Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

I didn't understand, but I still participated in the conquest of the First Singularity. Director Olga, having regained her vessel, believed someone had to connect with Mash's Servant contract should Fujimaru meet with misfortune. In other words, from that moment on, I became Fujimaru's replacement.

Ah... my head is starting to hurt too. Is my memory becoming unstable...?

I vaguely remember that the first singularity was Orleans during the Hundred Years' War, a battle between two Joan of Arc figures—it's quite interesting that even the legendary Joan of Arc instinctively avoided me with disgust, as if she had seen something dirty. Even though she quickly realized her mistake and apologized, I knew she regretted her impolite behavior, not that she genuinely wanted to say 'sorry'.

It doesn't matter, I don't care. I came to Chaldea to fulfill the ideal of saving humanity, not to expect others' worship and respect for me. Since my position allows me to fulfill my value, I will overcome any difficulties I encounter and accept it.

Soon, the first singularity ended. I wasn't much of a role in it; my main contributions were acting as bait during Fafnir's attack and providing some enhancement magic to the physically weak Fujimaru. But with Mash, the shieldbearer, protecting her, she didn't really need my help—the two battles that concluded the singularity, the fights against Dark Jeanne d'Arc and the Demon Pillars, were led by Akuta's Lanling King, with many other scattered Servants providing support. Fujimaru played a crucial role in uniting these unruly ancient heroes. And me… I didn't do much.

Fujimaru is truly a remarkable person… Fujimaru Ritsuka, an ordinary-looking person with an absurdly high level of spiritual particle adaptability. The spiritual particle transfer rejection reaction that would take me at least five minutes to recover from seems to be nonexistent for her and Akuta. And not only that, all Servants, whether allies or enemies, are willing to stop and listen to her when she speaks, even if they are in the midst of battle.

She was strong, not in terms of physical strength, but in terms of her spirit and charisma. Compared to her and Akuta, who was proficient in countless secret arts and whose heart held countless hidden secrets, perhaps I, a magician who was useless except for my magic skills, was the only truly ordinary person. And Fujimaru, this 'ordinary person' who wore a plain exterior, was actually a peerless genius in the field of spirit particle transfer.

I was so foolish back then, failing to grasp Fujimaru's genius, which far surpassed mine. Instead, I arrogantly tried to surpass her in our subsequent adventures—so, in the Second Singularity, I persuaded the barbarians of the North. During the Roman Civil War, I raised a massive army, using mortal legions to defeat the forces of the Roman gods. Therefore, in the Third Singularity, I awakened the sea god defeated by Drake, using its power to bury the Argonauts and Blackbeard's pirate ship.

I know this will have side effects. Although I don't know where the inspiration came from, I prepared in advance a special way to deal with Attila's curse. With the right ritual, I poisoned the Hunnic king when she descended due to the invasion of the northern barbarians. I also prepared a means to control the awakened sea god. When my servant Drake, under the influence of my conspiracy, fought the sea god again, the secret ritual I set up with the trident was enough to bury the resurrected sea god and Captain Drake, who held the Holy Grail, together.

I failed because Fujimaru stopped me at the last minute. But it doesn't matter, since Chaldea ultimately won.

Those Servants disliked me even more, not just in the Singularities, but even within Chaldea. When I saw the summoned Spirit Origin Shadows of those Servants, they were basically indifferent to me—I could understand them, after all, I had almost tricked and killed them before, so it was normal for them to dislike me now. And I am not Fujimaru, the opinions of these familiars are of no use to me.

Anyway, they never express any opinion about me, because they always ignore me.

No… perhaps it wasn't that I ignored her. There was another Heroic Spirit, an being who responded to me… I don't know who she is, but she must have provided me with some crucial help. Perhaps it was because of her influence that my eyes changed from light green to pale blue after the Second Singularity ended. And at the end of the Third Singularity, the ends of my flaxen hair turned golden.

