A dress adorned with fluttering frills and a monochromatic design of black and white.
With an exposed neckline and a modest hem falling to the knees, the garment was faithful to the very essence of a 'Maid.'
"Sigh, honestly... what a nuisance. Why must I clean my own castle? This is hardly a task for a noble such as myself! And truly, why must I wear such a vulgar outfit just to scrub away these stains!"
A voice that was alluring yet gloomy, possessing a high-handed and damp undertone. That voice, which seemed like the personification of a 'Witch,' belonged to none other than Carmilla, currently clad in a maid uniform.
"That is a Victorian-era Gothic-style maid uniform!"
"...Impressive. You actually recognized it?"
Carmilla looked at Ritsuka with a somewhat exhausted expression before shifting her gaze back to the mop, then tossing several cleaning tools at us.
"What? We have to clean, too?"
"Do you truly think you can enter my castle without so much as lifting a finger to clean?"
"Yes."
"...You certainly have a lot of nerve. However, as Carmilla—the rightful owner of this castle and its current maid—I will never let you pass unless you assist me!"
...Well, she was a different kind of troublesome compared to Vlad III.
The others seemed just as reluctant to clean a Singularity as I was.
"I shall act as the supervisor, so you all will properly scour the entire castle..."
"First strike wins the day!"
At that moment, something fired from Ritsuka's hand and struck Carmilla squarely.
Accompanied by a faint flash of light, Carmilla collapsed to the floor before she could finish her sentence. Ritsuka looked at the fallen Servant awkwardly before quickly making a small V-sign with her fingers.
"...What was that?"
"Uh... a Mystic Code... that Da Vinci-chan made?"
[It looks like Gandr, a curse-type spell... but could a Gandr actually take down a Servant with Magic Resistance?]
"In theory, it's possible. The fact that she put that theory into practice... suggests she is quite a skilled Magus herself."
"Indeed. Despite appearing lacking in many areas, she was actually a Master specializing in the Curse Department..."
"No, no, it wasn't me! Da Vinci-chan, what exactly did you give me!"
That was exactly what I wanted to ask.
Could it be that the rumor of a Gandr capable of halting even the King of Demon Gods was not mere hyperbole?
"Still, it might be difficult to pull that off in a real fight."
"Eh? Why? It just took down a Servant, didn't it?"
"Carmilla is... strictly speaking, a Servant hovering between the second and third rate. In the first place, if a top-tier Heroic Spirit like Gareth intended to kill me, even I could lose."
"...Though I may be at the bottom of the hierarchy in terms of combat power, Karma-san, discussing victory and defeat against the Round Table as if it were a common occurrence is what's truly strange."
"Ahem, anyway... Even someone like me would lose against a Servant if I were caught by surprise. Do you know why?"
Wodime was the first to speak.
"The casting speed of Magecraft?"
"Similar, but not quite correct."
"...Lack of firepower?"
"Firepower itself is useless against my abilities. The answer is kinetic vision."
This was the decisive reason why I was particularly wary of Lancers, Assassins, and Archers among all Servant classes.
Lancers, who possess the highest speed in melee combat and anti-personnel mobility superior even to Riders. Assassins, who lurk in the shadows and strike from the rear. And Archers, who deliver supersonic snipes from beyond visual range.
Though I maintain a constant field of Shinra Tensei by absorbing and consuming Prana 24/7, the Noble Phantasms or abilities of Servants could easily pierce through a weakened passive barrier.
"I cannot visually track Servants I haven't recognized during combat. Battles between Heroic Spirits are ultimately the realm of hyper-intuition and precognition... I simply suppress them using various means and cowardly methods."
"Whoa, he admitted he's cowardly with his own mouth."
"There is no such thing as cowardice when it comes to life and death... Anyway, while Ritsuka's Gandr is efficient, anyone at the level of a Servant would find it easy to dodge."
"In that case... Ah! I just had a great idea."
A faint smile appeared on Ritsuka's face.
Naturally, Gareth and Mash, who were standing beside her, shook their heads in anxiety. Soon, she dropped a bombshell.
"We use me as bait for the Servants, and then catch them!"
"Rejected."
"Absolutely not."
[Are you insane?!]
"The motion is struck down by three strikes. Mash-san, please cover Ritsuka-chan's mouth from now on."
"Yes, Kadoc-senpai. I shall thoroughly silence my senpai's mouth...!"
*
Having witnessed Vlad III's obsession with clothes, Mata Hari's dance, and Carmilla's physical comedy, we braced ourselves once more and headed toward the location where we presumed the 'banquet' would be held.
"It's... surprisingly peaceful in its own way."
"Isn't this better? Honestly, the First Singularity was far too dangerous."
"I totally agree... Sleeping in a stiff tent is exhausting in many ways."
"Da Vinci is planning to upgrade the travel tents in various ways, so don't complain too much."
Fortunately, the traps, additional Servants, or intruding enemies I had anticipated did not manifest. We relaxed our tension slightly and chatted as if we were taking a slow stroll through the castle interior.
"By the way, this castle looked small from the outside, but it's surprisingly huge..."
"It's likely due to forced perspective. But didn't it look like a massive castle from the entrance?"
"My eyes were fixed on Vlad III."
"Ah..."
As we walked cautiously down a corridor dimly lit by candlelight, a massive, pitch-black hollow appeared before us.
[I've scanned it, and there are no particular traps or magical devices. Still, it's best to be careful...]
"We've come too far to turn back now...!"
The moment we stepped forward simultaneously, a click echoed like a light switch, and the pitch-black hollow flooded with light.
