---o---
Wendy, an A-rank Valkyrie from Schicksal's Oceania Branch and a candidate for S-rank.
The first test subject of the Artificial Herrscher Project.
Her corresponding Herrscher attribute is Wind.
Her ability allows her to make fluids approach the state of an "ideal fluid"—the theoretical strongest spear and shield in physics. In theory, if her ability were pushed to its absolute limit, she could directly create ideal fluids.
However, because her grasp of physics is touchingly bad, her current control over her power is limited to manipulating air and liquids; she cannot yet make fluids shift towards their ideal state.
In terms of combat performance, she could probably be considered a high-spec Wind Wolf who can throw a Rasenshuriken.
Her greatest hobby is flying and feeling the rhythm of the wind.
Her other hobbies include performing ethnic dances and singing the folk songs of her homeland.
She is soft-spoken, and her personality is very similar to Seele's—a polite, gentle, but not cowardly girl.
In almost an instant, a certain someone recalled all the information on the girl standing before him.
"Long time no see, Wendy."
The young man, who had always been on good terms with Wendy, greeted the girl who had appeared at his office door at some unknown time—the Strongest Herrscher, Barbatos.
"Long time no see, Han."
The girl, who had learned his name was simply "Han" when they first talked on the boat, greeted him politely.
Then, she looked past him with her unique eyes, her gaze falling upon the other person in the office.
A woman who looked utterly seductive.
Smooth, ash-blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders.
Her wine-red eyes were brimming with charm.
Her ample chest strained against the high-quality fabric of her clothes, creating a full curve. Her long, slender legs were covered in black stockings of a decidedly low denier, faintly revealing the graceful shade of her skin.
Why is Lady Rita in Han's office?
For some reason, a sense of crisis arose in the girl's heart.
Although she currently had no special relationship with Han and shouldn't be showing any such feelings...
But—seeing the person she liked so much together with a super-hot older-sister type... who could possibly endure that?
And besides... this woman wasn't an Artificial Herrscher, was she?
For the girl who was no longer satisfied with the status of "just a friend," alarm bells went off in her mind.
The lover of Chaldea's Director could only be a Herrscher. This was a common understanding among the people of Schicksal.
The reason was simple.
The Divine Key, Jizo Mitama, was the core of the Artificial Herrscher Project. When operating at maximum intensity, that Divine Key exhibited the effect of influencing the emotions of others. As its master, Li Zihan could easily amplify the perceptions others had of him.
Therefore, for anyone who had undergone the Artificial Herrscher experiment, their positive emotions towards him would be magnified to some extent.
If he himself were a character with little charm, the effect wouldn't be significant.
But—
This guy had never been lacking in the charm department.
He was handsome, possessed extraordinary talent in the field of scientific research, held a high status in various major organizations, and was a formidable fighter.
Ignoring his personality, he was a nearly perfect individual.
After spending some time with him, it was very easy for a girl to develop feelings for him.
And with Jizo Mitama amplifying those feelings...
This guy was, in fact, a genuine Herrscher-killer.
To be loved by multiple Herrschers.
It was easy to imagine that the destiny of Chaldea's Director was fundamentally tied to Herrschers.
All the Artificial Herrschers, with the sole exception of the Herrscher of Thunder—Raiden Mei—were aware of this.
But Rita's appearance made Miss Wendy's heart race with panic.
Just competing with the other Artificial Herrschers for him was already difficult enough. Now another Valkyrie was in the mix? This was getting out of hand.
"Excuse me, Lady Rita, what is your relationship with Han?"
For a rare moment, the ever-polite Miss Wendy broached a topic that was actually quite blunt.
"I'm his maid, you see."
Miss Rita, who had chosen being fired over being exiled to Siberia, chuckled lightly, her smile bewitching.
That smile was so dazzling that even Wendy, a girl herself, was stunned by its beauty.
Then, her entire being went on high alert.
If all the maids were like Lady Rita, then the lady of the house would probably be sleeping alone in a king-sized bed every night.
It was a scenario that was not difficult to imagine.
However, Miss Wendy was not the lady of the house, so even though she was unhappy, she could only swallow her feelings.
"By the way, did you need me for something?" the young man asked, looking at the girl who had shown up out of the blue, his tone slightly curious.
Hearing the young man's question, the girl started to stammer.
She liked Han.
That was an undeniable fact.
They were originally very good friends, but under the catalysis of the Divine Key known as Jizo Mitama, that friendship had long since transformed.
Now, it should be called adoration.
The girl, who was no fool when it came to matters of the heart, thought to herself silently.
But how was she supposed to express this friendship that had already changed its nature?
It was a difficult problem.
And confessing so suddenly would seem too hasty, wouldn't it?
Wendy's mind felt chaotic.
She had already planned it all out: how to create an environment with just the two of them, and then quietly explain her friendship for him and the feelings of love that had blossomed from it.
If the confession was successful, it would be followed by a passionate kiss, a date, and perhaps even spending the night together.
If she failed, well then...
She would prepare for the next confession.
The girl, gentle but not cowardly, and certainly not one to run from her emotions, took a deep breath to calm herself. Then she looked at the young man and spoke.
"Han, would you be willing to have a cup of tea with me and then see a dance performance?"
"Let's go to the same opera house we went to before."
Watch the performance together, critique the dancer's movements together, and then applaud when the curtain falls...
And finally—
She would hold onto Han, not letting him leave.
After everyone else had gone, she would confess her feelings to him.
This was what she had to do.
Not as the Herrscher of Wind, but simply as a young woman from New Zealand.
Then, a voice laced with apology reached the girl's ears, and her heart sank in an instant.
"Um, I probably don't have time for that."
The young man, who was about to head to another world to clash with the likes of Goetia and Tiamat, apologized. "I have a mission I need to carry out."
"Is it very urgent?" the girl asked after a moment of silence.
"A little," said the young man, who was indeed facing a rather troublesome situation. The FGO worldline was famous for its menagerie of monsters and demons; the Human Order was either being incinerated or frozen, and for all he knew, it could get vaporized one day.
"I have to go find my teammates next, and they're all quite a handful. It'll take some proper communication to sort things out."
The girl fell silent again.
She remembered.
He was one of the busiest people in the world.
Every day, he had countless things to deal with.
To ask him to give up a large amount of time to see a performance for a friend was indeed unreasonable.
The distance between them would inevitably grow. That was probably the natural course of things.
After all, their connection was never that close to begin with.
And it wasn't as if he was lacking for female company.
I have to change this.
The girl, whose personality was similar to Seele's, but who was more decisive for lack of a Black Seele to rely on, came to a decision in her heart.
"Han, you don't have much time."
The girl listened intently to the young man's words, yet her expression showed no obvious disappointment.
"But you're just short on it, you're not completely out of it, right?"
"So, taking up just a few seconds of it shouldn't be a problem, should it?"
The girl fixed her eyes—the ones with cyan irises and black pupils—on the young man.
And then—
She stood on her tiptoes.
Their lips met.
---o---
Author's Note:
PS: I suddenly feel like writing Miss Mei's plotline.
But next up is supposed to be the stage for the real Kiana, Bronya, and Ereshkigal. What a headache.