At nearly the same time as Shiomi, Artoria and Scáthach had also finished their battles with the two Knights of the Round Table, temporarily disabling their combat abilities.
The massive swarm of hostile attack programs had caused considerable trouble, but in the end, they were all swept away by the combined force of Suzuka and Artoria's Noble Phantasms.
After Shiomi explained the situation to Suzuka Gozen and broke down how she had been deceived, she accepted the truth without hesitation.
"That's surprisingly straightforward. I thought you'd put up more of a fight." Shiomi put away his spear, resting a hand on his hip as he looked at Suzuka kneeling on the ground.
"...Because if you were lying, there would've been no reason to hold back." Suzuka glanced down at the wound on her chest. An injury this serious couldn't be healed immediately, even for a 'Guardian.' "And… you didn't even invoke your Noble Phantasm's True Name, yet you still countered mine."
"Not exactly," Shiomi said with a shrug. "That move that deflected your 'Love Blast - Demonic Sun-Shower' was actually an Imaginary Noble Phantasm, a form of Magecraft."
Suzuka's expression twisted in disbelief as she snapped, "Huh?! Magecraft? Imaginary Noble Phantasm? You really are a freak! Who the hell can imitate a Noble Phantasm with just Magecraft?!"
"Well…" Shiomi had no good comeback. "Calling me a freak is a bit much, don't you think?"
He folded his arms. "So, can I take this to mean you're giving up your Guardian role and agreeing to cooperate with us?"
"If it's all true, then I've got to track down that damn Beast who tricked me and avenge my Master—who died before I ever even met them." Suzuka's face darkened, her mood clearly sour.
But this time, it wasn't directed at Shiomi.
"I see. But like the Knights of the Round Table, there are impurities in your Spirit Origin too, right?" Shiomi asked.
"That's just part of being a Guardian," Suzuka replied.
"Then we'll talk about healing you after Berserker clears those impurities from your Spirit Origin," Shiomi said. "That alright with you?"
"Yeah, yeah…" Suzuka agreed without fuss.
Though her injuries were serious, they weren't fatal. All she needed was time—or some healing Magecraft.
Shiomi turned and walked back to Morgan's side. When he saw Passionlip's true form revealed after the bindings on her Spirit Origin had been removed, he was taken aback.
"Sakura?" Shiomi froze for a moment, then contacted BB through the communicator. "What's going on, BB?"
"...Passionlip and the other child were both created as derivative AIs based on me," BB's image appeared on the projection. "To put it simply, I'm the first-generation model. Passionlip is a second-generation unit, specialized in a particular trait derived from the first-generation features."
"This is getting more and more convoluted." Shiomi crouched down. "Does Mooncell really have that much of a thing for Sakura's appearance?"
While Passionlip resembled BB in looks, her build and presence felt entirely different.
"Well, it's Sakura. Everything's just easier that way—especially for Dad," BB explained casually.
"That makes no sense." Shiomi muttered, then asked, "You said 'the other child' earlier. Are there more Servants like her?"
"Yes. Like Passionlip, she was also salvaged from Imaginary Numbers and repurposed. She's a high-level Servant with Composite Divinity," BB answered. "Mooncell sent me to this Singularity not just to help with repairs but to recover the two of them."
"You make it sound like recycled trash." Shiomi frowned at her choice of words.
"But we're just higher-level AIs—creations made in imitation of humans. That Dad treats us as more than just machines or tools is what makes him special," BB said with a laugh on the other end of the call. "We don't really mind. After all, ending up in Imaginary Numbers pretty much equals being discarded."
"Then where's the other child?" Shiomi looked over at Passionlip.
Even though he knew they weren't Sakura—weren't his children—Shiomi couldn't just turn his back on them.
Because if he did, the next time he saw Sakura, he'd remember their faces… and feel like something was missing.
"I suspect it's been assigned as the 'Guardian' of the core Observatory, but the route to that chamber has been hidden. So first, you'll need to head to the control room and reveal the path from there," BB explained to Shiomi.
"Then there's no helping it," Shiomi nodded. "Saving one is saving, saving two is still saving..."
As he finished, he looked up—only to meet Morgan's smile. Suddenly, something stirred in his chest.
It wasn't desire. It was the way her gentle gaze seemed to pierce through Tenkei Shiomi himself that made him feel awkward.
"S-So, are you alright? Burned through too much magical energy?" Shiomi clumsily shifted the topic. "Using Magecraft to manipulate a Spirit Origin with that much precision must be exhausting, right?"
"Not really. If anything, I feel guilty for leaving all the fighting to you and the others," Morgan shook her head.
"A queen doesn't belong on the front lines," Shiomi replied, trying to justify it.
"They're queens too," Morgan said, clearly seeing through his attempt to change the subject—and refusing to let it go.
As expected, Shiomi quickly ran out of things to say. His usual tact and eloquence deserted him.
"...Well, if you're fine, then I'll leave things here to you." He raised his head, looking at Scáthach and Artoria standing about seven or eight meters away. "Master and I will head to the control room to check the situation. Artoria will stay here to support you."
"That gives us even more firepower to use against the Beast." Morgan's smile faded as she handed something to Shiomi. "This Water Mirror is for regrouping. I've configured it as a one-time-use Mystic Code. That way, if either side runs into trouble they can't handle alone, we can link up immediately."
"Got it." Shiomi stood up again. "BB, I'll be counting on you for intel support on both fronts."
"Yup! Leave it all to BB!" BB sounded full of energy—so much so that Shiomi started to wonder if she'd intentionally stayed behind on purpose.
But that was a minor detail.
With the plan decided, Shiomi set off for SE.RA.PH's control room with Artoria.
"This place used to be the central hub for managing offshore oil fields. Normally, there should be people here at all times, but now, there's not a single..."
He was in the middle of explaining the situation to Artoria when she suddenly grabbed his wrist.
Then, he noticed it too—something inside the control room.
"I thought we'd never see one again after the Temple of Time vanished..."
A Demon God Pillar was writhing. The moment the two stepped into its attack range, it launched its assault.