"Is this... the Holy City?"
Gazing at the fortress before her, Mash fell into a trance.
"..."
Rozen narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the magnificent fortress with equal amazement.
"So... so grand...!"
Even the people in Chaldea, witnessing the scene through their monitors, were left speechless.
"Fou!"
Even Fou seemed stunned, letting out an excited cry.
What appeared before them was a fortress so awe-inspiring it left one feeling overwhelmed.
It was an unimaginably sacred stronghold.
The walls were pure white.
The entire structure radiated an aura of purification, as if one's soul were being cleansed by its mere presence.
It was enormous.
It was inviolable.
It resembled a mythical castle transplanted into reality, like an architectural wonder from a fairy-tale realm brought to life—so grand and majestic.
"Howl!"
"Howl!"
Even the two massive wolves carrying them lowered their proud heads as if humbled before the pristine castle.
After a journey lasting nearly two hours, carried by the giant wolves, Rozen and Mash had arrived here, standing before the Holy City.
This city before them was the place once called Jerusalem.
But...
"This isn't Jerusalem anymore, is it?"
Rozen murmured softly.
No matter how one looked at it, the fortress before them bore no resemblance to Jerusalem.
Although Jerusalem was also referred to as a holy land, a sacred city, and a holy capital, it lacked the flawless sanctity that this place exuded.
Rozen had to admit.
"Jerusalem likely vanished from this world."
The Ninth Crusade had brought about the destruction of that holy city, leaving it in ruins.
And in those ruins, someone had rebuilt the Holy City, creating the fortress now before their eyes.
"Could it have been done by the Neutral Servants?"
Rozen mused thoughtfully.
At that moment, a voice came through Chaldea's communicator.
"Look at the main gate!"
Roman's panicked voice rang out.
Rozen immediately followed the direction of the voice and looked at the main gate of the Holy City.
"That is..."
What he saw left Rozen stunned.
Before the main gate of the Holy City, countless tents were clustered together.
Around the tents, people dressed in clothing resembling ancient Greek and Indian styles moved about.
Indeed.
There was a human settlement in front of the Holy City.
"So many people?"
Olga Marie exclaimed in shock.
"Are they refugees seeking shelter?"
Da Vinci immediately deduced their identity.
"Refugees?"
Rozen was struck by the realization.
Considering the massive craters outside resembling ring-shaped mountains and the light that descended from the heavens to engulf entire villages, it was evident that the surrounding area was no longer safe for habitation—it was simply too dangerous.
These people were likely the native inhabitants of the Middle East. Due to the changing environment and uninhabitable conditions, they had come to the Holy City seeking sanctuary.
However, the Holy City seemed unwilling to accept them.
After a brief observation, Rozen noticed that the entire Holy City was surrounded by pristine white walls, with only the main gate providing access. Yet, that gate was tightly shut, barring all entry.
Even so, numerous knights in full armor, armed with swords, shields, spears, halberds, and even battle axes, patrolled the area or stood guard. They appeared to be protecting the refugees.
But...
"Those knights..."
Rozen scrutinized the knights for a while before finally noticing something unusual.
It seemed Chaldea had also made a discovery, as a voice came through the communicator.
"It seems you've noticed something about those knights."
Da Vinci spoke.
"Are those knights even human? Why are their magic power readings so high?"
Roman exclaimed in astonishment.
Indeed.
The knights guarding the refugees emitted dense magical energy.
The magical energy they radiated far exceeded what humans could possess, resembling the aura of Beast Vassals or spirits.
"Are those knights... Servants...!?"
Olga Marie cried out in alarm.
"No, they're not Servants," Rozen stated confidently. "Their magical energy readings are much weaker than those of Servants. While their nature is similar, they fall far short. I'd guess they're something in between humans and Servants—an unknown existence."
This reminded Rozen of the Asmod in the world of Sky Wizards Academy.
Those creatures were artificially created humanoid armored bettle weapons. The nature of these knights was somewhat similar to them.
In other words...
"Those are likely artificially created pseudo-Servant bio-weapons."
Rozen's words left the Chaldean crew in stunned silence.
But Rozen paid no attention to their reactions.
He continued to observe the knights, who were either standing guard or patrolling, his eyes flashing with insight.
Thanks to his systematic training in tactics and strategy, Rozen quickly discerned that the positions of the knights on guard and their patrol routes were peculiar.
The arrangement didn't feel protective.
Rather, it felt...
"Like a siege."
Rozen had such a realization.
And so, Rozen smiled.
"It seems our earlier assumptions might all be wrong."
Though they had only just arrived, Rozen felt as though he had stumbled upon a significant clue.
This Holy City before them was far from as sacred and beautiful as it appeared on the surface.
Rozen made an immediate decision.
"Let's go take a look, Mash."
He said.
However, after a moment, Rozen noticed that Mash was entirely unresponsive.
"Mash?"
Rozen turned to her, only to be taken aback.
Mash was staring blankly at the Holy City, a mixture of nostalgia and sorrow inexplicably showing in her eyes.
"Mash?" Rozen called out in surprise. "What's wrong?"
"Fou! Fou!" Fou cried, trying to snap Mash out of it.
"Ah!" Mash finally regained her senses, quickly responding, "I'm... I'm sorry, Senpai, I wasn't paying attention..."
"It's fine," Rozen said, shaking his head while asking her. "But what was that just now?"
"I..." Mash hesitated, a mix of confusion and uncertainty evident in her voice. "I don't know... It just feels like this fortress makes me feel nostalgic."
Her tone was filled with bewilderment.
It was clear that she herself didn't fully understand what had happened.
However, there was one thing Mash could confirm.
When she had awakened in Chaldea's sterile room, that sensation of something bursting forth from within her body had been growing stronger and stronger.
Mash's intuition told her that something she—or rather, something within her—had been yearning for lay within that pure white fortress.
But what was it?
Mash had no idea.
And yet, she couldn't shake the feeling.
Somehow, within this Singularity, she would encounter a fateful connection she had never known.
Even she didn't know what kind of connection that would be.
In this state, Mash's heart raced, her consciousness felt feverish, and her body began to feel strange, making her breathing uneven.
Rozen noticed all of Mash's peculiarities.
Then...
"...Let's head over first," Rozen said. "We'll check things out as we go."
"Understood," Mash nodded.