Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

About five minutes later, a heavily encrypted text message was delivered to Hinako Akuta, who was waiting in the lounge, through a special channel.

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

【Saber, come back. But don't let anyone else find out.】—Hinako Akuta silently prayed, activating the link with her personal Servant.

When the Servant Lanling Wang Gao Changgong returned to Akuta Hinako as ordered, he saw a completely different Akuta Hinako than usual. She was dressed neatly, and her Chaldea combat uniform was adjusted to its most suitable state. Her expression was solemn, and her eyes were filled with deep emotions.

"My lord." Her servant bowed slightly before her.

“An unfortunate thing has happened: part of my previous deduction was correct. A third force has appeared outside Chaldea, and they may also have their people inside Chaldea. Their attitude is currently unclear.”

“My lord, is there anything I need to do?” her servant asked.

"It's not about what you do, but what we do. Next, you and I will go together to inspect the Holy Grail and the Spirit Origin Chart in the containment chamber. And after that..." Hinako Akuta recalled the words Olga Marie had attached to the text message.

—【Akuta, this is extremely important to us. Chaldea's Spirit Origin Chart is malfunctioning, and if things develop to the worst-case scenario, Chaldea may never be able to summon Servants again. I don't think you want that to happen, and neither do I.】

—【Help me this time, help me investigate what happened. There might be a problem inside Chaldea, I'll arrange for someone to handle it. But the problem could also be outside Chaldea, in a physical sense—I've seen the data my father left behind, I know your true identity, and I know your wish, Akuta. You can take a Holy Grail with you. You know how to use it. And if we can successfully overcome this crisis… even if the Seventh Singularity hasn't been eliminated by then, I can still perform a targeted Heroic Spirit summoning ritual for you.】

—【Please, Akuta. Just do it for Ritsuka and Mashu.】

Jie lowered her eyes slightly.

This is interesting. Olga Marie has never been so decisive. Perhaps she did grow during the six singularity repairs, but that doesn't mean she's been transformed to this extent. After all… that's the Magic King's Holy Grail, the Grail used as an anchor. And if such a Grail were activated in this era, then…

[This is really unlike her, unless she's been driven to the brink. But... phew, Olga Marie, the bait you've offered as a reward is far too tempting. Although I originally planned to wait until Ritsuka completed the final singularity repair before seeking out the King. But...]

"...I have no reason to give up this opportunity that is so close at hand."

“Let’s go, Chang Gong.” Jie opened his eyes. “Let’s go to the containment room first, and then we’ll leave Chaldea. Let’s head to the area outside Chaldea and take a trip there.”

She said that.

She left her lounge with her servants.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Wheel Breakage

The journey to the containment chamber was short and uneventful. As the ever-vigilant Hinako carefully passed through the rest area where the Servants were, she found it unexpectedly quiet.

From the first singularity to the third singularity, not a trace of the Servants residing in the different zones could be found—this is not actually a strange phenomenon, because normally when the chosen ones are not summoning Servants, and during the time Flora is in charge, they often return to the singularity where they were born to wander around or experience life.

However, the situation is somewhat different now.

They should be waiting in the rest area right now... or somewhere else in the corridor. After all, Ritsuka is adventuring in Mesopotamia. They've always valued Ritsuka... Am I being too suspicious?

Mustard thought to herself, but she wasn't foolish enough to show it. Her suspicions were directed at everyone in Chaldea—with the exception of Olga Marie and Dr. Roman, who had briefly controlled Chaldea—because if she or he were a traitor or a third party, there would be no need for such a fuss.

She continued walking forward as if nothing had happened. After a few more seconds, her doubts subsided slightly.

“Mr. Sakata Kintoki.” She nodded to the blond, muscular man standing in the corridor at the entrance to the Servant Division of the Fourth Singularity. The seemingly sunny and robust young man had an inexplicably melancholic air about him. He leaned casually against the automatic door, a cigarette dangling from his lips. As the image of Hinako Akuta appeared in his eyes, he slowly took a drag, then exhaled, the white smoke rings fading slowly at the top of the corridor.

"Ah, it's Ms. Hinako Akuta. Aren't you in the lounge?"

Jie nodded, then shook her head. Lanling Wang materialized beside her, following her. "It'll be at least several more days before Ritsuka completes part of breaking through the Seventh Singularity. I can't stay in the rest room forever. It's essential to get out and move around occasionally."

"Heh, you're right. It's always good to get some exercise; after all, life is about movement—" He took another deep drag, and this time the smoke obscured his face. "—Go ahead, I won't ask what you're going to do. No one should stop you from continuing forward from here, so you can do whatever you want, or whatever you should do."

Hinako Akuta remained silent, her long-dormant heart skipping a beat.

"...Do you know something, Mr. Sakata?"

“I know nothing.” The man’s face remained shrouded in smoke, making his expression impossible to discern. “I only know that something has happened, something very ungolden has happened, or is happening. We Servants are powerless to change such things.”

Mustard was silent for a few seconds, then walked past him.

