[X] Telephatically...
-[X] ....say to discuss it later. Gives Hinako the most time to work with it, though not following up to it might be bad.
Hinako stared at Medea, before intoning her response to the Servant's unspoken query.
'Later, Caster. When the time is right, we will speak of this.'
'And when will that be?'
'When the time is right.' The Elemental shrugged.
'We are at war, Caster. We can talk of the matter later.'
"Caster," Romani asked. "Is there a problem?"
The Servant stayed silent. For a moment, Hinako wonders how quickly she can cast one of the Command Seals in her hand to have her not say her secret to everyone else.
"...I am just surprised at the amount of magical energy my Master can provide." That moment passes soon after. "Do not worry, Doctor Archaman."
The doctor sighed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Oh yes, I managed to use SHEBA to fully record your Spirit Origin. I hope that you will continue to assist us in our endeavour."
"Hmph," Caster scoffed. "Remind yourself the payment of my services."
"A-Ah... I hoped for too much, haven't I?" The reddish-haired doctor shook his head. "Regardless, now, we have two Servants against three of theirs, it will be difficult trying to match their strength but..." He sighed once more. "It's probably all that we can do. All four main reactors are down, fuel supply from SERAPHIX oil rig gone, and only one of the nine secondary reactors are online. Everything else is a
mess right now. If you want to read them, I uploaded the data packets to readable form in this virtual terminal," A bookstand materialized next to the Acting Director. "Doesn't paint a good picture though."
Chaldea Status Screen Updated. Front Page Updated.
Main Reactors: 0% Operability on All Reactors
Secondary Reactors: 11.1% Operational, Two Weeks of Fuel Remaining
Power Supply Status: CRITICAL
- Seraphix Oil Platform: Connection Lost
- Solar Panels: Offline, No Light Sources
- Wind Turbines: Online, 30% Operability
Personnel Status:
20% Personnel Dead
45% Personnel Critically Wounded and Cyrofrozen
19% Personnel Interred to Medical Wing
16% Personnel Active
Structural Integrity: 20% Integrity
- Hydroponics Wing: Offline, One Week of Food Supply Remaining
- Medical Wing: Overloaded, Medical Supplies Strained
- Storage Wing: Destroyed and Vulnerable to Arctic Winds
- Vehicle Bay: Destroyed, 90% of All Vehicles Rendered Non-Operational
- Training Halls: Fully Inoperable, Simulation Destroyed
- Command Centre: Jury-Rigged, SHEBA 84% Operational
"As it stands, the only thing closely resembling fully operational is SHEBA, which is a miracle in itself, considering how it battered everything else was. Regardless, our enemies still outnumb-"
"What are you talking about, Doctor?" Caster interjected. "There is another way to match numbers, you know?"
"Eh?"
"Despite the complications on account that young Ritsuka is unable to use magecraft in any way good, it remains noted that as a Demi-Servant, Shielder doesn't actually take up much magical energy, being the fact that she is fully corporeal. In other news, she can handle the strain of another Servant."
"T-that's...!" Romani exclaimed, before pausing. "That... might work. But what would happen if she summons a high maintenance Servant?"
At that, Caster shrugs. "Then I will transfer the od directly from my reserve to the Servant. Not a hard thing to do for me. Besides, there's another way to lessen the strain."
Hinako quirked her eyebrows. "How?"
"We summon an Archer Servant." Medea continued on, "Their Class Skill is ｢Independent Action｣, after all, allowing them to act without any mana input from their Master. In other words, the perfect sort of Servant for someone who is not especially gifted in magic." She then looked at the Master of Shielder, "What say you?"
"Well... it can't be helped, can it?" She stood up from her pew. "I will do it."
Caster nodded. "I will start preparing the circle then. Doctor Archaman, do you have any special way to summon Servants?"
"Uh, tell you what, I will see your work and then make adjustments..." Hinako tuned out what the Doctor said and mused for a moment. She
could do something else here. Ritsuka's new Archer meant that, barring any nasty surprises from their opposition, Chaldea has parity with their enemies.
If she summoned a Servant of her own, that would bring their numbers higher. Of course, doing so is not without risks. For one, she is casting entirely without catalysts. Hers remain in Chaldea still and considering how the Storage Wing is destroyed...she may not have some of her catalysts. She'll make a mental note to utterly torture the culprit of this mess to shreds, nothing less will suffice against what transpired to her goods.
Where was she? Ah, yes. Point is, it's a shot in the dark. While with Medea's help she can limit the summoned Servant's Class to Archer as well, the strain of supporting two servants would still be heavily abnormal for a human to bear. To say that she is risking her cover is an understatement.
Furthermore, it'd be impossible to predict who would be summoned. If it's an unruly Servant, they may not be as keen in keeping her secret as Medea fortunately had been. Meanwhile, if it's someone who recognizes her...
...The Elemental swiftly scrapped the plan of using herself as a catalyst. Even if the others don't notice, the reaction of whoever she summons would have a high chance of outing her.
[] [SUMMON] Use the summoning circle. Hinako doesn't have any catalyst on her own but considering her virtuality limitless magical reserve, she will be able the strain of anyone she summoned. This will make Chaldea's crew outnumber the Blackened Servants by one Servant.
