Fate: How About a New Savior?

Clan Calatin.

The so-called "assembled warriors" born of Medb—just as the name suggests, a monster formed by fusing twenty-eight warriors into one.

In legend, they once fought Cú Chulainn and drove him to his final breath.

If that were all, Shiomi wouldn't have been too concerned. But just then, an emergency communication came from Chaldea—an enormous Mana reaction had erupted on the central front.

From beneath the earth, a black shadow bristling with tentacles burst forth and soared into the sky.

The sight of these monsters shook the U.S. military lines. The troops began to falter, retreating instinctively.

"Demon God Pillars?" Shiomi knocked aside the Mad King's spear, took several steps back, and looked toward the central front.

"The analysis is complete—there are 28 Demon God Pillars. No signs of illusions or mental interference detected. Each one carries Mana levels equivalent to the Demon God Pillars that appeared in the Second Singularity!"

The intel officer in the control room immediately relayed the shocking report.

Medb had summoned twenty-eight Demon Gods, and judging by her earlier words, it was likely achieved by embedding them within the framework of Clan Calatin.

"That's terrifying! Even Solomon never attempted something like this!" Romani's voice came through the communicator, full of disbelief.

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

After all, it was hard to argue when the source spoke for itself.

He recalled the final battle of the Fifth Holy Grail War—Solomon had said then that under the Fuyuki Grail system, the Demon Gods' power would be restricted. He could summon no more than four at once if he wanted them at full strength.

"...You're insufferable. Even if the sky were to collapse, you'd stay unfazed." On the brink of death, Medb used the last of her strength to voice her resentment.

Shiomi cracked his neck with a soft click. "The King of Magecraft came to the Fourth Singularity himself just to kill me. What could be more shocking than that, Queen Medb?"

"You're so annoying..." Medb shot him a fierce glare, but her gaze quickly turned hazy.

Her Mana signature was fading—her Spirit Origin wouldn't hold for much longer.

"Leaving already?" The Mad King ignored the chaos around him and asked Medb calmly.

"Mhm... Will you praise me?" Medb forced a smile.

"Yes. You protected your nation as a queen. If you truly wanted to, you could make it happen after all." The Mad King's voice was flat, yet deeply wistful.

"I'm... so happy. I've always wanted to hear you say that..." Medb stretched out her arms with all her remaining strength, trying to embrace the Mad King. "The Holy Grail... Everything I have, I give to you... Farewell, Cú Chulainn..."

With the last of her strength, she reached him—her lips brushed the Mad King's as he lowered his head in response.

Shiomi, for once, didn't strike. He simply watched as Medb faded from existence.

"I take back what I said, Queen Medb. You did know what love was. It was just too twisted."

Like a moth drawn to flame—foolish, desperate, and all-consuming.

"Isn't that what love is? You know it too, don't you?" Scáthach landed silently behind him.

"What now? He's the only one left." Shiomi didn't turn his head as he addressed his master.

Scáthach shook hers. "No. Our last fight proved I can't defeat him. Cleaning up this mess is your job. As for me—I'll go help the others handle those Demon God Pillars."

With that, she vanished on the spot, streaking toward the central front like a crimson meteor. Any Celtic warrior in her path was torn apart, blood scattering in her wake.

"Guess going in circles is part of who I am..." Cú Chulainn muttered, staring at the spot where Medb had vanished. "The moment she finally became a good woman... she disappeared looking satisfied."

As he spoke, his aura shifted sharply—so sharply it brought the original Cú Chulainn back to Shiomi's mind.

Without warning, a sudden reverse thrust of the spear came at him the moment the change occurred. Shiomi tilted his head just enough to dodge the fatal blow.

"Stop dragging it out. If you keep stalling, I'm taking the southern front too." Cú Chulainn grinned, his teeth flashing cold and white. "Besides, it's just a woman's death. Don't tell me you were naïve enough to think I'd change?"

In the same breath he dodged, Shiomi's spear arced smoothly toward the Mad King's head—but it met the resistance of his gauntlet, blocking the blow.

"How could this be? You were born from Medb's wish upon the Holy Grail—the evil king destined to stay by her side." Shiomi spoke calmly. "Master already said it. It's my duty to settle this."

"Well said, junior brother." Cú Chulainn sneered, the title dripping with sarcasm. "I am the true 'king' of this land."

It was like a reenactment of their clash days ago. The same red spears collided at speeds beyond human perception, the two figures becoming a whirlwind of violence capable of tearing apart anything that dared come close.

Even the mindless Celtic warriors instinctively backed away, unwilling to be caught in the maelstrom.

"Excellent. Very good."

The Mad King's strikes came faster with each blow, yet his power never waned. Every time their spears met, shockwaves erupted, sending jolts through Shiomi's hands, numbing his grip.

But the Mad King felt it too. From the start, he had dismissed this human that Scáthach called her beloved disciple, thinking him just another Magus. He never expected Shiomi to hold his ground this well.

At last, he spotted an opening and thrust his spear at Shiomi's shoulder. If the boy dodged, he could pivot and drive it straight through his throat.

But as if reading his intent, Shiomi didn't flinch or evade. He took the strike head-on and simultaneously drove his own red spear forward.

Both spears embedded into flesh, blood running down the blades, dripping from the shafts.

Cú Chulainn paid no mind to his injury. With a savage twist of the spearhead, he relished the sound of shredded muscle and splintering bone.

The sight made nearby American soldiers recoil in horror. But he couldn't continue tormenting Shiomi like this—the red spear lodged in the Mad King's body was now pulsing with a Mana that repulsed him.

Shiomi had used the red spear as a conduit, casting Magecraft directly from within.

Realizing this, Cú Chulainn yanked his spear free and leapt back. Shiomi did the same. The searing wound left by the spell cauterized instantly, halting the bleeding.

He stared coldly at Shiomi's arm, which had dropped uselessly from the injury—only to see it begin to knit itself back together, muscles and bone realigning beneath Chaldea's tight combat gear as if time itself were rewinding.

"To think you could endure a curse laced with the Holy Grail's power... boy."

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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