Chapter 849

Volume 11: Chapter 502 Shirou Twelve Years Later

London, 2017.

This city, once known as the Fog City, is now the headquarters of Western Magecraft and the base of the Mage's Association's Clock Tower.

Within Greater London, there are several areas disguised as university towns, but in reality, they are streets where Magecraft live.

Modern Magecraft have thus become deeply ingrained in the daily lives of human society.

However, in recent years, the "principle of secrecy," Magecraft have always been proud of, or rather, the only ethical standard they would adhere to, has been challenged.

"If I weren't so busy, I'd love to show you around London."

In a luxuriously decorated office, the young woman squeezed her nose and said helplessly.

Beautiful blonde hair, and bright blue eyes.

Although her birth certificate indicates she is over twenty-five, she still possesses the youthful beauty of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, with skin as white as a porcelain doll.

What leaves the deepest impression is her sadistic aura, which seems incongruous with all the aforementioned elements of innocence.

She is none other than Lord Leinys - El-Melloi 'El-Melloi agent, Archzorti.

As the daughter of a branch family of Archibald, her origins were not particularly distinguished within the family. However, she rose to power by currying favor with the Lord's wife Sola El- El-Melloi, becoming the No. 2 member of the El-Melloi Faction.

That's what's being said around the block.

However, only those who truly know the inside story are aware of Leinys's exceptional talent in using "Supreme Mystic Code: Volumen hydrargyrum," as well as her political abilities beyond that of Magecraft.

"Don't worry about it, Leinys... we never expected your hospitality anyway."

"This is just a return visit, and besides, I've already seen all of London."

"Leinys's guests," said the two women sitting on the sofa, putting down their tea.

They were slightly older Leinys.

However, unlike Leinys, she has completely shed her girlish innocence.

Even compared to their peers, they appear mature, but not in a way that comes with age; quite the opposite.

That is the transformation a woman achieves after years of being nurtured by love and men.

If we were to use Azaka as a metaphor, it would be "in full bloom".

--Rin Tohsaka and Luvia Zelitt Edelfelt.

They gave the impression of being more dazzling beauties than any jewel in the world.

Her alluring black hair and elegant blonde hair, her eyes clearer than the sea or the sky, and her red coat and blue dress accentuated her curvaceous figure.

In the past, the two had stayed in London for several years to study Magecraft, becoming one of the few Magecraft in the history of the Clock Tower to be granted the "Brand" before the age of twenty.

This time, they visited London as independent Magecraft —actually, they were accompanying their husbands on a trip.

As for their shared husband, Leinys actually knew him as well.

It's less about knowing each other and more about...

"So."

Leinys uttered the name that made her body heat up just by thinking of his face.

"Where did the crucial Shirou go?"

"They said they wanted to wander around the city a bit more, and would come see you again later."

Leinys frowned slightly, revealing a displeased expression.

"You came all the way to London, only to find your mistress nowhere to be seen. Isn't Shirou being a bit too cold?"

Like Rin and Luvia, Leinys was one of the women whose purity was taken away and who were then completely ravaged by that man.

Although she served him in bed far fewer times than Rin and Luvia, who lived with him, her status as his mistress was recognized by all the women in the Amamiya Residence.

"Fine, fine, he's been like this for a while now."

Shirou had never been interested in aristocratic socializing, and had originally planned to use his fame to intimidate others at social gatherings.

The next time I see Lord Achelot, I'll be seeing that smug, overconfident face again.

Shirou's mistresses at the Clock Tower were far more than just Leinys.

Although Shirou Amamiya only spent a few years here when he accompanied Rin Tohsaka and Luvia to study in London, he has many female admirers in the Clock Tower, enough to form a fan club.

Of these people, only a handful were truly able to get close to Shirou and establish a relationship with him.

For example, there's the Witch of Soot and Lord, May Liddell Achelot, who successfully inherited the position of head of the Achelot family with Shirou's help.

Besides her, there was also Olga Marie Animsphere.

That arrogant daughter of the Department of Astromancy's Lord —it's hard to believe... but she was also a woman with whom Shirou had a physical relationship.

Leinys once met Olga Marie and Shirou, who had been invited to be her bodyguard, at a social gathering.

After the banquet, the young lady from the Department of Mineralogy and the heiress from the Department of Astromancy lay side-by-side on the hotel bed, their buttocks raised, receiving Shirou's "training"...

And then there's Fiore Fulvigi, who has already left the Clock Tower.

His younger brother Caules, was a friend of Shirou's when he was in London. Perhaps because of this connection, she was also a member of Shirou's luxurious harem.

Oh, and there's also Sajyou Ayaka from Tokyo...

"Anyway, I'm just a peripheral character in Shirou's harem. I should be grateful to receive his affection once every few years."

"Leinys, I can't stand hearing that anymore. Shirou loves each and every one of us equally."

"Hmph, you and Miss Tohsaka are just being pampered by him, you don't even know how lucky you are."