I consulted the director and Dr. Roman, but even they, with their vast knowledge, knew nothing about this being who had favored me. The only one who could speak to me was Leonardo da Vinci, who enthusiastically wanted to 'exorcise' me, saying that I was corrupted by an ancient demon from the old era or something... I didn't agree, and the matter was left unresolved.

Thus, the fourth singularity. Nineteenth-century London.

The deadly fog shrouding London is troublesome, as are the numerous Chaos mechanical soldiers within the city. Therefore, I've decided to directly detonate the underground water veins of the Thames, leveling the city in the most extreme way possible, thereby forcing out the Grail Holder entrenched in London.

I failed. For the first time, Fujimaru commanded Mashu to subdue me and confine me to a small hut. She cried and begged for my forgiveness afterward—how ridiculous! When did she ever need my forgiveness? I longed for the salvation of humanity and the elimination of the singularity, not these trivial matters. Her and Akuta's final victory proved her decision was correct.

Upon returning to Chaldea, Olga relieved me of my 'Master' status. Her reason was that my radical strategies could potentially lead to some unpredictable and disastrous consequences. I accepted her decision and returned to my resting quarters—I had assumed I would be confined there until the restoration of humanity failed or was completed. However, to my surprise, I was granted permission to participate in spirit particle transfer again after only one day.

Because Fujimaru and Akuta collapsed, they encountered the Magic King in the Fourth Singularity and suffered an extremely powerful and terrifying curse. Akuta could barely hold on to life, while Fujimaru was almost completely unable to survive under the curse. While the Servants who loved Fujimaru tried various methods to awaken her, Olga reverted to my substitute identity. She then entrusted Mash and me to resolve the Fifth Singularity before Fujimaru awoke.

...Naturally, Mash was unwilling to sign a contract with me, not even a temporary one. When I arrived on the vast 18th-century North American continent, I was unable to obtain the help of any free Servants. But it didn't matter; I didn't need them just as they didn't need me—I concealed my identity and secretly instigated conflict between several Servant factions on the continent. At the same time, I traversed North America, burying hidden runes in various leyline nodes.

To be honest, this level of ritual was a bit beyond my capabilities. But the being who had favored me provided me with considerable assistance; she inspired me and improved my magical skills. And as the war on the North American continent intensified, I wove a sufficiently intricate web.

I weakened the Free Servants' power—I stabbed Medb with a cursed cheese sword. I incited the bards to beg Cú Chulainn to eat dog meat before killing them. I wounded Beowulf with dragon fangs, and drove the demon boars to fight Diarmuid… I did a lot, and I know it was despicable. But I'm not everyone's beloved Fujimaru Ritsuka; I'm just a mortal, and this was the only way to achieve victory.

Mashu still respected me, regarding me as one of her 'seniors', just as she respected everyone else. But when the war on the North American continent reached a critical point, and I was about to detonate the ley lines, she explicitly objected for the first time—I ignored her, because she couldn't offer a more reasonable solution. So, at the opportune moment, I detonated the ley lines, killing all the Servants and almost everyone else on the North American continent.

I brought back the Holy Grail, the symbol of the singularity. As I expected, when I returned, there were no flowers, no applause, only eyes filled with fear and distance, as if looking at a monster. Everyone regarded me as the murderer who slaughtered an entire continent… and that was indeed the truth.

I killed them all, and I am willing to bear this sin. Because until Fujimaru and Akuta wake up, only I can bear this sin.

Fujimaru remained unconscious and had not yet awakened.

A day later, I stepped onto the portal to the Sixth Singularity. As I set off, I knew that everyone except Mash and the rarely involved doctor Roman—Chaldea's staff and Servants alike—would rather I die in the Sixth Singularity, would rather my disappearance bring Fujimaru back to life… I didn't care, because Fujimaru could indeed do better than me. And when I successfully arrived in the Holy City where the Sixth Singularity was located, and had prepared a scheme that would dishonorably annihilate the Knights of the Round Table, their wish was finally fulfilled.

