Standing all alone on a deserted beach, Fujimaru Ritsuka said the first thing that crossed her mind.

"Well, crap..."

She found herself alone, having been separated from her Servants during an investigation of a newly appeared Singularity. She had tried to contact Chaldea so she could meet up with her friends, however, she couldn't receive any response from the staff. She had tried to call out for Mash, her most trusted friend and first servant, but the only thing she could hear was the sounds of the waves.

"What should I do now..." The young girl muttered under her breath as we walked along the sea, cautiously observing her surroundings, the sea on one side and a jungle on the other. She couldn't see anything abnormal until she saw something coming out from the sea, stopping her in her tracks.

It was a giant crab, easily twice her size considering how it towered over her. Aside from its humongous size, she noticed that unlike a regular crab, its upper half was topped with six tall and thin spikes that resemble a crown, and that one of its orange pincers was roughly twice as large as the other.

As she observed the creature that appeared before her, she gulped her saliva once as she tried to think of a plan.

'I'm in a tight spot here. What Mystic Code did I put on before we left? If I could at least cast Gandr, I'd shoot one off. Then, regardless of how that goes, I'll just bolt off this place as fast as I can!' She thought as she observed the foe before her eyes, sweat trickling down her cheek.

'...But, will that really work?' She couldn't help thinking, her mouth shivering. 'Should I do it? Risking everything on a small chance?'

"Miss, you should stand back." She widened her eyes in surprise when she heard a young but unfamiliar voice, she accidentally took a step back which made the creature roar. However, before it could make a move, Ritsuka was surprised to see a young boy coming from the corner of her eyes, placing himself in front of her while wielding a glowing blue sword in his hand.

"Don't worry, it'll be over soon." The young boy said before he disappeared from his spot in a blink, reappearing behind the creature with his sword raised. And then, Ritsuka blinked when all of the crab's legs and pincers all separated from the main body and fell on the sand, seemingly cut off by the boy's swordsmanship. And when she saw that the creature stopped moving, apparently dead, she walked to her rescuer before bowing slightly her head once she was near him.

"Thank you, you saved me."

"You're welcome. I'm glad that you're unhurt... Or at least, you seem to be."

"Ah, yes. I have nothing."

"Then, it's good." The young boy said with a small smile which made Ritsuka gave one on her own. "But still, you're certainly no ordinary person. If you were, you would have fainted or screamed at the sight of that fake Kingler." He said, confusing Ritsuka about the term he used.

"Kingler?"

"Ah, that's just something I made up for myself. Don't worry about it. In any case, you shouldn't stand here alone, there are many types of demonic beasts roaming around so unless you can defend yourself, you shouldn't be walking around alone."

"Ah, I'm sorry..." Ritsuka muttered with a little blush, a little embarrassed over being scolded by a child younger than she was. "It's just that I was separated from my friends and I was trying to find them."

"So, that's why you're alone. Now, that's a problem..." The boy said before he started to look over her, as if appraising her, before he closed them, scratching his head.

"In any case, it's dangerous over here so how about we move to a safer place? If you don't mind following me, that is."

Having no objection, Ritsuka nodded at the young boy who gave her a big smile as he gestured to follow him before walking away, but not before taking the creature's legs and pincers with him.

"What are you going to do with them?" She couldn't help but ask as she walked beside him into the jungle.

"Well, cook them. I'm a little famished and it seemed like a waste to leave them here."

'But can you really eat those?' was the thought that crossed her mind as she looked at the giant legs.

"They're really delicious!" Ritsuka couldn't help but scream as she wolfed down one of the Kingler's legs, as the young boy called the creature. "Even though you only boiled them, to think that they would be that good!"

"Hey, while I'm glad that you're enjoying your meal, eat more slowly. It would be bad if you start choking."

"Oh, yes. You're right, I'm sorry." Ritsuka said with a little blush while the boy just gave a small chuckle, shaking his head.

"It's fine. Anybody would get excited over a meal, especially if it's this delicious. I remember my little sibling eating a family's worth of food in a single setting the first time they tried my cooking, it was hilarious. Well, they did end up with a stomach ache in the end so I probably shouldn't say that." He said, looking at the campfire with a longing gaze as if he reminded some fond memories.

Staring at him, Ritsuka felt that the boy in front of her wasn't a normal child. If anything, his behavior reminded her of one of her Servants, Hans, an adult who was summoned in the form of a child. However, he didn't give her the same feeling a Servant would have. If she had to describe the child in front of her based on her intuition alone, she would have thought that he was simply an ordinary child.

"So, you told me that you were separated from your comrades, right?" The boy asked Ritsuka who nodded at his question. "Then, you must have some means to contact them, don't you?"

"Yes, but for some reasons, I can't get through them."

"Perhaps there is something that is blocking the communications... A bounded field? No, I don't feel anything though... Well, don't worry. I'm sure that we will be able to find your companion soon enough. In fact, I can sense someone coming in this direction. They must have noticed the campfire's smoke." The boy said as he pointed at the bushes, making her look at it before she blinked in surprise when she saw two familiar servants emerge from them.

"Senpai! Are you alright?!"

"Mash! Gareth!"

"I'm glad that you are safe, Master! We were so worried when we couldn't contact you!"

"Yeah, but I'm fine so don't worry. You see, this person helped... me?" Ritsuka started to say as she looked where the boy was sitting, only to see the seat vacant. "Hey, where did he go?"

"Senpai, you were with someone?"

"Yes, he was just here a few seconds ago."

"That's weird, we could only detect you in the area... and I don't sense any presence around." Bedivere said as he checked the surroundings, finding nothing.

"Senpai, could you tell us more about that person?"

"Well, he was a young boy who was around the same age as Illya and the other children. Now that I think about it, I never asked his name…"

"And what other characteristics does he have?"

"He was a swordsman and a strong one despite his age. He wore a black armor with a white cape over his shoulders… Oh yes, he was also wielding a translucent blue sword…" As soon as she said that, Bedivere widened his eyes in surprise before he placed his hand over his chin, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"Don't tell me it was that person… No, but why would he appear as a child, I don't understand…"

"Gareth, is there something wrong?"

"Ah no, Mash. It's just that I have a little inkling about the identity of our... little rescuer. But first, let us go back to Chaldea. Everybody is still worried ever since Master disappeared on us."

Nodding at the knight, they then all left the place as they soon ray shifted to their homebase where Ritsuka was assaulted by several crying Servants, making her feel guilty.

'But still, I wonder where did that boy go? I hope we can meet again, I want to properly thank him for his help.'

With that in mind, Ritsuka moved on with her life, unaware of the trials she will have to face in the future.

"Merlin, just what were you thinking bringing Chaldea's master in this place? The only one you want is me, right? So why?" The young boy muttered as he looked at the spot Ritsuka and her Servants were standing before they left the area.

"Don't tell me... that this place is a Singularity? Then, it means that she managed to get herself a holy grail... Damn it, why do you have to be such a pain in the ass? If only I could totally ignore you, it would have made my life so much easier..."

Scratching his head, he started to walk deeper inside the forest, preparing himself to give a certain succubus the punishment she deserves for making him worry about her.