Upon the tables were clean white tablecloths and neatly arranged silverware, along with luxurious dishes that made our mouths water just looking at them. In the surroundings, self-playing instruments performed music with a slightly eerie yet classical atmosphere, and the ceiling was a magical sky—a recreated cosmic void—with floating candelabras providing illumination.
"...Hogwarts?"
"I know, right? It feels exactly like the Hogwarts Great Hall."
"Just as you say!"
"Whoa, you scared me..."
Suddenly, as if dropping out of thin air... a strange maid who looked somewhere between a dog and a cat revealed herself.
Unlike Carmilla earlier, her maid outfit was distinctly modernized and customized, with significantly more exposure.
"It's Tamamo Cat..."
"Mister, you sure know a lot about Heroic Spirits, don't you?"
"I am quite the expert in this field. Among pure humans, there probably isn't anyone who knows Heroic Spirits better than I do—excluding those mad freaks from the Wandering Sea, that is."
Of course, there was Francesca too... but since she was currently stuffed inside my Hell Realm (Naraka Path), unable to die but not quite living, she didn't count.
"Ahem, that's enough local broadcasting, woof! Regardless, congratulations on reaching the final destination, woof. This is the ultimate banquet hall and concert hall. I am Tamamo Cat, the gatekeeper and head chef of Castle Csejte, woof!"
"...I see."
To be honest, it was hard to listen to.
Knowing the true identity of 'Tamamo Cat,' seeing her in that ridiculous maid outfit using 'woof' speech... how should I put it? It felt like a severe case of cognitive dissonance.
"What? It wasn't a trap, but a real banquet?"
"That's right, woof! I don't use invitations to scam people, woof. A renowned noblewoman and victim of history, and now the true incarnation of an idol—it's time for Miss Elizabeth Bathory's debut stage, woof!"
"Ooh, I see... but wasn't Bathory missing from the Singularity?"
"That's why she came to meet you like this, woof. To release the sorrow of not being able to sing back then! Ah, to think the master I thought was a wicked lizard was actually such a noble person!"
"How much did she pay you?"
"One box of carrots for every shout-out, woof."
Ritsuka and Tamamo Cat seemed to get along quite well as they began a rapid-fire exchange. Gently nudging Ritsuka, who was busy keeping the conversation going, aside, I looked at Tamamo Cat and asked.
"So, where is the person responsible for this banquet?"
"Hmm? This is Tamamo Cat's self-promotion time, woof. For this moment, I want you to focus on me, not my (temporary) employer, woof."
"...Weren't you hired, then?"
"That's why I added the (temporary), woof."
"Regardless, we came to see Bathory. Great dancing, nice clothes... the banquet food is good, too, but our priority is to take the Holy Grail located in this Singularity. I want to meet Bathory, the owner of the Holy Grail in this timeline... where is she?"
"Hmm... if that's the case, I should tell you, woof. My (temporary) employer is currently..."
[[[Did you call for me, little puppy?]]]
At that moment, a woman emerged from the end of the great hollow.
When Wodime pointed his finger at Bathory, each of us looked up at her with a deadpan expression... before eventually casting our gazes down again.
"If you were coming to look for this, you should have said so earlier. I would have given it to you easily if you just did me a small favor!"
"Re-really? You'll just give it to us?"
"Of course! My only wish is to have fun and play together!"
"Hmm... what? So it really wasn't a big deal?"
"Ophelia and Pepe are going to be disappointed. If it ends with just playing, this is a total cakewalk of a Singularity... what exactly are we doing to play?"
"Anything! Dancing, wearing fancy clothes, eating delicious food, and singing while having a grand old time!"
Ah, I see. It's this pattern again.
"Are you truly going to give us the Holy Grail if we just play along?"
"Certainly! You yourselves are already fully prepared to enjoy the banquet, aren't you? You're dressed appropriately, the food is laid out freely, and we even have guests over there to liven things up!"
Mata Hari and Vlad III, who had appeared at some point, were waving at us with pleasant smiles.
Completely swept up in the flow, Bathory grabbed a microphone and began shouting like an event MC.
"Now~ have you enjoyed the one-night Castle Csejte event so far?"
"Yeah! It's been incredibly fun!"
Wodime, who seemed to be enjoying the event most enthusiastically, shouted back.
Meanwhile, I slowly gathered Prana in my body as I listened.
"I'm glad to hear you're enjoying yourselves! As the host of this festival, I am quite satisfied... but every festival must come to an end! It is only natural that the most important and most dazzling person steps up for the finale!"
Bathory grabbed the microphone, and as a stage manifested beneath her, she ascended. The others began to clap for her.
[It's my first time hearing a Heroic Spirit's song; I'm actually looking forward to this in many ways. Wait, where is Miss Manaka going? The song is just about to start... Oh? Does Godword-kun have some business as well?]
Hmph, it seems those with 'memories' are the same as me. Seeking to evade the threat in advance.
"Alright! Now I'll show you the real deal. This is the greatest scale, ultimate volume, and supreme performance of this century—a one-night concert performed by Bathory Erzsébet just for you little puppies, my future managers! For this very night, I shall sing! Loud and clear. ARE YOU READY!!!"
"YES! YES! YES!!!"
"Thanks for the response! Now, witness it! The power of my Fresh Blood Demoness reborn through the Holy Grail!!!"
The moment Bathory gripped the microphone, I moved faster and more agilely than anyone else.
Opening the gate to the Naraka Path, I threw myself inside before the others could even notice and snapped the entrance shut.
And then...
[Csejte Pyramide Elisabeth — BÁTHORY ERZSÉBET!!!!]