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To put it simply—after this point, those five Heroic Spirits were no longer under Alaya's command.
They belonged to Akio now.
Alya had no authority over them anymore.
Of course, that didn't mean Alya would just hand over all five Spirits at once. Akio hadn't crushed Umbrella yet, and there was no way Alya would give away everything up front.
That's not how deals worked.
So Alya decided to pay a forty-percent "advance," which meant sending Akio two Spirits first. The remaining three would only be his once he completely wiped Umbrella off the map.
Akio had no objections to those terms.
After they settled on the arrangement, Alya asked,"Now then, tell me which Spirits you want. But let me make one thing clear—you are not allowed to pick Grand Servants. That's my bottom line."
Akio clicked his tongue and, without even hesitating, gave the first name.
"Medea."
Among magi, Medea was in a league of her own.
The infamous witch of the Age of Gods—her magecraft skirted the border of True Magic itself. With the skill of High-Speed Divine Words, she could perform even the grandest spells as easily as a simple ritual.
Her mastery surpassed even the strongest modern magi, even brushing against the realm of Magicians.
She wasn't technically a Magician, true, but calling her "a magus infinitely close to a Magician" would hardly invite argument.
Officially, she was one of the shining embodiments of mystery from an era when the world was still drenched in magic.
On top of that, she had studied under none other than Hecate, goddess of sorcery. That fact alone spoke volumes about her worth.
Few magi in history could ever hope to outshine her. Solomon was one. But Alya would never hand over Solomon, because he was a Grand Servant.
Outside of him, only the Monkey King could really rival her. But the Monkey King was too upright, too righteous. Compared to him, Akio preferred Medea by a long shot.
What could he say? Witches had their charm.
So of course, his first choice was Medea.
"That's acceptable," Alya said without hesitation. Akio's choice didn't touch on any taboos, so Alya agreed without fuss.
"And your second pick?"
Akio's eyes gleamed. "For the second… I'll take Paracelsus von Hohenheim."
Another magus, this one the legendary doctor and alchemist of the Renaissance. His discoveries of the four (or five) classical elements, along with the tria prima, had secured him a permanent place in both human history and magical history alike. His writings and theories were countless.
A magus of the Five Elements—powerful, composed, and wise.
Gentle by nature, averse to violence. He often said that love, in all its forms, was the most sacred treasure of mankind.
As a mage, perhaps he couldn't quite match Medea.
But in alchemy? He surpassed her without question.
Akio had his reasons for choosing him.
Alya nodded again. Hohenheim was remarkable, yes, but there were plenty of other remarkable Servants too. Alya had no reason to cling to him.
"Tomorrow morning, when you perform the summoning, I'll send the two of them to your side."
"Fine by me," Akio replied casually.
Alya left behind the ritual for summoning, then withdrew from Akio's dream.
A short while later, Akio awoke. The sunlight was already spilling through the window, bathing him in warmth.
He stretched, got up, and sent a message to Erina Nakiri and Secretary.
I'll be entertaining two guests today. Make breakfast for three—something plentiful.
It didn't take long for the replies to come back.
No problem, Lord Akio.Right away, Lord Akio.
Satisfied, Akio headed into the bathroom to wash up.
When he returned to the living room, he began drawing the summoning circle at a leisurely pace—using, of course, his own blood as the medium.
A single drop stretched thinner than a strand of hair, tracing the intricate pattern of the circle.
Then, Akio began the chant.
"Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill.Repeat fivefold.When filled, let it be destroyed.Hear me, my will shall become your sword.By the summons of the Holy Grail, if you would heed my call, then answer.I swear here: I shall accomplish all good in this world. I shall eradicate all evil in this world. I am the one who holds the chains.You are the seven heavens clad in three words of power, borne of the cycle of restraint, the guardian of the balance."
The summoning circle burst with blinding light.
Two figures emerged at its heart.
When the glow finally faded, Akio found himself face-to-face with a woman in a violet-hooded cloak and robes, and a man with long black hair tied in a side ponytail.
The woman, of course, was the legendary sorceress Medea.
The man—Paracelsus von Hohenheim.
If Hohenheim had been a woman, Akio might've told her, That hairstyle's way too dangerous, ma'am.
Unfortunately, Hohenheim was a man.
Which left Akio at a loss for words. Honestly, what kind of grown man wore his hair in a side ponytail? Was he… trying to look cute?
"Well, this is a surprise. To think I'd be summoned by someone like you." Medea pulled back her hood, revealing the face of a simple yet striking beauty.
"Medea, at your service."
Hohenheim gave a polite nod of greeting as well. "I greet you."
Akio grunted acknowledgment. "I assume Alya already explained everything to you?"
Medea inclined her head. "Yes. Alya told us the moment we descended. I must say, though, I'm curious. To snatch Servants from Alaya's grasp… just what kind of being are you, my lord?"
Akio answered without hesitation. "Think of me as a dimensional demon god. Similar to Hades, ruler of the Underworld—but my domain isn't hell. It's the Dimension of Light."
Medea's eyes lit up as she grasped the weight of his words.
Even more incredible than she had imagined.
"I see…" she murmured, studying him intently. Then, with a hint of curiosity, she asked, "But, Lord Akio—if your goal is to destroy Umbrella, why not demand stronger Servants from Alaya? Why choose us?"
Hohenheim silently turned his gaze to Akio as well, clearly wondering the same thing.
"..."
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