After a frantic sprint, the group of five made it from the outskirts of the Fuyuki forest to the city center. When Lancer and Mash finally set down the blushing Fujimaru Ritsuka and the equally red-faced Olga Marie, the two girls reacted quite differently—one was dying of embarrassment, while the other was just pure, unadulterated livid.
'This guy is a complete moron.'
Olga Marie spent a few minutes repeating that mantra to herself before she finally managed to calm down. But before she could get a word out, Lancer, Cu Chulainn, and Mash all turned their heads simultaneously to look in the same direction.
"What is it?"
"The final battle... is close."
Lancer offered a brief explanation, but he didn't need to say more. Everyone understood exactly what he meant.
Out of the seven Servants, four were out of the race, one was an ally, and one was effectively locked away on a "hidden map." That left them with only one path forward: heading straight for the Boss.
But before that—
An empty, hollow sensation in his body made Lancer feel a sudden wave of dizziness.
Even though he had manifested as a Caster like Cu and received an "EX" rank in Mana, that was entirely dependent on using EP Charges to refill his Combat Link Orbment. His own base Mana was only ranked C—and that was after the class reinforcement.
While he hadn't fully unleashed the Hyakki Yagyō, just summoning the phantom spirits required a massive amount of energy. Add to that the creation of the bounded field and the final joint attack with Cu to finish Medusa, and his Mana consumption had actually surpassed Cu.
"What's wrong with you?"
Seeing Lancer stumble, Olga Marie reflexively caught him by the waist, letting him lean against her.
"Ugh... out of gas, I think."
Cu Chulainn saw through the situation immediately. While running out of Mana doesn't make a person cough up blood (coughing up nerve endings would be more accurate), Lancer looked visibly "off" in his depleted state.
"What do we do?"
"What do we do? Yeah, this is a bit of a problem... Lancer is different from me; he's a 'living person' in the truest sense. He can't just recharge like a normal Servant. Which means—"
As he spoke, Cu turned his gaze toward the three from Chaldea.
"Mana transfer?"
Olga Marie asked cautiously. Cu gave a firm nod.
Olga looked at Mash, their primary combatant, and immediately ruled her out. Then she looked at the confused Ritsuka, who clearly had no idea what was going on. Taking a deep breath, Olga took a step forward.
"Then I'll—"
"Not you."
Cu Chulainn shot her down before she could finish.
Olga Marie was already hesitant about the idea, only stepping up because the mission demanded they maintain their combat strength. Being rejected so bluntly piqued her annoyance.
"Why not?"
"Why? It's simple. According to Lancer, you're 'already dead.' I don't know how you're still standing here in front of us, but you've noticed it too, haven't you? It's not just your Mana—everything about you has been diminished. Do you want to give him energy, or are you... looking for a death wish?"
Cu logic was sound and grounded in facts, leaving Olga Marie with no way to argue back.
"Wait! Senpai! Hold on! We can..."
Lancer tried to intervene, but Cu wasn't interested in small talk. He simply pointed his staff toward Ryuudou Temple and remained silent. The message was clear. All three of them had sensed an abnormal surge of Mana from the temple. Whether it was good or bad news, they didn't know—but they did know they were out of time.
Lancer was technically the "beneficiary" here, but it wasn't about being prudish; he just hated the awkwardness of the situation. He looked over at the bewildered Ritsuka.
"I think... we should ask her how she feels about it first."
All eyes turned to Ritsuka. Having mostly followed the group's lead until now, she felt a bit overwhelmed. But from their conversation, she had pieced the situation together.
Something was happening at the final enemy's location. They needed to move immediately, but "Mr. Lancer" was out of Mana. To fix that, someone needed to perform a ritual called "Mana Transfer." The Director was in a precarious state, and Mash needed to save her strength for the fight. That left her as the only choice.
Everyone waited in silence for her decision. After a moment of hesitation, she finally looked up. Her face still held a trace of fear, but her eyes were steady.
"The whole way... Mash, Caster, and Mr. Lancer have been protecting me. I want to—help everyone too!"
With Ritsuka consent, the group looked to Lancer. He nodded, then turned to Ritsuka with a serious expression.
"If you want to stop at any point, just say so."
"I'll do my best!"
In a park surrounded by the ruins of a burning city...
"Mash, it hurts! It really hurts!"
Ritsuka let out a strained sound, and Mash instinctively gripped her other hand tighter. Mash had considered telling her to give up, but Ritsuka had refused. Watching her friend wince, Mash felt a pang of heartache. All she could do now was offer comfort.
"It's okay, Senpai. Just hang in there, it'll be over soon."
"But inside my body... it feels so weird. Stinging and aching... ugh..."
Time ticked by. Olga Marie, standing nearby, and Mash, crouching by Ritsuka side, both let out a sigh of relief when Lancer finally spoke.
"That should be enough."
As Lancer finished, Cu Chulainn walked over holding a bandage soaked in a strange liquid.
"My special healing wrap. Great for any external injury—guaranteed no scars~"
He handed the bandage to Mash and then slung an arm around Lancer shoulder.
"Hehe~ Lancer~ were you thinking of something dirty just now?"
Facing Cu teasing grin, Lancer shook his head with a stone-cold expression.
"Senpai, I am a man of integrity."
"Ho ho~ Integrity, huh?"
Cu gaze became increasingly piercing, until Lancer finally cracked and looked away.
Seeing that, Cu didn't push further and just patted his shoulder. After all, he wasn't interested in shy men—he just enjoyed the entertainment.