No survivor as expected

'Ryu, huh… it is unusual but acceptable. I like it, and that sounds wonderful to me.'

After contemplating it, Eleonora nodded subtly and looked at everyone around her. They seemed to wait with anticipation for the young bluenette to do something, especially Eleonora's lovers or teammates. Seeing that, Eleonora let out a soft chuckle and said something to them.

"Alright, after we heard what Esdeath and Nogi-san's team told us about the underground mall under Osaka station that might be a chance for survivors, our teams will do it together and look for them. If there any, we will save them, but if there are not—we will have no choice but to give up."

Only the heroes team has saddened faces, especially with Wakaba and Chikage. Sonoko's ancestor gritted her teeth and gripped her fists in frustration when hearing the last sentence of Eleonora's words. She knows why the young bluenette said that because it would be pointless to look for any other since the chance is very slim or none.

However—as a hero, Wakaba is entitled to push herself and perform the duty given to her. The heavy responsibility always rests on her shoulder, and she can't get away from it. She can be stubborn and ignorant of her surroundings when that happens.

Eleonora then continued what she said while looking straight at Wakaba. A serious face and sharp glare were on Eleonora's, causing the leader of the first hero team to flinch in response.

"Do all of you understand and hear it clearly? I don't want something dangerous to happen. We shouldn't get ourselves in danger. As a leader, I'm sure you obviously understand it, right… Nogi-san?"

"I… I know… I understand that. I wouldn't do that… I promise."

Wakaba replied with her first gripped hard on her skirts. She sounded like she was giving up and felt guilty because of what Eleonora's words were true, and she had no choice but to accept. It is a fact that Nogi Wakaba couldn't refute or deny. Hinata feels concerned and comforts her best friend by patting her back, but she also heavily understands and agrees with Eleonora.

"Thank you, and then, we will start it now—let's go before the sky turns dark or the danger might arise."

"Yeah!"

With everyone's agreement on Eleonora's simple plan, they then began to enter the underground mall under Osaka station. What awaits them after setting themselves is horrifying scenes. The condition is worse than what they see on the surface and would crush the little hope that the heroes have after witnessing more of it. Although there are signs of people living here, it's not that bright.

The heroes have grim faces; while Eleonora's group had expected this, some still couldn't believe it. They keep walking while Wakaba shouts as she tries to get any survivors to react. As Eleonora's group and Wakaba's keep walking, they reach the dead end, but something has been found by Wakaba.

She picked it up, a book in her hand.

"It's a… diary?"

But before she was about to read the content, Gin, the grey-haired girl, shouted in shock and earned everyone's attention. They went closer to Gin and were horrified when see what they found. A pile of human bones scattered around a fountain was found. That caused everyone to be horrified, especially Wakaba's group. The older Nogi then has a despaired face on herself when seeing it.

"What on heart… has happened here?"

She was shocked and confused about why and what happened in the scene she had just found. Anzu and Hinata had disgusted expressions. Chikage, Yuuna, and Tamako grimaced upon seeing that.

"This is… oh god. Is there any mass murder? By those monsters?"

Sumi voiced her opinion while covering her mouth with a hand, shocked when witnessing this. Everyone in Eleonora's group felt something like this is undoubtedly happening. Neptune is even about to vomit, trying to hold it by responding.

"This is… something that only happens in R-18 and gore genre, nepu."

"I know it's slim, but we already know there are no survivors alive with this."

The younger Nogi and dirty-blonde hair girl muttered and were horrified at the scene of human bones piled around the fountain. Akame, Ais, and Artoria had to agree with Sonoko. There was no way they would find anyone alive here except themselves. After all, Eleonora and her teammates have already used the skills to detect the presence of living beings.

Kurumi nodded with a saddened face, agreeing with what Sonoko had said. This is a pointless attempt, but the heroes have to open their eyes to this so they won't have a delusional or false hope. Although it seems Wakaba and her friends forgot that their world is saved and protected as the whole hero and monsters thing is ended in the future.

"Even if we searched all the places in the entire town, we would find no survivors."

"It is regrettable."

