Though the Singularity had appeared without warning, we decided to proceed with the operation according to standard protocol.
The 'Mansion,' the location with the least information and the highest danger, would be handled by me alone. Team A's primary strength, including Ritsuka, would tackle Fuyuki City—a location with abundant data and the highest stability. The France Incident Singularity, which involved dangerous factions like the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, would be handled by the trio of Team A's elite under the leadership of Wodime.
"So, for Fuyuki City, it's Ritsuka, Ophelia Phamrsolone, and Mash... three in total..."
"Add Gareth to that. That makes four."
Manaka had strongly requested to be taken to a Singularity, but Olga Marie dismissed the notion. Instead, she was tasked with assisting in the creation of Servant summoning circles to bolster our forces. Of course, the result of that was...
"Why! Why isn't any Servant coming out?!"
"Patience is a virtue, Ritsuka. You have to go into this with the mindset that you might barely pull one thing every ten summons..."
"Even so, isn't this a bit much when we're even throwing in Catalyst?!"
Naturally, the Catalyst didn't vanish, but it was clear that the damage Lev had dealt to Chaldea's Summoning System - FATE was substantial.
To think that even with a Witch of Fairy Tales performing the repairs, the rates remained this abysmal... or perhaps, maybe the rates were always this cruel from the start.
"And the France Incident team... that truly is a luxurious lineup."
The trio counted as the absolute pinnacle of Team A—Scandinavia Peperoncino, Kirschtaria Wodime, and Daybit Sem Void.
Furthermore, since it was a Singularity where 'Vampires' were expected to manifest, the one accompanying them was quite the distinguished individual in their own right.
"...Your role will be crucial in this Singularity."
"I know. Anyway, I never expected a Singularity to appear in this fashion..."
Fortunately, we possessed an overwhelming amount of information regarding these two Singularities.
For the Fuyuki Singularity, Godword—who had a full backup of my memories—and Aoko-nee, who had personally participated in the battle, joined the briefing team. For the France Incident, survivors like Noel and Ciel, along with Arcueid—who had been busy slaughtering the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors in the first place—provided direct backup.
'I definitely remember... among the records of the large-scale events, there was a collaboration event related to the Garden of Sinners. It was a sort of dream being had by Ryougi Shiki.'
Regrettably, [Void Shiki] had already declared her intent to sleep, and Ryougi Shiki was currently assisting Touko Aozaki, who was acting as the head of Chaldea's backup team alongside her husband. Most of her time seemed to be spent looking after Mana, who would often scurry around Chaldea... In any case, a Singularity like this shouldn't have been created.
However, the Singularity had already formed. The problem now was the Servant lineup appearing here...
'I don't have precise info, but it might be Karna and Arjuna... perhaps even the King of Knights. I recall it varied by difficulty, but if it's the King of Knights, things should be manageable.'
"By the way, quite a few Mystic Codes have been produced. Even if no Servants appeared, with this many high-quality Mystic Codes, we should be able to make good use of them in the conquest."
"...I suppose. It's a system where items on the level of the Lord families' supreme Mystic Codes just pop out, after all."
Even if Saint Quartz was an object created by crystallizing the prana flowing from the Holy Grail, the Mystic Codes emerging from the Heroic Spirit Summoning System were, without exception, transcendental, top-tier products.
Even the Black Keys, which Ritsuka and Mash publicly called 'duds,' were praised by Mapo-Gundam and Ciel as top-quality items that had undergone proper ritual consecration after just one look.
"The motorcycle... Dun Stallion can go to Ritsuka, since she's lacking a means of transport. But is the license alright?"
"No problem! I took the test with my brother and got my license... I should be able to carry Ophelia with me."
"What about Mash?"
"Hmm... three people should be fine, right?"
"Just watch your speed."
The rest of the Mystic Codes were appropriately distributed to the other members.
The Shroud of Magdalene used against vampires and the 'identical gun and bullets' belonging to Kiritsugu Emiya went to Ritsuka's group. Armaments like the Azoth Sword, Black Keys, and Hydra Daggers were mostly taken by the Team A members.
"If you put it that way, aren't you taking the most choice Mystic Codes for yourself?"
"I'm going in alone without a Servant, so shouldn't I get a bonus in that regard?"
"Don't give me that. You, of all people, the one with those eyes connected to the Root..."
"...Aren't you also touching the Root in your own way, Master Puppeteer?"
The Mystic Codes I chose this time were my usual Great Three plus the El-Melloi family's Volume Hydrargyrum.
"...Why Volume Hydrargyrum of all things? You have the Great Three equipment, and even the Valualeta or Tohsaka family's Azoth Swords... why...?"
"Since it's a mansion, this will be the most suitable."
I hadn't received detailed information on the Singularity, but I could grasp the rough fact that its structure was that of a single 'building.'
In other words, since the building itself was the Singularity, Heavenly Obstruction and Planetary Devastation were automatically sealed. If the building collapsed, the Singularity would crumble, and I would be in significant danger as well...
