Dark night.
Konyanskaya smiled, stroking her sleeping master's head.
Humans are objects of abuse and cultivation.
She showered them with affection in a bad sense, but there was no fondness in a good sense.
The two masters who had sealed her were at least respected.
She showed them reverence, but no affection.
'Indeed, there was certainly none...'
Now it's different.
The sight of him smiling even while sacrificing himself.
His trembling legs beneath that smiling face come to mind all too clearly.
The final moment.
At the point where only one bullet remained, he cast himself aside.
It was dazzling. So dazzling that she was blinded and filled with awe. That was all it was.
However.
The moment they met with new faces in a new world.
A new emotion blossomed in Konyanskaya's heart.
True affection.
Obsession.
Emotions she never expected to feel for a human had sprouted.
Even her Light self felt the same.
"Haa—"
Under the moonlight, a pure white breath rose, as if exhaling lingering feelings and cooling her hot body.
'Master. You'll have to take responsibility.'
Since he made a beast of burden into a mere pet, his responsibility is heavy; a human's lifetime won't be enough.
Instead, if he loves her.
If he takes responsibility as her master.
More loyal than anyone.
She intended to shower him with more love than any other Servant.
Those who are currently unable to emerge and would be displeased might revolt if they heard this...
But Konyanskaya is serious.
The sin of finally making even a beast sincere.
She intends to swallow the sweetness of that sin.
'Oh.'
Konyanskaya blinked, stroking the child's head.
It was because of doubts that sporadically surfaced.
'Now that I think about it, he was popular with women who had a bit of madness, wasn't he? It's quite strange.'
Several faces came to Konyanskaya's mind.
Each and every one of them was not an easy woman, but they were reliable.
Loyalty to the Master.
Power and appearance.
In many ways, they were flawless.
Moreover, this was a world without major incidents like Human Order Bleaching or Incineration.
Furthermore, it was a world without magic.
In other words, the risk level greatly decreased, and the Servant's power would greatly increase.
'That should be enough.'
Konyanskaya finished her thoughts, embracing the child's body.
She wanted to rest for today.
Originally, Servants were beings who didn't need sleep.
Even if they stayed awake all day, their bodies wouldn't tire, but their minds were different.
Konyanskaya closed her eyes to soothe her mind.
The time spent sleeping while holding her Master.
This moment was truly the most healing.
Fate/Grand Order.
FGO, or Grand Order for short, has levels.
Servant levels.
Master levels.
Servant and Master equipment levels.
And even Bond levels.
There are various types of levels.
Among these, Master level affects cost.
As the level increases, the allowed cost also increases.
There is only one way to raise Master level: solely by defeating enemies.
In RPG terms, it's hunting; in Fate terms, it's farming.
'Ah. My head...'
Thinking of farming made me feel completely blocked up inside.
Repeating, and repeating again.
Because farming was no different from grinding.
Fortunately, after macros came out, it became a bit easier to breathe.
I didn't use them, but the fatigue decreased.
Therefore, there's a high probability that cost can be increased through hunting.
This is my conclusion.
"You're going to catch them?"
"Konyanskaya will catch them, to be precise. Mr. Toji, please just guide me and protect me. There's something I want to test."
"I welcome it. Looking forward to working with you."
I searched for places with Cursed Spirits through Toji, and went there to unleash Konyanskaya.
A black whip.
A tornado kick with dull purplish winds wrapped around her two legs.
Attacks from all sorts of demonic beasts, including Cerberus.
Konyanskaya hunted Cursed Spirits in various ways, to the extent of tearing them apart completely.
"Master. I'm sweating, so would you mind wiping it for me?"
Konyanskaya approached me and leaned forward, her sweaty, glistening chest coming into view.
"You worked hard."
Under the pretense of wiping away sweat, I rubbed Konyanskaya's skin.
Lightly, so as not to have any lewd thoughts.
But her body itself was so seductive that it wasn't easy.
Ritsuka probably wouldn't have cared.
'Still, it's nice.'
When I wiped her sweat with a handkerchief, Konyanskaya smiled.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. I rather enjoyed it."
"I'm glad to hear that. Did you feel anything significant?"
"Hmm, not yet."
I met Konyanskaya's eyes and shook my head.
