Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

He didn't turn back, because he knew that with just a thought, Lina would return. For the erosion had already permeated her entire being, and this erosion was far more powerful than 'love'.

And that is precisely why he became increasingly unable to tolerate Adam.

Perhaps… His gaze drifted into the depths of space.

I should have made plans sooner...

Section 41. Seraphines, with the Academy

Luo Yinglong, far away in the Temple of Time, might not know what the light that drew the shadows away from Chaldea was, but Hinako Akuta, in the normal timeline, definitely knew what it was. Because at this moment, she was hiding under a dark, huge stone mountain under the protection of her own servants, enduring the pain and slowing her breathing, while gritting her teeth and severing the part of her body that had already become alienated.

What on earth is that?! How could something like that appear in the darkness?!

She gritted her teeth and swiftly and neatly chopped off the deformed organs and rotten flesh that kept appearing on her body, resembling bean sprouts. She then used the most effective and concealed magical spell to heal the wounds. The flesh she cut off writhed on the stones on the ground, emitting white steam as it fell. Then, she used her other hand to form a hand seal, summoning magical flames to completely incinerate and eliminate it.

She had recently witnessed an evil event: a gigantic, unidentified shadow approaching Chaldea.

Not long ago, she did something foolish: she lit the lamp in her hand and had her servant lead her away from the shadowy figure whose true form was unknown.

She didn't know what those things were; perhaps she once knew, but then erased that memory from her mind. She could clearly sense that her memories were fragmented and incomplete. And these mutated and deformed parts of her body were the bitter fruit of direct contact with those things!

Her defensive spells were still active, and her internal healing spells were already activated, repairing her damaged flesh and limbs amidst a tingling and itchy sensation—she knew very well that these magicians' self-defense methods had not been destroyed or interfered with. This meant that magical techniques were useless against that thing, and that any mortals in Chaldea who came into contact with that shadow would be instantly annihilated!

Those people are dead, but the promise I made to Olga Marie isn't finished, and Ritsuka and the others are still trapped in the singularity. As their senior, I can't fail to do even this small thing!

She gritted her teeth, trying to convince herself with a flimsy excuse that popped into her head. A few seconds later, the silence outside the rocky hill sent a chill down her spine.

Something enormous seemed to be writhing, singing silently in the darkness.

【Chang Gong, are you still there?】She whispered to her servant in her heart—the contract still exists, but now she needs something more real than the contract to keep herself calm.

She waited quietly for five seconds.

Just as she was about to get up at the sixth second, the Servant's slightly tired voice finally arrived in her perception.

"My lord, Chang Gong is still alive." — Lanling Wang's gentle yet heroic voice resonated from the depths of her heart. He brought news that she didn't know whether it was good or bad.

The monster has left, my lord. We are safe for now.

Akuta keenly sensed the weariness in her servant's voice. She knew very well that while she was tending to her wounds, her servant hadn't just been standing guard outside. He must have gone to do something dangerous, something... something he might never return—[Is that so? Then come here, let me see you.]

【………】

Her follower remained silent for several seconds. It wasn't until her gaze shifted from gentle to stern, and her eyebrows furrowed, that the Lanling King, covered in wounds, emerged from the faint magical reaction—half of his body was almost completely rotten, and his handsome face was corroded like an apple that had been rotten for half a month—he instinctively wanted to back away when Jie reached out to him, but ultimately stopped under Jie's gaze.

“Chang Gong…” Akuta’s fingertips gently touched the servant’s cheek. “Thank you for your hard work.”

The next moment, she extracted a small amount of magical power from the Holy Grail hidden within her body—of course, this 'small amount' was only relative; the magical power she extracted was actually enough for her to cast a Grand Magic spell approaching the level of a Reality Marble. An unmistakable magical reaction erupted, and the next instant, a highly effective healing spell repaired every single scratch on the Servant's body!

"Mustard!" The servant couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, knowing what such an undisguised magical reaction meant!

A tremendous presence silently manifested itself from the ancient darkness. Even without hearing or seeing, the master and servant in this place knew that some nameless entity in the darkness was casting its gaze upon them due to the magical reaction here. The next moment, Jie sensed extreme danger from at least three directions around her, and those multiple dangers were rapidly approaching her!

Mustard's senses weren't particularly sharp, but she sensed the crisis from afar—and she knew exactly why!

This is... the blessing of the earth.

“Chaldea can’t handle this kind of thing, so we have to do it.” At this moment, Akuta calmed down. She took a deep breath, raised her hand, and a dazzling flame ignited at her fingertips again. The chaotic area within a radius of about ten meters around her became orderly because of the flame at her fingertips. She then made a gesture to her servant. The next moment, holding the flame in her hands, she was picked up by Lanling Wang and strode towards the direction she indicated!

The speed of a follower is dozens of times that of a mortal and several times that of a magician.

In the blink of an eye, she was hundreds of meters away. And a few seconds later, she was several kilometers away.