"Hehe... that's only natural. Shirou loves everyone equally, but I'm the only one who's special~"

Luvia placed her hand on her ample breasts, revealing a confident smile without any attempt to hide it.

If Shirou were here, he would definitely criticize her statement.

At times like this, we need to ask Miss Tohsaka to keep her in check, but Rin Tohsaka seems a little distracted today.

"Leinys, we heard some rumors on our way here," Rin Tohsaka said, frowning.

Hearing her finish the pleasantries and get straight to the point, Luvia's expression turned serious.

Is this why you're too busy to receive us?

"..."

"I was planning to get away with it, but these two are really sharp..." Leinys thought to herself.

Rin Tohsaka pressed on, "Can you tell us the specifics?"

"This guy and I are both graduates of the Clock Tower, so if there's anything we can do to help..."

Leinys was silent for a moment before she began to explain.

"Lostbelt Singularity has emerged inside the Clock Tower."

"... the Clock Tower?"

Rin and Luvia exchanged a glance.

Lostbelt Singularity--

This is a Spacetime Distortion phenomenon that suddenly occurred around the world without warning ten years ago.

This is a completely different concept from the "singularity" proposed by the astronomical scientist Animusphia.

The so-called "Lostbelt Singularity" are not distorted fragments on the axis of Human History, but rather fragments of Human History that have already been removed.

That is, it is Singularity generated not by Human Order, but by the Lostbelt.

The cause of "Lostbelt Singularity" remains a mystery to this day.

Discussions within the Amamiya Residence suggest that this is likely related to their past actions of forcibly restoring the distorted world to its original state.

It was at that moment that the world slightly deviated from its original phase and collided with the remnants of the world of Pruned Phenomenon.

Although it sounds like Parallel World movement... an incident on the scale of the Second Magic, fortunately, the vast majority of "Lostbelt Singularity" do not cause very serious consequences.

Because that was originally just the remnants of a world that had been cut and shaped, it posed no threat to the prosperous Pan-Human History.

And after experiencing several crises, the Magecraft gradually found ways to deal with Singularity.

"However... this time the problem is more serious."

How so?

Leinys paused for a moment before saying, "The Singularity is Spirit Tomb Albion."

"..."

Rin and Luvia were speechless.

Spirit Tomb Albion.

The reason why this island is the center of the Magecraft world, and the reason why the Clock Tower has lasted for nearly two thousand years.

In the distant past, there lived a dragon that was as old as the planet itself.

After realizing the decline of the surface world's divine era, this ancient dragon forcibly dug a passage to the earth's core on the land beneath Rin and her companions' feet.

The dragon's soul eventually returned to the Inner Sea of the Planet, while its remains became the great labyrinth known as the Spirit Tomb Albion.

Two thousand years ago, Magecraft discovered this labyrinth and the mysteries hidden within it.

Magecraft gathered here, gradually forming a settlement and establishing the fortified city of Londinium, which later became London.

The Clock Tower became the world's largest Magecraft organization simply because the ancestors of Magecraft explored less than 1% of the mysteries of the Spirit Tomb.

For modern Western Magecraft, Spirit Tomb Albion is an inexhaustible treasure trove and a shortcut to the Root.

But this Spirit Tomb Albion, has now been Singularity.

"The people from the Clock Tower have been evacuated from the mining city of Magisphere, and even the Sealing Designation Enforcement Bureau has retreated from the Cyllene Observatory."

"Is it that serious?" Luvia asked.

Leinys sighed, "I wish you could see that for yourselves, the waterhorses Kelpie running on the River Thames..."

Rin and Luvia gasped: there was no way they could fool the citizens with a gas explosion.

These days, the entire Clock Tower is extremely busy.

Due to the Singularity of Spirit Tomb Albion, a large number of things that do not belong to this era have sprung up from the underground well.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Rin Tohsaka asked.

Leinys sighed, "Well... we at the Clock Tower have our pride too, how can we just ask outsiders like you for help?"

We'll try to find a solution until we absolutely can't handle it...

If it's just cases involving Magical Beast and Phantasmal Beast, I can manage to handle it for now.

Leinys was well aware of Rin Tohsaka and Luvia Zelitt's strength as combat-style Magecraft.

I doubt there are many in the entire Clock Tower, or even among the Lord, who could defeat them.

However, even without relying on their power, our Clock Tower has its own trump cards—

Leinys thought of her friend, the grey gravedigger girl who had inherited the Holy Lance.

"My only worry is that Shirou won't get involved in any more strange incidents."

Leinys said this while looking at the peaceful scenery outside the window.

More than a decade ago, Shirou Amamiya was considered a strong contender for the world's strongest magician and was feared by the world of Magecraft.

Through years of relentless training, he had reached his peak and become a monster beyond human comprehension.

Hopefully, no more fools will dare to provoke Shirou...

At that point, I'll have no choice but to apologize to him with my body...

Just then, the office phone rang at an inopportune moment, interrupting the girl's wandering thoughts.

The ground floor of the Mage's Association Clock Tower headquarters is better known to the world as the British Museum.