Chapter 696: Replenishing Mana with Ria! Gas Explosion Fuyuki City!
"How... How can I go back?!"
Artoria stood up abruptly from the edge of the bed, her movements sharp and agitated.
With the harsh lesson learned from her previous wardrobe malfunction, this time she clutched the white bath towel tightly against her chest, ensuring it was wrapped securely enough to withstand a hurricane. Her emerald eyes, usually filled with the stoic calm of a king, were now shimmering with anxiety and confusion.
compared to her evident excitement and distress, Ren appeared calm, almost lazy.
He sat there, looking at her with an unhurried gaze that made Artoria feel like a prey animal being assessed by a predator.
He slowly said, "I will cross worlds and take you back. It is a simple matter."
"???"
He spoke of something completely beyond Artoria's comprehension. Cross worlds? Take her back? Just like that?
Ren curled his lips into a smirk, amused by her bewilderment. "Don't overthink it. Open the Chat Group interface in your mind. When you see my permission request, just agree."
Artoria hesitated, her brow furrowing. But she did as instructed. A translucent blue screen manifested in her retina.
[System: Ding! Administrator 'Ren' requests World-Crossing Permission from you. Do you agree?]
"?"
World-crossing permission?
Again, something Artoria didn't understand. The magecraft involved in shifting between dimensions was True Magic, the domain of the Kaleidoscope, Zelretch. Yet this man spoke of it like opening a door.
But she had no other choice now. The Holy Grail War was calling her. Her duty was calling her.
"I... I agree," she whispered.
[System: Ding! World-crossing permission granted!]
[System: Ding! World-Crossing Gate opened!]
A prompt appeared, flashing brightly.
Immediately, space itself seemed to tear open. A swirling vortex of starlight and void appeared before the two of them, humming with an energy that made the air vibrate.
"It really works."
Ren's eyes lit up with genuine interest. He stood up and stepped into the vortex casually, his hands in his pockets, completely disregarding Artoria's presence behind him.
"Wait! Ren!"
Artoria was instantly startled. Seeing him vanish into the void, she instinctively took a step forward to follow him.
Buzz!
But before she could reach out, the passage suddenly snapped shut.
"???"
Artoria stood frozen in the empty room. Her ahoge (cowlick) on top of her head swayed listlessly in the sudden silence.
If that was the way back... and he went in... and she was left here...
"What does this even mean?!" she cried out in frustration. "Did he abandon me here?!"
Just as Artoria was about to spiral into confusion.
Suddenly, she felt something.
A tug. A pull from the very core of her soul.
"Uh..."
She looked down at her hands. Her skin was glowing. Not a reflection, but an internal luminescence.
Her body was turning into golden light particles.
"This sensation..."
It wasn't death. It was deconstruction. Her physical form was dissolving, converting into pure Spiritrons.
Turning her head, she found that her removed armor, the blue dress, and even the invisible Excalibur she had put down were doing the same—dissolving into motes of light and rushing towards her, merging with her fading silhouette.
The realization hit her like a lightning bolt.
"This is... Servant Summoning?!"
Slap!
The white bath towel, no longer supported by a physical form, fell to the floor with a soft, wet thud.
In its place, Artoria's figure vanished completely from the room, pulled across the dimensions by the anchor of the contract.
...
[Location: Fuyuki City - New Fuyuki Bridge - Top of the Arch]
The night wind howled, carrying the salty scent of the ocean and the metallic tang of modern industry.
Below, the dark waters of the Mion River flowed silently, reflecting the artificial lights of the city.
"Tsk tsk tsk... is this Fuyuki City? The famous 'Gas Explosion City'?"
Ren stood atop the highest crimson arch of the Fuyuki Bridge, balancing effortlessly against the gale. He looked down at the cityscape.
"Peaceful on the surface, rotting underneath. I don't smell much gas in the air, but I do smell the stench of blood and magecraft."
He didn't turn around. He simply spoke to the empty air behind him.
"See? Haven't I sent you back? Why the scrunched-up face?"
"..."
Behind him, particles of golden light swirled violently, condensing into a human shape.
Clank. Clank.
The sound of magical steel shifting into place echoed.
Artoria slowly appeared, her boots landing firmly on the steel beam. She was not in a good mood.
Coming back... this was real.
She looked at her hands, clad in silver gauntlets. She felt the heavy weight of the blue dress and the cold protection of the breastplate.
She sensed the oppressive atmosphere of the Holy Grail War. The leylines of Fuyuki were screaming with tension.
And, most importantly, she felt the connection. The Path.