She was not stopped, nor did she think she would be. But as she walked through the corridor of the fourth residential area and arrived at the passageway leading to the next area, she found that Sakata Kintoki's figure disappeared with her steps, along with the cigarette and the wispy smoke; everything vanished without a trace.

"[My Lord, there's no response from any Servants in the Fourth Residential Area...]"—Lanling Wang's voice echoed in her mind through the contract. She nodded slightly, indicating that she was aware. And she continued forward.

Her journey thereafter was as smooth and peaceful as Sakata Kintoki had predicted. No one stopped her, nor did any of her Servants. As she passed through the Sixth Quarter, she saw the Knights of the Round Table excitedly discussing how they should participate in Ritsuka's battle—which made her feel that the previous conversation and those feelings were all illusions born from the pressure in her heart.

Is that so? Could it really be like this?

She didn't know, and she didn't really want to know.

She didn't engage with the Knights of the Round Table, but merely nodded slightly in greeting. The Knights, seemingly uninterested in getting involved, simply returned a few knightly salutes from afar before continuing their conversation.

So the mustard seed continued forward.

She arrived at the containment chamber four minutes later, entered the chamber five minutes later, and presented the key that Olga Marie had given her in the email to the detection program inside the containment chamber six minutes later.

A barrier opened silently, without triggering any alarms from spells or monitoring instruments. A Holy Grail brimming with immense magical power fell into her palm, and she then gently pressed it into her chest as if toying with a projection.

"My lord..." Lanling Wang's voice was filled with hesitation and worry.

"It's alright. As long as I don't drink the magic within, nothing will happen, and until then, your protection is enough. Chang Gong." — She answered in her heart.

[Understood. Since you have made up your mind, Chang Gong will accompany you to the very end.]

She nodded, shifting her gaze from the Holy Grail storage cabinet before her to the other side of the containment chamber—rows of sealed chambers where forty-five eligible individuals, besides herself, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and Flora, slumbered.

It is said that the initial architectural plan was not like this; the life support pods were to be placed in another location quite far from the containment chamber. However, some things happened later, some chaos occurred, and some damage occurred, ultimately resulting in the abandonment of the room originally intended for the life support pods, and the two locations were merged together.

This is nothing unusual, since no one is allowed to come here normally. Only Director Olga Marie is allowed to freely enter and exit the containment chamber. Others, including Akuta and Ritsuka, are not permitted to approach this place under normal circumstances.

This time, the situation is special.

Without realizing it, Mustard found herself standing in front of the life support pod.

Several familiar names flashed across her eyes one by one.

【Cardok】, 【Ophelia】, 【Pepe】, 【Belir】, 【Debit】.

【And… the captain of Group A, Kirshtalia.】—She paused briefly in front of a life support pod, her gaze seemingly penetrating beyond the physical shield of the pod to focus on the blond man sleeping inside.

He was the only person in the entire Chaldea she feared, the only man she dared not underestimate even in his long slumber—if he were to awaken, and whenever he were to awaken, it would undoubtedly have a significant impact on the balance of power in Chaldea. And no one would hinder his actions. Because no one could.

[Those six... purely based on their Master-level potential, even that weak and insecure man, Kadoc, should be better than me. After all, he was determined to improve, while I stagnated long ago.]

【pity……】

She shook her head slightly. The other six members of Group A were indeed very strong. She had no doubt that if the entire Group A were present, this journey of restoring humanity would have ended swiftly and easily. Perhaps the Magic King would have already been defeated, perhaps the world would have returned to its original state. But… they weren't there.

"Not being there means not being there. Having the ability to do something but being absent for various reasons is no different from not having the ability to do it at all"—she sighed softly, her gaze leaving the life support pod. She walked towards the door, out of the containment chamber, and then towards the door leading to the outer side of Chaldea.

As she approached the entrance, she saw a Chaldea operator waiting for her. She recognized her; this was Olga Marie's confidante, named Mabel Macintosh. She was said to have previously worked at the Seraphine Oilfield, transferred to Chaldea headquarters for her outstanding performance, a complete newcomer with no faction affiliation or background. She also seemed to have a Japanese name, something like Sesshouin…

[A strange name, Kihara... Hmm, why would a Westerner take a Japanese name?]

A hint of doubt flickered in Jie's mind, but she quickly shook her head, dismissing it. Now was not the time to dwell on such trivial matters; she would think about other things after dealing with things outside.

“Miss Jie, I’ll leave the director’s matter to you.” Miss Mabel opened the door for her, but outside the door was endless chaos and darkness.

Mustard stepped into it without hesitation.

Section 38. Senzhou, Yinzhou

Beyond Chaldea lies darkness, a void constructed of darkness and chaos—the effect of the burning of humanity. For what was burned was not only human history, but also the history of the world, the history of all living things and inanimate objects. The restoration of humanity is effective because primates occupy such a vast territory, so much so that the accumulation of mortals alone is enough to overwhelm all other things.