Eri replied with a downcast. She might felt sympathy for them, but the truth is something one couldn't deny. The glasses-wearer girl had already learned from what she experienced about that in another world, Tortus. Not only her but Ayako and Mao, too.

Clutching at the diary, Wakaba muttered, looking at the pile of bones. She gritted her teeth with regret on her face. She felt powerless, even if she was a hero, someone who held justice, slain hideous monsters, and saved weak and powerless people in need.

"And this is… the aftermath of it all. If a hero… if I had been here…."

A hand on Wakaba's shoulder, and it's Eleonora, trying to comfort the older Nogi. The young bluenette smiled, a comforting feeling slowly forming within Wakaba's heart, causing her to feel at ease and calm. Her friends looked at her, giving a chorus of nods with smiles, except Chikage, that still had her stoic face.

"Thank you, everyone, Eleonora-san. We—"

However, before Wakaba was about to finish her words, she suddenly flinched when seeing a familiar dangerous presence, causing her to suddenly put a hand on her sword, ready to draw it. Seeing Wakaba react like that, everyone around her witnessed those monstrous-like beings known as Stardust in incredible amounts that would alert them. Eleonora's group and the heroes knew that they couldn't face those things after learning the absurd ability of those blob-like monsters to match the strength of their enemies.

Seeing that, Eleonora clicked her tongue in frustration and then warned everyone.

"Everyone! We need to leave since we likely won't find any survivors here!!"

"Eleonora-san's right! Let's get out and head to the next city!"

Wakaba warned them, too, earning a chorus of nods from her group and Eleonora's. Although there are some regret and guilt, the heroes have no chance to fight those monsters after knowing the new fact they've learned from Eleonora's group. Chikage gritted her teeth after giving a last look and following everyone to escape the underground mall to back to the surface again.

'Unable to face a powerful enemy, they resorted to fighting their fellow humans. These powerless, despicable, and weak people—. If danger was imminent and they were driven into a corner, the Shikoku people would surely meet the same fate. I… won't end like them since I have the power of a hero. I won't die such a miserable death—! Until the end, I will live… respected as a hero…!'

Chikage thinks that while trying her best to avoid getting attacked by the Stardusts with everyone's help. After doing that for some time and traveling to the next city, Eleonora's group and the hero team have arrived at Suwa as their next destination city. It has the same state as Osaka, and other cities, all of it remain in ruins.

When they finally arrived at Suwa, the whole group jumped to one of the tallest buildings, trying to take a good look and view from the buildings. While Eleonora's group has some skills to detect the presence, and by being in one of the tallest buildings, they could widen the range of their detection—however, the hero's group didn't have anything like that as they could only rely on their own eyes.

"It really suffering the same fate as the previous city."

Eleonora commented, and Anzu, whose cheeks flushed just by beside the young bluenette, affirmed it with a nod. Eleonora's comment is true, which makes the blonde-haired bookworm hero feel uncomfortable; however, the young bluenette notices it—she pats Anzu's shoulder and smiles comfortably.

"Don't worry about it too much, Iyojima-san. Relax yourself a bit, even if the situation is like this."

"E-Eleonora-san… Y-Yes! I understand."

Anzu replied with a convinced face and answered Eleonora. The young bluenette smiled in relief, seeing that, and looked at her lovers, Gin, Sumi, and Sonoko, who looked horrified seeing those Stardusts trapped in some kind of eggshell as if those things are born from an egg. But not only them, but Tamako also wore the same expression when her eyes landed on those.

"Seeing their eggs kind of pissed me for some reason… I don't feel sorry for them, though."

The brown-haired tomboy commented with a tired and frustrated's tone when seeing what she had witnessed. Anzu felt concerned seeing Tamako like that, and Wakaba noticed it too when she noticed her teammate's feelings.

"…We don't know what kind of effect it might have. So please don't use your trump card carelessly like that, Tamacchi-senpai."

"I know that, Anzu."

Tamako assured her childhood friend, who had always been worried about herself, in a convincing tone of her voice. Sumi overheard that and muttered as she wondered about the trump card Anzu talked about with Tamako.