Her body wasn't bare because the bath towel was gone; instead, she was wearing her iconic Knight King armor again. The majestic blue and silver shone under the moonlight.
But she didn't feel fortunate.
Because the connection led straight to the back of the man standing in front of her.
This time, Artoria clearly sensed that the man in front of her was not just a companion or a savior. The magical pact was undeniable.
He was her Master.
Her most despicable, teasing, and overwhelmingly powerful Master.
"I ask..."
She took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly with a mix of resignation and duty.
"Are you my Master?"
She still gritted her teeth and said these words, completing the ritual greeting.
"Oh?"
Ren turned around slowly. The moonlight cast shadows across his face, highlighting a playful, almost wicked look on his face.
"Master, huh... It seems like an interesting title. It certainly has a nice ring to it."
He looked her up and down, his gaze lingering on her armored form.
"Then... from today on, I am your Master. And you are my Saber."
"But," Ren raised a finger, "before we begin hunting other Servants, there's something I must try."
"What?"
Artoria was puzzled. Her grip on the invisible sword hilt tightened.
Was he going to tease her with a Command Seal again? Order her to do something embarrassing like 'spin around three times and bark'?
But obviously not.
She saw Ren approaching step by step. His steps were silent, yet each one felt like a drumbeat on her heart.
"What... What are you going to do?"
Panic appeared on Artoria's beautiful, dignified face.
She retreated.
Clack. Clack.
She stepped back until her armored heel hit the vertical support cable of the bridge.
There was nowhere left to retreat. Behind her was a drop of hundred meters into the freezing river. In front of her was Ren.
Ren stepped into her personal space. He leaned one hand against the steel cable, effectively trapping her.
Kabedon.
His face was only a few centimeters away from hers. She could feel his breath, hot and steady.
She saw the wicked, predatory smile on Ren's lips.
"I want to try the unique... mana replenishment ritual between a Master and a Servant."
"Mana... replenishment!!!"
Artoria's emerald eyes widened in shock.
In the lore of the Holy Grail War, Servants require Prana (Magical Energy) to sustain their existence and fight. Usually, this is transferred through a spiritual link. However, for a more direct, potent, and rapid transfer... physical contact is required.
Exchange of bodily fluids. Blood. Saliva. Or...
"Wait! Not here! We are in public—"
Just as she reacted, trying to push him away, she found that Ren had already closed the distance.
He didn't hesitate. He captured her lips.
"!!!"
"Mmph!"
Artoria's eyes went wide. Her body stiffened, straight as a board.
Her first reaction was to resist. She was the King of Knights! This was improper! This was...
However.
BOOM!
A massive, unimaginably powerful torrent of magical energy surged from Ren's mouth into hers.
It wasn't a trickle. It wasn't a stream. It was a tsunami.
Artoria was stunned. Her brain went blank.
What kind of power was that?
It was hot. It was thick. It tasted like pure, concentrated starlight mixed with ambrosia.
Far more powerful than any Heroic Spirit she had ever encountered. Far more potent than the leylines of Fuyuki itself.
"Nngh... ah..."
A soft, involuntary moan escaped her throat, muffled by their joined lips.
The influx of mana was so intense that her Magic Circuits screamed in delight. Her Dragon Core, the engine of her magical power, roared to life, spinning wildly to absorb the endless supply of energy.
It felt... good.
Too good.
It felt like starving for a thousand years and suddenly being fed a feast of the gods. The energy rushed through every vein, every nerve ending, filling her hollow spiritual body with a sense of fullness that bordered on euphoria.
At that moment, she even forgot to resist.
Her hands, which had been pushing against his chest, lost their strength. Her fingers curled into his shirt, pulling him closer instead of pushing him away.
Her knees buckled, her legs turning to jelly under the assault of pure power. If Ren hadn't been holding her waist, the great King of Knights might have slid down to the floor in a heap.
Several minutes later.
Or perhaps it was hours. Time had lost its meaning.
Ren slowly retreated, breaking the kiss. A thin thread of silver saliva connected their lips before snapping.
He licked his lips, looking deep in thought.
"So this is mana replenishment," he mused, his voice husky. "Truly an interesting experience. It tastes... sweet."
Mana replenishment.
Servants need to rely on their Master, who is a magus, to provide magical energy to maintain their existence and convert that magical energy into combat power.
However, the method of mana replenishment is quite special.
Physical contact, blood, or other bodily fluids.
Ren had just experimented with one of them—the exchange of saliva. And judging by the surge of energy he felt looping back from her Dragon Core, it was highly efficient.
