Parvati.
In the game, her reputation hit rock bottom because of her artwork. But that was the fault of the illustrator and the developers, not a problem with the Servant herself.
While many people can't even stand to look at her because of the art, her abilities, in contrast, are quite outstanding.
She isn't specialized in raw combat but rather in the use of her Noble Phantasm and skills. That's why I thought she might be better off than the other female Servants.
"I have given you my blessing, Master."
"A blessing?"
"Yes, a blessing."
I didn't feel like I had received anything, but Parvati approached me with a faint smile.
"Master, you have a sturdy physique and a decent amount of muscle."
"Ah, yeah."
"The grace I've bestowed upon you is one of limitless stamina and accelerated physical growth. Of course, it doesn't speed up time itself, but for example, if you work out, the amount of muscle growth you experience will be doubled. And, for now, it includes a strengthening of your power."
"That's... completely broken."
It might not be a blessing that's immediately useful right this second, but limitless stamina is a huge advantage. And what if I, with great effort, go through Leonidas's training? Does that mean I could become a main fighter, at least against women?
It's an incredible blessing. But limitless stamina... besides Samson, was there anyone else in Fate who received such a blessing? I don't think even Orion had infinite stamina. Or did he? My memory is a bit hazy.
"Normally, for a human on the level of a hero, limitless stamina would be impossible... but you, Master, are an ordinary person. Thanks to that, it wasn't difficult."
"So it's an advantage I get for being a normal person."
Does this mean I have to take the Heavenly Restriction route? Should I cast aside powers like magecraft and swing my fists like a man?
The thought that I'd be swinging them at beauties who could rival Miss Universe doesn't exactly sit well with me.
"So you're super strong now, Sho~ I'm jealous."
"Shall I give you a blessing as well? Even though you're a Servant now, it wouldn't be difficult to grant one to both of you."
"I'm fine. How should I put it~? Rather than becoming strong myself, I'd rather play the role of the princess being rescued by Sho."
"You know, I'm not a fan of a certain peach-themed princess who constantly gets kidnapped and doesn't even marry her rescuer."
"Ahaha~ You're joking."
Well, I was joking. But it's also true that I'm not a fan of that princess.
Of course, that doesn't mean I dislike Ritsuka.
"Is that so? If that is what you wish."
I was actually against Ritsuka receiving the blessing. It might make her safer, but I was worried she'd rely on it, rush to the front lines, and get into serious trouble.
"Now that Lady Parvati has joined us, we might be able to face that Archer. Lady Parvati, you are a Lancer, but are you capable of long-range attacks?"
"Yes, I am. Because I have this."
Her spear.
Shiva's spear, Trishula. A divine weapon of Shiva's said to maintain the order of the universe by destroying the past, present, and future.
She had arranged it in her own style, turning the trident into a tuning fork-like shape. Well, for someone not skilled in combat, this form was probably a better fit for her.
"Senpai, should we go fight the Archer right away?"
"You're right. Shall we go, Sho?"
Mash asked Ritsuka, and Ritsuka asked me.
It felt like I was witnessing some strange chain of command. I guess since I'm the adult, I've somehow become the leader. By the way, when is the Director going to wake up? She's alive, isn't she?
"For now, Mash, you take care of the Director. If anything happens, you can protect her better than I can."
I might not be sure about Mash herself, but that shield of Galahad's is definitely invincible. At least in my memory, the shield itself has never gotten a single scratch.
I've only ever seen Mash get her ass kicked by that guy.
"Let's go. Let's get this done quickly."
We headed back to the place where Archer had been targeting us from.
"Leonidas, take the front. Parvati, can you see him?"
"Yes, I can. It's, well... Ahaha. This is complicated."
Parvati didn't have Clairvoyance, but with her divine eyes, finding Archer's position from this distance wasn't difficult.
"At that range, I'll have to use my Noble Phantasm."
"Please do, I shall withstand any attack for you!"
"No, I'll be fine on my own."
Parvati was overflowing with confidence as she walked ahead of Leonidas.
Perhaps because of her Sakura-face, Archer's attack was delayed. But soon enough, like the trashy "ally of justice" he was, he unleashed a countless number of arrows at Parvati.
However, they never reached her.
Before Archer's arrows could hit, a blue light manifested in the air, devouring them completely.
