Capítulo 543: C543
Mash lowered her head, her eyes falling on the back of her hand where three Command Seals began to materialize. A smile crossed her lips as she thought about the connection she'd just established with Shirou.
With this...
She's one step closer to Senpai.
Additionally, this new link would make their adventures far less risky.
Even if Shirou isn't as skilled as he claims, her magical energy should give him a significant boost.
Mash may not have been confident in other areas, but when it came to her magical prowess, she had no doubts.
But then...
As the Command Seals on the back of her hand fully materialized and her connection with Shirou solidified—
In that moment—
She felt her magical energy flow toward Shirou like a torrent, as if unleashed by a dam.
"What...what's happening?"
Mash's face drained of color.
The rate at which her magical energy was being siphoned off was alarming—almost as if some demon were draining her very life force.
"Creak, creak…"
Her magic circuits groaned painfully.
It hurts...
Ah, it hurts!
I'm...
I'm going to be completely drained dry!
Shirou noticed Mash's abnormal condition and quickly activated his black mud, reversing his Saint Graph to seal off his abilities and reduce his mana demands.
With a thud, Mash crumpled to the ground.
Gasping for air, she clutched her chest, her breathing erratic and her pulse irregular.
"What just happened?" she asked, her face filled with confusion.
He sighed, "Sorry, my mana needs are pretty steep."
"Steep? That's like saying a firehose is a drinking straw, Mr. Fujimaru!"
"Hahaha..."
He scratched the back of his head and offered an awkward smile.
But...
It was true; his demands were too high for Mash alone to meet.
Still, she had an impressive reserve of magical energy.
The energy he'd just siphoned from Mash had bumped up his "Mortal Awakening" by two percent.
It might not sound like much, but back in Shinjuku, he could only gain seven percent in a full day, even when drawing mana with "Evil" in his reverse mode.
This spoke volumes about how potent Mash's mana pool were.
For a typical Servant, she'd be more than sufficient.
But for Shirou...
It just wasn't enough.
Seeing Mash slumped on the ground, struggling to get up, Shirou extended his hand to help her to her feet.
"Thank you," Mash said softly.
"No worries."
Mash hesitated before speaking, her voice tinged with shyness. "Well, um... this is my first time as a Master, so I could use all the help I can get. If I mess up, don't hesitate to let me know, okay?"
"Sure," he replied. "So, now that we're bound by this contract, what's next? Who's our enemy? What's their purpose? What's our first move?"
"Next move? Ah, yes. The newbie handbook says the first thing you should do is get to know your Servant's abilities," she said, looking at him.
Masters, unlike Servants, have the unique ability to clearly see a Servant's status.
But...
"Huh...? Why can't I see anything?"
Mash was baffled.
She rubbed her eyes a couple of times but still couldn't see any of Shirou's status. It was as if they were concealed by something.
Mash was about to rub her eyes once more when he gently grabbed her hand and said, "Stop rubbing; you're making your eyes red. I have a Noble Phantasm that hides my status. You won't be able to see them."
"Really? There's a Noble Phantasm that does that?" she widened in surprise.
"Absolutely."
Then he changed the conversation, "Instead of worrying about my status, how about you fill me in on the enemy and the mission?"
"The mission is that thing," Mash pointed to the black ring hovering in the sky. "We have to take care of the anomaly formed from the world's connections. As for our enemy, I don't know; this is my first time doing something like this."
He raised an eyebrow, "You don't even know who the enemy is? How does Chaldea expect to get anything done?"
"Ah, the team leader's usually the one in charge. At Chaldea, it's kind of a mentorship system. The veterans guide the rookies through missions and training," Mash explained.
"And where's your team leader?"
"She's on her way... something must have happened during the deployment; we didn't arrive at the same location. I ended up here in Romania, where the mission is actually taking place, but she ended up in London."
"So we're just waiting for her to show up?"
She nodded. "Yes."
He chuckled. "Sounds like a safe play. But I have another idea."
"Oh?"
Pointing toward Valcea City, he suggested, "That city over there is probably tied to your mission. Why don't we go check it out?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Just a hunch," he tapped his temple. "We're not doing anything else anyway, so we might as well investigate. There's nothing to lose."
Mash considered this for a moment before nodding. "Alright, let's get moving!"
Shirou held up a hand to stop her.
"What's wrong?" she looked puzzled.
"No hurry," he pointed to the half-eaten piece of bread in her hand. "Finish your lunch first."
It was noon when Mash finally finished her bread. Feeling a bit more satisfied, she was ready to explore the city with Shirou.
Taking Mash was a calculated risk; she'd already been exposed once. But given her insider knowledge as a Chaldea member, he figured her insights could be invaluable.
As they prepared to leave, the towering figure of Spartacus approached. Standing over ten feet tall, his imposing presence made even the usually composed Mash a little uneasy.
Spartacus looked down at him. "I've been briefed on the situation by A-11072. If you need my help, I'm at your service—as long as it's not to commit acts of evil or exploitation, I'll be both your sword and your shield."
"There's no need, Berserker. You should stay here," Shirou replied, glancing at the group of homunculi and then back at Spartacus. "They still need you."
Spartacus nodded. "Understood."
From behind Shirou, a torrent of black mud sprouted into two black wings. With a monstrous arm materializing from the same black mud, he grabbed Mash and took to the skies, soaring toward Valcea.
Up in the air, Mash found herself held tightly by the giant arm, unable to move.
The sensation of flying—of being lifted off the ground and into the endless sky—was something Mash found almost indescribable.
She sighed, repeatedly pressing a button on the bracelet wrapped around her right wrist. She was trying to establish contact with her team leader or anyone from Chaldea.
But no luck—the bracelet remained silent.
Mash sighed again, this time with a hint of disappointment.
He glanced at the bracelet on her right wrist and asked, "Is that how you communicate with Chaldea?"
"Yes," she nodded. "It's a standard-issue comm bracelet for all Chaldea operatives. It blends cutting-edge tech with age-old alchemy. We can contact each other even across different worlds. It's a masterpiece by Chaldea's Mechanical Workshop Director, Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald."
Kenneth, huh...
"I see," he nodded.
By now, they were approaching the city.
Mash looked uneasy. "Uh, should we consider disguises before going in?"
"Why would we need disguises?"
"Well, we've already been exposed once. Shouldn't we try to keep a low profile? Maybe we should wear something."
"You make a fair point. But honestly, I think we were already discovered the moment we entered this city's airspace," a knowing smile forming on his lips.
"We've already been discovered?" Mash looked around nervously, then looked at him and asked, "So, what should we do now, Mr. Fujimaru?"
He chuckled. "Here's the plan."
With that, he gave a powerful flap of his black wings, descending rapidly to land on the rooftop of a tall building. He then shouted out, "Show yourself! Don't think I can't sense you watching. Come out; I've already found you!"
Elsewhere in the city...
In a dimly lit room, a figure stared at a crystal ball displaying Shirou's brazen call-out, frowning.
...
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