Simulator in Type-moon, Starting with becoming Morgan husband!

Chapter 91. "The Monster of Team A" is Engaged in a Simulation Battle

"Simulation battle?"

A term Ian had never heard before stirred up some confusion in his heart.

Fortunately, he was thick-skinned enough and had just resolved most of his problems with Mashu.

So, even when faced with something he completely didn't understand, he could still ask straightforwardly.

"Mashu, what is a simulation battle?"

"Well... it's a bit complicated to explain."

Mashu glanced at the time display on the corridor screen before suddenly exclaiming.

"This is bad!"

"I was so focused on finding Fou, if we don't hurry, we'll miss the opening time for the simulation battle!"

"Huh?"

Before Ian could even understand what was happening, Mashu grabbed his hand and started running.

The result was that they both ran hand in hand through the corridors of Chaldea.

Every staff member they passed turned to look at them.

It was hard to blame them for being impolite—given how hurried Mashu looked, anyone would think she was dragging Ian off to a discount love hotel for a golden hour special.

After running for quite a while, she finally stopped.

"Uh... this—"

Mashu was about to speak when she noticed Ian's helpless gaze.

As she was still confused about why he looked like that, her eyes suddenly landed on their still-joined hands.

"Ah—!"

Mashu yanked her hand back as if shocked by electricity, blushing deeply and bowing her head in apology.

"Sorry! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"I just wanted to hurry you along here, or else we wouldn't make it in time for the simulation battle opening!"

As Mashu kept apologizing repeatedly, Ian felt like he was the one who had made an inappropriate move.

After a brief hesitation, he extended his hand and gently patted Mashu's head to stop her.

At the surprised look in her eyes, Ian spoke.

"You don't have to apologize, I know you didn't mean anything by it."

"Ian-senpai..."

Mashu, with Ian's hand still on her head, gave a soft smile.

"Well... that's a relief."

"Fou Fou Fou? Fou Fou Fou (You still say you didn't mean anything? You really are a serious sinner)." Fou spoke sarcastically at just the right moment.

Ian shot Fou a helpless glare, deciding to ignore it for now.

"Mashu—"

He withdrew his hand from her head.

"Is this simulation battle really time-limited?"

"Yes!"

Mashu nodded seriously.

"Because it's not just performing basic calculations, but also managing the entire process to create results that simulate a real battle."

"This process places a heavy load on Chaldea's systems."

"So—"

"Only people like Ian-senpai, who have the potential to become Masters, are granted access to participate in the simulation battle during a special time window!"

At this point, Mashu looked up at the time display above them.

"From now, there's still about an hour left."

"Uh..."

Ian hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Mashu, although it might be a bit of a downer, if there's still an hour left, then there was no need to rush so much earlier, right?"

Mashu shook her head.

"Senpai, you can't think about it so simply."

"To help Masters work as well as possible with their Servants, the simulation battle is designed to be a long process. Just loading the data alone takes ten minutes!"

"...Are you sure it's not just due to the system's poor configuration?"

"What?"

"Nothing!" Ian quickly changed the subject. "So Mashu, let's hurry, or we'll be in trouble if we're late."

"Yes, understood."

Ian followed Mashu through the door in front of them.

Beyond it was a long, dark hallway stretching straight ahead.

The voice of the girl echoed from up ahead.

"Before we go in, let me briefly explain the concept of a 'Master.'"

"Actually, it's not a complicated concept."

"For Chaldea, the evaluation criterion is based on one's adaptability to Spiritron Dives, determining whether a person is qualified to become a Master or not."

"But senpai doesn't need to worry about lacking such abilities—"

"Because just by being able to reach Chaldea, it already proves that you surpass ordinary people in this aspect!"

"Chaldea is located in Antarctica specifically to protect people like you!"

"…Antarctica, huh."

Ian couldn't help but take a sharp breath.

For Chaldea to operate in such a place, it truly wasn't something ordinary.