"Trump card… is that a kind of power-up that they were used in this era? Similar to Mankai?"

"Wasshi, what's wrong? Did you think something?"

Sumi was immediately surprised when Sonoko suddenly asked. That almost got her heart in the jump, and she was close to having a heart attack, even though the blonde-haired Nogi's family hero was beside Sumi.

"Sonocchi! You got me surprised!"

"Hehehe, sorry for that, but what are you thinking of?"

"… It's just those trump cards this era hero used just like the Mankai we use. I'm just curious when I overheard their conversation and wondered if that's true."

"Hmm… I see, then maybe we could ask about that to them later? Instead of just theorizing it, Wasshi."

"… T-That's true. You're right, Sonocchi. Maybe I will, after."

After a last look and confirming no sign of survivors, the whole group consisted of Eleonora's group and Wakaba's group, then moved to the next place and arrived at a kind of shrine managed by Taisha called Suwa Taisha Main Shrine. They also have no luck finding any survivors, but Wakaba, Hinata, Eleonora, Gin, Sonoko, Sumi, Aletia, Artoria, and Chiyuki are surprised by what they find, specifically Tamako, Anzu, Yuuna, Chikage with Esdeath, and Kurumi's group accompany them.

"Everyone! Did you all find something?"

As Wakaba, Hinata, and Eleonora's first group arrived at the call earlier—they saw the rest of the girls currently on a field. Tamako pointed at the field, causing Wakaba and Hinata to be confused, but that will be answered when the older Nogi's hero asked, "It's a… field?" and answered by Anzu.

"It used to be a field, to be exact… or so it seems. It looks like it was cultivated until fairly recently."

Tamako nodded at Anzu's words and replied by continuing it.

"Yeah. There may be more hints on this…."

While they talked, Yuuna walked more and found something as she brought that back to Wakaba. The thing they found was a hoe with a letter kept safe inside a wooden box. Seeing that, Wakaba then read it and crumpled the letter with frustration and guilt on her face after the older Nogi hero finished reading its content.

"This is… kuh!"

Seeing the hoe, Eleonora narrowed her eyes, rubbed her chin, and blinked as she had an idea click on her mind and whispered something to Artoria as she was curious if the thought that crossed her could be worked.

"Artoria, could we do that thing to this Shiratori-san with that hoe?"

Hearing that, Artoria went quiet for a bit before affirmed it with a nod and replied to her bluenette lover. The blonde king agreed, and that idea she heard from Eleonora sounds alright and would be worked so well since it seems to fulfill the requirements.

"It is possible, and the conditions seem fit and fulfill all of it. However, are you sure about doing that, Eleonora?"

Eleonora simply nodded in response and smiled at Artoria, causing the blonde king's cheeks to blush because seeing her lover's charming smile. Even though the young bluenette is her successor and descendant, it is still effective to make the blonde king react like that.

"I'm sure of it, but let me tell them first and hear their opinion. If Nogi-san and her friends choose no, I won't do it. But, if it the other, then I'll gladly grant their wish."

The young bluenette assures her blonde king's lover with a wink, causing the latter to let a heavy sigh and look behind to see her fellow Servants, who nodded as they agreed with the young bluenette's idea and fully supported her. The blonde king then turned to her direct descendant and successor, facing her.

"If that so, then I have no problem, and I know that you won't force someone if they don't want to unless that person deserves it. You may not be a knight like myself, but you are the descendant of Pendragon and mine. I'll fully trust you as a woman, family, and king."

The expression shown by Artoria made Eleonora huff and nod as she understood before the young bluenette pecked the blonde king's lips with a light kiss, causing the latter to be surprised at the sudden act that Eleonora pulled to herself. However, Artoria didn't hate it, and instead, she liked it as she didn't refuse or scold Eleonora because of that, but a faint blush appeared on her cheeks because of the sudden light kiss she received.

Eleonora's lovers only giggle seeing that, and Erza does too since she gradually became used to this scene. The giggles can't be heard by Wakaba's hero team since they seem to be grieving for the memories of Shiratori-san and the thing they found, especially Wakaba since she and Shiratori-san seems close friend.

