"I wonder what the new members of this gathering will look like," Ritsuka muttered softly.
The young man had just stepped out of a swirling black portal. He now stood in the middle of the gathering's dimensional space expanse that seemed endless. The floor surface in that place resembled a very clear shallow water mirror, reflecting the beauty of the boundless sky above it and creating an optical illusion as if they were walking on clouds.
Right next to Ritsuka, another black portal opened. The figure of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg stepped out from within it with his trademark relaxed style.
"Oh? It seems you brought guards here, my Disciple," Zelretch greeted with a faint smile.
Right after those words were spoken, blue light particles rustled at Ritsuka's side. Two Servant figures revealed themselves, Oda Nobunaga and Artoria Alter, manifesting simultaneously to accompany their Master.
Ritsuka sighed softly, sounding a bit resigned. "The two of them insisted on forbidding me from going alone, even though I only intended to come to greet our new members."
Disregarding the casual chat between the teacher and disciple, Salter immediately took a step forward. She positioned her body closely right in front of Ritsuka, acting as a shield that covered the young man from Zelretch's view. Her brows furrowed sharply, her golden eyes radiating a very dense aura of hostility and vigilance.
"Vampire," Artoria hissed in a cold tone.
She glared at Zelretch without the slightest fear. "I am indeed thankful for all the detailed information you gave me earlier. But... I'm warning you. Keep your distance from my Master."
Zelretch was not intimidated at all. He instead chuckled softly seeing the horrific yet possessive glare from Ritsuka's Servant.
"Well, well... even though your soul has been completely tainted by the darkness of the holy grail, it seems the vigilant instinct of a holy knight towards our race is still strongly attached within you, huh," Zelretch chuckled.
The old man raised both his hands to chest level, showing a gesture of surrender while smiling in amusement. "Calm down, Dark Knight. I have no malicious intentions at all, let alone wanting to hurt my own favorite disciple."
Hearing Zelretch's casual words, Salter's golden gaze actually sharpened even more.
Seeing the bizarre sight in front of her, Oda Nobunaga finally intervened. "Hey, hey, what secret information are you guys actually talking about behind my back?" Nobu interrupted, folding her arms across her chest. She stared at Artoria with one eyebrow raised in wonder. "And what's with this sudden change in your attitude, huh? You're acting too protective and clingy to Master."
Artoria turned her head, staring coldly at Nobu.
"You are just as dangerous, Demon King," Artoria hissed sharply. "Don't you dare try to taint my Master with your bad influence. You better just stay quiet and stand far away over there."
Veins of annoyance were immediately printed clearly on Nobu's temples upon hearing that one-sided claim.
"Hoo... you're really courting death it seems, Fallen Knight," Nobu hissed with a deadly smirk. "Let me make one thing clear to you. He is not just your Master, but my Master too."
Along with the outpouring of her killing intent, the air around Nobu rippled. Dozens of matchlock rifle barrels manifested, floating surrounding her body with their muzzles aimed straight at Artoria.
Not flinching in the slightest, Artoria immediately responded to the threat. Dark particles exploded in her hand as she materialized the dark sword Excalibur Morgan, preparing to attack Nobu in order to defend her position at Ritsuka's side.
A deadly fight almost broke out between the two of them, but Ritsuka moved faster. The young man landed a reprimanding strike to the back of Salter's head.
Smack!
"Stop it, you two!" Ritsuka reprimanded firmly. He immediately stepped forward, positioning himself right in the middle of the two Servants who were ready to kill each other. "Don't start fighting and destroying this place. Gathering members from other worlds will arrive shortly."
"B-But, she started it—" Artoria tried to argue. She rubbed the back of her head.
Ritsuka sighed very deeply, massaging his temples which suddenly throbbed dizzyingly dealing with the behavior of these Servants.
"Salter... please," Ritsuka said in a tired tone. He raised the back of his right hand revealing the glowing red tattoo. "Don't make me have to waste one precious Command Spell just to force you to be quiet and calm down."
Hearing the firm warning in the form of a Command Spell threat, Nobu snorted softly. She snapped her fingers, and all the rifles floating in the air instantly faded back into nothingness.
