Making Our Way Downtown

Entry 131:

Ritsuka Fujimaru POV:

You know, I imagined being able to time travel would be fun as we would be able to view bygone eras or possible futures, but I did not want to have to run for my life against Monsters and skeletons.

In all honesty, I am scared as I could barely be considered a Magus. The only reason I'm even able to become a master is because I have enough magic circuits, and those magic circuits are decent enough to have a servant.

Even now, I'm trying to keep Mash from disappearing by feeding her more magical energy for her to use. I don't want to lose one of my first friends.

Oz is odd. He seemed perfectly approachable, and in all honesty, he was willing to lend me a hand at the entrance way, which was nice. He even brought me to the Infirmary, and he even said we were friends.

It's funny how he allows me to call him Oz like it's a way for him to say I'm with you. It's comforting, and as much as I appear to be inept or delusional, it's my coping mechanism, sadly.

People would say I'm a bit too boisterous or energetic, but that's just living life. You can't live it so downtrodden and contained. Life is meant to be enjoyed to be truly lived, and now we are in a burning City where everyone is dead, and all of my fellow Masters are stuck in their coffins, possibly frozen.

As we approached the city's port, the Director asked an interesting question: "Hey Mash, are you able to use the Noble Phantasm of your fused heroic spirit?"

The adorable pink-haired girl shakes her head and says, "Apparently, I am unsure of which heroic spirit I have fused with, and as such, I'm unable to use its special arts, such as its Noble Phantasm." 

I then ask, "What is a Noble Phantasm Mash?" The Director sighs as Oz explains, "Well, my friend, a Noble Phantasm is essentially the culmination of a hero's legend and their great deeds, a kind of final weapon to be specific, but the only way one can use their Noble Phantasm is to understand their identity and their true name which I assume Mash does not."

Mash nods her head in agreement  as she states, "As such, I could be considered a failed servant or maybe just a capable friend who's slightly stronger now, and I do not have any leads on what the Noble Phantasm or the heroic spirit may be."

Oz then chimed in and patted her head. "It's all right, as we should be able to deduce which heroic spirit has fused with you based on your current weapon. Think about it: it's a cross-like giant shield that looks similar to a round table. That's a first clue."

The Director says in astonishment, "Oz, you are a genius who definitely narrows down which Noble Phantasm she could have, but sadly, my knowledge of individual servants is lacking as I was focusing on finishing the project."

Oz nods, smiling as he pats Mash on the back. "It's okay, we'll find out, and maybe just becoming a servant isn't enough to use a Noble Phantasm but to understand oneself to use it like a bird understanding how to fly on its own based on the fact that it is a bird it should come to you eventually as it doesn't seem like something that can be forced."

That makes a lot of sense, actually, as I give Oz a thumbs up. "He's right, you know Mash, for example, I always know how amazing I am inherently." Oz chuckles while Mash and the Director just remain stoic.

Soon enough, we find another group of the hooded monsters, and Oz sends a nod in Mash's direction as he runs at Mash and uses her shield as a springboard to launch himself at the monsters and cut a swath through them like they've been fighting together for years.

"Come on, send more. This is getting boring here!" Oz says with a smile as he somehow sues a skeleton as a board and spins while holding two blades out like a bey blade of death.

After launching himself off of the skeleton he was using as a board, he jumps into the air, and Magic circuits can be seen pulsing through his right arm as he smashes the ground, creating a decently-sized crater and sending the other monsters flying.

Is it me, or is this simply on easy mode for him? I looked to the Director as she just looked on in awe, which, to be honest, I was doing myself as I could or could not maybe see his muscles tightening after each blow.

God, I wish I had a camera. Maybe I should take one with me. I heard Oz can make mystic codes, so he should be able to make me a camera.

Mash isn't doing bad herself as she's currently using her shield as a type of battering ram and spinning it in the same way Oz does, using its weight to bash any skeleton that gets close to her and then proceeds to slam it into the ground.

The resulting Shockwave from her shield since the rest of the skeletons flying as Oz sends out another one of those yellow balls of energy that explodes and disintegrates all of the skeletons.

Mash and Oz land together, and an explosion appears behind them. Wait a minute!

Are they posing?! No, they are totally posing. I wish I could join in. 

As they return, we continue on our way to what looks like a ruined church. As Oz looks at it with an unreadable expression, I ask him, "Oz, are you alright?" He turns and says, "Yes, I am all right, and besides, there's nothing to worry about here, simply an empty house."

My protagonist's senses are tingling as I feel like that phrase has a lot more meaning than I think it does. An investigation is required. But from the look in his eye, he's not going to answer my questions just yet. It's like a romance SIM game; I have to build up their trust.

