Chapter 774 Shielder Mash Kyrielight's Return
"Speaking of which, there's something I've been meaning to ask for a long time."
After arriving and examining Fujimaru's injuries, Sakatsuki calmly posed a question to Chaldea:
"How exactly was that [Shielder·Data Lost] card obtained?"
"That card?" The doctor exchanged glances with Da Vinci. "It's not classified information... It was automatically generated when the Third Magic Mystic Code system was completed. In other words, it's the initial card."
"Automatically generated?" Sakatsuki twirled the glowing card in his fingers, the silhouette of the shield-bearing Servant faintly visible on its back. "The Third Magic Mystic Codes I personally created don't have any automatic generation function. Without sufficient 'bonds,' you couldn't even summon the weakest Servant—think carefully, what exactly happened that day?"
"Even if you say that..." The doctor wore a troubled expression, racking his brains to recall the events of that day. After a long pause, he hesitantly said, "If there was anything unusual, it would be that Fujimaru fell asleep in the Central Command Room from exhaustion after pulling an all-nighter collecting data, missing the completion of the Third Magic Mystic Code system."
"Oh?" The young man's fingers paused on the card, his smile carrying hidden meaning. "In other words, when the system automatically activated, Fujimaru was in the Central Command Room experiencing REM sleep?"
"Well, that's technically correct. Is there some deeper significance to this?"
"Care to guess?" For some reason, Sakatsuki's eyes narrowed into fox-like crescents with amusement. "But I've found a way to save Fujimaru."
"Enough with the riddles. What exactly are you planning to do?" Gilgamesh dug at his ear impatiently. "To repair Fujimaru's heart, you must use the Third Magic. But once the Third Magic is used for creation, it can no longer sustain Fujimaru's life. What, can you conjure up another Third Magic user out of thin air?"
"Of course not. There's only one perfect user of the Third Magic in all of heaven and earth." Sakatsuki snapped his fingers. "But there are plenty of ways to maintain Fujimaru's vital signs."
"Tch, stop speaking in circles. If this operation fails, you'll be joining Fujimaru Ritsuka in death."
"As you wish, you impatient king."
With a flick of his left hand, the Shielder card floated midair, glowing with silver light, while Sakatsuki touched the Moon Cell Automaton with his right hand, summoning a momentary radiance.
Then, that illusion-like light expanded, reaching up to the heavens and down to the underworld, pouring down like a torrential waterfall. Within this miraculous cascade of light that filled the entire palace, the Third Magic user's light laughter echoed:
"Now then—ShowTime! Witness the power of True Magic!"
Amidst the dazzling brilliance, everyone strained to look toward the center of the palace, where a hazy silhouette stood facing the Third Magic Class Card. In his hands, there now appeared an ancient, solemn tome.
"Come, the final conclusion of this story—shall be decided by me!"
[Third Magic Activation, Faith Concept Extraction]
[Records Unfolding, Spiritron Conversion Prepared]
[Phenomenon Editing Preheating Complete]
[The Story Begins]
Amidst the silence, only the young man's voice, laced with amusement, could be heard:
"This is your story, someone's story, and the tale of a certain journey..."
Then, within the light, the reflection of a dream intertwined. Gazing from the other end of fate, the scenery of the past replaced the surroundings of reality, placing the young man in a cold, sterile space.
Sensing a familiar fluctuation, he lowered his head, then widened his eyes, unable to hold back a sigh of admiration.
"Finally... I've arrived here..."
At the center of the empty experimental zone, a purple-haired girl lay with her arms crossed, bound by numerous restraints on an upright surgical table. As the all-too-familiar summoning circle contracted and converged upon her, a set of dark-purple combat armor clad her body. Amidst the sudden surge in spiritual foundation, the girl opened her dazed eyes.
Looking around, aside from the cold-toned testing grounds, there was only a group of white-coated scholars behind a glass screen—and a silver-haired young man standing in the testing area, wearing an eerie smile.
No matter which possibility the owner of this body had encountered, it was enough to sicken anyone.
Her purple eyes shifted to gold.
Amidst the researchers' startled cries, the restraints—capable of binding even a mammoth—snapped apart one by one under the strain of the girl's slender arms!
Her armored boots struck the ground. The observers barely had time to register her crouching motion before, in the next instant, her furious golden eyes were right before them!
