Fate: How About a New Savior?

Judging from the outcome, Paracelsus's original plan had been to ambush and eliminate the Chaldea group while they were investigating Dr. Frankenstein's residence.

But clearly, among Paracelsus's companions—those who called themselves "P" and were recorded in the doctor's notes as "B" and "M"—someone knew of Shiomi, or at least had access to intelligence about him.

The available information, however, was incomplete. Paracelsus miscalculated. Even with his prized Noble Phantasm, he failed to destroy Shiomi and lost two Servants in the process.

On the way back to Jekyll's apartment, Shiomi explained his conclusions to Sakura and Mordred.

"So you're saying that Mephistopheles probably didn't want to help Paracelsus, but had no choice? So when he was ordered to kill the doctor, he deliberately left the notes intact?" Sakura nodded. "Then when Jack the Ripper happened to engage us and realized we'd arrived at the Singularity, they decided to go along with it and set up the ambush there?"

"That's the most likely explanation," Shiomi said with a shrug.

They had very little intel to go on. The mere presence of two Servants sharing the same Class was already enough to suggest something strange. A Singularity where there was no Holy Grail War, yet the Holy Grail still existed—there had to be deeper secrets behind Heroic Spirit Summoning.

The founding of the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki and the establishment of the Three Magus Families must have been based on a prior understanding of these truths, which allowed them to gradually refine the system.

Thinking along those lines, Shiomi felt more certain—he needed to make a trip to the Clock Tower.

"What are you thinking about, Saber?" Sakura asked.

"It's nothing..." Mordred replied with a faint scowl. "Just remembered there was a homunculus in one of the rooms at the doctor's house. One that would never wake up."

As someone who had also been created, Mordred couldn't help but care about artificially made life.

"Frankenstein... the infamous scientist..." Sakura murmured.

A character born of science fiction, yet based on a real historical figure.

"Most likely Paracelsus or one of his allies was responsible. They wanted to eliminate anything that might help Chaldea restore the Singularity," Shiomi said, glancing again at Mordred.

"What? Do I have blood on my face or something?" Mordred asked, wiping her cheek.

"No, I was just thinking... if Servants can appear even without a Holy Grail War, then what would happen if we actually performed a summoning ritual under those conditions?" Shiomi mused aloud as he walked.

Originally, Chaldea was supposed to establish a Heroic Spirit Summoning system, calling forth cooperative Servants to aid in restoring human order.

But to date, Chaldea had only three successful cases of summoning.

Romani, who had become human, had once relied on the Fuyuki Holy Grail War's summoning system.

Mash—or rather, the one who lent her power—had refused to appear before the events of Singularity F.

And Da Vinci, the third case, had always been cautious and held reservations about Chaldea's methods. If not for the severity of the current situation, she wouldn't have shown herself to act as a technical advisor.

Now, Shiomi was seriously considering the feasibility of performing a summoning ritual right here in the Singularity.

"Mr. Jekyll's apartment is situated on a Leyline, right? We could build a summoning circle there, couldn't we, Dad?" Sakura suggested, also finding the idea promising.

They couldn't keep relying on the chance of running into stray Servants. Even if Mana supply wasn't an issue due to the Singularity's unique properties, finding Servants who could fight and were willing to cooperate remained a huge challenge.

Chaos-bound automatons and magical puppets prowled the streets, and a moment's carelessness could trigger another skirmish. Every encounter sapped their strength.

The three had returned empty-handed and had already run into two such battles on the way back. Just as Jekyll's apartment came into view, the sounds of combat rang out once again.

"No!"

Shiomi broke into a sprint.

He had missed something.

While Paracelsus and his Servants were lying in ambush, his accomplices had launched a flanking maneuver.

In other words, they were attacking Jekyll's apartment from the rear.

As the three rounded a street corner, they came face-to-face with a street packed with around twenty Helter Skelters. The one in the lead stood out—massive in both size and Mana signature. Unlike the others, which were about two meters tall, this one stood closer to two and a half, with a weight that couldn't be easily estimated.

"Spirit Origin scan confirmed—Servant detected. Class: Caster," came Morgan's voice.

Just as the trio drew their weapons, the outermost Helter Skelters in the encirclement turned their heads. The eye-like sensors on their faces lit up in a harsh red glow, and white steam hissed from their joints.

The dolls equipped with Gatling guns on their right arms raised their barrels.

"I'll hold them off!" Sakura shouted, rushing forward. She raised her wand and cast a Magecraft shield capable of blocking physical attacks.

The hail of bullets slammed into the shield, sparking violently with each impact. The relentless barrage made Sakura's arms tremble, but she grit her teeth and stood her ground, buying time for her father and Mordred to strike back.

Mordred leapt from behind Sakura, surging forward with Mana and diving into the mechanical soldiers. Her silver blade sliced through their armor like it was nothing, disabling one unit after another in just a few strikes.

But the Helter Skelters equipped with longswords raised their weapons and closed in, flanking Mordred from both sides.

They weren't fast—but their sheer brute force was considerable, and even Mordred found herself hard-pressed.

Unsure whether more reinforcements might arrive, Shiomi couldn't afford to hesitate. He slashed open his palm, and as his blood hit the ground, it began to crawl outward, forming a Heroic Spirit summoning circle in seconds.

"My wife, I'm initiating a summon—will you permit it?" Shiomi asked.

"No need to ask. Proceed," Morgan replied without the slightest pause.

"I declare:

Your body shall be under my command, and my fate shall be bound to your blade.

Heed the summons of the Holy Grail, and follow the path of human order!

You, clad in the words of stargazing over seven nights—

Gallop! Fall! Deliver judgment!

Guardian of the Scales!"

Since the Fourth Holy Grail War, this was only Shiomi's second time performing a Heroic Spirit Summoning. The incantation had been adjusted to align with Chaldea's protocols.

Standing atop the Leyline, the ritual—originally meant to be conducted in a spare room at the apartment—was hastily executed on the street.

Winds howled and lightning surged. The summoning circle drawn with Shiomi's blood flared to life, then lifted into the air, transforming into a red comet that soared into the sky and burst open, lighting up the skies above London.

From that light, like the arrival of the Wild Hunt in myth, the King of Storms descended—mounted on a pitch-black steed with a white mane, he charged down from the heavens, crashing into the Helter Skelters and toppling them like toys.

"Lancer, Artoria. I have answered your summons. Just as my beloved steed devours the thunderclouds, my lance shall shatter all walls. I will crush every obstacle that stands in your way."

Clad in black armor that concealed even her face, the knight announced her True Name—leaving everyone present stunned.