Second Singularity.
While Sakatsuki was engaged in a 1v1 man-to-man duel with the Old Man of the Mountain, Fujimaru and the others were desperately running for their lives, racing against death itself.
For behind them, the Beast's familiars were relentlessly pursuing!
Monsters resembling dragons or giant worms roared, spitting blazing light that tore through the skies toward them, only to be blocked by a burning jet-black holy sword.
But behind that searing light, countless magic projectiles followed close, falling like relentless mortars, bursting into blooming flowers of flame upon the ground.
The last hope of the entire village was now wailing and howling in the midst of this bombardment zone.
"Ugh! I can't take it anymore, when can we counterattack already!?"
Clad in a crimson dress that almost blended into the background, Nero swatted aside a magic orb, both hands numbed from the recoil. "Are we there yet, Lord Waver!?"
"That's your capital, Your Majesty!" Waver stood atop a Bagua diagram, advancing swiftly through the howling winds with Fujimaru in tow. "If I had to describe the time left, I'd say about five—"
"Five minutes? Five kilometers?"
"Four… three… two…" Ignoring Nero's words, Waver calculated the extreme distance at lightning speed. "It's now—I'm counting on you, King Arthur!"
At those words, without hesitation, Fujimaru raised the back of his hand. One of the three Command Spells dimmed, transforming into the purest magical energy, surging along the path into the core of the black swordswoman, causing her to silently raise her blade, its edge radiating magical light.
"Excalibur Morgan—!"
With a Command Spell's amplification, the Noble Phantasm's power far exceeded imagination. A torrent of jet-black corrupted mana surged forth, swallowing even the profound night itself, leaving nothing behind. The Beast's familiars trailing behind were caught off guard, their forms instantly engulfed by the light cannon.
At the same time, Waver gritted his teeth, expanding the innate Bagua to envelop the four of them, disappearing without a trace.
When they reappeared, it was within a quiet room. A flickering oil lamp cast light over scattered chairs, mountains of paperwork, and… a large bed?
"Ah, this is my bedchamber!"
Even though the room was perfectly clean, with not a single forbidden little doujin hiding beneath the bed, Nero's cheeks flushed bright red. She hurried forward and snatched the papers from the desk, hiding them behind her back before anyone could react.
Fujimaru was surprised. Waver looked as if he was a step from dying of overwork. Only Black Saber clearly saw the portrait of a dashing, heroic general upon the paper, and her expression turned cold.
"What's going on?"
"No time to explain! Quick, uh—no, I mean, act according to my orders!"
Panting shamelessly, Waver opened Sakatsuki's prepared pouch and skimmed through its contents at a glance. Before admiration could show on his face, his mouth was already rattling on:
"Flip the bed!"
"What? My bed!?" Amidst Nero's anguished cries, Black Saber raised a hand and, with a wave, the soft, luxurious bed was blasted apart by a torrent of magical power, not even ashes left behind.
"Move all the tables, chairs, and everything else — clear out a wide enough space!"
Afraid that Black Saber would lose herself in the destruction, Nero quickly joined Fujimaru in moving the furnishings, leaving a spacious empty area.
In the distance, the roars of the Beast's familiars could still be heard. The empty room itself seemed to hum in terror.
"What now? What do we do next?"
"That Sakatsuki bastard apparently foresaw his own misfortune." Waver's fingers twitched as he traced familiar patterns onto the floor. "He made ample backup plans, to make sure he could come back even after death."
Revival after death—for ordinary people, it was impossible.
But for Servants, what else were they if not disposable tools to be called upon repeatedly?
"You mean—a Heroic Spirit summoning!" the Doctor's voice rang out from the wristband, astonished. "But, we don't have a suitable catalyst—"
"No, we do." Fujimaru interrupted, pulling out a small card box.
A glimmer of hopeful radiance flowed over its surface.
The experimental Third Magic Conceptual Mystic Code, gifted by Sakatsuki to Fujimaru.
And what could represent a candidate for the Third Magic better than such a Mystic Code?
Even so, the Doctor did not back down. Compared to a stirring revival drama, he was far more concerned about Fujimaru's safety — and the future.
"Even if you summon Lord Wu An, or rather that young man called Sakatsuki—will the situation really improve? You must understand, once the Evils of Humanity are born, even in larval form, it takes a Grand Servant to defeat them… Wu An may be a top-class Servant, but needs time to build up strength. As for Sakatsuki—forgive my bluntness, but a modern magus—"
"Don't underestimate him."
"That guy is far stronger than you imagine, Lord Romani."
Unexpectedly, the corrupted King Arthur and the Lord of the Clock Tower spoke in unison against the Doctor's doubts. The two exchanged a glance before Black Saber spoke first:
"He was… a knight personally appointed by me, before my corruption."
A Round Table Knight?!
A modern magus—and one recognized as a knight by King Arthur herself!?
What kind of absurd joke was this!?
Before Romani could react, Waver followed immediately.
"If you don't grasp what being a Round Table Knight means, then let's put it in terms of results—during the Fourth Holy Grail War, where the oldest king, the most tyrannical conqueror, the mightiest Round Table knight, and the most radiant saint king clashed… this so-called modern magus, single-handedly claimed ultimate victory."
The Holy Grail War.
At the mere mention of that phrase, everyone—Romani, Fujimaru, and all the staff who understood its meaning—unconsciously held their breath.
Beneath the illusion of hope was a blood-soaked battleground where pursuers slaughtered each other, and heroes devoured one another.
And this man—was the final victor on that path of carnage?
"Please, have faith in him, Lord Romani." Waver finished the final stroke of the summoning array, standing up. "I don't believe the one who set all this up is just some brat unwilling to accept defeat."
If it were merely a matter of stubbornness, how could he have premeditatedly stolen the Holy Grail itself?
Waver's piercing words became the last straw for the Doctor.
"Fine, fine, I'll go along with you—but hurry up!"
His voice abruptly shot up several octaves, and at the same time, Black Saber and Waver both sensed a sudden surge of ominous aura in the distance.
Such evil, such desecration, such depravity… compared to her, even the terror of Beast Herc was as a gulf between heaven and earth!
"Beast of Calamity, Draco—will reach this place in ten seconds!"
As the urgent cries rang out, Fujimaru instinctively stepped forward—but a slender hand reached out, snatching the Third Magic Mystic Code from his arms.
A flash of crimson. In one hand still clutching the portrait, the other gripping the card box tightly, driven by a secret possessiveness, the Roman Emperor stood at the center of the array.
"Calling the Governor back, huh? Hmph, let me lend a hand then!"
Before anyone could react, Nero closed her eyes and, without any instruction, instinctively began chanting the summoning incantation:
"Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill!"
"Five times over, but when filled, abandon it!"
The magic circle began to glow, and in that instant, what Fujimaru felt wasn't anticipation—but pure panic.
Stop, Your Majesty! That's not a normal summoning method!
And you're standing inside the array too, hey!
***
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