Crack!
Shards of the shattered barrier reflected the researchers' terrified expressions. In the storm of murderous intent that surged toward them, they finally realized—too late—that their arrogance and negligence would now become the blades of their own judgment!
"First defensive barrier breached!" Following the researcher's shout, the walls of the testing grounds suddenly transformed. Dazzling red light spilled from hundreds of apertures, coalescing into beams of destruction that filled the chamber!
Yet it was useless! As the heavy Round Table Shield fell into her grasp, the girl simply swung it in a wide arc. An invisible force crashed down, tearing a massive gash through the steel-reinforced walls and reducing countless weapon emplacements to ashes amidst the erupting flames.
Then, the girl stepped forward once more, her expression fierce as she threw a punch.
Boom!
The crimson barrier flickered briefly before shattering like water, dissolving into bloody phosphorescence. Behind it stood the terrified staff—and at the center of the platform, a white-haired man smiling gently.
"Director, it's too dangerous! Please evacuate immediately!"
The staff's cries instantly drew the girl's attention to the white-haired man at the forefront. The Round Table Shield silently dissipated as she reached out toward him—
"That's enough."
Silver-white hair flowed like moonlight as a young man with the same eye color as the girl appeared before her. Though puzzled by how this iteration of phenomenon editing had turned out, Sakatsuki chose to stand in front of the girl—his kouhai, Mash.
"Even if it's not the same timeline, Fujimaru needs you."
"Director?" The staff stared at the suddenly appearing young man, turning back in confusion. "Who is he?"
The poised director did not respond. He watched the two confronting each other, the smile at the corners of his lips slightly fading.
He couldn't understand why such a mysterious young man had appeared in this Demi-Servant experiment.
Before Sakatsuki, Mash merely tilted her head indifferently even upon hearing that significant name. With a thunderous roar, the Round Table Shield manifested once more, its mere contact with the ground causing the floor to crack open with several fissures.
Without waiting for Sakatsuki to speak further, she charged forward, the massive shield crashing down!
"Trace On!"
"Projection magecraft!" The staff—elite magi themselves—exclaimed in shock. Their disbelief only grew when they saw the young man block the ferocious shield strike with nothing but a pair of black and white blades.
It was just projection magecraft! A temporary imitation with only the appearance, unable to last even a few minutes!
And yet, it had blocked that heavy shield which even triple-layered barriers couldn't withstand!
Regardless of what the staff thought, Mash and Sakatsuki were already locked in fierce combat. The girl's slender arms clashed with the young man's whip-like kick, sending explosive shockwaves that made the destructive force palpable even through the final barrier.
The shield's edge swept horizontally, but Sakatsuki nimbly flipped away, the iron light in his hand sharpening. A crimson magic spear pierced through the dust, aiming straight for Mash's neck. Yet she merely tilted her head slightly, precisely evading the strike before planting the Round Table Shield on the ground and launching herself into the air, delivering a powerful kick to Sakatsuki's chest!
The tremendous force erupted like a mountain torrent. Sakatsuki grunted, his divine-level martial arts momentarily suppressed as he was sent stumbling back several steps. The moment Mash landed, she prepared to pursue, but the young man's figure had already vanished.
A sudden weight settled on her shoulder as someone placed a hand there, sighing helplessly.
"I told you to wait... Knight of the Round Table, Galahad."
The same mark was activated, the inherent skill of the [Knight of the Round Table] transmitting a familiar sensation, finally softening 'Mash's' expression before it stiffened once more.
Countless memories and experiences, rewound from the future, were rapidly assimilated and digested by him and the girl he had possessed.
This was her story, the story of one person, and the story of a certain journey...
[Our king once said, to pity others and offer salvation with death as the premise... I couldn't understand that thought. You feel the same, don't you, Mash? Do humans truly possess such value?]
[What you like, what you dislike, what is noble, what is evil—these are all things you decide for yourself. We must explore more, witness more sights. That way, your life will become richer.]
[Listen well. It's not for you to create the world, but for the world to shape who you are.]
[The empire will endure eternally, even as emperors change, nations shift, and dynasties rise and fall... This is the truth of human prosperity, the phylogenetic tree of life known as humanity.]
