At the End of Enduring the Unbearable

Oho. Intensive training, huh!?

That's right. Intensive training.

While Chaldea is indeed home to many great warriors, even the greatest warrior can grow soft in peacetime.

Hence, the need for intensive training.

A true warrior must always be one with their blade.

Yup, training's a good idea. I couldn't agree more, Lady Scáthach.

A warrior should always be ready for battle at any time, or everything they've worked for will be lost.

All right then, I'll have to think up an intensive training program sometime in the near future!

Excellent!

Hehe, you do seem to really understand just what this place needs, teacher from the West.

Ooh, you two look like you're having fun. What are you talking about?

Oh, hello, Salome.

You're a princess from a foreign land, right? Well, princess or not, as a Heroic Spirit of Chaldea, you need to practice jouzai senjou just as much as anyone else.

We'll be holding a grand intensive training meet soon, so I hope to see you there.

"Jouzai senjou"...?

Oh, right, haha. That's a Japanese expression that means a warrior should always be ready for battle, and always conduct themself as though they were on the battlefield.

Oh my, how terrifying.

Still, hehe, you may be right. This IS Chaldea, after all.

We do always need to be ready to fight for Master at a moment's notice.

Jouzai senjou... I'll have to remember that.

Indeed, you should.

Oho! What do we have here?

How nice to see all you lovely ladies together like this.

Might I ask what you were just talking about?

Intensive training. Jouzai senjou. Things of that sort.

I see. Jouzai senjou, hmm... I think I've heard that before. Something like "combat readiness at all times."

That's an old samurai expression, right?

Though I have to say, it fits in nicely with us Celts' way of life, too.

Indeed, I'd say it's a practice all warriors should strive to uphold. I can only hope I do so.

Hey, don't be so modest. Of course you do.

Oh no, not as much as you, Lord Fergus.

Oh my. You two both take your swordplay so seriously.

I do my best, my lady. For both my swords, and my spears.

As for me, I'm always ready to go, if you know what I mean.

Are you now...?

I-I don't mean that in a dirty way, of course!

(I mean, I'm not lying. There's nothing dirty about any of my...endeavors.)

Oho.

... ...

Lord Fergus?

Teeheehee. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but... Do I sense a lurid note to your words?

Ha ha ha ha.

Don't be ridiculous. I always strive to conduct myself as a perfect Celtic gentleman.

Lady Scáthach, I don't know much about gentlemen...

But what do you make of Fergus's claim? Is he safe, or out?

Hmm.

... ...

...Out!

Lord Fergus!

While I have no doubt Fergus is capable of acting like a gentleman, his claims were...

Deceptive!

(Crap! She saw right through me!)

Fergus, it's clear you need to be retrained! I'll prepare an exclusive, intensive training session for you right now!

Lady Kiichi!

An exclusive, intensive training session for Fergus, the warrior of the Celts, huh? Sounds like fun!

Kanra kara kara! You'd better believe I'll be joining you!

Hahaha!

Soon, all of Chaldea will know the true power of the double mentors! Now, come with me!

Uh, I would, but I actually have something else I have to

Oh, wow, you're leading me there by hand? That's very passionate of you.

It is, isn't it?

Hahaha.

(Resigned to his fate)

Teeheeheehee. I'll be rooting for you, Lord Fergus.

Good luck with your intensive training.

Thanks...

Teeheehee.

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...

...Did you notice?

You mean about Lady Salome?

Yup. Master looks like he already has his eye on her, but I doubt there's anything more he can do.

Nnn...

Indeed.

It breaks my heart to see such a beautiful princess materialize in a Berserker Spirit Origin.

It's a crying shame, is what it is.

You two. What are you whispering about?

Oh, uh, it's nothing...

I heard you, but I'll be nice and pretend I didn't.

After all, this is a job for my disciplethat is, your Master!

All that aside, I have to say...

This Spirit Origin system has a mean streak a mile wide.

I'm getting some magical energy readings.

Multiple hostiles are headed your way, and one of them has a pretty high magical energy reading.

It's most likely the being with the Holy Grail fragment that spawned this minute Singularity!

Please be careful, Senpai!

？！

Come then, Lord Kintoki! Lady Salome! Let us be on our way!

You got it, brother! Let's kick some golden ass!

Teeheeheehee. You're so right, Lord Benkei! Lord Kintoki!

My Jokanaan is just dying to get started, too! Here, listen.

"I'm John the Baptist! I'm gonna eat all the hostiles up!"

Did you hear that!?

Hoo baby!

You ain't the first Servant I've met who used skulls, but this golden John the Baptist guy's somethin' else!

And he isn't even in his golden skull mode yet! Hahaha! Now then, let's see what we're up against...

Oho. A vengeful spirit, is it!?

Let's do this thiiiiiing!

So you're the source of this minute Singularity... I'm so sorry.

I don't know what your wish was, but it's all over now.

Goodbye! Goodbye!

You may not be Jokanaan...

But I'll still accept your head!

Do it, Princess!

Ahh...

I can't believe this!

Two kind warriors from a foreign land, fighting to win me a head!

I'm so happy!

