30 Saint Quartz.
Ten summons. While the in-game mechanics might grant an extra summon for a ten-roll, in this strict 'reality,' no such bonus event existed. Regardless, Ritsuka threw the Saint Quartz in with confidence, then knelt on the floor, reciting a chant as if offering a solemn prayer.
"Spin, Star of Gacha!"
"...Well, I suppose that counts as an incantation in its own way."
Even observing with my Rinnegan, the magical energy readings were... well, ordinary.
The Craft Essences that manifested were certainly impressive from the perspective of an average magus, but they were the kind of relics one could find in abundance simply by scouring the Chaldea archives.
"Dragon's Meridian, Fragarach... Hm, they're good, but I can't really utilize them. An Origin Bullet, Necromancy, and 'The Ship Departs'..."
"No! My gacha! Dammit!"
"It was a total failure... haha."
"Kuh... Don't laugh, Gareth! My HP is already at zero... Sob, Mash! Comfort me!"
"...U-Uh, in a way, it might be Senpai's fault for using such a strange incantation... N-No! That's not it! Um, I'm sure you'll get something next time, Senpai!"
Even so, for all ten to turn out as Craft Essences... it was a remarkable sort of luck, in a sense.
And were the pulled Essences even useful?
"Dragon's Meridian can be replaced by Mystic Eyes at any time... and even though we pulled Fragarach, the problem is there's no way to put it to use."
If it could be activated, it possessed terrifying performance, rivaling a Noble Phantasm by inducing the reversal of causality. The catch, however, was that its activation requirements were incredibly fastidious.
The primary issue was that it could only be triggered if the opponent used their 'trump card.' In Ritsuka's case, if an opponent utilized a trump card—essentially, something akin to a Noble Phantasm—she'd be better off hiding behind Mash rather than fumbling with Fragarach. Furthermore, Ritsuka's Magic Circuits were already at their limit just sustaining the Heroic Spirits' manifestation; she couldn't possibly fuel its operation.
Then what if I were to use it?
"...No, even for me, it's impossible."
"Why?"
"I'm not a universal genius who can master every Mystic Code to a top-tier level."
The reason I could handle Ms. Kuonji's Mystic Codes with such ease was somewhat heterodox: I had personally studied under her to learn the basics of Fairy Tale Magecraft. More importantly, my combat style was like a game of 'Cheating Rock-Paper-Scissors'—utilizing dozens of methods to overwhelm the opponent with variety.
Consequently, I always needed to maintain 'dominance' in a fight. A battle where I'm at a disadvantage? I'd rather drag the opponent into a disadvantageous position before the fight even begins.
I provoke them into losing their composure, summon a Heroic Spirit that serves as a direct counter, occupy the advantageous ground before they do, or prepare tailor-made tactics and strategies.
Conversely, to use Fragarach properly, one must be the party driven into a corner. The opponent uses their ultimate move, and you necessarily use yours a beat later, rewinding time to before they attacked to strike first via causality reversal... Simply put, it completely contradicts my methodology. Not just the method, but the conceptual nature of the Noble Phantasm Fragarach itself.
"Celtic-type mysteries are like poison to me. I've never had much compatibility with Rune Magecraft."
"...Are there actually types of magecraft you're bad at, Old Man?"
"Magecraft has many branches... Ah, I forgot, you aren't exactly a magus, are you?"
Unable to watch the ignorance any longer, Kadoc grabbed Ritsuka and began lecturing her on the various branches, histories, and applications of magecraft. Even if Kadoc belittled himself as third-rate, he was a student of the Clock Tower—the den of monsters under the Great Big Ben London Star—and was more than qualified to lecture a novice.
"It would have been better if someone like Bazett could act as a Master... but I suppose that's asking too much."
"For security reasons, everyone related to the Clock Tower was vetted and censored, except for the El-Melloi faction."
"Anyway, let's look at the other Craft Essences..."
