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

"Fou, Fou!" Upon hearing Merlin's name, even Fou flicked its tail in disdain.

"Eh...? Who?" Only Ritsuka, with her limited knowledge of history, was left staring blankly at the furious Fou and Roman. "Merlin??"

"Huh!?" Mordred responded with a stunned expression. She looked Ritsuka up and down, asking with some suspicion, "You, a magician, don't even know him?! It's Merlin, Merlin. As King Arthur's guardian and the founder of the Round Table, he is a great magician of human and nightmare hybrid blood..." She recited it like a memorized text, then suddenly Mordred burst into a happy laugh.

"What! He's lost his fame? Haha, I'm so happy! Serves him right!" Mordred said with obvious satisfaction.

"Sigh... let me explain it to you." Looking at the noisy Roman, Mary waved her hand to shut him up and cleared her throat. "Merlin was one of the world's most outstanding king-maker. He was also the one who made King Arthur pull the sword from the stone. It is said that his magical skills were indeed extraordinary, but in the end, he was imprisoned forever at the ends of the world because of a relationship problem."

“Yes, that’s right.” Mordred twirled her hair. “I heard he can’t escape or die, and to this day he’s still imprisoned in the tower of the elven land—that is, Avalon. How should I put it…” Mordred struggled to organize her thoughts as she looked at Ritsuka, who was filled with curiosity.

"Um... he's a very frivolous man, isn't he? He gives the impression that there are always flower petals floating behind him... do you understand?" She glanced at Ritsuka and Mashu... and also at Nencho, whose expression was not visible behind them.

"Hmm... I still don't quite understand." Ritsuka still couldn't picture the magician's figure based solely on the descriptions given by Mary and Mordred, and she raised her eyebrows in some confusion.

"Forget it, that guy is completely irrelevant." Mordred then turned her head back and muttered under her breath, "He's a coward who couldn't even come to the rescue when something happened in London."

As if trying to change the subject, Mordred re-examined Ritsuka behind her and quietly moved closer to her.

"I said... Ritsuka, is this okay?" Mordred whispered in her ear, nudging Ritsuka's waist with his elbow as he did so.

"Eh...Eh?! What's wrong?" Ritsuka responded with an expression that said she knew nothing.

“I meant Mashu… Mashu.” Mordred sighed helplessly, glancing at the purple-haired girl ahead who was warily scanning her surroundings. “She’s seemed a bit listless since earlier. Why don’t you go and talk to her…”

“Ah… well…” Ritsuka scratched her cheek and looked at Nencho at the very end of the line. “This kind of thing… I can’t help you with it. You have to ask Mr. Nencho.”

"Huh...?!" Mordred was a little surprised. After glancing at Ritsuka, she still quietly ran to Nianzhuo's side (thinking she was being discreet). "Hey, Nianzhuo, have you noticed? Mashu has been looking a bit listless since earlier."

“Ah…” Nian Zhuo glanced at Mordred, then shifted his gaze to Mash…

Sure enough, while cautiously surveying her surroundings, the purple-haired girl would always lower her head, looking somewhat troubled.

"...What happened?" Nian Zhuo asked, turning back to Mordred beside him, equally puzzled.

"...How would I know? Ritsuka said the only one I can ask for help from is you." Mordred nudged Mash's waist with her elbow and nodded in her direction. "Oh, never mind that, go on!"

"...Sigh, okay, okay, I understand." In the end, under Mordred's encouragement, Nianzhuo had no choice but to walk towards Mashu. He took out his driver and put it away for the time being.

When I walked up to Mashu, the petite girl was gently biting her lip, seemingly lost in thought.

Suddenly, a familiar face came into her view, causing her to let out a small gasp.

"What are you thinking about, Mashu?" A familiar voice, a familiar face. Nian Zhuo was standing beside her, looking down at her with some surprise. "You look... a little listless, Mashu."

“…Hmm, so it’s Mr. Nianzhuo.” The girl patted her chest in relief, but then her expression turned serious again. “Yes, there’s nothing wrong with my health, but…” She hesitated for a moment, then sighed and decided to tell the young man in front of her.

“…As expected, this is a problem on a spiritual level.” As she spoke, Mashu’s voice grew softer and softer, and then she suddenly turned to Nianzhuo and bent down.

"...I'm sorry, Mr. Nianzhuo. The battle is getting more and more intense...but I haven't grown at all..." His words were full of self-blame.

“Fu…?” Fufu, standing to the side, tilted her head in surprise.

“Mash, but I think you’ve done enough…” Nian Zhuo also didn’t quite understand, but he still straightened Mash’s body and looked at her somewhat troubled expression. “Look, you can now block attacks for me, defeat Chaos Machine Soldiers, and do so many other things… So why do you feel like you’re not good enough?”

“…I’m talking about Noble Phantasms. Noble Phantasms.” Mash gripped her shield tightly, watching its still faint glow. “For Servants, only Noble Phantasms are true fighting power. We’ve seen many Noble Phantasms so far, each one a miracle worthy of a hero’s name. But I—”

She looked up, only to meet Nian Zhuo's still gentle gaze, and then lowered her head again.

