The path to the Observatory had been deliberately sealed off, turning it into a grueling obstacle course.
Not only were there strange obstructions that made the passage much narrower than elsewhere—barely wide enough for one or two people to walk side by side—but the path was also full of twists and turns, with a bend every few steps.
On top of that, there were countless misleading forks. Take one, and you'd find yourself facing more branches, creating a maze seemingly designed to keep intruders out. In this labyrinth, where only a single path led to the Observatory, numerous hostile combat programs manifested as monsters.
They frequently jumped out from corners and launched preemptive strikes against Shiomi's group.
Though these battles weren't particularly intense—Shiomi could often resolve them with a move or two—they were still a constant annoyance.
The biggest threat at the moment was the "Guardian" standing in their way, blocking the only route to the Observatory. Designed alongside Passionlip, and resembling a sister to her, she was a high-level AI possessing composite divinity.
Alterego—Meltryllis.
Tall and lithe like a ballet dancer, she was the complete opposite of Lip. Her legs were constructed like stilts—both deadly weapons and venomous stingers.
According to the intel Lip provided, Meltryllis wielded an ability called the Melt Virus, which she could inject into targets through her sharp legs like a bee's sting.
Anything with physical form—whether organic or inorganic—could be absorbed by it. In doing so, she'd drain her target's power and eventually devour them completely.
On top of that, Meltryllis possessed incredible speed. Only Shiomi and Scáthach could keep up with the aggressive, dance-like rhythm of her attacks.
The others had formed a defensive formation with Morgan as the temporary core, waiting for the right moment to break in and interfere.
"Whoa…"
Scáthach twisted her body sharply, dodging a kick aimed directly at her face.
After the failed strike, Meltryllis pursued immediately. With elegant precision, she shifted her weight onto the opposite leg, spun midair, and lunged—her spiked knee aimed squarely at Scáthach's abdomen.
Clang!
The descending blow was intercepted by a sweeping strike from Gáe Bolg, its sheer force sending Meltryllis flying.
She spun several times in midair before hitting the floor with a sharp, clean sound.
Though a restraint mask similar to Lip's covered her face—making communication impossible—her movements were clearly more agile and fluid than Lip's.
Neither Morgan's Magecraft nor Tristan's arrows could corner her for long. Even if they managed to halt her momentarily, Meltryllis would instantly detect any threat from behind and break free with lightning speed.
"This is a real problem. Never mind everything else—just her speed alone surpasses any Servant I've seen until now."
After widening the gap again, Scáthach offered her evaluation.
"She is a high-grade Servant, after all. In terms of sheer ability, her speed probably ranks among the top even within the countless Heroic Spirits," Shiomi said, leveling his spear. "We need to find a way to pin her down."
Just then, from one side of the formation, Tristan gave them a hand signal.
Catching it from the corner of his eye, Shiomi nodded to Scáthach, then moved first—becoming a flash of cold light as he charged into Meltryllis, who had just launched another assault.
He deliberately exposed a gap in his defense to draw Meltryllis in more aggressively, then began retreating step by step.
Spotting what looked like an opening, Meltryllis spun into a kick, knocking Shiomi's spear aside. She danced forward like a black swan, twirling closer and closer.
Her figure moved so quickly that her limbs and face became indistinct blurs, but anyone could tell—contact with that deadly dance would be like being thrown into a meat grinder.
But such overwhelming speed came at a cost: a brief drop in momentum.
And an all-out offensive wasn't the same as having real defense.
Shiomi unleashed Magecraft, sending a gale between them that blew him and Meltryllis apart. In that moment, Scáthach leapt high and launched her crimson spear through the air.
"Soaring Spear of Kick-Piercing Death—Gáe Bolg Alternative!"
The spear split into dozens, raining down like a storm of red lightning. Meltryllis was forced to halt her steps and dodge while retaliating, trying to move beyond the strike zone.
In this form, the True Name-released spear lost its sure-hit property but gained wide-area devastation.
Meltryllis evaded on instinct—only to suddenly feel her body brush against something. She reflexively looked back.
Dozens of threads snapped tight in an instant, binding her where she stood. Though powerful, Meltryllis lacked brute strength and was instantly immobilized.
"I'm sorry, Melt!" Lip called out from a distance, stretching her hands toward Meltryllis in apology.
She ignored the physical distance, collapsing space further to restrict Meltryllis's movements.
Lip carefully controlled the compression's speed and scale to make sure it only restrained movement. Her aim was to completely neutralize Meltryllis, giving Morgan time to reach her Saint Graph and purify her—freeing her from the role of "Guardian."
But Lip had overlooked a crucial fact—until BB warned her:
"No good. That's not enough to hold Meltryllis."
In the next instant, the trapped Meltryllis suddenly dissolved—her body splitting apart into colorless liquid and spreading outward to escape.
"Her body is a vessel made entirely of fluid. Purely physical restraints can't hold her."
"I get it now!"
Shiomi suddenly rushed forward, striking at Meltryllis's reforming body barehanded, just as her knee—reformed into a stinger—brushed past him in a counterattack.
Blood sprayed from his arm and mixed into the liquid gradually taking shape.
He pulled back quickly, injured arm trailing. Both sides disengaged again. Within seconds, Meltryllis had reformed her fluid body completely.
Shiomi glanced at his wrist. The wound was healing.
Just a graze. Some venom had entered, but it wasn't serious.
"What a reckless move…" Gawain muttered in disbelief.
Shiomi had fought with such discipline before—why had he suddenly gone in barehanded, risking a direct hit?
"No, you're mistaken, Sir Gawain," Artoria said, preparing to resume the pursuit. "Master already accomplished his goal."
At her words, Shiomi casually raised his hand toward Meltryllis.
"Well, that was a bit rough. I'll patch you up properly in a moment."
Meltryllis, still unaware of what had just happened, froze in place.
Then, her expression twisted beneath the restraint mask. The girl instinctively clutched at herself as vines and flowers burst from her body.
With a cry of pain, the fluid-bodied girl was overtaken by plants in an instant, collapsing in a bed of flowers—completely immobilized.