[Brain Storage Area]
[Godfather Check-in]
[Mother Check-in]
[Other Check-in]
Artoria's last conscious memory was the warmth of the little girl in her arms as the comic con truss collapsed.
When she opened her eyes again, the smell of gunpowder filled her nose.
She was lying on a pile of damp industrial waste, with New York's gray-blue sky cut into pieces by skyscrapers above. Her ears heard not the noise of the comic con, but the popping of gunfire and crude cursing.
Brooklyn Docks, a gang shootout scene.
Artoria tried to sit up but felt her body was unusually light—different from her memory. She looked down and froze.
Silver and blue ornate armor wrapped around her body, with exquisite and complex plating on her chest and elegant greaves on her legs. She raised her hand, and a strand of long golden hair slid from her shoulder armor, shimmering softly in the dim light.
She grasped the longsword stabbed into the ground beside her. The blade felt heavy and real, with an invisible current of air swirling around it—Invisible Air.
Excalibur.
"I've turned into... Artoria?"
Her voice came through the sealed helmet, clear and cold, a completely female voice. But even more amazing was that she could understand the English curses of the gunmen around her, even distinguishing the mixed Italian slang and Spanish profanity.
[Ding. Detected that the Host's will to protect meets the 'Pure' standard. 'Gift of Mother Earth' system activated.]
A voice as gentle as the Earth sounded in her mind, yet it spoke the Mandarin Chinese Artoria was most familiar with.
[Dear child, you can no longer return to your homeland. This body is the final gift from your home planet—a human vessel modeled after 'King of Knights Artoria Pendragon'. You will possess her beauty, basic strength, and a small gift: Universal Language Proficiency.]
[The system's sole purpose: To allow you to find your own happiness within the infinite sea of stars.]
[Base form solidified: Artoria Pendragon (Saber). Current appearance fine-tuned: Long golden hair retained (can change with forms), casual attire switchable to Host preference (Reference: White shirt + deep blue bow tie + deep blue pleated skirt + black silk stockings).]
Artoria blinked. Mother Earth... is quite considerate?
[Core ability unlocked: 'Mental Image Projection' system. Five 'Projection Imprints' can be refreshed daily; after use, you can temporarily obtain the appearance, partial abilities, and personality traits of the corresponding female character. Note: To prevent the Host from feeling down, 'Happiness-type' characters will be pushed regularly.]
[Current available Projections (refreshed daily):]
[1. 'Himouto! Umaru-chan': Home Mode. Attached skills: Perfect Slacker Loll, Game Talent MAX, Cola Fanaticism.]
[2. 'K-On!' Yui Hirasawa: Airheaded Guitarist.]
[3. 'The Demon Girl Next Door' Momo Chiyoda: Physical-type Magical Girl.]
[4.'Spy x Family' Anya Forger: Mind-reading Cutie.]
[5. 'Cells at Work!' Platelets: Super-mini form.]
"Over there! There's another freak!" A gravelly English shout interrupted her thoughts.
Several tattooed men leaned out from behind containers, aiming their guns at her. Artoria could clearly understand every swear word they said, even distinguishing that one had a Brooklyn accent and the other's native language was likely a Sicilian dialect.
There was still fear. But she took a deep breath—now was not the time to be afraid.
[Combat requirement detected. Novice Support Protocol activated.]
[Gifted one-time tactical unit: Pod 042 (NieR: Automata, simplified replica model). Instruction: Guard Host, eliminate threats.]
The left wrist armor clicked. A silver-white stream of light shot out, hovering over her shoulder.
It was a sleek, triangular-prism-shaped machine, pure white with blue light strips along the edges. The central ice-blue lens scanned coldly, and red text on the side clearly read—[NIER].
The bizarre combination of a medieval knight and future technology made the gunmen freeze for a moment.
"Che cazzo... (What the hell...)"
"¡Dispara! (Shoot!)"
Triggers were pulled.
[Threat confirmed. Hostile targets: 7. Threat level: Low. Executing clearing program.]
Pod 042's electronic voice was emotionless.
Shoom shoom shoom shoom—!
Miniature missiles trailed pale blue wakes, drawing bizarre arcs in the air and accurately diving behind cover.
Bang bang bang bang...!
Three seconds later, silence.
Artoria looked at the quiet Pod on her shoulder, then at the groaning men on the ground, muttering in a voice only she could hear: "This is way too convenient..."
Just then, the roar of rotors tore through the dusk.
A WBN News helicopter hovered, its searchlight beam locking onto the scene below.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Breaking news!" The reporter's excited voice echoed at the docks. "A blonde woman in medieval plate armor! She subdued multiple armed militants with just a hovering mechanical device! We are live!"
The camera zoomed in, long golden hair peeking out from the gaps in the helmet, shining brilliantly under the lights.
Artoria looked up and squinted. Well, a global live debut.
Sirens surged like a tsunami. Countless muzzles were aimed at her.
"Drop your weapon! Now!"
Artoria was very cooperative. She put down her sword and thought for a moment.
Pod 042 flew back to her left wrist and embedded itself into the armor.
Next, the silver and blue armor rippled like water—but it didn't turn into a tracksuit.
The metallic texture faded and restructured. In just two seconds, that ornate plate armor turned into a white shirt, a deep blue bow tie, a deep blue pleated skirt, and black silk stockings covering her long legs. It was exactly Artoria's favorite outfit.
Her long golden hair cascaded down like a waterfall, fluttering gently in the evening breeze.
The King of Knights had turned into a girl with fresh clothes, dazzling golden hair, and an exquisite face filled with dignity.
The Police were stunned.
Artoria raised her hands and said in standard New York-accented English, "I'm just passing by. This armor is a high-end cosplay prop with an auto-transform function. The drone is a self-defense toy."
Her English was smooth and natural, even carrying a hint of Upper East Side elegance—Universal Language Proficiency was in effect.
The old detective's brow furrowed. Then, the sound of steady footsteps approached.
Phil Coulson appeared with his signature smile, showing his S.H.I.E.L.D. ID.
"Agent Coulson." He looked at Artoria, his gaze lingering for a moment on her long golden hair and her clearly well-coordinated outfit. "Miss Lin? We need to talk."
"Artoria," she corrected, her voice clear. "My name is Artoria."
"Miss Artoria," Coulson followed suit. "Please come with me. I think we both need a cup of tea to... understand what happened tonight."
Artoria nodded and bent down to pick up the sword from the ground. The longsword shrank into an exquisite short sword, which she tucked into a hidden pocket on the side of her skirt—the pocket space of this outfit was surprisingly practical.
Before getting into the black sedan, she took one last look at the night view of the docks.
The helicopter was still circling, and Police lights were flashing. And she, Artoria, a former university student who had just died once, turned into a girl, and even appeared on a global livestream, was going to have tea with a mysterious Agent organization.
Ridiculous, but... it didn't seem bad?
Inside the car, Coulson handed over some black tea. Artoria took it and took a small sip.
[Today's Projections have been refreshed. Detected that the Host has experienced a stressful event; recommended to use a 'Happiness-type' character for emotional regulation.]
She looked at the flowing lights of New York outside the car window and opened the system interface in her consciousness.
Five chibi icons lit up. Umaru was hugging a cola bottle, her eyes sparkling.
The corners of Artoria's mouth curled up slightly.
Alright, Mother Earth. Since this is the new life you've given me...
Then I'll live it happily.
She touched the top of her head. There, a golden ahoge was swaying gently as the car moved.
And her new life had only just begun.
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