Fate: How About a New Savior?

In the end, the sphinxes were just massive flying beasts—individually, their combat strength could rival a small army.

But as luck would have it, the ones storming the temple today were Chaldea's core fighters. The sphinxes only managed to delay Shiomi's group for a short while.

"Gungnir... I was already surprised when you brought out that wand, but I didn't expect Odin to grant you his spear."

As they advanced through the temple, Scáthach, scouting ahead, spoke softly to Shiomi.

"Even so, Odin didn't let me wield it right away," Shiomi replied, glancing down at the weapon in his hand. "You noticed that too, didn't you, Master?"

"So during your capture, something must've triggered it—breaking the seal Odin placed on the spear wound and revealing its true name?" Scáthach gave him a once-over. "Your concerns may not be unfounded."

"...So even if I say no, it won't make a difference?"

"That depends on you," Scáthach said with a gentle smile. "Maybe the Lion King left you fearful of what it means to become a god. But that doesn't mean your path will mirror hers."

"Well now, that almost sounded like something a proper master would say," Shiomi teased, unusually using an honorific.

"Even if you've completed your training, you'll always be my one and only disciple. That was set the moment you chose me as your teacher," Scáthach said proudly. "Helping you sort out your doubts is just part of a teacher's duty."

In her endless, near-eternal life, taking Shiomi as a disciple had become one of the things Scáthach valued most.

...

After passing through the long corridor beyond the main gate, Shiomi and Scáthach slowed their pace once inside the temple, allowing Morgan—who had been keeping a slight distance to shield Olga Marie from the rear—to catch up.

They did this to ensure that, should an ambush occur in this narrow space, they wouldn't be hindered by the terrain.

Once the temple interior opened up, the earlier concerns ceased to matter.

"..."

Shiomi scanned the temple's interior, lips pressed into a tight line, his expression growing increasingly serious.

"You've noticed something, haven't you, my husband?" Morgan asked.

"As the only one who's been inside the Lion King's Holy City, I can feel the same atmosphere here in this temple," Shiomi replied, turning to face them. "Do you remember what I learned, and the intel Sakura and the others brought back from the Atlas Institute?"

"To collect qualified souls and store them inside the Holy Lance," Scáthach said. "You're suggesting this temple also..."

"My instincts are telling me this place is capable of the same thing as the Lion King's Holy City," Shiomi said, taking a deep breath. "It's a repository—a sanctuary—for preserving the souls of surviving humans."

Olga Marie's face turned pale. "Even if Ozymandias is a divine incarnation, he's still just a Servant. How could he possibly—"

Thanks to the permissions granted to her, she'd also been able to relay findings from her fellow Chaldea members...

"The Holy Grail," Morgan stated calmly. "Ozymandias holds the key item of this Singularity. With the power of the Holy Grail, there's no reason he couldn't perform the same feats as Artoria using the Tower's authority."

Shiomi nodded slowly. "That would explain why Camelot is consolidating and refusing to act. The Lion King must be wary of Ozymandias launching an attack with the Holy Grail in hand..."

"Excellent insight. No wonder the Sun King had no intention of further negotiating with Chaldea before your return."

A voice echoed from the shadows of the temple—dignified, yet tinged with uncertainty.

"Queen Nitocris," Olga Marie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you here on behalf of the Sun King to receive us? Or—" Shiomi shifted into a combat stance.

Nitocris smiled. "No wonder the King made a detour here to recommend you to Ozymandias. You fulfilled Pharaoh Ozymandias' request and returned to the Great Temple. Even though not all of you are present, I understand you have your own plans. So I commend your keeping of that promise."

"In other words…" Shiomi had already sensed Nitocris' fighting spirit. "We still have to fight?"

Olga Marie immediately panicked. "Wait, Queen Nitocris, didn't I already form a contract with you—"

"That contract was my acceptance of you as a friend, to aid Chaldea," Nitocris said steadily. "But even before that, I am a subject of Pharaoh Ozymandias. I must fulfill my duty as his retainer. The Sphinxes were only a preliminary measure. I shall personally evaluate your strength. I cannot allow the voices of the unworthy to reach the Pharaoh."

She tapped her staff lightly against the marble floor. Waves of mana surged, weighing down the air.

"Our opponent is none other than the famed Magus Queen of ancient Egypt. I'll take this one," Morgan said, stepping forward. "As fellow Magi—fellow queens—let's see what your magecraft can do."

"Eh? But shouldn't I be the one—" Shiomi looked disappointed. He had been hoping to test himself against another Magus of the Age of Gods.

But the look in Morgan's eyes told him to let it go. He fell silent with a sigh.

"Whether you come one at a time or all at once, I don't mind," Nitocris said indifferently. "Let the rushing Nile wash away our ideologies and beliefs. If you wish to move forward—step over my corpse!"

Morgan stepped forward slowly. "I won't take your life. But I will fight with the intent to kill."

"As expected of the Great Witch of Britain." Nitocris praised her, then suddenly steeled her expression and gave a sharp command.

"Mirror of the Underworld! Forgotten warriors of lost kingdoms! By Nitocris' command—return to the mortal realm!""

Shadows swept across the floor, and from within them, the dead began to crawl forth. In an instant, Morgan—now standing alone—was surrounded.

"Then the trial begins! If you seek an audience with the Pharaoh, defeat these abominations I've summoned!" Nitocris pointed her staff at Morgan. "I am Pharaoh Nitocris! When the dawn of victory arrives, I shall illuminate your path to glory!"

"I am Morgan, Queen of the Fairies. I have come to carve a path forward—for my husband, my Master. We may not be enemies, but just this once... I will show no mercy."

Morgan raised her index finger. A droplet of icy blue mana gathered at her fingertip, fell to the stone floor, and instantly spread outward.

Brilliant light filled the entire temple.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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