Although they already knew that Ozymandias would spare the people of Chaldea… the battle still ended far easier than Guinevere had expected.
He hadn't really done anything—no skill activations, no time-stopping, no Noble Phantasm releases—just a bit of casual skirmishing, and it was over.
While they hadn't actually defeated Ozymandias, they did manage to drive him back. After being struck once by Da Vinci's Noble Phantasm, Ozymandias merely waved his hand and returned to his throne once more:
"Hmph. I only meant to toy with you, yet I unexpectedly found myself entertained. Still, thanks to that, my mind feels refreshed."
"Pharaoh, shall we punish them?" Nitocris, who had been standing by the side, asked nervously.
"Of course. These people covet the Holy Grail, and the Holy Grail is already in my possession. Since that is the case, we are bound to cross swords eventually. I do not intend to let them leave alive."
He said that, but from the way he fought just now, Guinevere couldn't feel even a trace of killing intent from him. Forget everything else—the so-called lightning ball attack he used against Chaldea was at least ninety percent weaker than the one he used in their duel. As for stronger Noble Phantasms? He hadn't used any at all. It was pure show, like going through the motions of a staged fight. Forget holding back—this guy was flooding the battlefield with more water than an online serial author could ever dream of. A whole ocean of it!
Still, Nitocris seemed to take his words seriously and began berating herself with guilt:
"How could this be…? Did I personally bring the Pharaoh's enemies before him…?"
"Indeed, it was you who brought them," Ozymandias admitted, "but only because I had not told you in advance about the Singularity or the Holy Grail. That was my oversight, not your fault."
Then he turned his gaze toward the Chaldeans.
"Hmph. To be honest, I thought you would have been wiped out by the fourth Singularity… but it seems my expectations were… overly optimistic."
He suddenly widened his eyes.
"Too late! You've come far too late, Chaldeans! Late beyond redemption! Before you even arrived here, human history had already collapsed!"
"This era's Singularity was supposed to revolve around a battle for the Holy Land—one side defending, the other attacking—a clash of two nations at war! The Grail would eventually fall into the hands of one faction, and the Holy Land would serve as a breeding ground for a Demon God Pillar. But because you came too late, none of that happened…"
Guinevere yawned. The conversation that followed mostly concerned the Singularity's background, which he already knew.
He vaguely recalled the story:
The Magus King gave the Holy Grail to a person who should have died during the Ninth Crusade. That person planned to seize Jerusalem and use it as a nursery for the Demon God Pillar. Da Vinci guessed this during their talk with Ozymandias, earning his praise.
Unfortunately, that person made the fatal mistake of summoning Ozymandias. And Ozymandias, being the ultimate aristocrat among Heroic Spirits—more dangerous than even Gilgamesh—would never answer a summons unless one used his wife's jewels as a catalyst. Anyone else who dared try would simply be executed on the spot.
Thus, the summoner was naturally killed by Ozymandias. With the Grail lost, the Crusaders began losing ground. Then, suddenly, another Servant appeared, claiming to be Richard the Lionheart, leading a "false Crusader" army to defeat the real Crusaders and seize Jerusalem.
Time passed, and the knight who had become Lion King—Artoria—arrived in the Holy City. She summoned the Knights of the Round Table, revealing her plan to preserve a small group of pure humans and then destroy the Singularity, fleeing Earth with them.
This plan clashed with the chivalric ideals of her knights, splitting the Round Table into two factions—supporters and opponents. After a civil war, the dissenters were killed. The remaining knights received blessings that greatly enhanced their power. The Lion King's forces then clashed with Richard's pseudo-Crusaders, destroying Jerusalem in the process. On its ruins, she summoned the White Chalk City of Camelot and began executing her Holy Selection.
Of course, none of this was shared by Ozymandias. He only dropped cryptic hints like "your enemy is in Camelot" and "you lack the resolve and dignity to ally with me" before driving them out of the Great Temple.
"So, in short… the only intel we got from the Sun King is that we need to go to the Holy Capital next?" Mash summed up.
"Do you have complaints? The royal city has already generously provided you with precious water and food!" Nitocris, who was escorting them out, protested.
Indeed, Ozymandias had given them supplies, saying, "If you die before leaving Egypt, it would tarnish my reputation."
Despite being a prickly Servant in the Grail War, he had been surprisingly kind—holding back in battle, providing resources, and even letting Da Vinci use temple materials to build a vehicle.
"What kind of super tsundere is this guy? I could cry," Guinevere muttered.
"What do you mean?" Nitocris frowned.
"Nothing, just expressing my gratitude for the Sun King's generosity," Guinevere replied.
"That's better," she nodded, then warned sternly, "But remember—this mercy is a one-time gift. Next time, you will die. I offer advice now only because of the debt I owe you."
With that, she returned to the Great Temple.
"Seriously… are all Egyptian Servants like this—saying one thing and meaning another?" Guinevere muttered.
"They seem kind, but refuse to admit it," Ritsuka said with a nod. "Rather like you, Guinevere."
"Huh? What nonsense is that?! I'm nothing like a tsundere! Men being tsundere isn't cute at all!"
"Fine, fine," Ritsuka giggled, covering her mouth.
Da Vinci, busy assembling something at the front, suddenly turned around.
"By the way, Guinevere, can I ask why you've been helping us at every Singularity? I know a bit about your involvement, even though I'm part of the rear staff."
"Eh…?" Guinevere froze.
Come to think of it, he really didn't have a solid reason. It was just instinct—by the time he realized it, he had already helped them through three Singularities.
"I guess… I just don't have a reason not to," he said after thinking. "We're friends now, right? If I don't help you, why even come to this Singularity?"
"I see. Makes sense." Da Vinci nodded thoughtfully. Then she clapped her hands.
"Alright! Finished! Behold my desert vehicle, crafted from the wood I got from the Sun King himself! I call it… the All-Purpose Vehicle Puwis-Sphinx!"
Even though he already knew this scene, Guinevere was still amazed. A wooden contraption—no engine, bicycle-like structure—could actually reach sixty kilometers per hour across the desert. Genius indeed.
The name, however, was… questionable.
Thanks to this ridiculously named vehicle, their journey became much easier. They sang songs and drank fruit juice Da Vinci had concocted along the way, leaving the desert behind.
But their joy ended as soon as they stepped out of the sands.
"What is this place…? This is supposed to be the Middle East of the 13th century? It's… horrific."
Before them stretched a barren wasteland, cracked and dry, with only a few dead trees scattered about. Flames licked across the ground, as if a meteor strike had just scorched the land.
"The temperature is 48°C, humidity zero, ambient mana density 3.3… This is no place for humans to survive," Da Vinci muttered. "No wonder Ozymandias used the Grail to shield his territory."
Then Mash suddenly cried out:
"Senpai… we're surrounded! By… humans?"
Guinevere turned and saw hooded figures closing in—a horde of humans radiating an ominous aura.
"Food! They have food and water! And… that woman looks delicious!"
Their eyes turned red with hunger as they charged.
"Kill them all! Then we'll have meat!"
"Try to show mercy… if you can," Ritsuka pleaded awkwardly.
Before she could finish, Guinevere stepped forward, sword flashing, cleaving down the first attackers in one stroke.