Fate: How About a New Savior?

The carriage came to a stop at the entrance of Deming. With the plan to enter the town for investigation and rendezvous with Robin Hood and the others, Shiomi made the decision for the group to proceed on foot.

Once the carriage halted, Shiomi hopped down and, seeing Caren stepping out, reached up to catch her mid-jump, letting her land safely in his arms before setting her down on the uneven ground.

This late-18th-century American town had red dirt roads. Judging from the lingering mud and moisture, it must have rained recently. The roads were still damp and slick—easy to slip on if one wasn't careful.

Watching this from atop the carriage, Scáthach seemed lost in thought.

Noticing her gaze, Shiomi looked up just as she leapt down.

"Nice catch. Didn't even need a hint from me," Scáthach said, arms wrapped around his neck.

"This isn't exactly a school trip..." Shiomi muttered as he gently set her down. Then he turned to Florence Nightingale. "Please stay with the carriage and watch over Rama. If a fight breaks out, be ready to get him out of here fast."

Caution was essential. After all, the last time they'd heard from Robin Hood and Billy the Kid had been two days ago.

Even Servants weren't immune to the limitations of the era without proper communication tools. Anything could've happened in that time.

But soon, Shiomi found himself regretting this entire visit.

When he first saw the "Broadway Show" sign, he assumed it was the handiwork of a performance-type Servant. What he didn't expect was to be assaulted by the voices of two top-class singers completely butchering their songs—so off-key they didn't hit a single note.

Shiomi wasn't much of a singer himself, but this level of tone-deafness had him mentally unraveling.

Not even when facing the King of Magecraft had he ever felt such despair.

"Oh... that's Emperor Nero. Though the outfit's a little different," Caren said, recognizing the performers onstage. "And there's Elizabeth Báthory. Her costume is just as elaborate."

She and Gray had previously gone to the Second Singularity, where they encountered both Nero in her pre-Servant form and Elizabeth as a stray Servant.

Even Scáthach was forced to cover her ears at the overwhelming magical noise—yet Caren seemed entirely unaffected.

A closer look revealed she was wearing a pair of earplugs imbued with soundproofing Magecraft.

The moment she recognized Nero and Elizabeth performing, Caren had immediately put to use the precaution she thought she'd never need.

Indeed, their magical singing had surpassed physical tolerance—only Magecraft could fully shield one from it.

In the audience seating below the stage, Robin Hood and Billy the Kid were slumped unconscious in their chairs, making Shiomi genuinely concerned about whether their Spirit Origins could still hold together.

No wonder the pair had gone silent for the past two days.

"Long time no see, puppy! What a fateful reunion!" Elizabeth squealed, instantly recognizing Caren and waving excitedly.

It seemed she still retained her memories from the Rome Singularity. Nero, however, showed no sign of recognizing her.

Given what happened with Mordred in London, Shiomi had already raised this phenomenon in a Chaldea briefing—so there was no need to dig deeper.

"You're the Chaldea that Elizabeth mentioned! I heard I met you once when I was alive!" she asked excitedly.

"Nope, I only know Caren. I don't know this guy next to her." Elizabeth jumped down from the stage and greeted Caren cheerfully. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"Yes," Caren replied with a straight face as she removed her earplugs, completely making things up.

"As if!" Shiomi nearly smacked her on the head. "I'm her father!"

Nero looked surprised. "You're really young—but no matter, your looks are both quite to my taste."

"According to legend, Emperor Nero had no taboos. Is she planning to take both father and daughter for herself?" Scáthach covered her mouth, snickering as she whispered into Shiomi's ear.

"Master, could you please be serious for once…" Shiomi's head was starting to ache.

Elizabeth gave Shiomi a puzzled look but quickly lost interest and turned back to chatting with Caren.

"So, what's going on here exactly?" Shiomi asked.

"I'll explain…" Robin Hood raised his hand lazily, now fully back to his senses after the concert. "Billy the Kid and I came to ask those two tone-deaf singers for their help…"

"They agreed—on the condition that we help them hold a concert here. After we made up our minds, we arranged for the residents to evacuate and have been waiting here for you ever since..." Billy the Kid looked exhausted.

Both Archers had suffered varying degrees of Spirit Origin damage, which made Shiomi start to wonder if he was just built tougher than them.

"That's how it is, Caren! Greenie already told me everything!"

"Ugh! Honestly, I haven't sung nearly enough yet!"

With that, Elizabeth and Nero confirmed the Archers' account and expressed their willingness to assist Chaldea in this Singularity.

"I truly appreciate your support, both of you."

After giving a nod of encouragement to the two Archers, Shiomi turned to Elizabeth and Nero and offered a formal thank-you.

"But aside from recruiting lone Servants like you to help repair the Singularity, we also—"

He hadn't forgotten to inquire about the whereabouts of Rama's wife. Just as he was about to speak—

A composed voice rang out:

"Mac an Luin."

A powerful surge of Mana erupted in the sky above the town, launching downward.

It was a Noble Phantasm.

A torrent of water crashed into the town, splitting the ground apart. In an instant, the terrain beneath them fractured into scattered reefs floating on a sea-like expanse.

"Don't underestimate me." Shiomi swept his fingers through the air, instantly tracing out a series of Runes. "Great Ice Age!"

The roaring waves that had split the land froze mid-surge.

"This Noble Phantasm… According to our intel, it's from the Celtic army—" Geronimo gasped.

Even though Shiomi had reacted the moment the attack appeared, using Magecraft to freeze the surging tide, the shattered earth had already separated the group.

Only Scáthach, who had remained closest to Shiomi, stood ready, gripping her spear as the two stood back to back, prepared to face the enemy.

"Oh? What a fascinating Rune spell—able to instantly freeze the assault of my Noble Phantasm…"

The voice was unnaturally distant, transmitted only through magic.

As he surveyed the flooded and now frozen town, Shiomi felt relieved there were no civilians left. He looked up at the man standing atop the cliff, carrying a massive sword.

"So that's where you are!"

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / PinkSnake