New Chaldea Central Control Room
"…My, my. I never imagined the God of Love would become so infatuated with her so quickly."
Steve sat comfortably in the commander's chair, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, gazing at the newly added portrait on the displayed Servant list—Kama (Beast III/L).
The Tokugawa Kaiten Meikyū - Ōoku incident, had only recently concluded. The process had been filled with mental corruption and the hardships of navigating a maze, yet even the evil Goddess of Love in human form had no choice but to submit before Fujimaru Ritsuka's almost conceptual Conquest EX skill.
Kama had declared, "I came here to corrupt you," yet in reality, she had settled into New Chaldea and even showed signs of challenging the greatest woman to conquer in Chaldea list.
"As expected of Ritsuka."
Steve sighed, then shifted his gaze to the main screen.
It displayed real-time data for the Fourth Lostbelt: "The Cycle of Creation, Destruction, and Rebirth."
"So, next is India."
Sion, standing beside him, pushed up her glasses. Though she had been sulking these past few days because she couldn't use the Anywhere Door to visit New World, she always maintained professional conduct when it came to work.
"Steve, are you really not going? According to Trismegistus's calculations, the god of this Singularity possesses the power to reset the world. Sending the Shadow Border alone is extremely dangerous."
"That's precisely why I can't go."
Steve set down his coffee cup, his tone growing slightly serious.
"The rules of that world are based on perfect samsara and reincarnation. If I were to send a high-performance vessel like the Laurasia-class into that world, the very criteria for foreign object required to prevent the ship itself from being affected by the cycle of reincarnation would completely shatter the atmosphere of that world."
He paused. The image of a certain princess hiding inside a stone statue, trembling in solitude for thousands of years while gritting her teeth and enduring, flashed through his mind.
Ganesha was a good choice. If, in such a moment, an invincible warship capable of providing absolute safety and fire support hovered overhead, her will—forged through seeking hope in despair and tempering resolve in loneliness—would become cheap and meaningless.
Sometimes, a hero is only born after weathering the storm.
"Besides, I need to stay here to perform remote technical upgrades on the Shadow Border."
Steve regained his usual composure and smiled. "Don't worry. Ritsuka and Mash have grown tremendously. And Pepe is with them. As long as they don't confront that god directly, they should be able to handle it."
"…When you put it that way…" Sion sighed. "Then I'll take charge of the communication lines here."
...
The sun in India burned hot enough to melt steel. The air was filled with suffocating dryness and heaviness, as if announcing the arrival of a new cycle the world was about to enter.
The Shadow Border was currently docked in a relatively quiet valley, taking a short rest.
"Phew… No matter how many times I experience it, this Lostbelt's heat is truly unbearable."
Peperoncino wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and stepped gracefully into the car's lounge.
Despite having once been an infiltrator from the opposing faction, he now interacted with Ritsuka and the others like old friends.
"Pepe-san, thanks for your hard work."
Ritsuka handed him a bottle of water.
"Ah, thank you, Ritsuka!"
Just as everyone was enjoying this brief moment of peace, a sudden, unannounced alarm blared inside the vehicle.
"Warning! Warning! High-energy magical reaction approaching! Coordinates… right outside the car?!"
Meuniere's terrified voice echoed throughout the interior.
"What?!"
Director Goredolf nearly spilled his tea in shock. "Arjuna? Or those monsters?"
"No… this reaction is…" Mash stared intently at the screen, her expression turning serious. "This is… a Servant? No, a human? But this level of magical energy…"
"Don't be so tense."
A clear, noble voice pierced through the Shadow Border's armor and resonated directly in everyone's ears.
The car door slowly opened.
Amid the swirling sandstorm, a blond youth in white magical robes, staff in hand, stood elegantly.
Behind him, Secretary Koyanskaya, wearing a pink fur coat and sporting a mischievous smile, gestured "please" toward him.
The moment Peperoncino saw the person, the smile vanished from his face.
"Well, well… this is quite the rare guest."
Pepe stood up slowly, his tone laced with unconcealed surprise. "I thought the silent David would come, but I never expected the Captain himself to show up."
Kirschtaria Wodime.
Captain of Team A and known as the most powerful hidden figure.
At this moment, he had actually left his base in Greece and appeared in distant India.
"It's been a while, Pepe. And… the members of Chaldea."
Wodime stepped into the car, stared intently at Ritsuka and Mash, then finally fixed his gaze on the main screen—which displayed nothing.
Steve's avatar should have appeared there, but the screen remained pitch black.
A clear look of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
"…It seems my guess was wrong after all."
Wodime let out a quiet sigh. "That man… that Heroic Spirit named Steve—is he not here?"
