LIGHTNOVELONLINE Arc 2: Experiments – Chapter 5
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Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.
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"Speech"
Time*
Arc 2: Experiments - Chapter 5
The next day*
Daisuke's sleep deprivation last night is evident in the dark circles around his eyes.
"Master, I think with Artoria here. Even I may not be needed to warm your bed." Justeaze stared at Artoria, who was efficiently cleaning the living room and didn't look tired at all. "Forget about Altera and all the other girls. Artoria alone is enough for you, master. Adding me was already beyond your limit."
"Then why did you jump in when you saw me struggling?" Daisuke gave Justeaze a threatening but tired look.
"I didn't want to be left out. Besides, Altera was still too busy chasing Setanta all night." Justeaze pointed to her left. "Now they are fighting. But Setanta is at a disadvantage."
True to Justeaze's words. Setanta can barely parry Altera's sword strikes as he is tossed around by the sheer force of Altera's attacks. However, anyone with rich combat experience can tell that Altera is still holding back a lot.
"Right..." Daisuke said tiredly and swallowed a pill he had made with Omnifabrication, which instantly brought him back to his best mental and physical condition, as if he had had the best sleep of his life and eaten the healthiest meal of his life.
"Couldn't you have taken the pill earlier last night?" Justeaze stares at the not-tired Daisuke. "If you had that, you could have easily outlasted Artoria and me."
"I was a little too confused and surprised that Artoria wanted to have sex at all." Daisuke remembers what Artoria is like, even as her Alter version, and he can roughly guess like Justeaze. His inner desires influence the Holy Grail when it summons Artoria.
"And too horny. Don't think I didn't notice how focused you were on Artoria after she removed all her clothes, which wasn't much to begin with." Justeaze teases Daisuke in an empty tone. "By the way, where is she anyway? I haven't seen Artoria since I woke up. Did you send her on an errand run or something?"
"I sent her off to get our food." Daisuke replied.
"So we'll try the local food instead of what you would prepare for us, Master?" Justeaze's eyes lowered slightly to show that she didn't like the idea of eating anything but the food Daisuke had prepared.
"Well, we can have all the great food we want whenever we want. But we have to try the local food at least. Who knows, maybe we'll like it and I'll make it again in the future." Daisuke has many hobbies, and eating delicious food is one of them. So he hopes that the food in this world will be good, or at least decent enough to be better than what he had back on Earth.
"So we just wait here for her to come back?" Justeaze looks around, where there is not much to do. "Is it possible for me to go back to the Holy Grail? Being out here doing nothing bores me. At least I'm unconscious when I'm part of the Holy Grail."
Daisuke considers this idea and it is possible thanks to Omnifabrication. Also, this makes him feel like he is playing Fate Grand Order, but without having to deal with the RNG of not getting a Servant or not. It is the RNG of him getting the Servant's personality instead due to his inner desires. Nor was he limited to just three Servants. Plus, not having to spend a ton of money to get the chance of obtaining certain Servants from a banner for a limited time.
"Alright." Daisuke pulled out the Holy Grail, and a second later, Justeaze's body burst into golden glitter that the Holy Grail absorbed. "Well, what you know. It works."
He earnestly hopes the Holy Grail doesn't end up turning him into the same salty person he was when playing the Fate Grand Order back then.
Still, at least this way, if he doesn't like certain Servants. He can dismiss them immediately instead of killing them outright. It is an easy task as long as none of the Servants can counter Rashomon and The World. But even then, at that point, he would have already improved them even more than they are now.
Daisuke stares at the Holy Grail, checking how long until he can move freely in this world before the will of the planet discovers his existence again. He is hidden right now as long as he doesn't do anything crazy. So, no fighting the Night Raid just yet, and even then, the moment he fights the Night Raid will undoubtedly shorten his time in this world even faster. Maybe even less than a day if he dared to kill one of the members of the Night Raid.
From the knowledge that is passively, steadily, and slowly pouring into his head, he is close to being able to—
"Master! I have returned with enough food to feed all of us all for a day!" Artoria shouted, interrupting Daisuke's thought process.
She was carrying a huge bag behind her with hardly any effort, as if what she was carrying was just full of air.
"You mean enough to feed everyone except me for the day." Daisuke was not ashamed to know his Servants could easily outeat him. Even Setanta can eat more than he could without trying. "Anyway, go ahead and set up the table for lunch. Justeaze has already returned to the Holy Grail before you ask."
Artoria blinks, then shrugs as she goes to do as she was told.
