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

"Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O!! Armor Time! 3·2·1! Fourze!"

“Well then, let’s do ‘that’!” Nian Zhuo chuckled, pressed the button on the driver on his waist, and then let his hands hang down.

"Universe—!" He raised it high above his head. "Here it comes—!"

"Rocket Mode!" The Fourze armor then suddenly changed its appearance.

Like a Transformer, Nian Zhuo's thrusters merged directly into his sides, and he shrunk as if he were hugging his knees.

Azure flames suddenly erupted from the thrusters on Nian Zhuo's legs, and Nian Zhuo's figure transformed into... no, into a rocket, flying straight towards the ground.

"Welcome back, host." The system's voice finally appeared in his mind. Although it was as emotionless as ever, it was now considered pleasant to Nian Zhuo. "The location of Mashu and the others has been detected. Are you sure you want me to help you navigate?"

“No, that’s not necessary. I’ll do it.” Nian Zhuo was taken aback when he learned that the system had found Mashu and the others. He then rejected the system’s suggestion. “The time I’m away is perfect for them to grow. So just give me their address first.”

“…Okay, I understand.” The system paused for a moment, and then a light screen appeared in front of Nian Zhuo.

The flashing red dots above represent the reactions of Mashu and her group.

The thrusters beneath Nian Zhuo's feet suddenly spewed out fierce flames, and Nian Zhuo's figure once again transformed into a streak of light, flying towards the island where they were.

"Thump—" Then, the rocket crashed into the island's land with a loud bang.

On the other side, Marcus had just finished hammering the last beast to the ground.

"Was that... thunder?" Mashu removed the shield from the neck of the lifeless beast and looked around strangely. "I felt like there was a huge noise..."

“Indeed… I was surprised at the time that Mashu’s strength had become so great.” Ritsuka indicated that she had heard it too, and then took Mashu’s hand. “But it looks like it was just an earthquake or something, nothing serious. Let’s finish the search and leave quickly.”

"Phew... the battle is over." Drake patted Ritsuka on the shoulder from behind. "Let's move on, Ritsuka."

However, Asterius stared wide-eyed and twitched his nose as if he were sniffing something.

"What's wrong, Asterius?" Euryale patted his shoulder and looked around curiously.

"It's nothing." The berserker shook his head, the decorations on his body making a metallic clanging sound. "It's just that there's a familiar smell."

“A familiar taste?” Euryale asked, puzzled, but Asterius, who was about to take action, forced her to focus all her attention on reality.

"Wait a minute!" Just as everyone was about to move forward again, a strange voice suddenly came from behind.

“…!” Mash stopped abruptly, gripping her shield and looking around warily.

"Was that you who just shot the arrow-shaped book?!" Drake shouted, holding up the paper in his hand.

"Exactly!" However, unfamiliar voices continued to come from all directions, making it impossible to determine the other party's location.

However, the other party did raise their voice when they heard the words "arrow letter".

"...Do you all intend to oppose the heroes of the Agor ship?!" The unfamiliar voice suddenly became serious, reaching the ears of the wary crowd. "Or have you already given up and succumbed to them?!"

"We haven't given up!" Ritsuka couldn't help but raise her voice and answer to those around her, "We are their enemies!"

"...Alright," the unfamiliar voice finally chose to believe Ritsuka and the others, nodding as she jumped down from the dense tree branches. "Then I will reveal myself." A blonde hunter with a hint of green landed in front of them.

"...Please forgive me for testing you like this." Unexpectedly, before Ritsuka and the others could speak, the girl with animal ears lowered her head and bowed to them. "Although I know your position, I still have to be on the safe side. Because we are the last hope for this sea." As her words fell, the green-haired man also emerged from the bushes.

"Atalanta—may I call you that?" Mash was deeply moved, finally finding true allies in this singularity, and couldn't help but feel excited.

“Yes, my real name is Atalanta, and I am a hunter who serves the goddess Artemis.” Then, looking at the two familiar faces, Atalanta couldn’t help but smile slightly. “...Ah, so I must have met you in France, right? I was in a berserk state back then…” Thinking of this, Atalanta couldn’t help but show a shy expression like a young girl.

