Welcomed by the Sand (1/2)

So there you have it. Thank you for everything, fellows of the Round Table.

...

...

...

Huh? Why is everyone looking so serious all of a sudden? Did I say something wrong?

All I said was, "I'm getting bored of this town, so I'm taking my leave," right?

...Of course. In other words, Xuanzang Sanzang. You just announced that you were breaking away from us.

Why does it have to be like that? I have no intention of becoming your enemy.

I mean, I only meant to make a brief stop here. You see, I'm on my way back from Tianzhu and I have to get home.

And what I am saying is that we cannot believe that, Xuanzang Sanzang.

You are already a Servant. Meaning there's no point for you to repeat actions taken when you were alive.

You have no reason nor responsibility to go back home. In fact, your home doesn't even exist in this world.

So, please enlighten me, where exactly are you going?

Oh c'mon, it's nothing material like that. I'm simply following my heart.

My purpose is to go home. I am a monk whose worth is in the steps I've spent on my journey. And I get really lonely without my disciples.

Yes, I do find this city amazing. It's peaceful, prosperous, beautiful, and no one is hungry.

I'm sure that this is what people mean when they speak of utopias.

Thank you very much. It makes us proud to hear you say that.

For that very reason, Lady Sanzang, I must ask you: is staying in this castle not an option?

Thank you, Gawain. I love how chivalrous you are to women.

But please let it go. This is just who I am.

I'm going to start off by going to the desert. Oh, I'm taking Touta with me, all right?

Now, then, thank you for everything you've done for me! Bye-bye! Ciao! Zaijian!

...And there she goes. How unfortunate.

That woman was truly like the sun. Her presence alone lit up the whole place.

Really? I actually feel relieved. Never liked her.

So whatcha gonna do, Agravain? You know no one is supposed to leave the castle without Father's approval...

Isn't that one of the rules of this Round Table? Besides, she's a pain in the ass.

I agree with you, Mordred. However, the king has already granted approval.

That no one shall stop Xuanzang Sanzang if she says she is going to leave the castle.

You gotta be kidding. It's such a perfect chance to stab her in the back.

Oh well. That desert is ruthless, she won't survive by herself.

Don't you agree, Tris? Hey, still alive there, ya bastard?

!!!

...Pardon me. I wasn't asleep by the way. Please continue your conversation, don't mind me...

...Also, if you wish to have a conversation about women, you should talk to Lancelot instead...

Ah... How very sad indeed... He is the one more experienced with love...

...Sir Agravain. As his adjutant, only you can speak to the king directly.

Did the king say anything else? About the Holy City, about how we are protecting it?

Know your place. The king has no words for the likes of you. Only your loyalty is required of you.

Yes, Xuanzang Sanzang is a foreigner. However, she was not the traitor that the star-seer prophecized. That's all.

"When the foreign star shines, the bond of the white wall crumbles, the king's power wanes, and the divine tower falls."

...What a beautiful and sad poem... Yes, if it's required of me, I can still go after her now.

The king has spoken. Leave Xuanzang Sanzang be.

What you should be worrying about are any foreigners arriving next. The burden of protecting humanity is surely heavy.

Soon, the last Master of this world shall arrive. The king has instructed us not to show disrespect to our guests.

However, the king bears the responsibility of shouldering the entire world. We will deal with all the trivialities ourselves.

Is that understood, O brave Knights of the Round Table? I expect true loyalty from all of you.

...

...

...

Master, please come over here! You will get blown away if you stand there!

Fou, fooouuu, fooooooo!

？！

This can't be Jerusalem! There are sandstorms everywhere!

Master, Da Vinci, please get behind that boulder! Another gust is coming!

Okay, behind those mysterious bones, right? Wow, this is as big as a dragonkin's!

Anyway, did you get in touch with Roman!? He better be working on an apology for this kind of miscalculation!

...The communication with Chaldea is unstable. I'm sure the Doctor is working on resolving it...

？！

Precisely, Master. Let's assess the situation by ourselves for now.

The Rayshift was successful. Our target location was supposed to be the 13th-century Middle East.

However, we ended up in the middle of a sandstorm! Is it common for Jerusalem of this era!?

We got sent too far into the past! Boy do I have a special punishment in store for Romani when we get back... Wait...

This era... If this is a different era then... Give me a minute, let me run over some data...

Fou! Fau, fuuuun!

？！

Master, it's a hostile lifeform! Something is emerging from the sandstorm!

Visibility couldn't be worse, but prepare for battle! For now, let's just make sure we're safe!

Okay, leave it to me! Let me show you my omnipotence, my universal wisdom!

It's a horrible location for a maiden battle, but hey, think of it this way...

The ultimate beauty remains even in a sandstorm

Be dazzled by the secret weapon of the Universally Gorgeous Secretary Servant, Da Vinci-chan!

Wait, that last enemy was odd! I couldn't see that well with all the sand but...

...Yes, odd indeed. It looked like a golem, but the sandstorm made it hard to tell!

What about you, Master? Any idea what it was?

？！

A huge... knight in armor?

I see. It must be easier to identify enemies from a position overlooking the battlefield.

I couldn't see a thing. When you're up close to them, all you could make out in this storm was a silhouette.

...Wait! More enemies, incoming!

My whole body's tingling... Something...abnormal is on the way here, Master!

Fou... Foooou!

The numbers are off the chart. That flapping sound and silhouette... It can't be

Fujimaru, no time to sit around! Our next opponent is without a doubt a powerful one!

We defeated the giant lifeform! Except... Uh...

Except we didn't eliminate it. It only appeared that way.

You see, that was among the most powerful kind of demonic beasts, a Phantasmal that is perhaps even stronger than dragonkin.

I knew it... So that indeed was a sphinx. A divine beast from ancient Egypt that has a man's face and a lion's body.

Yeah. That damage we just inflicted was nothing more than a yawn to such a creature. It'll recover in the blink of an eye.

Let's get out of here. It's too tough to go up against a sphinx by ourselves.

But where can we go? I wish we could get some kind of data from the Doctor about this area...

Oh, we don't have to worry about that. Scanning the area is just a piece of cake for me, you know...

...All right, I've found a source of water to the west of here. Not only that, it seems there's a city there.

Let's go there first. You need to rest too, right, Fujimaru?

Yes. I agree with you, Senpai. Let's look for some cold water!

No, Senpai. Your lips are all chapped, and you're looking very pale.

We should do as Da Vinci suggested, and head for that water source.

？！