Just Be a Shut-In!

"..."

Merlin's expression was somewhat strange, as if he were thinking or brewing something. He looked at the scale amulet in his hand and finally chuckled, as if he had made a decision.

"Forget it, you're hopeless."

That state of contemplation lasted for a few minutes before vanishing without a trace. Merlin tossed the amulet to Rovey, then laughed and said...

"Although I really want to take control of the situation like I did with Lily before, hypnotizing you the moment you revealed this plan, or secretly switching the amulet, your illusionary skills are beyond my ability to hypnotize. If I were to act recklessly like that, I would definitely be caught red-handed. And if I really did that, the one behind me would surely send me back to Avalon once they noticed my actions, right?"

Why don't you take a guess?

It was a melodious voice, but to Merlin it sounded like the whisper of a banshee. A white hand gently rested on Merlin's neck. Merry stood behind her with a warm smile, but Merlin could sense the chill in her eyes. If he dared to do as she had just said, his neck would surely break today.

"While not wanting to die was one reason, there were other more important things."

Shrugging his shoulders, Merlin spoke with a touch of wistfulness.

"After witnessing their repeated rescues of Singularity, I gradually came to understand one thing: sometimes, absolute rationality and common sense cannot solve all problems, but strong faith can overcome all difficulties. It was because of their fervent faith that I couldn't help but want to embark on adventures with them."

"Even a hopeless case like me can be changed. Although I'm different from the guy behind me, my emotions are clearly much more positive. I guess this is what they call... aspiring to become a champion of justice?"

Merlin grinned and continued.

"If it's for you, even something as absurd as [saving the Beast II] might not be out of reach, but rather a achievable future. After all, you've already subdued Goetia."

So you mean...?

"Just do what you want to do—Savior, successor of that great one. This is your test, and also the path you walk, so there's no need to hesitate. I will support you."

Merlin smiled again, and then suddenly whispered to Rovey, "And—I also want to see a story that's completely different from what I expected."

"I see..."

Seeing the smile on Merlin's face, Rovey smiled back. He was about to tell Merlin and Merry about Gorgon, that he would soon take Anna to deal with him, and that he also needed to find Gilgamesh to tell her that after Gorgon was dealt with, Tiamat would launch another beast tide to cleanse the world, and that they needed to prepare in advance and find a way to lure Tiamat out of the Imaginary Numbers World.

Merlin also saw no problem with this and expressed his support.

However, just as Rovey was about to do it, he suddenly stopped Rovey and told him to wait a moment.

During his absence, some interesting and special people came to Uruk and asked him to meet them before he left again; you could say they were old friends.

"Some special people?"

Rovey gave him a strange look.

"Look, they're here!"

Merlin peered out the window and pointed to a maintenance corps that was walking out of the city gate. Undoubtedly, this was a team of personnel from Uruk who were specifically responsible for the maintenance of the city walls and buildings, nothing particularly special.

"..."

But after watching the team responsible for repairing the defense line for a while, Rovey's eyes suddenly narrowed involuntarily.

"That is...?"

Because, in this group, he saw a lively girl with long orange hair.

"You see them already? That's Ritsuka Fujimaru, the last human Master of Chaldea, who came to repair this Singularity. You met her during the Sixth Singularity. I didn't expect her to come so soon after it ended. Let me think... For them, the Sixth Singularity only ended less than two weeks ago, right? It should have been time for repairs, but now the Seventh Singularity is also coming to an end. They had to rush over. It must have been tough for them..."

"However, it's truly baffling that King Gilgamesh would send them to do menial work first..."

Merlin continued speaking, but Rovey's thoughts were completely focused on the orange-haired girl passing by outside the window.

Similarly, after noticing Rovey's gaze, the orange-haired girl turned her head slightly to meet Rovey eyes, and then smiled.

"It's been a long time!"

The two spoke at the same time.

Chapter 270 Let's Be a Shut-in!

Today is a sunny day. For the people of Uruk, it is a brand new day after they have just survived a calamity, a day of rebirth after suffering.

Similarly, for Ritsuka Fujimaru, the Master from Chaldea, today was not only a somewhat strange day, but also a very diligent one.