"Isn't she going to eat with us?" Artoria asks Daisuke while he continues to stare at the Holy Grail. "It would be wrong not to have her with us when we have such a nice lunch."
"Sure, why not."
An hour later*
"So what is the plan, my lord?" Setanta asks Daisuke, where everyone has just finished eating and resting in the destroyed mansion. "Unless you want Altera to train me again." He stares at Altera, who has been staring at him like a prey the whole time. Not once does she look away.
"Until I can move freely without risking my life." Daisuke spun the Holy Grail on his right index finger like a basketball. "You can go outside, but don't cause too many problems. Your actions can cause the will of the planet to pay attention to you, and that would lead to my existence being discovered—something I don't want to happen until I have everything I need from this world."
"You're asking the impossible if you think none of us would cause problems outside." Setanta stares at Daisuke incredulously. "I shouldn't say this, but have you forgotten who we are?" He points at himself, then at Altera and Artoria. "If you haven't noticed. But none of us should be allowed to wander alone. Not with our luck."
"I wonder if it was my inner desire to summon a version of you that is so cautious." Daisuke said dully, knowing that the adult version of Setanta wasn't that careful, not with the many consequences of his actions that led to his death.
"There are infinite versions of us." Setanta gave Daisuke a dull look as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Yes, I'm careful. And that's a good thing, because you have someone like her here." He points at Altera, then at Artoria. "And do you honestly think it is normal for the King of Knights to be a maid is normal, especially in that kind of outfit? If it weren't for that social cloaking device she wears. There would be a bloodbath by now, with so many corrupt people wanting to take her away just because of how she looks now."
"Point taken." Daisuke slowly nods.
He wondered if that was one of the reasons for summoning someone like Setanta, who was clearly not the way he was portrayed in mythology and the Nasuverse. Mostly to have someone young, but with endless potential, who would continue to struggle and grow to become someone. But then again, he could have been aiming for someone else, not Setanta, who does a lot of foolish things. Before and after becoming the great hero Cu Chulainn.
"You know, my lord. You could have summoned my future mentor instead of me. At least she would make things easier for you by fighting your battle." Setanta hinted at summoning Scathach. "Although you might accidentally summon a version of her that goes on a killing spree, slaughtering everything in her path." Setanta's entire body shuddered at the end.
"A troublesome person if she were to become our comrade." Artoria nods a few times. "Great as an ally, bad as an enemy. Best not to summon Setanta's future mentor unless we're outnumbered and need more help."
"I wouldn't mind a sparring match with Setanta's future mentor." Altera tilted her head, then tried to be cute with Daisuke. "Master, can you summon Setanta's future mentor?"
"In the future, I might." Daisuke doesn't show it, but he is deeply affected by what Setanta said about accidentally summoning a version of Scathach that hasn't yet developed the desire for death—someone who could even kill a god.
What say she could even kill a Stand? Yeah, it would be best if he didn't summon Scathach anytime soon. Not when he knows full well that Scathach should be given even more time to develop. Forget about the gods themselves in the Nasuverse. Scathach could possibly kill beings on a multiverse scale.
"If you summon them. Be sure to unsummon me. I do not want to be tortured by her." Setanta gave Daisuke a deep look. "I will even run away if necessary."
"It's best you face your fear head on." Artoria said firmly to Setanta.
"Oh, I'm not afraid of my future mentor." Setanta said in a serious tone. "I respect her very much. It's just that I'm not ready yet. Well, if you want to get technical. I'm doing a strategy retreat and preparing to face my impending doom."
"Well, I have some bad news for you, Setanta." Daisuke stares at the Holy Grail, where he can see Justeaze on the surface doing what looks like she is chanting something.
If he were to guess and go by how the Holy Grail is slowly starting to glow brightly, along with a summoning circle forming before everyone. Justeaze is using her limited access to Third Magic to summon a Servant.
"Why do you say that, my lord?" Setanta frowns, then looks at the summoning circle, and before anyone can say another word. He jumps out of his seat and runs as fast as he can. "I'm not staying here with a high chance of her appearing!"
"Shall I go after him, Master?" Altera asks Daisuke as she stares at Setanta, who has already covered a great distance in a matter of seconds.
"Nah. Just wait here to greet our new comrade that Justeaze is summoning for us." Daisuke replied, not worried that Justeaze could summon Servants. In fact, he finds this more of a good thing since he might be too busy fighting for his life and having Justeaze summon a Servant to help him out at the last second is great.
"And I'll do my absolute best to welcome them." Artoria followed up, loading her pistol with a sharp glint that she meant business if the new Servant was going to cause a problem for everyone.