"Steve?"
Ritsuka instinctively blocked the screen. "He… he's providing support from Chaldea…"
"Really? Just support?"
Wodime shook his head, a hint of regret coloring his voice. "Given his personality, I initially thought he would definitely intervene personally in this world full of unreasonable cycles. I came all this way, with Koyanskaya's cooperation, specifically to meet this variable that I had manipulated in advance across Russia, Scandinavia, and the Qin Dynasty."
He stared fixedly at Ritsuka. His gaze was sharp.
"Fujimaru Ritsuka. I respect your efforts so far, but in my opinion, what truly changed everything was the technology and ideas brought by that man."
"I want to confirm whether he wishes to preserve all of human history or create something entirely new."
The surrounding air instantly froze to sub-zero temperatures.
Wodime had not used any offensive magic, yet the royal aura he was born with exerted immeasurable pressure on everyone present.
Just then—
Beep, beep, beep—
The previously pitch-black main screen suddenly lit up. With a soft shoo sound, Steve's face appeared on the display, wearing his usual languid smile.
"Isn't this Captain Wodime? A guest we rarely get to see."
The Steve on screen seemed completely unaware of the tense atmosphere. He raised his coffee cup as if in apology and said, "Sorry I couldn't greet you in person—I had to maintain the equipment at home. Is India hot? Shall I have Director Goredolf make you some tea?"
"Steve…"
Wodime stared at the man on the screen, his eyes sharpening instantly. "We finally meet. Though not in the form I expected."
"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you… Actually, I've admired you for a long time."
Steve smiled. "What? You came all this way just to bully my master and cute juniors while I was away?"
"I am not such a despicable person."
Wodime replied calmly. "I simply came to confirm. To see whether my opponent—you—is worthy of my full effort. However, it seems you have chosen to observe this time."
"Observe? No, no—this is what's called a tactical blank."
Steve waved his finger. "The story of this Lostbelt belongs to Ritsuka, Mash, and that woman hiding in the corner statue. If I showed up in a warship, it would be like piloting a Gundam to a grade-school sports day—far too boring."
"…"
Wodime was momentarily at a loss for words, then showed a faint smile. "I see. So, for the sake of the story's completeness… you suppress your own power? That is indeed a decision you would make."
"But…"
Steve's tone suddenly changed, a chilling sharpness appearing in his eyes.
"I won't go this time… but to the next destination."
He looked straight into Wodime's eyes and spoke word by word.
"In the Atlantic, on Mount Olympus… your home ground—I will visit you personally. By then, I hope you'll be prepared to be corrected by me, Kirschtaria Wodime."
Hearing these words, which amounted to a declaration of war, Wodime did not get angry at all. Instead, he smiled with genuine joy, as if he had met a soulmate.
"Good… Very good."
He nodded. At that moment, the magical energy emanating from his body reached a terrifying harmony.
"In that case, I shall await your arrival on Olympus. And I want you to witness the future I envision—one where humans and gods coexist."
With that, he turned around and looked at the still-shocked Peperoncino.
"Pepe, it's a shame I can't stay longer, but it seems my objective has been achieved."
"Oh, you're leaving already?"
Pepe gave a wry smile. "I thought you'd help me deal with Arjuna."
"That is your trial."
Wodime waved his hand and walked toward the car door. "Koyanskaya, let's go."
"Yes, yes. What a capricious employer you are."
Koyanskaya shrugged and activated the teleportation spell.
Just as light was about to envelop the two, Wodime turned back and took one last look at Steve on the screen.
"Steve, don't disappoint me."
"Don't worry. I never disappoint anyone."
Steve replied with a smile.
In a flash of light, Wodime's figure vanished without a trace.
The Chaldea members inside the car stared at one another in bewilderment, as if they had just experienced a thrilling war without gunpowder.
"Whew…"
On the screen, Steve let out a long sigh and returned to his usual languid demeanor. "Ahh, what a powerhouse. Talking to him is exhausting."
"Steve…"
Ritsuka looked at the screen, eyes sparkling. "This time… you'll really fight alongside us, right?"
"Indeed."
Steve gazed at her gently. "After all, the promise has already been made. Besides… I can't always let you run at the front. Alright, there are still many issues left in India. That god Arjuna is still waiting for you to correct him. Keep going. I'll be watching over you from Chaldea."
The communication cut off.
Ritsuka clenched her fist and looked out the window. The air outside was filled with an aura of destruction.
Steve was not by her side, but the thought that he was watching over her—and the promise for the future—gave her strength.
"Everyone, let's move out! Let's break this chain of sorrow!"
…
…
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