First, after conquering the Sixth Singularity, the Jerusalem Singularity, they returned to Chaldea to celebrate the successful conquest of the Singularity and to welcome Ms. Artoria Chaldea safely. They also rested in preparation for the final Singularity. The original plan was for them to set off again a month Da Vinci had made all the necessary preparations. However, during their first week back, Dr. Roman inexplicably made them prepare and led all the Chaldea staff, as well as scientific Casters like Edison and Tesla, to work overtime day and night.

Ritsuka noticed their unusual behavior and asked Da Vinci and Roman what had happened and if there was anything she could do to help. However, to avoid them not getting enough rest, Roman, Da Vinci, and the other Servant didn't tell Ritsuka the truth. They just told her and Mash to focus on getting back to their senses, and they would handle the rest.

Although Ritsuka was worried, she silently accepted it because of her trust in Dr. Roman and everyone else. In the following days, she went to Da Vinci with Mash to test the new equipment, and then underwent special training with the Greece centaur teacher, trying her best to adjust her condition.

It wasn't until three days before their departure that Dr. Roman told them that the Seventh Singularity had an anomaly, and that there was a high possibility of an unprecedented war, the scale of which would be no less than, or even far exceed, the sum of the previous six Singularity. It was likely the final stage in the Human Order Restoration, and he hoped that Ritsuka would be prepared. The reason he was working so hard was all for Ritsuka's sake.

After learning all this, Ritsuka was somewhat shocked by Dr. Roman's description, but she quickly recovered and firmly stated that...

--Over the past year, we have overcome so many difficulties and formidable enemies to get here. How could we possibly back down at this final moment? No matter what kind of enemy we face, we will not back down.

The Chaldea Servant also expressed their approval and relief at her words.

In just one year, the girl who started out as an ordinary girl has truly become independent, and they have witnessed Ritsuka's growth.

Upon hearing Ritsuka's reply, Roman was pleased with Ritsuka's resolve and courage, but he was also more worried about Ritsuka. However, there was no other way now, and they could only persevere.

Therefore, he began to work with Ritsuka to arrange the most detailed battle plan and equipment.

The first issue is the Age of Gods.

During the Sixth Singularity, Ritsuka felt unwell due to the Ether content in the desert environment of the Age of Age of Gods. If it weren't for Mash's shield carrying purification abilities, it would have been very dangerous for her body. Therefore, this time, Da Vinci changed Ritsuka's clothes to a Mystic Code that could automatically filter the atmosphere of the Age of Gods to ensure that Ritsuka could move.

Similarly, Roman gave Ritsuka Holy Grail Chaldea had acquired. He kept four Holy Grail to supply Chaldea with energy, and gave the rest to Ritsuka so that she could use the Holy Grail and Mash's shield as nodes to construct a summoning circle and Heroic Spirit Summoning that Chaldea could deploy to fight.

That's not all. Just as Roman was thinking about how to further improve Ritsuka's strength, a great detective who called himself Caster Holmes sneaked into Chaldea, saying that he was one of the first Heroic Spirit summoned by Chaldea and that he had come to help because he knew Chaldea was in danger.

Although Dr. Roman didn't trust him, he successfully dispelled his doubts when he revealed that the Fourth Singularity, London, was data he had prepared in advance for Chaldea, and his relationship with Rovey and Bedivere in the Sixth Singularity.

What he did upon returning was quite mysterious. He had a private conversation with Dr. Roman, the contents of which were unknown to others. Afterward, he produced a huge black gun from somewhere, which made Da Vinci's eyes light up as if he had seen something good.

According to Holmes, he found it in the Atlas Institute of the Sixth Singularity, and while searching for the Holy Sword, he also found the Black Barrel along the way.

However, although he found it, the real Black Barrel was restricted and he couldn't take it away. So he could only take this one, which was probably an unlocked replica because the user had suddenly arrived due to the Humanity Incineration. But even if it was a replica, it was still one of the seven world-destroying weapons of the Atlas Institute and could definitely be used. That's why he returned to Chaldea at this time; otherwise, he would never have shown himself.

