A moment later.
"So that's the situation over there."
After listening to Ritsuka and the others' descriptions, Roman nodded slightly. "Based on the data here, your current location is Singularity F, situated in Fuyuki, Japan. The time is 2004… It must be the Holy Grail War of that year."
"The Holy Grail War?"
Ritsuka, the only one completely unaware of magic, tilted her head in confusion. "What's that?"
"Literally, a 'war.' To claim the Holy Grail—a machine capable of granting any wish—seven magi summon seven Servants to fight to the death. The last survivor wins the Holy Grail and has their wish granted." Marie explained.
"Servants?"
"Hah~~~"
Seeing Ritsuka confused again, Marie sighed in resignation. "Natsukawa should've explained this to you… Servants are essentially familiars. Heroes from history, legend, and mythology… all of them now reside in the Throne of Heroes. Servants are manifestations of their clones."
"Fujimaru, you can think of them as powerful NPCs that players can summon. That way, you'll understand faster. The one who attacked you earlier was definitely a Servant too." Roman added, giving an explanation Ritsuka could grasp.
Ritsuka paused briefly, then looked toward Mash. "So Servants are beings like Lord Shielder, who fought using Mash's body?"
"Shielder?"
Marie frowned. "Fujimaru, describe that part in detail. Are you sure Mash displayed Servant-like power?"
"I'm not entirely sure. But when I was attacked, Mash suddenly appeared wearing armor to protect me, and said she was a Servant of the Shielder class."
"Shielder… so the Demi-Servant experiment succeeded, but I never expected it to happen under these circumstances. Once Mash wakes up, I'll have to ask her about this Shielder—true name, origin, Noble Phantasm. Mash should know everything. But for now—Romani, are you certain we're currently in Fuyuki City in 2004?"
Roman nodded. "Undoubtedly. That's why I desperately tried to contact you as soon as possible—because that place is far too dangerous."
"Dangerous? Because… of the Servant that attacked me earlier?"
"If it were only Servants, it could be manageable. But the problem is, there might be someone far more terrifying than a Servant there—"
"I don't think that'll be the case."
Roman's words were cut off by a sudden voice. The Roman in the video quickly turned his head. "Natsukawa! You're finally back. Is the issue there resolved?"
"Yes. In short, eighty percent of the Chaldea area damaged by the explosion has been repaired. The rest will be fixed gradually. Really exhausting. I'd rather fight a Phantasmal Species."
Along with a slightly weary voice, as Roman stood from his seat, Naoki's figure immediately appeared in the video.
"Natsukawa!"
"Department Head!"
Seeing the most reliable person appear, Marie and Ritsuka instantly felt relieved. Meanwhile, Hinako pushed aside the two people who had just relaxed, and immediately pointed at Naoki in the video. "You're finally here, Natsukawa! Didn't you say there wouldn't be any problems as long as you were there?! Then why did the explosion still happen!"
"Glad to see Senior Hinako so enthusiastic—but the explosion was truly beyond my expectations. I never imagined Professor Lev would blow himself up so completely."
"Blow himself up?! Lev?!—oh right, Natsukawa, Ritsuka said you suspected Lev might cause an explosion… Is that true?"
Marie asked nervously. If this explosion was truly caused by Lev, then his actions amounted to betrayal. It was a fact Marie couldn't accept.
However, Naoki firmly nodded. "I did suspect it, but it was just a suspicion—no concrete evidence. Besides, Chaldea was built using special explosion-resistant materials, so I didn't pay much attention. But I never expected he'd actually blow himself up…"
"How could… Lev… why would he do this?"
"Who knows? A magus can do anything. Anyway, Olga, what you should focus on now isn't Lev, but how you can return from there."
"Yes, I know. But what should we do next? The 2004 Holy Grail War—Natsukawa, I remember this is the one you and my father…"
"Right, it's the one I participated in with Marisbury. However, I doubt the situation will be exactly the same as when I experienced it." Naoki said. "After all, ten years ago, I never encountered you guys arriving via particle transfer during the Holy Grail War—so your concern is exaggerated, Roman."
Roman, standing beside Naoki, rolled his eyes, but that was fine. At least it confirmed the difficulty level wouldn't immediately jump to the highest tier.
"Then, what should we do next?"
"Go to the location I'll tell you, and wait there. Someone will come who can help you resolve the Singularity and get you out of there."
"Alright, we'll follow your instructions."
After watching Marie and the others walk toward the direction he indicated, Naoki stood from his seat. "Then, Roman, I leave this to you. I have some business to attend to."
"You're going there?"
Roman asked, watching Naoki.
"Is your body still strong enough? Your mana has already been drained too much. Not only did you repair most of the areas damaged by Lev's self-destruction, but you also supplied a massive amount of magical energy… You're being reckless."
Chaldea's operations required energy. Although not limited to mana, after being affected by Lev's explosion, all power-supplying devices throughout Chaldea were disrupted. Although Naoki repaired them, they couldn't immediately resume full output.
Moreover, to ensure the safety of the three people there, it was crucial to quickly restore the communication systems. So Naoki immediately used his own mana to restore eighty percent of Chaldea's functions, enabling it to operate again.
"Who else could do it besides me? I can't leave everything to you." Naoki smiled and shrugged. "Besides, it's not that much. Although I felt a bit tired earlier, I've already recovered. Don't forget, I've become a true fairy. Mana is essentially limitless."
"Hah~~~ I hope you'll tell me before doing something reckless like this again. But how will you get there? The particle transfer tubes are gone. You can't directly go to the Singularity."
"Of course, I'll run there."
"Eh?"