New Chaldea – Wandering Sea Main Cafeteria
The simulated noonday sun streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling across the long tables of the cafeteria. The air was thick with the scents of curry, ramen, and the meat of some unidentifiable monster.
Kadoc Zemlupus sat alone in a corner, spoon in hand, a plate of very appetizing special omelet rice placed before him.
But he could not focus on his meal at all.
"Ha ha ha ha! My archenemy! Today, we'll finally settle this!"
Not far away, Gilgamesh—clad in golden armor—was standing atop a table, a golden bottle of wine produced from who-knows-where in his hand, laughing boldly at Ozymandias who stood across from him.
"Hmph! This is exactly what I desired! The brilliance of the sun shall not be outshone by mere gold!"
Elsewhere, the Knights of the Round Table were locked in a heated arm-wrestling tournament to decide "who is the most perfect knight," while Artoria (Saber), acting as referee, was focused entirely on devouring the mountain of food piled up in front of her.
A short distance away, the maids in swimsuits were gathered together, discussing their upcoming summer operation, silver-bell laughter occasionally ringing out among them.
"…"
Kadoc felt his stomach ache again.
"What… is this place supposed to be…?"
He muttered weakly to himself.
He had seen any number of grandiose sights in the Lostbelts.
Yet this chaotic spectacle—over two hundred Heroic Spirits assembled in one place, each running rampant as they pleased—was nothing short of mental contamination for someone like him, who had always been accustomed to a "small elite (lonely)" style of combat.
"Ah, Kadoc-senpai! Hey, over here!"
Right at that moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka arrived carrying two plates, sitting down cheerfully across from him.
"Well? How is it? Red Archer's omelet rice—it's delicious, right? It's one of Chaldea's signature dishes!"
"…Y-yeah… The taste really is excellent."
Kadoc sighed and looked at the girl before him. She seemed completely unfazed by the surrounding chaos—if anything, she was enjoying it. A complicated sense of admiration welled up in his heart.
"You… have always lived in an environment like this?"
"Hmm? Yup!"
Ritsuka smiled and nodded, casually stealing a piece of fried chicken from Artoria's plate (and earning a deadly glare for it).
"It gets noisy sometimes, but everyone's a lot of fun."
"You'll get used to it! Do your best to fit in, Kadoc-senpai!"
"Get… used…to it?"
Kadoc glanced over at Tesla in the distance, watching him argue with Edison about "AC versus DC," and the corner of his mouth twitched.
This difficulty might be even higher than felling a Fantasy Tree.
…
At the Same Time – Third Technical Development Room
Unlike the cafeteria, which was as noisy as a vegetable market, only the low hum of precision instruments and the crisp clacking of keyboards echoed here.
"…No, there's a problem with the logic in the construction method."
"If we force the output of the imaginary submarine's engine up to flight-mode levels, the mental-particle computation circuits will enter an overload state."
The genius alchemist of the Atlas Academy, Sion Eltnam Sokaris, stared intently at a complex blueprint projected on a holographic screen, her fingers moving rapidly.
"We either need to recalculate the ether conversion rate, or add two auxiliary cooling cores…"
"There's no need to make it that complicated."
A calm yet undeniably confident voice spoke from behind her.
Steve had appeared at some point behind her chair.
He leaned forward slightly, one hand resting on the control panel. With the other, he reached over Sion's shoulder and began to modify the virtual blueprint.
"This circuit doesn't need extra cooling. What it needs is a change in the topology of the magical flow—convert the linear circulation into a Möbius-strip circulation."
"That way, the waste heat is converted back into power. Not only does it solve the overload problem, it increases propulsion efficiency by thirty percent."
As his fingers slid across the air, the red warning zones on the diagram instantly shifted to green, indicating full stability.
The entire design became more refined and elegant, like a bloated draft that had suddenly transformed into a perfect work of art.
"Why…?"
Sion was stunned.
She stared at the instantly optimized blueprint, her mind going blank for a moment.