Is it because Alaya-vijnana exists on this land?

[Collective unconscious...If there is another intelligent life form on Earth with the same things, would they also be trying to repair their 'reason'?]

Mustard stretched out her hand; the Holy Grail did not activate, but a lamp lit up in her palm. The light was dim, illuminating only a few meters around her. The chaos in the illuminated area silently receded, revealing a rugged, cold landscape with the intense frost characteristic of the polar regions.

Chaldea is located at the deepest part of Antarctica. The temperature is consistently below minus forty degrees Celsius, making it impossible for ordinary people to survive on this land. This is because water turns into solid ice the moment it is exhaled, and the ice spreads down the esophagus, stealing all the heat from the inside out.

Mustard is no ordinary person, and even now, this little bit of temperature doesn't mean much to her.

At his feet lay several corpses—operators dispatched from Chaldea to conduct reconnaissance and communication after Singularity F. They were supposed to head to a high-powered communications station a few hundred meters outside the facility to establish contact with other factions beyond Antarctica. But they were killed the instant they left Chaldea, killed by the extreme cold, by suffocation, by the chaotic rules.

Even if humanity is restored, they can never return. Because they died in the 'present,' not because of the changes in the 'past.' Even if Chaldea's 'Grand Order' journey is ultimately a great success, they will be the only victims… How tragic.

She gently brushed over the corpses, which sank into the ground, merging with the snowfield. She continued forward, and the earth behind her, after the lamp between her fingers had moved away, once again transformed into an undefined chaos and darkness.

A world burned out only has meaning when it is observed; without an observer, it transforms into a chaotic deep space devoid of any order or structure. However, even if an observer exists, all it can see at this moment is a barren, dead land. Besides dead stones and more stones, all that remains is pure, profound cold.

Deep cold doesn't just mean cold; it also represents the loss of heat. Losing heat means losing energy, losing light, losing life, losing order—it means losing everything. Perhaps the legendary cosmic heat death that will arrive in the distant future will be a similar scene. However, it seems that Earth is still some distance away from that point.

The temperature hasn't dropped to absolute zero yet. Within my perception, the air still contains elements suitable for breathing—nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen—so the temperature should still be above minus fifty degrees Celsius.

Which way should I go?

Mustard decided to first go to the original destination of these dead Chaldea operators—the large communications station. Perhaps there would be some unexpected gains there.

She was disappointed.

She arrived at the communications station, but all she saw were large, dry stones. Human architecture, human craftsmanship, human history, human civilization had been utterly wiped away. They had burned to ashes, leaving not even a trace. On this small patch of land illuminated by a lantern, all she could see was darkness and cold.

Even if some monsters from the darkness suddenly appear, baring their teeth and trying to bite me... I'd rather...

But why was the final outcome so silent?

Mustard has never cared about humans, for her essence is that of a true progenitor, a spirit of Gaia, who has long since lived through countless ages. She has witnessed the rise and fall of numerous dynasties—she watched the first flag being made, watched the wooden banners become soft fabric, watched the content on the flags change from solid colors to names, from names to symbols, and watched countless flag-bearing hands wither from tenderness.

She had long since witnessed the life and death of mortals, and was weary of the rise and fall of kingdoms. Even the ideals that once moved her, the grand pronouncements and heroic spirit, had long since turned into pale words in her heart. She was indifferent to the efforts and sacrifices of the heroes in those singularities—even until this moment, she thought she could be indifferent to the demise of the world.

Until this moment...

The lives and deaths of ordinary people are none of my concern.

But... this world shouldn't have become like this. This planet shouldn't have become like this.

[...Do I think this way because I'm Gaia's elf?]

She reached out and touched the ground, picking up a grain of stone from the cold earth—a very ordinary stone, a mixture of calcium carbonate and silicon dioxide. She knew that this was probably the only thing left on this land, in this world.

"My Lord?"—the servant behind her asked.

“There’s nothing to see here. Humanity has been thoroughly burned on this planet.” She crushed the stone dust between her fingers into powder, letting it fall back onto the ground. She continued walking outwards, and her previous footsteps once again plunged into darkness and chaos.

"Where are we going?"—Lanling Wang asked again.

“We…” Akuta hesitated for a moment, then turned her head to look in the direction where Chaldea should be located. From here, she couldn't perceive the outline of Chaldea, but she could still sense a subtle presence. A presence that allowed her to discern her location.

As she left Chaldea, the image of the female operator she had met flashed through her mind.

“We’re going to Seraphine,” Akuta said. “We’re going to the Seraphine offshore oil fields. That’s also an important measure for Chaldea—since Chaldea was able to survive, it should be able to too. If there are survivors there, we’ll bring them back. And if not…”

A sudden realization dawned on her. Instinctively, she raised her hand and gently stroked the Magic King's Grail that had already merged into her body.

"Then, we might be able to find the mission objective."

She said this. And her followers never objected to the decisions she had already made.

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

Meanwhile, at Singularity F, outside the burning Fuyuki City Great Hollow.