But contrary to his expectations...
Alear mentally tapped the golden button to initiate the roll.
The roulette began spinning at high speed, transforming into a kind of dark vortex... The motion was hypnotic, yet he watched it with relative indifference, already prepared to receive something average.
Spin... Spin... Spin...
The speed gradually decreased.
[Summoning Complete!]
[Servant Class Archer: Oda Nobunaga successfully obtained!]
Only two lines appeared in his mind.
His surprise was immediate, but before he could even process what had just happened, a gigantic pillar of energy shot upward toward the ceiling of his room. At the same time, an intense burning sensation spread through his left hand, making him slightly furrow his brow. When he looked down, he saw a complex red tattoo gradually forming on the back of his hand, its patterns etching themselves as if being engraved directly into his skin.
A few seconds later, the pillar of light vanished, leaving behind a thick curtain of smoke. At its center, a small figure slowly began to rise before him. He estimated her height at approximately one hundred and fifty-three centimeters, forming a surprisingly short silhouette. That stature, however, stirred a faint sense of nostalgia, reminding him of memories involving an equally small, yet absurdly troublesome figure he had once met during his life in Chaldea...
As the smoke began to dissipate, two blood-red eyes lifted to meet his gaze. Her expression was confident and fearless, accompanied by an almost arrogant indifference, as if she cared little about whoever stood before her. Gods, Buddhas, or any other grand existence seemed, in her eyes, nothing more than dry bones destined to be trampled. Then she spoke: "Are you the fool who considers himself worthy of being my Master...?"
Her beautiful female voice carried an indescribably demonic charm, similar to that of a sovereign issuing orders to subordinates. However, his newly summoned Servant did not give him the slightest chance to respond.
She quickly scanned him from head to toe before showing mild surprise.
"Oh?"
Her expression turned more interested.
"Not bad. I thought you magecraft types were all weak and scholarly. This is starting to look much more exciting..."
She had barely finished speaking.
His Servant suddenly drew her sword in a fluid motion, immediately swinging it toward Alear's neck with lethal intent that left no room for doubt.
Just as the blade was about to strike him, Alear—who had until then been lost in thought—finally snapped out of his daze. With a simple, almost casual motion, he deflected the sword using the back of his right hand, instinctively reinforced by the spell [Hierro]. At the same instant, his body reacted purely on reflex, stepping forward into a direct punch. Although far from his maximum speed, the counterattack was still fast enough to catch his newly summoned Servant completely off guard. His fist stopped just one centimeter from her face, but the pressure generated by the strike was so intense that it knocked the hat off her head and scattered the remaining smoke obscuring her figure.
For a brief moment, the room fell into silence.
Without her hat and with the smoke swept away by the shockwave, a cascade of dark hair spilled down her back. Facing his attack, her blood-red eyes remained fixed on him as a wide smile slowly formed on her lips. Then she began to laugh—loudly, confidently, completely without fear.
"Nice!" She casually spun her sword before sheathing it again. "Even if I still need to observe you for a while, I can already say you've got some courage, kid."
Her blood-red eyes gleamed with genuine interest.
"You didn't panic at my attack and still chose to face me head-on. Not bad! But don't expect me to call you Master so easily. Still, I don't mind following your orders. Of course, that's only as long as you're not a complete idiot."
Alear remained motionless for a few seconds before slowly lowering his fist. Observing her arrogant posture, the dominating presence, and the almost absurd confidence she exuded, an even stronger sense of nostalgia welled up in his chest, accompanied by a sorrow that was difficult to describe.
He should be happy to have finally summoned his new Servant, right...?
But reality seemed slightly more complicated than that. From the way she looked at him, the way she spoke, and the complete absence of any familiarity in her attitude, the most obvious conclusion was that she remembered nothing from their time together in Chaldea. Still, for a brief moment, he wondered if he was reaching that conclusion too quickly.
No... that bitter realization was probably correct.
After all, although his appearance had changed slightly compared to his previous life, the differences were not that significant. His hair and eye color had changed, but his facial structure, features, and overall appearance remained essentially the same. For someone who truly knew him from back then, recognizing him should not have been difficult. Maybe not immediately, but certainly after observing him for a few moments.
Yet from the moment she appeared before him, Oda Nobunaga had shown not even the slightest hint of recognition. No surprise, no hesitation, no reaction suggesting familiarity. Her eyes analyzed him the same way they would any other newly summoned Master.
And that alone was already a sufficiently clear answer.
When that conclusion finally settled in his mind, a sense of loss filled his chest. It was a strange and difficult emotion to describe—both subtle and suffocating...
He had always known that summoning someone through the [Fate Gacha] did not necessarily mean bringing back the same person he had known in Chaldea. There was no guarantee that memories from a previous summoning would be preserved. He understood that rationally. And yet, somewhere within him, a small part had insisted on holding onto hope. Perhaps it was just nostalgia. Perhaps it was accumulated loneliness. Perhaps it was simply the selfish desire to meet someone who shared those memories again.
If that happened, maybe that constant feeling of being alone would finally disappear.
However, facing that Oda Nobunaga who looked at him as a complete stranger, that expectation was crushed without ceremony. What remained was a tangled storm of emotions—disappointment, nostalgia, longing, resignation, and even a faint sense of mourning. Even he could not fully organize what he was feeling at that moment.
So he stayed silent.
For long seconds, he simply observed the small figure before him. She had barely changed compared to her Chaldea version.
