Today's Chaldea was unusually lively.
The reason was a mock battle being held to test combat readiness before venturing into the Greek Lostbelt.
In the lounge next to the Combat Simulation System Room, most of the idle Chaldea personnel had gathered by the transparent glass to watch the spectacle. After all, one of the participants in the mock battle was none other than Tenkei Shiomi himself.
Until now, everyone had only been able to grasp the general situation of the Singularity through the Rayshifting support system, leaving them no opportunity to witness Shiomi's combat firsthand.
Of course, another reason for the excitement was the limited entertainment options available. The Bleaching Incident had once again severed Chaldea's connection to the outside world, cutting off access to new entertainment from the human realm. Watching simulated battles and analyzing combat records had thus become a decent pastime in itself.
To put it bluntly, it was akin to how ancient Roman nobles would watch gladiatorial combat.
—Though in reality, there was neither bloodshed nor killing involved.
"Are you sure it's okay? Having you personally accompany me for combat training?" Melusine asked as she checked her weapon's condition, glancing at Shiomi nearby.
Shiomi casually shook his head. "Considering the intensity of the upcoming Lostbelt battles, I'm the minimum level of opponent needed to gather enough combat data. Plus, this is a good chance to test the limits of that flight gear, right?"
"Mhm." Melusine nodded, clearly pleased. With a confident smile, she added, "I won't lose."
"Oh, you're quite confident," Shiomi said, mildly surprised. "But then again, you are the strongest Fairy Knight. You even stood your ground against the primordial Sub-Bell."
Melusine flushed slightly. "Not at all. Compared to you, I'm merely—"
"But since you've come with the intention to win, here's the deal: if you really manage to defeat me, I'll grant you one wish." Shiomi raised a finger.
"Huh?" Melusine froze.
Her mind raced, trying to think of a suitable wish. After all, if it was too outlandish, her wish might not come true.
"Hold on!" Sakura's voice suddenly rang out over the intercom. Before Melusine could react, Sakura had already dashed into the combat simulation room. "Don't pretend you didn't hear that, Dad!"
"Sakura..." Shiomi was slightly startled. "So you think my offer was a bit too casual, huh? I suppose—"
"No, what I mean is, since Dad offered such a reward, I want to join this training too!" Sakura demanded excitedly, looking at Shiomi. "The battlefield changes in an instant, right? There will definitely be times when we need to cooperate with Miss Melusine. Let me team up with her!"
"Huh?" Shiomi finally understood.
"That makes sense," Olga Marie said, walking up. "If the teacher says so, he'll surely give it his all. To balance the combat strength, I'll join in too."
"Marie?!" Shiomi began to regret it.
Baobhan Sith pushed her glasses up with a troubled expression. "Hmm... I don't really have any wishes, but since it's a rare opportunity, I'll represent Mother?"
"Baobhan Sith, isn't that a bit too sly? It makes it sound like I'm only thinking about myself."
Sakura said.
"Oh, come on~, it's really not like that." Baobhan Sith quickly realized it wasn't quite appropriate. "Anyway, let's just beat Father first, okay?"
"If we can't win, then there won't be any reward." Olga Marie nodded.
In the blink of an eye, the three girls charged into the simulated battle arena, all drawn by Shiomi's verbal promise. This development sparked a peculiar anticipation among the Chaldea personnel who had merely been spectating—how would Shiomi divide the rewards? Or would every participant get a share?
"Oh, things are heating up," Scáthach leaned against the monitoring room window, surveying the scene below. "My beloved disciple sure loves digging himself into holes."
Morgan, holding a cup of tea, commented, "That's only because my husband is in such a secure environment that he's completely let down his guard."
"In this state, it would be awkward for us to intervene..." Skadi clearly wanted to join in but hesitated to step forward.
"Even if you don't participate, whatever you want, Tenkei will grant it." Artoria stated calmly.
Touko shrugged with a hint of schadenfreude, pressing her earpiece. "If no one else wants to join the simulation battle, then we'll begin this live-fire test. Tenkei, watch your strength—don't wreck the precious equipment."
"Shouldn't you be worried about the people right now?" Shiomi retorted into the broadcast.
"You wouldn't hurt them anyway." Touko pointed out, hitting the nail on the head.
With that, Shiomi fell silent.
The girls gathered around Melusine, discussing tactics. At that moment, the simulation room began dispersing spirit particles, generating a wide-area barrier to simulate the battlefield environment.
Through this Magecraft device, the room—originally only about 200 square meters—expanded into a vast space resembling a Singularity environment. It possessed no Magecraft other than spatial extension, simply replicating the actual battlefield as realistically as possible. Though not an infinitely expansive world, it was more than enough for both sides to engage in mock combat to their hearts' content.
Considering the necessity of conquering the Greek Lostbelt, this battlefield was modeled after the environment of the Third Singularity—set on a tiny island surrounded by boundless ocean.
Shiomi watched the four of them discussing with great enthusiasm. Whether it was Baobhan Sith or Melusine, they were both deeply invested. Sakura and Olga Marie naturally accepted them both, and he felt quite pleased. He patiently waited for their discussion to conclude.
After about ten minutes, they finally stopped and looked up at Shiomi, who was sitting on the ground.
"Finished discussing?" Shiomi rose to his feet, leaning on Longinus, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The girls instantly shifted into combat stance. Led by Melusine, they formed a formation, silently observing Shiomi's movements.
"Well then, let me see what you're truly made of!"
The words barely left his mouth before Shiomi vanished from his spot.
Melusine's eyes widened instantly. She stepped forward, crossing her swords to block the descending spear shaft. A powerful shockwave radiated outward. The three girls behind her almost lost their footing.
"Putting you up front was the right call. If it had been them, they might've been out after that one hit," Shiomi remarked.
"After all, they're all Magus. Only I'm a warrior," Melusine replied confidently.
Shiomi gave a slight nod. "But if you train with a playful attitude, even with Melusine here, you guys would be the first to be eliminated, right?"
Accompanying his comment, a claw formed from a shadowy silhouette, rising from behind Melusine.