Regrettably, Essences that manifest True Magic—like Kaleidoscope or Heaven's Feel—did not appear. The only useful find was a Holy Shroud of Magdalene provided by Caren, which had been summoned as a Craft Essence.
"This one will be useful."
"I like this gun! Origin Bullet, isn't that a cool name?"
"You can't use it."
If Kiritsugu Emiya's Origin Bullets had been perfectly replicated, they would have been an overwhelming anti-Caster weapon. Unfortunately, these rounds were not made from his ribs; their effectiveness was strictly limited to the 'Origin' of the current owner.
Since Ritsuka's Origin would bring nothing but trouble if awakened, it would be far more beneficial to give it to the 'Kirin-Chukgu' fellow. His Origin is well-documented, after all.
"Wait a minute, so we didn't summon a single Servant?!"
"Exactly."
"Aaaaagh!!!"
Ritsuka began to scream in despair.
Well, I couldn't blame her. After clearing four Singularities, she finally had a golden opportunity to summon another Servant, only for it to vanish into thin air.
[...Excuse me, it's been noisy for a while now. Could you all please assemble in the Command Room?]
"Ah... looks like the Singularity appeared."
"...Sob, to call for me while a lady is in such mourning... The Director doesn't understand the hearts of men!"
[I can hear everything! And 'doesn't understand the hearts of men'?! How could you say something so cruel?!]
Ah, I could feel the light fading from Gareth's eyes in real-time.
If Tristan were here, what would he have said? Though he was forgiven, would he have fainted with foam at his mouth regardless?
*
When we strolled leisurely into the Command Room, Olga Marie—with steam practically rising from her head—fired a Gandr at Ritsuka.
The cause was Ritsuka making jokes about the Director to Mash on the way there. Ritsuka seemed to strangely enjoy being hit by the Director's Gandr, but... it was finally time to start the briefing.
"That's right, Director! It's time to focus on the meeting!"
"...Ugh, please, someone shut Ritsuka up. We're recording everything to prove our achievements later; I don't want the world to hear this and wonder if this was really the final Master of Humanity!"
Indeed, I felt it was time to focus as well. I could sense the others in the room were starting to find it tedious.
"Whew... anyway, Singularities have been detected. And once again, there are two."
"...Again?"
"One is a regular Singularity, but the other... well, it's closer to a Subspecies Singularity or an Extra Singularity, yet the size of its sunspot is just as massive."
"That's not good news. It means we have to clear two at once... So, which eras?"
"One is in North America... during the period when the Declaration of Independence was just being made. The other is... Fuyuki City again. The year is 1994, the timeline of the 4th Holy Grail War."
"...Ugh, damn Fuyuki."
Honestly, this Fuyuki place has never done anything but complicate my life.
From that damned Evil of Humanity, the prologue of Yagami Kyaru-nol... including the 1934 Fuyuki operation and now this one, this will be the fourth time.
"...Or what if I take everyone else to clear Fuyuki, and send only the Old Man to North America?"
"That might be an over-balance... actually, that might be for the better."
To be blunt, as long as the King of Demon Gods is observing the existence of 'Ritsuka,' her ability to clear Singularities is a double-edged sword. Her affinity for making allies is frightening, but conversely, the King of Demon Gods could exploit that affinity to hide a pawn... and in that regard, Team A are the ones who can catch and support such things.
However, there was a problem.
"What about the quality of the Servants? I'd be fine with just Altera, but Ritsuka only has three Servants, including Mash. Up until now, I was with her, and we operated essentially on a wing and a prayer, so it was overlooked. But this is actually a serious issue. Expecting three Servants and one Demi-Servant to cover six members of Team A plus Ritsuka—seven people total—is quite a tall order."
"...So, you're saying our Servant roster is lacking?"
"Precisely. Let's be honest: Kiyohime and Bathory are specialized for large-scale area attacks rather than protection. Gareth and Mash are excellent at defense, but protecting seven people in a 'Holy Grail War' setting is no easy feat."
