Chapter 139 A Female Ghost Before the King's Tomb
At the entrance of a Japanese restaurant adorned with red square lanterns, diners came and went. Inside the private room, the Senseis and students chatted while eating, sharing amusing incidents from their respective schools. Time passed quickly, and once everyone finished eating, they prepared to leave.
At that moment, Takishō-Sensei said to Shirou: "Tomorrow is Sunday, still a day off. Hiratsuka-sensei and we will go to the school to say hello. Shirou-kun, you can stay at the hotel and rest well. The day after tomorrow, there will be an archery demonstration, and some students might challenge you, so make sure to perform well."
"We're looking forward to your performance, Shirou-kun," Sawako said with a smile.
"Understood, I'll do my best," Shirou nodded, though in his heart he knew there were more important matters to attend to—dealing with the Black Mud Servants. Since he had a whole day, Shirou decided he would contact Da Vinci and depart that very night.
Afterwards, everyone strolled along the river back toward the school. Because there were no walls, the view inside was visible from afar: all Western-style buildings surrounded by large trees.
Within the campus, there was a slender blue-and-white tower, a gymnasium on the other side, and reportedly an archery range. The day after tomorrow, Shirou would perform kyūdō (Japanese archery) here for the art students, possibly holding a competition as well.
"See you the day after tomorrow, Shirou," the male students said as they walked toward the dormitory building on the left.
"Bye, Shirou," the female students waved; the girls' dormitory was on the far right, deeper into the campus.
"Okay, goodbye," Shirou waved back.
He was then escorted back to the hotel, while the three Senseis planned to go for another round of drinks.
Once back in his room, Shirou took out his phone and contacted Chaldea.
Mash's 3D projection appeared.
"Shirou-senpai, you've worked hard. How have you been recently?"
Shirou smiled at the pink-haired junior and said, "I'm fine, Mash. Thank you for helping us these past days, cleaning up the beasts in this world."
"Yes! Yes! Shirou-senpai, what about me? What about me?" Gudako ran out, asking eagerly.
"Aren't you always at Chaldea?" Shirou asked.
Gudako held up her phone: "But I've been trying every day to roll for you, Senpai! Like Jeanne Alter! Ishtar Rin! Ereshkigal Rin! The Sakura Squad! As soon as I get them, we can make a big family!"
"Go practice your magecraft properly!" Shirou told her.
"Hi, Shirou! How's it feeling in Britain?" Da Vinci appeared from the 3D projection, smiling.
"All good, ready for battle anytime," Shirou replied.
"Da Vinci, just explain the current situation directly," Shirou said.
Sensing his resolve, Da Vinci nodded. "Since you're ready, Shirou! The location is Glastonbury Castle. I've already arranged for assistance. Go there and meet up with her."
"Understood. I'll depart now." Shirou took a black coat from his suitcase, put it on, and left the hotel.
Under the cover of night, he projected an invisibility cloak, avoided the crowds, and quietly ran toward the southwestern suburbs. The city already had a small population; leaving the urban area, there were hardly any houses. He then projected flying shoes, leaped over a small hill, becoming a tiny black dot in the sky, heading twenty kilometers away.
On a grassy hillside stood a dilapidated building with broken gray-white walls and remaining stone pillars, some rooms with only two or three walls. It was clear this had once been a magnificent cathedral, though now the area was used by farmers to graze goats.
Advancing further, Shirou approached the Arthurian tomb. He felt a strange sense of nostalgia, memories from his previous life flooding back.
In his previous life, he and Tohsaka had come to Bristol just for this place. Unexpectedly, he returned here in another world.
From the other side came an angry, boyish voice: "Who the hell are you!? Why are you showing that nostalgic expression at the King's tomb!? I'll kill you!"
It was a wild, blonde girl with a high ponytail, dressed in a red jacket over a white cropped top, denim shorts held by a belt.
"Girl? What are you doing here alone at night?" Shirou asked, puzzled.
"You dare call me a girl again, and I'll kill you!" she shouted, her wild magical energy bursting out, her body becoming somewhat translucent.
"Okay, okay, calm down! Don't waste your magical power! Your current state is unstable, or you'll disappear!" Da Vinci's projection appeared, repeatedly warning.
"Shirou, this is the partner I selected for this mission. The previous battle was extremely dangerous, and this time the magical energy magnitude exceeds all prior enemies—several times that of Li Shuwen back then. So I've arranged for a Chaldea Servant to assist you. With a
local hero and the Holy Grail function, the Servant can appear in a limited form. Once outside this dimensional space, it will be cut off, so Shirou, make a contract with her," Da Vinci explained.
Summoning a Servant in this world had been nearly impossible. However, inspired by the miniature world Li Shuwen had constructed during the Lushan battle, which summoned local Servants related to that place, Da Vinci now used a similar method in Britain's magical space to transmit a Chaldea Servant here.
Limitations applied: the Servant must be a well-known local hero, linked to the area, and within a 100 km radius; otherwise, they would vanish. Through Da Vinci's genius, the Servant Mordred successfully arrived.
"Servant…" Shirou appraised the tomboyish, wild girl. Her chest rose slightly, her revealing attire clearly feminine. Indeed, there are gender identity variations in this world, and Servants sometimes alter their forms, appearing in a different gender. Some male Servants even inhabit female bodies.
Since this was her request, Shirou looked at the girl with curiosity.
"So… you're actually… a boy?"
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