"Oh? So eager to know their names? That interested, huh?" Medea teased with a grin. Artemis joined in, smiling, "Yeah, so curious about those two women?"
Morpheus sensed danger and quickly clarified, "I just want to know who they were to see if they're worth studying!"
"Studying?"
"Like their identities, histories, or even their Noble Phantasms. Maybe it could advance my magic," Morpheus explained.
His reasoning was flawless, purely academic, with no hint of romantic interest. This made Medea and Artemis look slightly embarrassed.
Only Atalanta eyed him skeptically. "Really?"
"Of course! I'm not into them. And anyone who'd blindly follow Blackbeard doesn't seem like a good person. They should've at least put up a fight," Morpheus said, glancing toward where Hector had fled. "He even announced his name. With you all here, he probably figured there's no hiding his identity. And saying we'll meet soon… does that mean there's a third faction?"
Artemis asked, "One side protects the world, another destroys it. Who's the third?"
"Maybe a splinter from the protectors, forming their own group. The protectors are summoned separately, so having their own agendas makes sense," Morpheus mused, then hesitated. "With two Holy Grails influencing each other, could their interaction cause changes in Servant summoning? Like, a third faction emerging from the Grails' clash?"
Artemis thought for a moment and nodded. "This world is shaped by two Grails vying for control. That phenomenon could happen."
She frowned. "This is getting complicated. Why not ask someone?"
"Ask who?" Morpheus was puzzled. Who could he ask?
Artemis reminded him, "Didn't Hecate give you her ring? Use it to contact her!"
"Right!" Morpheus snapped his fingers, recalling the ring Hecate, the goddess of magic, had given him in the Age of Gods in Greece. As a mark of her favor, he'd kept it unused, but now it could serve a purpose.
He retrieved the ring and slipped it onto his finger.
Instantly, Hecate's power surged, and Morpheus used its connection to call out.
"I summon you, great goddess of magic, queen of spirits, goddess of the underworld, Hecate…"
He cut his hand, letting blood drip to the ground.
The ship's temperature dropped, and a breeze carried the scent of death.
"We meet again, Morpheus."
A familiar voice spoke. Morpheus turned, smiling, to see the mature goddess of magic, Hecate, behind him.
Hecate greeted Artemis, then smiled at Medea.
"Teacher!" Medea called out joyfully.
"This is merely a projection, not my true form. My full descent would tear this world apart, so I can't lend my power," Hecate said, gently stroking Medea's hair.
She always showed such affection for her disciple.
Nearby, Drake frowned. "Hecate? What's that?"
"A goddess... the Greek goddess of magic!" Mash whispered urgently, hoping Drake wouldn't provoke her.
Euryale, meanwhile, scowled at Hecate. "Another one?!"
She clearly disliked Greek gods, even if her weakened state wasn't entirely their fault.
Ritsuka was stunned that Morpheus had summoned yet another Greek goddess, and they seemed close.
Ignoring Euryale, Hecate looked to Morpheus, awaiting his reason for summoning her.
Morpheus shared his theories, asking, "Is this possible?"
"It's possible, though highly unlikely. The third faction you've encountered might be tied to someone else," Hecate replied.
"Someone else?"
"Yes. There's no rule saying one side can only summon one agent, right?"
Morpheus paused.
In past Singularities, it was typically one Master summoning Servants, whether the Master was a Servant or a Demon God Pillar.
But each had a core figure: Gilles in the first, Lev in the second... though Lev fused the Grail into Altera before dying, shifting the core to her.
"So, suppose the mastermind summoned a core figure, like Blackbeard, but didn't just let him fight. Instead, they summoned another Servant, split them, and treated both as separate cores, each building their own faction…"
Morpheus' eyes widened.
"Blackbeard was summoned with this Grail, but the other, likely Hector, wasn't. He came from another Grail. With the mastermind gone, the third faction needs a new Grail to expand, so they stole Blackbeard's!
"Originally, there was no major conflict. They just needed Drake's Grail, so both sides would have one. But our strength forced them to take Blackbeard's instead."
"And given the situation, his was the easiest to grab, being far off without engaging us," Medea added.
"Right. As a Trojan War veteran, Hector would know what we represent," Atalanta said.