Da Vinci, Roman, and the other science Casters couldn't refute this point, which was a major reason why they believed Holmes. Over the next three days, Da Vinci worked hard to modify the Black Barrel, eventually equipping it on Mash for her to carry and use as a key trump card. According to Holmes, even though it was just a replica, its concept of the Lifespan Mystic Code could still play an unimaginable role.

Then, she and Mash Rayshift in the morning, and then they were directly thrown out by Uruk's great barrier and began to freefall at an altitude of 10,000 meters. If it weren't for Mash's Noble Phantasm reducing the cushioning, she would have really perished halfway through today.

Later, because most of the Demonic Beast were dead, they didn't encounter any Demonic Beast hordes in the wasteland. Kingu also lost interest in causing trouble and didn't even notice the Chaldea Master. So, following Roman's instructions, they easily found Uruk and met Gilgamesh to seek help.

However, Gilgamesh was extremely busy at the moment, and upon seeing Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash, he immediately said...

"You're so slow! You might as well wait until everything's over before showing yourselves!"

Then, under the pretext of not having time to test them, they were sent to work at the grassroots level in Uruk, which led to the current situation.

Having just settled things with Kingu and retrieved the five Holy Grail, Rovey, who was preparing to take down Gorgon as well, met Ritsuka in Uruk.

Honestly, he didn't even expect Ritsuka to make it in time.

Time is too tight. Chaldea probably won't have time to get here, and the battle here is indeed not suitable for Ritsuka to participate in. After all, he has already done everything Ritsuka can do. She and Mash can only participate in the battle. Can the two of them deal with one of the Tiamat Eleven Children? Probably not. It's too dangerous for them.

However, Chaldea's efficiency did exceed Rovey's expectations. The project, which took more than a month, was compressed into a little over half a month, allowing these two young girls, who were fighting in Jerusalem just half a month ago, to come to Mesopotamia to participate in the war. The speed was truly remarkable.

He just felt it was a bit too ridiculous.

Considering the current timeline, after he eliminates Gorgon, the final battle will begin, Ritsuka and Mash clearly haven't even considered this Singularity situation, right?

Just as Rovey saw Ritsuka, who was carrying stones in the crowd, and Mash, who was working at the end of the line, also saw him.

"Senior, isn't that...?"

Mash was equally surprised to see Rovey, but Ritsuka, with a smile on her face, spoke first, "Yes, it's great to see you again, Mr. Rovey. I never expected to run into you here again."

Mash was equally surprised, and she also understood what Holmes and Dr. Roman had meant by reminding them before they set off:

"Your time in the Seventh Singularity is nearing its end, so there may be many things you won't have time to learn. However, you will encounter acquaintances; all you need to do is help them with their actions."

Upon seeing Rovey, they finally understood the meaning of those words.

"Yes, I didn't expect you guys to get involved either."

Rovey pondered for a moment, then said, "We've just finished the Sixth Singularity and are about to head to the Seventh Singularity for battle. You must have had a tough time, Gudako and Mash."

"They're not 'Mash' and 'Gudako,' what kind of weird nicknames are these?"

Ritsuka smiled slightly, then complained before replying, "Yeah, at first the doctors wouldn't tell me what happened. It wasn't until the end that I found out the Seventh Singularity might be the end of this ordeal, so they told me to prepare diligently. It was really tiring, but thankfully I finally made it here."

As she spoke, Ritsuka took Mash's hand and together they encouraged each other, saying, "We're so sorry to have troubled you so much, Mr. Rovey, but please don't underestimate us. I'm no longer an ordinary girl. Having crossed so many Singularity, we can definitely be of help. Just give us orders from now on! After all, I am humanity's last Master, no, I should say the last two."

She glanced at the Command Seal on the back of Rovey's hand, then playfully stuck out her tongue, which made Rovey smile.

"Then I'll wait and see. But, what's with your outfits...?"

Rovey glanced at Mash and Ritsuka's attire.

