A soft feeling.
Something rich and soft filled my right hand.
"Mmm..."
Squish, squish.
The feeling was still there.
If I remembered correctly, I was on my computer, then played on my phone before falling asleep.
This sensation was quite different from my wrist pad.
How should I put it? It was soft, and felt like human skin...
I felt like I was on the verge of a realization, but not quite there.
As my eyes opened to the soft sensation, I was greeted by the sight of a chest, so large I couldn't tell if they were melons or watermelons.
"Whoa-ahhh!?"
I shot up from my position. As I did, I finally understood what it was.
"Wait!? Tiamat?"
Tiamat, who had been lying on the floor, opened her eyes and spoke.
"Ah, child. You're awake."
"...You're Tiamat, right?"
"Yes, that's right, child. Could you tell me why I'm here?"
"I don't know either."
"?"
And so, our first meeting was also one filled with questions.
I paused for a moment, looking at the back of my right hand, which was tingling.
'Command Spells? Have I been chosen for the Holy Grail War?'
"I see... so you were chosen as a Master?"
Hey, why are you the one asking the questions?
I wondered if she shouldn't have received some sort of backup data, but I decided to ask Tiamat first.
"Excuse me, do you know about the Holy Grail War? I thought you would have received some information about the Grail as a backup?"
"Hmm...? I don't know about any backup, but I am alive, child."
Alive? Does that mean she's in an incarnated state?
"So, you can't enter Spirit Form? What about your horns?"
"Ah, I think I can make the horns as small as possible."
"I see... And your magical energy?"
"Mmm... Mama is overflowing with magical energy."
This is where I felt something was off.
"Does that mean your magical energy isn't connected to mine? The Command Spells aren't linked to you?"
She nodded.
"Probably?"
Probably? Why is she so full of questions?
"...What do we eat now?"
"Mama is sorry she can't produce breast milk."
I wasn't asking for that, but anyway, I rummaged through my pockets.
I had fallen asleep in some casual spring clothes with my smartphone, so there were no issues there.
"The problem is cash..."
I was someone who never used cash and always paid by card, but now...
I took out the card from my smartphone case and examined it.
"Huh? My Resident Card is in here?"
Looking at it, my name was Akira, with a birthdate listed as December 17, 1976.
"What's the current year?"
I turned on my smartphone. The screen showed January 1, 1995, 11:31 PM.
"...Isn't a smartphone in this era proof that I'm in another world?"
Something was definitely twisted here, but it didn't matter.
This time period was when Fate/Zero was about to begin. The Command Spells proved I was chosen as a Master, and with Tiamat by my side, I was undoubtedly safe.
'The problem is that Tiamat is incarnated. She isn't a Servant, but a living being...'
I didn't know if she was nerfed, but she didn't have the aura of a Beast, which was a relief. On the other hand, it was uncertain if she would still lose to Gilgamesh.
It all depended on the limits of her abilities and her level of durability, but for now, I had to assess the situation.
The next problem was what kind of Servants would appear.
If I could just find the serial killer, a Caster summoning would be guaranteed, but I had no idea where he could be.
"But do I even have magical energy?"
"Child, you hold magical energy too. It's not a lot, but you have a fair amount."
"Is that so?"
First, it seemed I had to do something about our clothes.
Tiamat had shrunk her horns, but her chest and her outfit were a significant problem.
'Will my card even work for payments?'
It was a black card, different from the one I usually used. I had no idea what kind of card it was, so I figured I'd find out by trying to make a payment.
"Please hide for a moment. I'm going to the convenience store."
"My apologies."
"No, there's nothing to be sorry about. I'm just as confused about why I'm here as you are."
"I see..."
With that, I went to a Japanese convenience store.
"Welcome!"
I picked up a piece of gum and went to pay.
It was a 20-yen piece of bubble gum.
Ding~
I checked my smartphone.
Convenience Store: -20 JPY
Remaining Balance: 999,980 JPY.
I was relieved that I could at least buy things.
