She seems like such a kind person... She bonded with Rikka-chan and the others right away! I'm sure she's wonderful! Right, Fou? Gil!
"Hmph. That creature cannot be contained within a concept as mundane as 'human,' Ea," the King snorted softly, his eyes narrow.
Ea's eyes widened in utter shock. Is that true?! Ah, come to think of it... She did mention something about being a True Ancestor... and a feeler of the planet...
(Yeah. At her core, she's the same kind of existence as me. A monster born of the planet, acting as its Counter Force. That's the difference between her and me,) Fou communicated, his fur trembling slightly as he gestured toward Arcueid with a paw. (That thing over there is the personification of Earth—a walking, talking natural phenomenon. The 'ultimate doll' created by the vampires back in the 12th century. That's what her current form is.)
The ultimate monster... created by vampires...
"A feud between Dead Apostles and True Ancestors, was it? It holds no interest for me, so I know little of the details... But she is undeniably a force on the side of the world—a spirit-type entity birthed by the planet itself."
Meaning... she is essentially recognized as the planet itself?!
She's an incredible person—no, vampire, isn't she?! Why would someone like her be in a place like this...? As Ea sank into deep thought, a sudden voice pierced the empty silence of her mind.
[—Hmph. I merely found myself burdened with a bit of boredom. I came to gaze upon the face of one who bears the same name as my own.]
—?!
An emotionless yet utterly magnificent voice reverberated directly through her soul... or so it felt.
[Pay it no mind. I shall bestow upon you a suitable souvenir in due time. Look forward to it with a thumping heart.]
Y-Yes...? Thank you... very much...?
Without even understanding who had spoken to her, Ea simply nodded in blank confusion. The voice gradually receded, fading into nothingness.
"—What is it, Ea?" Gilgamesh asked, noticing her staring blankly into the void.
Startled back to reality, Ea shook her head rapidly. Someone just spoke to me. Something... cold and inorganic...
"—If we speak of bound causality, perhaps it was the call of the True Ancestor. It seems a consciousness separate from her current frivolous behavior is plotting something in the shadows."
I suppose I should remain vigilant, Gilgamesh mused with a firm nod.
Fou, on the other hand, looked utterly perplexed.
(Still... was her personality always this airheaded...? She's fundamentally an automated system without a true personality or character to begin with. Plus, her hair seems unusually short. Doesn't look like she cut it herself, either... Well, whatever. It'll be fine. She can't draw out her full power here anyway, so she's only slightly stronger than the rest of you. Besides, her compatibility with Gil and Ea is absolute trash—)
Scoop.
Before he could finish his thought, Arcueid casually scooped Fou up into her arms. Fou's eyes bulged so wide it looked like he was seeing the impossible.
"Hey, wait a second! You're a Beast of the Planet! The Beast of the Planet, right?! First Rank or whatever! Huh?! Why are you so clean and fluffy?! Becoming a terrifying monster—being a monster—is your true form, isn't it?! How are you staying this tiny?! Is this a bug?!"
"Kyuuu, Faaau! Fouuu! (I don't wanna hear about 'bugs' from YOU! Mine is a miracle! If anything, your current personality is the real bug here!)"
"Eh? What? What are you saying? I don't speak Beast, so I have no idea what you're rambling about! AUO, do you know what he's saying?"
Arcueid tilted her head, a giant question mark floating above her brow. Gilgamesh let out a long, long-suffering sigh, shaking his head as he reclaimed Fou from her grip.
"He is likely saying, 'Let us side-entities of the planet get along.' For all his appearance, he is a kind-hearted Beast brimming with universal benevolence."
(I DID NOT SAY THAT! Don't make stuff up, you idiot!)
So he's like a relative of yours, Fou! Ah, it's nice to meet you! Even if I can't be seen or heard, manners are important! Please take good care of Fou!
(You don't have to take him seriously, Ea~)
"Oh, really?! So your name is Fou! Since we're two of a kind, let's get along, okay? You don't hate how you are right now, do you?"
"Fou! (I don't hate it at all—I love it!)"
