-146- Phantasmal species

"How are you feeling, Senpai? Are you better now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now, don't worry."

With Mash's support, Rozen sat on a rock, taking a brief rest.

"Fou!"

Fou remained nestled in Rozen's arms, curling its tail and yawning, as if ready to sleep.

As for Roman, he was reflecting deeply.

"I'm sorry. I promised to provide support and assured you that you could rely on us, but right after the Spiritron Transfer, you encountered this unexpected issue."

Roman was immersed in profound self-reflection.

After all, managing and monitoring the Master's physical condition were crucial responsibilities of Chaldea.

Rozen had just undergone a Spiritron Transfer and then experienced this physical anomaly. It was only natural for Roman to feel responsible.

However...

"Please don't blame yourself too much, Doctor," Mash reassured. "It's not your fault."

"Yeah," Rozen agreed with a wry smile. "Who could have anticipated such a situation?"

This was Rozen's most genuine sentiment at the moment.

It could only be said that the situation was truly unexpected.

"Is this considered a bad start?"

Rozen shrugged, verbally acknowledging the concept but clearly not dwelling on it.

Oddly enough, this lifted Roman's spirits.

"In any case, to prevent a recurrence, we'll intensively scan Rozen's status in real-time. We'll also analyze the recent anomaly and attempt to identify its cause," Roman said. "Additionally, regarding the halo above the Singularity, we'll initiate analysis and decryption. Your focus should be on exploring the Singularity."

"Understood, Doctor," Mash nodded in understanding. "We'll leave the surveillance of our surroundings to you."

"Alright," Roman nodded. "If anything happens, I'll contact you immediately."

With that, the communication ended, and the holographic screen vanished in a whirl.

"Alright," Rozen stood up as well and addressed Mash. "Let's get started."

"Are you sure, Senpai?" Mash inquired with concern. "Don't you want to rest a bit more?"

"No need." Rozen placed Fou on his shoulder and playfully poked its cheek. "If anything happens again, we can count on this little guy."

"Fou!" Fou immediately responded with a chirp, as if acknowledging.

"That's quite reassuring," Mash relaxed her expression and then asked, "But where should we start exploring?"

Saying this, Mash surveyed their surroundings.

What met their eyes were boundless grasslands and the faint silhouettes of some castles.

"Shouldn't this be 1431 France?" Mash said earnestly. "At this time, Charles VII and Philip III have already signed a truce agreement, and the Hundred Years' War is entering a period of intermittent small-scale conflicts. There shouldn't be any large-scale wars now."

With that said, determining where to begin investigating this Singularity was indeed a somewhat vexing problem.

However...

"If we're looking for a starting point, I might have one," Rozen suddenly spoke up, pointing in a direction.

"Let's head there."

Rozen said this with conviction.

"There? Where?"

Mash was momentarily taken aback.

Rozen didn't explain; he just stared in that direction and continued speaking.

"As soon as I arrived in this Singularity, I felt the same eerie sensation from the halo in the sky."

A familiar and strange sensation.

It was the same feeling he had...

...when he was in Chaldea.

...when he was in Fuyuki City.

This time, Rozen also felt that eerie sensation.

What it meant was clear enough.

"Is Professor Lev there?"

Mash followed Rozen's gaze, her expression growing more serious.

Now that they knew the location of the mastermind, there was no need to ponder their next move.

"Master."

Mash called Rozen's name and adopted the tone of a devoted Servant.

"Right."

Rozen nodded and lowered his head, looking at the back of his right hand.

On it, the black silk glove with empty spaces on the back was once again worn by Rozen.

Three interlocking rings formed a crimson Command Seal that emitted a radiant glow.

Sensing the immense magical power concealed within the Command Seal, Rozen clenched his hand and gave a command.

"Let's go!"

Master and Servant, arriving from Chaldea, followed the direction of the mastermind and set forth.

Rozen had no way of knowing.

The scenes he was about to encounter would be beyond extraordinary.

...

"That is..."

"No way...?"

As Rozen and Mash advanced to a more expansive plain, a sight met their eyes that rendered them speechless.

"Roar..."

"Roar..."

The low growls of fierce beasts echoed in the sky, capturing their attention.

In this situation, Rozen and Mash saw it.

They saw the [ Dragons ].

Dragons with outspread wings, smooth scales, and fierce appearances soared through the skies.

"Wyvern..."

Mash could hardly believe what she was seeing as she identified the creatures.

Rozen whispered in response.

"Phantasmal species..."

Phantasmal species.

They were creatures that existed only in legends and myths, not part of any ecological system.

Some existed solely in mythological stories, while others resulted from sudden mutations. Regardless, they were beings that truly transcended biology, remaining unknown to the general public.

Rozen's astonishment at their existence was entirely justified.

"Although phantasmal species were once prevalent in the Divine era, they should have mostly disappeared by this era, right?"

If magic's power came from accumulated knowledge, then the power of phantasmal species came from the accumulation of long lives.

Due to their ancient history, phantasmal species typically held formidable magical power, shrouding themselves in mystery.

Phantasmal species with lifespans over a hundred years were already beyond the reach of humans.

Those with lifespans surpassing a thousand years were even beyond the capabilities of magus. Their mystery had long ascended to the realm of "True Magic." Even first-class Servants required releasing powerful Noble Phantasms to deal with beings possessing such extensive histories.

As science advanced and mysteries faded, phantasmal species of great age retreated from the world to its inner sanctums, places humans could not reach. Even the phantasmal species remaining in this world had lifespans at most a hundred years, and they inhabited unexplored areas modern humans could not approach.

However, now Rozen was witnessing countless Wyvern flying in the sky and dispersing in all directions.

This highly unusual scenario conveyed one fact to Rozen.

"Did the anomaly of this era originate from here?"

Rozen couldn't help but groan.

At that moment, Mash beside him exclaimed.

"Something's wrong, Senpai! Someone is being attacked by those Wyvern!"