Inside the command bridge of the Storm Border, the current operational base of Novum Chaldea, a sterile white glow spilled from the main control monitor, washing over the assembled personnel.
Faint indicator lights from the surrounding instrument panels flickered in the periphery, casting a metallic, clinical coldness across the advanced equipment.
Jeanne d’Arc Alter Santa Lily stood near the front, her round golden eyes blown wide in absolute disbelief.
Her small hands hovered in the air, fingers twitching as she let out a gasp caught somewhere between sheer joy and deep embarrassment.
“Whoa!” the young Servant exclaimed, bouncing on her heels.
“The inside thoughts of my grown-up self are actually playing right there on the screen!” She stared blankly at the glowing monitor, a furious pink blush rapidly spreading across her cheeks.
Her loud exclamation melted into a bewildered, bashful murmur.
“So that’s what she really thinks about the reindeer…
Does that mean I also—” Before the child could finish her dangerous train of thought, a warm palm clamped firmly over her mouth, muffling her words into a quiet, squeaking breath.
Lily’s golden eyes darted sideways, still swimming in a cocktail of shock and shyness.
Jeanne d’Arc had moved with the blinding speed of a Ruler-class Servant.
The instant the little girl’s words threatened to cross the line, she had leaned forward, sealing Lily’s lips shut.
Her eyes curved into gentle, crescent moons, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
She slowly withdrew her hand, her fingertips lightly brushing the corner of Lily’s mouth.
“Ah-ah, you can’t say that next part out loud.
Even if you technically share the same foundation, your ages are very different~” With her duty as the responsible older sister fulfilled, Jeanne brought a hand up to cover her own eyes.
Her shoulders began to tremble.
When she spoke again, her voice was thick with deep, overwhelming gratification, layered with a deliberately theatrical sniffle.
“Finally…
Alter is actually starting to face her own feelings.
Sniff…
Big sister is just so incredibly proud.” That dramatic display lasted for exactly one second.
She lowered her hand, the teasing amusement in her eyes sharpening as she looked toward the far side of the room.
“She really is adorable, isn’t she, Alter-chan?” The older Jalter, having been directly called out, was entirely unresponsive.
She had completely short-circuited.
She sat crumpled on the smooth metal deck plates, her knees pulled flush against her chest in a tight, defensive ball.
Her long, snow-white hair cascaded down like a curtain, completely burying her face between her knees.
Her ears, poking through the silver strands, were burning an angry, radioactive red.
Her shoulders were locked completely stiff, her armor clinking faintly as her fingertips trembled.
The arrogant, defiant Dragon Witch of Shinjuku was nowhere to be found.
Instead, a muffled, venomous mumble vibrated from the floorboards, dripping with shame, indignation, and a heavy dose of vindictive resentment.
‘Just you wait,’Jalter cursed internally, her teeth grinding together.’This damn screen definitely won’t just single me out.
When the time comes, I’m going to glue my eyes to this monitor and laugh at every single one of your humiliating secrets.
I’ll avenge this indignity if it’s the last thing I do!’ A few paces away, Osakabehime was having a full-blown meltdown.
She scrambled backward, her boots squeaking against the deck until her spine slammed into the edge of a tactical console.
She waved her hands frantically in front of her face, her eyes wide with absolute, unadulterated dread.
“This is bad!
This is super, incredibly bad!” the NEET shut-in wailed, her words tumbling out so fast they tripped over each other.
“This stupid screen exposes every single inner thought without filtering a thing!
If I get picked, won’t all my dark, shameful, totally-not-safe-for-work thoughts about Master get broadcast to the whole ship?!
Uwaaaah, no!
Please skip me!
I’ll die of embarrassment!” On the opposite side of the bridge, Marie Antoinette spun in a graceful circle, entirely unbothered by the rising panic.
Her elegant dress billowed outward in a perfect, sweeping arc.
A dreamlike smile graced her lips, her eyes sparkling with starry-eyed delight.
“A date!
A truly romantic date,” the Queen of France hummed, her voice carrying a cheerful, rhythmic lilt.
She lightly rested her chin on her hands, her gaze softening with a touch of nostalgic tenderness.
“Such a wonderful scene.
The bittersweet emotions, the racing of a maiden’s heart…
it really brings back memories of my own youth.
Ah, those pure, passionate days.” Artoria Pendragon Alter leaned heavily against a structural pillar, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
A dissatisfied sneer tugged at the corner of her lips.
Her cold, crimson eyes narrowed at the glowing monitor, her boot tapping a restless, irritated rhythm against the floor.
“Tsk.
To think that reckless, charging boar actually managed to steal the spotlight first,” she muttered, letting out a low, frustrated huff.
“How incredibly irritating.
Need I remind everyone that I was the one who danced with Master first?” At the main terminal, Da Vinci Lily rested her chin on one hand, her other hand flying across the holographic keyboard.
She scrutinized the light screen, a delicate brow arching upward.
“Emmm, this broadcast seems quite straightforward,” the genius inventor mused, her tone calm and probing.
“It doesn’t appear to contain any valuable tactical intelligence.
Could it really just be a simple slice-of-life date?
How unexpected.” Sion Eltnam Sokaris stood impeccably upright beside her.
A knowing, half-amused smile played on her lips as she watched the chaotic reactions of the Servants around the room.
“It certainly seems that way.
There isn’t much critical data to extract from a romantic outing,” Sion agreed, her tone steady but laced with nonchalant teasing.
“In that case, we might as well wait patiently for the next broadcast.
After all, these are images from the future.
They may very well hide key clues that will aid us in the upcoming Ordeal Call.
We cannot afford to be careless.” Standing in the very center of the command room, Fujimaru Ritsuka kept his gaze fixed on the trembling, white-haired ball on the floor.
A soft, unabashedly fond smile touched his lips.
“Alter really is too cute,” Ritsuka murmured, his voice warm with affection.
“Getting this worked up over a simple date, letting her emotions boil over until she completely short-circuits…
O-kawaii koto.” He allowed himself a brief chuckle before his expression smoothed out, shifting back into the focused demeanor of humanity’s final Master.
He turned to the shielder standing faithfully at his side.
“…Then, the next scene should have some actual intelligence, right?” Ritsuka asked, his tone turning serious.
“Mash, I need you to stay focused.
Record everything carefully.
Don’t miss a single detail.” Mash Kyrielight stood at attention, clutching her digital clipboard tightly to her chest.
“Yes, Master!” she declared loudly.
She paused, her cheeks puffing out slightly.
“Even though I am incredibly envious of Miss Jeanne Alter getting to go on a date with Senpai, I will absolutely not let my personal feelings compromise the mission!
I am fully prepared to document any upcoming tactical data.
I won’t let you down!” Just as the jealous little eggplant made her declaration, the massive light screen above them—which had been paused on the final frame of the date—began to emit a low, vibrating hum.
The mechanical sound echoed through the bridge as the dormant machinery flared back to life.
The brilliant white light intensified, washing away the shadows in the control room as the next unknown future slowly began to unfold.
[Akarin’s Note: Enjoying the story?