She still wore that distinctive black military uniform that, despite evoking the image of a commanding officer, carried a surprisingly modern style for someone from such a distant past. Over her shoulders, a blood-red cape cascaded down to her ankles, gently swaying with each movement. Her legs were protected by ornate golden greaves, decorated with black gemstones embedded at the knees. Like the cap she used to wear, those ornaments were surrounded by chrysanthemum patterns, a symbol clearly tied to Japan. Not that it was necessary. Her facial structure, delicate features, and even her physique already made that obvious...
Her long black hair flowed well past her waist, nearly reaching her thighs. There was something wild about her appearance, yet also a natural elegance that made it hard to look away. In addition, a faint reddish aura seemed to surround her body. It was not directly visible, but it gave the strange impression that she had been bathed in countless battles and kept advancing regardless. Combined with her blood-red, sharp, confident eyes, she became someone difficult to ignore. Despite her youthful appearance and short stature, her attributes felt mature, and her aura resembled that of a seasoned ruler—someone accustomed to commanding armies and challenging the impossible without hesitation...
The only problem was that she was "short"... That thought came so naturally it almost made him laugh. And inevitably, it brought back a specific memory. Back in Chaldea, he had made the mistake of mentioning it more than once. The result? Multiple battles, arguments, and armed chases that almost always ended with Nobunaga trying to "correct his insolence" by force.
Thinking about it now, the corner of his lips lifted slightly. Maybe she did not remember those days. But those memories were precious to him...
Just as Alear evaluated her, his Servant also continued observing him with a sharp, analytical gaze, as if trying to see far beyond his appearance. The more she examined him, the wider her smile became, gradually revealing two prominent fangs whenever she bared her teeth. At the same time, a strange sense of familiarity began to rise in her chest. She could not explain why, but that young man gave her a strangely known impression, as if she had met him somewhere deep in her forgotten memories...
While such thoughts passed through her mind, she acted without warning. In an even faster motion than when she had drawn her sword moments earlier, she pulled out what looked like a musket-pistol and aimed it directly at Alear's head. The next instant, she pulled the trigger. Instead of a normal bullet, a black-red beam shot through the air, attempting to pierce his skull. However, before it could reach him, Alear's body became intangible through [Flash Air], allowing the attack to pass through his forehead harmlessly. Letting out a tired sigh, he stepped forward and lightly tapped her forehead with two fingers, causing her head to snap back from the unexpected impact.
Looking directly into those blood-red eyes, he finally spoke:
"Is it really that fun to try to kill me on our first meeting?"
While rubbing her forehead with her gloved hand and holstering her musket-pistol, his Servant let out a laugh filled with malice before replying:
"Relax, I was just trying to keep you alert. If you couldn't handle an attack of that level, you wouldn't have the qualifications to be my Master. I don't care at all about the Holy Grail, so I couldn't care less about being sent back just because my Master was too weak to pass a simple evaluation. And if my actions bothered you that much, feel free to use a Command Seal and force me to obey your will..."
Finishing her words, she lifted her chin slightly and looked him directly in the eyes, her gaze full of challenge.
Alear, in turn, merely sighed in exhaustion. Leaning back slightly on the bed, he rested his hands on the mattress in a relaxed manner, as if the attempted assassination moments earlier was not worth worrying about at all.
"That would be unnecessary..." he said calmly. "There is no Holy Grail War here. In fact, you weren't even summoned for anything like that..."
Oda Nobunaga tilted her head slightly. Her blood-red eyes narrowed, revealing a complex, cold intensity as she processed what she had just heard.
"Oh?" A smile appeared on her lips. "Then explain to me, 'Master'. Where exactly am I?"
Alear shrugged.
"You are literally in the Underworld."
For a brief moment, the room fell silent.
Then a wide, wild smile spread across the small Archer's face. Her sharp fangs became even more visible as laughter escaped her lips.
"Heh... the Underworld?" She gave a short, sharp laugh. "So I ended up in Yomi? How ironic."
The amusement in her voice only grew.
"I, who burned temples, defied monks, and spent my entire life causing chaos for religious figures, end up summoned in the realm of demons." She shook her head, still laughing. "Hah! I have to admit, this is pretty funny."
Alear shook his head, keeping his tone calm and controlled.
"It is not quite the Yomi you are imagining. This Underworld is different—more specifically, you are not even in the same world..."
Nobunaga watched him in silence for a few seconds. The smile remained on her lips, but now there was a more calculating glint in her eyes, as if she were mentally reorganizing everything she had just heard.
"Hmm... interesting." She tilted her head slightly. "So it is not the hell I expected. Disappointing... and yet intriguing."
Her smile widened a little more, filled with genuine curiosity and restrained ambition.
"A different world? Explain everything in detail, kid."
________________
(A/N The Servant chosen this time is Oda Nobunaga! I know, I know… Many of you probably didn't see this option coming or might have expected something else, but I chose her as the first Servant because I thought she would be an interesting choice to open this part of the story. She is not on the level of the most absurdly overpowered Fate Servants, but she is still extremely dangerous, being close to the level of a Satan in terms of threat, especially when she uses her Noble Phantasm.
In any case, she will be the main Servant of Volume 1. The second volume (which will be coming soon) will feature a different Servant, male or female. I would like to ask for your opinion: what did you think of Nobunaga being chosen to start the story? And feel free to leave suggestions for Servants for the next volume (even though I've already received many), I'll be reading everything carefully!
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