[FMMIKA] Chapter 273: Lost Signal

Meanwhile, outside the battlefield.

As Mordred watched Ritsuka's cheerful demeanor from the distance, she couldn't help but furrow her brow.

"That woman... is a bit..."

"Deserving of a good beating, right?"

Beside her, Artorius responded to her words and raised an eyebrow, struggling to find the right words to describe it.

"Yeah, absolutely right, deserving of a good beating." Mordred nodded. "She is really something, just as Big Brother described."

As she said that, Mordred casually looped her arm around Artorius's neck, gazing at him with deep admiration.

"What? Are you amazed by how outstanding your big brother is?"

"Brother~"

The Pendragon siblings, who hailed from the House of Pendragon, found themselves on the outskirts of the battlefield.

Their purpose was not to engage in frivolous conversations or secret rendezvous; they were there to support the Anti-Chaldea trio and keep an eye on the Chaldea.

Upon seeing Ritsuka in her current state, Mordred was immediately disappointed.

In her mind, the one destined to save humanity should be an exceptional individual, a kind-hearted hero like the protagonists in those novels her brother told. Only someone like that could withstand the diverse personalities of the Servants from all around the world, and the various trials they brought.

What else could she hope for?

She did expect Ritsuka to be a legendary hero like her own big brother, someone who could earn the respect of all the Heroic Spirits solely through strength, charisma, and abilities.

Mordred had always firmly believed in that.

But now, upon this observation, she couldn't help but feel let down.

It was like dealing with a brat who had suddenly been granted immense power and needed some serious guidance.

"Human nature..." Artorius remarked casually.

"This kid was just an ordinary girl until recently, and now she's been burdened with tremendous power and responsibility. It's only natural for her to undergo some changes in her mindset. There's no need to be too hard on her."

"After all, her work is a matter of life and death. One wrong move, and she might blow up the whole world along with herself..."

"Little Mo, how do you think people would react in such a situation?"

Mordred pondered for a while, then responded, "How do you think they'd react?"

In reality, Mordred had spent enough time with Artorius to understand the situation. She just wanted to know from her brother's perspective.

Artorius continued, "The first possibility, of course, is the best one. They would have strong nerves and powerful abilities, like the main characters in legendary novels, handling everything flawlessly."

"Umu, umu." Mordred nodded repeatedly, indicating her understanding.

Artorius went on, "The second possibility is succumbing to mental stress and then going mad. They mutter things like 'I must save the world, or else it's all over' and eventually, the pressure crushes them."

"Umu." Mordred nodded again and then inquired, "What about the third possibility?"

"The third possibility is what we have here." Artorius said while gazing in the direction of Ritsuka. "That girl's mind is not quite right."

"...Oh, I see." Mordred replied while glancing at Ritsuka on the battlefield.

Artorius had explained enough for Mordred to grasp the situation.

When someone is under intense psychological pressure, they would find ways to cope.

Ordinary people might resort to smoking and drinking. Some might spend their time and money on gacha games.

As for Ritsuka's current situation, she coped by emptying her mind, occasionally playing harmless pranks, or indulging in the occasional self-serving act to find pleasure and ease the stress.

"Placing the weight of an entire world, the fate of all humanity, on a young girl's shoulders and expecting her to remain composed as if nothing's happened is truly a massive burden." Artorius commented. "That girl is undeniably talented, but..."

"Hyaaa!"

As Artorius spoke, Marie, having just completed replenishing her magical energy, rejoined the battle.

It seemed like she had transformed her embarrassment and sorrow into power, launching an instant magecraft barrage that left d'Eon somewhat shaken. It also provided Chaldea with a glimmer of hope.

"Good!"

The next moment, Ritsuka gave the order without hesitation.

"In the name of the Command Spell—"

However, her command wasn't directed at the girls currently engaged in combat, but at Mash.

"Full force attack, carve out a retreat path!"

*Whoosh—*

In the following instant, Mash's eyes glowed with magical energy, and her red-hilted sword was slashed toward Carmilla, who was guarding the sea route.

"Wow!"

Elizabeth, almost caught in the crossfire, quickly dodged. At the same time, Carmilla, unable to evade the attack, was struck head-on and fell like a broken kite.

"This is a turnaround."

Mordred, somewhat surprised by the turn of events, spoke up.

"So, she didn't use the Command Spells to replenish the magical energy of Servants was for that instead?"

"After all, she only has three Command Spells, and sometimes you need to save that as the trump card." Artorius answered in a relaxed tone as his eyes gleamed.

Meanwhile, Ritsuka had already urged everyone to make their escape.

"Run, run! Mash, carry me! Hey, ladies! We'll meet again in the future! Next time we meet, hehehe—"

Ritsuka laughed merrily and was then lifted by Mash in a princess carry, heading toward the sea route. As for breathing, in a world filled with magecraft, it wasn't impossible to do it underwater.

Carmilla was temporarily out of the picture. With only Jalter and d'Eon remaining, they wouldn't be able to detain them.

This way, the group of Chaldea had successfully broken free.

Elizabeth heaved a sigh of relief, holding her microphone as she ran to Kiyohime's side. Together, they temporarily pushed back d'Eon.

Jeanne who fought Jalter was also retreating little by little, and she was nearing the seashore already.

"They're quite skilled." Mordred remarked.

Meanwhile, Ritsuka let out a slight sigh of relief.

'That was a close one; we didn't capsize this time.'

Ritsuka buried her face in Mash's embrace, her thoughts wandering.

'I need to be more careful in the future, we can't be so reckless again. There are powerful enemies on the other side... is that the Dark Jeanne? She's playing some clever tactics. She seems to be quite the strategist. Well, we will meet again next time—ahh!'

With her thought interrupted by a sudden halt of Mash, Ritsuka instinctively wanted to ask "Mash, why did you stop?" But at that moment, they received a distressing cry from Romani at Chaldea headquarters.

"Be careful, Ritsuka—"

The next moment, his shout turned into the crackling sound of a lost signal.

Their communication with Chaldea headquarters had been severed.