Fujimaru and Akuta have awakened and descended, and I can no longer mobilize Chaldea's resources on the Holy City. My only Demi-Servant, Mash, no longer obeys my commands. I have been discarded, and I know that even if everything goes smoothly, Olga probably won't reserve a spot for me when she's collecting candidates.

It was around that time that I met Merlin, who had entrusted me with this array diagram.

And now, I am destined to die here alone.

I have no regrets, for I am a magician, Flora the Magician. And the ultimate goal of my magic is not to reach the Root, but to restore humanity. For this, my own survival and all the sacrifices made in the process of restoration are acceptable losses.

However, perhaps that's why the Servants ignored me—Heroic Spirits descend to earth as Servants to protect humanity. Mages, on the other hand, are hardly human. So, from beginning to end, did the Servants only favor Fujimaru, a purely human, and Akuta, with whom they had formed many karmic ties and harbor hidden secrets?

No, perhaps it's not just that. There are likely far more complex secrets involved. But these secrets... probably have little to do with me anymore.

Ah… I can’t see at all anymore. I’ve lost all feeling from the neck down and my face… I’m probably going to die very soon. Even if I’m not crushed to dust by the sealed boundary tower, I’ll definitely fall into the endless spacetime turbulence and disappear forever.

Wow, what a unique way to die. For a magician, that's quite a spectacle. Life is unpredictable; a dream in one night, death in one day. I probably don't have many regrets about my life so far, so it wouldn't matter if I just disappear forever like this.

...Speaking of which, who was that being who had shown me favor?

Section 1: The Roots

I am the old order.

The things I govern are light and darkness, and thunder and fire.

Call me by my name...

..........................................

At first, Flora felt herself sinking. Not in the water, not in the air, but sinking from one place to another. There was no cold, no heat, no comfort, no pain. But she could feel herself sinking.

It was a strange feeling. Even though she had lost all sense of touch, she knew she was 'sinking'. She didn't know whether she was sinking fast or slow, but she knew she was constantly falling deeper into the 'depth'.

Deep within... what is deep within?

She couldn't understand the term, or rather, she couldn't understand anything at this point in time. Her intellect at the moment she became aware of her own existence was like that of a newborn infant. However, since there is a point in time, then there is a past; and since there is a past, then there should be a future.

It's strange, does time exist because of human perception?

If that's the case, is now the time for Fujimaru and the others to return to Chaldea?

A thought surfaced in her mind. Then, in that instant, she immediately sensed the fall intensifying, and the next moment, she felt her back touch the bottom of the 'deep'!

'ah--'

A silent cry erupted from the girl's throat. In her eyes, everything instantly emerged from the emptiness, transformed, and constructed a scene with real meaning. Her previously imperceptible body and five senses swiftly returned to her, and then—

—Both feet on the ground!

A myriad of colors manifested in her vision, then coalesced and returned to solidity. Within seconds of landing, she realized she was standing on a reinforced magic circle for spirit particle transfer. Beside her was the emergency operating platform erected after the Chaldea control room was destroyed. Looking up, 'Chaldea', like a projection of Earth, floated silently, as if frozen in time. Her gaze fell silently to the Chaldea staff and the remaining Servants looking at her with a mixture of surprise and delight!

A look of mixed surprise and delight in her eyes! Look at her!

Some Servants even rushed over with joyful expressions, seemingly wanting to give her a hug!

【How could this be?!】

Could it be that they've finally come to understand—

"Lord Anchin! Kiyohime missed you so much!"—The next moment, the cold truth was poured over her head like frigid snow. The Servant, whose information she hadn't even realized at first glance but which had now materialized in her mind, silently passed through her, like sunlight passing through a bubble.

That's Kiyohime, the Servant Kiyohime. She's an Eastern Servant who regards Fujimaru as her legendary lover and whose affections are firmly tied to her Master, who always claims to be an 'ordinary person'. And within this Chaldea base, she only ever calls one person 'Lord Anchin'.

