Chapter 439: Continuing the Summon

Heimu directly skipped the small talk and trust‑building steps, and went straight to the point.

Ailixiya (or rather, the Heimu currently remote‑controlling this figure) showed a faint, extremely subtle surprise in her crimson eyes.

(Huo Huo's condition... really isn't right.)

Through Ailixiya's senses, Heimu could perceive Huo Huo's current condition more clearly.

Cold and calm, purpose clear, emotional fluctuations so weak as to be nonexistent.

This was a world apart from the timid, easily startled little Fox People she had imagined.

(That aphrodisiac... really can't be sensed anymore. Was it lost? Or... taken...?)

That specially crafted pill, essentially a data‑gathering device, had a certain influence.

But now, with the signal gone, Huo Huo's personality has swung almost a full 180 degrees... what happened in between?

Heimu grew wary.

Huo Huo now resembled an unstable piece, potentially disrupting Heimu's plan to "direct and perform a controllable destruction drama."

Nevertheless, for now, they would follow the Script.

Controlling Ailixiya to display a slightly aggrieved yet fully tolerant sweet smile, Heimu began, in a tone matching Ailixiya's character, to half‑truthfully report some pre‑designed Ability Parameters.

"Magic Power Consumption, hmm, might be just a tad higher than an ordinary Caster~ After all, maintaining someone's beauty and mystique also requires energy, right?"

"Ability? Hmm... I'm quite good at communication and understanding~? I can listen to many voices and share many wonderful things~!"

"Noble Phantasm? That's a girl's ultimate secret weapon~! Saying it now is pointless~! But don't worry, Master, when the time comes, I'll definitely let you see... the most spectacular performance~?"

She spoke while again attempting to approach Huo Huo; deep within her crimson eyes, a sliver of Corrosion‑tinged violet‑black light silently tried to seep toward Huo Huo for deeper contact.

Huo Huo listened quietly, his face still expressionless.

To Ailixiya's vague reply, he neither expressed displeasure nor pressed further.

When that barely perceptible Corrosion silently drew near, Huo Huo made no obvious defensive or evasive move.

Huo Huo simply used those cold green eyes to stare deeply at Ailixiya.

That gaze was calm and unruffled, yet seemed to perceive something.

Then Huo Huo slightly turned aside, dodging Ailixiya's again‑attempted hand, bent down and picked up the small white flag leaning against the concrete pillar.

"I understand."

She said in a flat tone, cutting off Ailixiya's possible continuation, "Leave here first. I need a more concealed base, and... preliminary information on this city's Master and Servants."

She grasped the white flag, turned, and headed first toward the faint light beyond the bridge opening.

The small silhouette stood straight, steps steady, without any hesitation or looking back to see if her Servant was keeping up.

It seemed she was the leader, while the beautiful, dangerous Servant behind her was merely a tool to be used at the right moment.

Ailixiya stood in place, watching Huo Huo's unreluctant departure, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly, the sweet‑dangerous curve of her mouth gradually tinged with genuine contemplation.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through layers of foliage, scattering dappled spots across the leaf‑strewn clearing.

However, that tranquility was soon shattered.

"Here! Here! Ilya‑chan, let's choose this spot! The magic Node is weak but stable, and sufficiently hidden; no one will disturb our sacred Summoning Circle ritual~☆"

An overly lively voice rang through the forest.

The source was a short staff whirling up and down around a silver‑haired little girl...

The staff's shaft was a sleek ruby‑red, adorned with lavish gold and white ornaments; the massive deep‑red ruby at its tip flashed rapid, excited rainbow light as it danced.

It was the Magic Staff that called itself "Ruby Sauce."

The little girl surrounded by it was Ilya.

She wore a cute white dress with a red jacket over it, her silver‑white hair tied into a ponytail; her bright red eyes now brimmed with heavy hesitation as she stared at the crooked... "Magic Array" she had just scraped on the ground with a branch.

Calling it a Magic Array, it actually resembled a child's doodle drawn with a branch on sand.

The lines varied in thickness, several key rune patterns were misshapen, giving the whole a sloppy appearance.

"R-Really okay, Ruby?"

Ilya whispered, fingers nervously twisting, "Is this pattern... drawn incorrectly? And, do we really have to do this? Holy Grail War and all... I, I have no idea!"

She woke up this morning to the Magic Staff's noise, which was as loud as an air‑raid siren.

This creature that called itself "the cutest and most powerful Magic Staff in the entire universe" (?), using wildly exaggerated language, congratulated her for being "chosen by the spindle of destiny," making her a "Magical Girl of love and justice and a candidate Master for the Holy Grail War!"

It also boasted about the three red markings on the back of her right hand—mysterious, unremovable—calling them "proof of miracles" and "tickets to fulfill wishes."

Ilya was completely bewildered.

Holy Grail War? What is that?

Can it be eaten?

Master? Servant? Magic?

Those terms were far too unfamiliar to her.

Her parents, Weigong Qiesi and Ailisi Feier, protected her exceedingly well, never revealing any details about the Magic world or the events that occurred in Winterwood in the past.

She was like any ordinary little girl raised with love, enjoying a calm daily life, occasionally missing her parents who traveled the globe and frequently sent postcards, and playing affectionately with the two older sisters who cared for her.

She held no particularly strong desire for "battle," "competition," or "wishes."

If forced to name a tiny wish...

Perhaps it's hoping her parents' travels would end sooner, so they could come home more often to be with her?

But that wish seemed not to require a seemingly dangerous "war" to fulfill.

However, Ruby Sauce's incitement ability was top‑tier.

It used enticing phrases like "you can transform into a prettier form!", "you can fly! Free as a bird!", "this is a super‑mega adventure only special girls chosen can join!", combined with its glittering appearance and flamboyant performance, ultimately luring Ilya—half curiosity, half being forced—into this remote forest said to have a higher concentration of magic.

"No problem! No problem!"

Ruby flew in front of Ilya, the gem on the staff's shaft almost touching her nose, its light flashing rapidly, "The core of the Summoning Circle is intention and magic! The pattern is merely auxiliary; a slight tilt doesn't affect anything! Ilya‑chan, you are the chosen daughter with ultra‑rare aptitude, this little issue Ruby Sauce will fix for you! The key is belief! Come, recite with me—!"

Under the ruby's coaxing and deceit, Ilya stammered as she repeated the summoning incantation.

"Declare… that your body is entrusted to my command, that my destiny… attaches to… attaches to your sword…"

As her childlike voice rose, the crooked Magic Array on the ground actually began to emit a pearl‑white light.

Though the light was dim, it flowed steadily along the etched marks, "repairing" the crooked lines and runes into a slightly more orderly form, barely taking on the appearance of a Spell Array. It was clear the ruby was covertly lending its power.

"... Respond to the Holy Grail's summons; those who follow this will, answer me!"