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"Give it to Roxy!" Alex said without hesitation.
With Luo Hao and Hestia's strength, neither of them needed a Servant. As for Esdeath—her sadistic streak made her a terrible fit. If she got a Command Seal, the poor Servant she summoned would probably end up chained like a dog.
Roxy, though—she was perfect. A mage with abundant mana, capable of supporting a Servant at full power.Most importantly, she lacked close-combat ability. With a Servant guarding her, she could unleash her magic freely without worrying about getting interrupted mid-chant.
"Good choice," Hestia agreed.
Without wasting a second, Alex opened the group chat and spammed Roxy's private messages like a madman.
In a hotel room across town, Roxy was fast asleep when her message notification went off. She groaned, a little annoyed—until she saw who it was from.Her eyes lit up instantly. She jumped out of bed, threw on her clothes, and dashed out the door.
She could hardly contain her excitement. To think she could become a Master and summon a Servant!As a magician, she'd always wanted to study Command Seals firsthand. Only by feeling their power could she truly understand how they worked.
Ten minutes later, Roxy arrived at the alley.The sight that greeted her nearly made her scream.
Ryunosuke Uryu lay on the ground, unconscious and covered in blood.
"Did you guys kill him? Was he a Master too?" Roxy asked, keeping a wary distance.
"This bastard's worse than trash," Alex said flatly. "I'll explain later. Right now, we need to transfer the Command Seal."
He grabbed Ryunosuke's limp right hand, revealing the glowing mark on the back of it.
"Hold out your hand too," Hestia said to Roxy.
Roxy nodded, rolling up her sleeve and extending her pale hand.
Hestia stepped between them, raised a finger, and pointed toward Ryunosuke's hand.A spark of divine power leapt through the air.
"Ahhhh!!"Ryunosuke's scream shattered the night as he woke up from the agony. His hand twisted violently, forming unnatural gestures on its own.The Command Seal glowed blood-red, arcs of crimson lightning wrapping around his entire arm.
Watching it, Alex couldn't help recalling that scene from Fate/stay night – Unlimited Blade Works, when Medea stole Shirou's Command Seal.
Slowly, the mark's power was drawn out, the glow fading from Ryunosuke's hand until it was completely bare.A moment later, the crimson sigil reappeared—this time, burning faintly on the back of Roxy's delicate hand.
"I see… so that's how it works." Roxy smiled slightly, feeling the power pulse beneath her skin. "It's simpler than I thought."
"How does it feel?" Alex asked.
"Pretty good," she replied eagerly. "Let's summon the Servant right now!"
"Hold up," Alex said, glancing at the unconscious Ryunosuke. "We should deal with this guy first."
"If killing him's too merciful," Hestia said coldly, "then let his soul be punished instead."
She stepped forward, lifted a hand, and made a pulling motion.Something ghostly was wrenched out of Ryunosuke's body—an exact copy of him, but translucent and trembling. His soul.
"This is his spirit. I'll burn it for three years. During that time, he'll feel constant, searing agony—until his soul finally disintegrates."As she spoke, Hestia formed a small spherical barrier in her palm, flames flickering inside. She tossed the struggling soul into it, sealing it tight before handing it to Alex with a satisfied smile.
Alex took one look at her and felt a chill crawl down his spine.The way she handled it—it was terrifying, like something out of a cultivation novel. Ripping out souls, burning them in spiritual fire…
If he hadn't seen DanMachi and known what Hestia was really like, he'd have thought she was some vengeful deity of the underworld.
Roxy, too, instinctively backed away, suddenly very aware of just how divine Hestia really was.
"I'm not carrying this thing around," Alex said, frowning at the writhing spirit trapped in the fiery orb. "It's creepy as hell."
"Then bury it," Roxy suggested. "It'll vanish after three years anyway."
"Good idea." Hestia took back the orb, pressed her hand to the ground, and sent it sinking deep underground—about a kilometer down.
With that done, the group could finally focus on summoning their second Servant.
They returned to the abandoned factory, and Roxy began preparing the summoning circle.Thanks to her research on the Type-Moon world's magic systems, she completed it smoothly and with practiced ease.
Standing before the circle, she raised her right hand—the one bearing the fresh Command Seal—and began the chant.
"Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill—Repeat five times in the cycle of the stars.
When filled, let it overflow and be destroyed. Hear me and obey!My will shall be your sword, my fate your command! By the call of the Holy Grail—If you would align with this will and this reason, then answer me! Here I swear—That I shall bring all that is good in this world to fruition,And destroy all that is evil! You are bound by the seven heavens, three words of power! Come forth, protector of the Balance—guardian of the Scales!"
Her voice echoed through the factory.The circle erupted in blinding light.
Alex, having gone through this once before, shielded his eyes just in time.
When the glow faded, they finally saw the figure standing in the center.
A woman.Silver-white hair tied into a high ponytail, an expressionless face as cold and flawless as sculpted marble. She wore a blue, white, and black battle dress that hugged her waist, accentuating her elegant figure.Long, smooth legs in black heeled boots. In her hands, a massive black staff that looked heavy enough to crush steel.
For a moment, Alex's heart jumped—he thought Roxy had summoned Artoria herself.But no. Something was off.
That wasn't King Arthur.It was Morgan—the Queen of the Fairy Kingdom, the Lostbelt's ruler of Britain.
"Roxy… what's her class?" Alex asked quickly.
"Uh… Berserker, I think," Roxy said uncertainly.
"What?!" Alex's eyes widened. "But summoning a Berserker requires a specific incantation!"
He could still remember it clearly:'Let thy eyes be clouded with madness—thy heart consumed by rage!Thou art the prisoner bound in the cage of frenzy!I am the master of these chains!'
Those lines were essential to summon a Berserker-class Servant!
"Probably because the other classes have already been summoned," Hestia explained calmly. "So Roxy's summoning defaulted to Berserker."
She'd once connected to the Root itself—her understanding of the Type-Moon system surpassed even Alex's.
"..."
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