002 - Fate/Half Astral

A few moments later, as the smoke from Ritsu's explosive attack cleared, they saw a massive crater where Archer had stood just moments before. There was no sign of him anywhere... It was as if he had been completely obliterated, leaving no trace behind after Ritsu's swift and overwhelming strike.

"Mash?? Fujimaru??? Director, what just happened? We detected a massive mana surge from here!" Dr. Roman's hologram suddenly appeared, his face full of panic and concern.

But none of them responded to Dr. Roman's question. They were all still staring, wide-eyed, at the giant crater in front of them.

"Hmph, Uncle Shirou is such a meanie in this world," Ritsu pouted, crossing her arms in frustration.

"...What just happened?" Fujimaru finally managed to speak after a long silence.

"I don't know, Master. Everything happened so fast..." Mash answered, still in shock.

Meanwhile, Olga, who was still holding Ritsu from when she had tried to protect her from Archer's arrow, finally spoke up, her voice trembling slightly.

"Ritsu..."

"Yeah, Olga-neechan?" Ritsu turned her head to look at Olga innocently.

"What the hell did you just do???" Olga asked, her expression a mix of disbelief and exasperation.

"Hmm? I'm using warlock magic. By combining the four elements, I can create a spell with enough firepower to beat someone," Ritsu proudly explained.

"Warlock magic? Is that magic from another world?" Olga asked, still processing what had just happened.

"Yep! It's Mommy Djeeta's magic. When she used it one day, I just copied it, and it worked!"

"Mommy Djeeta? Is that your mom's name, Ritsu?" Mash asked, her curiosity piqued.

"No, my mom's name is Rin~. Mommy Djeeta is just another mommy for me," Ritsu said nonchalantly.

Everyone fell silent again. Mash and Fujimaru were utterly confused, unsure of what Ritsu meant. But Olga and Caster quickly understood.

"You mean you have more than one mom??" Olga blurted out, wide-eyed.

"Yep! I have a lot of mommies, and they all pamper me~," Ritsu replied with a grin.

"...Pfft hahaha! I don't know who your father is, but he sure knows how to live!" Caster burst out laughing.

"Wait, what?? Does that mean Ritsu's father is married to more than one person?" Fujimaru asked, finally catching on.

"Damn, is this what people mean by harem protagonist!?" Dr. Roman mumbled through the hologram, sounding a bit jealous and frustrated by the revelation.

But as they were caught up in their conversation and momentarily forgetting their mission, Ritsu suddenly turned serious. "Something's coming!" she said, her tone shifting dramatically.

Not long after, a massive presence suddenly appeared, shaking the ground and causing cracks to form beneath him.

"Damn, looks like the explosion from before attracted Berserker!" Caster shouted as he spotted the incoming threat.

"*ROOOAAARRRRR*!" The Berserker roared the moment he laid eyes on them. Wasting no time, he lunged toward the group, swinging his massive sword, seemingly made of stone or something similar.

"Circle of Coalescence!" Ritsu shouted, immediately forming a barrier in front of them, glowing with the colors of the four elements.

*BAM!* The Berserker's attack slammed into the barrier, stopping him for a moment. But he roared louder and began relentlessly smashing his weapon into the shield.

*BAM* *BAM* *CRACK* With each swing, cracks began spreading across the barrier.

"I can't hold him for much longer!" Ritsu warned them, struggling to maintain the shield.

"This is really bad. Fighting Berserker right now will drain all our stamina, and we still need to deal with Saber!" Olga said, her face tense.

"Can't you use your attack again, Ritsu?" Fujimaru asked.

"No, I'm sorry! That spell takes time to cast, and this guy isn't giving me any!" Ritsu responded, her voice strained.

"Then we should—" Before Fujimaru could finish, Caster tapped his staff on the ground.

"Just leave him to me."

"What!? Caster, you don't stand a chance against Berserker!" Mash protested, recognizing that the raw power of Berserker far surpassed that of Caster.

"Heh, I already missed my chance to fight Archer because Ritsu took care of him. Just let me handle Berserker," Caster smirked. "With the mana I got from my little master, I'll definitely beat him. We don't have time—just go!" A blue magic circle formed beneath Caster's staff.

"But—!" Mash hesitated, torn between wanting to help and trusting Caster.

"...Everyone, let's go. We need to finish this Singularity and let Caster handle Berserker," Olga decided, turning to run while carrying Ritsu in her arms.

"Eh!? Wait! Chucu, I can help you!" Ritsu protested, squirming in Olga's grasp, but her focus was still on maintaining the barrier, preventing her from breaking free.

Fujimaru clenched his teeth, conflicted, before finally making his decision. "Let's go, Mash!" he urged, grabbing Mash's hand and pulling her along.

As they left, it was now just Caster and the raging Berserker, whose repeated attacks had nearly shattered Ritsu's barrier.

"Well, my plan to take down Archer failed, but at least I've still got you, Berserker," Caster smirked slightly, already thinking about how to defeat the rampaging servant. Knowing Berserker's true identity, Caster understood that he would have to kill him multiple times.

But as a Caster instead of a Lancer? His odds weren't great.

"At least I'll hold you back long enough for them to finish," Caster muttered, summoning additional magic circles around himself.

Suddenly, from inside the cave, Ritsu's voice rang out. "Runeweaving: Mana Burst and Spell Boost!"

Moments later, a different rune than the ones Ritsu usually used shot out of the cave and flew straight toward Caster.