As the candidate for next director of Atlas, she had absolute confidence in her computational abilities.
Yet in front of this man, her so called high-speed thinking looked clumsy—like a toddler just learning to walk.
"This… This way of thinking…"
She turned her head to look at Steve standing beside her.
They were so close that she could clearly see the streams of data reflected in his deep eyes, and catch the faint, reassuring scent that seemed to drift from him.
"What's wrong, Sion?"
Steve turned his face toward her, his usual easy smile appearing.
"Can't keep up with my train of thought?"
"Ugh…!"
Sion's cheeks flushed red at once.
It wasn't just shyness—it was also the indignation of a technician who found herself completely outmatched.
"N-not at all! I was just… verifying the feasibility of your plan!"
She retorted stubbornly, though her eyes quickly darted away.
"It is perfect, I'll grant you that, but it ignores the standard procedural steps of magical theory entirely! This is just… cheating!"
"Maybe so."
Steve chuckled quietly. Instead of backing off, he leaned in closer.
His breath brushed lightly against Sion's ear, sending a faint shiver through the usually cool and rational alchemist.
"As long as I'm here, you don't need to worry about those tedious basic procedures."
"Just tell me what you want to accomplish… and then watch as I make it reality."
[]
Shadow Border Modification Plan (Ver. Flight)
Main Changes:
Miniaturization of the Minovsky-Particle Levitation System.
Power Source:
Hybrid virtual engine + Space Dust.
New Functions:
Supersonic Atmospheric Cruise:
Uses a particle shield to reduce air resistance, allowing cruise speeds of Mach 3.
Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL):
No runway required; capable of take-off and landing on any terrain.
Virtual Submerge/Flight Mode Toggle:
Allows direct transition from submergence mode to airborne mode, enabling tactical surprise attacks.
Note:
Interface reserved for future "space warfare" modifications.
[]
Staring at this design that seemed to have come straight from the future, Sion was at a loss for words.
"Seriously… Where did this monster even come from?"
She sighed and relaxed slightly, unconsciously leaning backward as if searching for something—or someone—to support her.
Her reason told her she ought to keep her distance. But deep within her heart, the sudden sense of familiarity and safety—almost as if it transcended time and space—was something she could not resist.
In this world, she had not summoned Captain Nemo.
Yet before her now stood a man who called himself Steve, and whose knowledge surpassed that of any Caster.
From the very first time they met, he had given her the illusion that as long as he was there, everything would work out in the end…
No—perhaps it wasn't an illusion at all.
"I am your servant, my Master."
It was as if Steve had seen straight through her thoughts; his voice grew even gentler.
He reached out and softly smoothed her long purple hair, disheveled from long hours of work.
"To help you, to protect you, and to grant your wishes… That is the purpose of my existence."
The instant his fingertips brushed her cheek, a jolt like electricity shot up Sion's spine and into the crown of her head.
Her heart began to pound wildly.
The sensation was strange, yet at the same time oddly nostalgic.
As if long ago—so long she could no longer recall when—someone had treated her with the very same tenderness.
"…You're awful."
She lowered her head and whispered, her voice barely audible.
"A mere servant… and yet you always act like nothing fazes you."
"And… you're very good at flirting."
"What was that?"
Steve asked a question even though he already knew the answer.
"N-nothing at all!"
Sion spun around, facing the console again and trying to bury herself in work to hide her flustered state.
"The design is complete, so let's start the modifications right away! We need to finish the Shadow Border's test flight before departure tomorrow!"
"Yes, Master."
Looking at the vivid red of her ears, Steve's eyes held a faint, tender light.
He did not expose her fluster, and instead quietly picked up the tools.
In the stillness of deep night, in a workshop occupied by only the two of them, the sounds of machinery and keystrokes blended together, playing a melody named unspoken understanding.
Memories did not remain, and time and space were different.
Yet some things are engraved upon the soul.
No matter how many times they begin again, no matter how far apart they are, once they meet once more, they will inevitably resonate with each other.
That is the unique everyday life of Steve and Sion.
...
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