"Excuse me, could you tell me where the women's underwear and clothes are?"
"Huh? Women's clothes?"
"Yes, her clothes got wet, so she needs a new set."
The female employee seemed to understand. She put down her phone and said:
"What size does she need?"
"The largest size you have, please. As big as possible."
The employee gasped and lowered her head.
A short while later, I was able to purchase some underwear and clothes, and I paid for them.
Convenience Store: -1,124 JPY
Remaining Balance: 998,856 JPY.
"Please come again..."
I could see the despair in the part-timer's eyes.
'Hang in there...'
I returned to where Tiamat was waiting. She waved her hand and greeted me.
"You're back?"
"Please put this on."
"Alright... I am sorry..."
"It's fine."
Tiamat put on the clothes, but they were incredibly tight.
"This is quite uncomfortable, but I can't control my body yet, so I suppose I must endure it..."
"Please bear with it for a little while. We'll have to go to a proper clothing store later."
"I'm sorry..."
The apologetic look on Tiamat's face made me feel like I had done something wrong.
No, it was more like she was the one at fault.
We found a nearby motel and decided to stay there.
Love Hotel: -3,800 JPY
Remaining Balance: 995,056 JPY.
The text messages kept coming.
Then, Tiamat and I washed up together.
"Aaaaaah, this is warm..."
"Of course it is, it's hot water."
We were washing together, but I didn't feel anything romantic.
It truly felt like she was a mother.
"Will you show me your back? Mama will scrub it for you."
"Huh? Um..."
She had an expression that said she would cry if I refused, so I had no choice but to nod.
Tiamat beamed a wide smile and began scrubbing my back. Afterwards, we ended up sleeping in the same bed, but this was a different kind of experience in a different sense.
I was intoxicated by a fragrant scent that made my heart pound, but I then passed out from suffocation by her chest. And so, I died...
No, I was just on the verge of death.
Unlike being embraced to death by Artoria Lancer, this was more like experiencing a gentle suffocation.
Tiamat seemed completely unaware of what had happened. When I woke up, she was completely naked.
"What is this?"
"Aaaa, you're awake? I'm sorry, the clothes I was wearing were a bit too uncomfortable to sleep in, so I had to take them off."
"..."
I had to admit the truth.
I hadn't checked the sizes carefully at the convenience store, but it was their largest size, so there was a clear limit. For anything bigger, we'd have to go to a proper lingerie or clothing store.
"Let's go buy you proper clothes first."
"I am sorry..."
Her expression seemed to say, "I'm sorry for relying on you," which I found a bit absurd, but I had enough money for now. As long as we didn't buy luxury clothes, my funds wouldn't take a major hit.
Running out of money before the Holy Grail War even starts would be proof that you're an idiot.
With nearly a million yen, I could last at least three months with plenty to spare.
After that, I'd have to get help from Kiritsugu or someone, but would a man who sacrifices the few to save the many even help us?
It was highly likely he'd just use us as disposable pawns and cast us aside.
The future star of London was destined to be buried in debt anyway... It seemed there was no one I could trust.
Besides, as a normal person who knew nothing about magecraft, I didn't even know how to draw a summoning circle.
'Wait, if I have my smartphone, can't I access the databases from my time?'
I immediately searched for "Fate Servant summoning."
A magic circle appeared.
There was no explanation, but the fact that the circle showed up felt like the world itself was urging me to participate in the Holy Grail War.
After learning the summoning circle, I set out to buy the materials and, at the same time, to buy clothes for Tiamat.
Men who couldn't take their eyes off Tiamat's ample chest were a common sight, often getting their heads smashed by their girlfriends or wives.
Meanwhile, Tiamat was using my back as a chest rest.
"That lucky bastard! Did he save the country or something?"
"The world is so damn unfair!"
"I curse you. I curse you, you bastard!"
It felt like I was already hearing Lancer's famous curse, but I was the one taking all the flak for Tiamat's appearance.
"Don't pay them any mind, child..."
"Okay..."
I just kept heading toward our destination.