"Blame her, Master. She's been acting out of line," Nobu grumbled defensively. "Even though we both share the status as your Servants, I won't just stay quiet if someone dares to act monopolizing and arrogant like that."
"What did you say?!" Salter snapped, her anger reignited. Her hand once again gripped her sword hilt tightly.
"Artoria Pendragon!" Ritsuka called out firmly and loudly.
Hearing her true name called out with full intonation, Salter's body instantly jerked stiffly. The boiling anger in her chest suddenly died down.
Utilizing that momentum, Ritsuka stepped closer. He raised his hand and stroked the top of the Knight's head with a gentle yet soothing touch.
"We will discuss this matter privately after the affairs of this gathering are over. Understood?" Ritsuka coaxed, his tone much softer this time.
"Alright..." Salter muttered softly. She lowered her face, losing all her fighting desire and submitting completely like a puppy that had just been scolded by its master. The sword Excalibur Morgan in her hand was immediately dematerialized into light particles.
From a few steps away, Oda Nobunaga stared intently at the bizarre sight in front of her eyes.
'What is actually wrong with that woman?' Nobu thought to herself. Her brows furrowed deeply. 'Why could her tyrannical nature change drastically into being so obedient yet possessive like that? What crazy thing actually happened while I wasn't by Master's side?'
After ensuring the tension had truly subsided, Ritsuka lowered his hand from Salter's head. The young man turned his body, turning his back on the knight to resume his delayed chat with Zelretch.
Right when Ritsuka turned around, Nobu's instinct caught something that made her vigilance bristle.
From behind the young man, Salter stood in silence. Her golden eyes kept staring at Ritsuka's back intently without blinking. It was no longer the gaze of a guardian knight, but rather the gaze of an obsession... dark, possessive, and ready to swallow anything that dared to take the Master away from her.
Nobu's attention was instantly diverted when three portals suddenly opened simultaneously in the middle of the water mirror room.
Five figures stepped out in turn from within those portals. From the first portal, emerged the figure of L walking with his trademark slouching gait. From the second portal, Kagaya Ubuyashiki stepped out gracefully, guided gently by his wife, Amane. And from the third portal, emerged Koko Hekmatyar along with someone accompanying her side.
Ritsuka turned towards the new person next to Koko. She was an athleticly built woman with short hair and an eyepatch covering her right eye.
The woman initially looked very amazed by the surreal architecture of the dimensional room, but her warrior instincts quickly took over. Realizing she was in an unfamiliar place filled with strangers she did not know, the woman immediately switched to alert mode. In a lightning-fast movement, she instantly pulled a handgun from under her clothes.
Ritsuka, who didn't understand much about military weaponry, didn't know exactly what kind of pistol was being pointed. But from its engravings and the shine of its metal, the weapon clearly looked very expensive and specially modified.
"Koko, who is she?" Ritsuka asked breaking the silence, his eyes looking at the eyepatch-wearing woman.
"Ah! Let me introduce her to you all!" Koko exclaimed with her wide smile that always looked a bit crazy. "She is my greatest trusted bodyguard, Valmet! And Valmet, these are the interdimensional gathering members I told you about."
Without the slightest awkwardness or fear, Koko suddenly stepped forward approaching Ritsuka. The arms dealer woman immediately grabbed Ritsuka's shoulders from behind and pushed the young man to stand right in front of her. Koko showed off Ritsuka like a little child showing off their favorite rare doll to a friend.
"And Valmet, this young man who looks very innocent in front of you is Ritsuka Fujimaru!" Koko continued in an enthusiastic tone.
"Even though his face looks like a good kid who is easily fooled, never underestimate him. This young man hides a lot of crazy secrets behind his innocence!"
However, Koko's overly familiar action became the trigger for a disaster.
Seeing a strange woman's hands daring to touch her Master's shoulders so casually, Salter's killing aura that had just been pacified instantly exploded again.
