After walking for a while, Gudako collapsed, drenched in sweat.
"I'm so tired, we should take a break, Director..."
"WE JUST RESTED LIKE ONE MINUTE AGO!" Olga snapped in frustration.
"But I'm really tired. You're tired too, right, Mash?"
"S-Senpai, lying isn't a good idea—"
Before she could finish, Gudako gave Mash the intense red glare of a Berserker.
"Mash, stop lying to yourself. You're tired, right?"
"I-I'M TIRED!!"
"See, Director? Even Mash agrees with me!"
"YOU THREATENED HER!" Olga shouted, pointing at Gudako, who casually looked away and whistled.
"Nura, you're tired too, right?" Gudako switched her focus to her new Servant,
Only to find him casually cuddling Fou, not paying attention at all.
'Oh come on,' Gudako thought, then flopped onto the ground.
"How are you even still alive?" Olga sighed, covering her face, exhausted by her.
To be honest, before all this happened, she would always sleep during my lectures.
And even worse—she slept with her eyes open. Sometimes even standing!
But the moment I started talking about summoning Heroic Spirits, she was suddenly awake... with a really weird expression.
How do I describe it? Like a chibi drawing that just begged to be punched...
And when I introduced the Servant classes, her face looked like a jacked bodybuilder upon hearing the word "Saber."
She started to wonder if this 48th Master was even human...
"Master, an enemy is approaching," Nura suddenly stood up, stepping in front of everyone.
"Huh?! An enemy? Where?!" Olga asked, alarmed.
"Over there."
A flying kick shot toward them. Nura quickly drew his short katana to block it.
The attacker leaped back—it was a rather sexy figure with long purple hair and a tattered black cloak.
"Mash, support me. The enemy is a Servant," Nura said, making Mash worry.
"OH GOD, LOOK AT THAT BODY!!" Gudako roared, drooling like crazy, terrifying Olga.
The enemy Servant said nothing but emitted a fearsome dark aura.
"Miss, instead of fighting this meaningless battle, how about we sit down for a drink? I'm sure you don't want to fight either, right?" Nura tried to persuade her gently.
"..."
"Hey, I don't think she wants to talk, Assassin!" Olga warned.
"That's a problem. She's clearly stronger than me—her kick wasn't a joke," Nura admitted, sticking out his tongue.
What the hell?! If he can't beat her, who will??
A scythe slashed toward his neck—but his neck turned into black smoke as it passed through.
"!" The Servant seemed surprised. She suddenly realized she couldn't sense his presence anymore.
Then, Mash charged forward with her shield to push the enemy back.
The woman grabbed the shield and leaped into the air, surprising Mash.
She then tried to strike from behind—
"Not so fast."
At that moment, she was slashed across the stomach.
She clutched her wound, landed, and stared at the forming black mist.
"WELL DONE, NURA! I'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE MOONCH MOONCH I CAN!" Gudako pouted her lips.
Nura stared blankly at her.
"Even if I'm an Assassin, and I'm expected to be weaker than her... she's oddly weak for someone of her class. Is that dark aura affecting her?"
"I was corrupted by the Holy Grail," the woman finally spoke, surprising the girls.
"Oh, so you can talk. I thought you were a Berserker or something," he teased, making her glare.
"Then why did you attack us? Was it because we have Servants?" Gudako scratched her head.
Everyone stared at her, making her nervous.
'Master, isn't that obvious?'
"Woah?! Why is your voice in my head??"
Huh… why is she even here if she doesn't know anything?
"Someone gave me an order... and I couldn't disobey," the enemy Servant said, making everyone go silent.
"Someone gave the order? There's someone behind this?" Mash asked, but then noticed glowing particles emitting from the woman's body.
"W-What?! You're dying?! But that was only one attack!" Olga was shocked, then turned to Gudako's new Servant.
"It was a sneak attack—hit a weak spot. Got lucky too," he explained.
Makes sense...
As her body started to fade, she looked into the distance sadly.
'I'm sorry... I couldn't save you.'
Then she vanished.
"Oh, Saint Quartz! Gotta grab that!" Gudako ran to where the Spirit disappeared, picked something up, and happily put it in her pouch.
She really knows how to ruin the moment.
"Oh? You dealt with that easily? Looks like this Holy Grail War won't be so simple," a man's voice rang out.
Mash and Nura moved in front of Olga and Gudako, watching the newcomer cautiously.
"Relax, I come in peace. Trust me?"
"TRUST YOU MY ASS!! KILL HIM, NURA!!" Gudako shouted, pointing.
"Calm down, Master. Maybe he's friendly? He does seem nice," Nura said softly.
"Ayy, I knew you were that kind of guy. Fist bump?"
"No thanks, but I appreciate it."
"That's the spirit I like."
Olga stared at him and suddenly realized something.
"Are you a Caster?"
"Oh? You figured out my class? Is my outfit that obvious?"
"Absolutely," they all replied in unison.
"Eh, whatever. If I had Gae Bolg, no one would even guess." He smirked dryly.
"Gae Bolg?! Then you're—?!" Olga widened her eyes, staring at him.
He smiled like his ego had just been flattered.
"Heh, that's right, I'm—"
"MARIO MARIO!" Gudako pointed straight at him.
...
"...You know what? I regret ever using that name back when I was a Lancer."
And so the group began to exchange information.
Caster revealed that this place had been the stage of a rather intense Holy Grail War.
Suddenly, an unknown individual appeared, tainting the Grail and killing all the Masters — including his own.
Both Archer and Saber were corrupted by the Grail, and now they were guarding it fiercely.
Saber alone had already killed Assassin and Rider effortlessly.
Unlike most Servants who weakened after corruption, she seemed to have grown stronger.
Or perhaps it was because her Master had died, driving her into madness...
"Anyway, that's just a theory. Saber's always been strong, corrupted or not~" Caster added cheerfully — though it wasn't exactly reassuring.
"So... we'll have to fight Saber?" Mash asked anxiously.
"Don't worry, everyone!" Gudako stood triumphantly on a small rock. The four others looked up at her.
"Even if Baeber or whatever is some ultimate threat, she's NOTHING compared to MY GRAND ASSASSIN SERVANT — NURARIHYON!!"
"Whoa, you're a Grand Assassin? I had no idea," Caster nudged Nura with his elbow. Nura just smiled politely.
"Master, I appreciate your trust in me... but I don't think I can defeat Saber."
"Huh?! Why not?! You easily took down other Servants, and you have your... uhhh... Oh right! NP!"
"It's Noble Phantasm! Stop abbreviating it like that!" Olga snapped.
Hearing that, Nura smiled again.
"My Noble Phantasm... is sealed. I wouldn't stand a chance."
...
"Well... I hope I can gacha Baeber in my next life somehow."