Fate series and characters belong to Nasu and TypeMoon


Mash's Training

"Hey, Fujimaru, it's pretty obvious that Kyrielight's looking depressed." Olga Marie called out to them. Ritsuka stopped kneading the side of his head from a burning headache to stare at Mash. Ritsuko stopped in her steps too with her brother and spun around.

Mash had her head lowered with a grimace on her lips though it had been there the hour they followed Caster. Her violet orbs gazing downwards as she continued walking. Olga Marie nudged Ritsuka's shoulders. "You both are her Masters, aren't you? Do something to cheer her up!"

"We'd even do it as her friend without being Masters," Ritsuka mumbled to himself.

"Mash?"

Ritsuka stopped beside the violet-haired Servant.

Mash remained walking with his call fallen deaf in her ears. Brows furrowed with worry, Ritsuko nodded and attempted this time. "Hey, Mash-chan."

Ignored again, Ritsuko this time stood in front of her. "Mash-chan!"

The violet-haired Servant shook up with a startled face. "Y-Yes?!"

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Mash-chan," Ritsuko showed a satisfied grin at her. As Ritsuka approached them, she asked, "You had that upset look on your face. Is there something wrong?"

"No! There's nothing different, Ritsuko-senpai," Mash replied a little too quickly than normal earning more doubts from them.

"I'm operating perfectly!" Mash tried to assure them again, but they were unconvinced.

As she frowned, Ritsuka remembered and confirmed with Mash. "Hey, Mash. Could it be that…?"

"Yes, that's the problem, nothing's different," Mash answered. Her violet orbs gestured to her shield. "Under your command Senpais, I have gained enough experience… And yet… I'm still unable to unleash my Noble Phantasm. I don't even know how to unleash it… I'm like a defective Servant."

"Fou…" A sad whine escaped from Fou.

"Oh, so that's what was bothering you. You have such a strong sense of responsibility, Mash," Romani's voice extended from Ritsuka's wristwatch. "But I don't think that can settled overnight. After all, it's a Noble Phantasm.

"If a Heroic Spirit's secret weapon can be mastered within a day or two, then Servants wouldn't be that special anymore."

"Of course we can master something like that at once," Shifted their gaze to Caster he approached them, he proceeded. "After all, Heroic Spirits and Noble Phantasms are the same things.

"If the young Lady here can fight as a Servant, that means at that moment you can use your Noble Phantasm. And yet you can't, which means your magical energy is not circulating right.

"Let's see, maybe enthusiasm?" Caster leaned forward as he inspected Mash, then shook his head. "No, perhaps too reserved? Anyway, I'm sure it's because you don't yell out when you practice."

"Really?" With a deep breathed heaved in, Mash yelled at the top of her lungs. "R-E-A-L-L-Y?!"

As the pair shook in surprise, Fou squeaked in a deafening high-pitch tone. "Faaaaaaaaaaa?"

"Hey, don't go yelling all of a sudden! You're going to burst my eardrums, seriously!" Olga Marie winced in pain with her ears covered by her hands.

An apologetic expression displayed on Mash's face.

"Sorry Director. But Caster said we should shout…"

"No, that was a metaphor," Caster corrected her words with a guilty expression. "Well, at any rate, I see you have enthusiasm."

He turned to Ritsuka and offered, "Kid, you heard the young lady. Do you mind if we take a quick detour?"

"Detour? What kind?"

Ritsuka's raised one of his eyebrows with skepticism.

Ritsuko narrowed her eyes. "Don't tease Mash-chan. She's an innocent girl."

At their faces, Caster laughed about their worries running through their brain. "What? I'm just talking about special training. I'm a Caster right now, so leave the healing to me. First, let me inscribe some protection runes…"

Approached where Olga Marie stood, he tugged and pulled her black coat as his finger moved. Olga Marie gasped and struggled in his hold. "Huh? What are you doing? Why are you inscribing runes on my coat?"

"Even if something targets you, that rune will protect you. Besides, you can protect yourself, right?" With a shrug, he signaled with his head at what appeared before them. "And look, here they come."

"Grrr… Zuaaa!" The skeleton mobs and charged forward, to where Olga Marie stood.

"Eep! Help me!" The Director shrieked and sprinted as fast as she could away from them.

"D-Director!" Mash tried to rush to the crowds of skeletons to intercept.

But, the Caster grabbed her shoulder and pointed out. "Oh no, you don't have to worry protecting her, young lady."

While it earned curiosity from the trio, they recognized the rune on Olga Marie's coat glowed and projected fireballs towards them.

Each skeleton turning to black dust one by one, but it increased more of them from surrounding area.

