"Did you hear? There was a huge lightning strike in the mountains last night!"
"Huh? I heard it was a gas explosion!"
Despite their timely cleanup efforts, such a massive phenomenon couldn't be completely ignored. People were inevitably affected to some degree.
Still, as long as the supernatural remained concealed, it counted as a success.
After meeting with Souji at the school gates for a while, Eiji and Aoko entered the high school campus together.
Seeing that Eiji had stayed overnight at a female classmate's home, Souji was shocked, heartbroken that her brother might finally be turning into a playboy.
During morning class, Eiji left the room and headed to the faculty building, rapping on Scáthach's office door.
Scáthach's sharp voice rang out from inside.
Eiji pushed open the door and stepped into her private office. The weapon rack in the corner immediately caught his eye again.
Well, I should've guessed last time.
What kind of teacher openly keeps a weapon rack in their office?
She'd probably cast some perception-blocking magecraft on it—except Eiji's [Swordsman's Indomitable Spirit] rendered him immune, allowing him to see through the illusion.
Aoko stood beside him now, yet she showed no reaction to the anomalous weapon rack.
"Now that everyone's here."
Scáthach shifted her attention from the test papers on her desk, leaning back in her chair. Her graceful figure stretched languidly as she regarded the two with keen interest.
"Let me ask first—you, or rather, Aoko, haven't relapsed into despair after losing last night's memories, have you?" Thɪs chapter is updated by novel✶fire.net
Eiji glanced over. He was curious about this too.
Aoko let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know why, but ever since using the Magic last night, this world feels... off everywhere."
Scáthach nodded in satisfaction before pivoting to the main topic.
"It seems you both qualify for the 'Selection.' In that case, I'll reveal this world's truth."
Eiji latched onto the term.
Aoko's brows also rose slightly—she'd noticed it too.
But what Scáthach revealed next stunned them even more.
"To cut to the chase—this is a Singularity."
Like the Singularities in FGO?
A "Singularity" typically referred to an anomalous world cleaved from the proper timeline.
For example, if the First Industrial Revolution in Britain had been derailed by some historical accident, drastically altering humanity's future, that era would become a Singularity.
Those were major Singularities—capable of triggering Human Order collapse, essentially apocalyptic catastrophes.
In contrast, smaller Singularities had negligible historical impact, falling within the world's self-correction range. These could be safely ignored.
Goetia, the final boss of FGO's first arc, had embedded nine such major Singularities into human history as bombs to rewrite Genesis.
Countless medium and minor Singularities emerged during that process.
Scáthach claimed this world was one such Singularity?
"In essence, this is what a Singularity entails."
She meticulously explained the concept, making Aoko frown as she burned brain cells processing these alien ideas.
Surprisingly, it made sense.
A Singularity was fundamentally an abnormal world—where all abnormalities became normal. Even Heroic Spirits existing as ordinary humans fell within acceptable parameters.
Come to think of it, Eiji recalled a past event Singularity where Servants incarnated into Japan's Warring States period under new identities.
Wasn't Souji introduced in that event?
"If this is a Singularity, how has it lasted so long?"
Despite understanding, Eiji remained unsettled.
This was his first question.
He'd genuinely lived here for fifteen years, born to Minamoto-no-Raikou as his mother. Did that mean this Singularity had existed for over a decade?
Theoretically, hazardous Singularities should've been corrected by Chaldea long ago, while harmless ones would've been rectified by spacetime's natural restoration.
A Singularity persisting this long defied logic.
"That assumes they're unwanted Singularities."
Scáthach reclined leisurely, clearly relishing this lecture-like exchange.
"Unneeded Singularities are erased—but if a Singularity's creation aligns with the planet's will, why wouldn't it endure?"
"So you're saying Earth itself created this Singularity?"
Aoko grasped the crux, her pretty face scrunching up.
Scáthach wagged a finger.
"The Counter Force merely accepted its existence. The creator is someone else—in fact, that very architect currently resides incognito within this academy."
The architect of Singularities.
Hiding in this school right now.
"Romani Archaman... no, Goetia the Demon God King?"
Eiji's lips twisted stiffly.
He recalled the orange-haired man from the infirmary.
That icy demeanor didn't match the real Romani—likely Goetia wearing his skin. Eiji had suspected as much last time.
But that man radiated too much danger to approach.
"Ho? You're quite knowledgeable."
Even Scáthach looked startled, eyeing him with newfound interest.
Aoko remained clueless.
Demon God King? Who's that? Sounds intimidating.
"How did he get the Counter Force to agree?"
"No idea. Ask him yourself if you're curious."
She shrugged, utterly indifferent.
Eiji shook his head like a rattle-drum. Only an idiot would pry into Goetia's secrets.
"Still, while his methods are unclear, his goal is no mystery."
As if reaching the climax, Scáthach straightened abruptly.
Even her perpetually bored eyes now gleamed with excitement.
"—He's conducting a grand Selection. To sieve out this planet's Ultimate One!"
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