C542

Shirou had successfully deceived Mash into trusting him, yet he couldn't shake some lingering doubts. He glanced at her and asked, "Mash, did anything notable happen in your world in the year 2003?"

"2003?" Mash responded without hesitation. "Certainly. Though I didn't see it myself, it's said that in 2003 the world was shrouded in black fog. Strange phenomena occurred globally, but they vanished along with the fog after just one day. Oh, and Chaldea was founded at the end of 2003, thanks to strong support from United Nations."

"I see..."

Shirou gave a smile.

But all the wishful thinking in his heart vanished.

So, that was the answer.

Everything he had done had been for nothing.

Chaldea had been founded as destiny dictated, and his sister had become its Master.

Everything had unfolded according to the plot, it was just that the process... was slightly different, that's all.

"By the way, how is my former Master doing? I was her servant quite some time ago, so I'm curious about her current status," Shirou added, maintaining his smile.

"Senpai? She's incredible! Absolutely incredible! You might not be aware, Mr. Fujimaru, but senpai is practically the queen of our Chaldea! She single-handedly resolved the first, second, eighth, thirteenth, and seventeenth Singularities. She's formed contracts with numerous Heroic Spirits and is even known as the queen of Heroic Spirits!" Mash's voice grew enthusiastic as she spoke, almost as if she were discussing her own idol.

"Oh? So my Master has become that amazing?" He asked with a smile.

"Yes, yes," Mash nodded, her face glowing with excitement. "Senpai is truly extraordinary. She was one of the original members of Chaldea, joining when she was just six years old to train as an exceptional Master..."

Mash was about to go on when he abruptly interrupted her, "Wait, wait a minute. You said she was six years old?"

"Eh?" Mash looked puzzled. "Didn't Senpai mention this? She joined Chaldea in 2004, right when it was first established."

"Why?" The question escaped from his lips.

"Um... it seems that Senpai's brother, sister, and best friend all perished in the black fog incident of 2003," Mash said, lowering her gaze. "I don't know the full story, but Senpai is genuinely remarkable and admirable."

He was silent for a moment.

Mash raised her head and looked at him with a puzzled expression, "Mr. Fujimaru, you didn't know about this?"

"No, she didn't tell me..."

"I see," she nodded, her delicate face taking on an expression of understanding.

"By the way, when you were summoned into this world, what was the year in your world?" He asked.

"2016. Why?" Mash's gaze was filled with curiosity.

"How...how could this be?" Shirou was stunned.

To him, it felt as if he'd been taken away in the blink of an eye.

But how could 13 years have already passed?

And what concerned him the most was...

Sakura hadn't gone back?

The Great War of 2003.

Shirou had thought it was the final cataclysmic event his world would face.

Crimson Moon had been defeated by Arcueid, and he, along with the Heroic Spirits, had vanquished the invader. The Holy Grail had been used, effectively putting an end to any future Holy Grail Wars.

Most importantly, King Solomon's "Human Order Correction" had been destroyed over three millennia ago, preventing the birth of Goetia and the ensuing Human Order Incineration. His world seemed to be on a trajectory toward peace.

What he hadn't anticipated was that Chaldea would still come into existence in his world—just not in the way he'd expected. It wasn't Marisbury winning the Holy Grail War and pouring funds into it; it was direct, substantial backing from the United Nations.

Even more perplexing was the fact that these Singularities were apparently different from the original ones. According to Mash, the term "Singularity" had now been associated with something called "Connection Points"—a term he'd never heard before.

As for the details, he was still in the dark.

But one thing was for certain...

Even if he went back now, things would be irreversibly different, wouldn't they?

He had left his world in 2003, and now, by the timeline of that same world, it was already 2016...

Does this mean he has been missing for a whole thirteen years?

He'd sworn to Artoria that he'd be back within a year, at most!

A wave of unbearable guilt washed over him.

He prided himself on keeping promises, and yet, here he was, breaking another promise!

But what shook him the most was...

His little sister joined Chaldea at the tender age of six?

Became a Master there?

And what's more...

Sakura hasn't come back since 2003?

What the hell is happening?

What has happened in the thirteen years since he left his world?

At this moment, the urgency to return to his own world consumed Shirou.

Trapped as he was in the Romanian Holy Grail War, his movements limited to the confines of Romania, how could he leave? Especially when his main body was still lost in some dimensional limbo.

"Mr. Fujimaru? Mr. Fujimaru?" Mashu stretched out her palm and waved it in front of him.

He snapped back to reality and apologized, "Sorry, Mash, I was zoning out."

"Don't worry about it. If anything, I'm the one who overstepped," Mash dismissed quickly with a wave of her hand.

Casting a quick glance beyond Mash, then focusing back on her, he asked, "By the way, did you come here alone? Is this connection point actually not that dangerous?"

"It's not that simple," Mash replied, shaking her head. "I'm a Demi-Servant, you see. I have my own combat abilities, so there's no need to form a contract with a Heroic Spirit."

"Really? Still, you might want to be careful. Weren't you kidnapped and nearly burned at the stake before we met?" He remarked, a smile on his face.

"Ah, well, that... um...," Mash hesitated, her cheeks turning a shade of crimson, clearly embarrassed.

There was no denying it; getting captured and nearly burned at the stake was a low point, to say the least.

"Listen, I'm still pretty confused about this whole 'Connection Point' thing, but it sounds pretty dangerous. Lucky for you, there's a Servant here without a Master, looking to form a contract. Interested?"

"Really? A Servant without a Master? Where?" Mash's eyes lit up at the prospect.

The benefits of partnering with a Servant were clear. At the very least, it would boost her safety in this world and keep her from having to fight herself.

Shirou pointed to himself and smiled, "As it turns out, I could use a Master. How about it?"

"Absolutely!"

Mash nodded without hesitation.

What's the downside of partnering with a willing Servant?

No matter what kind of Servant it was, if it was a Servant, it had to be powerful. At least she'd have some sort of safety net until she met up with her team again.

"I'll do my best to keep you safe here," Shirou cautioned, "but just to set expectations—my abilities aren't all that impressive. So, you'd better manage your expectations."

"No, no, not at all. I'm grateful you're willing to sign a contract with me, Mr. Fujimaru," Mash waved her hand. "And you know, Senpai always says, 'There are no bad Servants, just bad Masters.'"

Shirou paused, "She's grown enough to say something like that, huh."

"Yes," Mash nodded, patting her chest confidently. "And don't worry, Mr. Fujimaru. I have a lot of confidence in my mana pool. A Servant's parameters go up with the Master's magical energy, you know!"

"That's good to hear; I'm precisely the kind of Servant who needs a lot of mana," he smiled.

"In that case, I'm sure I can keep you satisfied. Mr. Fujimaru," Mash said, smiling in return. Then, using a spell from Chaldea, she established a contract with Shirou.

The truth was, his decision to become Mash's Servant wasn't random. This Mash was from his own world, and she seemed to have a connection with his sister—Fujimaru Ritsuka. Most importantly, this "Connection Point" issue was something his world's Chaldea was dealing with, and it obviously had implications for his world's existence.

With stakes like that, there was no way he could sit this one out.