"—Still can't use the Noble Phantasm." Once again, she gripped the shield in her hands even tighter.

"...If things continue like this, I'll become a burden to everyone, and a liability to Mr. Nianzhuo..." Thinking of this situation, Mashu bit her lip hard. "I know that very well, but I still can't remember my real name..."

The immense guilt, coupled with the harsh reality and truth, caused this child, who had always been strong and eager to help others, to tremble slightly.

Then, she suddenly opened her eyes and raised her head.

Because she felt it, a pair of warm hands pressed on her shoulders.

“…No, you don’t need to blame yourself for this, Mashu.” Nian Zhuo tried his best to make his voice softer. His eyes flickered as he looked at the girl staring at him. “This is not Mashu’s fault. Even without Noble Phantasms… Mashu is our shield, everyone’s shield.”

"...No, it's not...that simple, Mr. Nianzhuo." Mashu suppressed her voice, clutching her chest with her other hand, her eyes lowered. "...Although I did indeed merge with a Heroic Spirit due to an unexpected accident, he entrusted everything to me back then..."

The raging fire that engulfed everything, the deafening explosion—these memories still linger in Mash's mind.

That heroic spirit... that heroic spirit who grasped his hand... his figure also appeared among them.

But even now, Mash is still constantly recalling, racking her brains to remember, trying hard to recall the appearance of that heroic spirit, and the words he said when he held her hand.

—But even now, after so much time has passed, she still can't do it.

It was like an old projector playing a broken cassette tape; everything was black and white, silent... and his figure seemed to have been deliberately cleaned, becoming blurry and... making Mashu's memories even more difficult.

"But I..." Recalling this fact, Mashu felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her chest, a painful and suffocating sensation. "Not to mention the Noble Phantasm's true name... I don't even know its true name yet..."

Even though she possessed something that could be considered a Noble Phantasm under Marie's name, Mashu was still not satisfied, because her own heart told her that it was far from all that the shield in her hand contained. Its true name, strength, and even power were all shrouded in mist, and she herself... was also swallowed up by this mist.

That's when Nen-cho finally understood why Mashu had become like this.

"I see, I see..." Nian Zhuo, having understood everything, gently stroked Mashu's purple hair. Without trying to imitate, his tone had become the gentle one he desired.

“No wonder you became so listless after learning that those Chaos Mechs were Noble Phantasms.” Nian Zhuo smiled, gripping his Time Driver in his other hand. “But you’re right… a Servant who can’t unleash a Noble Phantasm can’t really be considered a Servant. No matter how weak the Noble Phantasm is, its very existence is proof that a hero once existed; it can be said to be a symbol of dignity.”

“…………So that’s how it is.” Mashu closed her eyes in pain. The warmth of the hand stroking her head had turned into an icy chill piercing her heart. “So, someone like me—” she began hoarsely, but her vision blurred.

...It's as if everything is fading away.

“But you are different, Mashu.” Then, the words continued.

"...!" In an instant, the ice and snow melted, and the purple-haired girl blinked and raised her head.

In her vision, the man was blurry, yet he radiated a dazzling light.

“You are you, Mashu.” Nian Zhuo gently stroked her head, but his gaze was fixed on the shield to the side.

Education, virtue, honor... Nian Zhuo never imagined that he could see so much on a shield.

"Master..." he said in a low voice, but no one could hear him.

“Mash, you are Mash, not anyone else…and certainly not him.” As for who it is, there’s no need for Nian Zhuo to explain further. “Your values, your dignity, your honor are completely different from his. Of course, you can’t skillfully wield this Noble Phantasm…in my opinion, you’ve only used one-third of its power…or even less.”

"The remaining power is still dormant." He looked at Mashu in front of him with some heartache. Knowing the plot well, he naturally understood how difficult the road ahead would be for Mashu. "Or rather, as long as you are still you, you will not be able to exert your full power."

"...So that's how it is." Although somewhat moved, Mashu was still filled with immense self-reproach. "The 'Asia' part... As a human... have I really been a burden to you...?"

With a loud thud, Nian Zhuo responded by flicking her forehead.

"Are you an idiot?" Seeing Mashu clutching her head in pain, Nianzhuo couldn't help but yell, "How could this be a burden? Can't you at least let me finish what I'm saying?"

Then, he stroked the shield in Mash's hand, feeling the patterns on it.

“You cannot unleash the full power of the Noble Phantasm,” Nian Zhuo said with certainty, but then looked into Mashu’s purple eyes. “However, I am certain that you will be even more powerful than the original Heroic Spirit.”

"Huh...? So... that...? Does that refer to the Heroic Spirit I fused with?" Mashu looked at Nianzhuo in surprise, but she couldn't see a trace of doubt in his eyes, only absolute certainty. "How could this be...?" she murmured.