"All right, that should be enough," At his proud grin, he spelled out at their now puzzled expression. "That young lady's yelling garnered their attention. So, it'd be a problem if they interfere before the training begins. So, she could be useful in distracting them!"

"That isn't useful, that's an extreme measure of getting rid of interference!" Ritsuko exclaimed.

The cocky grin remained on Caster's lips. "Hey, I'm still a genius in getting rid of them!"

"How about you're just being an idiot instead?"

Ritsuka deadpanned as he watched Olga Marie screaming and running from the angry skeletons.

"Anyway, before we begin," Getting their attention back, Caster explained. "A Noble Phantasm is part of Heroic Spirit's instinct. It's hard to use it if you think too much. That earlier battle with Assassin and Lancer… You got nothing at all?"

"That was rather a testing of my Will… But, please teach me solid theories instead," Mash requested.

"Hmm… Sure, then I shall be your opponent. You don't have to hold back because we're allies," Caster decided. With narrowed orbs, he pointed his finger at Ritsuko. "Because I'm not gonna hold back when I killed that lady first then the kid."

Eyes widened and jaws dropped from the declaration, Mash gritted her teeth. "Wh–!"

"What are you talking about? Are you crazy?" Olga Marie ran back to them. She panted and scowled at Caster. "What does those two have to do with this?"

"Zuuaaaa!"

Olga Marie shrieked in a high-pitch voice upon seeing at once they were right behind her. "Hiiieee! Not again!"

She at once fled at a frightening pace away from a larger horde of skeletons.

Romani's image appeared where Olga Marie stood. "That's right! Aren't they your Master too? Why are you targeting them both?!"

"A Servant's problems are the Master's problems. Didn't I mentioned that they share the same fate?" Caster shifted his orbs to Ritsuka. "You've had the same thought right, kid? When the young lady can't stand anymore, it's both of your death."

"You…!" Ritsuka glared at him.

Mash quickly stood in front of Ritsuka. "Master Ritsuka, please, stand back!"

"Mash!" Ritsuka turned towards the violet-haired Servant.

She gripped her shield tightly and declared in a firm voice. "I—won't be a hindrance to Senpais… I won't!"

"That's what I like to hear," A smirk graced on Caster's lips. He spun his staff and pointed towards Mash, "All right, let's have a real Servant battle."

"Mash-chan, wait!"

Watched Ritsuko rushing over to Mash, Caster smirked and wrote a rune in the air. "Isa!"

From the vivid green-colored glow, tree vines grown from the ground and wrapped around Ritsuko's legs firmly. Ritsuko struggled and brought her head down to see. "What?!"

"Ritsuko–!" Ritsuka tried to head to where Ritsuko was. But, he too looked at his legs as well bound by the same tree vines around Ritsuko's legs. He used the pipe in his grip to pull the vine away while Ritsuko squatted down to tear it off.

But, despite their struggles in doing so, the vines had a solid grasp on their legs. While pulling, Ritsuko's head inclined to the front and cried to her brother. "Behind you!"

The raven-haired Master stopped his movements and spun his head to his back. Behind him, multiple fireballs launched towards them. Before it could reach them, Mash stood in presence of them and blocked with her shield.

The impact of each fireball hitting her shield pushed her leg back little by little, drawing a groan from her lips. "Guh!"

Waved her shield to slash away the fireball, Mash dashed forward and twirled her shield at Caster. Though, Caster smirked at her assault while raising his staff to block. "That's more like it! Beroc!"

A large green runic word emerged on the ground. It sprouted a tree vine towards her, and Mash swung her shield to knock it elsewhere. Yet as she managed so, a large drill-shaped tree branch zoomed towards them.

The violet-haired Servant stood before and struck her shield down to seize. But, the powerful force pushed Mash back, stumbled and slide back against the ground. Abrasion appeared on her limbs and upper arms from the grazing.

"Mash!" Ritsuka shouted while working to tug away from the vine. He looked at her stood up with a heavy breath exhaled, using her shield to pull herself to her feet. He grunted and glared back at the ground. "Damn it…!"

As Mash moved towards Caster, he lifted his hand in a zigzag formation that established a line of runic words. "Ansuz!"

A torrent of flamethrower fired from the runic words. Ritsuka turned his head in front and later to the back when he recognized where it headed. "Ritsuko!"

"Kyaah!"

When Ritsuko turned away as she yelped, Mash stood before with her shield in front to defend her. Yet again, the powerful force from the flamethrower knocked her sliding against the ground. The orange-haired Master whirled her head to Mash and gasped. "M-Mash-chan…"

"I'm fine… I'll protect Ritsuko-senpai and everyone…!" As Mash reassured her, she charged forward again to Caster.