"You... you..."
Artoria was panting heavily. Her chest heaved up and down against her armor. Her face was flushed a deep, shameful crimson that extended all the way to her ears.
"Who... exactly are you..."
Artoria's voice was a little hoarse, barely a whisper. Probably because Ren's actions were too intense, too domineering.
But she was now more concerned about Ren himself than her own modesty.
She felt the magical energy flowing in her body now. It was terrifying.
If she used this current reserve to unleash Excalibur, she felt she wouldn't just destroy a fortress. She could cleave this entire planet in half.
And all this magical energy came from just a few minutes of kissing Ren.
How could such a thing be done? A human holding that much power? It defied the laws of Magecraft.
Artoria's heart was filled with questions—and a strange, lingering heat in her lower abdomen.
In response, Ren smiled. A smile that made her heart skip a beat.
"Perhaps if we do it again, you'll understand me better," he teased, stepping closer again. "I must say, the King of Great Britain is very delicious. A flavor fit for a king."
As he spoke, he licked the corner of his mouth deliberately, looking at her as if she were a gourmet meal he hadn't finished.
"Again?!"
Artoria was stunned for a moment, her brain short-circuiting.
Then, her ahoge suddenly stood straight up, vibrating with indignation.
"You... You pervert!"
She stomped her armored boot on the steel beam.
"How dare you! How dare you humiliate me like this!!! I am a King! I will..."
She glared at him, trying to summon her majesty.
It should have been a very imposing statement.
Unfortunately, the visual was lacking. Her face was flushed red like a ripe apple. Her eyes were watery and unfocused. Her lips were swollen and glistening. She looked less like a furious king and more like a bullied maiden who had thoroughly enjoyed the bullying.
She had absolutely no deterrent effect whatsoever.
"You will what?"
Ren smiled, his eyes narrowing playfully. "Punish your Master?"
He slowly raised his right arm.
"If you disobey..."
He rolled up his sleeve.
"..."
Artoria's anger came to an abrupt, screeching halt.
It was extinguished by a bucket of ice-cold reality.
She stared at his arm.
Usually, a Master has three Command Seals on the back of their hand. Three absolute orders to control a Servant.
But Ren?
Ren's arm was covered in them.
From the back of his hand, winding up his wrist, spiraling up his forearm... red, glowing geometric patterns pulsed with absolute authority.
There weren't three. There were dozens. Maybe hundreds.
He had created a continuous tattoo sleeve of Command Seals.
"Creeeeak!!!"
Artoria's fists clenched, the metal gauntlets making a protesting sound.
She trembled.
She had been defiled. She had been kissed into submission. And now, seeing this display of rule-breaking power, she realized she couldn't punish the evil person in front of her.
With that many Command Seals, he could order her to do anything. Anything.
"You... You are cheating," she whispered, her spirit defeated.
Ren chuckled, lowering his sleeve. The pressure vanished, replaced by a casual demeanor.
He walked to the edge of the bridge, looking out at the city lights.
"Ria," he said softly, using the nickname he had given her.
"What do you think would happen if I really participated in this Holy Grail War?"
Ren suddenly asked this, his tone shifting from teasing to philosophical.
This question startled Artoria.
She didn't even notice that Ren's address had suddenly become very intimate. Ria. Not Saber. Not King of Knights.
She looked at his back. It looked broad, invincible.
She pondered with complex eyes. She thought about the other Heroic Spirits. Gilgamesh. Iskandar. Diarmuid.
Against this monster? Against a man who had infinite mana and hundreds of Command Seals?
Finally, she could only come to one conclusion.
"You..." Artoria lowered her head, her voice quiet. "You will win. Undoubtedly."
"But..."
Artoria couldn't say the rest of the sentence.
But you don't need me.
That was the cruel truth.
Ren didn't need a Servant. He didn't need a Saber to fight for him. He could probably crush all six other Servants with his bare hands.
On the contrary, her existence was the real burden. She was just... a pet he brought along for amusement. A vessel to pour mana into.
If that were the case, what was the meaning of her existence as a Servant?
The Holy Grail, where only one person could make a wish, certainly wouldn't be hers.
And Ren might not need the Holy Grail. He seemed to have everything.
But was a Holy Grail obtained without effort truly what he needed?
Would the chivalry of Great Britain truly allow her to accept such a hollow victory? To be a decoration in his conquest?
Artoria fell into a long, heavy silence, the cold wind of Fuyuki blowing through her blonde hair, unable to cool the turmoil in her heart.
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