[The wicked have virtuous deeds, and the virtuous have wicked deeds. That is humanity. That is all of us. So, no matter who it is, everyone has wishes.]
["Why do you fight, when all lives must eventually fall? Knowing your own life has reached its end, why still cling to the chance to live—knowing your future can no longer be saved?"]
["Ms. Mash, dreams and wishes are not the same. See this endless reality clearly, understand the truth, and fight to the very end—only then can you carve out the path you desire. You must live well, for your own sake, on the road ahead."]
["My actions have no grand reasoning. I simply do what I wish—no, what I must, without the slightest doubt. You are the same, I believe."]
"It must be so," came the whisper. Amidst the shifting of all things and the resurgence of memories, the surrounding scene was erased by time and space, leaving only the purple-haired girl, tears streaming down her face as she smiled, pouring out her heart to the traveler before her.
"My first wish was for the sky. But that was merely a dream—waiting by the window, watching the blizzard outside."
"But now, it's different. I've seen so many sights, met all kinds of people, touched the vastness of the world and the warmth of humanity... Ah, yes, I truly feel it. I am shaping myself. My real wish, the shape of my heart—I'm certain I'll find the answer on this journey. I will gain true life through this voyage."
"And then, it will be my turn to give my answer back to this world."
In a sigh tinged with helplessness and fondness, the pale golden light in his eyes faded. Mash gently took the young man's hand before her and pressed it to her chest, murmuring softly as if in prayer:
"Please... help me."
Looking at this girl—Fujimaru Ritsuka's kouhai, a companion of the Round Table, and someone he had once only been able to reach through a phone screen—Sakatsuki pursed his lips and offered a tender smile.
"Of course."
For a fleeting moment, the two turned their heads as if sensing something, catching sight of the young man lying unconscious on the platform. Noticing Mash's trembling fingers, Sakatsuki didn't turn back, only asking quietly:
"Are you worried, Mash?"
"The senpai here doesn't know me," Mash murmured, studying Fujimaru's face carefully. "I'm just... a little uneasy..."
"Who could refuse such an adorable kouhai?" Sakatsuki shook his head earnestly. "You should be confident, Mash. After all, he's the Master who walked countless journeys by your side."
"But I've only just returned to senpai's side now... Will he be angry with me?"
"Perhaps?"
Sakatsuki's lips curled with a hint of quiet envy. "But he'll surely embrace you with a smile—as long as you're by his side."
Mash thought for a moment, then smiled as well. "Yes... I suppose that's true."
Hand in hand, Sakatsuki led her down the final path, all traces of fear now gone.
A milky-white light flowed through the palace, rich as milk and honey. The people held their breath, eyes fixed unblinkingly on the boy lying atop the platform. At the heart of this ethereal, sacred vision, a delicate figure took shape—like a goddess, cradling the slumbering Master in her arms.
And at the same moment, Sakatsuki, standing at her side, opened his eyes!
[Third Magic—activation initiated!]
A flash of platinum light swept through. And at last, the sound of a heartbeat echoed once more through the palace halls.
Thump, thump-thump, thump-thump.
The heart pumped blood in every direction, joyously carrying the breath of life. As Fujimaru's eyelids fluttered, the purple-haired kouhai cast one last grateful glance at Sakatsuki before dissolving into motes of light, returning to the card that belonged to her.
And so, when the one and only Master awoke from his slumber, what greeted him was the sight of countless faces brimming with joy.
He touched his own cheek—damp, as if stained with tears.
It felt like emerging from a dream so vivid yet impossible, and now, the moment of awakening had arrived.
"Welcome back, Fujimaru?" The young man beside him smiled, holding out a gilded card toward him.
He said, "Someone entrusted me with delivering a gift."
Fujimaru instinctively took it, and the moment he saw the purple-haired girl smiling blissfully within the card, he couldn't tear his eyes away.
She was a girl he had never met before, yet one so achingly familiar it nearly brought him to tears. Though she appeared fragile and delicate, the moment she raised her Round Table Shield, the white fortress of Camelot rose behind her.
Like an impregnable sanctuary, she stood guard over the companions she held dear.
In the miracle of transformation, the cold, hollow [Data Lost] quietly vanished, replaced by a name of breathtaking beauty.
Her name—[Shielder·Mash Kyrielight]!!!
This was the reflection of a dream.