"Lady Durandal, are we simply going to leave that Spirit alone?"
They landed together in a narrow alley untouched by the Spacequake, and Rita asked with a soft smile.
"Since Ratatoskr has a method to resolve Spacequakes without fighting, there's no need for us to confront a Spirit at this critical juncture," Amber replied.
"I thought you didn't quite trust them?"
"It's not that I don't trust them... rather, it's that they don't trust me, isn't it?"
Amber had her own assessment of the situation: "They've been dodging the subject whenever I'm around, probably never intended to let us in on the real story."
"Even so, you didn't immediately terminate the cooperation."
The smile on Rita's face carried a distinct 'my child has grown up' warmth. "It seems you're not as impulsive as you used to be."
"I just want to wait for Ratatoskr's response over the next couple of days before deciding our next move... But let's not talk about me..."
Amber sighed helplessly. "More importantly, how are you feeling? This should be your first time moving about freely and consciously in two years."
"Thank you for your concern."
Hearing the girl's words, Rita's smile brightened considerably.
"I haven't yet properly apologized for my absence these past two years. The fusion with the Holy Sword Durandal has proceeded relatively smoothly. I can now harness some of the power of the sword and the Neighboring World for myself, but unfortunately, even after two years, this is about as far as I've gotten."
At this, she couldn't help but muse, "Such a terrifying, difficult power to master... and Lady Durandal was able to contain it, along with the entire Neighboring World, within her body at just thirteen."
"Sometimes it strikes me that Lady Durandal is even more fearsome than the Spirits themselves."
The world only knew that Durandal joined Schicksal at eleven and defeated three Spirits by fifteen. They didn't know that as early as thirteen, she had already embarked on a mysterious and epic journey.
According to Dr. Mobius's research, the Neighboring World exists separated from the real world by only a thin film.
It's the place Spirits return to when they are Lost.
Its scale can cover the entire Earth, and its nature is similar to the Territory—or rather, the Territory was a technology developed based on the principles of the Neighboring World.
This discovery was bound to cause panic among all of humanity. In fact, when Rita learned of it, her very convictions were shaken.
After all, the Territory can perform different functions based on the user's will, its properties changing according to the user of the Realizer.
The reason modern disaster reconstruction has capabilities far beyond what anyone imagined a decade ago is precisely because of the convenience offered by the Territory.
It's a domain capable of altering all physical laws within its bounds according to the user's will.
If there existed a Territory covering the entire Earth, didn't that mean the whole planet was like a lump of clay they could knead at will?
This was not something the public could be allowed to know. After Dr. Mobius established this fact, she assembled a team of only two people. One was naturally Rita herself, as someone already in the know.
The other was a girl she'd never heard of before: Bianka Ataegina.
Their mission was to enter the Neighboring World using a device developed by Dr. Mobius, investigate its conditions, and bring back data and information.
To be honest, Rita couldn't understand at all back then why such a young child was being sent on such a dangerous mission. In her eyes, Bianka was just a proud, arrogant little brat.
But in fact, they actually succeeded. Not only did they reach the Neighboring World, but they also met kindred spirits there—companions with whom they could share their feelings.
Bianka even became the savior of that world.
Through that journey, they learned many things. For instance, who the owner of the Neighboring World was.
That the Neighboring World wasn't a complete world like the real one, but rather composed of ten different regions. The girls within the Neighboring World all yearned to become true Spirits.
The different regions were connected by paths known as the 'Shamayim Kaveesh,' but none of the realms could connect to the First Realm. It was said that this was the realm closest to the real world.
[A/N: Not my own addition, but a setting from the original work.]
[A/N: Well, not exactly the 'original' since it wasn't done by the author themselves, but a side story by our old 'friend,' the 'magnificent' Yuichiro Higashide... Though after FGO I wanted to make peace with him, I heard he went and pulled more stunts later.]
(T/N: Author of Fate/Apocrypha)
According to Dr. Mobius's conjecture, the First Realm was the place those Spirits returned to when Lost.
The place Bianka and Rita traveled to was the Fourth Realm—an unstable region perpetually on the brink of collapse.
According to its inhabitants, while it seemed desolate and pitiful compared to the other realms, it was also a rare Eden, free from strife and slaughter.
"We really went through a lot back then."
"Thinking about Ariadne and the others again?"
Noting the nostalgic look on Rita's face, Amber blinked.
"Well, I have been asleep for these past two years."
Rita resumed her usual smile. "Every time I utter the name 'Durandal,' it reminds me of the sight of Lady Durandal protecting the Fourth Realm."
"If I had been alone, I couldn't have protected it."
Amber, however, showed no intention of taking all the credit. "We were able to protect it because of the combined efforts of everyone involved."
This wasn't false modesty, but the simple truth. If those being saved lacked the fierce will to live, no amount of rescue efforts would have sufficed.
"Perhaps that's true."
Rita nodded amiably. She understood what the other meant, but if their success were quantified, Bianka would account for 90%, while everyone else made up the remaining 10%.
Admittedly, without that 10%, the 90% would be useless—but that didn't mean the 10% was equally as important as the 90%, did it?
"So, Lady Durandal, what shall we do next?"
Rita stopped dwelling on the matter and sought the Captain's opinion.
"Hmm... Until we hear back from Ratatoskr, we don't really have any other pressing tasks. Let's proceed with our daily training as usual. It's been two years since you've trained, Rita. Even though you've gained new power, your own body and combat skills are the true foundation of strength."
To maintain Durandal's persona, even though she desperately wanted to just laze around and rest properly, Amber put on a fiercely motivated smile.
"Besides, you haven't fully familiarized yourself with this new power yet, right? Let's head to the training room and spar a bit."
"In that case, I gladly accept. But I do hope you'll go easy on me—both on me, and on this training room."
Rita accepted the invitation with a smile, not forgetting to add a reminder: "This isn't headquarters. It isn't built to withstand your full power, Lady Durandal."
"I know, I'm not a child anymore."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.