Dark particles immediately condensed in her hand, summoning back the black-bladed sword Excalibur Morgan. Without giving any warning, Salter immediately took a step forward, her sword raised with the absolute intention of cutting off Koko's hands.
Realizing the sudden deadly danger threatening her boss's life, Valmet's military reflexes reacted but lost in speed to Salter. The eyepatch-wearing woman immediately raised her pistol but it was too late, Salter was already close to Koko, yet she was stopped by Ritsuka's voice.
"Artoria, don't," Ritsuka ordered in a firm tone. He stared straight at Salter. "She is my friend."
Hearing the word 'friend' come out of her Master's mouth, Artoria clicked her tongue softly. Although she looked very reluctant and unaccepting, she obeyed the order. The sword was slowly lowered, but her golden gaze radiating a killing aura did not leave Koko's figure who was still standing near Ritsuka.
Seeing the situation slightly under control, Ritsuka sighed in relief. He then looked at the eyepatch-wearing woman who was still pointing her pistol.
"Hello, Valmet. Anyone who is Koko's friend means she is my friend too," Ritsuka greeted with a friendly smile, trying to melt the tension between them. "You can lower your weapon now. I guarantee, she won't attack your boss again."
Even though Ritsuka had given his guarantee, Valmet did not budge at all. The muzzle of her pistol remained locked right at Salter's head. Her military instincts screamed that the black-armored woman in front of her was a real monster.
"Lower your weapon, Valmet," Koko ordered casually. She released her grip from Ritsuka's shoulders and stepped back. "Besides, firearms like that won't work to hurt someone like her."
"B-But, Koko! That woman clearly wanted to—" Valmet protested, unaccepting her boss's safety being underestimated.
"Valmet."
Koko cut off those words. This time her cheerful tone evaporated, replaced by a low voice laden with the authority of a leader. "Don't make me repeat my order."
Valmet jerked stiffly. The deadly aura around her instantly shrank drastically. With unsteady steps and slumped shoulders like a large puppy that had just been scolded by its master, the woman hurriedly holstered her pistol back.
Amidst that awkward silence, the loud tapping sound of military boots was heard approaching.
"Hoo... you have a very tough and loyal guard dog it seems, Arms Dealer," Nobu praised stepping forward with her trademark smirk, staring at Valmet with an interested look.
"Of course!" Koko exclaimed proudly, her laughter erupting again ruining the tense atmosphere. "Valmet is my right hand and also my most trusted bodyguard! She has guarded me everywhere since I was still in school. She has a very long flight hours in bloody battlefields!"
Koko then waved her hand cheerfully. "Now, come here, Valmet! Let me introduce you to the other great people here!"
Hearing the series of sky-high praises from the boss she highly adored, Valmet's 'ears' seemed to stand upright. Her sadness from being scolded earlier instantly evaporated without a trace. Her facial expression immediately bloomed, and she quickly stepped towards Koko with explosive enthusiasm.
Valmet trailed closely behind Koko like a loyal shadow.
Koko began to introduce Zelretch and uncovered the true identity of said Zelretch. Of course, as someone living in a realistic modern world, Valmet gasped in shock upon hearing the existence of such a mythological creature.
"Vampire?!" Valmet shrieked in panic, her eyes widening staring at the old man. She immediately turned to her boss. "Koko! He never tried to drink your blood, right?!"
"Of course not," Koko answered casually, waving her hand as if it was no big deal. "Basically, he is just an eccentric old man who has very weird hobbies and likes to meddle in people's business."
"Hoho, you brought a very interesting girl here, Koko," Zelretch chuckled, ignoring Koko's insult.
The red eyes of the Dead Apostle stared at Valmet's athletic figure from top to bottom with a highly suspicious appraising look. The old man then stroked his beard slowly.
"Hmm... maybe this is a good idea. For once making a muscular, firearm-wielding Magical Girl seems like it would be a unique variation for my magic wand..." he muttered, planning something that would surely be troublesome.
"Hey, I can hear your muttering, you know!" Koko grumbled. She immediately spread her arms, acting protectively to cover Valmet. "You'd better keep your distance from Valmet, got it, Old Man?!"
