Fate: How About a New Savior?

Crossing the street, Shiomi Tenkei finally arrived at the long staircase leading to the Lion King's throne in the royal palace—and discovered something.

The closer he got, the fewer Enforcement Knights there were. Standing on the platform between the steps, Shiomi looked back at the city and saw the Enforcement Knights rushing toward the various city gates.

The closer he was to their stronghold, the weaker the defenses became.

Was the Lion King really so confident she could keep Chaldea pinned outside the gates?

Pulling a long spear from the body of a fallen Enforcement Knight, Shiomi stared at the empty top of the stairs, silently questioning.

Then the earth itself answered.

A violent tremor shook the interior of Camelot. Those immaculate houses began to collapse, and deep fissures split the ground. The entire city trembled. Shiomi braced himself and looked toward the royal palace.

From the central tower at Camelot's heart came a heavy mechanical rumble—it was rising, bit by bit.

The Tower of the End.

It seemed the Lion King had abandoned the idea of selecting humans from this Singularity. She had activated the Holy Lance as the core function of the Tower of the End.

They had to move—fast.

Shiomi sprinted up the stairs. Though the city was collapsing behind him, the area around the royal palace still held its original form.

A blinding light, brighter than the sun, illuminated the White City. A beam capable of incinerating the entire city shot toward the central tower—but it had no effect.

The Great Temple of the Sun King had arrived nearby. That man had apparently been waiting for this exact moment—the activation of the Tower of the End.

But things didn't go as expected. When the Holy Lance activated, it generated a purifying defense concept. Not even the Dendera Electric Bulb from the Great Temple could penetrate it.

And that wasn't all—the Lion King, unwilling to wait quietly for death, launched a counterattack through the Tower of the End.

A beam of equal power to Dendera's electric barrage shot out, striking Ozymandias's temple directly.

In this setting of the last crusade of the Middle Ages, Shiomi felt as if he were witnessing a battle between futuristic warships and fortresses.

But the worst was yet to come.

Even more attacks, like artillery fire, targeted the three besieged gates of Camelot.

This wasn't the Tower of the End—it was the Prism Tower of Final Light!

Shiomi muttered under his breath and took to the air, using low-altitude flight Magecraft to rush toward the castle gate.

At that moment, purple chains spread out, forming a net to block his path.

Heroic Spirit Killer.

The Magecraft Agravain had once used to bind Hassan of Serenity. It couldn't instantly restrain a human, but it wasn't something easily broken, either.

As Shiomi slowed down to swing his spear and cut through the chains, the faint sound of a sword being drawn echoed in his ears.

The aide struck with all his strength, slamming Shiomi into the stairs and leaving a massive crater.

Shiomi slowly rose and dusted himself off—completely unharmed.

"I didn't expect the Lion King's aide to step onto the front lines. Aren't you supposed to be a civil official?" Shiomi teased with a smirk.

"We Knights of the Round Table are well-versed in both governance and combat. Not only do we rule, we fight." Agravain landed on the upper steps behind Shiomi, taking the high ground.

"I'd advise you to give up. Dying here isn't worth it," Shiomi said, though his eyes remained calmly locked on Agravain.

This man's presence was entirely different from the last time they met.

He hadn't received the Lion King's Gift, yet he somehow felt stronger.

"Life or death is irrelevant. The Tower of the End has already been activated. The king's millennial kingdom will come to pass." Agravain began descending the steps. "All I have to do is stall you long enough to keep you from interfering with the king's plan."

"The king's plan... So you went as far as using Mad Enhancement on yourself—the very technique used on the Enforcement Knights," Shiomi muttered, then suddenly widened his eyes and lunged with his spear.

He was using Mad Enhancement to boost his abilities, yet remained composed.

Shiomi even found himself wondering about Agravain's Class. Unfortunately, ever since the Lion King stripped him of his Chaldean Master status, even severing his contract hadn't changed anything.

Unless the Lion King returned it herself, there was no way for Romani to provide support or battlefield intel.

"Of course. Offering everything, including my life, to my king is only natural," Agravain said as he raised his hand.

Countless soldiers formed from pure mana appeared, standing atop floating debris. Some charged at Shiomi, while others unleashed volleys of arrows.

Attackers from every range.

"Did Morgan teach you that Magecraft?" Shiomi asked as his spear moved in a flawless, unbroken rhythm, guarding against every blow.

Agravain glared, eyes wide with fury. "It doesn't matter who taught me. If it can serve King Arthur, I'll use it."

"Oh, is that so." Shiomi replied coldly.

He wasn't one for empathy—especially not toward enemies.

This man had a heart of stone. Ordinary words wouldn't shake him, but pushing harder on that front would inevitably drag Morgan into it.

Even if they weren't the same person, Shiomi couldn't shake the bitter feeling that welled up the moment he spoke.

"If you're standing by Morgan's side, then show me what you've got."

Agravain swung his arm, unleashing more chains that streaked through the air to entangle Shiomi.

He was executing his strategy to the letter—stalling Shiomi until the Holy Lance was fully activated. He wouldn't let him see the king again or risk her being swayed by this man.

King Arthur was to become the core of a perfect, completed kingdom. Someone like Shiomi was nothing but a thorn in that vision.

He couldn't be allowed to exist.

"Wild Thunder."

Shiomi gripped the chains wrapped around his arms and whispered.

Lightning crashed from the sky, forcing Agravain into a desperate defense.

He had underestimated Shiomi.

The scale of this Magecraft far exceeded what a typical Magus could conjure.

Glowing Runes took shape in the air, transforming into volleys of light bullets. Agravain could only counter with similar magic to hold them off.

"I told you—I don't have time to play around here." Shiomi swept his spear sideways, but Agravain blocked it with his sword.

He could see the man repeatedly using Mad Enhancement to reinforce himself—again and again—making him an absolute nightmare to take down.

If Shiomi didn't completely destroy him, Agravain would cling to life with nothing but a head, biting at his ankles and forcing him to divert attention.

"Then let me take care of this."

A second chain spell erupted—nearly identical to Agravain's—clashing and interfering with it.

Morgan landed at Shiomi's side.

"How are you here? What about Gray and Bedivere?" Shiomi asked, a little surprised.

"They're on their way. I've already dealt with Tristan," Morgan said as she raised her hand and brushed the dust off Shiomi's face. "Now that the Tower of the End has been activated, the Singularity is turning into the end of the world. Don't waste any more time."

"You make it sound like I'm the one holding us back..."

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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