Fate: How About a New Savior?

It was an endless deep sea.

Shiomi floated within it like a drifting fish, slowly sinking.

—Don't go—don't go—

A distant voice echoed from the darkness of the deep, filled with sorrow and longing.

『Who's there?』

—Don't go—stay—

—Don't go…

—Come back… just once more—come back to me—

The voice repeated in fragments, like the murmurs of a dream, tender and mournful, like a mother calling out to her child.

Forcing his eyes open, Shiomi looked toward the source of the voice and saw a faint beam of light in the distance.

Once more… just once more… no… no—

Not again… not this time…

Don't—don't love me again…

The light flickered gently through the water, and Shiomi reached out, trying to push through the sea and swim toward it.

Smack—

But his hand was suddenly grabbed by someone.

"…Master? Master?"

Shiomi's eyes snapped open. He awoke from the strange dream, only to see half the sky above him.

His outstretched hand was being held—by Artoria.

He was lying beneath a tree, his head resting on her lap.

A pleasant, indescribable scent lingered around his nose. When he shifted his gaze slightly, he could see the blue, form-fitting fabric pressed against Artoria's lower abdomen—and the clear outline of her stomach beneath it.

The soft warmth of her thighs felt like sinking into a pool of gentle water.

Realizing how awkward this was, Shiomi hurriedly tried to sit up, but moved too quickly and accidentally bumped his forehead against Artoria's ample chest, making her let out a small, muffled gasp.

"…Sorry…" Shiomi quickly sat upright and apologized.

"No, it's fine." Artoria composed herself, raising a hand slightly. "You're awake, Master."

"I… fell asleep?" Shiomi asked, now sitting cross-legged beside her.

Artoria shook her head. "More accurately, you passed out."

"…Right," Shiomi murmured, slowly recalling what had happened.

They were on the coast of the Persian Gulf. The observation station stood atop a rocky hill on one side of the bay.

They had departed from Uruk and traveled at a steady pace in a carriage, finally arriving at the shoreline in the late afternoon.

Shiomi, who had never been to the Third Singularity, hadn't seen the sea in a long time. Before heading to the station, he decided to take a walk along the beach...

And then he lost consciousness—until now.

"How long was I out?"

"About fifteen minutes," Artoria said, pointing to the communicator on Shiomi's wrist, which displayed a digital clock.

"…Where's Master?"

"Because you suddenly collapsed, Scáthach took over delivering the supplies and exchanging the seawater samples with the observation station staff. I stayed behind to watch over and protect you," Artoria explained.

"Master really doesn't waste any time," Shiomi exhaled, then grinned teasingly.

But the moment he caught sight of Artoria's worried expression, his smile faltered, and he quickly composed himself.

"Are you feeling unwell, Master? What caused you to faint all of a sudden?" Artoria asked with concern.

Shiomi lowered his gaze to the grass at his feet. "It wasn't physical. I heard a 'voice.'"

"A voice?"

"It was… incredibly sorrowful, and strangely warm. Like…" Shiomi slowly tried to put the dream into words. "Like a mother abandoned by her child…"

He'd come to the shore, looking out over the vast Persian Gulf stretching toward the Indian Ocean, and then—his mind had gone blank. He collapsed without warning.

"A mother abandoned by her child…" Artoria looked at him. "Could it be tied to your lost memories?"

"Anywhere else, I might've thought that," Shiomi replied, frowning and shaking his head. "But here, in the Seventh Singularity, I can't believe that's all it is."

"Why not?"

"Do you remember what the Moon King said yesterday?" Shiomi asked.

"About Goddess Tiamat."

"In Mesopotamian creation myths, the Mother Goddess Tiamat and the Father God Apsu gave birth to the first generation of gods. But Apsu, born into a world of calm, couldn't stand the chaos their children brought, and resolved to kill them. However, before he could act, the children killed him first. The world only grew noisier after his death, and Tiamat became the next target. She, too, was betrayed by her children. In her grief, she gave birth to eleven monstrous children to fight the gods—but she was defeated in the end."

Shiomi recounted the myth in simple terms, then stood up and pressed his toes into the ground.

"After her defeat, Tiamat's body was torn apart by the gods. Her remains floated on the sea, were moved by the gods, and eventually became this land—Mesopotamia."

"So, you believe the voice calling out to you was from the sleeping Goddess Tiamat?" Artoria asked, her understanding clear.

"Maybe…" Shiomi extended his hand toward her. "When I think about the power I've touched—it mirrors Tiamat's from the Age of Myth."

Artoria took his hand and rose from beneath the tree. "So that's why you sensed her—or perhaps she sensed you first?"

"Could be. Maybe she even mistook me for the child she lost," Shiomi said, glancing at her gloved hand with a self-deprecating smile.

Artoria gently rotated her wrist, intending to return his grip and soothe the unease she could feel stirring in him.

But before she could speak, something flashed in the corner of her eye—a vapor trail cut through the clouds, streaking across the bright blue sky at supersonic speed, headed straight for the shore.

Only seconds remained before impact.

"Life Wall!"

Without hesitation, Shiomi cast a defensive spell. Just as the unidentified object struck, a transparent barrier formed, absorbing the shockwave—its force comparable to a meteor impact.

"I didn't expect you to abandon your position after spotting the Demon Pillars. Instead, you reduced your numbers for reconnaissance… You must have a lot of confidence in your own strength."

The fake Enkidu rose from the swirling sand, walking toward them with an air of arrogance.

"One Master. One Servant. With so few of you, even I feel tempted to take this chance to eliminate you."

"When you show up alone like this, you can't hide that aura—the aura of the King of Magecraft, impostor."

Shiomi gripped his crimson spear. Behind him, Artoria had already changed into her battle attire, holding the Holy Lance at the ready.

"Your instincts aren't bad. Yes, I'm a fake Enkidu. I simply serve a different master now. Humans really are beyond saving."

"Oh? Then before we take you down, how about you tell us your true name?"

"You've got nerve, human. If you think you can manage that!"

The false Enkidu spread his arms wide as dense chains erupted from golden gates that materialized from the void.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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