Chapter 52: The Promised Reunion
“Master!! Waah! I'm so happy to see you're okay!”
Looking down happily at Astolfo, who was now hugging me tightly around the waist while practically burying his face against my chest, I couldn't help but gently pat his head in a reassuring manner as he clung to me without the slightest intention of letting go.
At first, he had naturally been confused by my words and wondered how I seemed to know him despite this technically being our first meeting, but after asking him to hear me out and briefly explaining the effects of my Mystery, or Shroud, along with the benefits it would grant him, true to his curious and trusting nature, he had agreed almost immediately.
That was what had led to the current situation.
The moment I willed my Shroud away, a pink-haired missile had launched itself at me and hadn't released me ever since.
“Looks like I'll be counting on you once more, Rider.” I smiled warmly as Astolfo finally lifted his head from my chest, revealing teary purple eyes that somehow still managed to shine with his usual cheerful smile.
“Leave it to me, Master! Even if I'm weak, I'll give it everything I've got to protect you.” Astolfo declared with absolute determination.
“Please don't put yourself down, Rider. You're one of the few people I have complete confidence in.” I replied, shaking my head with a fond smile.
Rather than answering, Astolfo immediately broke into another round of happy sobbing before burying his face back against my chest.
“Waaah, Maaaster~ I'm really, truly so happy we could meet again!”
Before I could respond, however, a delicate hand suddenly grabbed the back of Astolfo's cape and, with surprising strength, launched him across the room without the slightest bit of ceremony as another head of pink hair filled my vision.
“Stop clinging so much to my Darling!” Tamamo exclaimed indignantly as she planted herself between us in a protective stance while hissing at Astolfo with a thoroughly territorial glare.
Moments later, Mash and Sakura hurried over to my side as well, with Fran quietly joining them while looking at Astolfo with her head adorably tilted, a faint look of recognition appearing on her face.
Not long after that, the room became completely crowded as everyone else rushed inside, and within seconds several conversations had broken out at once until it became almost impossible to make sense of what anyone was saying.
The only thing I could gather for certain was that everyone seemed equally curious about Astolfo and would probably hound him for details about me later.
After picking himself up from where Tamamo had sent him flying, Astolfo dusted himself off before taking in the crowd gathered around me, blinking in surprise at the sheer number of girls surrounding me before a mischievous grin slowly spread across his face.
“Wow, Master. Popular as ever, huh?” Astolfo teased with a grin before glancing at me knowingly. “If only that Saint could see you now. I bet she'd be so jealous~”
Then, just quietly enough that only I caught it, he muttered under his breath.
“Drats... looks like I've got even more competition than before.”
I could only smile awkwardly.
A moment later, Astolfo's playful expression disappeared as his gaze landed on Fran, who was still silently staring back at him with that same innocent, blank expression.
His eyes widened.
“Whoa! Is that you, Fran!?” Astolfo exclaimed as he hurried over to her, only for Fran to quietly nod her head in response, causing him to break out into hearty laughter.
“Wow! What are the chances that all three of us would be reunited so soon?” Astolfo said happily as he looked between the two of us with a bright grin. “Now all we're missing is that Saint and the wild Saber.”
His words caused several people to blink in confusion, with the exception of both Artorias, who frowned slightly after realizing he was referring to Mordred, their 'son.'
“What are the chances of you managing to reunite with not one, but two Servants you already knew? You have incredible luck, Sieg-kun~” Da Vinci exclaimed excitedly as she looked at me, making me scratch the back of my head a little awkwardly.
“Hehe... well, Campiones are known for being blessed with extraordinary luck.” I smiled sheepishly, only for Da Vinci's eyes to begin sparkling with even greater excitement.
“We still need to sit down so you can explain every last detail about that incredibly juicy piece of information! Don't think I've forgotten, Mr. Godslayer~” Da Vinci declared dramatically while pointing a finger straight at me.
“Sure. Once we have the time.” I nodded easily since I didn't really see any reason to hide that information from her.
“Campione? Godslayer?” Astolfo's confused voice drew everyone's attention back to him as he looked at me with his head tilted curiously. “Sounds like I missed quite a lot, huh, Master?”
Smiling reassuringly, I thought back on everything that had happened since the Great Holy Grail War and couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
“Yeah... there's a lot I have to tell you, Rider.”
“Well, I'm all ears~ From the sound of it, you must have gone on one amazing adventure yourself!” Astolfo declared before somehow slipping past everyone and wrapping me in another cheerful hug.
Naturally, that only prompted Tamamo, Sakura, and Olga to immediately separate us once again.
=====
A While Later
Once everyone had settled down again, we filled Astolfo in on everything that had happened, and true to his nature, he agreed to help us without the slightest hesitation.
I did catch him quietly laughing to himself with an unmistakably mischievous grin while muttering about how much he was looking forward to seeing the Saint's reaction once the two of them were reunited again.
