Chapter 332: Bazett's First Appearance!
In the Nasuverse, Bazett was always branded as the classic "easy-to-trick musclehead."
Shinji often suspected that if not for her absurdly high combat ability, her story might have devolved into some very questionable Nhentai XXX kind of scenario long ago.
And because her raw power was that overwhelming, unless you were at Kotomine's level, even if you managed to trick her, landing a sneak attack would still be a hell-level challenge.
Not that Shinji ever had such "delightful plot developments" in mind.
On the contrary—he hated trouble more than anything. If he ever pushed this woman too far, she'd probably chase him down from Ryuudou Temple all the way to Fuyuki Bridge.
How was he supposed to build his film empire in Fuyuki with a berserker like her breathing down his neck?
Still, the fact that Bazett was so gullible worked to Shinji's advantage. It meant roping her into things was a lot easier.
In this parallel world, however, Bazett's workplace situation hadn't improved much at all. If anything, she'd grown even more isolated.
On the surface, with the decline of Mystery worldwide, one would think a battle-oriented magus like her would be in higher demand.
But reality was cruel. The fall of Mystery had made the whole concept of "Sealing Designations" unprofitable. After all, once you sealed a magus, their research could never advance further.
Nowadays, magus across the globe were so desperate to squeeze out the last drops of thaumaturgy that anyone with even a flicker of new progress was considered too valuable to seal.
The only ones still slapped with Sealing Designations were either decrepit old relics on death's doorstep, or dangerous lunatics with zero regard for humanity.
And honestly? Even those so-called "dangerous magi" were at a level where one well-placed bullet from Kiritsugu could solve the problem.
In such a world, the so-called "elite combat forces" of the Association barely had a stage to shine on.
Sure, people like Bazett were still needed on rare occasions for serious threats. But those cases were few and far between. The rest of the time, she was little more than a decorative warhead—impressive on paper, but left to collect dust.
Her frosty, aloof demeanor—though in truth just her inability to interact with others—only made her colleagues keep their distance even more.
In other timelines, at least she had Kotomine to talk to.
But in this world? She didn't even know the man. She didn't have a single person she could call a friend.
Originally, when Shinji made his request to the Association, he'd only wanted the rights to use Bazett's likeness. His plan was to just cast Rider in the role.
After all, she was also a purple-haired powerhouse. Who cared which badass woman played which part?
But the Association had a different idea. Upon hearing the request, they simply kicked Bazett herself out.
According to the higher-ups of the Sealing Designation Department: "She's just sitting there unused most of the time anyway. Might as well put her to work as a publicity piece for our image."
And since Bazett never really knew how to refuse an assignment, she was shipped off to Fuyuki before she even realized what was happening—suddenly part of the Fate/Kaleid Liner Magical Illya production team.
Bazett herself didn't really resist the idea. Work was work, no matter where it was.
Besides, Shinji was offering decent pay. And more importantly, she'd get the chance to meet the idol she had admired since childhood—Cu Chulainn.
It sounded like a dream come true.
But when she finally arrived in Fuyuki, Bazett quickly discovered something shocking: the gap between the hero she had worshipped all her life and the reality standing before her was… immeasurable.
Not "a little different." Not even "worlds apart."
We're talking the difference between Conan Edogawa and Hachishaku-sama in height.
In her imagination, Cu Chulainn was a tragic hero—someone weighed down by deep regrets over his fate.
Her obsession with him came from that brilliance of a man doomed to a sorrowful end.
As a child, she had even dreamed that, if given the chance, she could "save him."
But now, standing before a living, breathing Cu Chulainn, Bazett realized the cruel truth:
The so-called tragic hero was actually… a carefree optimist.
Cu Chulainn wasn't just a carefree goof in his daily life—he even carried that unserious, irreverent attitude into critical moments.
But to Bazett, his number one fangirl, this wasn't foolishness at all.
What others saw as clownish antics, she interpreted as freedom.
Yes, even though he was utterly different from the tragic hero she had always imagined, Bazett still, without hesitation, became his devoted admirer.
To her, a man who could endure such a wretched fate and yet still remain so lighthearted—that was true strength.
And wasn't that the very same quality that had once made her trust Kotomine?
Strength. Resilience. An unshakable will.
So now that she had found that same trait in the man in blue tights, it was only natural that she'd grow fond of him too.
Of course, Bazett wasn't about to throw away her professionalism and turn into some brainless idol-chasing fangirl.
She drew a clear line between work and private life.
In fact, thanks to her overly serious personality—so serious she didn't even know how to smile—her cold, expressionless demeanor translated perfectly on screen.
Play the role of an icy, powerful beauty? She wasn't even acting. It was just her natural self.
