"Except for…?"
Lord El-Melloi II caught Shiomi's abrupt pause and questioned him.
Realizing he'd said too much, Shiomi simply smiled and shook his head. "Nothing. There's nothing there—not the living, not the dead…"
"It almost sounds like you've seen it for yourself," Lord El-Melloi II remarked casually.
He still remembered the two red spears Shiomi wielded—clearly akin to the cursed spears of Celtic myth like the Gáe Bolg.
Shiomi must have discovered them in some hidden place, known to no one. That, Lord El-Melloi II reasoned, might explain why Shiomi had such a distinct understanding of the Land of Shadows.
Still, it was barely enough to count as a scholarly disagreement. Lord El-Melloi II had no intention of debating something so casually mentioned.
"But anyway, the spiritual density here is no joke," Shiomi said, changing the topic. "And that's not all—the spirits' desires are overwhelmingly clear... that urge to ravage everything."
He deliberately added that last comment.
Gray, still holding Aesc's hand, looked at his back in surprise.
As the next gravekeeper trained by Bersac, Gray possessed exceptional talent when it came to spirits. She had sensed the ominous atmosphere of the underground space clearly.
But she hadn't expected Shiomi to notice it too.
"And there's barely any magical resistance," Aesc added. "This must be the grave tied to Artoria."
"More or less," Shiomi replied.
He and Lord El-Melloi II picked up their pace, while Aesc and Gray trailed just behind at a more relaxed speed.
"Um… Madam, what did you and my mother talk about yesterday?" Gray finally had the chance to ask.
Yesterday, after Aesc had been invited into their home, Gray was sent out on an errand by her mother.
Ever since Gray's appearance had changed, her once-loving mother had grown fanatical, like the rest of the villagers—worshipful and distant.
So when her mother ordered her around like she used to, Gray had felt strangely happy. Without thinking, she'd done exactly as she was told.
But by the time she returned, Aesc was already gone. Her mother had said nothing, her attitude back to how it was before, offering no explanation at all.
"You'll understand soon enough," Aesc said calmly.
It was another evasive answer, and Gray felt a little disheartened. But the warmth and smooth firmness of the hand holding hers told her she could still trust this lady.
They weren't far behind Shiomi and Lord El-Melloi II. Together, the group reached the end of the underground passage and stepped into a massive subterranean chamber.
Its size was comparable to the Great Grail's chamber in Fuyuki.
Even more striking was the number of bones littering the area—not just one or two, but dozens, hundreds. Human remains lay everywhere, blanketing the floor to the point that there wasn't even a spot left to step.
Just as Aesc had said, this must be the true grave of Blackmore.
"No… Can this really be called a grave?" Lord El-Melloi II muttered. "Even the Clock Tower's underground holds special properties. The subterranean world differs from the surface—crystallized remnants of mystery still linger… If the same applies here…"
He clutched his chin, swallowing hard as he mumbled to himself.
"Unfortunately, there's no time for further analysis, Lord El-Melloi," Shiomi suddenly cut in.
"Huh?"
He looked up, just in time to see the atmosphere change.
Bones across the chamber began to rise, as if lifted by invisible threads. One after another, they floated upward and assembled into skeletal warriors.
They stood tall, grasping weapons made from bone—swords, spears, bows.
Like soldiers from an ancient battlefield.
"No wonder there was no trace of Mana. These things have devoured it all," Shiomi said.
One of the skeletal soldiers lunged at him, slashing with a sword.
Gray hurriedly reached under her cloak for the cage, ready to summon Add—but what she saw next froze her in place.
Tenkei Shiomi casually produced a black spear out of thin air—and with a single sweep, shattered the skeletal warrior into pieces that scattered across the floor.
"Oh my, such a warm welcome," Shiomi said with complete composure. "Too bad I'm more than familiar with skeleton soldiers by now."
The magical spear in his hand belonged to Aesc.
Since Aesc had consistently advised against using the Soaring Spear of Piercing Death, the two had established a new contract. With just a thought, the weapon would appear in his grasp.
"Still as terrifyingly efficient as ever," Lord El-Melloi II muttered, lips tightening.
Skeleton soldiers continued to swarm them. Concerned, Gray summoned Add, which transformed into a massive scythe to assist in battle. But when she blocked an incoming strike, the force of the blow sent a painful numbness through her arms.
These skeletons were nothing like they looked—far from fragile, and not something that would fall in a single hit.
As she watched Shiomi mow through them effortlessly, Gray silently moved to the front of the remaining two, focusing on defending against any who tried to slip past.
But the relentless onslaught quickly wore her down. Just as a skeleton soldier found an opening and lunged for her life, a bolt of light flew past her back and blasted the creature apart.
Startled, Gray turned to see Aesc raising her hand effortlessly, as if lifting a teacup. From her fingertips, tiny bursts of light—each no larger than a grain of wheat—shot out like bullets from an automatic weapon.
The skeletal soldiers closing in were all torn apart.
Gray flushed and pulled her hood lower, burying her face in embarrassment.
Maybe she really was the weakest one here. These people didn't need her protection. Perhaps Mr. Bersac had brought her along for reasons other than being a bodyguard.
"So these are the rejects—failures that never became proper Servants. With enough of them, even defective Spirit Origins become a nuisance," Aesc said, lowering her hand slowly.
"Yeah, but it looks like the one in charge here wasn't planning to sit back and let me clean them all up," Shiomi replied.
As he spoke, his spear swept out, the force of the swing sending a blast of air that cut down a row of skeleton soldiers in one stroke.
He had already noticed a figure behind the wave of undead.
A girl stood there, like a queen overseeing her flawed army of pseudo-Servants. Her face was hidden behind a golden mask.
"Why have you come here?" she asked quietly.
"The time is not yet right. The future king has yet to awaken. You walk the surface. I remain below. We should each wait in our rightful place."
She ignored Shiomi and Aesc entirely, speaking directly to Gray.
After delivering what sounded like a warning, the masked girl turned and began walking deeper into the cavern.
"Go back."
Those were her final words.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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