With very little time remaining before we departed for the next Singularity—or technically the first—all that remained was fulfilling a promise I had made years ago by further empowering Sakura, Rin, Illya, and Irisviel.
The group gathered in one of Chaldea's larger rooms, with the four girls seated together while Da Vinci hovered nearby after insisting she absolutely had to witness the process in person.
Tamamo, meanwhile, hadn't left my side ever since Astolfo's arrival, seemingly becoming even more territorial than usual, while Mash had also joined us after giving me such an adorably hopeful look that I simply couldn't bring myself to refuse.
“So you really have the ability to grant someone the complete abilities of whoever you want?” Da Vinci asked for what had to be the third time, her eyes practically overflowing with stars as she leaned forward in her seat. “The entire powerset, not just a single ability?”
“Hmph! My Darling is not a liar, you perverted maniac!” Tamamo huffed indignantly at Da Vinci with her arms crossed.
The only reason Da Vinci hadn't already thrown herself at me demanding answers was because Tamamo and Sakura were sitting on either side of me, watching her like hawks, while Olga, seated beside the genius herself, was physically restraining her with several Astral Shroud tendrils whenever she looked ready to pounce.
“Yes,” I answered simply, causing Da Vinci to immediately begin muttering to herself about the countless possibilities while several tendrils from her Cyber Shroud busily documented everything.
“Though the abilities don't begin at the same level as the original owner. They'll start off weaker, but with enough training and experience they can eventually reach the same level, or even surpass it.”
Turning my attention to the girls who would be receiving their upgrades, I found all four sitting with a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation, though Rin was by far the easiest to read despite her best efforts to hide it.
She was trying so hard to look calm.
She was failing miserably.
One foot tapped repeatedly against the floor, her fingers drummed against her leg without pause, and she couldn't seem to sit still for more than a few seconds before shifting in her seat again, all while her eyes remained firmly locked on me as if silently demanding that I hurry up already.
It was honestly kind of amusing.
“Have all of you decided what you want?” I asked calmly before adding, “And remember what I told you back then. Compatibility plays a major role in how quickly you'll grow into your new abilities.”
All four nodded.
Back when I had first revealed this ability to them years ago, I had also explained that while I could grant them the abilities of almost anyone, I had noticed certain individuals they seemed especially compatible with and offered them a few suggestions.
For Sakura, those had been Parvati, Kama, the Sakura Five, and the various darker versions of herself.
For Rin, Ishtar, Ereshkigal, Kaleido Ruby, or even the version of herself who inherited Emiya's abilities.
For Illya, Sitonai or her Prisma counterpart.
And for Irisviel, either her corrupted Grail self or Kaleido Sapphire.
Of course, they had never been limited to those choices.
They were merely recommendations.
Unsurprisingly, Rin was the first to answer.
“Ishtar!” she blurted out before anyone else had the chance to speak. “I want Ishtar's powers!”
Her declaration echoed through the room, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
Only then did she seem to realize just how loudly she had spoken.
Her cheeks instantly turned bright red as she awkwardly coughed into her hand.
“Ahem... that is, if you don't mind, of course,” she added, desperately trying to salvage what little dignity she had left.
Unfortunately for her, it didn't work.
Illya immediately shot her a smug, teasing grin while Irisviel and the others looked at her with barely concealed amusement, causing Rin to puff out her cheeks and glare at them.
“Very well,” I said without commenting any further before turning toward the others.
“And the rest?”
“If it's alright with you, Senpai...” Sakura spoke up next, meeting my gaze with quiet determination. “I would like Kama's powers.”
Nodding once more, the next to speak was Illya, who stepped forward with a faint blush already coloring her cheeks.
“I want to be a magical girl,” she declared firmly despite her obvious embarrassment. “I heard they're some of the strongest people in the universe.”
Seeing that the tables had turned, Rin immediately shot her an amused smirk of her own.
“Oh? I wonder where you heard that from.” She grinned mischievously. “It couldn't possibly have anything to do with all those manga and light novels you're always reading, could it?”
“S-Shut up, gorilla!” Illya instantly fired back, glaring at her.
Naturally, Irisviel wasn't about to let an opportunity like this pass her by.
“Fufufu, there were definitely some interesting titles in your collection~” she teased with a hand over her mouth before smiling brightly. “Anyway, I'll become one too. That way my Illya and I can form a team together~ Magical girls always fight in teams, after all.”
“M-Mother! I don't need a team! And stop going through my things!” Illya cried in complete mortification.
“Aww, it's alright, sweetie~ You'll see. We're going to become the greatest magical girls in the world together.” Irisviel paid absolutely no attention to her daughter's protests as she happily pulled Illya into a hug, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
Watching the chaos unfold, I couldn't help but smile as I quietly opened my HUD beneath the table and purchased exactly what each of them had requested.
As for Illya and Irisviel, while I certainly could have given them the abilities of Kaleido Ruby and Sapphire, nothing prevented me from selecting magical girl Templates from entirely different worlds if they proved to be a better fit.
