Miracle Summoner

"It is time to declare war on the Lion King!"

In the grand hall of the Mountain City palace, Artoria [Alter] made this declaration in an indifferent tone.

"————!"

For a moment, everyone gathered in the hall seemed to hold their breath, falling into silence.

Mash was no exception, her expression serious as she fixed her gaze on Artoria [Alter]. Jeanne [Alter] narrowed her eyes, while Hassan of Serenity tensed her face. Even the people inside Chaldea grew silent, saying nothing more.

Of course, Rozen and the others were not the only ones present.

"..."

Bedivere remained silent, but at some point, he had grasped his silver prosthetic arm tightly, his fingers clenching with force.

It was as if he was trying to suppress something.

However, no one noticed Bedivere's state—except for Rozen.

As soon as Artoria [Alter] made her declaration, Rozen glanced at Bedivere and caught his reaction.

Yet, he said nothing, merely sighing slightly before turning his attention back to Artoria [Alter].

Artoria [Alter] also turned her gaze to Rozen.

"What do you think, Master?"

Artoria [Alter] asked for Rozen's opinion.

To this, Rozen had only one response.

"It's indeed the right time to strike."

With these words, Rozen expressed his agreement with Artoria [Alter]'s decision.

The reason was simple.

"If we don't act now, it may be too late."

Rozen's statement made everyone hold their breath again.

"Why is that?"

Mash couldn't help but ask.

The one who answered wasn't Rozen, but Artoria [Alter].

"Because Rhongomyniad is ready, and the Lion King is likely about to activate the End Tower."

Artoria [Alter] stated this with extreme calmness.

She had come to this conclusion based on the Holy City's recent actions.

"In the past, although the Lion King frequently used the power of Rhongomyniad to unleash the Light of Judgment and wipe out villages, it was merely to deter and eliminate resistance forces—not to completely exterminate humanity."

Artoria [Alter] spoke bluntly.

"She needed to select her chosen flames from among humanity and gather them within the Holy City. Therefore, she would never annihilate all humans. Only after the Holy Selection was completed would she purge the unqualified refugees."

Because of this, villages that had yet to undergo the Holy Selection were never subjected to the Light of Judgment. There was always a chance that those villages contained the flames she sought.

Thanks to this, the Mountain Region had been spared from the Light of Judgment, avoiding the fate of becoming barren wastelands filled with craters like the rest of the land.

But this time, the Lion King had mercilessly unleashed the Light of Judgment upon the villages of the Mountain Region.

What did this signify?

"It means that the Lion King has already gathered all the flames she needs and no longer requires the Holy Selection."

Artoria [Alter]'s eyes glowed with cold light as she spoke.

"With no further need for more flames, she no longer has any reason to spare humanity. With the fall of the Knights' Fortress and the loss of three of her Knights—two dead and one missing—she must have deemed the Mountain People, who have a strong will to resist, as a threat that must be eradicated. That is why she unleashed the Light of Judgment this time."

And this was only a precursor.

The true confirmation that the Lion King had completed her selection was evident in Agravain's actions.

"Agravain's operation was clearly aimed at exterminating the Mountain People completely. If the Mountain People were wiped out, then the only humans left in this land would be the Sun King's subjects and a few wandering refugees. If the Lion King's Rhongomyniad was not yet fully charged, she would never allow Agravain to take such actions. The fact that she has permitted it means that she no longer needs anyone else."

Artoria [Alter]'s statement made everyone's hearts sink.

In other words...

"The Lion King's Rhongomyniad has reached its full capacity. The flames she required have now been gathered, and she can activate Rhongomyniad at any moment to summon the End Tower."

Rozen stated with certainty.

"If we don't attack now, it really will be too late."

Once the End Tower was summoned and Rhongomyniad was fully activated, this Singularity would collapse. The surface of the world would be torn apart, and humanity's foundation would be permanently erased—not because of the Human Order Incineration caused by the King of Magic, but because of the Lion King's Rhongomyniad.

That was why Rozen had said that this was the right time to act.

"If any of you are not ready, you can say so now."

Rozen addressed the group.

At first, there was a collective silence. Then, one by one, they displayed expressions of unwavering determination.

"No, I'm ready. I can fight at any time, Senpai."

Mash no longer showed any hesitation, only firm resolve.

"Since Rozen-sama has decided to go to war, I have no reason not to follow. Besides, so many Mountain People have been slaughtered, and two of the Hassans have sacrificed themselves. We must make the Lion King pay for this."

Hassan of Serenity also spoke softly.

"Isn't this perfect?" Jeanne [Alter] grinned mischievously.

"Rather than staying in this place, getting along with fools and playing nice, I'd much rather go to the battlefield and clash with the Holy Knights. This is exactly my kind of fun."

Jeanne [Alter]'s words, as usual, were irritating.

But everyone had gotten used to her by now. They knew that despite her harsh words, she was actually the easiest to deal with, so they let it slide.

"Your Majesty, I..."

At that moment, Bedivere stepped forward and looked at Artoria [Alter].

"Sir Bedivere?"

Artoria [Alter] also looked at Bedivere, the coldness on her face replaced by silent contemplation.

At this moment, her eyes revealed an emotion of deep complexity.

But soon, Artoria [Alter] calmly declared—

"This time, I will bring you with me. Prepare yourself to face the Lion King."

She had made her decision.

Yet, for some reason, this decision carried an indescribable sense of helpless sorrow.

However, for Bedivere, it was as if he had received a royal decree, freeing him from his burdens. He smiled in relief.

Artoria [Alter] did not look at him any longer. Instead, she turned back to Rozen.

"How do you think we should fight this battle, Master?"

The meaning behind Artoria [Alter]'s words was clear—she wanted Rozen to formulate the battle plan.

In truth, the moment Artoria [Alter] declared war on the Lion King, Rozen's mind had already begun operating at high speed.

With Thought Acceleration, Thought Partitioning, and his enhanced and refined cognitive abilities, he immediately formulated a strategy.

After the journey to Atlas, Rozen had gained much.

In just this short moment, under the support of Virtual Ether, Thought Acceleration, and Thought Partitioning, he had simulated and analyzed the upcoming war 1,353 times, ultimately devising a plan that guaranteed victory.

Thus...

"For this battle, we must overcome three major obstacles."

Rozen's words instantly captured everyone's attention.