Fate: How About a New Savior?

Although Henry Jekyll managed to fight off the mechanical soldiers, he was badly wounded. If Shiomi and the others had arrived any later, he would've ended up like Dr. Frankenstein.

Shiomi suspected that Jekyll's aggressive, manic behavior was due to the potion he created—just like in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—which allowed him to switch to a combat-oriented second personality.

Though Jekyll wasn't the combative type, Shiomi's healing eased his physical injuries. However, his mental fatigue could only be cured with rest. Even after he was out of immediate danger, he remained unconscious.

After hearing Shiomi's explanation, Mordred finally let out a sigh of relief. If the people who had taken her in had died because she was away, she wouldn't have been able to rest easy even back at the Throne of Heroes.

But that only brought up the next issue.

After the battle, Artoria dismounted and followed the group into the apartment. She removed her helmet and sat silently on the couch, eyes closed, resting.

She didn't greet Mordred or question Shiomi.

As a result, the room felt far from relaxed.

Mordred even chose the room diagonally opposite Artoria, the farthest spot from her.

"Artoria Pendragon..." Shiomi muttered as he connected to Morgan.

"As expected of my husband. Out of all the countless Servants, you just had to summon Artoria," Morgan teased casually.

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

Shiomi sighed. Thankfully, Morgan didn't press further. Still, the sly smirk she projected onscreen sent chills down Shiomi's spine.

"So, you're the one supporting the Master." Artoria gave Morgan a cool glance but didn't comment further.

"If you're dissatisfied, feel free to leave. My husband will simply summon someone else," Morgan replied sharply.

"Ahem..." Shiomi quickly stepped in to defuse the tension. "So... should I explain the current situation to you, King of Knights?"

"I'm neither king nor knight right now. Just call me by name," Artoria said, rejecting the title. "I was aware of the Singularity's emergence when I was summoned, but all I knew was that I was here to help you fix it."

Shiomi gave a slight nod. "But why... did you turn out like this? Is there something wrong with this Singularity? Did it corrupt you the moment you arrived?"

And not just that—he noticed this Artoria didn't recognize him like the one from Singularity F. Her build was also different.

Most notably, her height was similar to Morgan's... and the size beneath her breastplate was unmistakable.

"This was simply my own decision. If I didn't—" Artoria abruptly stopped, realizing it was irrelevant.

Sakura looked puzzled. "Now I'm even more curious. Saber, do you know why?"

"How would I know that?" Mordred shook her head.

She certainly recognized the Holy Spear that had killed her—but her father had never looked like this when alive.

"Even if you don't want to say it, I know," Morgan interjected. "The reason you're a Lancer is because you chose the Holy Spear over the Holy Sword during your lifetime."

Mordred froze. "Then why did Father rarely use the spear back then...?"

"It's simple," Morgan said. "If she kept using the Holy Spear, her physical growth would no longer be suppressed. But in doing so, she'd gradually be consumed by the spear's power—until she became the 'Goddess Rhongomyniad.'" Her tone grew almost gleeful. "But no matter the path, Artoria died in the tenth year of her reign, so that outcome never came to pass."

"..." Mordred felt deeply unsettled and fell silent.

"So this form of Artoria's is to suppress the spear's influence?" Shiomi asked.

"Exactly. Once godhood takes over, your very nature changes. You might even do things you never would have otherwise. That's why she chose to alter herself—using the taint of black mud to counter the spear's corruption, degrading herself into something like the Wild Hunt."

"So that's why she said she's not a king or a knight..." Shiomi murmured. She really was the same Artoria after all.

That streak of self-destructiveness hadn't changed at all.

Then it hit him—why he had summoned Artoria.

First, in a past Holy Grail War, the King of Knights had entrusted him with the true name of Avalon: The Everdistant Utopia.

Second, Mordred was present, which meant that even without a Holy Relic, he was linked to the Knights of the Round Table.

And third... was the wand that Cú Chulainn had given him.

Shiomi was certain it was a divine artifact from the Age of Gods—something Odin had passed on to him through Cú Chulainn for some unknown purpose. Its true power remained sealed.

But since it came from Odin, it had to be tied to him.

In Norse mythology, Odin was known for episodes of madness and is even believed to be the origin of the "Wild Hunt" legend that spread across Europe.

With those three factors combined, Artoria Pendragon answering his call was inevitable.

"In any case, this gives us a solid boost in combat power," Shiomi said. "The mastermind behind this Singularity has already started moving. There's no guarantee they won't attack again—or worse, start tracking down other stray, uncontracted Servants to either recruit or eliminate, just to stop us from getting stronger."

"It doesn't matter. I'll assist you until the Singularity is completely repaired," Artoria replied.

Morgan let out a quiet sigh. "I may not be thrilled about it, but she is dependable."

"Having King Arthur as an ally to help fix the Singularity... Saber, you're okay with that, right?" Sakura asked, glancing toward Mordred by the fireplace.

"Why are you asking me? You're the Masters here!" Mordred snapped, bristling like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.

"So?" Sakura asked with a bright smile.

"Do whatever you want!" Mordred grumbled, scratching at her hair. "Ugh, it's so stuffy in here. I'm going to step outside for some air—and stand watch while I'm at it."

With that, she marched out of the room with a weird, exaggerated gait.

Artoria never once looked in Mordred's direction the entire time.

Shiomi couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion.

There really are parent-child relationships this complicated in the world.

"My husband, our plan to head to the Clock Tower will have to be delayed by a day," Morgan said. "Your vitals are all low—it's likely the aftermath of the battle earlier."

"Alright... let's go with that then."

Shiomi, who'd originally thought two hours of rest would be enough to get moving again, had no choice but to go along.