I still don't feel anything special.
In the game, I think it was almost 1 point per level at level 1?
It will take time for the cost to increase to the desired level.
"Then we'll have to hunt more Cursed Spirits. Are there any places teeming with them?"
Konyanskaya straightened up, looking at Toji.
Her chest, which had been drooping, now stood majestically.
"There are a few dangerous zones, but they shouldn't be difficult for your level. However, there's a high chance you won't earn any money. There's no profit."
"That's fine. Could you assign us to that area for now?"
"I'll do that."
Toji nodded readily.
Just in case, I contacted a broker, and inquired about opportunities to earn money, but there were none.
Instead, I got some information, but hearing it made my head spin, because there was too much, more than I expected.
Aokigahara Forest.
Old Inunaki Tunnel.
Takakonuma Greenland.
Bibai Municipal Shoto High School.
Iwo Jima Island, Hashima Island, etc...
I was almost paralyzed by indecision.
"Iwo Jima is controlled by the military, but you can get in. It would just be a hassle."
"Right. It's best to avoid such risks."
We chatted at a convenience store around early evening; it was the convenience store near the very hospital where Toji's wife was hospitalized.
"Then it's better to start with smaller places. They're easy and convenient."
"Alright. Let's start with the elementary school."
We decided on our destination after talking.
An abandoned elementary school with a circular structure.
They say there's also a portal leading to another world, but that's unconfirmed.
The means of transport were subway, train, and bus and foot.
"But do Jujutsu Sorcerers just leave that alone? Since it's so famous, they should be cracking down on it."
"They'll probably thin them out periodically. But those guys always lack manpower."
"Ah, so?"
We talked about Jujutsu Sorcerers on the train.
Jujutsu Sorcerers in Jujutsu Kaisen are a type of civil servant, a job to capture Cursed Spirits that appear across Japan, but it's difficult.
The death rate is high, and there's a lack of people.
There was a reason why Toji said there was a manpower shortage.
"Konyanskaya."
After taking the train and the bus, I spoke while walking down a dark and gloomy path.
Toji was in spectator mode, wondering what was up, while Konyanskaya's eyes sparkled as she looked at me.
"Yes, Master."
"Can you use your Noble Phantasm?"
"Anytime. However, as you know, my Noble Phantasm is a bit... flashy, isn't it?"
A look of embarrassment flickered across Konyanskaya's face.
A Noble Phantasm, simply put, is a Servant's ultimate move, and as such, there are various types.
And Konyanskaya's Noble Phantasm is meteor drop.
Its rank is low, but its ability to overwhelm with mass is top-tier.
"Right. Flashy."
"If you want to clear them all at once, I'll summon my demonic beasts to overwhelm them. That should be enough."
"That's true too."
I nodded obediently.
Where I stood now was reality, not a game.
Naturally, various attacks.
She could display patterns that weren't in the game.
Just as various Servants had done in the past.
"Then let's go with sweeping them out from the outside. It's been abandoned for decades anyway, so it should be fine."
"Yes. I'll clean it up neatly."
While chatting, a large building appeared in the distance, looking quite ominous even at a glance.
"That's it. From what I hear, you're going to make it explode from the outside, but I won't be in danger, will I?"
Toji, who had been silent, spoke up, saying, "Since we've arrived, we should start."
"Konyanskaya. Please."
"Yes, Master."
Konyanskaya smiled and stepped forward.
The remaining distance to the ominous building was approximately 100 meters, well within the safe zone.
"Shall we begin?"
Flames bloomed above Konyanskaya's hand, then transformed into a whip.
Crack!
When she struck the ground with the whip, shadows began to writhe.
Konyanskaya's shadow, the surrounding shadows, shadows from all directions writhed and rose.
Cerberus, bats, wolves, and so on; all sorts of demonic beasts were born like a swarm of bees, forming a legion.
"This is insane. Just looking at it makes me dizzy."
Toji swallowed dryly, looking at the legion of demonic beasts; he looked very tense, yet he had an air of composure.
"Indeed."
I was just as nervous, but not afraid.
Because they were on my side.
Crack!
When Konyanskaya cracked her whip once more, the demonic beasts charged like mad.
Their target was the old school.
And the Cursed Spirits residing within it.
—Kiiiieeeek!