“This time, I was summoned as a normal Archer.” Atalanta revealed the wooden bow in her hand and nocked a green arrow.

"I'll consider you my companions for now." Atalanta nodded in satisfaction as she saw the fighting spirit radiating from the other's smile.

“Thank you very much!” Nodding repeatedly, Mash placed her hand on her chest. “My name is Mash Kyrielight.” She then placed her hand on the orange-haired girl beside her. “And this is my Master, Fujimaru Ritsuka.” She pointed to each of them.

“This is Captain Francis Drake of this ship.” Mashu then lowered her hand and smiled at the little goddess who was sulking. “And this is Euryale.”

"Hmm, nice to meet you." Atalanta nodded skillfully and greeted them politely.

"Also," Mash said with a half-smile, lifting up Orion, who was being used as a teddy bear at her feet, "this doll that looks harmful to humans at first glance is Orion, and this animal is Fou." Mash lifted Fou from behind her, but missed Atalanta's wide-eyed reaction when she heard Orion's name.

"Fou!" Fou obediently drooped her ears and rubbed against Atalanta's cheek.

"Nice to meet you..." As if they were alive, Orion and Atalanta shook hands before immediately separating and looking at Mash. "Speaking of which, Miss Mash, why did you introduce me and Fou together? Did you put us in the same category?"

"Finally!" Upon learning the hunter's real name, Mashu turned her head slightly. "This is Miss Artemis."

“Francis Drake, Euryale, and the puppet Orion and Artemis?” The huntress’s eyes widened suddenly, and she froze on the spot.

“…Artemis?” Atalanta called out instinctively, a strange premonition creeping into her heart.

I once wrote a chapter in a state of extreme anger...

At Atalanta's call, the silver-haired, gigantic goddess appeared before her.

"Here~" Artemis responded to the huntress with a playful wink and appeared before her.

"………………" Atalanta sized up the goddess before her, then mechanically looked at Ritsuka beside her, her finger trembling as she pointed at Artemis. "Um—this one should be called Mash, right? Please don't joke around. Lady Artemis is the goddess of hunting and purity, and would never be summoned as a Servant." Atalanta's beast ears trembled uncontrollably, indicating that her heart was not as calm as it appeared.

"I said, my dear~ Atalanta doesn't believe me~!" Then, Artemis hugged the floating teddy bear, tears even welling up in her eyes. "It's not a bad thing that a pure goddess was born for love, don't you think~" She then pinched Orion's cheek.

"Hahaha! Hahaha! I don't know! I don't know!" Orion saw the suspicious look in Atalanta's eyes and quickly waved his hand to distance himself from the foolish goddess beside him.

"...Huh? It's true?!" Atalanta's hand, gripping the bow and arrow, trembled slightly as she stared in disbelief at the silver-haired goddess before her.

“It’s true, Artemis.” Artemis puffed out her chest confidently, hugging the teddy bear beside her. “I am the goddess of the hunt, born for love—” she deliberately drew out the word, then gently tapped her head with her fist and stuck out half of her tongue. “—Artemis, oh~ hehe~”

"..." Atalanta just stared wide-eyed, remaining silent for a long time.

Then everything went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Are you... alright?!" Mash quickly helped the unconscious Atalanta up from the ground, looking at her pale face with concern.

"N-nothing...it's nothing." Holding Mash's hand, Atalanta tried to stand up but felt a wave of weakness. "After this Holy Grail War at sea, my spirit has been tempered to some extent...Now that things have come to this, even if the goddess I worship is a love-struck type, I will not give up on myself...!" She even stomped her foot, looking tragic.

"Your emotional wounds seem deep... So be disappointed if you want to..." Ritsuka patted Ata on the shoulder, looking like she knew what she meant, and even shed seaweed-like tears. "But you still have to keep going, girl!"

"Your words are completely unconvincing...!" Atalanta looked at the tearful Ritsuka with a face full of black lines, her gaze shifting back and forth between Artemis and the teddy bear beside her. Finally, she sighed helplessly, "...Never mind, I would like to introduce you to a Servant. He is the Servant who possesses the Ark of the Covenant, the man that the heroes of the Argonauts are looking for."

