Fate: How About a New Savior?

Clang!

The vermilion magic spear was pulled from the body of the fiery red Magical Beast, which looked like a lion. Shiomi gave it a quick swing into the empty air, flicking off the blood.

"That was the last one..."

Shiomi turned to look at the others in the group.

This was the Seventh Singularity—Babylonia.

According to Chaldea's original plan, they were supposed to Rayshift directly into the city of Uruk. But instead, they ended up on a wasteland over ten kilometers away.

Based on Romani's report, the Rayshift itself went smoothly, so the most likely explanation was that the ground coordinates had become inaccurate over time due to the sheer age of the era.

"Still, getting swarmed by Magical Beasts right off the bat... The Age of Gods really isn't easy," Sakura muttered, rubbing her temples.

"Even so, we've got enough firepower to handle it," Shiomi said with a smile. "More importantly, how are the Mystic Codes Da Vinci made holding up?"

At his question, the girls reached up and touched the thin scarves around their necks.

These were magical Mystic Codes jointly crafted by Da Vinci and Morgan, designed to keep the air of the Age of Gods from directly entering the Masters' bodies.

With mana concentration off the charts and the environment saturated with true ether, modern humans would die just from breathing it in. Only people like Shiomi—who had trained in the Land of Shadows—or those akin to Servants, like Morgan and Scáthach, could endure it.

Mash was the same.

"Yeah, it's working fine," Ritsuka said, stretching her arms wide. "You can really tell this era hasn't been touched by industrial civilization. The air's something else!"

"You're way too relaxed. This is the Age of Gods, not some spring picnic—" Olga Marie grabbed Ritsuka's cheeks, just like always.

She clearly wasn't pinching hard enough to hurt, but Ritsuka couldn't escape her grip.

With the first battle behind them, the girls finally let their guard down, laughing and teasing each other.

Shiomi was satisfied. The more critical the mission, the more important it was to keep a calm and steady mindset.

"Come over here, my beloved disciple," Scáthach called out to Shiomi from the cliff's edge.

He and Morgan walked over, one after the other. Looking south from the cliff, they could see the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flowing into the Persian Gulf from opposite directions.

And on the plain between them sat an ancient city—most likely Uruk.

But the real issue lay to the north of the city: towering walls that would be considered massive even by modern standards. Something like that had no place in actual history.

"Gilgamesh must've built those walls," Shiomi guessed.

This was likely the clearest distinction between a Singularity and real history—things that shouldn't exist in that era showing up anyway.

Just like the White City of Camelot in the Sixth Singularity.

As for what those walls meant—

"Whoever built them, there's no doubt they were meant to defend against the Magical Beasts attacking the city," Morgan said, pointing toward the base of the walls.

Swarms of Magical Beasts were surging forward in waves, assaulting the walls, while defenders on the ramparts fought back.

Among them were beasts of the same kind that had just ambushed Shiomi's group.

"This era's overrun with Magical Beasts," he muttered, unable to hide his surprise.

Just a rough estimate put their numbers in the tens of thousands. Against that kind of swarm, even they could only think about avoiding direct combat.

"And that's not all. There's a magical energy response from the northern wall of the city—one that's dozens of times stronger than the beasts you just fought," came Romani's voice. "No wonder those walls can hold them back."

"Well, we are talking about Gilgamesh," Morgan said with a smile to Shiomi. "His treasury holds countless original Noble Phantasms. If he's serious about defending his nation, it wouldn't be strange for him to use them for fortifications."

"Seems we don't have to worry about Uruk falling before we get there."

Facing the wind, Scáthach took in a breath of the air.

"Besides, this is your first real experience of the Age of Gods, my disciple. Take your time and study the environment—you'll learn a lot."

"It's not just me." Shiomi chuckled, glancing back at the girls. "As Magus, getting to witness the Age of Gods is just as important for you."

"Especially after just battling those Magical Beasts. Understanding the unique ecosystem of this era, learning how to adapt to it, and using the ambient mana in the air to boost your Magecraft—those are all vital lessons." Scáthach twirled her fingers, casually launching into a lecture.

Morgan couldn't help but shake her head, thinking this had truly turned into some kind of field lecture.

...

Just as the group was settling into a calm atmosphere, an icy killing intent cut through the air—followed by a voice laced with blatant mockery.

"You all sure know how to relax."

Moments later, the sky was filled with weapons. Even at a glance, it was clear they were all Noble Phantasm-class.

Fortunately, having been ambushed the moment they landed in the Sixth Singularity, they were prepared. Even though Shiomi and Scáthach had been talking, they hadn't let down their guard.

They immediately moved with Mash to block the first wave of attacks.

"This magic surge... it's overwhelming. A Servant? No, it's a living Heroic Spirit!" Romani's tense voice came through.

Cold sweat beaded on Shiomi's face. He resisted the urge to say he'd already figured that out.

And this attack—its style was way too similar to Gilgamesh's King's Treasure. Was this another one of that man's unpredictable tests?

...

As the smoke from the explosions was swept away by the wind, a young figure stepped into view.

He wore a simple white tunic, no visible equipment, and his clothing looked plain and unremarkable.

Shiomi quietly studied the figure.

Not Gilgamesh.

A woman?

Glowing skin, soft facial features—gentle, even. Though the loose clothes covered their chest and waist, their limbs were visibly strong.

Could be a man?

Gender aside, the youth's appearance was strikingly beautiful. Human, yet carrying an uncanny presence that didn't belong to humanity.

"I had hoped to bring you all back to the temple," the youth said, voice perfectly androgynous, belonging to neither side. "But with this many of you, it would be troublesome. Some of you might start to doubt me."

A soft smile played on the youth's lips as they reached out a hand—without hiding even a sliver of the murderous intent aimed at the group.

Behind them, more Magical Beasts gathered in droves.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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