"Yes, you're definitely much stronger than him. I'm telling you, you're absolutely right." Patting the girl's head, Nian Zhuo said with a smile, "You've only temporarily lost to him in terms of Noble Phantasm, but in other aspects you're definitely not inferior to him, I'm sure of that!"

“After all—” Nian Zhuo rubbed his head and said shyly, “Mash is my best partner.”

"..." In that instant, the girl felt something melt inside her, and her cheeks felt hot. "Really...really?"

Seeing Nianzhuo's absolutely certain expression, Mashu felt the power return to her body.

“…Okay! I understand!” Mash nodded vigorously, finally loosening her grip on the shield slightly.

"Don't worry, until then, I'll grow up with you." Nian Zhuo gently stroked Mashu's nose, feeling equally pleased as he watched the girl's adorable expression as she instantly narrowed her eyes.

"Hahaha!" Laughing as he watched the girl run away shyly, Nian Zhuo looked at Mashu, whose back was turned to him, but the smile gradually disappeared from his face.

"I hope I haven't made a mistake, Master," he said softly, gripping the Time Driver in his hand.

Found them, the real Chaos Machine Soldiers

"Ahem~" Just as the atmosphere between Nianzhuo and Mashu was about to become strange, the communication device in Mashu's hand suddenly rang, and Mary's voice came from it.

"Let's wait a bit before we deepen our friendship..." Looking at the continuous stream of red dots appearing on the screen, Mary coughed lightly twice. "Sorry to disturb you two when the atmosphere is so pleasant~"

"Oh?" Well, Nian Zhuo could guess what Mary was going to say, and quietly placed the Time Driver on his waist.

On the distant street, large shadows could be faintly seen rushing towards this place.

"Ah..." Mashu seemed to suddenly come to her senses and quickly distanced herself from Nianzhuo, patting her slightly flushed cheeks.

"...Really." Mordred, who had been watching the show, pouted unhappily and poked Nianzhuo's waist. "Hey, Nianzhuo, aren't you a Rider-class Servant?"

“Yes? I am indeed a Rider class…” Nian Zhuo, who had just taken out his watch, looked at Mordred in front of him with a bit of confusion.

“Then, for me… no, for Mashu.” Suddenly, Mordred’s expression turned cold, and she clenched her right fist and held it out in front of him.

"Use Flame Fist (Knight Kick) on her."

"What are you doing?" Nian Zhuo responded with a completely bewildered expression.

"Tch..." Mordred muttered unhappily, but still raised her sword and looked at the approaching black shadow just like Nianzhuo.

"Alright, alright! Let's not argue now!" Mary's voice came through the communicator, and the red dots on the screen were increasing. "A large number of enemies are approaching! If you hear that, start fighting right away! Perfect, let's kick them away to boost morale!"

“Haha, this kind of thing—” Nian Zhuo pressed the dial, placed it on the driver at his waist, and then flipped it over.

As the enormous silver clock unfolded from behind, Nian Zhuo took a step forward.

With a muffled thud, like a bullet leaving the barrel, the Time Ring enveloped Nian Zhuo's figure and instantly appeared around the enemy.

"—I know that too!" Immediately afterwards, the leg covered in silver armor kicked out, striking one of the enemies in the side and instantly kicking it off the ground.

"Mashu!" Nian Zhuo did not pursue, but instead reached out and grabbed the head of another enemy, throwing him towards the direction of the enemy who had been kicked away.

"Ah...yes! Got it!" After a moment of surprise, Mashu appeared beside Nianzhuo with her shield in hand. She gripped the shield tightly and slammed it heavily onto the backs of the two enemies who had been knocked away by Nianzhuo. Then she plummeted down and crashed into the ground.

But it's not over yet. Mashu, having resolved her inner conflict, has grown a lot since then.

Using the shield that had crashed into the ground as a fulcrum, Mash kicked the approaching enemy toward Nencho.

"Mr. Nianzhuo!" At the same time, using the force of the attack, Mashu successfully pulled her shield from the ground. Instead of immediately chasing after the enemy who had been knocked towards Nianzhuo, she quickly rushed towards the new enemy who was about to break through the fog.

"Oh! Got it!" Nian Zhuo flexed his fists, feeling the sound of the air being pierced behind him, then suddenly turned around and swung his fist.

It struck the face of the enemy flying towards him squarely, and Nian Zhuo could even hear the cracking sounds coming from the enemy's face.

Having been attacked in the face, the enemy was tossed around like a ball by Nencho towards Mash, who was fighting the last enemy.

"It's time to end this! Mashu!" Nianzhuo shouted to Mashu and then crossed his arms, waiting for the purple-haired girl to make her move.

"Roger! Ah—!" With a simple reply, Mashu slammed her shield into the ground and then pressed down hard, sending the enemy behind the shield flying. She had a close encounter with the enemy thrown by Nianzhuo in mid-air, followed by Mashu's shield pressing down from above their heads.

Thump—another heavy sound, the last enemy was slammed into the ground by Mashu's powerful blow.