As long as her fellow cast members played along, she almost never needed retakes. With just a few shots, she embodied her character flawlessly—the chill and raw power radiating through the TV screen.
"Didn't think it would be her..."
Alice's voice dropped a notch as she watched Bazett wielding runes on screen.
After all, as a descendant of the Knights of the Red Branch, Bazett was already a well-known Rune magus in the Association.
And along with her reputation for overwhelming strength came the rumors: cold, ruthless, unapproachable. Even someone like Alice, tucked away in the Far East, had heard the whispers.
The idea of approaching Bazett to learn runes? Unrealistic. Far more practical to ask Shinji for online lessons instead.
Bazett's frosty image was so deeply ingrained in everyone's mind that no one could imagine this walking weapon of a woman being anything close to approachable.
And Rin, who was secretly observing the battle within the show, felt the same.
"There's no way to take this woman head-on…"
Even from just that brief glimpse of the fight, Rin had already sized up the enemy's power with frightening accuracy.
"Sorry, Luvia… but I'll have to use you as bait."
She didn't even hesitate before throwing her "best friend" to the wolves.
But the battle's pace was much faster than Rin anticipated. Before she could even finish forming a counter-strategy, Bazett was already moving to the next stage.
"Honestly, you're disappointing me."
As she spoke, Bazett tugged her rune-engraved gloves tight, signaling her readiness to attack.
Unlike the flamboyant poses of tokusatsu heroes, her prep stance was clean, efficient, and lightning-quick.
And yet, that simplicity carried weight. The memory of her casually tossing a sofa moments earlier made it impossible to doubt—when Bazett's fists landed, they could kill.
"I've heard Lord El-Melloi entrusted you with a certain Mystic Code. Why don't you bring it out? Or is it…"
Her sharp eyes narrowed.
"…that you can't use it?"
"…Hmph."
Of course Luvia knew she had guessed correctly. But letting slip that she had lost such an important family heirloom? Absolutely unthinkable.
Still, if there was one thing a noble heiress excelled at, it was posturing.
"I have no need of it."
Dozens of gems flared to life around her, their dazzling colors painting her fair face with a radiant glow.
"That," Bazett acknowledged with a slow nod, "is the standard answer."
Her gaze sharpened, and her tone grew heavier.
"I see now. The Edelfelt heiress truly does have pride. But I'll tell you what I see in your attitude…"
Bazett slid into her stance, announcing her judgment with the certainty of a hammer falling.
"…nothing but arrogance and conceit!"
The clash of gems and fists exploded through the Edelfelt mansion, shaking its very foundations.
From her hiding spot, Rin had no time to think—the only choice was to seize the moment and dash into the fray.
BOOM!
A thunderous crash roared out, the same sound Illya and Chloe had heard just minutes earlier.
By now, the two sisters had already followed the noise to Luvia's front gates. But thanks to the bounded field cloaking the mansion, they couldn't see anything inside.
Still, there was no mistaking it—the earlier surge of mana and that bone-rattling impact were real. Something was absolutely going on inside.
"I'm opening it," Chloe muttered, giving a quick warning before slowly pushing the heavy door ajar.
And then, the expressions of Illya, Chloe, and the audience beyond the screen all lined up in perfect synchronization.
If before the Edelfelt home had looked like a condemned building… now it was pure rubble, nothing more than a wasteland.
This wasn't a matter of whether anyone could still live there. No—anyone who laid eyes on the devastation could only think one thing: Rebuild. And quickly.
From Aoko's point of view, the structure had lost all right to be called a house—unless the Edelfelts really intended to show Japanese society what kind of "housing conditions" the people of the Middle East endured.
But cutting through the wreckage, standing out in stark contrast to the ruins, was a single figure: a woman in a crisp suit, striding with sharp, deliberate steps toward the entrance.
"The perimeter wards never sounded an intruder alarm."
Bazett's voice was calm, her analysis precise even as she walked.
"You two may look like children, but I'd wager you're connected to this incident."
Her eyes narrowed.
"If you've come as reinforcements… you're too late."
'This woman is…'
Illya froze, her mind reeling too fast to piece together the situation.
But Bazett, the consummate professional whose mission came above all else, had no time for hesitation—let alone something like the "Juvenile Protection Act."
Her creed was simple: Talk less, punch more.
Without warning, she clenched her rune-etched gloves and charged straight at the two little lolis.
Thankfully, Chloe—empowered by her fusion with Archer's card—was far more dependable than Illya. Before Bazett's strike could land, she had already projected Kanshou and Bakuya into her hands.
Clang!
The sheer force of Bazett's punch rattled Chloe's arms, sending a wave of numbness up to her shoulders. She almost dropped her blades.
"B-barehanded?!"
Chloe voiced the same thought running through every viewer's mind.
"Is this woman even human?!"
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