[Altair Miller]
A golden mana pillar shot up to the ceiling, blinding my vision. I raised my hand to shield my eyes from the intense light.
The summoning system's reaction was similar to Artoria Alter's but without that corrupt violet glow.
Strangely, Nobunaga frowned beside me. "Retainer, I think you're summoning someone annoying," she said, crossing her arms over her chest while staring into the golden light.
I opened my mouth to reply, but before a single syllable left my lips, I felt something land on my face. Frowning, I raised my hand and removed the "object."
A Sakura petal!?
On the ground, dozens of Sakura petals were scattered as if they had fallen from an invisible tree. As they danced through the air, the golden light began to fade, revealing the silhouette of the Servant I had summoned.
It was a petite girl with short golden hair and equally brilliant eyes. Her agile body was draped in a wide-sleeved light blue haori, with a white emblem on the back. Underneath, she wore a short white kimono that hugged her slim frame, tied by a black sash that accentuated her delicate waist. Her arms were protected by black gloves, and her legs were covered by long black boots with knee pads. Around her neck was a black scarf.
Her appearance was so delicate and fragile that she hardly looked like a Servant, which only heightened her ethereal beauty. With her pale, flawless skin, she reminded me of a snow camellia.
As I gazed at her, she turned her golden eyes toward me and parted her pale lips.
"I am Saber," she said, not revealing her name. Then she took a step forward and asked calmly, "Are you my Master?"
"Tch!" Nobunaga clicked her tongue, clearly displeased with the new Servant.
Saber glanced at Nobunaga coldly but then returned her focus to me. "You are my Master, aren't you?" Her golden eyes fell on the Command Seals on my hand.
"Yes," I replied with a slight smile, while Nobunaga continued to glare at Saber.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Master," she said, gently taking my hand. Her hands were cold, but her touch was oddly pleasant.
"That haori…" Ritsuka muttered, frowning. "Aren't you part of the Shinsengumi?"
Shinsengumi? I tilted my head in confusion.
If I remember correctly, it was a special police force that served the shogunate during the final years of the Bakufu. I didn't know much about them, but I did know they defended Kyoto, which had turned into a hellish battlefield. So without a doubt, anyone from that group would possess considerable skill.
As my thoughts wandered over the rumors, Saber raised her scarf to cover her mouth. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, averting her gaze, clearly avoiding the question.
Artoria, who had been silent and seemingly disinterested, tilted her head slightly.
"Why does she look like me?" she murmured, staring at Saber.
She wasn't wrong. My Saber shared facial features with Artoria, though hers leaned more toward Asian traits. But it wasn't just the face—they both had golden eyes and blonde hair like Artoria Alter.
There were some differences, of course—my Saber's body was slimmer but voluptuous in all the right places.
Naturally, I wasn't crazy enough to say that aloud. Anyone with half a brain knows that never ends well.
"Seriously? She's prettier and curvier…" Caster was cut off by a punch from Excalibur to the stomach, launching him straight into a wall.
Ritsuka blinked in disbelief as her Servant was sent flying.
No one said anything—he kind of deserved it.
The incident was completely ignored by my Servants.
"Why don't you just tell us your name, Saber?" Nobunaga teased with a sarcastic smile.
Saber turned toward the black-haired Servant. "Only a fool would reveal their name to strangers. I don't know who my Master's enemies are," she replied, narrowing her eyes at the Demon King.
"Oh? Are you saying I'm an enemy?" Nobunaga retorted, her smile widening as a katana appeared in her hand.
"If I thought that, you'd already be dead," Saber answered coldly, her hand drifting to the katana at her waist. A menacing aura radiated from her, forcing Olga and Ritsuka to take a step back, while the King of Knights narrowed her eyes at my Servant.
"Mwhaaaaaa! Now those are the eyes of a killer," Nobunaga exclaimed with an unsettling grin as a matchlock rifle appeared beside her. "The eyes of someone who wouldn't hesitate to cut down others without mercy."
With a twisted grin, Nobunaga raised her arm, ready to fire her matchlock, while Saber unsheathed her katana in a blur, thrusting forward.
Sighing, I moved in an instant, abruptly stopping both attacks.
In mere milliseconds, I caught Saber's blade with one hand and pushed Nobunaga's gun upward with the other, redirecting the red beam that fired toward the ceiling.
"As a fan of a good fight, I don't oppose some chaos, but this is not the place for it," I declared, letting go of their weapons. As I opened my hand, blood dripped from my palm.
She's skilled with a blade, I thought, smiling at the cut on my hand.
The wound wasn't deep, but upon seeing the blood, Saber withdrew her katana and gently held my hand with a worried expression.
"Master, are you alright?" she asked, examining the wound that had already begun to heal.
"Don't worry," I replied with a smile.
Watching my hand heal in real time, she let out a relieved sigh and shook her head.
"As your Servant, I can't allow you to be harmed; especially by my own blade. That was my failure, and I promise it won't happen again," Saber said, her voice filled with conviction.
"I trust you," I replied, still smiling.
"She's not going to lick his hand, is she?" Ritsuka asked, picking herself up from the floor.
Saber turned toward the red-haired mage. "No—unless it's my Master's order," she replied seriously. "Only a savage would do that unprompted."
"Oh? So you really do want to die, huh?" Nobunaga provoked, her crimson eyes glowing.
Saber ignored her and turned back to me. "Shall I lick your hand?" she asked expressionlessly.
Smiling, I placed my other hand gently on her head. "No need. But you could tell me your name. Everyone here is my ally."
She looked into my eyes and after a brief silence, replied, "I am Okita Souji, Captain of the Shinsengumi's First Unit. It's a pleasure to introduce myself, Master."
Okita Souji? Even if I wasn't an expert on Japanese history, I knew a few things about the figure standing before me. I decided not to mention that the real Okita Souji was a man—that was already obvious.
"The pleasure's mine. I'm Altair Miller."
"Okita Souji, huh? You're pretty lucky, Altair," Da Vinci commented, resting her chin on her hand. "Summoning the infamous man-slayer isn't something just anyone can pull off."
My luck is ranked "C", so I'm not sure she's right, I thought, smiling to myself.
"The man-slayer?" Olga murmured, surprised, but refrained from mentioning the gender swap. She was probably already tired of these surprises.
"Yes, I am an assassin," Okita admitted, staring directly at me. "I may not be worthy, but I wish to remain by your side."
It seems that my dear little sword has low self-esteem.
"Of course," I replied, tilting my head. "You're my Servant. I don't care if you've killed hundreds—what matters is that you stay by my side."
For a moment, her emotionless expression broke, and she blinked. "Of course," she said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
Seeing that serene smile, I couldn't help but smile back.
By my side stood a warlord who nearly unified Japan, and the "man-slayer" who led the Shinsengumi's First Unit. A peculiar group, but I wouldn't trade them for anything.
And with Okita Souji, our summoning event comes to a close… for now.
••• ••• •••
A/N: Don't worry—our handsome monk will be summoned eventually, but it'll take some time since I want to write her singularity too.
Don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me.
(Okita Souji - Character Image)