"【Ark of the Covenant】...So it's a Noble Phantasm!?" Mash's eyes widened in surprise. That item, comparable to the real Holy Grail, was actually a Servant's Noble Phantasm, and this Servant was about to appear before them.

“Yes, he is the first Servant to be summoned in this sea area.” Atalanta’s gaze shifted as she turned to the side. “His true name is—” Unexpectedly, before Atalanta could finish speaking, a figure suddenly emerged from the bushes beside her.

"Hey everyone, hello there." The green-haired man suddenly appeared, smiling and waving to Ritsuka and the others who were startled. "You guys really kept me waiting."

"—David." However, Atalanta's introduction came late, and the atmosphere between the two became awkward.

"Fu..." Fu Fu seemed to sense the tense atmosphere and called out weakly.

David, the king of Israel in the Old Testament, was originally an ordinary shepherd, but after defeating the giant Goliath single-handedly, he became the king of Israel and implemented a wise and just reign.

"Ahem..." Finally, David broke the silence, opening his arms again with a friendly smile. "We should have held a grand feast to entertain you with fine wine and food, but before that, let me explain the Ark of the Covenant."

“Not bad, I don’t dislike men who speak frankly.” Euryale glanced at David and nodded in satisfaction.

“It is an honor, Your Majesty.” David bowed slightly in gratitude. “This Ark of the Covenant is my own treasure—the treasure of David, King of Israel.”

“…The King of Israel…?” Ritsuka tapped her chin, carefully recalling the knowledge Mary had given her when she tutored her in history. “You mean that…?” Ritsuka deliberately dragged out the tone to cover up the fact that she hadn’t remembered yet.

“That’s right, it’s David, the King of Israel!” The extremely arrogant man nodded. “By the way, is there something on my face?” He looked at Mash, who had been staring intently at him.

“No, it’s nothing, please don’t mind.” Mashu shook her head and then looked away. She then leaned close to Ritsuka’s ear, who was puzzled, and said, “...It’s understandable that you have questions, but let’s hear what he has to say.”

"Fu." Even Fufu raised her ears, curiously examining the man in front of her.

"...Oh dear, some rude fellow has interrupted our conversation." Just as he was about to say something more, David sensed the sound of wild beasts trampling the grass not far away. He couldn't help but raise the staff-like object with bells in his hand. "Perfect, a rare opportunity. Let's collect some edible meat while we're at it."

Wild beasts howled and leaped out of the grass, only to be met by arrows of silver, gold, and green all at once.

Artemis, Euryale, Atalanta, and even the newly appeared David all manifested as archers. The presence of these four ranged attackers caused these beasts, who relied on biting as their means of attack, a great deal of trouble.

The group exchanged glances, the meaning of which was self-evident; they all gleaned the same message from each other's eyes.

Then, they stood back to back, each shooting arrows in different directions.

Entrusting their backs to someone else, even someone they've just met, they all turn their attention to the enemy in front of them.

This is both a test and a test of trust.

"Mash... leave the support to us!" Ritsuka's Chaldea Mystic Code boosted the power of all the Servants in battle, and she then gave the battle order, "Perfect, let's treat this as a training battle for everyone!"

"..." Sitting on the high tree trunk, Nian Zhuo dangled his legs and looked at everyone fighting in the distance. He nodded in satisfaction. "You guys are really growing up so fast." Then he tossed the packed lunchbox in his hand to his side.

"Huh...?" In Decade form, Tsukasa Kadoya dispelled his invisibility and accurately grabbed the handle of the tote bag. "So this is the hope you left in this world?... How weak." He glanced briefly at Mash and the others fighting below, then looked away and pointed at David and Drake. "Apart from those two, who have a strange aura, the rest seem insignificant.... Is this the hope you wanted me to see that this world won't perish?"

“…Well, you can understand it that way.” Nian Zhuo focused intently on everyone, his Time Sword Spear, which he had been holding tightly, twirling in his hand. “If we’re talking about strength, they are indeed not enough, but what I value is their hope and their determination not to give up.”