"...Are you implying that I am unable to protect my beloved Anchin-sama?"
"Yes. To put it bluntly, yes."
As Kiyohime spoke in an ominous tone, I nodded calmly in response.
In an instant, the temperature in the Command Room began to spike, and bloodlust started radiating from Kiyohime. Just as the others were about to intervene and restrain her...
"Kiyohime... hey, I'm starting to feel a bit hot..."
"Aah! Oh, I am so sorry, Master!"
Ritsuka handled it instantly.
...Right, with her clinging to Ritsuka like that, there was no way I could send her with another Master anyway.
"Regardless... if it's 1994, Mash, Kiyohime, and Bathory simply won't be enough."
"...Hmph. Since my Husband is speaking, I shall deign to listen for now."
"Waver, Professor Kayneth... Solau-Ui, Kotomine, and you too, Kiritsugu. You remember, don't you? The lineup of Servants summoned there... Originally, it would have been Gilgamesh as Archer, and Gilles de Rais... that madman from Orleans as Caster. My intervention prevented that outcome, but still."
"...Indeed. If that Servant lineup—especially if the King of Heroes manifests as his arrogant self rather than the Caster King who helped us—were to appear, three Servants would likely be insufficient."
Godword added his assessment.
"It's definitely best to keep Miss Mash, fused with the Heroic Spirit of the Shield, and Gareth, the Knight of the Round Table's spear, together. We'll need measures against Assassin... the Presence Concealment of Hassan of the Hundred Faces is troublesome."
"I agree. The Heroic Spirits summoned in Fuyuki are almost all Triple-A class. The only possible vulnerability would be the Berserker, whose performance is somewhat lower, but..."
"Even the Berserker might be different this time. In my memory, it should be Lancelot..."
"...Hm, in that case, it would definitely be dangerous for me to be separated from the group."
"Are you well-acquainted with Lancelot, Gareth?"
"Sigh..."
Kadoc, who possessed a bit of a geeky streak when it came to heroes and myths, let out a sigh.
"They're both Knights of the Round Table. Though their end was a catastrophe."
"Well... yes, that's true. Regardless, if it is Sir Lancelot, even if he is stained by Mad Enhancement, he will be a difficult opponent for me. After all, he was the one who managed to stall my elder brother—who was empowered by the sun—for two hours until nightfall, eventually defeating him."
"Wait a second. Then wouldn't the problem be solved if Altera just came with us?"
At that moment, Ritsuka offered a brilliant insight that no one else had considered.
"...Huh?"
"That... 'Impure World Reanimation,' was it? You said it's different from a regular Servant and can be maintained normally, right? It doesn't drain prana... or does Altera only listen to the Old Man?"
"Technically yes, but if I order her to follow you, she will."
"...Wait, hold on, Ritsuka. Does that mean you want me to go into a Singularity barehanded?"
"No? You have Kiyohime or Bathory..."
"I refuse!"
"No way! I'm staying right next to the little fox!"
"...Then at least Gareth?"
"Sigh..."
Honestly, if I had to choose between Gareth and Reanimated Altera, I'd pick Altera every time.
In terms of raw spiritual rank, Altera stood higher than Gareth. Moreover, unlike a Servant who requires a constant supply of prana, Altera's Reanimated body—while lacking her Noble Phantasm—had access to unlimited prana. Since it was essentially a type of undead zombie body without a Spirit Core, it would regenerate infinitely as long as it wasn't sealed.
The only drawback—the lack of her Noble Phantasm—was negligible since Altera could fire beams using simple Mana Burst. Truthfully, unless Iskandar's Ionian Hetairoi contained a battalion specialized in sealing, Altera and I could probably dismantle the entire Reality Marble on our own.
But... that's a hypothetical outlier, so I'll set it aside.
