Thanks for the invitation. I'm in Type-Moon, inheriting the legacy of Zi-O.

"...The pirates are quite spirited on land too~" Mash raised her shield. "Then, let's crush them in one fell swoop!"

"Oh! Mr. Nianzhuo and Mashu should still be careful, after all, the other side is human." Hiding in a safe place, Ritsuka still gave instructions through the magical channel.

"Don't worry, these things won't hurt too much." Nian Zhuo's fist was enveloped in purple light, though it was unclear who he was speaking to.

"Alright, enough talk, I'm going!" He crashed to the ground, stirring up a wave of sand.

Mashu also rushed into the pirates and smashed the back of her shield into one of them in the abdomen.

The raging sandstorm also obscured the vision of some, and the sounds of battle emanating from within the sand curtain grew increasingly faint—

Finally, perhaps not even two minutes had passed? The pirates, who had been full of energy just moments before, were all lying on the ground clutching their stomachs.

Hmm, what a very "warm" reception ceremony!

However, there were still many pirates, but they hesitated as they looked at their companions lying on the ground, groaning in pain.

“…Okay, next one. Please.” Mashu let out a long sigh of relief, feeling much lighter after the exercise. “Especially when I was playing as a healer, it felt so good to fight…” Of course, the second half of the sentence was just her muttering to herself.

"Waaaaah!" Seeing they were outmatched, the pirates instantly squeezed tears from their eyes, sobbing and prostrating themselves on the ground, "Please spare us! We meant no harm... it was just pirate instinct..."

"Hey! Don't you guys have any professional ethics?!" Mary almost spat out the coffee she had just drunk when she heard this. "How... how can these pirates be so shameful?"

"Is there no one on this island who knows the specifics?" Although it was exhilarating, Mash realized after the fight that her side still had no clue about this singularity, which made her somewhat anxious.

"Ah... the boss might know." The pirate, who had just been in tears, immediately changed his tune.

"Who is the boss?" Naturally, Mashu wasn't going to miss this good opportunity to find out information, so she walked up to the pirate.

"Hehehe, you'll be shocked to hear this!" Her earlier cowardice seemed completely gone; the pirate captain scrambled to her feet, brushing the sand off her clothes. "She is our proud pirate! Lord Francis Drake!"

"So, why are you suddenly so arrogant again..." Mary nodded, realizing for the first time that monitoring singularities was an even more difficult task than analyzing the Holy Grail.

"Hmm... I think they're probably trying to create a pirate image, right?" Leonardo da Vinci, who was assisting with the calculations, pushed up his glasses, also somewhat uncertain.

"Then, could you take us to see Lord Drake?" Things were finally making some progress, and Ritsuka's ahoge (antenna-like hair sticking up) even perked up. "Of course, you can disagree, after all, Mr. Nencho and Mash aren't exactly demons~"

"...Uh." The pirate captain looked at the orange-haired girl in front of him, then at the armored heroic spirit behind her that seemed to exude a terrifying black aura, and at the girl with monstrous strength, and couldn't help but swallow.

"...Okay, fine." There was no other way but to agree.

After crossing the devastated beach left by the battle, the three of them entered the lush, dense forest on the pirate's island and followed the pirate as he traversed through the woods.

It must be admitted that each place has its own unique characteristics.

Looking at the lush bushes around him, Nianzhuo recalled the scenery he had seen on that island in the Mediterranean and suddenly felt that there was a different atmosphere around him.

"By passing through this forest, we'll reach the hidden lair of the great pirate Francis Drake." Pushing aside layer after layer of green leaves, the pirate pointed to the light shining through in the distance.

He muttered under his breath, "Hehehe, you're all finished. As long as Sister Drake takes action, you lowly minions will be nothing..." He also gasped for breath because of his wounds.

"Seriously, can someone explain to me why this guy insists on talking like a thug?" Mary couldn't understand their thought process at all.

“No matter the era, establishing an image is very important.” Leonardo da Vinci puffed out his magnificent chest. “It is also very normal to transform one’s body into the kind of beauty one admires.”

(You're just making excuses for yourself! —by Mary.)

"Excuse me, Leonardo da Vinci!" Mary exclaimed, opening the door to the control room as if she couldn't take it anymore. "Can't you just stay in the lab... your magic workshop?!" Of course, the only answer she received was "Mona Lisa's smile."

"There's been this voice yelling from who-knows-where since just now!" The thugs here seemed to have had enough too. "Magic? Is it some kind of magic?"

"Fou~" Fou jumped out of Mashu's shield, blinking her intelligent eyes as she observed the pirate in front of her.

"Wow, so cute!" The pirate noticed the little guy and licked his lips. "And it looks delicious too."