Mustard is no weak mortal. Even though she has not eaten for many years, her strong physique is enough to allow her to withstand the torment of high-speed movement.

Seconds after they left the rocky hill where they had been hiding, something even more terrifying than the chaotic darkness arrived at their previous location. Then, a sense of extreme fear, as if everything was coming to an end, quietly enveloped their hearts and swept over the two of them as they ran wildly!

What is that? — The thought flashed through her mind.

That was a strange object. —An answer, uttered by someone unknown, surfaced in her mind.

And she instinctively wanted to turn her head away—

With a sharp "plop," before she could turn her head, she stabbed her finger into her side abdomen, piercing straight through her left kidney!

The excruciating pain surged like a tidal wave, and the agony brought her back to her senses.

"Don't speak! Don't look back, run forward!"—Her will resonated within the contract between master and servant. The servant, who had wavered along with her hesitation, quickened her pace as instructed, fully charging her spirit core, burning with magical power, and propelling herself like an arrow into the distance!

She didn't know what was happening there, nor did her followers. But they knew that an unspeakable terror was about to descend upon them, and that the best outcome of contact would be certain death—she didn't know why she had this premonition, but she decided to trust her instincts at least for this moment.

And her servant carried her and ran continuously for fifteen minutes toward the direction she indicated!

"My Lord! My Spirit Origin can't withstand it!"—Her servant reported to her fifteen minutes later. And those nameless shadows of fear still clung tightly to their backs, their distance unknown, but likely not far away!

Her response was swift and decisive.

"Don't be afraid, hide, just like before!"—She abruptly stopped the Holy Grail's operation, the mana drain ceased, and a massive stone mountain in the darkness appeared 'just right' in front of her and Lanling King! And at the foot of the stone mountain 'just right' was a passageway!

The two leaped in, and the next moment, accompanied by the sensation of falling and sliding, they clearly felt something enormous sweep past the surface of the rocky mountain, and all the material structures that were originally above the ground turned into dust!

Everything quieted down again.

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

After a long while, in the deep darkness, Jie lit a small lamp in her hand again. This time, the light only illuminated a distance of less than two meters around her, lighting up the ground around the two people, who were disheveled but had all their limbs intact.

The ground beneath their feet was still stone, and two meters away, darkness remained. Whether this was the surface or the ground itself, no one knew, but at least it was certain that both of them were still alive.

"My lord, just now..."

"Don't ask, don't think, don't recall." Jie raised her hand, stopping her follower from speaking further. She knew that she and Lanling Wang had definitely had a brief contact with that unidentified entity in the final moment. However, this time, the inexplicable sense of erosion didn't work as effectively as before!

This was lucky, but not normal. But she knew why this 'abnormality' was happening.

She rubbed her forehead vigorously.

I know my limitations; my tactics are a complete mess, and my command will only squander a significant advantage. Just as I was powerless at Gaixia, I still cannot decipher the identity of the enemy lurking behind the scenes, nor their objectives. But there is one thing I absolutely will not mess up!

That is, I can absolutely do my best as a tool!

A sudden realization dawned on her, and this realization allowed her to understand the whole story. After understanding the whole story, she felt enlightened.

It must be said that there was a reason why Zheng Zha was randomly assigned to her when 'choosing a game character'. Perhaps it was because he had witnessed Flora's various amazing actions beforehand, or perhaps it was the culmination of thousands of years of experience and lessons learned. In any case, at least at this moment, Jie felt a sense of responsibility to fulfill his duties.

She shared her thoughts with her follower and then asked him a question.

"Chang Gong, do you support what I've done?"

The feedback she received was not beyond her expectations.

"As a servant, I will not go against your wishes. But my lord, please remember your true desire, why you came to Chaldea, and why you summoned me to participate in this journey of the Grand Order."

“I remember.” Akuta’s gaze sharpened slightly, the advice from her most trusted servant pulling her out of her slightly chaotic thoughts. She regained her composure, and then, in that composure, made another decision. “I know, but I still decide to do it, even if I disregard Chaldea and Fujimaru Ritsuka’s influence. This is not only for myself, but also for this planet. Chang Gong, you should know what my true nature is.”

"...Is she a celestial being?"

“Yes, I am a celestial being, but I am also a true ancestor, and more importantly, I am the spirit of Mother Gaia. I don’t care about humans, partly because of my own reasons, but more so because Mother Gaia doesn’t like them either. But just now, I sensed from Mother Gaia her disgust… and fear of those things.”

What could make Gaia feel disgust? What could make Gaia feel fear?

The answer to this question is not difficult. It is a powerful being whose essence is equivalent to Gaia, or even surpasses it. The fact that the two of them, or rather, two human-like beings, were able to survive the previous pursuit means that the shadowy figures whose attention was diverted from Chaldea by Akuta were actually the minions of that powerful being.

