Fate/Magus Path

184 Eccentric

In a forest now engulfed in roaring flames, the battle had come to an end.

The group stood panting, the recent fight clearly having taken its toll.

First, the reunited Chaldea duo—Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash—embraced tightly, sharing tales of their time apart.

Unlike Ritsuka, a mere human, Mash was a Demi-Servant crafted by Chaldea, her resilience and combat prowess far beyond mortal limits.

Though she'd faced magical beast attacks on the Mesopotamian plains, her exceptional strength kept her from the despair Ritsuka had endured.

She fought her way through encircling beasts, heading in a specific direction across Mesopotamia, searching for signs of Ritsuka along the way.

During her journey, Mash encountered a mysterious figure claiming to be Merlin, the Magus of Flowers—an eccentric guy.

Merlin called it a delightful chance meeting.

But given his breathless state, Mash suspected it was no coincidence—he'd likely raced from afar to find her.

Though questions lingered, urgency left no time for Merlin to explain further. Roy's trap to ensnare Kingu was about to spring, and he had to join the fray.

Trapping Kingu was a high-stakes plan with immense potential rewards—Merlin couldn't sit it out.

Promising to reunite her with Ritsuka, Merlin led Mash on a grueling, hours-long sprint across the Mesopotamian plains.

Thanks to his illusions cloaking them from the beasts' senses, they cut straight through the horde, arriving just in time for Roy's scheme to join the battle.

Surveying the wrecked undergrowth and the forest ablaze around them, Roy and Merlin—meeting in reality for the first time—locked eyes and burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha, long time no see, Roy. Our first real-world meeting, at last."

"You too, Merlin. It's been a while."

Their first physical encounter brought mutual joy. Merlin doffed his hood, beaming at Roy, then coughed lightly before flashing his signature cheeky grin.

"Now, to business, my friend. I hope you'll shower me with praise like Chaldea's Master. My timing was impeccable—solving that little crisis just now."

"Yes! Thank you so much for your help!!"

Hearing Merlin, Mash—still hugging Ritsuka—turned and formally thanked the odd man who'd brought her here.

Ritsuka followed suit.

"Thank you so much!!"

"Well, well, it's been ages since I last swung a holy sword, but it seems my swordplay's still pretty sharp, huh~"

Merlin's grin grew even more insufferable at their thanks, prompting Roy to rub his forehead with a resigned expression.

Just then, a fluffy white creature crawled out of Ritsuka's chest pouch.

"Fou~"

"Fou Fou!!"

Mash gasped at the sight, and Ritsuka was equally shocked it had tagged along.

"Huh? Is that Cath Palug?!"

As its former caretaker, Merlin recognized it instantly.

But what followed wasn't a tearful reunion—Fou unleashed its wrath.

To Merlin's astonishment, the white critter leaped, spun 360 degrees midair, and landed a solid kick square on his face.

A clean, forceful strike.