After settling the Chaldea group in the side hall of the Divine Tower, Tomoe Gozen left for the northern front to relieve Leonidas I.
Shiomi, Morgan, and Scáthach remained in the room to contact Chaldea and discuss their next steps.
After all, while Hakuno Kishinami had accepted their arrival, she hadn't yet assigned them any tasks. Acting on their own initiative probably wouldn't provoke any objections from that easygoing girl, but it could disrupt so of the plans already in place.
"Let's review the situation," Shiomi said, seated on the carpet with Morgan and Scáthach around the communicator. "First, the Gilgash we encountered isn't the real one—his whereabouts are still unknown. Second, the ones currently leading the assault on sopotamia's city-states are the 'Three Goddess Alliance.' The countless Magical Beasts must be their forces, and that Enkidu is likely among them. Ishtar is confird to be one of the goddesses…"
"This is looking even worse than the Sixth Singularity…" ca Romani's voice through the communicator.
Scáthach gave a small nod. "With that many Age of Gods Magical Beasts, charging in head-on would only lead to a slow, grinding death."
"But the wall only keeps the beasts from breaking through—it's already on the verge of collapse," Morgan added. "We'll need to strengthen the northern wall's defenses based on the current situation."
"You an like in the Sixth Singularity, turning the wall into a full fortress?" Shiomi asked.
Morgan nodded. "It's not impossible. Since this is the Age of Gods, I can more easily gather Mana and remodel the northern wall. That way, we can reduce the burden on my husband and Chaldea."
"But doing that…" Scáthach smiled faintly. "You won't be able to leave Uruk, will you?"
"In the end, this Singularity is even more complex. We can't let those kids go out and take unnecessary risks," Morgan replied with a calm smile. "Besides, soone needs to stay behind to support the city's defenses. The only ones suited for outside missions are you, , and my husband."
Scáthach maintained her gentle smile, but her tone was serious. "And with the steady flow of refugees arriving in Uruk seeking shelter, I doubt it'll be long before the Moon King formally entrusts us with a mission."
It was clear that they'd have to divide their forces into two groups—field and internal support.
The girls, most of whom were Magi, were better suited to staying within the city to build fortifications and defend against Magical Beasts and other potential threats.
Fieldwork would fall to Shiomi.
"That's a fair assessnt. But if it's just Shiomi and Lady Scáthach going out, wouldn't that be a bit lacking in firepower?"
"Don't worry, I'll be joining the field team too. Now that everyone's here, the King can finally begin the search for Gilgash. Before, I was handling it alone, and progress was... slow." Mari's voice ca from the doorway.
She strolled in with a carefree air and sat down naturally beside the group, joining the discussion.
What she didn't ntion was that tagging along with Shiomi's group sounded much more entertaining.
From the current state of things, it looked like Morgan would be staying in Uruk to help bolster the city's defenses.
"That actually makes it even less reliable," Shiomi said bluntly.
Mari instantly put on a teary-eyed look. "I didn't expect to be rejected so harshly... boo hoo..."
"Co on now, Miss Mari's been helping you all. Don't be so cold," Romani chid in from the communicator, his tone full of mock indignation as he clearly took her side.
"...Romani..." Shiomi wanted to retort but decided it wasn't worth it.
People tend to lose their senses around their idols. Fortunately, Romani's "condition" wasn't too severe—for a doctor, at least.
"But if you think I'm not strong enough," Mari suddenly said, dropping the act and flashing her usual smile, "why not summon another Servant? Just like you did in the other Singularities."
"Only one?" Romani caught the nuance in her words.
"That's right. There's only enough for one more Servant," Mari confird. "The seven of us were summoned using the Great Uruk Grail from Gilgash's treasury, simulating a Holy Grail War ritual. But the purpose was to repair the Singularity—a hybrid of Heroic Spirit Summoning and a Grail War."
She explained it smoothly. "Since the Moon King is human, mana for Heroic Spirit Summoning can be supplied by Gilgash's relics and the divine environnt of this era. But the Leylines here are almost at its limit—you understand, don't you?"
Mari's point was simple. Besides the seven Servants already summoned, there were lone ones like Ana, the Divine Spirit-class Servant of the Three Goddess Alliance, and the unending tide of Magical Beasts that hadn't stopped in six months—all of them, along with Uruk's defensive systems, were draining the Leyline.
If Chaldea summoned more Servants, the land's spiritual veins would dry up, making it uninhabitable and endangering the city's civilians.
One more Servant was the hard limit.
This wasn't Mari's personal opinion—it was the cold reality.
And so, the one who would perform the summoning was obvious.
"Alright."
Shiomi stood, pulled out a pre-prepared summoning crystal, and tossed it onto the floor.
The summoning circle ford the mont it struck the ground—an innovation Shiomi had developed during the London Singularity.
But while Scáthach, Morgan, and Romani all focused on Shiomi, none of them noticed the faint, knowing smile on Mari's face.
"...Bound for seven days by the star-gazing words,
Run! Fall! Deliver judgnt!
Guardian of the Scales!"
After a brief pause to gather his thoughts, Shiomi began the summoning ritual, reciting the incantation clearly.
A violent gust swept through the room.
Shiomi, now used to the phenonon of a Servant's third summoning, watched the figure erge from the dense fog, the presence and silhouette stirring a sense of familiarity.
Footsteps echoed across the stone floor—armor clinking with each step.
"...So that's why I ended up there. It was all for this mont. I suppose this, too, is fate... or perhaps redemption."
As the mist cleared, the pure white figure beca distinct. Her voice was clear and dignified, yet carried a comforting warmth.
"Ruler—Artoria Pendragon. To atone for my past sins and to save this world, I offer myself as a blade to protect humanity. Tell —are you my Master?"
There was no mistaking it—this was the Lion King, who should have vanished with the Sixth Singularity and was never ant to beco a Heroic Spirit again.
And yet here she was, responding to a random summoning without a catalyst... as a Ruler-class.
Rather than joy at summoning such a top-tier Servant, Shiomi felt his heart skip a beat.
No one noticed the deepening delight in Mari's expression.
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