Fate: How About a New Savior?

Although they had Helter Skelters to counter the Celtic warriors and Magical Beasts, the overall situation was roughly 40-60. Who held the advantage—well, that was up for debate.

"This actually isn't a difficult issue to solve," Scáthach said, tapping her finger on the table. "My beloved disciples—Shiomi, Caren—how we proceed in this war should be decided by the two of you."

"Something this important can't be left to just two—" Edison started to protest, but when he looked at Shiomi, he swallowed the word "humans."

After all, while the Heroic Spirits were the primary fighting force, the reason they had chosen to rise against Medb's Celtic army was for the sake of those living in the present. This battle's course should be in the hands of humanity.

"About that…" Caren showed a rare look of hesitation.

It wasn't the weight of responsibility that bothered her—it was the idea that she was now considered a representative of humanity that unsettled her.

Honestly, Caren had no particular affection or dislike for humanity or the human world. She was only involved because her most important family lived there, and she was willing to fight for their sake.

If anything, she found a certain enjoyment in watching how people struggled and suffered in the face of such an unprecedented crisis.

"Caren," Shiomi gently reminded her.

She snapped out of it and nodded. "My opinion won't differ from my father's. Can you speak on my behalf?"

"Throwing it back to me again, huh? Seeing you're still the same makes me feel at ease," Shiomi said, fondly tousling her silver, wavy hair.

He stepped away from the table and stood at the end of the long conference table, looking over the assembled Servants.

"Before we decide our next move, there's something I want to discuss that could increase our combat strength."

"What is it?" Billy the Kid asked, clearly intrigued.

Servants from more recent eras, like him, generally had weaker Mystery and thus less reliable combat capabilities. Li Shuwen, recruited earlier by Scáthach, was a rare exception.

"Right now, aside from Master and Florence Nightingale, all of you are without Masters—in other words, you're masterless Servants," Shiomi explained. "On the other hand, while the Celtic army's Servants don't have formal Masters either, they serve Medb and receive mana from the Holy Grail."

Simply put, there was a disparity in mana supply between both sides.

"I see. So my husband wants to form contracts with all the remaining Servants in this Singularity?" Morgan sighed. "Such indecent behavior."

"Please don't make it sound like something shady…" Shiomi tried to stay serious, but Morgan's comment threw him off.

Naturally, the suggestion stirred the chamber.

The reason was obvious. A single Master could usually only contract with one Servant—two or three at most, even if highly capable. Yet Shiomi wanted to serve as the Master for every Servant present.

"In that case, won't you be immobilized?" Helena asked, breaking out in a cold sweat.

She wasn't sure if Shiomi was too focused on winning to consider the risks realistically.

"No need to worry. While my husband will serve as your Master, Chaldea's support system will cover over half of the mana expenditure," Morgan said, scanning the room. "Besides, those of you who've actually fought him know exactly how strong he is."

"He's certainly a formidable opponent. If he were my Master, I could fight with everything I have," Karna agreed.

"That said, forming contracts with so many Servants at once without Holy Grail support is still a pretty insane idea," Scáthach mused, resting her chin on one hand and idly running her fingers across her face.

But because Shiomi was her disciple, she chose to trust his judgment.

The Servants all understood the risks. If Shiomi's life became endangered, they could sever their contracts at any time and return to being masterless.

Thus, Shiomi's proposal earned the support of the gathered Servants—even Helena and Geronimo, both Casters, decided to wait and observe.

Shiomi then stepped back a few paces and cut his palm. A stream of blood rose from the wound, drifting into the air before transforming into a red Magecraft circle.

The circle's glow shifted from red to silver-white as it fell to the ground, spreading in an orderly pattern across the floor.

This was a special large-scale contract ritual. Each Servant present would have to choose whether to accept it.

Ordinarily, such a ritual would be used by a Magus to bind an ordinary familiar. But now, it was being used to contract with Heroic Spirits—familiars of the highest class.

As the contracts were accepted, the magecraft circles beneath their feet began to glow one after another. A fierce gust swept through the council chamber, forcing Caren and Florence Nightingale—who hadn't taken part in the contract—to raise their hands to shield themselves.

Even with Chaldea's support, forming so many temporary contracts at once brought an overwhelming pressure crashing down on Shiomi. It reminded him of the night before the Fourth Holy Grail War, when he had first performed a Heroic Spirit summoning.

The strain on his magic circuits was far more intense than it had been back then, but it was still within his capacity to bear.

He clenched his fists and looked down at the Command Spells etched on the back of his hand.

This was a necessary burden. The Heroic Spirits were fighting for humanity—he, as a human, should be able to support them and fight alongside them as well.

As the contracts and circuits gradually stabilized, Shiomi allowed himself a confident smile. But then, without warning, foreign visions flickered through his mind.

A massive door inscribed with arcane markings. A vast, unfathomable cosmos. A presence of absolute, supreme will.

Like an illusion, it flashed across his consciousness—and vanished. A sharp pain tore through his head. He clutched his forehead, his knees buckled, and he instinctively dropped to one knee.

His Master's hand appeared before him, her eyes full of concern.

"So the burden really was too much?"

"No, I'm fine…" Shiomi shook his head and smiled to brush it off. "It's just my first time doing something like this. The pressure on my circuits caught me off guard."

He pushed himself up from the ground, then looked seriously around at the assembled Servants, nodding in greeting.

In that moment, he scanned each of them, recalling the legends tied to their names. Yet none of their stories matched the images that had just flashed through his mind.

But there were more urgent matters to deal with. Pushing the unease aside, Shiomi returned to the table.

"The contracts are complete. Thank you all for your support. Now—let's talk strategy for the upcoming war."

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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