About three weeks had passed since then, and only a few hours ago, Chaldea had finally identified the location of the First Singularity.
At that moment, Arthur was alone in his room, his desk covered with documents, maps, and notes. Several holographic windows remained open around him as he cross-referenced information and tried to build a more complete picture of what they would find on the other side.
The mission was still some time away, but there was no reason to wait.
The more prepared he was, the better.
Unlike before, his strength had still not fully returned, so he would not be able to simply crush everything by himself.
That was when he felt a pair of cold hands cover his eyes.
"Master, guess who it is."
Arthur did not even stop reading.
"Good evening, Tamamo."
"Ah..." Her theatrical disappointment was immediate. "I didn't even finish the sentence."
"You're the only person who does that."
"What a lack of imagination. I could be an assassin."
"An assassin who wears the same perfume as my fox."
The hands covering his eyes disappeared.
"Darn."
Arthur smiled and finally looked up.
Tamamo was standing behind him, wearing a dark blue nightgown. Her pink hair fell over her shoulders, and her fox ears twitched slightly as she looked over the desk completely buried beneath paperwork.
Her smile faded a little when she saw it all.
"You're still working?"
"A little."
She looked at the pile of documents.
"Master, this isn't 'a little.' You shouldn't push yourself so hard." She said as she walked to the side of the desk and began organizing a few papers that were about to fall.
Arthur watched her for a few seconds.
"I thought you were asleep, Tamamo."
"I was."
"Then why are you awake?"
"Because I came to your room to wish you good night." She answered as if it were obvious.
"You came all the way here just for that?" Arthur asked in confusion.
"Of course." Tamamo tilted her head. "How else would I know whether my Master went to sleep properly?"
"I'm an adult, Tamamo."
"An adult completely incapable of taking care of his own health when he's working."
Arthur couldn't argue.
He really was like that when he worked.
"Exactly." Tamamo nodded to herself, satisfied at having won the argument.
Then she snapped her fingers, and a small box appeared on the desk.
"I had a feeling I'd find this situation, so I prepared a late-night snack." She said proudly while opening the lid of the bento.
The aroma immediately filled the room.
"Oh~? This looks amazing." Arthur commented as he saw the food inside literally glowing.
"Looks?"
"Am I already being judged?" Arthur laughed.
Tamamo smiled as well and pulled a chair closer before sitting beside him.
"Now try it," she said while handing him the chopsticks.
Arthur accepted them.
After the first generous bite, he nodded.
"This is delicious."
A smile immediately appeared on Tamamo's face.
"Fufu~ The path toward becoming a good wife is becoming clearer and clearer." She murmured to herself.
"What?"
"It's nothing." She rested her face against her hand. "I just like it when you compliment my cooking."
"Then you should cook more often," Arthur replied.
"Master."
"Yes?"
"That sounds suspiciously close to a marriage proposal."
"Didn't you say you wanted to be my wife?" Arthur asked in confusion.
"Eh!?"
Tamamo reacted in complete bewilderment.
Arthur burst out laughing at the sight.
"You're more foolish than you realize in moments like this." Arthur smiled as he finished eating and put away the box and chopsticks.
Tamamo merely huffed at him, but it didn't take long before she returned to normal and snuggled up beside him.
---
"Are you worried?" she asked.
Arthur spent a few seconds staring at the documents.
"A little. There's no way to know exactly what we'll find in that Singularity. I want to be prepared for anything."
Tamamo remained silent for a moment.
Then she reached out and took his hand, intertwining her fingers with his.
"Everything will be fine, Arthur," she said.
Arthur turned toward her and raised an eyebrow.
"You're that confident?" he asked.
"But of course." She smiled. "You'll be there."
"That's an enormous amount of trust to place in someone."
"A good wife should always trust her husband," she replied with a smile.
---
Early the next morning, Arthur gathered everyone involved in the mission.
News of the First Singularity's location had already spread throughout Chaldea, and nobody there needed an explanation regarding the purpose of the summons.
Ritsuka and Mash arrived together.
Ayaka remained close to Richard.
Tamamo took her usual place beside Arthur without even considering another option.
Jeanne observed the group in silence, while Hippolyta maintained the posture of someone about to march into battle.
Mordred, on the other hand, seemed much less interested in maintaining any sort of formality.
Leaning against the wall, she let out an exaggerated sigh.
"I thought I'd die of boredom before this Singularity finally showed up."
"You say that as if you've been trapped here for years," Ritsuka commented.
"It was too many days."
"We only came back four days ago," Ritsuka replied.
"Exactly."
Richard burst out laughing.
"I like her," he said.
"You like anyone who causes trouble, Saber," Ayaka mocked.
"That is also true."