Shield and staff collided when Mash and Caster swung their weapons. Ritsuka pulling the vine off his leg, observed them engaged in combat. "Damn it…"

"D-Did you find out anything?" Ritsuko asked her brother.

"Not yet, still trying…!" Ritsuka grunted, coming back to both his struggle and identity of the Caster. The Runes he recognized were from Norse Runes, likely a hero from German-Celtic legend. But, a Caster who fought like a Lancer as he mentioned had left him baffled.

Before he could speculate further, Caster's fierce voice broke their conversation. "You can forget about finding out my True Name, kid!"

"What?!"

Ritsuka turned his head to see Caster's red orbs staring back at him. He twirled his staff to knock away Mash's shield and continued. "I've been observing your fight with that Rider earlier. It may be a fluke that her True Name was something you remembered."

Again, as she charged, Caster swung his staff and knocked Mash back, earning a groan from her. "Guh!"

"But, by the time you find out my True Name," A cold glare from the red orbs shot back at Ritsuka's blue orbs. "I'll make sure all of you be burned to ashes, completely."

"Bastard…!" Ritsuka glared back.

"He's right, Ritsuka-kun," Romani's voice uttered from his wristwatch and pointed out. "Even if I'm able to retrieve his True Name, Mash's strength isn't able to defeat him at her current level."

"Still, there should be a weakness or else…!" Ritsuka replied with an annoyed tone. With Caster remained unharmed or tired, Mash would completely give way to her fatigue, eventually.

Pulled herself up with the shield, Mash panted heavily from the weariness. Despite her shivering hands, she clutched tight of her shield before Ritsuka. Before he could mutter a word, Caster pointed his staff forward again. "Ok, it's ti"Raidho!" With a swing of his staff, the ground behind Caster glowed another runic word. It then turned into a large glowing crimson magic circle as Caster chanted. "My spell is the coffin of flames, a giant of verdant thorn. Retribution, the forest that will purify misery–

"Befall the Wicker Man! And behold, as both good and evil bite the dust–!" Caster twirled his staff once more and pointed to them as it blazed. "Burn them completely, the giant of all trees ― Wicker Man!"

A colossal giant made of the tree branch emerged from the ground with flames burning its body. The intense heat emitted from the giant had the three choked by its heat. Sweat droplets forming and falling down their faces.

Romani's voice emitted from Ritsuka's wristwatch. "You need to get out of there, Ritsuka-kun, Mash! The three of you will get killed you at this rate!"

"R-Ritsuka-kun!" Ritsuko's panic voice cried out.

A vain effort Ritsuka made by outstretching his hand to protect his sister behind him. Mash gulped at the tree giant took its steps towards them. "Haa…. Haa…"

"I must protect… I must unleash it, or everyone will—

"Even if it's fake, even if it's just for now…" Mash's thoughts echoed in her heart, as her enemy stood before them.

Its arm reached out as tree branches spread out to seize hold. As her orbs closed in dread, Ritsuko yelled at her loudest cry. "Ritsuka, Mash-chan, NOOOOO!"

"I have to unleash it properly or Ritsuko-senpai… Ritsuka-senpai… Everyone will disappear!" At that thought she gazed back at the giant with a determined look, Mash raised her shield high into the air. "Ahhhhh—!"

THUNK!

She slammed her shield down with a deafening boom. A brilliant light burst on the ground, and a large green magical circle formed like a giant dome around them. Soon, the white light blinded everything in their view as the Wicker Man disappeared into the light…

-0-

"Ritsuka! Ritsuka, are you okay?!"

Ritsuko's voice called out to him from the blackness. As he brought down his arm which shielded away from the intense light, Ritsuko stood beside him with her legs freed. He gave a nod before shifting back to the front. "Yeah, what happened to the giant?"

"No idea, but when it's over," She turned her head to the front and continued. "That thing was no longer there…"

"I see," With another nod, the two approached where Mash stood. Ritsuko placed her hand on her shoulder. "Mash-chan?"

"Oh… I," Snapped out of her thoughts, Mash spun to them with a dumbfounded expression. "Did I, manage to unleash my Noble… Phantasm…?"

"T-That's a Noble Phantasm?" Ritsuka's mouth agape.

"Whew, I knew you'd survive that," The three turned their head to Caster who wandered out unscathed from the blinding light to them. "But I never thought you and your two Masters would walk out without a scratch."

Stood beside Mash, Caster gave a gentle pat on her back and grinned. "Be happy, wait, no… Praise her, you two. That young lady there is without a question, a first-rate Heroic Spirit."