After being satisfied glaring at Zelretch, Koko turned towards L and Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Strangely, Koko's enthusiastic tone of voice suddenly evaporated. She introduced the two men in a flat and seemingly lazy tone—as if she was reading a boring advertising brochure. Of course, L who was always busy with his own thoughts and Kagaya who had boundless patience did not mind the woman's indifferent attitude at all.
Ignoring Koko, Kagaya instead stepped forward slowly guided by his wife. The man smiled gently and greeted Valmet.
"It is an honor to be able to meet you," the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps greeted with his soothing voice. "From your aura and the firmness of your steps, you must be a very great and tough soldier."
Valmet gasped slightly. She looked at Kagaya with a look full of astonishment. She was confused how a man who from his appearance looked like a sickly traditional nobleman could instantly know that she was a fighter on the battlefield—or more precisely, a former soldier.
"How... how could you know?" Valmet asked unconsciously.
Kagaya carved a deeper smile, radiating an authority that made Valmet unconsciously feel respectful. "Let's just say... my instincts are sharp enough to be able to feel it," Kagaya answered softly, answering Valmet's confusion with riddles.
Koko turned around, intending to continue her introductions towards the two figures who had been accompanying Ritsuka. However, her steps halted. She looked at the two people alternately, just realizing that she did not know the true identity of one of Ritsuka's guards.
Giving up, Koko finally signaled for Ritsuka himself to introduce them. Ritsuka complied; he introduced Salter and Nobu.
"Wait, hold on! You mean this black-armored woman is Arthur Pendragon?! The King of Knights from Great Britain?! From Arthurian Legend! Merlin and the knights of the round table!" Koko shrieked with her eyes wide open in shock after hearing Ritsuka's explanation.
"What?! And this rifle-wielding woman is Oda Nobunaga, who was given the title Demon King of the Sixth Heaven?!" Valmet chimed in no less surprised. Both of them looked at each other with faces of heavy shock. "But... history records that the two of them were male heroes!" Valmet protested in confusion.
"Hahaha, that's how it is. Sometimes, reality in this universe is indeed much more surprising than historical fiction, isn't it?" Zelretch chuckled, amused seeing the confused reactions of those modern people.
"But still... King Arthur and Oda Nobunaga... ugh... my head is suddenly dizzy processing all this," Valmet complained while massaging her temples, feeling her sanity beginning to erode.
Seeing the former soldier's antics, Oda Nobunaga laughed casually.
"Young lady, you are worrying too much about trivial things that are not important at all," Nobu interrupted with her arrogant smirk. "Remember that we all here come from different dimensions and universes. It's only natural if the flow of history and our forms here are very different from the historical figures from the books you know in your world."
Hearing that logical explanation, Valmet and Koko finally chose to nod in resignation and not worry about it anymore. However, Koko's curiosity now shifted to highlight Artoria's appearance.
"Okay, I understand about the difference in worlds," Koko said while tapping her chin. "But... why does Arthur—or this Artoria—look so dark and terrifying like that? She doesn't radiate the aura of a majestic holy king at all. Isn't it in the legend that she is supposed to be the wielder of Excalibur, the holiest sword of light?"
"Ah, regarding that..." Ritsuka had just opened his mouth, preparing to explain.
However, his words were suddenly cut off by a cheerful notification sound echoing in all their heads.
"Ding! Ding! Two of our new members have finally landed!" exclaimed the cheerful voice from the Gathering System, breaking the attention of everyone in the room.
"They will appear soon! Everyone, get ready and please welcome their arrival very warmly, okay~!"
Right after that announcement echoed, a large portal suddenly opened and swirled in front of them all. The air inside the room rustled strongly. From behind that dark energy vortex, the echoes of two pairs of approaching footsteps were faintly heard.
"Sis, do we really have to believe the nonsense of that damn light boy?" grumbled a woman's voice that sounded rough and impatient from inside the portal.
"Shut up, Two Hands. This is all because of your careless actions that I got dragged into this weird place," replied another woman's voice. Unlike the first voice, this second voice sounded much heavier, colder, and radiated authority.