As Shiomi said, this method of combat was rather brutal.
Using his own blood as a catalyst, he infused it into Meltryllis' body and activated it with his life force—turning her body into a kind of hydroponic medium to generate plant life.
It was the worst possible compatibility given the unique composition of the girl's body.
Only a liquid medium could integrate the blood quickly enough, but no one had considered that it wasn't a nutrient to be absorbed—it was a non-toxic "toxin," even more lethal than the poisons already within her. A normal Servant wouldn't have survived it.
After entrusting Meltryllis to Morgan's care, Scáthach remained behind with Suzuka Gozen and Passionlip to guard them. Shiomi, meanwhile, took Artoria and two of the Knights of the Round Table into the unsealed Observatory.
"This is…"
The moment they stepped inside, Artoria was the first to react in surprise as the dim light revealed the interior.
"Chaldea's… control room?"
"Are those… coffins along the walls?" Even Tristan, seasoned by countless battles, was shaken. "Inside them… children...?"
"What kind of monster would commit such inhuman acts!" Gawain clenched his fists in outrage.
Shiomi, however, wasn't particularly surprised. "So it's true—SE.RA.PH is powered by these 128 Masters."
He stared at the massive device in the center of the room, resembling a giant magical energy reactor.
"You know what's going on, Master?" Artoria asked, clearly shocked.
"…Strictly speaking, this fell under Marie's jurisdiction." Shiomi folded his arms. "She was already overwhelmed managing Chaldea and dealing with the Mage's Association, so she handed off some responsibilities to me—"
In a way, Shiomi was one of Olga Marie's most trusted confidants.
That's why he had access to part of the secret behind the Seraphic Oil Field—specifically, the confidential research being conducted there by Animusphere.
Mash's case alone had nearly pushed Olga Marie to a breakdown, so Shiomi chose to temporarily suppress the information about the Seraphic Oil Field and not report it further.
Chaldea, Animusphere, the Mage's Association—everything had piled onto Olga Marie. By the time she finally had the space to handle affairs at the offshore oil field base, the Incineration of Humanity had already begun.
You could call it a cruel twist of fate.
"With my authority as Director, the report I received only hinted at the core of it. The research wasn't made public—not even the Mage's Association knew about it," Shiomi said, staring at the reactor. "Because this was inhumane research—using human Magic Circuits to connect with the Earth's Leylines and forge colossal Mystic Codes."
Unlike Marisbury, who had abandoned any trace of humanity, Olga Marie, for all her faults, still retained a relatively normal moral compass as a Magus.
"Large-scale human experimentation using Magic Circuits from within the human body?" Gawain could no longer hold back and stormed over to confront Shiomi.
But Shiomi met his glare calmly. "It's more than that. This experiment also involves a form of human trafficking. Candidates with Rayshift compatibility who weren't quite suitable as Masters were sent here under the pretense of performing other duties."
If not for her exceptional Rayshift adaptability, even the girl named Ritsuka Fujimaru might have shared that fate.
"Don't you feel anything when you see this horror, Master of Chaldea?" Tristan pressed.
Artoria quickly stepped in to defend him. "That's not it—Master already—"
"I'm furious. So furious I want to destroy this place right now. But I have to stay calm," Shiomi said through clenched brows. "Especially after confirming it with my own eyes—any last shred of hope I had for this place is gone."
At that moment, Gawain and Tristan realized their anger shouldn't be aimed at Shiomi. Even though he was part of Chaldea and knew what was happening here, he hadn't been involved.
"My apologies," Gawain said quietly.
"You've probably noticed it too—the Observatory is still cycling on and off. There's no Mooncell here. This Holy Grail is something else entirely—constructed from components of the human ecosystem."
Shiomi looked around the entire Observatory.
"If we unleash the Holy Swords of both King Arthur and Gawain here simultaneously, we should be able to obliterate this place completely. Once the Holy Grail is gone, no matter how far the Beast has evolved, this Singularity can't be sustained."
His words jolted Artoria. She gripped her Holy Sword.
"Gawain, the Masters in those coffins are still alive, but they're enduring a pain worse than death," Artoria said. "Lend me your strength."
Gawain drew his Holy Sword from his waist. "As the king commands. Such evil must not be allowed to exist a moment longer."
But before they could act, a voice called out from the darkness.
"Whoa now, isn't this all a bit too much? I mean, this place is Animusphere's private property. Are you sure it's okay to destroy it without informing the head first?"
A woman with wavy brown hair, dressed in a staff uniform, stepped out of the shadows and adjusted her glasses.
Tristan's heart skipped. None of them had sensed her presence until she spoke.
"Well, I'm the one writing the final report anyway, so we can just pin everything on the Demon Pillars. It's technically true. And as for you, stop wearing that human disguise. The stench of Beast coming off you is suffocating this whole Observatory."
Shiomi turned, Gungnir in hand, and joined Artoria and Gawain in a ready stance, prepared for battle.
"Wow, no wonder you're the savior of humanity—the one chosen by the Mooncell. It was the right call not to reveal myself from the start. Even after erasing all accessible intel and posting guards, your response time still exceeded expectations. You made it here in just one day."
Black magical mist began to envelop the woman's body, and her tone shifted—sanctity and seduction now interwoven.
"Looks like Zepar's intel was spot on. He has fought you before, after all."
The Beast revealed her true form: a young woman in her twenties, clad in a nun's habit, her every gesture radiating a potent feminine allure.
"I am a psychotherapist employed by the Church—Kiara Sessyoin. The woman chosen to be the vessel of the Demon God Zepar. But I am neither a Demon Pillar nor a Demon God. As you can see, I am one of the Seven Evils of Humanity, the third Beast of 'Pleasure'—Beast III."