Without hesitation, Mash immediately dashed to Ritsuka's side.
"Senpai!"
At the same time, Ritsuka turned around. The figure he had just summoned leapt out of the house, smashing through a window and sending shards of glass flying everywhere.
"Senpai, he got out! We need to chase him quickly!" Mash shouted.
Ritsuka nodded firmly.
"Mash, cover the rear!" he ordered as he ran outside after the figure.
Olga and Rikka hurried after them. Their breathing grew ragged as they ran out of the building.
"Ritsuka! Who exactly did you summon?!" Olga shouted, trying to keep up with him.
Without slowing down, Ritsuka replied,
"I summoned a Demon King infamous for her cruelty."
Rikka let out a small scream when she heard that.
"Big Brother, don't joke around!"
"But what you summoned is still human, right?" Olga asked, her voice tense.
---
In another dimension, the members of the group reacted.
"Is it even possible for something non-human to be summoned?" Koko muttered while chewing his food.
"It seems possible," L replied while watching the projected image from the mass of water.
"Remember what Ritsuka said earlier? There's a Servant named Oberon. So summoning non-human beings is likely possible."
"Oberon? The Fairy King from Shakespeare's works?" Koko asked.
"But…" Kagaya interjected calmly,
"Who exactly did Ritsuka summon that makes him look so pleased, despite calling her a Demon King?"
---
Back in Fuyuki.
Once outside, Ritsuka looked up. Standing atop a utility pole was a Servant gazing at the night sky of Fuyuki.
The figure laughed loudly, her voice shattering the silence of the night.
"Wahahaha! I never thought I'd be summoned in Japan, in my own homeland! But this place is a complete mess… Is there a war going on here?"
"No, this isn't because of a war," Ritsuka answered calmly.
The Servant, still standing atop the pole, looked down. Her eyes narrowed sharply as she stared at Ritsuka.
"Are you my Master?"
Rikka panicked under the Servant's intimidating gaze and instinctively hid behind Mash's back, Mash already holding her shield at the ready. Olga also slipped behind Ritsuka.
Suddenly, the Servant's eyes widened as if she had noticed something shocking. She turned and lightly leapt down from the pole.
Rikka trembled even more as the Servant approached. Olga grabbed Ritsuka's shoulder with shaking hands. Mash tried to step forward, but Rikka clung tightly to her, holding her back.
"A young girl? Is that the Servant Ritsuka summoned?" Koko asked, narrowing his eyes.
"The clothes she's wearing… that's clearly a military uniform."
"That looks like a Japanese military uniform from the World War II era, or at least something very similar to the Imperial Japanese Army," L analyzed quickly.
"Is she a Servant from the modern war era?"
"Wait, World War II isn't that far from our era, is it?" Koko cut in, confused.
"Is there really a legendary figure that powerful from that time? In my world, I don't remember anyone like that. Or could she be from the Taisho era? Kagaya, is there anyone like that in your world?"
"I don't know either," Kagaya replied softly.
"But an appearance like that would definitely stand out. As far as I remember, there's no one like her in my world. But one thing is certain… she's clearly no ordinary human. Even from here, I can feel her powerful aura."
The sound of military boots echoed each time the Servant's feet touched the asphalt. She stopped right in front of Ritsuka and tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"Have we met before?" she suddenly asked.
"You feel familiar. But where? You don't look anything like my followers… yet somehow, it feels like I know you."
Ritsuka froze. His heart pounded.
'Could it be that she still remembers our meeting?' he wondered. But he slowly shook his head.
"No. This is the first time we've met."
The Servant studied him for a moment, then shrugged indifferently.
"Whatever. I don't care about such trivial details. More importantly, you seem to have the qualities needed to be my Master."
She then shot a sharp glance at the people behind Ritsuka. Olga, Rikka, and Mash flinched as those glowing red eyes fell on them. The Servant looked back at Ritsuka.
"So this isn't a Holy Grail War, then?"
Ritsuka nodded.
"Don't worry, this isn't a Holy Grail War. You can introduce yourself to them."
The Servant grinned. She stepped back a few paces and flicked her military cloak dramatically.
"Servant, Avenger… I am the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven (Dairokuten Maou), Hajun.
Oda Nobunaga."
Her voice grew heavy, filled with magical pressure.
"Gods, Buddhas, and humans alike… all living things in the Three Thousand Worlds are nothing more than fuel for my flames."