Trying to walk closer to Wakaba and her friends, Eleonora let out a fake cough to draw their attention to her, which was a success and caused their attention to shift to the young bluenette who said something to them.

"Nogi-san, I have a proposal regarding this Shiratori-san person you talked about."

This made Wakaba blink and carefully ask Eleonora.

"What is this about… Eleonora-san?"

"I can revive Shiratori-san."

That answer caused the whole team of Wakaba to be shocked. A wave of anger suddenly rose within Wakaba, as if what Eleonora had said was a joke to her; she gritted her teeth and denied that absurd answer to Eleonora.

"Revive…? Please don't joke about it, Eleonora-san! There is no way we can revive someone! The death couldn't be brought back!"

"It is understandable if you think it like that since we didn't know each other very well. I, in fact, have the skill to revive the soul of a deceased hero to be a Servant, spirits made into special familiars of the highest rank, but since we do not have a Holy Grail War, it is classified as Heroic Spirit instead."

"…Are you serious? Please, tell me this is a joke, Eleonora-san. Please… don't give me that as a hope."

Wakaba pleaded, begging Eleonora, thinking it was just something that the young bluenette said as an act of giving some hope to her. However, Eleonora shook her head, denying it, as what she said was indeed true and not false hope.

"I'm not giving you false hope, but the actual one. All I need is that hoe, which can be used as a catalyst to summon her as a Servant. Using a catalyst would increase the summoning rate, so the related spirit would easily come out. However, I won't do it if you don't want that. I won't force you, Nogi-san, so think carefully and take as much time as you need."

Eleonora said that before she left, giving Wakaba and her friends a chance to talk about it since the young bluenette knew that even though they were friendly to her, they still needed some space and privacy to discuss that matter between themselves. When they see the young bluenette girl leave them alone, Wakaba looks at her friends before speaking out of her mind.

"Everyone, what do you think about… Eleonora-san's offering? Reviving someone, a dead person, to be alive again…?"

The dirty-blonde leader looked downcast when asking her friends about that. Her tone when asking is filled with still disbelief. The rest of the girls were conflicted—it showed obviously on their faces; no one was an exception. They are also confused about how to take the sudden drops of information from Eleonora just now. The whole group was filled with silence as the response, unable to say any words.

However, after a few seconds have passed, someone among them suddenly breaks the tension. A hand is raised, and their attention shifted to the hand's owner and saw it's Takashima Yuuna, who began to speak.

"U-Uhm… this is my opinion, but should we choose to accept Ryu-chan's offer and proposal?"

Hearing this, Wakaba interject.

"But—! Yuuna, this is reviving a dead person! This… this is something that would be considered taboo. What about the sacrifice Shiratori-san made? All her hard work? Would all of it be vain if she was revived?"

"But Wakaba-chan! If we did that, our chance to protect the world would increase! And you would meet with Shiratori-san. Didn't you and her are friends…? You don't want to meet her?"

"N-No… that's not… what I've mean. But… is it okay… playing with death…?"

She murmured that word to Hinata, who picked it and answered her childhood friend's question.

"I will say no if we didn't have the chance, but…! Since Eleonora-san is giving us that offer, I don't think she was lying to us. After all, she and her friends did tell us the truth of time traveling and came from the future."

"I must agree with Uesato-san here, Nogi-san. If you truly want to meet Shiratori-san, take this offer given to you by Eleonora-san. You don't know when you will get a chance like this again if you reject it. All I've to say is not to waste this precious chance while you still get offered."

The scythe-wielding hero voiced her opinion. She doesn't have any problem since Chikage isn't that close with the girl known as Shiratori Utano, and the long black-haired girl just gives a slight push and her opinion to her team's leader.

Anzu, Yuuna, and Tamako nodded in agreement with that. Hinata is also the same since she is 100% sure that Elenora isn't someone who would easily lie to someone, especially since the biggest reason is that the young bluenette has Wakaba's descendant as her lover, so it would significantly reduce the suspicion.

Tamako then talks as she felt the need to do it.