The moment I confirmed the purchases and bought both Template Stacking I & II for each of them, the room suddenly fell quiet as all four girls instinctively felt the new power settling within them and looked down at their hands in wonder.
While everyone was busy exploring their new abilities, an inexplicable shiver suddenly ran down my spine.
“Sieg-kun~”
A melodious voice practically purred my name.
The next thing I knew, a blur of brown hair launched itself straight at me.
Fortunately, Tamamo and Mash were already nearby.
With practiced speed, Tamamo's tails shot forward and caught Da Vinci in midair before she could complete her surprise attack.
“Back away, you shameless pervert!” Tamamo huffed. “If anyone gets to pounce on Darling, it's me as his official girlfriend and future first wife!”
Before I could react, she grabbed the back of my head and firmly buried my face against her chest, apparently deciding this was the safest way to keep me away from Da Vinci.
‘...I have a feeling it's going to take Tamamo a very long time to get used to Da Vinci's antics,’ I thought to myself, secretly finding my current predicament rather pleasant.
After all, I doubted many men would complain about being pulled into their girlfriend's embrace.
=====
Day Later
With everyone busy making the final preparations before our departure for the next Singularity, I decided to spend what little free time I had with Eri whenever I wasn't training with Scáthach or sparring against one, or more often both, Artorias.
Eri had brought a much-needed sense of warmth back to Chaldea ever since our arrival.
Despite her young age, she seemed to instinctively realize that everyone around her was carrying heavy hearts after everything that had happened, and in her own innocent way she had made it her personal mission to cheer everyone up however she could.
That, of course, was through playing music with her ukulele.
Watching Eri do her best while strumming away with surprising skill considering how little time she had been practicing, all while singing with all her heart, had done wonders for everyone's mood and gradually brought some much-needed life back to Chaldea.
Whenever I had the time, I would even join her on the keyboard since carrying around an entire piano everywhere wasn't exactly practical.
Now, with only a few hours remaining before we departed for our first real challenge, I decided to spend as much time with her as possible after noticing that she had quietly become nervous once she realized this mission would be far more dangerous than the last.
Since everyone else was busy making their final preparations, Mash, Sakura, Eri, and I continued a small tradition I had started with her by spending the afternoon watching a movie together inside my Demiplane with more than enough snacks to go around.
Curled up comfortably in Eri's lap was the little menace known as Fou, who had somehow grown incredibly attached to her, with Eri returning that affection just as wholeheartedly.
This time, the movie of choice was Babe.
A true classic and, in my opinion, one of the perfect films for children.
Throughout most of the movie, I found myself watching Eri almost as much as the screen itself, quietly pleased whenever I saw her eyes light up or heard her laugh since it confirmed that she was genuinely enjoying it.
If I was being honest, movie nights were still a fairly new experience for me as well.
I enjoyed them just as much as she did.
By the time the credits rolled, Eri slowly turned toward me with sparkling eyes before shyly opening her mouth.
“Sieg-san... can we get a pet?” she asked quietly while looking at me with wide, hopeful eyes.
I raised an eyebrow before subtly glancing toward Fou, who still hadn't left her lap, silently thinking that as far as pets went, he ranked pretty highly in both cuteness and strength.
Seeing that she was patiently waiting for my answer, I smiled before gently patting her head.
“Sure thing, Princess~ We'll look for one as soon as we get back from our mission.”
The answer immediately brought a wide grin to Eri's face, proudly showing off the gap where she had lost one of her baby teeth a few days earlier and somehow making her look even cuter.
Her happiness, however, slowly faded as a worried expression crept onto her face, though she quickly tried to hide it after noticing I was still watching her.
Smiling softly, I pulled her onto my lap while Mash and Sakura quietly observed the interaction without interrupting.
“It'll be alright, Eri-chan,” I reassured her gently as she grabbed the front of my shirt. “Before you know it, we'll be back... and we'll probably have made some new friends too.”
“…Okay,” Eri whispered after a moment before looking up at me with a slightly watery smile. “I'll wait for everyone.”
Returning her smile, I gently wiped away the few tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes before the four of us left the movie room, with Mash and Sakura naturally joining in to reassure her until she was smiling brightly again.
By the end, her worries had all but disappeared.
I considered that a success.
Later that day, just before our departure, Eri eventually fell asleep in Aoi's arms and would remain behind in Chaldea alongside Irisviel, Rin, Illya, Sakura, Da Vinci, Olga, and Lancelot.
Some of them hadn't been happy about staying behind, but since they had all chosen to reject becoming Masters too busy trying to get accustomed to their newly acquired abilities, there wasn't much room for argument.
Besides, Chaldea still required extensive repairs, and every extra pair of hands made a difference.
=====
First Singularity — New Orleans
Opening my eyes beneath a brilliant blue sky, warm sunlight greeted my face as the familiar sensation of Rayshifting slowly faded from my body.
Yet despite everything around me, there was only one thought occupying my mind.
I'm finally here, Jeanne.