"Even so, our Servant pool is realistically small. The French Singularity was cleared smoothly because Arcueid was with us, but covering seven Masters with only three Servants is a bit..."
"In that case, we can just come along too!"
Suddenly, two figures stepped forward and spoke.
Arcueid Brunestud, grinning cheerfully, and Aoko-nee-san...
"...Mm, I'm not fond of revealing our trump cards twice in a row."
"But a safe mission is the best mission, right? More importantly, even if it's a Subspecies Singularity, the seeds of Human Evil are there. If a Magician like me and a True Ancestor are there, we can handle almost any situation. Right?"
"...Well, that's true. But at that point, wouldn't it be better to just have me and Ritsuka clear North America while the Crypters handle Fuyuki?"
"No, I disagree. It would be better to send Ritsuka along with the Crypters."
"Waver?"
Waver began his calm explanation.
"There probably won't be another 'Karma Kirigaya' in that Singularity. It would be nice if there was, of course."
"...Very likely. But why mention that?"
"The best course would be to recruit the local Servants, but do you think the Crypters could manage that on their own?"
Um, uh... hmm...
Certainly, without someone like Gudako or myself who possesses maximum social affinity, it would likely be difficult. Yu Mei-ren and Pepe are practically non-human, and Daybit and Wodime are somewhat detached from common human perspectives. Wodime might be excellent at 'negotiation,' but bluntly put, even he wouldn't easily sway someone like the arrogant magus Kayneth, or Tokiomi, who is trapped in the magus mindset—or a Kirei awakening to his depravity, or a Kiritsugu possessed by the obsession known as justice...
"Ah!"
"What? What is it?"
"I think that's the better plan. We'll take Gareth along for this Singularity, and Ritsuka needs to go as well."
"What?! Why so suddenly..."
At the very least, it's almost certain that 'Artoria Pendragon' will appear in this Singularity.
Why? To be honest, it would be weirder for the King of Knights not to appear in a 4th-era Singularity. I had summoned Tristan specifically with that in mind—Tristan, one of the fanatical knights of the Round Table, and the one who could awaken her from the obsession of the Grail by echoing her greatest trauma: 'The King does not understand the hearts of men.'
But Gareth is here. Even if she isn't Tristan, Chaldea possesses all the records of previous Singularity missions; she can easily be briefed on what happened in the 4th Singularity and her encounters with Tristan and Mordred there... Plus, if this matches the 'Accel Zero' I know, Saber's Master won't be Kiritsugu, but Irisviel...
"Alright, then Aoko-nee-san should go too. In fact, if she's going, Ritsuka definitely needs to be there."
"...Because of Gilgamesh?"
"Ah! True. Holders of Clairvoyance probably wouldn't look kindly on my True Magic or a True Ancestor like Arcueid."
"Ideally, Waver would go along to help persuade Kayneth, but..."
"That's difficult. My aptitude as a Master is zero, and I have no Rayshift compatibility."
"You can just use the Kaleidoscope?"
"I'll pass... it's too prestigious a tool for someone like me to use."
"...I don't know whether to say he knows his place or that he doesn't know his own worth."
Professor Kayneth, who now had a few more wrinkles, let out a sigh.
At first, he had been a student Kayneth was certain would never succeed as a magus. Yet, somewhere along the line, he had awakened as a professor, growing to a level where it wouldn't be strange for him to trade blows with the high society of the Clock Tower. Furthermore, looking back over the years, he was a man who could be called a better Master than Kayneth himself... and yet, he constantly engaged in such self-deprecation, which felt quite unfitting.
Thinking along the same lines as Kayneth, I gave Waver a clap on the back just as Godword finished his playback. I then handed the Holy Shroud of Magdalene Essence to Ritsuka.
"Keep this just in case. And these too."
I handed a pair of Mystic Eyes purchased from the Rail Zeppelin to each of the Crypters, and three pairs to Ritsuka. I pointed to the wrist area of the Chaldea combat uniforms modified by Ms. Kuonji.