"Exactly! So as long as we stay here, we don't have to worry about outside dangers affecting us!"

"Indeed… who would be interested in causing trouble in Antarctica?" Ian muttered without thinking.

"We're almost there."

"Ian-senpai, please hold my hand, or else I'm afraid you might not get used to stepping in."

"Alright."

Ian always did things without hesitation.

He immediately took Mashu's hand, causing her to blush deeply.

A light appeared ahead.

They stepped through.

Ian felt a "buzzing" sound by his ear.

Then, the scene before him left him slightly stunned by Chaldea.

The metal walls completely vanished, replaced by a pure white space.

Countless shining particles swirled around them, spinning and rising, creating streams of light like mesmerizing spirals.

It was a scene Ian had never anticipated.

"Senpai, are you alright?" Mashu asked carefully.

"I've heard that most people feel uncomfortable the first time they see this."

"I'm fine."

Ian focused on the streams of light before him.

"I don't feel uncomfortable. If anything, it just feels a little 'incongruent with the image in my mind.'"

To be more specific, it felt like the small text on a ramen package: "Images are for illustration purposes only, do not refer to the actual product."

Except, this time, the reality was far more beautiful.

"That's great!" Mashu happily said.

Ian responded:

"Mashu, you're really kind. You can be so happy even about something like this."

"R-really?"

Mashu replied, a bit embarrassed.

"Thank you for the compliment, Ian-senpai."

"But now we need to continue."

"Next——"

Mashu used her other hand to adjust something.

Since Ian wasn't authorized yet, only she could control this place.

"Let me explain about 'Heroic Spirits!'"

"Senpai, you must know that human history is full of many great heroes, right?"

"Of course."

Ian answered without hesitation.

"The 'Pendragon' in my name comes from King Arthur, right?"

"Exactly!"

Mashu nodded.

"They are individuals who possess glorious moments in human history, so they themselves have become a part of that history."

"This connection roots them within the flow of time."

"While their bodies may fade away, their spirits are eternally engraved. Through methods like Magecraft, we can establish a usable relationship with them."

"Ah... senpai, do you know what 'Magecraft' is?"

"I do." Ian smiled faintly, "It's the kind of thing that can do a lot of things, right?"

Ian wasn't trying to show off in front of Mashu.

In the simulation memories he received, Morgan had used Magecraft many times.

Although it may be different from the present, there are certainly fundamental similarities that can be linked.

"Well, that's good then."

Mashu smiled lightly.

"The physical body of a 'Heroic Spirit' no longer exists, so in order for them to return to this world, there needs to be a concept like 'Servant' to facilitate their manifestation."

"Ian-senpai, do you understand what I mean?"

"..."

Ian thought for a moment before responding.

"You mean, it's like the same bottle of water, but it needs a new container to hold it, right?"

"Well... that's a little off, but it's not a big issue."

Undoubtedly, Mashu was very good at explaining things, and Ian had begun to understand concepts like 'Heroic Spirit' and their related terms.

He also realized something else.

"So, Mashu, our next battle will require the use of 'Servants' summoned from 'Heroic Spirits,' right?"

"That's right!"

Mashu gestured at the space before them.

Immediately, three different beams of light appeared before them.

"Senpai, this time we will use them!"

Ian stared intently.

Inside each of the three beams of light were floating star-shaped objects.

He reached out and touched one of them.

Concepts similar to the explanations filled his mind.

The three beams of light were:

Artoria Pendragon (Saber)

Arash (Archer)

Cu Chulainn (Lancer)

Feeling the information flooding into his fingertips, Ian couldn't help but be amazed.

"Mashu, are these the 'Servants' people talk about?"

"That's right." Mashu nodded, confirming Ian's words.

"This is the purpose of the simulation battle—to help us get familiar with the 'Servants' in a relatively safe environment."

"That way, when we actually summon the corresponding 'Heroic Spirits' to manifest as 'Servants,' we can quickly build rapport!"