"Sounds troublesome. If we'd secured the Grail, we could've resolved this world quickly," Morpheus muttered, bidding Hecate farewell before saying, "Let's discuss with the Captain."
Hecate's words sparked ideas. If her full descent would disrupt this world, Poseidon's appearance here wasn't his true form either... otherwise, the world couldn't withstand it.
Since the goal was to restore history, not destroy the Singularity, the gods' caution made sense.
"You know a lot of gods!" Drake approached, patting Morpheus' shoulder.
She glanced at Artemis. "Heard she's a goddess too?"
Morpheus wanted to retort... this is the Nasuverse's Drake? The real Drake was a scholar! How could she not know this?
But he held back, nodding. "Yes."
"Incredible. Three gods on my ship at once," Drake muttered. "No one'd believe this."
Morpheus was about to suggest chasing Hector when Drake said, "So, next we chase that runaway, right? He took the Grail. Can't let him escape, or I won't get back to my world for my adventures!"
Morpheus grinned. "Exactly, Captain Drake."
No need to propose it... she was already on board. Perfect.
The Golden Hind set sail again, speeding toward Hector's escape route.
The ship was fast, soon spotting Hector's vessel. But a larger ship appeared, with a golden-haired man at the helm, his arrogant yet punchable expression unmistakable.
Jason!
"Oh, the villains tampering with the world? Let's see who you are!" Jason shouted, haughtily scanning the Golden Hind's crew. Then his face froze.
He saw many strangers, but that didn't matter. He recognized four people on that ship.
"Long time no see, Jason," Morpheus said, waving with a smile.
Jason shuddered. The women beside Morpheus were all familiar too.
"Isn't that Morpheus?! Why are you here?!" Jason halted his ship, knowing it couldn't match Morpheus' power.
He vividly remembered Morpheus slaying the Mother of Monsters. Only a god's descent might stand a chance.
Beside Jason, Heracles froze, his eyes darting between Morpheus and Artemis. Jason didn't know Artemis' identity, but Heracles did.
His sister, the moon goddess!
Though she appeared as a weakened Servant, Morpheus showed no such restraint... he was himself!
How could they fight?
They couldn't!
"Is this what we're up against to save the world?" Jason whispered to Heracles. "Can't we get some divine help? This is impossible!"
Heracles paused, then murmured, "Actually, Diana is Artemis, my sister."
Jason stared at the woman who'd once crewed his ship. "The… moon goddess?!"
Heracles nodded. "Yes."
Jason fell silent, unsure what to do. He felt cursed for answering this summoning.
Atalanta frowned at Jason. "Villains tampering with the world? We're here to save human history. Don't you know?"
Jason froze again, recalling his summoning. "Wait, I was summoned and told this world's on the brink of destruction. I need to save it using the Ark, sacrificing a goddess to save humanity!"
Morpheus laughed. "Who told you that?"
"A… kind-looking person, with immense magical power. The most powerful Magus I've met," Jason said, glancing at Medea. "Stronger than Medea, maybe even rivaling Hecate."
"How long did you meet? How well do you know him?" Morpheus pressed.
Jason fumbled, embarrassed.
"Did you forget to bring your brain when summoned?" Morpheus quipped.
Jason wanted to crawl into a hole, mortified.
Heracles spoke up. "What's really going on?"
Jason silently thanked him for the save, sparing further mockery.
"It's simple. A lunatic wants to burn all of human history, turning it into magical energy to fuel a spell. My guess? It's for time reversal," Morpheus said.
Many gasped. "Time reversal?!"
"Yup. I examined that light band," Morpheus pointed skyward. "Seen it in several Singularities. Its structure hints at the Fifth Magic. To need that much power, it's not just rewinding a short time... likely going back to the distant past."
…
"That's the goal!" Inside Chaldea, Romani stood, pacing, eyes narrowed.
"You mean the mastermind wants to return to ancient times?"
"Very likely. Their aim might be to go back to the planet's birth. As the only conscious being then, they'd naturally gain the concept of a planetary god!"
Da Vinci and Olga Marie were stunned. After a moment, Da Vinci shook her head. "That's insane."
Sacrificing all human history to become the planet's sole god... an utterly mad ambition!
***
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