Flora turned her head, and the figures of Fujimaru, Mashu, Akuta, and Lanling Wang appeared behind her. Just as she had guessed, Kiyohime was rubbing against Fujimaru, while Mashu watched it helplessly beside her.

Ah, daydreaming is definitely not good. What am I even thinking about...?

Her outstretched hand fell silently to her sides, reason and composure returning to her mind. Flora watched indifferently as Fujimaru and Mash, dragging Kiyohime, passed through her form. The gazes of the Chaldea employees and Servants shifted to where Fujimaru was now.

“Well done.” Director Olga Marie, now in her semi-spirit form, nodded to the two masters and servants from the control room’s command console. “Thank you for your hard work, Fujimaru and Akuta. I’ve seen all your efforts. With this, the Sixth Singularity is now completely repaired, and only the final step remains.”

“But Director, Flora-senpai, she…” Fujimaru opened his mouth, but was interrupted by Olga’s raised hand before he could finish speaking.

“I know about this,” the young director said calmly. “Her sacrifice was worthwhile, so you all bear a heavy responsibility. Even if it’s just to live up to her death, you should take good care of yourselves. Alright, you’ve been busy for so long, you must be tired. You should get some rest before initiating the next spirit transfer.”

"but……"

"I'm going back now." Hinako's high heels clicked on the ground. Without looking at anyone else, she walked straight out of the control room with a cold expression. Lanling Wang silently materialized behind her and followed quietly, leaving Fujimaru, who had been interrupted for the second time, standing there frozen.

"Alright, Ritsuka. Some things are still far off for you, so don't worry about them." The half-spirited director floated lightly to the orange-haired girl's side. His usually arrogant tone softened. "Humanity's restoration is just one final step away. You should..."

"But can we really do it?" The orange-haired Master looked up, her face serious. "Aside from the initial Singularity F, of the six Singularities, Flora-senpai completed three of them independently. And of the remaining three, she played a significant role in the repair of two of them. Even with France, it was thanks to her drawing Fafner away that we were able to successfully raid and break into Orleans. But..."

“But she’s already dead, and she died a worthy death.” Olga reached out and placed her hand on Fujimaru Ritsuka’s shoulder. “You have to understand, Ritsuka. Ordinary people and magicians are different. And even among magicians, that person belonged to the most extreme category. If this were the Time Tower, I would gladly rely on her as my right-hand woman. But this isn’t the place. This is Chaldea, the only Chaldea in the world where people are still alive. So…”

"Ritsuka, we need people like you. And the Servants only recognize people like you."

She gestured and looked at Mash, who was supporting Fujimaru—"Mash, take your Master to the rest room to rest. We have an important meeting after he's rested."

"Director, I think what the senior said makes sense. Everyone has a lot of reservations about Senior Flora..."

"go quickly."

"...Yes, Director."

A few dozen seconds later, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu left the control room. Watching them depart, Olga Marie let out a silent sigh.

“Don’t blame me, Flora,” she murmured. “It’s better for everyone this way…”

"I don't blame you, Olga. Having expectations of humanity was a mistake in itself, and I have no reason to blame you for your choices. But I still have questions: why are you... why are the Servants other than you so hostile towards me?"

The scene before Flora's eyes froze silently, then reversed. After the clock in the control room had ticked several times backward, the scene before her eyes stabilized again.

She wasn't surprised. She already had a guess in her heart. She knew very well that her death was a fait accompli. Her body should now be nothing but ashes, but her will had not decayed. Instead, it had been preserved in some strange way in the spacetime turbulence after the Boundary Tower was sealed... or in a realm even deeper than the spacetime turbulence.

Everything that is before my eyes is a record.

She blinked—she was still in Chaldea, still in the control room. But now, only three people stood there.

Director Olga, Doctor Roman, and follower Leonardo da Vinci.

