Fate: How About a New Savior?

"Cath Palug... Doing something like this right after we meet? That's way too much! Just because Merlin isn't around doesn't mean you can take it out on me!"

After a fierce scuffle between mismatched sizes but equal strength, Ritsuka scooped up Fou, and the woman in the white cloak sat up from the ground.

Though her identity was still unclear, Shiomi could at least be certain—this woman was no ordinary person.

During her fight with Fou, the woman's hood had fallen back, revealing flowing white hair that shimmered with illusion. Her skin was so pale it was nearly translucent, and just meeting her pink eyes radiated an intense charm.

It was especially effective on men. Without the habit of reinforcing mental defenses with mana, even Magi could easily be captivated at first glance.

"Merlin..." Shiomi leaned against a tree, eyeing the woman. "Are you someone who knows him?"

Scáthach stepped forward. "She's the one I mentioned—Lady Avalon. She helped me leave the Land of Shadows and reach Chaldea to meet my disciple."

"Thanks to Her Majesty the Queen of the Land of Shadows for the introduction! I'm Merlin's little sister, the Flower Onee-san, Lady Avalon. And this young girl with me is Ana. We're both Servants."

That name sounded made-up, which only made Shiomi more suspicious. But his master gave him a look that said, "Just roll with it," so he decided to go along with it for now.

"We sensed your battle while traveling and came to help," said Lady Avalon.

Sakura stepped forward to thank Ana on everyone's behalf. "Thank you so much for stepping in. Dad was in real danger back there—we were all at a loss."

"...No need for honorifics. Just call me Ana," she muttered, tugging at her hood. "Also, I hate humans. Try not to get close."

Sakura gave an awkward smile and quickly stepped back to create some space. She glanced at Gray, who also pulled up her hood sheepishly, her eyes saying, "I'm not like that."

"Anyway... since you're Servants, were you summoned to this Singularity by the Counter Force, or—"

Shiomi tapped the communicator on his wrist, connecting to Chaldea.

Thanks to the data from the sixth Singularity—the Sun King's domain—the interference from Divine Era mana had finally been resolved, allowing for smooth communication.

"Hey! Wait up!"

Romani, who had been following from the control room, could no longer hold back. As the screen connected, he practically shoved his face into it, taking up the entire frame.

But his eyes weren't on Shiomi—they were fixed on Lady Avalon.

"You said you're Merlin's sister?!"

"That's right." Lady Avalon nodded cheerfully. "You're Romani Archaman from Chaldea, right? I know you. Ever since the Incineration of Humanity began, you've been my last remaining fan still supporting my online activities."

"Huh?!"

The group practically reacted in unison.

Romani had been known to watch virtual idols in his spare time, but in this era of human history burning, anyone still active online was already suspicious.

"I always suspected Merlin was behind that weirdness, but you're telling me Magi*Mari's true identity is his sister?! That's news to me! No way! I refuse to believe it!"

Romani leapt from his seat, roaring up at the ceiling of the control room.

"There's no way Merlin has a sister! That useless man is a half-blood, born of a human and an Incubus! There's no legend of him having a sister! Who the hell are you? If you're a fake, you'd better come clean right now!"

"Someone, help! Acting Director's losing it!" came Meunière's voice over the comms from the control room.

Apparently, Romani's outburst had thrown things into a kind of chaos that, while disruptive, didn't seem particularly alarming.

Olga Marie sighed and rubbed her forehead. She was starting to regret not staying back at Chaldea to support from there instead of insisting on following her professor to the frontlines of a Singularity.

"Romani, did you forget to wake up today? If that's the case, I suggest you strap yourself to the next planetary probe and go search for asteroids in space for a few years. Maybe then your brain will clear up a little—assuming you don't get incinerated in the stratosphere," Lady Avalon said with a cheerful smile.

"Ah..." Romani suddenly let out a quiet gasp. "That smile... so cute it hurts... and that razor-sharp tongue... You're the real deal... right?"

"Finally got it?" Lady Avalon winked at him. "I'm your beloved Magi*Mari—everyone's favorite idol. Feel free to just call me Mari, okay? Everyone else does."

"Ugh—"

Romani let out a dramatic gasp, clutched his chest, and collapsed backward into his chair. Meunière quietly wheeled him out of the camera's frame.

Taking his place at the command seat was Da Vinci.

"All right, all right. Let's set Romani's little episode aside and get back to the main point. You said you're Magi*Mari, the sister of the Flower Magus, Merlin—correct, Lady Avalon?"

"Mari is just fine," Lady Avalon replied, clearly embracing her identity as Magi*Mari now.

"But Merlin has an eternal life that won't end, even if the world does. As his sister, wouldn't you have the same kind of immortality?" Shiomi scratched his brow.

Romani's earlier chaos had thrown him off, so rather than continue questioning things, he just tried to make sense of the situation.

"That's because we have an excellent Master here," Mari said breezily. "This place predates the time of my birth. Since my body doesn't exist here, I can technically be considered dead. And that lets me be summoned as a Servant."

"Talk about exploiting loopholes," Morgan chuckled.

Of course, it was unclear whether she was mocking Mari—or herself and Scáthach, who were also unusual cases.

"But actually, the summon was originally meant for Merlin. However, knowing that there's a super scary queen in Chaldea, he dumped the job on his adorable little sister instead," Mari added with a half-joking explanation.

It went without saying who that "scary queen" was.

"Ah... right..." Shiomi slumped his shoulders and glanced at Morgan.

"No need to look so surprised," Morgan said casually, despite the dangerous content of her words. "Even if Merlin himself showed up, I'd still wait until we resolve the Singularity—then lock him in the tower."

"Looks like it really was the right call to send me instead."

Mari's expression trembled slightly—clearly, she was afraid of Morgan too.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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