The comment drew several smiles from the group.
The natural tension that preceded an important mission was there, but it did not dominate the atmosphere.
The other Servants summoned by both Arthur and Ritsuka were also paying close attention to the current situation.
If they waited until everyone was completely relaxed before confronting a Singularity, they would never leave.
Arthur observed the group for several moments before clapping his hands to get everyone's attention.
"I assume everyone already knows why we're here."
All eyes turned toward him.
"The First Singularity has been located. During the past few days, Ritsuka, Rin, Olga, Romani, and I gathered as much information as possible, but that doesn't change the fact that we're still entering unknown territory under unknown circumstances."
Rin, standing beside him, nodded slightly.
"It wasn't much, but it should be enough for this mission."
Arthur crossed his arms.
"Exactly. Thanks to that, we have some idea of what we'll encounter. We have absolutely no guarantee things will remain the same after we arrive."
"In other words, anything can happen there," Caren commented.
"Arara~? Isn't that just another normal day?" Kohaku commented while Hisui beside her simply nodded.
"That's a little concerning..." Fujino remarked.
Her observation made Richard laugh again.
Arthur shook his head.
"Regardless, we've already done everything we can from here. We'll deal with the rest once we get there."
None of them seemed bothered by the statement.
Not because they believed it would be easy.
But because everyone present had already faced situations worse than an incomplete plan.
"Are you ready?" Arthur asked.
"I was ready three days ago," Mordred answered.
"I'm ready," Mash confirmed.
"Always," said Richard.
Everyone present nodded in agreement.
The responses came one after another until Arthur could not find even a trace of hesitation among them.
"Good. Girls, head to the observatory while Mash and I go change for the Rayshift." Arthur said to Rin, Sakura, Hisui, Kohaku, Fujino, and Caren.
They nodded and immediately departed.
Arthur's gaze shifted toward Richard.
"Richard, you still have a few minutes to say goodbye to Ayaka."
"Was that a threat or a suggestion?" Richard asked.
"Consider it a warning. I don't want the blonde bothering me because she's worried about you."
"You make it sound like I'm disappearing for a decade." Richard placed a hand over his chest. "Your lack of faith wounds me deeply."
"But he's right," Ayaka said while looking away as Richard continued smiling as though the conversation were perfectly normal.
Arthur then gestured toward Ritsuka and Mash.
"Let's go."
The three left the group behind and headed through the halls of Chaldea.
---
After changing into their Rayshift suits, they headed toward the launch area.
When they arrived, they found Romani and Olga already waiting.
Around them, operators occupied their stations while multiple screens displayed information regarding the operation.
Romani was the first to notice them.
"So the day has finally come."
"Everything ready?" Arthur asked.
"All systems have been checked twice."
Olga crossed her arms as the three approached.
She was trying to maintain a professional attitude.
It clearly wasn't working.
"The moment you arrive at the Singularity, contact us."
"Right."
"Immediately."
"Yes, Olga."
"I'm not joking, Arthur."
"I know, Olga." Arthur teased.
Olga narrowed her eyes.
"You said exactly the same thing last time," she complained.
"And this time I intend to keep my word."
"That wasn't convincing at all," Olga shot back.
Ritsuka turned away to hide a laugh.
Mash decided to pretend she hadn't heard anything.
Arthur raised his hands in surrender.
"Fine. We'll contact you as soon as possible." He said with a sigh.
Olga continued staring at him for several seconds before finally sighing.
"Just come back in one piece." Her voice remained firm, but the concern behind her words was impossible to hide.
This time Arthur didn't joke.
"We'll come back," he said as he pulled her into a hug.
For a brief moment, her expression softened as she returned it.
"Good. Because I really don't want to fill out reports explaining how you died." She coughed lightly after stepping away from the embrace.
"Ah, so that's what this is about." Arthur nodded.
"Arthur."
"Right, right."
Meanwhile, the final preparations continued.
At different points throughout the control center, Rin and Sakura—the most talented magi among the girls who had come with Arthur—coordinated teams and verified the operation's final parameters.
Confirmations began arriving one after another.
— Coordinates verified.
— Protective fields active.
— Spiritual systems stabilized.
— Rayshift preparation complete.
Arthur, Ritsuka, and Mash walked into the device.
The lights throughout the facility intensified.
Streams of energy began flowing through the entire structure.
Just before activation, Arthur cast one final glance toward Olga.
"See you soon, my Queen of Stress," Arthur said.
The next instant, the system activated.
Blue Rayshift flames spiraled into motion as spiritual energy flooded the room.
Then the three disappeared.
Silence filled the room for several seconds.
Olga remained staring at the empty platform, her fists clenched at her sides.
"We're going to change that terrible future."
(End of Chapter)