She looked at Ritsuka with a challenging smile.
"Nice to meet you, my Contractor. I hope you won't disappoint me."
Ritsuka smiled and stepped forward toward her. Olga hesitantly released her grip on his shoulder.
"You can trust me, Nobu. I won't let you down," Ritsuka said firmly.
"Nobu?" The Servant blinked, confused by the familiar nickname.
"Don't you like being called that? If you want, I can come up with another one," Ritsuka offered casually.
Nobunaga fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Wahahaha! Very well! I'll allow you to call me that! You've got guts!"
The reaction behind Ritsuka was the complete opposite.
"W-wait… WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?! YOU'RE ODA NOBUNAGA?!" Olga screamed hysterically.
"How is that possible?! In the history books, he's a man!" Rikka shouted in shock.
Ritsuka glanced back slightly and explained flatly,
"You can't trust all historical records, Rikka. There are even kings who pretended to be men and were recorded as such, even though they were actually women. Usually for political reasons… or because of some strange magus fetish."
"Eh? What do you mean by that, Senpai?" Mash asked innocently.
Ritsuka didn't answer, only smiling meaningfully.
Koko, who was drinking in his hotel room, choked violently and fell out of his chair. A knock sounded at the door, followed by Valmet's panicked voice asking if he was okay.
"Cough! Y-yeah… I'm fine, Valmet!" Koko shouted between coughs.
Elsewhere, from the mass of water where Kagaya was, the sound of restrained coughing could be heard, along with Amane panicking as she patted her husband's back.
As for L, even though his face remained expressionless, his hand trembled so badly that his dessert fell from his fork. He muttered rapidly,
"But her clothing doesn't match the era… What exactly happened to that world's history?"
Ritsuka seemed to sense their reactions and murmured softly,
"I'll explain later."
Nobunaga, with her sharp hearing, looked at Ritsuka in confusion.
"Sonata (you)… what were you talking about just now?"
"Ah, I meant I'll explain the situation to you," Ritsuka deflected quickly. He gestured with his hand.
"For now, Nobu, how about we go inside? We need a quiet place to talk."
"Very well. Sonata, guide Washija inside," Nobu commanded.
The two of them walked back into the house. Olga, Rikka, and Mash remained frozen in place, their minds still processing the fact that the girl in the military uniform was a legendary historical figure.
"Aren't you coming too?" Ritsuka called from the doorway.
Snapping back to their senses, the three of them hurried after Ritsuka and Nobu.
---
Inside the Room
After some time and a lengthy explanation—
"I see," Nobu nodded in understanding.
"So this is a Singularity, and you want me to help clean up this mess, right?"
Ritsuka nodded seriously.
"Yes, Nobu. I want you to lend me your power."
Nobu seemed to think for a moment, then burst into laughter again.
"Wahahaha! Very well! I'll lend you my power! Following someone like you doesn't seem like it'll be boring!"
"A very cheerful girl," Koko commented from behind the surveillance screen.
"And… she's quite insane."
"Koko, watch your words," Kagaya admonished.
"She is, after all, an esteemed figure in Japan."
"More precisely, Japan in Ritsuka's world," L corrected.
"Thank you, Nobu," Ritsuka said sincerely.
Suddenly, Nobu's expression changed. Her eyes narrowed sharply, and her index finger pointed straight toward a seemingly empty corner of the room.
"Alright, Master. You've explained the situation, but you haven't explained what that thing is," Nobu said coldly.
"Is that your magecraft?"
"Huh? What is she pointing at, Ritsuka?" Olga asked in confusion, looking at the empty corner.
"That? You can't see the mass of water floating near you?!" Nobu shouted.
L panicked in the observation room.
"This is bad! Ritsuka, she can see the device!" he yelled.
"Quick, tell her to stop or cut the connection!"
Ritsuka's eyes widened.
"Wait, Nobu—you can see—"
His sentence was cut off. His combat instincts screamed.
CLANG!
A sudden attack emerged from the shadows. Ritsuka moved in a flash, blocking the arm of a cloaked attacker wearing a skull mask.
Though he managed to stop it, Ritsuka was pushed back by the difference in strength. He gritted his teeth and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"NOBU! FIRE!"
Without hesitation, dozens of matchlock rifles materialized in midair, floating around Nobu. Their iron barrels all aimed at the enemy restrained by Ritsuka.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
A relentless barrage of gunfire tore through the air, mercilessly raining down on the target.