As the demonic beasts advanced, the school also writhed and spewed something out, looking as if it was vomiting.
Larvae, Daruma dolls, something with arms and legs on its head, black centipedes, and various other types.
—Bark!
Finally, just before the two armies clashed, Cerberus's three heads simultaneously spat fire.
Like the Olympic torch announcing the start, it was like a blank shot announcing the start of a sports day race.
—Kiiieek, Kiiiieeee...!
As the beacon rose, the demonic beasts swarmed the Cursed Spirits.
Pecking with beaks, tearing with claws, they ripped and shredded the Cursed Spirits with sharp teeth, turning them to dust.
Inside, Cursed Spirits.
Outside, demonic beasts.
Waves of different natures clashed, pushing each other back.
Which wave would be stronger?
Which wave would swallow the other?
It was a breathtaking sight.
"Oh. That's awesome?"
Toji smirked, his arms crossed; he seemed to be having a great time.
"You know words like that?"
"As you know, I've lived a rough life. So of course I know. But even then, I've never seen anything like that."
"Is it very shocking?"
"It's beyond shocking; I'm speechless. If I made her an enemy, I'd definitely die."
Even if Toji was strong, he couldn't compare to Konyanskaya.
A Magus and a Servant.
The gap between them was just as wide.
Of course, there are weak Servants like Andersen... but someone of Konyanskaya's caliber is incomparable.
"It's truly fortunate that you're the employer, the master. Otherwise, we might have faced each other as enemies."
"What would have happened then?"
"I would've been torn by the whip, turned into a rag by those beasts' teeth. You wouldn't have even found a corpse, I bet."
Toji smiled even as he spoke of his own death, probably because he knew it wouldn't happen.
"Probably."
"Scary. It makes me think I really chose the right side. Truly, thank you."
"If you're thankful, treat your wife well. And your child too. Megumi, right?"
"Yeah. I'll keep it in mind."
Toji nodded.
His voice was low and serious, without a hint of humor.
CRASH!
While we chatted, the school in the distance collapsed.
'Is it over?'
I didn't utter the words, "Did we get them?" because it was too classic a cliché.
"Master. There's still one big one left."
However, even without creating a cliché, things unfolded exactly as I had imagined, as if it were completely natural.
"Oh?"
Immediately after the ground trembled, a boom and a roar erupted from beneath the debris of the collapsed building.
Dust billowed up, and something sprang out from within it: a black snake.
Its size was comparable to a Hydra, with dozens, hundreds of human arms and hands growing all over its body.
"That's pretty disgusting."
"That's probably a Grade 1 level. If it had grown further, it would've been a Special Grade."
Toji mumbled in an unconcerned tone; that level seemed to be nothing special to him.
Or perhaps his standards had risen after seeing Konyanskaya's demonic beast legion.
"Once that's dealt with, it'll be over. I'll finish it."
Konyanskaya swung her whip on the ground and leaped.
High, and simultaneously fast, she was flying high up, with the sky behind her.
Whoosh. Wind swirled around Konyanskaya's legs; it was a purple wind.
The demonic beasts advanced under command, biting and tearing at the snake's tail and body from below.
Naturally, the snake resisted, writhing and moving, trying to strike the demonic beasts.
Its size was so immense that every movement caused dust and a loud roar.
If I were alone, I would have been immediately overwhelmed.
Whish!
Konyanskaya, flying in the air, rapidly plummeted.
Her target was the snake's head, specifically its forehead.
CRACK!
The wind-wrapped leg hit its target precisely, stomping on the snake's forehead and pressing it down.
It was a perfect Rider Kick.
Immediately after, the wind exploded, and the snake's head was impaled into the ground, with a boom of an explosion as a bonus.
"It's done."
Konyanskaya calmly walked out of the dust; as if she had used magic in the meantime, she was spotless, not a speck of dust on her.
"Good work. Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No. And you, Master?"
"I'm fine, but..."
While speaking, my heart suddenly thumped.
My veins swelled and my mind cleared; it felt as if my body was instantaneously expanding.
The feeling of my vessel growing larger.
Maximum expansion.
I could instinctively tell that my level had increased.
'This is it.'
Even without evidence, certainty arose: if I continue like this, I can increase my maximum cost.