"Almighty Push will also be difficult to use. There's the risk of destroying the building... Practically, it means I have to get by with pure magecraft, melee combat, or the summons of the Animal Path. You know better than I do how useful Volume Hydrargyrum is in a cramped building, don't you?"
"...Urgh, you leave me with no rebuttal. But what if the situation completely flips, like in Singularity 1?"
"At that point, well, as you know, I'll just have to fight like a 'Magus' of the Clock Tower... You know the type? Throwing fireballs, summoning familiars, that kind of Magus."
Kayneth, who had engaged in a direct confrontation with a 'Magician' using only a single Volume Hydrargyrum—albeit back when he was younger—could do nothing but nod. Of course. In the Clock Tower, he was famed for having traded blows with that Magician, so what else could he say?
"The Mystic Eyes of the Abyss seem like they'll be too dangerous here as well; it might be better if Miss Ophelia takes them this time."
"I agree. Ophelia should know how to use Mystic Eyes well... In a small Singularity, there's no telling what would happen if Noble Phantasm-class firepower was recklessly projected."
Once the team assignments were finalized, the support team under Roman headed for the control room. I stowed a month's worth of food and various supplies into the Naraka Path and compressed my puppets to store them within my body.
On the way to the control room, Fou was watching us quietly, staring at the clustered Crypters with a menacing glare.
'...Come to think of it, it's lucky the King of Demon Gods didn't touch Fou. Given that Primate Murder took a liking to Mash, I suppose it's only natural in a way.'
"No more idle thoughts. We're about to begin the Rayshift."
"Alright! Everyone, attention!"
Olga Marie clapped her hands once, drawing everyone's focus.
"As you know... unlike previous Singularities, this is an Extra Singularity that manifested instantaneously, and its danger level is listed as low. However, as you all know the nature of Singularities, do not let your guard down for even a second. Understood?"
"Director, I don't think anyone here is going to let their guard down concerning a Singularity."
"I absolutely agree... After witnessing that madness in Singularity 1, no human could possibly look down on a Servant."
"Quiet! When I give a speech, at least pretend to show some support, you damn people!"
Wodime and Kadoc burst into laughter, while Daybit and Peperoncino also stifled chuckles.
After listening to the hazard warnings I'd heard so many times I could practically recite them, I gave a light wave to the team members still watching the Rayshift apparatus with worried eyes, then began to enjoy the sensation of weightlessness as I was sucked into the unknown.
When my senses returned and I opened my eyes, a landscape completely different from the Chaldea I was just in appeared... A massive, gloomy, yet strangely familiar Japanese-style mansion loomed before me.
...Yes, it was indeed the mansion I knew.
[Oho, it seems the communication link was successful this time... Can you hear me? Hello? Hello?!]
"I can hear you perfectly, don't yell, my ears hurt... It's just as I thought. A Singularity I know."
[A place you know?! Don't tell me that's the one made by that insane monk...]
"That's right. It's that very mansion. I definitely destroyed it, but maybe it was remade because it's a Singularity...?"
[Half right and half wrong, you arrogant brat!]
Just then, a mechanical sound, similar to Chaldea's transmission yet somehow different, echoed through the air.
No, to be precise, it was a man's voice that I had no choice but to perceive as mechanical.
A stoic face, sunglasses, a towering height that made the person standing before him look like an ant, an incongruously gaunt frame... and to top it all off, a face filled with agony, as if all the world's rage had been condensed into one spot.
"...There are four bastards in my life who have been truly, death-defyingly annoying."
"Hoh. And who might they be?"
"First, Francesca... that crazy bitch was a nightmare from our very first meeting... If she weren't for my Naraka Path experiments, I would've handed her over to Miss Touko long ago."
I ground my teeth and slowly recited the other names.
"The King of Demon Gods goes without saying... and Angra Mainyu is the same. There's a saying that sequels never live up to the original, right? Counting this time, that bastard has appeared three times now."
"Then the fourth person would be me."
"Oh, you're surprisingly self-aware. But why would a man who knows that much side with the King of Demon Gods? Well, I suppose it's possible for someone who was never sane to begin with."
"I heard through his information sharing that you provoke others. Regrettably, it has no effect on me. At any rate... welcome to my Singularity."
Lifting his hand, he shouted like a judge delivering a death sentence.
"Now, perish, foolish Magician of Chaldea."
Only then did I use my Rinnegan to verify how the mansion was constructed.
The massive mansion, decorated with cheap construction techniques floor by floor, was revealed by the Rinnegan to be filled with a sickeningly turbid Prana in place of internal plumbing or wiring.
The entire mansion writhed and began to rise little by little. Soon, with the sound of windows shattering, tentacles began to burst wildly from the walls.
Laughing like a villain from a B-movie, he bore a confident expression—perhaps intoxicated by the power of the Demon God Pillar behind him, or perhaps simply pleased by my cornered state—and began to form a Bounded Field.
Unleashing the Preta Path: Seal Absorption in both hands and liberating my Rinnegan, I began to slowly dismantle his Bounded Field magecraft.
"Phew... alright, let's do this, you dildo-obsessed monk with two daddies."
Of course, the provocation was mandatory.
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