Fate: How About a New Savior?

The destination, Ur, had been swallowed by a dense forest about six months ago—an act carried out by one of the three goddesses whose identity remains unknown. At the same time, Eridu, farther to the south, was also consumed.

Since then, Uruk has been unable to establish contact with either city. Hakuno Kishinami had dispatched multiple small teams, but none of them returned. The last investigation ended with two Servants withdrawing.

"In my opinion, to resolve this Singularity, we need to bring Gilgamesh back first," he said while listening to Romani's briefing.

"I agree with your assessment. But the reason the Moon King needs us to investigate is precisely because even two Servants didn't return. You're the only ones left who can handle this," Romani replied, his tone heavy.

"We're about to enter the forest, so let's end the communication here. Keep your focus on the Director and the others. Contact me if anything urgent comes up."

Shiomi looked at the edge of the forest as he spoke, then shut off the communicator.

Mesopotamia lies in the twin rivers basin, right between a tropical desert climate and a temperate continental one.

In 2655 BC, the average temperature was one or two degrees higher than today. And while this wasn't the hottest season, the moment they stepped into the rainforest, the humid heat hit them like a wave. The air was thick and sticky, like a giant wet paper towel clinging to their bodies, stifling them and clogging their pores.

"What scorching weather… It reminds me of the summer of 2009, when my husband took the whole family to South America to explore Incan ruins," Morgan muttered, unable to ignore the heat.

At the front, Shiomi used his magic spear to cut away vines and slender branches blocking the path, slowly clearing the overgrown route ahead. Hearing Morgan's words, he looked back with a wry smile.

"At least we had an off-road vehicle back then—with air conditioning and cold drinks..." he murmured, but trailed off when he turned and saw Artoria's face, soaked with sweat.

Even Servants, once granted physical form, still feel heat and cold. They're just more resistant than normal people, not immune.

But the forest heat really was brutal.

They had walked only a few hundred meters while clearing a path, and Shiomi was already beginning to feel the strain.

"...Magecraft…"

He muttered under his breath, pulling from his satchel several rune stones—irregularly shaped, yet with smooth surfaces. Originally prepared for small-scale combat, they had found a new, unexpected use.

Shiomi didn't believe that elite Magi like Morgan or his Master wouldn't appreciate such minor tools.

That would be seriously lacking in tact.

He handed them the cooling rune stones.

As Artoria took one, she instantly felt the suffocating heat around her dissipate.

"Feels better now, doesn't it?" Shiomi said.

"Yes, quite a practical bit of magecraft." Artoria enjoyed the refreshing sensation and then held out a neatly folded coarse cloth handkerchief.

Artoria gave a light laugh. "I won't be shy, then."

She had already shed her cloak and armor upon entering the forest, wearing only close-fitting clothes. But even that wasn't enough to counter the jungle heat.

Not just her cheeks and arms, but her fair, full chest was dotted with beads of sweat.

As she instinctively wiped herself down, Shiomi quickly looked away from the sight, dodging the subtle glances from Morgan and his Master, and continued clearing the path ahead.

He figured Artoria probably had no idea just how captivating she was.

"Even over four thousand years ago, the Middle East shouldn't have had rainforests," Shiomi muttered, eyeing the forest with suspicion.

The presence of mana here matched the natural aura of the era—but the forest itself had clearly grown through natural means.

"Of course not. But once the goddess took control, the land transformed to suit her," Morgan said, following behind him and lightly tugging at his sleeve. "Judging by how much the terrain has mutated, it's almost no different from a Reality Marble."

Even after forcing a path open, the ground beneath their feet was overly damp, making each step sink unsteadily. It was difficult terrain to move through.

Noticing the slight tug, Shiomi reached back and took Morgan's hand.

"Gods really are capricious," he said with a crooked grin.

"That's how gods are—especially goddesses," Scáthach replied, her tone loaded with implication.

Artoria, unfazed, spoke with calm certainty. "Even the King of Magecraft chose to burn away humanity out of personal will. So if I act a little willful to protect the people I love, I see nothing wrong with that."

"When gods act on whims, it always ends in disaster for humans," Morgan said dryly.

"Well, if you put it that way… wasn't Enkidu's death in the epic also because of Ishtar's caprice?" Shiomi shifted the topic. "I'm starting to understand why the Hero King and the King of Magecraft led humanity to part ways with the gods."

Scáthach took a slow look around. "From how the land has changed, this place no longer matches the climate of the Mesopotamian basin. I suspect the goddess occupying this region isn't from the Mesopotamian pantheon. For example—"

"Hmph! That's enough talking!"

An unfamiliar voice suddenly cut through the air—followed by a massive surge of power.

It felt less like mana and more like "divine presence."

Despite all the banter and jabs along the way, the moment this energy appeared, Shiomi, Scáthach, and Artoria instinctively shifted into formation around Morgan—three warriors shielding a Magus.

"I had a feeling it was about time..." Shiomi raised his spear to the ready.

"Divine Spirit. Be on guard, my dear disciple," Scáthach warned with a sharp smile, her eyes filled with bloodlust.

"That's right! Not a Heroic Spirit, but a god!"

The overly exuberant voice rang out again, brimming with bold personality.

Boom!

A yellow blur zipped through the trees at such high speed that even Shiomi struggled to follow it. The figure finally landed in front of them.

A yellow-haired female Servant, dressed in something that looked like pajamas, stood on the branches, radiating raw, untamed energy.

"I am Jaguar Warrior! A god from Central and South America—Jaguar Warrior!"

She gave her calm self-introduction, then suddenly burst into energetic mimicry, as if impersonating someone else, her voice bubbling with excitement.

"A beautiful goddess from Central and South America! Jaguar Warrior! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Jaguar Warrior?!"

Her wildly extroverted nature and total lack of reservation only heightened Shiomi's caution, but he couldn't help glancing at the others and asking, "Beautiful?"

"Well..." Scáthach responded vaguely.

"Heh..." Morgan gave a knowing chuckle.

"Master, speaking about women like that lacks chivalry," Artoria added, gently chastising him with a knight's sense of decorum.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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