"Phew, I feel like I just had a nightmare…"
"Hey, Ritsuka! Stop making excuses and sit up straight!"
"Uwahhh, the Director is bullying me… Mash, comfort me!"
"Stop the playing around… Now then, what about the Singularity?"
"Sigh… Signs of a Singularity have been detected in London, AD 1888. Despite being the late 19th century, a toxic fog caused by massive magical energy—reminiscent of the Great Smog of 1952—has formed."
"I see, the Demonic Fog… So far, things are proceeding as predicted."
The fact that Godword and I already knew about the 'future' was an open secret. Olga Marie didn't even bother to react as she continued the briefing.
"The peculiar detail is… just like the previous Singularity in Okeanos, every region outside the Singularity itself has completely collapsed. The areas not obscured by the fog aren't burning with the characteristic flames of the Incineration of the Human Order; rather, they have simply vanished into a state of 'Nothingness.'"
"Complete nothingness… The magi of the Clock Tower would lose their minds if they saw that. It's effectively a shortcut leading directly to the Swirl of the Origin just by jumping in."
"What matters is the restoration of the Singularity itself. Currently, this Singularity's Foundation of the Human Order is ranked EX…"
"Excuse me~ Is EX way more dangerous than A?"
At that moment, Ritsuka spoke up, cutting off Olga Marie's explanation.
"To be precise, there is no absolute law that dictates it is so," Kayneth began to explain calmly.
"EX is quite literally a term used for 'Unquantifiable'… To put it simply, if we judge the capability of a Reality Marble by its scale, refinement, and strength, an EX-rank Reality Marble would be a power capable of manifesting the inner landscape without needing a bounded field at all. Because it refers to an ability that has strayed from standard metrics, there is even a possibility it might fall short in a direct confrontation."
"Mmm…"
"In simpler terms, if a sword that is impossibly hard and sharp is A+, an EX-rank sword is one that can cut without even being swung."
"Aha! I get it now."
"For the record, an EX-rank for a Singularity generally signifies an anomaly beyond conventional scale, usually stronger than A. In its current state, except for London, the entire sphere of influence has been converted into an entrance to the Root… an unquantifiable situation. If left like this, there's a chance the entire Singularity could separate into a Lostbelt and explode, much like what the practitioner of the Third Magic attempted in the Third Singularity."
"Come to think of it, if it's London, the Mage's Association should be there… It's a pity this isn't the 1900s; otherwise, the Crypter team might have been able to provide support."
Certainly, the London Singularity was the one closest to the modern era, excluding Fuyuki City which centered around 1994 and 2004.
"It's already been decided, but for the initial party accompanying us to this Singularity, I'm thinking Gareth and Kiyohime. While Bathory's wide-range capability is useful, Kiyohime's abilities will be more practical in the narrow confines of London."
"Sorry, Bathory. I have to go with Kiyohime first this time."
Elizabeth Bathory wore a pouting expression, but we had no choice.
Ritsuka quickly changed into her Chaldea Combat Uniform Mystic Code. I likewise stored my own Mystic Code within the Naraka Path and swallowed my miniaturized puppets down my throat.
"Shall we focus the resources on Ritsuka again this time?"
"Yes. I'd like the resources that would normally be focused on me to be directed toward Miss Ritsuka as well."
"…Do you really think the King of Demon Gods would use the same tactic twice?"
"Don't forget. The King of Demon Gods possesses transcendent vision. If we don't do this, he'll immediately seize the opening and strike at Ritsuka…"
"That's right. Honestly, in terms of resources, Miss Ritsuka is the one in danger, not Karma. Even if a Demon God Pillar appeared right now, Karma is at a level where he could escape immediately, and more importantly, he has Altera by his side, right?"
That was true.
Even after assigning the Servant lineup of Gareth, Kiyohime, and Mash to Ritsuka, the biggest reason I could engage in the Rayshift without much fear was the existence of Altera. Since she was in a state of being neither alive nor dead, there were no issues with her remaining inside the Naraka Path to Rayshift with me, and even if her physical body were damaged in the process, she would regenerate instantly.