That was her skill, Imaginary Around (EX). She was using Sakura's Imaginary Numbers magecraft. As a Divine Spirit, she could probably handle it better than Sakura ever could.
Next, it wasn't arrows that flew at her, but countless swords. Was this even possible? The fact that she withstood the first attack was already amazing in my eyes.
Normally, if it were any other female Servant, any barrier they put up would have been shattered easily. For a moment, I thought it was because she's a Divine Spirit, but then I remembered seeing that guy shatter Ishtar's emerald shield with a single kick.
A black aura momentarily flowed from Parvati, and soon, black shadows of the imaginary number space shot up, devouring and absorbing the swords Archer had thrown.
"A-Amazing!"
"As expected of a goddess."
Should I call it unexpected? It felt more... out of place. A female Servant gaining the upper hand? Or was this one of those routes where she dominates at first only to be "taught a lesson" later?
Having to predict and counter every single possibility like that is a pain. How can I get Leonidas to protect Parvati? What kind of plan do I need to come up with?
As I was pondering this, cherry blossom petals began to flutter.
The petals scattered and flew far into the distance.
I could feel it. Far away, other Parvatis were appearing.
The moment she raised her spear, it resonated. It pulsed, emitting sound waves.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, tinged with a purple light.
"
KRRRA-KOOOOM!!!
It struck. Shiva's lightning bolt fell, pulverizing the entire building.
Because it was a downgraded version of Shiva's power, it didn't completely annihilate it, but merely crushed it to dust.
Still, I guess that's an EX-rank Noble Phantasm for you.
"I can't believe she defeated Archer so easily. That was beyond my imagination."
I meant it. Was it because I'd never seen a female Servant beat a male one? It felt all the more unreal.
"Well, she's the Servant you summoned, Sho. So in the end, couldn't you say that you were the one who solved the problem?"
"You're giving me way too much credit."
"Fufu, I agree, you know? You are the Master who summoned me, after all. A Servant's achievements can be said to be the Master's achievements."
If you put it that way, I start to wonder what that makes the Ritsuka from the previous timeline. Well, let's not think about that anymore.
"Anyway, the point is that you're amazing, Sho. Yup, that's it."
"Alright, let's just go with that."
I'll just treat it as Ritsuka teasing me.
In any case, defeating Archer far more easily than expected is a huge gain.
"We've taken care of Archer, and I don't know how many enemies are left, but since we've put out the most urgent fire, how about we take a little break?"
I no longer had to feel the anxiety of not knowing where Archer might be sniping from. Besides, I was getting hungry. I wanted to rest.
"I agree. You look tired too, Kuriyama-san. Shall we rest for a bit?"
Mash nodded, noticing the dark circles under my eyes, and Ritsuka took the lead to find a place to rest.
As we were about to move...
"Uungh... where am I?!"
The Director suddenly woke up.
"W-Who are you people?! And where is this?!"
"You're awake, Director."
Mash approached the Director to calm her down and explained the current situation.
"Tch, why did these two have to be the only Masters on-site?! An ordinary person who just arrived today, and a janitor? Why were guys like these left behind instead of Team A?!"
Wow, that's a bit harsh. If I were a true believer in gender equality, my fist might have flown.
Olga Marie was always hysterical, but this version of her is even worse, isn't she?
"This mission isn't something that should be handled by nobodies like you! This is the First Order, something Chaldea has been preparing for months, even years!"
It's really hard to hold back my fist.
Anyway, I approached her to try and calm her down.
"Director, please try to calm down."
"Don't talk back to me! Don't you dare interrupt me! You're just a janitor!"
So mean. Seeing this, I really don't understand why some people consider being berated by a beautiful woman a reward.
The moment I moved closer to calm her down...
I tripped on a rock. And I fell forward.
CRACK!!!
I ended up headbutting her. I heard something break, then planted my right foot forward to catch my balance and looked up.
"Hieeeek! I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry for being so impertinent! Please, just spare me this once!"
There was Olga Marie, bleeding from her nose, crumpled on the ground, crying and utterly terrified.
Man, it only takes a moment to become the villain.
"K-Kuriyama-san."
Mash looked at me, stunned, and everyone else seemed pretty mortified.
"I don't think you did anything wrong, Sho."
Ritsuka, however, defended me with a smile. It was a smile that looked... triumphant.