In the medical bay, Mash lay obediently on the bed, letting the machines perform a full scan of her body.
As she lay there, her thoughts drifted to the events of the past few days.
It had been over a week since the battle with the Lion King, and everyone had been busy with their own tasks.
For instance, Fujimaru Ritsuka was training diligently to better withstand the power of Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi.
Jeanne Alter, though a Servant, was also training, delving into the path of magic to strengthen her spiritual body. Like Ritsuka, she aimed to fully master Durandal's power.
The members of Chaldea shared a common understanding: if Ritsuka and Jeanne Alter could harness their weapons, they could surpass Grand Servants and reach the realm of gods.
After all, they were already displaying strength on par with Grand Servants.
The stunningly beautiful Moon Goddess Artemis had been appearing sporadically, often vanishing into her phase... a special space, perhaps akin to a parallel world.
Mash, whose grasp of occultism was still limited, pondered this. The term "parallel world" didn't seem quite right; perhaps "divine realm" was more fitting.
Artemis was reportedly engaged in creation, followed by destruction. Mash found the concept awe-inspiring yet daunting.
Building only to tear down, then rebuilding... it felt like a scam to inflate construction costs.
Medea had been frequently tending to Morpheus, who had rested to purge toxins. His recovery was swift, regaining mobility quickly, yet Medea continued to stay by his side, practically living in his room.
Olga Marie, the Director, reacted most strongly to this. Mash had overheard her muttering darkly about "that scumbag," "horndog," and "tying him up someday." Mash thought the Director might need a therapist.
As for the Servant Jack the Ripper, who usually clung to Ritsuka, she had recently taken a liking to Artemis. The goddess happily indulged her, often giving her snacks.
According to Morpheus, Artemis's maternal aura, amplified by her current state, was irresistibly appealing to Jack.
It made sense... Jack likely craved a mother's affection.
"Mash."
"Mash?"
"Mash!"
The voice grew louder, snapping Mash out of her thoughts. She turned to see Roman, in his white coat, looking at her.
"What's wrong, Doctor Roman?" Mash asked.
"You were lost in thought," Roman said, not expecting an answer. "Your body is in perfect condition. Cell division is normal, your lifespan matches a regular human's, and your immunity is nearly on par with a Servant's, showing no decline. I think one more check in a month should suffice... no need for further tests after that."
Since Morpheus's treatment, her body had been confirmed healthy, but periodic checks ensured no latent issues emerged over time.
Now, it was clear there was no cause for concern. Her body was truly healthy, and the next check was merely a precaution.
"With your previous condition, I'd have opposed your participation in upcoming missions. But now, you're in great shape. Good timing, too... the攻略 for the next Singularity is about to begin."
Mash perked up. "Have we gathered intel?"
Roman nodded. "Yes, we've secured useful information. Once your checkup is done, we'll head to the strategy meeting."
The meeting was small, attended only by Morpheus, Olga Marie, Roman, Fujimaru Ritsuka, Da Vinci, and Fou, who clung to Mash.
Morpheus leaned back, yawning, looking sleep-deprived.
Given Artemis and Medea's recent presence, Mash could guess why.
"This time, we're heading to the dawn of human history, a cornerstone for Earth's civilizations, a world still unified... the mother of many civilizations, formed in the Tigris-Euphrates river valley.
"It's one of the oldest civilizations, emerging around the same time as ancient Egypt.
"For the world of magecraft, it's the end of the Age of Gods, a fascinating subject... 2600 BC, the land of ancient Mesopotamia, post-Ubaid, the origin of Sumerian civilization."
Mash's expression turned serious. "A world before Christ… a surface still steeped in mystery, the Age of Gods…"
Da Vinci nodded eagerly. "Exactly! Mesopotamia's early dynastic Sumerian era! Just getting there is harder than any Singularity we've faced. It's the last fantasy century, where gods and monsters were part of daily life!"
Seeing Da Vinci's excitement, Morpheus suspected she'd love to dive into the Age of Gods for fun.
"First, we have something for you," Roman said, glancing at Da Vinci. "Where's the item?"
Da Vinci produced a silk scarf-like object and handed it to Ritsuka. "This is for you. That era's magical density far exceeds Egypt's. You're human, after all."
She glanced at Morpheus, her expression implying, "You don't need it."
Morpheus smiled and nodded. "I don't."
Ritsuka and Mash turned to him, realizing he'd experienced the late Age of Gods.