The rune entered Caster's back. "!?"

His body began glowing with a bright purple light, and he could feel his strength increase dramatically, far beyond anything he'd felt before.

"...Heh, that little girl," Caster chuckled, remembering the small child who had unexpectedly crossed his path and constantly left him astonished with her abilities.

Now, with power surging through him, Caster was ready to face Berserker head-on.

While Caster continued his battle with Berserker, the others had reached the depths of the cave. Before them was a large cliff, with something glowing purple behind it.

"What is that?" Fujimaru wondered aloud.

"You have an interesting Servant with you," a woman's voice suddenly echoed from atop the cliff.

The woman was Saber Alter, her appearance striking and intense. Her armor was black, lined with red markings. Her eyes glowed a menacingly, and her normally blonde hair was darker, almost silver, tied in a high ponytail. A purple aura enveloped her body, swirling like a manifestation of pure malice.

"That's…!" Ritsu's eyes widened in surprise the moment she saw her.

"Is that the Saber? The one Caster mentioned before?" Fujimaru asked anxiously.

"Her mana is unbelievable!" Olga added, astonished.

Saber stood tall, observing each of them—Fujimaru, Mash with her shield, Olga holding Ritsu in her arms. Her gaze eventually settled on Ritsu.

"That girl…" Saber murmured, her eyes narrowing. She could feel the overwhelming mana inside the small child's body—so much power that it seemed impossible for someone so young to contain it all.

Noticing Saber's focus on her, Ritsu immediately smiled and waved her hand.

"Mommy Artoria!" she called out cheerfully.

Everyone fell silent, the previously tense atmosphere evaporating in an instant as they stared at Ritsu in shock, processing what she had just said.

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"Alright, Ritsu," Olga said seriously, as the little girl sat in seiza position in front of her.

Though Ritsu was seated in the traditional kneeling position, a small magic circle cast by Olga beneath her made sure she could sit comfortably without the discomfort of the hard ground.

"Yes, Olga-neechan?" Ritsu responded, tilting her head curiously.

"First things first—can you explain why you call *her* Mommy too? And then tell us about your father's." Olga's tone was firm, as everyone around them listened intently, even Saber, who stood silently, observing them with curiosity.

After all, Saber Alter herself was also quite intrigued as to why this small girl would call her "Mommy."

"I see, so your father met another Artoria? And you remember her old appearance from a photo they have, which looks exactly like this one?" Dr. Roman asked after hearing Ritsu's explanation.

"Yes! The Mommy Artoria in the photo looks just like her, but now she's different," Ritsu said as she began searching through her pockets.

After a moment, she pulled out two photos. "This is the previous Mommy Artoria," she said, showing them the first picture.

Everyone leaned in to take a look.

"Yeah, this is just like the Saber in front of us," Mash said, comparing the Saber from the photo to the Saber Alter standing nearby.

"And this is Mommy Artoria now," Ritsu added, pulling out the second photo.

"…What the—!" Dr. Roman gasped in shock upon seeing it.

"How in the world did this happen!?" Olga exclaimed, equally stunned.

"Whoa, she looks so mature in this picture! She looks really happy, and her appearance has changed a lot!" Mash remarked, clearly impressed.

"Yeah, she's changed alright…" Fujimaru muttered under his breath, though he was more focused on the fact that in the new photo, Artoria's bust had noticeably grow really big.

"Here, Mommy, you can see it too!" Ritsu suddenly vanished from her spot in front of Olga and the others and reappeared beside Saber Alter, holding the photo up for her to see.

"Wait—how did you get here?" Saber jumped slightly, clearly startled by Ritsu's sudden appearance beside her, though she kept her composure. Her curiosity piqued, Saber decided to take a look at the picture.

Despite her shock, she examined it closely, and her eyes narrowed, deep in thought.

"This is... me?" Saber Alter murmured, staring at the photo in disbelief.

"Yes, that's you, Mommy! Sometimes you're strict, but sometimes you pamper me too!" Ritsu explained cheerfully.

Saber Alter found it hard to process what she was seeing. The woman in the photo was unmistakably her—yet she was smiling warmly, hugging a man with silver hair.

"It can't be... This is not me!" she shouted, and suddenly, her purple aura surged violently.

Sensing the dangerous spike in Mana, Ritsu teleported away from Saber, reappearing beside Olga and the others.

"Saber's Mana is increasing! What did you do, Ritsu?" Dr. Roman's voice crackled through the hologram, full of concern.

"I was just showing her the picture, but now it's gone! She still has it!" Ritsu pouted, frustrated she couldn't retrieve the photo.

"Wait, really? You showed her a picture of a different version of her—one that's happy and married to someone?" Olga asked, shaking her head.

"I see... I get it now," Fujimaru said, understanding why Saber was so furious.

"No! It's not just the picture. Something disgusting is affecting her personality! I could sense it even while showing her the photo," Ritsu said, her tone becoming serious.

Saber Alter's eyes flared with malice as she raised her corrupted sword, Excalibur Morgan towards them. The blade once a symbol of hope but now pulsed with dark energy, its once-golden hue tainted with a deep purple glow. Black smoke spiraled around it, as cracks of violet light danced across the blade, radiating immense power and corruption.

"Prepare yourselves! I will destroy the lies you've brought before me, stranger!" she declared, her voice full of fury as she aimed Excalibur Morgan at them.