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A short while later, under Ikki's expectant gaze and the wide eyes of Nami, Hancock, and the others, a figure materialized before them.
Pink hair. A short skirt. A face that could only be described as sweet.
"This is wonderful," the "girl" called Astolfo said, looking around the room with bright, delighted eyes. "I'm finally here." She bounced on her heels, let out a cheerful sound, then turned to Ikki with a smile. "Hello! It's so good to meet you, Ikki. I am Astolfo, your most dependable servant. Please, feel free to ask anything of me. I'll give it everything I have."
Astolfo patted a very flat chest and beamed.
"Welcome, Astolfo." Ikki extended his hand. Astolfo took it.
This was the first Heroic Spirit Ikki had summoned in a long time, and the first original weapon-holder to cross into this world of pirates. He would have been lying if he said he wasn't excited.
"Wait," Ikki said, studying Astolfo's outfit. "That attire. You came as a Rider, didn't you? Why not as a Saber?"
Astolfo held both classes. The two came with very different looks, and Ikki, who had played the Fate games extensively before crossing into this world, recognized each of them at a glance. He had been too caught up in the moment to notice the discrepancy at first, but now that the initial excitement had settled, it was obvious.
He didn't actually mind Astolfo coming as a Rider. A Rider's range of abilities was broad, which meant more ways to contribute. The thing that puzzled him was the mismatch with his system.
Everything the system had given him so far had been oriented around swords, around building a crew of swordswomen. A Servant who fought with a horn and other such tools, arriving as a Rider of all things, was unexpected.
"Well," Astolfo said, tilting her head with a grin, "Sadi-chan already has the Noble Phantasm that belongs to my Saber self, doesn't she? If I came to this world as a Saber too, wouldn't that just create overlap? So I decided to come as a Rider instead."
She turned in a small circle in front of Ikki, then looked up at him with a flicker of nervousness. "You don't actually mind me being a Rider, do you?"
"Of course not. I was just surprised you didn't come as a Saber. I don't mind at all."
"Wonderful!" Astolfo's face lit up. She flung her arms open and launched herself at Ikki.
Hancock, who had been standing close by, moved without thinking. She stepped cleanly between them, cutting Astolfo off.
Astolfo blinked. "Huh? Who are you? Why are you blocking me?" She sniffed the air, head tilting. "Wait. You smell like Nero. Did that woman give you one of her Noble Phantasms?"
"I have indeed received Nero's treasure," Hancock said, her expression complicated as she looked at the "woman" in front of her.
The situation was not a simple one. Hancock had no desire to see Nero summoned into this world and handed yet another avenue to compete for Ikki's attention. But the thought of losing to Sadi-chan stung even more. Sadi-chan had already managed to get a Heroic Spirit summoned alongside Ikki.
However much it grated, Hancock had quietly resolved to give Ikki the chance to summon Nero when the time came. She would deal with that rivalry when it arrived. Right now, there was something more immediate to address.
"You should conduct yourself with a little more restraint around Ikki," Hancock said, pointing at Astolfo with undisguised hauteur. "Have some decorum."
Astolfo's cuteness had unsettled her from the moment the summoning completed. Not beautiful, exactly, but undeniably charming in a way Hancock had not anticipated. The unease had spiked the instant Astolfo tried to throw herself at Ikki, and Hancock had moved on pure instinct.
Nami and the others exchanged glances. The irony was not lost on any of them. Hancock's own behavior around Ikki was hardly a model of restraint. And yet here she was, lecturing a newcomer on decorum. Still, they had spent enough time around Hancock by now to know how she operated. The initial surprise passed quickly, and they let it go.
Nojiko stepped forward and moved to Hancock's side, her voice quiet and even. "Empress, Astolfo is new here, and a Heroic Spirit at that. This isn't quite the right way to welcome a new companion."
Hancock's brow creased. She glanced at Nojiko. This was someone who had been with Ikki a long time, and she wasn't wrong. Whatever Hancock's feelings on the matter, turning on the Heroic Spirit Ikki had gone to such lengths to summon was not a good look. She turned back to Ikki with a slightly guarded expression.
"Hancock, it's all right," Ikki said, laughing. "There's something you should know about Astolfo, though." He paused. "She isn't actually a girl. Cute as she looks, Astolfo is a boy."
Silence.
"...What?"
"Wh... what? She's... he's a boy?!"
Hancock stared at Astolfo as if the floor had shifted under her. She was not alone. Nami, Nojiko, and Vivi were all looking at Astolfo with the same stunned expressions. In every respect that mattered to their eyes, Astolfo was no less striking than any of them. With those looks, those mannerisms, that face, how was it possible?
If anyone other than Ikki had said it, they would have called it a joke on the spot.
Vivi pressed a finger to her cheek, murmuring to herself. "I remember now. When Astolfo's Noble Phantasm was being demonstrated, Captain Ikki did say he was a lovely boy."
That reminder clicked something into place for Nami and Nojiko both.
"Ikki," Astolfo said, tilting his head and fixing Ikki with a look of mild reproach, "did you really have to go and say that? I was hoping everyone would treat me like a girl a little longer."