Mash looks on and asks, "Delusional master, are you alright with your current output of magic?" Nickname aside, I respond, "I am all right for now, at least, but I am going to have to take a break later as I don't have unlimited energy like a certain Oz over here." He has the nerve to shrug while smiling.

But then Oz takes on a serious expression as he looks ahead. "As much as I would like to take a break, it seems like we have a visitor."

The Director yells, "It's a servant! With a bunch of skeletons!" Oz takes out his blade and says, "It seems like I need to go snake hunting." He then turns to Mash and says, "Take out the skeletons and guard the others. I will take on the shadow servant."

Ah, yes, Oz is using gamer terms, as the Director and I are the support, Mash is the defense, and he's the DPS.

Mash and Oz nod to each other as the Director says, "Are you insane! That's a real rider servant that's more than 10 times stronger than the average human!"

Oz then shakes his head and says, "That is not a servant, merely a shadow with barely any ego or strength left in their vessel. It'll be almost too easy."

With great speed, he rushes towards the servant as I'm not even able to keep track of him, and he appears in front of the servant. Somewhat surprisingly, what appears to be a woman jumps backward to avoid, but as soon as set upon by Oz, he slams his fist into her stomach, sending her flying.

Mash takes the time to eliminate the skeletons as Oz continues his battle with that woman who is currently using some sort of scythe and attempts to swipe at Oz, only for his Crucible blade to deflect it and his sword to run along the scythe and slash at the woman's arm.

"AHHHHHH! You wretch! I will skin you, but not before turning your friends to stone!" He smiles as if enjoying the fight as he says, "Sadly, purple hair, we're not into that type of stuff."

He then takes his sword and slams the butt of the blade into the woman's face and, using her momentary confusion, stabs the woman straight through the chest and then breaks the sword from the blade to the handle.

Wait, what? Why did he break his own sword!?

But before I can even ask a question, the blade that was stabbed into her releases fiery blue veins that spread across the servant, and before she disappears, she almost smiles, and I can almost hear a faint "Thank you."

Oz takes the handle of his blade and infuses his power into it, and the blade returns to its normal state. The Director says with almost a sigh of both exasperation and relief, "Oz, you are going to give me an ulcer, and I'm not even in my late twenties yet."

Oz smiles as Mash slams the last skeleton into the wall of a nearby building. Well, that went swimmingly.

But before Oz can rejoin the troop, he stops and looks in the direction where that previous servant came from and narrows his eyes as he says, "This is not over yet. I can sense two more servants in that direction, and from what I'm sensing, one of them is uncorrupted, and it seems to be the Caster servant of this war."

The Director then says, "That's perfect. We should be able to get the servant on our side then, and with the amount of energy you seem to have, Oz, why don't you take upon his or her contract as you are seemingly adequate enough."

Oz then smiles cheekily at the Director and says, "Director, if you just wish to say I am amazing, you say you don't have to take a detour just to arrive at the same conclusion."

I feel like he's saying these things to keep the Director from going insane because even I can sense the weight she carries on her shoulders, especially from how she described servants earlier as simple tools to be used like she's personifying her own views.

The Director grows a slight blush on her face as she yells while pointing her finger, "Just lead on you lout! We still have to make it to the mountain, which seems to be the source of this corruption." He nods, and the blade disappears with a flash.

Does he have an inventory? Is he a real gamer!?

The questions keep piling up, and I wonder if he has any other weapons. I'll have to ask him later. I ask Mash, "Are you all right, Mash?" She nods and says, "I am fighting at optimal capacity, and I am trying to take Oz Senpai's advice, and it is slightly working."

Ah, yes, he truly is a gamer, as he is currently carrying us through this raid.

I can feel the man himself smiling as he leads our group with the Director at the rear, but I know for a fact she can immediately get to any position very quickly. So, as we move on, I smile as while we may be fighting for our lives, we have a gamer and Mash with us.

I wonder if he will be willing to teach me his tricks when we get out of here.

Linus Ozias POV:

In all honesty, what I said to the girl was true as these shadow servants are barely even half the strength of their normal selves, possibly even lesser, and they don't even have access to their Noble Phantasms.

To be honest, I take a sigh of relief because that would have made that fight 10 times harder as it seems like that was Medusa before, and thankfully, she did not have her Mystic eyes of Petrification. Or if she did, I took her out too quickly enough for her to actually use them.

It is kind of messed up, but I am actually having some fun as well. I can feel my strength returning by the second; it is decently slower going, but even now, I should be able to take out all of the servants in this singularity.

But I want to use this chance to increase Ritsuka's and Mash's experience While also helping the Director gain some semblance of normality in this situation, as I have a terrible feeling we are going to meet something pretty wrong at the end of the singularity.