"Wakaba, Tama know we've been through a hard time with all of this matter and hero's business, but what Chikage and Hinata have said is correct. We're not forcing you, but we remind you to think carefully and thoroughly about this."

Anzu nodded and spoke of her mind by her turn when Tamako motioned the blonde bookworm hero to talk.

"T-Tamacchi-senpai is right, Wakaba-san. I know you're the one that wants to meet with Shiratori-san the most, and this is a g-great opportunity given to us by E-Eleonora-san. It might be wrong to play with death, but…."

"…Alright. If you girls said so and tried so hard to convince me, I would accept Eleonora-san's offer and the opportunity she gave us. If that is what it takes to meet with Shiratori-san, I will gladly accept that. She is my friend that I whom never able to meet."

Wakaba answered with full of conviction on her voice and face. She held a fist and her friends smiled gladly for her, except for Chikage since she just simply nodded and rarely smiled, unless if it now involves Eleonora, she would show that.

The dirty-blonde hero's team leader lifted her head and stared at her friends in turn, smiled with a beaming face and grateful and said something to them.

"Thank you for that, everyone. I know none of you has ill-motif or sort. I also know Eleonora-san has none of that, even though we've just met, but I already knew she is a good, kind-natured person. However, suspicion grew within me because of many horrible things we face these days and when we do our job hunting those monsters."

"I know that, Wakaba-chan. We all do. However, since we know what will happen in the future, we can change that into something better. We also don't wholly know Eleonora-san and her friends know about it. We need every little detail possible from them."

"I know that, and right now—we have something to do."

She said, turning away and walking towards Eleonora and her group, while accompanied by Wakaba and others as the ancestor of Nogi Sonoko held the hoe that Shiratori Utano left behind. Eleonora and her whole group noticed, and then the young bluenette politely asked Wakaba about it.

"Nogi-san, is there something you need?"

Wakaba and Hinata exchanged glances and nodded before the former answered Eleonora's question.

"Yes, Eleonora-san. I want you to summon Shiratori-san as a being you've called Servant with this hoe as the so-called catalyst."

"…Are you sure about this, Nogi-san? I thought you would…."

"Yeah, I know, and please do it. I want… I want to meet with Shiratori-san. We became friends yet never met and knew each other that much. Because of the barrier and those monsters, we can't leave without Taisha's order, and we're forced to obey them as it is one of the heroes' responsibilities."

Wakaba's eyes look downcast, her fist gripped tightly. She feels frustrated and tries to hold back the tears from her eyes. Eleonora nodded and understood because it felt similar to her chat group's friends but with different conditions.

Exhaling, Eleonora let out a deep sigh before responding to Wakaba's words as the latter handed the former the hoe that was left behind by Shiratori Utano. The young bluenette received it and then asked the dirty-blonde older Nogi again, ensuring if Nogi Wakaba is pretty set on her decision.

"Alright. I'll ask of you again, Nogi-san. Are you sure about me reviving your friend as my Servant? She may not really be 'alive' in a sense since her body would be made of magic since her 'main body' would be stored in the thing called Throne of Heroes that exists outside of both the world and the time axis."

"So… only a portion of her could be summoned?"

"Yes. Summoned a hero to be Pure Heroic Spirit is something that can only be done by the world, and summoning even one is considered to be a miraculous occurrence. So I couldn't do it unless I was strong enough to do that. Well… for now, anyway."

"Is there any chance that… her memories gone or a few of them missings?"

"If there any possibility, I will restore or make her remember with my skills—so, don't worry about it, Nogi-san."

Eleonora's smile and confident words have caused Wakaba to be stunned and struck in awe; her cheeks have a red tint of blush. The warm and tingling feeling within her chest, specifically her heart, caused her heart to beat in response.

"Please do it, Eleonora-san. I beg of you."

"I will; you don't have to worry about it."

Eleonora replied as she stretched out her right hand, doing the pose to erect the ritual of Servant summoning while also magically engraving a magical circle below the ground in front of her after putting the farmer hoe Shiratori Utano left behind as the summoning catalyst.