As Lancer slowly loosened his grip on the red spear, the Archer he had impaled began to dissolve into mana. Only then did the man show a reaction different from his previous coldness.
"My apologies... Saber..."
Lancer was certain that Archer had regained his senses. After mumbling his apology, Archer sat up with a sudden burst of lucidity, his previously vacant eyes flashing with incredible spirit.
"Unknown Servant... I'm counting on you. Please... save... Saber..."
With those final words, Archer vanished completely in Lancer arms. Cu Chulainn watched the spot where he disappeared, frowning in silence.
Cu had finished off Darius III (Rider), and Lancer had taken out Hassan (Assassin). Both of those Servants had left clear messages: one warned Lancer to be careful, and the other showed clear resentment. Both were hostile toward Saber. Yet Archer, in his final moments, asked Lancer to "save" her.
"Did Archer and Saber know each other?"
It seemed unlikely. There are countless Heroic Spirits; meeting someone you knew in a war of only seven Servants was too much of a coincidence. But Lancer knew their history. This Holy Grail War was supposed to be the start of their complicated bond, but now everything had been turned into a chaotic mess.
"I'll tell you about Saber and Archer later, Senpai. For now, let's welcome the 'reinforcements' I mentioned."
After Lancer had charged Archer, Olga Marie and the girls had followed with her permission. They arrived just in time to see the final act: Lancer killing Archer.
Seeing Cu Chulainn holding his staff and looking their way, the trio tensed up. They hadn't realized Lancer was a "Heroic Spirit" until now, and seeing a second Servant appear beside him only added to the tension.
"Yo! You the reinforcements my junior was talking about? Pretty cute bunch of recruits, aren't ya?"
Cu approached them with his usual casual attitude. Mash instinctively raised her shield, watching him warily. Cu stopped, waving his hand awkwardly.
"Ladies, you're hurting my feelings here..."
Lancer knew Cu meant no harm—he was just trying to be friendly—but he'd overlooked the situation. For three girls in this creepy environment, witnessing a "murder scene" didn't exactly scream "trustworthy."
Lancer opted for a detour.
"Ladies, we're about to have a meal to recover some mana. Want to join us?"
The dining table—a place of special significance. It's a bond for family and friends, a birthplace of grand decisions and conspiracies, and for the group right now, the best place to break the ice.
Hot food sat on a cleared stone surface. Lancer and Cu were happily eating and drinking, but the three girls across from them wouldn't touch their utensils.
Ritsuka, who was actually quite hungry, was tempted by the smell, but Olga Marie glare kept her in check.
"Mr. Unknown Yokai, since you claim to have no ill intent, would you mind being honest with us? Tell us what you know. And your 'Senpai' over there seemed to know we were coming—care to explain that?"
Olga Marie mana might have been depleted, but her "Lord" persona was still intimidating. Ritsuka was literally swallowing her spit in hunger, and Mash sat ramrod straight, clutching her shield.
Unfortunately, her authority didn't work on Lancer or Cu. Cu had seen it all before, and Lancer actually disliked people who used status to pressure others. Still, knowing she meant no harm, he didn't snap back.
He simply raised his sake dish with a smile.
"Chaldea's job is to travel to 'Singularities' and fix distorted timelines to save the future of humanity. Am I right?"
Lancer wasn't 100% accurate, but he was close enough. Olga Marie nodded with pride. Chaldea was her father's legacy, and she had poured her life into it after his "disappearance." It was the crown jewel of the Animusphere family. How could she not be proud?
"Well, if you can travel back in time to fix things, it shouldn't be too hard to believe that others can travel through time or space, right?"
Transmigrators, time travelers, even True Magic users—there were many names for such people in this world. Olga Marie was surprised, but she didn't lose her cool. More importantly, she didn't fully believe him. As far as she knew, only the Second True Magic user, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, the Wizard Marshal, had that kind of power. Even Chaldea didn't "travel" in the true sense; it was a trick of Rayshifting.
Seeing her skepticism, Lancer shook his head. There were things he didn't want to say yet, but to gain her trust, he had to drop the bomb.
Olga Marie might be academic, but as a family head and a Lord, she knew the world was a dangerous place. She wouldn't trust a stranger easily. If only I were just dealing with Mash and Ritsuka, this would be so much easier.
"Director, did you know? In reality... you're already dead."
Lancer took a sip of sake, speaking as if he were mentioning the weather, while everyone else's eyes went wide.
After a moment of shock, Olga Marie scoffed.
"What kind of nonsense is that? I'm standing right here! How could I be—"
She stopped mid-sentence. Lancer expression was too calm. He didn't look like a fool, and a lie that could be proven wrong instantly was pointless to tell.
Just then, Ritsuka "watch" began to beep.
"Finally connected! Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?"
A pink-haired man appeared on the screen, instantly drawing everyone's attention.