[] [SUMMON] Refrain from using the summoning circle. As comforting the number advantage might be, revealing the fact that Hinako is able to support two Servants on her own would just draw unwanted attention from just about everyone. Especially if who she summons ended up being an especially troublesome Servant.
"An... interesting design." Hinako moved away from her musing just in time to focus in on Medea, looking at the designs of the summoning circle the doctor provided. "It looks very clean, and what's with the shield?"
"A fixation to the Grail System we use." Romani said, "Company secret about what it exactly is, but considering your talents, you probably have an inkling on it."
"Well, I can tell from the mandalas that they are
not the least connected with
Das Rheingold. That is a good start."
Romani blinked, his brows furrowing exasperatedly, "Of all things,
why would anyone base a Grail Ritual around
such a cursed item?"
"How did you think this mess started?" Caster shot back wryly.
"Oh." Was all the reply he can muster.
"As Caster, I had ample time to study upon the designs of the Fuyuki Grail. Chaldea's own seems more ideal, for lack of better word." She then turned towards Hinako. "Now Master, what task should I focus myself with for the next hours?"
Hinako paused, looking at Olga Marie. Everyone else looked at the unconscious form of the Director as well. "Ah. Hrm." Medea pondered, making her way into the Animusphere. "Normally, one needs to barter with Hades but this is an exceptional condition. Pray tell, Doctor Archaman, is her recorded vital signs stable?"
"Yes, which is the most puzzling thing. If we take what Hinako said to be true... then there
shouldn't be any vital signs. And yet..."
"...She remains alive. I believe the anomaly in this Singularity has prevented her spirit from cycling back towards the Root. Her body is dead, but her soul remains... if diminished by the fact that my Master had synchronized it with her bodily conditions."
At that, Hinako can feel the judgemental glare of the Demi-Servant on her.
Ritsuka voiced her concern. "C-Can you cure her?"
"With time and effort, I can ensure that she is, for the lack of better word, 'cured'."
"That doesn't sound very medical."
"It isn't. I am not at all versed with surgeries regarding spirits and can only give my opinions from a magical standpoint. And what
happens after I sort out her senescence related issues, is something that I cannot predict until I fully delve into it. Of course, it meant that I will be completely unable to do anything else that isn't related to your Director."
At that, Hinako queried her Servant. "What do you mean?"
"All I can do aside from healing the girl would be to regenerate my arm, and no more. Combat-wise, there will be no repeat of the cemetery rescue."
The mood around the Church pews turned a bit grim at that.
Romani's eyes showed weariness as he asked, "So it's either the Director or better odds against the enemies, huh."
"Not entirely accurate, but as a simplified conclusion it'll suffice. No Caster worth their salt would be caught helpless without preparation, after all. And I can still multi-task regardless. Think of it as if I am heavily bandaging the spiritual damage on the girl. She would still survive the spiritron transfer procedure you use, but beyond that I can guarantee nothing."
Hinako shot back a question. "Then what can you guarantee, if you didn't focus your attention on the Director?"
"One of two things. The first, is augmenting your melee combat capabilities as well as young Ritsuka's defensive and supporting capabilities. While it isn't my personal taste, there are some Mystic Codes that I could craft."
"You can let both me and Hinako match against the Servants?" Ritsuka asked, slightly puzzled.
Medea of Colchis, one of the greatest Magus in the Age of Gods, protege of the Goddess Circe merely stared at her. "Yes."
To that, the clueless Master could only smile sheepishly, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.
"And the other way?" Hinako continued, letting the pressure off of her fellow Master.
At that, Caster smiled. "Repeating the cemetery rescue, and then some." No one needed any clarification of what that meant. "Of course, the decision lies not on the Servant, but on the Master."
At that, everyone faced Hinako. From Romani's expectant gaze to Mashu's judgemental one, she took their gazes in stride before reaching her decision:
[] [MEDEA] Fully commit her attention to cure Olga Marie's affliction. The undivided attention of one of the most accomplished Magus from the Age of Gods will allow her to survive past the Rayshift back to Chaldea...and perhaps more.
[] [MEDEA] Only commit half her attention on Olga Marie. As much as completely curing the Director is a thing to accomplish, their battle against the Blackened Servants takes precedent:
-[] Focus half her attention on improving the combat capacity of the Masters. Allowing Hinako to leverage her melee prowess and making Ritsuka less of a combat liability and supporting of the team is a good idea.
-[] Focus half her attention on replenishing herself. Without Master and pitted against three hostile Servants and one Executor, Medea managed to force a fighting retreat. A full-powered Medea, in prime fighting conditions would be even greater, as befitting of her fame.
The order given, Hinako looked around. Everyone else is starting to be busy now.
Normally, it's great to not be paid any attention, but at this point, there
are things that she can do. Critical things even:
[] [HINAKO] There's no time like the present. Talk to Medea right away and explain to the Caster about her conditions. Nipping this off the bud would be of substantial good to easing the contract between both Master and Servant.
[] [HINAKO] Give encouragement to Ritsuka. Hinako is not human, but Ritsuka is. And as one of the two people tasked to save the world, as well as being the (bluntly put) worse one, it falls to the Elemental to guide her.
[] [HINAKO] Clear out the bad blood between her and Shielder. Hinako knows that her action in regards to Olga Marie had soured her relations with the Demi-Servant. After all, the Director had stopped all experimentations on the homunculus and treated her like a human. If nothing else, the Elemental respected the Director for that.