They sat around a coffee table piled high with documents, and the three of them sat on three sofas in a triangular area. Beyond the coffee table and sofas, in the control room area, all was darkness.

“Flora’s physical examination showed no problems; she’s just an ordinary tenth-generation mage. Neither her magical crest nor her cellular structure is any different from when she joined Chaldea.” Doctor Roman rubbed his temples and took a sip of his coffee. “No abnormalities were detected in her hair and eye color; everything is perfectly normal.”

"The same goes for the Servants." Leonardo da Vinci, sporting a Mona Lisa-like face, nodded slightly. "I inquired with the 104 Heroic Spirits currently registered on the Spirit Origin Chart. Every single one of them harbors some kind of innate aversion to her, though no one can pinpoint the exact source of this aversion. Including myself, every Servant feels as if they've seen something utterly filthy and repulsive when they see her. All her flaws are magnified infinitely, while her achievements... not a single Servant cares."

Flora pursed her lips slightly. Some...not-so-good memories surfaced in her mind. She recalled several unexpected incidents she had encountered in Chaldea. Things that seemed like coincidences, but which had nearly cost her her life.

"Someone like me?" Dr. Roman gave a wry smile. "More than one Servant has thought I was a bad person just by looking at me."

“She’s far more serious than you, Romani.” Leonardo da Vinci shook his raised finger. “Most people just have a bad first impression of you. They can trust you after spending some time with you. But Flora is different. Many Servants don’t even want to talk about her name. There are even a few radical ones who are planning to secretly wipe her off the face of the earth.”

"Whether they are enemies or allies, as long as they are Servants, seeing her will evoke hatred and murderous intent in their hearts. The only exception so far is Mash, who is a Demi-Servant—but that should be due to the effect of Mash's human nature. If it were the Knight of the Round Table within Mash, I think there would probably be no exception."

“One or two is one thing, but all the Servants coming at once is not a coincidence. I now even suspect that her true identity is a hidden Demon God Pillar. Because only this explanation can make everything that is happening now reasonable.”

Demon Pillars. The retinue of the Magic King. The seventy-two demons of Solomon and their derivatives.

The girl sighed softly, admitting that what these guys said did make some sense.

The conversation then continued.

"So, that's why you said you'd help Da Vinci exorcise the demon?" Olga pursed her lips, her thumb resting on her chin. Her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were thinking of something unpleasant. "Indeed, if we act before the Demon Pillar is awakened, there's a possibility of exorcising it... but I don't think she's a Demon Pillar."

“I don’t think so either, but there’s too much evidence.” Da Vinci shook his head slightly. “Some changes in normal times are one thing, and it’s normal to unleash some potential in a crisis. But even Mata Hari, who is most skilled at reading people, judged her to be at most an above-average magician. She lacks the strategic vision; she simply couldn’t do something like blowing up a continent… Putting all that aside, don’t you think the timing of the Magic King’s appearance is a bit too coincidental?”

"Just as Hinako Akuta restricted her movements, the Magic King immediately descended upon the Fourth Singularity. As a result, even if we were unwilling, we had no choice but to let her repair the Fifth Singularity. What's even stranger is that she repaired so many singularities, yet each time she just happened to avoid the Demon Pillars... either avoiding them or annihilating them the instant they arrived. While I could understand this as a coincidence or her pre-planned strategy, I think... it's unlikely."

Flora bit her lower lip.

She shouldn't have felt any pain at this moment, but she felt as if needles were piercing her heart. This was more painful than the hostility of the Servants and the indifference of Chaldea. Because she felt... what the other person said made a lot of sense.

I... have indeed connected with an unknown, great being.

[My abilities are indeed limited; I might not even survive Singularity F on my own... But I always manage to find crucial points in critical moments. I also often experience sudden bursts of inspiration when I'm confused. And if the being connected to me is a Demon Pillar and attempts to manipulate me at a crucial moment to destroy the restoration of humanity...]