So very happy that I...

I can't help but get fired up! Jokanaan!

The magical energy signal has disappeared! The Holy Grail fragment has started taking on physical form...

Oh my, it's beautiful...

Do be careful, Lady Salome. You too, Lord Kintoki. Fragment or not, it is still a Holy Grail.

We must treat it with the utmost caution. Like this.

Whoa, nice.

I may not be as adept as Lady Mash with her shield, but it seems my Buddhist prayers can still be useful.

Holy Grail fragment retrieval confirmed. Mission complete!

Great work, everyone. We'll Rayshift you back in just a moment.

Teeheeheehee.

Thank you for your expert navigation, Mash. We couldn't have gotten through this mission so easily without you. Right, Master?

I'm just glad I could help!

O-oh, no, not at all! I'm just glad I could be of help...

？！

Teehee. Heeheeheeheehee.

You and Mash are so close, aren't you, Master? It's wonderful.

You're so sparkly together. Looking at you two is like looking at the glittering night sky. Ahh...

You're so bright and shiny it almost makes me want to do something to you. Teehee.

...Lady Salome.

Yes?

Never mind.

(She is somehow unnerving.)

(Does it merely stem from her Berserker Spirit Origin? Or is it more a part of her own nature?)

(I'm sure Lord Kintoki has noticed it too. I see... So this is why Lady Scheherazade always keeps an eye on her.)

(But still, she does follow Master's commands, her teamwork is flawless, and we have no trouble communicating.)

(Hmm.)

(What should we do...?)

Okay, see you later, you two.

I look forward to working together if we're ever on the same team again!

Damn straight!

That goes for you too, Mash!

Same here!

...Master, what do you make of Salome?

？！

I'm glad to hear that.

？！

Let me guess...

There's still something about her that's nagging at you?

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... ...

...I feel the same way.

She's fitting in well enough. She even has a happy smile on her face most of the time she's around people.

During battle, she smiles all the time while wielding her crystal skulls.

And at night, when I'm telling stories...

She smiles a lot as well.

It's almost as though her gentle, beautiful smile is telling us not to worry. That everything will be okay.

I don't think she's lying about that.

However...I also sense something else.

Something entirely different from magical energy.

It's almost as though...

...ever since she's been summoned here...

...she's been resisting something.

I don't know if it's something that threatens to overwhelm her from within, or something trying to burst through from outside.

Truth be told, I have no idea at all what it could be.

But, even so...

I do know that her smile is proof that she's resisting.

？！

Yes.

And if whatever it is eventually does overwhelm her...

Well, I don't know what will become of her.

And that worries me, Master.

...Thank you.

... ...

...Thank you.

...And please, be careful.

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Oh my, Master. This place is wonderful.

It's so spacious and quiet... Perhaps it's the remains of an old castle.

Still...

You know you didn't have to use the simulator just to talk to me, right?

We could have had fun talking with everyone in the cafeteria, or you could have just called me to your room.

Don't you think?

But, I suppose those aren't the places for what you wanted to talk about tonight.

So what DID you want to talk about, Master?

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Struggling?

That's what you wanted to know?

Hehehe...don't be silly, Master!

Of course I am.

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Every day...every night...from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep...

I'm always, always, always, aaalways holding myself back.

Why wouldn't I be? It's obvious, right?

If I see someone that looks like my shining Jokanaan, I might end up falling in love with them.

And if that happens...

I won't be able to help myself. I'll want their head.

Whenever I see someone pure...someone precious...

Or someone holy...

I simply can't help but fall in love with them.

Then they get me thinking of my Jokanaan, and...

... ...

But it's okay. I always hold myself back.

I'm always, always, always holding myself back.

After all...that's what you asked me to do.

？！

Yes, I am.

You want me to behave myself in Chaldea, right?

You want me to not make trouble for anyone else when we're in battle, right?

You don't want me to fall in love with anyone holy, right?

And you also want me to get along well with Mash.

Isn't that right, Master?

So since you asked that of me, I'm going to make sure I comply.

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Is something wrong?

？！

Well, I'm afraid I can't help that.

You're my Master, yes? You're always struggling.

Every day and every night, from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep, you're always trying to solve a seemingly impossible problem.

So how could the Servants you make connections with not always struggle the way you do?

Don't you think?

...Teehee.

It's okay, kind Master. You're not Jokanaan, and you don't have to worry.

Teeheehee. It's all right. You don't have to look at me like that.

The only way I'd ever stop functioning is if you did first.

So you don't need to worry. Really.

Teehee.

Yes, you do.

？！

So please, take care of yourself. Don't worry about me.

You know, Master?

I think that, as long as you remain yourself...

Well, you may not be Jokanaan...

But, even so.

You have a long, difficult road ahead of you, but you have to keep walking it.

You never stop fighting for anything.

So if the day should come when you transcend yourself, and you become like Jokanaan...

Then, and only then, will I take your head.

Teeheehee. If you say so.

No, I'm sure you don't.

？！

At least, I certainly hope not.

I really mean it, Master.

I'm going to keep doing my best to hold myself together...

So please do the same, okay?