One way or another, the group managed to hit it off. Matching their steps, the party emerged from the forest and headed toward Csejte Castle.
"HA-HA!! A ghost that drops candy is a good ghost! A ghost that doesn't drop candy is a well-trained ghost! Seriously, grinding events really are pure hell, aren't they?!"
Equipped with the Armor of Fafnir, Rikka unleashed a relentless barrage... though slaughtering ghosts and specters was a bit of a turn-off for a lady, so she limited herself to firing Gandr shots to stun them.
"There's no need to do everything yourself. Leave the heavy lifting to your reliable Servants!" Rikka recited, channeling her best Atlas Institute mindset.
Above all... she didn't want to engage in intense physical exercise while wearing the gorgeous dress Jeanne and the others had tailored for her.
"I'm counting on you, Mash, Gil!"
"Leave it to me! I shall deliver a Mash-up Break Buster!"
An energized Mash slammed her shield repeatedly into the ground, obliterating wave after wave of specters.
Collecting dropped candy now! Ea chimed in, swiftly rotating her retrieval Noble Phantasm to gather the dropped loot one after another.
"Fuhahaha! Sweets after tea sets, is it?! Excellent! Whatever the treasure, collecting it is entirely to my liking!"
Magical sweets tumbled into the King's treasury in droves. As Mash dismantled the ghosts, she tossed out lighthearted banter to keep her spirits high.
"I am so impressed by how well you're exercising self-restraint, Senpai! 'You can do it if you try'—those words were truly made for you!"
"What is that supposed to mean?! Are you saying I couldn't do it before because I wasn't trying...? Wait, is that true? Maybe it is..."
"Senpai holds back and boosts her elegance! I get relied on and feel appreciated! It truly is a win-win situation!"
"Listen to you running your mouth! I'm relying on you, so don't you dare mess up, Mash!"
"Yes! I will catch up to Jeanne-san one day—!!"
Burning with competitive spirit, Mash pulled out all the stops, smashing through every enemy in their path.
"Hmm, I see, I see~ So this is what a Master and Servant dynamic looks like... Hmm..."
Arcueid watched the battle unfold with a warm, fond smile, her gaze fixed intently on the Master who had saved the world.
"...(sneak)"
(DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!)
"Ouch?!"
Fou bit down hard on Arcueid's hand as she stealthily reached out to snatch a piece of candy.
"What was that for, Fou?! I just wanted a tiny bite!"
We are all going to eat together, so stealing a head start is strictly forbidden, Arcueid-san! Ea scolded, somehow producing a referee whistle out of nowhere.
(And you call yourself a True Ancestor? Where is your dignity?! Your elegance?!)
"Eh? Doing something like this doesn't suit a beautiful creature like me? Oh stop it, Fou... You're making me blush~!"
(YOU ARE SO ANNOYING—!!)
"You two get along swimmingly. As expected of fellow Beasts," Gilgamesh remarked, watching them from the side.
Gil?!
"Forgive me, merely a taste test. Hmm... Yes. Not bad at all."
The King calmly continued popping candy into his mouth, entirely at his own leisure.
"Enemy forces eradicated! How was that! How was your Mash's performance!"
Mash puffed out her chest with absolute pride. Rikka took one look at her and immediately blurted out:
"What on earth are you wearing?!"
Mash's outfit was... well, to put it bluntly, aggressively scandalous. A dangerously suggestive beast costume that barely covered her marshmallow chest and private areas.
"It's the Dangerous Beast! I'm going to devour Senpai's heart, too! Rawr~!"
Mash pounced on Rikka, playfully scratching at her. Rikka handled it with a tired, "Haha, look at this kid" energy.
"Unseemly! You unseemly junior! This is unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable! What is the meaning of this?! As your Senpai, I cannot overlook this! You need to acquire more modesty and wear proper, ladylike clothes! You're not me!"
"I refuse to be lectured on womanhood by you, Senpai! You ought to learn sewing skills like Media-san or Vlad-san! Though I do love my cool Senpai!"
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