"Well then, let us begin. Proof of existence will be assisted by the Chaldea staff, and Karma Kirigaya's existence will be substituted by the Mystic Code of the Second Magic—the Kaleidoscope. Staff supervisor Waver Velvet, In-Summon Program, lock on!"
[In-Summon Program starting. Commencing first process.]
"Ophelia, Wodime, Kadoc, and Peperoncino—stick to Ritsuka and begin proof of existence!"
[Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mash Kyrielight, Karma Kirigaya. Parameter definition complete. Commencing spell activation.]
"…O Lord, though our faiths and values differ, please grant your blessing upon these noble souls seeking to protect the Human Order."
[Chamber forming. Shifting life signs to 'Unknown'.]
"Proof of existence complete! Commencing Spiritron conversion!"
The staff members pulled their levers in unison, and a dry, mechanical sound echoed through the room.
[Second process, commencing Spiritron conversion. Rayshift start!]
*
Two sets of gazes were intertwined with one another.
A relentless wave of demonic beasts and the march of fanatics endlessly pouring from the Holy Grail.
Both entities possessed the Clairvoyance known as the sight of a god, and they were tracking the traces of a certain group restoring the Human Order… even as they stood with their backs to a horrific battlefield that would collapse the moment they looked away.
"Yes. Exactly that kind of momentum."
It was impossible to tell which of the two spoke first.
It was only the third of the seven Singularities. Normally, such a record would be considered trivial, but if one peered into its essence, it was a threat nothing short of a miracle.
The 'original' Potnia Theron, capable of creating a hellscape far worse than Babylonia, the seventh Singularity; the Ten Plagues delivered by the One God that transcended even their common sense. Now that the mastermind of this incident had gained knowledge of the future, the Incineration of the Human Order was no longer regarded as a grand undertaking that would simply 'happen.' The King of Demon Gods was intent on crushing Chaldea with all his might.
However, the two 'men' believed.
That those people would surely reach them…
*
"Keep a sharp lookout! Gareth, Mash, move forward. Kiyohime, be ready to fire your breath at any moment… ah, Karma-san?"
"…Just how brutal was the training you went through? Did that Fujimaru Shiro guy not say anything to Emiya Kiritsugu?"
"Big brother actually complained a lot. He kept asking what kind of 'training' this was… But the Old Man really seems to have a soft spot for my brother. I wonder why?"
…Apparently, the pseudo-father-son dynamic of Kiritsugu and Shiro was in effect here as well.
"By the way, the Singularity looks more intact than I thought."
"…You call this 'intact'?"
Ritsuka spoke as she activated the detoxification system built into her Chaldea Combat Uniform.
It didn't affect me or the Servants, but the Demonic Fog permeating the area was lethal enough to poison a normal person to death.
"You should be fine too, right? Since you're contracted with Mash, most poisons shouldn't work on you… And usually, arriving in a Singularity comes with ambushes, kidnappings, assassinations, destruction, and bombardments as standard options. Am I right?"
"…Exactly what kind of battles have you been fighting?"
Well, it's nothing much, really.
Getting concentrated fire from Berseker-class Servants including the Dragon Witch the moment we arrive, or a Berserker-Jin appearing before our eyes, or being surrounded by the damned curse of Tetragrammaton, or a devilish bastard like 'Ah! I love teasing my Master so much' attacking us.
"…Presence approaching. Estimated to be a Servant."
"Oh, come on. My mouth just had to go and jinx it!"
"Your way of speaking seems to have gotten a bit rougher, Ritsuka?"
"…"
At that moment, the figure that revealed itself was a familiar man I knew all too well.
Red hair, and a bow that looked like a harp with strings carved into it… a refined appearance and squinted eyes that made him look like a mastermind…
"…Tristan?"
"It has been a long time, Master."
"Yeah, a long time… no, wait. Do you have your memories?"
"Hehe~! It looks like this fellow knows who you are!"
As I questioned Tristan, another Servant who had been hiding behind him revealed themselves.
Roughly tied hair, and Clarent radiating a crimson aura… that face, a spitting image of King Arthur, was undoubtedly Mordred Pendragon.