To date, Chaldea has observed a total of eight Singularities.
Fuyuki and France.
Excluding the two already resolved, six remain.
But now, through Sheba, it was clearly visible: above the crimson CHALDEAS, two new points of light had appeared. Analysis from the control room confirmed reports identical to those of known Singularities.
[Two new Singularities have emerged]
This was instantly understandable to everyone in the control room. And once they grasped the implications, the same feeling surfaced in every heart—
—Fear.
They had only just completed two Singularities—and now two more had appeared. Recalling Naoki's earlier words—that Singularities were created by the final enemy Chaldea must confront on its path to repairing the Burning of the Human Order: King Solomon—a terrifying thought took root in many minds.
Could it be… that he could generate Singularities at will? Even if one was resolved, he could immediately spawn another?
If so, would their mission to repair the Burning of the Human Order—ever truly end?
"Everyone, calm down."
Naoki's voice suddenly echoed throughout the control room. Like a freezing wind cutting through summer heat, it instantly cooled the anxiety gripping every soul.
With both hands braced on the commander's table, Naoki stared at the reports before him. After a long silence, he spoke again.
"I believe these two new Singularities were not created by King Solomon."
"Eh?" Roman frowned. "Why do you say that?"
"Has there been any major event in Japan significant enough to alter the course of human history? And not just one—but two?"
At Naoki's question, Roman fell silent. Others in the room quickly accessed Chaldea's databases and began investigating.
After several minutes, a hesitant voice spoke up: "Department Head… if it's World War II… isn't Japan also a crucial part of that?"
"That's only one. And World War II didn't occur on Japanese soil. These two newly emerged Singularities are located within Japan?" Naoki said, zooming in on the locations of the two new Singularities.
"Moreover, the locations of these two Singularities…"
Having visited Japan multiple times, Naoki held a clear mental map of the country. If his memory served him right, the two new Singularities were situated—one in Tokyo, Japan, and the other… in Mifune City.
Naoki didn't know what had happened in Tokyo—but if it was Mifune City, it was almost certainly connected to certain people there.
Of course, this was only speculation. To confirm it, the most direct method was—
"Roman, the analysis of the second Singularities is nearly complete."
"Understood."
"Then from now on, begin analyzing the two newly emerged Singularities. Focus on identifying the historical eras in which they occurred. Set aside Tokyo for now. But if it's Mifune City, I may recognize the situation simply by knowing the era."
Naoki's confident tone made Roman narrow his eyes slightly. "So confident? Are you that familiar with the place?"
"When I went to Japan, I stayed at my fiancée's house there."
"..."
There's another one?!
Does your fiancée live everywhere?!
If looks could kill, Naoki would be dead right now. Remember—Chaldea was full of single staff members. Hearing that a man barely twenty years old had so many fiancées… how did he even dare?
The murderous glares couldn't be hidden.
Envy, jealousy, and outright hatred now filled the eyes of every unmarried male staff member. Seeing several personnel glaring daggers at him, Naoki merely looked away and pretended not to notice.
But emotions were emotions. The professionalism of Chaldea's staff remained unquestioned—they swiftly began analyzing the general conditions of the two new Singularities.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
"Eh?! Go home?!"
A few minutes later.
Ritsuka rushed into the control room after receiving an emergency meeting alert—and the moment she stepped inside, she heard Naoki drop the bomb on her.
"Go home… You mean back to Japan?"
"Yes, more specifically—back to Mifune City." Naoki replied, displaying the current CHALDEAS status to Ritsuka. "These two Singularities appeared suddenly moments ago. In Japan, two Singularities have emerged consecutively—in Mifune City and Tokyo. And the Singularities in Mifune City occurred in the year 2015."
2015.
Right now!
"Although this is only a hypothesis, I suspect Mifune City within this Singularities hasn't been affected by the Burning of the Human Order. It's like an oasis in the middle of a desert—no anomalies have manifested."
"In fact, although it resembles a Singularities and has been classified as one, what we call an 'anomaly' depends entirely on comparison. If we consider the outside world—devastated by the Burning of the Human Order—as 'true history,' then Mifune City, untouched and intact, naturally becomes a 'Singularities.' That's how I interpret it."
Listening to Naoki's explanation, Ritsuka nodded slowly: "So… what does that have to do with me going home?"
"As implied: since this location is a 'Singularities,' we can send you there via Spiriton transfer. Consider it a vacation after completing the first Singularities. Why not take this chance to return home and see your parents?"
"Eh?!"
"Eeeh—?!"
Roman's shocked cry drowned out Ritsuka's gasp.
"Wait, wait, Natsukawa—you're seriously considering letting Fujimaru go to that Singularities alone? Without any equipment? Not even Mash or Akuta accompanying her?"
"Essentially, yes."
"No! Absolutely not!" Roman slammed his fist on the table. "It's too dangerous! After all, it's still a Singularities! If she encounters danger—"
"Relax. I can't guarantee safety anywhere else—but within Mifune City, I can assure you Fujimaru will face absolutely no danger."
Naoki spoke with absolute certainty.
"And I understand your concern, Roman. After all, three capsules are available. If Fujimaru wishes, she can bring Mash along with her. This is also a valuable opportunity for her. Isn't that right, Roman?"
"A chance for Mash to leave Chaldea… and truly step into the outside world."