"It's been a long time, King Ozymandias," Alaric greeted with a polite smile, bowing respectfully. Following his lead, Mash and Fujimaru Ritsuka also bowed in unison.
"Insolent one, how dare you stand before the great Pharaoh Ozymandias with such audacity to speak so freely?"
Seeing Alaric acting as if nothing had happened, Nitocris couldn't suppress her fury. Raising her voice, she questioned him sharply,
"If you truly sought to atone for your sins and apologize to the King, why have you only come before him now?"
"Sins?"
Fujimaru and Mash exchanged bewildered glances, surprised that the conflict between Alaric and Nitocris was being described as a sin.
Things had suddenly grown complicated. If this led to a battle, it might mean making an enemy of the Sun King.
"Enough, Nitocris. Isn't this quite amusing? Your incessant chirping like a bird should be restrained," Ozymandias interrupted her with a raised hand, resting his chin on the other as he gazed down at Alaric and his companions.
"After a month, it seems you've come back with new tricks," he remarked with a smile familiar to Alaric—a blend of confidence and magnanimity befitting an absolute ruler.
After a brief exchange with Alaric, Ozymandias turned his attention to the two young women standing beside him.
"So, you're the travelers from a distant land? It seems Sir Alaric has already shared some information about me with you. Very well, I'll introduce myself once more—
I am Ozymandias, both god and sun, the Pharaoh who rules over all things on Earth. Neither the past nor the present changes this truth.
I'm tired of being called Rider. This throne is merely a pastime to dispel my boredom."
Freshly awakened from his slumber, Ozymandias looked weary. After his brief self-introduction, he inhaled deeply and continued,
"—I am quite exhausted, as I have been all this past month. So let me be concise. You shall listen carefully to my words and engrave them into your hearts."
Ozymandias slightly raised his eyelids, scanning the four before him, including Fujimaru.
"You are emissaries from Chaldea, the ones who have restored five Singularities. Now, you've finally arrived at this sixth wedge—the Holy Land of Sand. I know all about it. This is because the Holy Grail you seek once fell into my hands..."
"The Holy Grail?!"
At the mention of the familiar term, Fujimaru and the others couldn't remain calm, exclaiming in unison.
Da Vinci pressed further,
"Respected King Ozymandias, you said the Holy Grail once fell into your hands. Does that mean someone has taken it from you now?"
If the Grail were still in Ozymandias's possession, his current attitude suggested a high likelihood of being an ally. However, if the Grail had been taken from him, the situation would become much more complicated.
"Hm? What's this? Don't you realize the Grail is with the person standing right beside you?"
Ozymandias laughed heartily, as if he had heard the joke of the century, the weariness on his face disappearing entirely.
"To think you can't even figure out your companion's secrets—Chaldea, just how competent are you?"
"Eh? Eh? Eh?!"
Mash and Fujimaru exclaimed in perfect synchronization, turning to look at a certain someone who seemed utterly unbothered.
In this temple, the only outsiders present were their group. The Holy Grail couldn't possibly be on Fujimaru or the others, leaving only one possible candidate—
"The Holy Grail is on Sir Alaric?!"
Mash waved her hands in disbelief, struggling to process the revelation.
Fujimaru leaned closer to Alaric, asking curiously, "Sir Alaric, do you have the Holt Grail?"
"The Holy Grail is with Sir Alaric?"
Da Vinci stroked her chin, gazing at Alaric with intrigue.
To have taken the Holy Grail from Ozymandias, freely entered the Holy City, and possess strength rivaling that of Servants—just who was Alaric?
"The Holy Grail?"
Alaric raised his hand, sweeping it across his chest. A vortex of magical energy twisted the air, and the golden Grail materialized in his palm, leaving Fujimaru wide-eyed.
"It's the Holy Grail!"
Neither Fujimaru nor Mash had expected to see the Holy Grail of this Singularity so easily.
"Let me be clear—it's not something I can give you just yet. I still need it."
Though Alaric didn't put the Grail away, his words struck down Fujimaru and Mash's enthusiasm like a hammer.
"But the Holy Grail is the source of the Singularity's distortion! If we retrieve it, won't the Singularity come to an end?"
Mash's urgency was palpable when Alaric refused to hand over the Holy Grail.
With humanity's future hanging by a thread, resolving the Singularity as quickly as possible would buy Chaldea precious time. To have the Holy Grail so close, yet out of reach, was maddening.
Fujimaru, unable to tear their eyes away from the Holy Grail, quietly asked, "Why is that?"
"Because it's no longer useful. I had assumed you would have faltered by the fourth Singularity, but it seems my assumptions were laughably wrong. Too late—you're far too late! And there's a limit to how late you can be!"
Before Alaric could answer, Ozymandias's authoritative voice rang out, as if scolding Fujimaru and the others,
"Master of Chaldea! Before you arrived at this Singularity—humanity's history in this era had already collapsed!"
"!!!"
The weight of Ozymandias's words hit Fujimaru and Mash like a thunderclap.
"Why is that?"
Mash's face grew grim as she fixed her gaze on Ozymandias.
"It's as I said. In this era, what should have been a war for the Holy Land, a clash between two opposing peoples, resulting in a devastating struggle—
Instead, because the Holy Grail fell into your hands, this Egyptian land was displaced into this Singularity, leading to humanity's collapse."
Da Vinci, staring intently at Ozymandias, slowly deduced, "You were summoned by someone among the Crusaders, obtained the Holy Grail, and rewrote this land's fate, resulting in the collapse of humanity, correct?"
"It seems you are a most brilliant sage. Who might you be?"
It was only then that Ozymandias seemed to notice Da Vinci and inquired.
"My name is Leonardo da Vinci, esteemed Sun King. Was my hypothesis correct?"
"Ah, truly a luminary of history, shining brilliantly. The line between genius and eccentricity is thin indeed—
Alas, you are wrong, foreign sage!"