Ritsuka Fujimaru said, "Gilgamesh told us that we can't rush the conquest of the Singularity. We've arrived too late. Right now, we should be more concerned with understanding the current state of the Singularity ourselves. We agree, so we're temporarily here as maintenance personnel, repairing the defenses. But I really didn't expect to run into Mr. Rovey here. After all, it's been quite a while since Rovey and Miss Artoria left. I thought I'd never see Mr. Rovey again."

"I just arrived first, and it was by accident. But you can rest assured, my goal is also to repair the Singularity," Rovey nodded and said.

"Oh, I see..."

Upon hearing this, Ritsuka Fujimaru nodded, then smiled and said, "However, it's reassuring to be able to explore new Singularity with Mr. Rovey again. Since you're here, then Ms. Artoria should be here too, right?"

"She's here too, but she has other work to do right now, she should be back tonight."

"Yes, that's great, I can fight alongside Miss Artoria again."

Upon hearing Rovey's answer, Ritsuka and Mash couldn't help but smile. For them, knowing that these two reliable seniors were there made them feel much more at ease.

After chatting for a while, Ritsuka glanced at the stone in her hand and said, "Let's leave it at that for now, Mr. Rovey. Let's get back to moving bricks."

"Wait a minute..."

Just as Ritsuka was about to leave, Rovey suddenly called out to her.

"Eh? Is there anything else?"

Upon hearing Rovey's voice, Ritsuka and Mash turned their heads with some curiosity.

"There are indeed some things that I need to explain to you since you are also involved, otherwise it would be deception."

Seeing the curious looks in their eyes, Rovey spoke seriously.

For Chaldea, Tiamat and the Beast are undoubtedly to be defeated, but for her, the nature of this defeat has changed; it has long since shifted from killing and sealing Tiamat to saving her. Since cooperation is involved, this matter must be made clear to Ritsuka and Mash; there can be no concealment.

Ritsuka and Mash weren't the only ones to hear this news; Roman, Da Vinci, Holmes in Chaldea also heard about this outrageous plan.

"No, let me sort out what you just said—save BEAST? Forgive me for being blunt, but that's simply impossible! To give you an example, it's as outrageous as me suddenly giving all the Chaldea employees a two-week leave at this moment, or Da Vinci suddenly announcing his true gender—Wow! Da Vinci?! When did you get here?"

"When you tell me my gender, what gender do you think I am?"

"I was just giving a random example!"

The unscrupulous merchant's voice came from the other side, followed by Dr. Roman's painful cry, indicating that he had been severely punished by Da Vinci.

"Is he alright, doctor?"

Hearing Roman's screams, Mash and Ritsuka felt worried.

"Haha, don't worry, it's just a method Da Vinci used to get Roman to rest. After all, he definitely can't sleep without being forced."

Holmes, who suddenly appeared, provided the answer to their concerns.

"Sherlock Holmes!"

Rovey was somewhat surprised to see him.

"Haha, it's me, Mr. Rovey. We meet again!"

Holmes let out his familiar laugh, then picked up his pipe and said, "Could you elaborate on the situation of this Singularity? It's very important for Chaldea, and I need to sift through the limited information available to me. Let's get started."

"First of all, the Three Goddess Alliance in this Singularity isn't an enemy, right?"

"That's right, there are five traitors in the Three Goddess Alliance."

Rovey answered Holmes' question, though this only confused Ritsuka and Mash more—how could the Three Goddess Alliance have five goddesses?

"I understand. And then... you've already made contact with Tiamat, the greatest enemy of this Singularity, right? Now Tiamat's Beast form is eyeing this Singularity covetously?"

"Your deduction is absolutely correct, Great Detective. There are only two days left until the Tiamat beast tide appears."

Merlin raised his finger, indicating the two-day gesture.

"Gorgon, the Beast Goddess, is the key, and her madness is having a reverse effect on Tiamat. It must be dealt with as soon as possible, but if she is destroyed, Tiamat will revolt prematurely, starting the final battle."

"That's right, it's a done deal, and there's no going back. If we want to repair the Singularity, we have to get past Tiamat."

"I see, I see..."

Unlike Mash and Ritsuka, who were both troubled, Holmes had already recorded the incident and information in his personal notebook.