New Chaldea
Ever since that Valentine's Day night filled with surprise and terror, the days at New Chaldea had passed in the blink of an eye amid a peaceful and cheerful atmosphere.
Sion, the genius alchemist from the Atlas Institute, was currently trapped in an unprecedented logical impasse.
Since learning about Steve's shocking fetish that night, she had stopped stalking him by monitoring his magical reactions or tailing him to various loli Servant activity spots.
However, every time she looked at Steve, her expression would shift between looking at garbage and agonizing over whether she should sacrifice her dignity for love and change her figure.
Since the other party was an outstanding alchemist worthy of becoming the next head of the Atlas Academy, she undoubtedly possessed the ability to create such an item.
Whether she had the will to do so in order to please someone she respected would cause her serious pain.
Due to this extreme mental stress, the dark circles under her eyes had worsened noticeably lately.
Still, whenever Steve tried to have affectionate interactions with Fujimaru Ritsuka in the hallways or cafeteria such as head-patting or pretend feeding, Sion would appear like a ghost and forcibly interrupt with various excuses like "I need to test a new Mystic Code" or "Trismegistus has issued an urgent error report."
However, this daily life full of romantic comedy elements would soon come to a temporary end.
Amid the roar of the imaginary submarine Shadow Border's engine starting in the hangar, the conquest operation for the Fifth Lostbelt — The Sea of the Age of Gods, Atlantis — officially began.
"…All supplies have been loaded! Ethernet optical fiber connection is normal! Self-diagnostic test of the virtual submarine navigation system completed!"
Da Vinci-chan's powerful voice echoed throughout the hangar via the loudspeakers. "Everyone, are you ready for departure?"
In front of the massive Shadow Border, the fully armed Fujimaru Ritsuka stood at the boarding gate.
Beside her was Steve, dressed in casual red clothing, though a white four-dimensional pocket was affixed to his abdomen.
"Steve, are you really not planning to deploy that battleship?"
Director Goredolf wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Steve with slight regret. "The Shadow Border has already been greatly strengthened by Sion's modifications, but if your battleship—one that can pulverize a Lostbelt in a single strike—escorted us, my stomachache would definitely feel much better…"
"Ah, Director… As you know, that Lostbelt is the sea of the Age of Gods."
Steve waved his hand with a smile and began speaking in a serious tone. "The divine density there is far too high. If my battleship, loaded with science particles, were to rashly charge in, a violent backlash reaction between mystery and science might occur, potentially causing the entire Lostbelt to collapse prematurely."
"For safety's sake, it's better to ride in this small vehicle."
"And…" He turned his gaze to Ritsuka beside him, his expression softening. "Since I've agreed to personally participate in this battle with Ritsuka, how can I share the hardships with everyone if I don't join forces with you all?"
"Sitting in the ship's high bridge drinking coffee the whole time wouldn't let me feel the romance of a fight for survival."
This was a lie.
The real reason was simple. If he actually brought the Rewloola-class battleship equipped with miniaturized reactors and causality weapons into Atlantis, the subsequent development would turn from Fate/Grand Order into Star Wars: Star Destroyer vs. Artemis.
To avoid hindering Fujimaru Ritsuka's mental growth in this important chapter and to ensure the cornered Heroic Spirits did not miss their glorious moments, Steve decided to play the role of powerful support or safety caretaker in this lostbelt rather than a GM who directly flips the table.
To prevent the plot from collapsing early and resulting in the human Master he ultimately chose showing no mental growth throughout the entire Lostbelt, he put great effort into controlling his emotions.
"Yeah! I think this is better too!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka accepted Steve's explanation almost instantly.
After all, during her time in Chaldea, she had seen far too many Servants who imposed restrictions on themselves and refused to go all out.
Whether it was Scáthach saying "Use only the spear, don't use runes" or Gilgamesh saying "Use only the treasury, don't use Ea," she had grown accustomed to it.
In her view, Steve choosing to abandon his comfortable warship and endure hardship together with them in the cramped Shadow Border was a sign of great trust and importance.
"Then hurry up and get in the vehicle, Steve!"
Ritsuka excitedly grabbed Steve's arm, a full smile on her face. "This time, we'll show you the Chaldea crew's driving skills!"
"Alright, alright. Let's see how it goes."
Steve let himself be pulled along, smiling as he climbed the boarding stairs.
At the hatch, he paused and glanced back at Sion, who stood in front of the control panel.
The genius alchemist had her back to him, her hands moving quickly over the keyboard as she performed final system adjustments.
But just as Steve was about to enter the hatch, she suddenly stopped and spoke without turning around.
"…Don't die."
The sound was very small, but it reached Steve's ears clearly.
"And… don't think that just because you've gone to the Lostbelt, I won't be able to monitor you anymore."
"If anyone tries to use this opportunity to do something suspicious or outrageous… Trismegistus will immediately report it to the police."
"Got it? You perverted loli-loving Servant."
"Haa… Yes, Master"
Steve waved his hand and walked into the cabin.
As the hatch slowly closed, a heavy roar echoed from the Shadow Border's engines.
The imaginary number device installed beneath the vehicle activated, distorting the surrounding space. The real scenery gradually gave way to an imaginary texture interwoven with black and white.
"Imaginary submarine, launching!"
Following Da Vinci-chan's command, this tank carrying humanity's last hope submerged into the unknown sea where the magic of the Age of Gods still lingered.
Destination: Atlantic Ocean. Coordinates: BC 12000.
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