"Fu?!!" As if she understood, Fu Fu hid on Nian Zhuo's shoulder, only peeking out her little head and angrily yelling at the pirate.

"If you dare to eat Fufu, you'd better wait to be beaten to a pulp!" Behind her, Ritsuka, who was clenching her fists, had a murderous glint in her eyes.

"Yes, I'm sorry!" After admitting defeat so readily for the second time, the pirate captain no longer dared to underestimate the little guy on Nianzhuo's shoulder.

"Master, let's continue." After a quick look around, Mash realized there was no danger, relying on the Servant's senses. She suggested speeding up.

"...By the way, let me explain to you who Francis Drake really is."

First impressions are important...?

“Francis Drake is one of the great heroes who opened up this world.” While keeping a watchful eye on her surroundings, Mashu explained to Ritsuka, who hadn’t yet learned about this period in history, about the hero named Drake. “We are currently in the middle of the Age of Exploration—so if it’s the real Drake, he must be someone from his previous life.”

"He was the first navigator in human history to complete a circumnavigation of the world while still alive." The emphasis was particularly on the word "alive," as this jungle voyage was nearing its end. "His activities brought England a great deal of wealth and defeated Spain, the maritime superpower at the time."

"Spain was once known as the 'Empire on which the sun never sets.' But he brought fear to Spain and was called the 'Sea Demon'... truly a 'hero who shot down the sun.' Without Captain Drake, the British Empire wouldn't have been so prosperous in later generations." At this point, Matthew glanced at the pirate leader leading the way, lowering her voice slightly. "However, although Drake was a nationally recognized privateer captain, he was still a pirate. Judging from the pirates we've encountered so far, he's likely a low-class individual." She was somewhat worried; the repeated pirate attacks had left Matthew with little goodwill towards him.

“Yes, we can’t be careless~” Ritsuka scratched her head, her serious expression vanishing the next second. “But when it comes to being second-rate, Dr. Roman is no less impressive.”

“Yes, that’s right.” Mash nodded firmly in agreement. “He’s probably a giant who can eat like crazy. In my imagination, he’s a hero who can pick up a barrel of sake with one hand and drink it all in one gulp… Although that’s just creepy, he’s undoubtedly a key figure of this era. I wish we could find a way to get Francis Drake’s help.”

While remaining vigilant, Nian Zhuo silently raised an eyebrow and gripped the driver in his hand.

"We've arrived," she said softly.

The journey through layers of bushes and dense forests finally came to an end. There were indeed no wild animals or other disturbances along the way, and the scenery was quite beautiful.

—But the real highlight is the meeting with Drake.

"Boss, boss! Enemies..." The pirate leader was about to shout the word "enemies" when three sharp eyes focused on his back. "No, it's just guests! They say they want to talk to you, boss!"

"Huh?" Unexpectedly, a playful female voice came from not far away, "Honestly, why do you always pick this time when I'm happily drinking rum?" Then the owner of the voice thought for a moment and suddenly felt that something was wrong.

"Guest, are you a pirate?"

"Uh..." The pirate leader looked back at Nian Zhuo and the others' attire with a puzzled expression. "Probably not! They're a little more elegant than us! A little more arrogant!"

“Slightly… ah.” Nian Zhuo glanced at Mashu and Ritsuka’s neat attire, and compared it with the attire of the pirates in front of him and the pirates who had attacked them before. He felt his eyebrows twitch even faster.

“Slightly…?” Even Mashu started to look at her decorations, and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that there was nothing that needed to be changed.

"Huh? What do you mean?" The owner of the voice seemed even more curious. "Are they officials? Or soldiers?"

"Uh—I don't think so." After re-examining the three men's attire, the pirate captain still couldn't reach a conclusion.

“Not straightforward enough… Fine! Bring them here!” With the sound of a wine glass slamming heavily on the table, Drake finally agreed to meet them.

"Excuse me." Mashu bowed slightly politely and went in first.

Several makeshift campsites with tents pitched, campfires, leftover food, all kinds of clothes, and even pirates who had drunk their fill and were now asleep and snoring.

After passing through these obstacles, Nian Zhuo and his companions finally saw the legendary demon who shot down the sun outside the largest tent in the center.

She wore a huge captain's hat, had bright pink hair similar to Elizabeth's, and wore British-style clothing, not to mention her eye-catching, voluptuous chest...

Well, the impact it had was quite significant.

The large scar on the woman's beautiful face, in particular, added a touch of wildness to her otherwise demure features.

As Nian Zhuo observed Drake, Drake's gaze swept over the faces of Nian Zhuo and the others.

Helpless, the woman turned around and placed the bottle of wine she was shaking on the table.