His words answered the questions in their mind, Mash at once turned back to with the brightest beam on her face. "Senpais, I… Just now!"

"That's right. Congratulations, Mash!" Ritsuka grinned and patted her head.

Ritsuko put her arms around Mash and squealed in an upbeat tone, "Yeah. That was amazing, Mash-chan! You really did it!"

With her violet orb sparkled, Mash nodded and replied. "Yes!"

"Fou, fooooouuuu!" Fou squeaked as though he too praised her for the performance she made.

Romani's holographic image returned beside the three with a relaxed sigh, "That was surprising. I didn't expect her to unleash her Noble Phantasm that soon. Mash was never someone with a strong will…"

"That's because you got her all wrong," Caster snorted. His red orbs directed to Mash and corrected. "You may call the young lady here, a protector. There's no point in teaching a bird to swim, is there? You have to teach a bird how to fly high. Although…"

With a glance from top to bottom, Caster mentioned as-a-matter-of-fact tone. "She didn't get to obtain its True Name."

"Right," Mash acknowledged with a nod. Her violet orb stared at her shield and replied. "Even though I can unleash my Noble Phantasm now, I still don't know its True Name, nor the True Name of the Heroic Spirit…"

"That's fine, even if you are inexperienced… Even if you are only temporary," Olga Marie walked with her feet shuffled back to where they were. She huffed out a deep breath then presented a proud smile. "Your very wish unleashed your Noble Phantasm."

With a blank face maintained, Ritsuko whispered to her brother. "It's a wonder that the Director is alive from those hordes of skeleton…"

"As they say, when putting people in a near-death situation, she's really reliable," Ritsuka nodded with a whisper.

"You didn't have the slightest desire to obtain a True Name. To become one of the chosen—To become a true Heroic Spirit," Olga Marie nodded to herself in encouragement. "That's why your Noble Phantasm responded. Ahh, what an inspiring story. Just like a fairy tale."

"Um, Director…" Mash tried to cut off as the Director as usual rambled to herself.

Olga Marie laughed and assured, "Don't mind me, I'm just teasing. I'm pleased that you're able to use your Noble Phantasm now. But, it's inconvenient to use it without a True Name, right? I'll think of a good spell for you."

Her finger tapping on her chin, Olga Marie hummed thoughtfully. "Since it's a pseudo-deployment of Noble Phantasm… Let me see…"

Orange orbs lit up with her fingers snapped, the Director pointed at the shield and declared. "Yes, let's call it 'Lord Chaldeas.' Chaldea is a name that has meaning for you too. So, to activate your Spirit Origin, that's a good spell for you, right?"

"Y-Yes," Mash beamed back and bowed. "Thank you, Director!"

"Lord Chaldeas… Yes, I like it," Romani grinned and nodded. "That fits you perfectly, Mash!"

"I think it definitely suits you too, Mash-chan!" Ritsuko grinned.

"And the desire to try it out after getting it is only human nature," Turned to Caster, Romani requested. "Caster, would you be Mash's sparring partner?"

"Yes, of course. I was holding back before, but her defense was impeccable," Caster shifted to Mash. "As someone with more experience, I'll hammer the basics of Noble Phantasms into your head.

"You should realize by now they are about instinct. If something happens that calls upon instinct…" Caster's finger pointed to Ritsuko who shook up in shock and dread. He continued with a grim tone. "It will awaken naturally."

With Ritsuko taking a step backward, Ritsuka stood in front of his sister with both arms raised and glared at Caster. Mash stood before him with her shield protectively placed in front of the two. Olga Marie placed herself in front of the three with her arms raised.

Eyes entered a staring contest at readied to whatever attacks Caster thrown to them. Romani's holographic image appeared in front of Olga Marie. "H-Hold on, I say Mash is your sparring partner alone. Ritsuko-chan and Ritsuka-kun have no involvement in this!"

Caster snorted and set his hand down with a smirk. "Of course, it's going to be that young lady and me this time. So, young lady, you two, are you ready?"

Glanced at each other once more, Ritsuka nodded and Mash answered. "Yes, please!"

End of Section 7


Unless DW/Aniplex really bothered to give Caster Cu more canon information of his rune spells and animation update in-game...
The following runes above for Cu are completely made-up and bullshitting until DW gives official canon information for other runes he learned.

And well, with the Rashomon coming to an end... The grinding hell begins!
Anyone grinding for Sanzhang or materials for skills/ascension?
For JP side, congrats to FGO for hitting 13M Downloads!
Did anyone of you managed to pull your waifu in the gacha? :D

With that, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
Thank you very much for the kudos, and soon, we'll be reaching to the end for Fuyuki Singularity
So stick tight guys :D