"Greece's Age of Gods ended later than Mesopotamia's. By the time I was there, Goldie was long gone," Morpheus said, sipping tea.
"Goldie?" Ritsuka asked curiously.
Morpheus shrugged. "Gilgamesh always decked out in shiny golden armor, so I call him Goldie."
"I wrote a report about it, didn't I? In another world, I fought Gilgamesh, gave him a 'you're a dragon' buff, then hammered him with anti-dragon attacks before banishing him back to the Throne of Heroes!"
Morpheus spoke with pride, as if begging for praise with an imaginary hands-on-hips pose.
Da Vinci continued, "Let me elaborate. 'Mesopotamia' comes from Greek... 'meso' meaning middle, 'potamia' meaning rivers, referring to the civilization flourishing between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flowing into the Persian Gulf.
"Though designated Babylonia, that term came later."
Mash's eyes shone with awe and anticipation. "It's staggering to think about. The span of ancient civilizations is immense."
Da Vinci added, "This is 2600 BC, the era when humans and gods began to part ways, from a magecraft perspective."
Roman scratched his head. "We don't know what prompted the king of that era to make such a choice, but the gods marked this as their decisive farewell, fading away. By AD 1, they'd vanished from the surface.
"Some island nations had lingering divine presence post-AD, but these faded around AD 1000, except for rare cases... divinities with 'no connection to humanity,'" Roman said, shifting topics. "For you, the challenge is Rayshifting's difficulty."
"Because Rayshifting to pre-AD eras is harder the further back you go?" Morpheus asked.
"Exactly. The further back, the less certain human history becomes... or rather, the closer to the Age of Gods, the more uncertain it is," Roman nodded. "Some schools claim the Age of Gods was an era of uncertainty. Observation via SHEBA is nearly impossible to stabilize."
"It's that tough," Da Vinci said proudly. "But thanks to Chaldea's efforts, we've pinpointed the seventh Singularity's coordinates, making observation possible. This is the hardest yet, so I'll stay in the control room, though I won't guide you…"
She smiled. "But you've got a witch from the Age of Gods, a human who's been there, and a god herself. You'll have no trouble. Just enjoy the grand adventure!"
What should have been an epic quest to save the world sounded like a vacation in Da Vinci's words.
Given the team's composition, calling it a vacation wasn't far off.
Chaldea's original capabilities maxed out at summoning Grand Servants, with limited success. Now, they had multiple Grand-tier beings, a god, and someone who could destroy the world if unleashed.
Olga Marie suddenly felt pity for the seventh Singularity's adversary. This mission might follow the usual pattern: enter, Morpheus resolves the core issue, others gather intel and handle minor Servants, then everyone goes home happy.
The only one hurt would be the poor Singularity's main villain.
"The Rayshift pods are ready. You can prepare," Olga Marie said. "The Age of Gods is unprecedented for us, and the difficulty will differ from past missions. I'm not worried about Morpheus, but Ritsuka and Mash, stay safe."
…
In the Rayshift pod, Morpheus waited silently as the broadcast sounded.
"Counter-Summoning System activated. Initiating Rayshift. Countdown to Rayshift: 3, 2, 1… All processes complete. Commencing century verification, seventh Singularity."
Crossing time and space, Morpheus traversed the familiar tunnel, landing in the Age of Gods!
As he appeared, several figures emerged from him, landing on the ground... his Servants and contracted allies.
Medea took a deep breath, nostalgia in her eyes. "This magical density… truly the Age of Gods."
Jeanne Alter looked surprised. "The mana's this dense? Just breathing restores my reserves. In this era, even a summoner ignorant of magecraft could sustain me through breath alone."
The moment Artemis landed, she stretched, as if liberated. A powerful force radiated from her, spreading outward!
The sturdy Age of Gods world trembled!
A literal tremor shook the earth, like a mild earthquake. The clear sky clouded over, lightning crackling with Zeus's authority.
Sensing the world's reaction, Artemis gave a wry smile and quickly reined in her power. The earth stilled, the clouds and lightning dispersed, and sunlight bathed the world again.
"I thought the Age of Gods could handle my power…" Artemis said, troubled, to Morpheus. "But if I relax my control, I'd assimilate the entire world!"
Ritsuka and Mash exchanged helpless looks. Uncontrolled, her power could nearly dismantle an Age of Gods world. Her strength likely surpassed the era's gods.
Morpheus smiled. "Impressive. I bet the world's overseers and rebels know we're here now."
***
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