"Hey, Doctor, why haven't you said much since the beginning?"
When they arrived in Uruk, it was a "sea of people," but now, returning from Uruk to the Absolute Demonic Front, only Ritsuka, Mash, and Anna remained.
During this time, Anna remained silent, merely accepting the portable food Mash offered her.
Only Ritsuka finally found a moment to speak with Dr. Romani, who was currently overseeing Chaldea.
"Doctor?"
It was a standard communication wristband. Because this Singularity was set in such a distant past, Chaldea couldn't even establish a video call.
And...
"Ritsuka, it's not that I don't want to talk, but I can't talk much with you. Establishing a connection with you in 3000 BC is proving more difficult than we anticipated."
"But you can rest assured, the communication channel is stable now. Everyone back at Chaldea has been watching everything you've been through."
At this, Dr. Romani, far away in Chaldea's Command Room, scratched his head. Judging solely by the Servants on "our" side, he already believed this mission would be an unimaginably tough battle.
"That Merlin... he's undoubtedly a Grand Caster, even if he previously claimed to only have the qualifications for the Grand title while his current body is just a normal Servant's Spirit Origin."
"That King Gilgamesh... he is undoubtedly one of the candidates for Grand Caster."
"But the most special part is the King of Knights and Guinevere; they actually manifested sharing the Grand Saber Class."
"In that case, it's almost certain they can use the Holy Sword of the Planet again."
"The Holy Sword of the Planet? Is that the move Guinevere used to defeat the Lion King in the last Singularity?"
"Mash, I don't think you should get too excited. The fact that we have three Grand Servant-level allies, yet Uruk was still on the defensive before you arrived, proves that the enemies in this Singularity are even tougher than we imagined."
Taking a sip of coffee, worry welled up in Romani's heart. He knew better than anyone at Chaldea just how powerful Grand Servants could be.
"In short, don't let your guard down just because your allies are strong. You're not here on a vacation to the Singularity."
"Ritsuka, Mash, in my opinion, since the Kings of Heroes said you have time to train, you should definitely spend some time learning new things."
"This... this might be asking too much, but I hope your strength can keep up with the escalating difficulty of the singularities."
Dr. Romani, who quite enjoyed video games, had inadvertently slipped into gaming terminology.
Beside him, as he spoke, Da Vinci-chan saw the tension and regret in his eyes.
After saying this, Dr. Romani was already worried that he had put too much pressure on the two of them.
"Dr. Romani, I won't say 'don't worry,' but... Mash and I will do our best. We'll start training harder right now!"
What was Dr. Romani to Ritsuka? The answer was family. After she, a mere ordinary person, became a substitute Master at Chaldea, it was Dr. Romani who first stumbled into her room and struck up a conversation.
Throughout the Human Order Restoration Journey, she had received Dr. Romani's care countless times.
And as for Mash, an artificial human born in Chaldea, Dr. Romani had been adjusting her body ever since she gained self-awareness.
"Dr. Romani, please believe in Senpai and me!"
The journey from the City of Uruk to the Northern Demonic Front wouldn't take long if they traveled at full speed.
As Ritsuka and Mash started running, each carrying a different giant boulder, little Anna's eyes flickered with confusion. She glanced at the portable food Mash had given her.
Unfortunately, mere physical training had no effect on her, a Servant.
"Once we reach the Absolute Demonic Front, I'll go with you outside the city walls to experience the Magical Beast assault."
"Guinevere trained this way the other day."
Her petite body moved diligently, her cool voice uttering warm words. Ritsuka and Guinevere's earnest efforts had undoubtedly touched her.
And while in a good mood, Miss Anna was still keeping watch for them.
'These hot-blooded idiots... do you really think you won't be attacked traveling between Uruk and the Absolute Demonic Front? Or perhaps those black-hearted adults sent the three of us alone precisely to bait the enemy.'
Suddenly, Anna leaped up and sat gracefully on the large stone Ritsuka was holding aloft.
A complaint? Ritsuka hadn't even felt the added weight. Anna's girlish body, weighing around sixty or seventy pounds, was far too light.
Ritsuka's arm strength was likely already comparable to Xiang Yu's, capable of lifting a ceremonial cauldron.
Meanwhile, on the other side, after Guinevere and the King of Knights left the Royal Palace...
"Lia, I was wrong! I shouldn't have looked at even my junior's body with such lecherous eyes!"
With a teasing question and a coquettish apology, Guinevere pressed her entire body against the King of Knights.
Before they went to find Ishtar, they had at least one more question to ask, such as where exactly Ishtar lived.
And while whispering in her ear, the King of Knights asked Guinevere:
"Should we really be the ones to win over Ishtar? If we succeed, what about Ereshkigal's bond with Ritsuka? If Ereshkigal doesn't fall for Ritsuka, how are we supposed to win over this true member of the Three Goddess Alliance?
If we can't win her over, then in the future, against the real Tiamat..."
"Lia, you're overthinking things."
With their memories from the Throne of Heroes, the two remembered the entire plot of Absolute Demonic Front. They knew that Rin's body wasn't just a vessel for Ishtar.
Ishtar's older sister, Ereshkigal, the Mistress of the Underworld, had also possessed Rin's body.
In their memories, Ishtar appeared during the day, and Ereshkigal at night. Through a mission, a misunderstanding, and a late-night conversation...
Ereshkigal developed a strong affection for the Ritsuka from the original story.
"Lia, you're making the very mistake I warned you about. You're relying too much on the plot. Remember, the anime we watched starred a male Ritsuka. From the very beginning, that plot could only be used as a reference."
"And you need to understand, the most important part of conquering this Singularity lies not with Ishtar, nor with Ereshkigal, but with Hassan-i Sabbah, who abandons his Grand Saint Graph to bestow the concept of death upon Goddess Tiamat."
What began as whispering in each other's ears turned into a private mental conversation as they spoke.
After considering Guinevere's words for a moment, the King of Knights let out a long sigh and nodded in agreement.
Aside from the First Hassan, they were confident they could replace any other Servant who unexpectedly left the battlefield.
"So, what I'm worried about now is that the First Hassan might not have been summoned to this Singularity at all."
"Perhaps he's just hiding from us?"
A moment of silence fell. Guinevere gently nibbled the King of Knights' earlobe. They had walked to the end of a small alley, where Guinevere had cast a Dispel Bystanders Magecraft.
This Magecraft was basic but effective.
"In any case, after we return from Ishtar's place, if neither we nor Ritsuka's group has encountered anyone who seems like the First Hassan, we'll go ask Merlin.
Merlin's Clairvoyance, which focuses on the 'present,' can't be completely useless."
"Master Merlin probably won't tell us, will he?"
"If he doesn't, we'll figure something else out then."
Unintentionally, Guinevere's lips brushed against the King of Knights', allowing them to replenish each other's elements.