“…Bangbe, you really did bring a bunch of weirdos.” He looked at the pirate captain standing to the side.

“Yes! But they have their merits too!” the man named Bombey quickly replied. “They not only saved our lives, but also said they admire the captain and want to meet you!”

"I admire you." Drake's gaze shifted to the three of them, his expression complex. "You admire me, truly?"

“Yes, they kept praising Captain Drake as a great man the whole way,” Bombey exclaimed, clapping his hands as he recalled their conversation. “Oh, right! They also said that Drake could take care of the Spanish navy with a flick of his wrist!”

"..." Cold sweat dripped down Mashu's forehead. She kept telling herself that she had mispronounced it, but she dared not show any expression on her face.

"Oh, right, they also said the captain is a giant over three meters tall, a hero who can swallow a whole barrel of rum in one gulp!"

"Huh~~~~!?" Captain Drake was increasingly puzzled, a huge question mark appearing above his head. "What is that? I haven't done that many bad things!!" He was in a state of shock.

"...Um, Mr. Nianzhuo...and senior. I'm so surprised I can't even speak..." Equally flustered, Mashu leaned closer to the two and whispered.

“Me too.” Even Mary on the communication device was somewhat surprised. “I never imagined that the legendary Francis Drake was actually—”

"Yes, yes, that's true." Ritsuka nodded in deep agreement. "I never expected Captain Drake to actually be such a normal, beautiful older sister!"

Meanwhile, Drake, realizing he could no longer obtain more information from Bonbe, waved him away.

"Alright, Bonbe. You can step back. I'll talk to them." Wiping the remaining wine from the corner of his mouth, Drake walked steadily toward Nianzhuo and the others.

"So, who are you people?" Drake recalled the words the pirates had spoken earlier, not daring to let his guard down for a moment. "It seems my idiot Fire has been under your care."

――The First Showdown――――――――

Of course, it's not that important.

“We come from Chaldea.” Ritsuka answered Drake’s question while also sizing up the woman in front of her.

“You must be Francis Drake.” Mash stepped forward and steered the conversation back. “I come from an organization called Chaldea, and my name is Mash Kyrielight.” She gave a brief self-introduction and then extended her hand to the two people beside her.

"This is my senior, and also my Master. Fujimaru Ritsuka."

“And this is my companion and… friend, Nencho.” After pondering the latter’s choice of words for a while, Mashu finally uttered the somewhat inaccurate words.

"Chaldea?" Drake scratched his messy hair, struggling to recall if he had seen them before. "What do the astrologers want with me? Are they trying to sell me a new star map?"

"Whoa!" Director Mary couldn't help but exclaim in surprise through the communication device, "...I never expected this woman who looks like a drunkard to be so knowledgeable, she actually knows about the origin of Chaldea...? She doesn't even know much about Romani..."

“…I feel there’s a superficial aura about him.” Drake looked around, but he couldn’t find the source of the aura. “Judging from the owner of the voice, it sounds like a woman who is both strong and cowardly, but also the boring aura of a little girl who is trying hard to get recognition.”

“…It’s too perfect.” Mash, impressed by Drake’s analysis, whispered to Nianzhuo, “Mr. Nianzhuo, this person’s analysis, or rather his intuition, is simply too perfect!”

“Ugh…!” Mary’s voice sounded somewhat annoyed through the communication device, but it also proved that Drake’s analysis was correct.

"But let's forget about such trivial matters, it's pointless." Completely unfazed by Mash's flattery, Drake looked impatient. "So what does that person from Chaldea want with me?"

“…That’s how it is.” Mashu took a deep breath and regained her composure. “We were dispatched from somewhere to correct the anomalies of this era.”

“…Oh.” Drake simply responded with a nod, offering no further comment.

“Captain Francis Drake, as intelligent as you are, you must have already discovered it!” Mashu looked at the unwavering expression on his face and couldn’t help but emphasize her words, “You’ve discovered that this era, this world, is somewhat abnormal. You’ve discovered that this vast ocean is not the sea you once lived in.”

"...Hmph." Upon hearing the word "sea," even the most indifferent pirate would be slightly moved. "I originally intended to completely ignore what you called the world or the era... but since the sea has been mentioned, I can't pretend I didn't hear it. Indeed, I also find it strange."

“…Right!” Seeing Drake’s expression soften, Mash finally continued with some delight, “Then, let’s explain the reason for this—”

However, Drake suddenly smiled easily and happily, but this smile made Mash feel uneasy.

"--However, what I mean by strange doesn't mean abnormal." He laughed with some excitement, but his words contradicted Mash's. "You can't find such a strange and interesting world anywhere else!" Drake waved happily as he looked at the pirates who had gathered around him because of her appearance and shouts.

"—Right, guys?!"