! Who plays a recording behind a door?"
Ritsuka Fujimaru's voice became somewhat anxious.
"We just wanted to pay a visit! We're not eating people!"
"They neither eat people nor disappear."
Kotori answered from behind the door.
Then she really stopped talking.
No matter how the two people outside knocked on the door or shouted.
Kotori remained completely silent.
About five minutes later.
Footsteps finally came from outside the door.
"... Let's go, senior."
"Waaah, I got turned away..."
Please come visit again next time.
The footsteps faded into the distance.
Kotori breathed a sigh of relief behind the door.
They're finally gone.
"That's too much trouble."
evening.
Tomoe Gozen has returned from grocery shopping.
" Kotori, has anyone come to visit today?"
"Have."
"But I didn't open the door for them."
Tomoe Gozen put down her vegetable basket and walked over to Kotori.
Why?
I don't want to see him.
"That's too much trouble."
"Does Kotori know them?"
Kotori's body stiffened slightly.
"I don't know him."
"Then why don't you want to see him?"
"Because..."
Kotori sat up from the earthen bed.
"I don't want to get involved in weird things."
Tomoe Gozen looked at Kotori's expression.
That expression was saying, "Stop asking."
"Good."
"If Kotori doesn't want to see me, then she can simply not see me."
She started taking the ingredients out of the shopping basket, preparing to cook dinner.
But Kotori's recent troubles aren't limited to the two from Chaldea.
Another problem that annoyed her even more was--
The unruly people of Uruk.
I don't know what's wrong with this group of people.
They even erected several more statues of her in the city square.
It's not one of those relatively normal statues from before.
It was a few strange-looking things.
A statue depicted her as Thor, wielding a hammer.
One of them carved her into Nezha, who has three heads and six arms.
The most outrageous one was that it depicted her as a Buddha sitting on a lotus throne, with a halo above her head and a kind and benevolent face.
"What is that thing?!"
Kotori stood by the window, looking at the new statues in the distant square, her face flushed with anger.
The sound of her gritting her teeth echoed in the room.
"These unruly people!"
"I'll fight them!"
She rushed towards the door.
A hand blocked her from behind.
Tomoe Gozen hugged Kotori's waist tightly.
"Let me go! I'm going to smash those things!"
"Can't."
"Open!"
"No, you can't."
Tomoe Gozen's arm remained motionless once again.
"That represents the people's sentiments; destroying it would hurt them."
"A token of appreciation, my foot! Who wants that kind of sentiment!"
Kotori struggled in Tomoe Gozen's arms.
But just like last time, I couldn't break free at all.
Why did they sculpt me into such a strange shape?!
"I think it's quite cute."
"You--!"
Kotori turned her head and glared at Tomoe Gozen.
Tomoe Gozen was also looking at her.
Then he laughed.
"But Kotori herself is much cuter than the statue."
"Don't give me that!"
Kotori's face turned even redder.
Tomoe Gozen pulled Kotori back to the sofa from the doorway.
"Alright, alright, I'll go with you to talk to Siduri tomorrow and ask her to help us change those statues, okay?"
"..."
"How about changing it to look like Kotori actually wielding an axe?"
"... None of that is allowed to be changed! Let's just tear it all down!"
"Okay, okay, take them all down."
"Those unruly people, if it weren't for Tomoe Gozen stopping them, I would have definitely taught them a lesson."
"Let them know why the flowers are so red."
"Yes, Kotori is the best."
Don't try to fool me!
Kotori plopped back down on the earthen bed.
She hugged the blanket and buried her face in it.
Tomoe Gozen sat down next to her and gently patted her back.
The setting sun shone through the window, casting long shadows of the two people.
" Tomoe Gozen."
"Um?"
"... You also find those statues funny, right?"
The sound from the Kotori was muffled, coming from under the covers.
Tomoe Gozen did not answer.
But Kotori heard a small laugh that was being tried hard to suppress but still escaped.
" Tomoe Gozen!!"
"Haha, sorry, I couldn't help it."
Tomoe Gozen finally burst out laughing.
"That Buddha statue really looks like Kotori, especially that expression, so kind and benevolent."
When have I ever been kind and gentle?
"When you're with me normally."
"... That's just your imagination!"
Kotori lifted her head from the cushion and reached out to scratch Tomoe Gozen's waist.
"Let you laugh! Let you laugh!"
"Haha, don't scratch there, it's so itchy!"
The two of them playfully wrestled on the sofa for a while.
Finally, Kotori was so exhausted that she leaned on Tomoe Gozen's shoulder, panting.
"... snort."