"Since you brought me back to that world, you saw their behavior, right?" After waking up, the system also told Nian Zhuo about what happened after Nian Zhuo's death, so he understood that the pink-clad guy in front of him had a sharp tongue. "How about it? Thinking back to their behavior, can you understand why I was willing to cover their retreat?"

"..." Tsukasa Kadoya stared at Ritsuka, who was giving instructions to the crowd, with his green eye armor, and remained silent for a long time.

"As expected, let me witness it to the end." With that last sentence, Tsukasa Kadoya disappeared with his lunchbox.

"Heh—what an insincere fellow." With a chuckle, Nian Zhuo refocused his attention on the battlefield. "Then let me see how much you've grown since I returned."

Beasts fell one by one, their vital points pierced by various instruments: silver or gold arrows, black musket pellets, marks left by huge axe blades, dents from being smashed by shields, and even wounds from being smashed by green stone-like objects.

On the other hand, under Ritsuka's instructions, Mashu and her group didn't even have any minor injuries, perfectly isolating the beasts around them. Any occasional escapees were smashed into the ground by Mashu.

David and Atalanta, upon joining the group for the first time, demonstrated excellent support skills and superb archery, and their teamwork with Mash and the others was already very smooth.

"Ahem, there are no other enemies now." David looked around at the lifeless beasts, covered his nose, and shook his head. "Then let's continue our conversation. From a Noble Phantasm perspective, the Ark of the Covenant is only a third-rate Noble Phantasm. Anyone who touches this container will die—that's all." David shrugged, indicating that the so-called Ark of the Covenant was really nothing special.

"Third-rate... Noble Phantasm...?" Nian Zhuo scratched his head. Logically speaking, a Noble Phantasm with such high renown should not be like this, but he still listened attentively.

"However, if you want to use it for bad things... well, that's possible." Touching his smooth chin, David nodded in agreement. "After all, strictly speaking, this Noble Phantasm isn't my property. It's something akin to a contract bestowed upon humanity by God. While it won't be easily taken away, if it were, it would be terrible. Furthermore, this Noble Phantasm cannot be spiritualized." David pressed his chest; the spiritual core didn't make a sound.

"I am a Servant who was summoned along with the physical Ark of the Covenant. Even if I die, the Ark will continue to exist as long as there is a new holder."

“Then… it is said that the Ark contains the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments…” Mash was a little puzzled. Noble Phantasms from the gods should generally be of a high level, so why did David say that the Ark of the Covenant, which sealed the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments given by God, was a third-rate Noble Phantasm?

“But it’s not just that.” David didn’t deny the existence of the Ten Commandments; instead, he nodded in deep agreement. “This isn’t a metaphor; that thing really does bring death.” He glanced at Atalanta, whose expression hadn’t changed much, and continued, “Anyway, when Atalanta told me that Jason had his eye on the Ark of the Covenant, I hid with her in this forest, waiting for the right moment.”

“I’m waiting for Servants like you to come and visit me.” David pointed to Ritsuka and the others in front of him. “It’s time for Servants who have been summoned normally to come and visit.”

“But I am different.” Atalanta shook her head, her beast ears swaying with her movement. “I was summoned as a member of the Argonauts’ heroes, but unlike Hercules, I wasn’t stripped of my self-awareness. Perhaps it’s because I hated Jason in my lifetime, or perhaps it’s because I was summoned as an Archer who can act independently.” Not wanting to elaborate on this matter, Atalanta waved her hand.

"In short, after Jason was summoned, he immediately began searching for the Ark of the Covenant. He declared that if he had the Ark, he could become king in this sea."

"Eh... does that mean the Ark of the Covenant is equivalent to the conditions for becoming king?" Mash still seemed confused.

“How could that be?” David firmly denied Mashu’s words. “That was merely a sacred relic that I, as a former king, offered to God. It was not a condition for becoming king; it was simply the property of a king.”

“…David, may I ask you a question?” Euryale looked at David, who had a calm expression, and suddenly spoke.