"If you press a Mystic Eye against that slot, you can utilize a simplified version of a Mystic Eye Colossus from your hand. It's much weaker than the actual Rail Zeppelin's capabilities, but it's still potent enough to work on a Servant."
"...Isn't that the secret art of Rita Rozay-en? You didn't just buy Mystic Eyes?"
"I made a deal—a full five-piece set of puppets from the Grand Puppetmaster in exchange for a one-time thrashing of Vina Bloodsweet."
Once the Crypters had all donned their combat suits and Arcueid had completed her Rayshift compatibility using the Kaleidoscope Essence—following a parting kiss with Shiki—Romani, the chief of vital signs, finally began the briefing.
"Good. Preparations for the Singularities are complete. Everyone has their Craft Essences ready? All injuries are treated, so let's prepare for Rayshift."
"Okay, everyone into the Coffins!"
"Singularity coordinates: AD. 1783 North America — Human Order Foundation A+; AD. 1994 Fuyuki — Human Order Foundation C-. The goals are respectively: recovering the Holy Grails distributed by the King of Demon Gods, investigating the cause of the Singularities, and resolving the Human Order Foundation! Initiating Rayshift in 30 seconds!"
Well, I wonder how wretched this situation will turn out to be.
At the very least, I'm ready to respond immediately no matter what happens.
Even if I land right in front of the Mad King... yes, I'm confident I can escape somehow. Since I sent Gareth with Ritsuka, I'll be accompanied by Altera... and since she's in a Reanimated state, I can use her as ruthlessly as needed without hesitation... Though the inability to provide Command Spell buffs is a slight flaw.
Still, I can't be careless. Bluntly speaking, if Medb has scattered Demon Pillars across the entire Singularity, or if the Mad King is waiting specifically to kill me, escaping won't be as easy as it was in the first chapter.
[Rayshift in 5 seconds! 4, 3, 2...]
Ultimately, these are all just assumptions.
Just like all the previous Singularities, you never really know until you face it. Who could have predicted that wretched curse in Singularity 3, or a bizarre 'Mafia Game' in Singularity 4? There's no telling what variables await in Singularity 5. So...
[...1! Rayshift Start!]
With a faint pshh sound, my vision turned pure white.
My body felt buoyant, yet simultaneously, my senses in my limbs began to fade as if I were in a steep dive-bomber. I've done Rayshifting quite a lot, but honestly, it feels new every single time. Truth be told, I should be grateful as long as I don't fall out of the sky...
"...Oh, we actually Rayshifted normally this time."
Looking around... well, it was obviously an 'American' wasteland without a single blade of grass.
If the third chapter was a blue sea covered in curses, the fifth chapter was an endless earth of yellow and orange...
"Testing, testing. This is Chaldea A-Team Master Karma Kirigaya. Please respond."
[...]
"Hello? Hello? What... no, wait. Something's wrong."
At that moment, I could sense something odd.
An endlessly stretching plain, a barren desert where not even a weed grew... yeah, I could understand that. If Medb was using the Holy Grail to mass-produce Celtic soldiers, the land's leylines would have been sucked dry. Since the magical energy was gone, the life force of the earth would have been drained to the last dreg, leaving only a wasteland.
However...
"...That should only be a problem for Ritsuka or others who need to connect to the leylines... I can materialize magical energy directly. And yet, I can't communicate with Chaldea?"
The absorption of prana—the processing of ether—which I performed unconsciously.
I was able to naturally perform what Atram Galiast would do through barbaric human sacrifices because of my Root-connected Rinnegan cheat. Thanks to constant training, I could now extract prana not just from magecraft but from living organisms, the ground, and the atmosphere... but...
"The magical energy... is gone?"
The ground beneath my feet, the sky I was looking up at, and the air surrounding me.
I could not bring myself to say that any 'Magical Energy' existed between them.
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