"Of course." Mashu smiled shyly.

"Currently, due to technical limitations, the 'Servants' available for simulation are limited to these three."

"Moreover, compared to real 'Servants,' their power has been greatly reduced."

"However, for someone like Senpai who is new to 'Servants,' this situation might actually be better!"

"Three, huh?"

Ian easily understood why only three 'Servants' could be used.

After all, if there were no restrictions, it wouldn't be called a simulation battle; it could just be called an actual battle.

That being said—

Among the names, there was one that caught his attention deeply.

Artoria Pendragon.

He never expected to "meet" her again in such a situation, and Ian couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.

"Senpai, please choose a 'Servant' that you like!"

"Then I'll choose this one."

Without hesitation, Ian selected Artoria Pendragon (Saber).

"Senpai has chosen this one."

"Then—"

"I'll choose this one!"

Mashu touched another beam of light—she selected Cu Chulainn (Lancer).

Once the selections were made, the beams of light quickly flew forward, then converged to form human shapes.

The two 'Servants,' Artoria and Cu Chulainn, appeared before them.

Mashu began to guide Ian:

"Senpai, it seems like this 'Servant' is really well-suited for you!"

"But—"

"This is just the beginning. We still need to make them stronger."

"To make them stronger, you need to understand that the power of a 'Servant' depends on three factors."

"First, the Master, meaning your power, Senpai."

"Second, the Heroic Spirit itself. A great hero who once shook an era cannot be weaker than an unknown figure lost to history."

"Third, compatibility factors, environment, and counteracting forces. This is a bit complicated to explain in detail, but it can be summed up as the influence of external factors."

"That said, it might still be a bit unclear to you."

"Well then—"

Mashu took Ian's hand.

"Senpai, let Artoria attack Cu Chulainn!"

Ian hesitated for a moment before asking a question:

"Ah... Mashu, is any attack okay?"

"Yes!" Mashu nodded, "Chaldea will provide enough mana to support the simulation battle."

"So don't hold back, hit me as hard as you can!"

Before Mashu could finish her sentence, things unfolded in a way she hadn't expected.

Artoria raised the sword in her hand.

Immediately after, she swung it over her head.

A voice from the simulation system echoed in the space.

Excalibur: Sword of Promised Victory—!

A massive beam of light appeared above her head, descending rapidly, cutting through the space with a bright streak, a powerful blow aimed at the simulation.

Before Cu Chulainn could react, the beam of light pierced through him, swallowing him whole.

However, as everything faded away...

Despite such a powerful strike, Cu Chulainn didn't immediately disappear. He struggled to stand, his legs trembling, gripping his red spear buried in the ground for balance.

If he weren't a virtual "Servant," there would probably be countless different expressions on his face right now.

Mashu stood frozen for a moment, then regained her composure.

"Se-Senpai."

"What did you just use?!"

"Huh?"

Ian was a bit confused.

"Mashu, didn't you say I could use any attack?"

"But this... it's too much!"

Mashu looked at the "battlefield" before them, cold sweat starting to drip down her forehead.

"This is probably going to put a significant strain on the system!"

"I'm sorry, it's my fault." Ian admitted directly.

"I just wanted to see if I could do that."

"..."

Mashu sighed, trying to control her emotions, before complimenting Ian.

"But Senpai, you really are 'the monster of Team A.' This is your first time using a 'Servant,' and you already performed such a powerful attack."

"It's nothing," Ian glanced at the "battlefield," his gaze slightly melancholic.

"I've seen Artoria stronger than this."

"Huh?" The girl opened her mouth in surprise.

"It's nothing, Mashu." Ian shrugged, "You can just think of it as me complaining."

"But—"

"I still have one more question for you."

"What is it?"

"Well—"

Ian looked at Artoria and Cu Chulainn.

"About this simulation battle, are there really only three 'Servants' that can be summoned?"