Mustard adjusted the non-prescription glasses on the bridge of her nose.

“Although I am the most useless of my mother’s daughters, I have to share her burdens… I must share her burdens.” She looked at her servant, her eyes filled with a hint of helplessness. “Chang Gong, when I told you to find a place to hide earlier, I actually didn’t know that stone mountain existed.”

Her follower was speechless upon hearing this, and finally sighed softly, leaving only a bitter smile.

“Since it is that person's will, then I can only respectfully obey.” He quickly rallied his spirits and regained his fighting spirit. Then he looked at his Master. “Master, what are your plans next…”

“Continuing our previous operation, I still have a general idea of ​​the location. We are about 3,000 kilometers away from Seraphine. If I draw magic from the Holy Grail again, we should be able to reach our destination after doing what we just did a maximum of five more times.”

She tapped her head.

“I have a feeling that there’s something in Seraphine that can help us. If we can successfully reach that area, the things we need to do, and the things Mother needs to do, will probably all become easier. After all, we don’t really know anything; the only thing we have is intuition.”

"My lord?" Lanling Wang looked at her with some confusion.

Mustard waved his hand.

"Intuition is often unreliable, but this time it should be right. Since my mother has already chosen me, she naturally won't let me go down the wrong path—since I don't have any new premonitions, then we'll just follow the old ideas."

“I see…” Her servant nodded. “Then, my lord, when shall we depart?”

"Now." She raised her hand, allowing Lanling Wang to lift her up. And the next moment—

—The violent magical reaction once again disturbed the darkness within the chaos.

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

Mustard's guess was correct; there was indeed a target she hoped for in Seraphix. However, the problem was that when they finally arrived at the destination mapped in Mustard's mind after overcoming numerous hardships, what appeared before their eyes was not, or rather, not only, the offshore oil field called Seraphix.

They reached their destination, and the terrifying shadow that had been closely following them vanished silently just before it could catch up—this was perhaps good news, as it meant that something in the shadow had an adversary. But in a sense, it wasn't good news either, because Mustard could clearly sense Gaia's blessing silently fading from her.

She knew this was all an illusion, for she was Gaia's spirit, a tentacle of the world—Gaia could manifest herself in her at any time, using her as a vessel. Just as she could awaken Gaia, or some ancient being like Gaia, if she so desired—she could not resist, nor would she.

Perhaps it was precisely because of this characteristic that she sensed Zheng Zha's interference when everyone else was oblivious. However, now was clearly not the time to concern herself with such trivial matters. As soon as she steadied herself and calmed her qi and blood, the entire scene before her came into full view.

“My lord… something may have happened here that we cannot comprehend. We had better proceed with caution.” Her servant appeared beside her, protecting her.

"I know without you telling me." Jie adjusted his non-prescription glasses on the bridge of his nose.

Before her stood Seraphine, shrouded in a barrier—this was not surprising, given that Chaldea had survived the Burning of Humanity. Therefore, it was impossible that the offshore oil field and secret laboratory, also a Chaldea subsidiary, could have been completely without hope of survival. However, the problem lay in the fact that what appeared before her was not merely Seraphine. Besides the familiar Chaldean facilities, there was something that should have been a school, which had somehow intruded into Seraphine's facilities, and she was not entirely ignorant of this school!

Singularity F, Homurahara Academy... How could it be in this place...?

She has an excellent memory, and she even fought here with Ritsuka back then. Unlike the Homurahara Academy in Singularity F, which has been reduced to ruins, this ordinary school in Fuyuki City is still operating!

It's still running!?

"Isn't it strange?" A voice suddenly rang out beside Jie. It was a male voice, sounding somewhat immature. "But compared to this inexplicable world, I think this is quite normal."

She was startled and turned around abruptly. Standing not far from her was a boy with blue, seaweed-like hair in a wheelchair! He was wearing the school uniform of Homurahara Academy, and a friendly smile was on his lips.

"Welcome to Homurahara Academy. Judging from your uniforms, you must be Chaldea operators. Although I don't know how you got here, as the student council president, I welcome all visitors who are still breathing on behalf of the school."

He sat in his wheelchair and bowed slightly to Chao Jie and Lanling Wang.

You can call me by my name. I am—

"—Shinji Matou."

Section 42: Exchanging Feelings

“Hinako Akuta.” Akuta nodded to the boy who called himself 'Shinji Matou'. Only then did she notice that there was another girl pushing Shinji Matou’s wheelchair behind him. She was a quiet woman with purple hair and a beautiful figure. When Akuta’s gaze fell on her, she smiled and nodded at Akuta.

“This is my younger sister, Sakura,” the young man with the seaweed-like haircut introduced to Akuta, then turned his gaze to Lanling Wang, who stood quietly behind Akuta Hinako. “I’ve heard that Chaldea has been researching ‘Heroic Spirit Summoning,’ so this gentleman must be the legendary Chaldea Servant?”