'No. I can't let her get that close to Gray. I have to find a way in,' Alvin quickly made up his mind and dashed toward the Radiant Tower.
At the same time, a special ability was activated.
[Watchman EX]
———
The Radiant Tower, as the weapon stitched to the planet's surface, needs no introduction to its status in the Type-Moon world.
But most people have only seen Rhongomyniad in its Holy Spear form, and few have seen what it looks like as a "tower."
Even though Gray possessed the mystic code called "Add," this was her first time entering the tower.
The gray-haired girl held a cage about the size of a birdcage, and with a look of great curiosity she scanned the surroundings.
"Kid, I can feel it. The Holy Spear's core is at the very top of the tower. Go find the stairs and climb up. I can help you free the Holy Spear's true form!"
A desperate voice came from the cage in her hand, the mysterious being named Add.
Not long after Gray returned to Britain, Add detected the Holy Spear's arrival and guided Gray to the tower's location.
After passing the Round Table trial, the mystic code in Gray's hand could be released into its true form, the Holy Spear.
But the mystic code was not actually complete. If Add was the Holy Spear's "soul," then the Radiant Tower was the Holy Spear's shell.
If they could reach the top of the tower, Add was confident it could help Gray fully master the Holy Spear.
Gray nodded lightly and continued forward, soon seeing the tower's stairs at the end.
However, just as she was about to approach, a coldness came from behind.
"Who's there?"
Gray whipped her head around, and a look of surprise crossed her face.
Standing before her was a girl.
She held her hands behind her back and smiled at Gray, or more precisely, at the cage Gray was carrying.
"The Holy Spear's soul? It seems the real key to whether the spear can be controlled is you, right?"
She had seen through Add's true nature at a glance. Gray's heart tightened. Facing the invisible pressure radiating from the girl, she asked, "Who are you?"
"Oh, haven't I introduced myself? How rude of me."
The blonde girl lifted her skirt edge and gave an elegant bow, "Sajyou Manaka. If you like, just call me Manaka."
"Now then, could you hand it over to me?"
"Although I've already seen the ending, if possible I'd still like to handle things in a gentler way."
Omniscience and omnipotence. That special ability was naturally hers after linking to the Origin.
To put it simply, since birth Sajyou Manaka carried a built-in spoiler guide, seeing the end of her life in a glance.
It sounded wonderful, but imagine knowing the ending of a movie before watching it. What would be the point? Boring to the point of madness.
That was why the girl had come to the palace.
Find Merlin, then kill him, or be killed by him.
Whatever the outcome, Sajyou Manaka could accept it.
Although the appearance of the Holy Spear and the pre-knowledge that she would obtain it made her bored, for a life pale and dull she could at least pass the time this way.
Thinking that, Sajyou Manaka looked up at the gray-haired girl and smiled, "Would you hand over the mystic code in your hand?"
For an instant, it felt as if an ocean of magic flowed through the tower. The overwhelming magical power was vast and terrifying.
That unreal, dreamlike magnitude of mana caused Gray's complexion to shift slightly.
'I am also a magus, why is the gap in magical power so huge?'
"Not good, this one's mana is wrong… run!", the mystic code in Gray's hand warned in a low voice, sounding alarmed.
Though only a mystic code, Add clearly sensed the extreme, terrifying magical force emanating from the girl opposite.
This was something Gray could not handle.
"Looks like you still don't plan to hand it over to me, huh?"
Sensing Gray had taken a half step back and was already thinking of fleeing, Sajyou Manaka sighed softly but did not seem surprised.
Her omniscience had already told her, before she entered the tower, that she and the gray-haired girl would fight.
Or rather, it would be a one-sided crushing.
Sajyou Manaka suddenly raised her eyes.
In an instant the Radiant Tower trembled with a boom. A pressure of mana bled from Sajyou Manaka's body and slowly suppressed Gray's body.
Seeing the girl become gradually immobilized under the mana's weight, Sajyou Manaka's face broke into an alluring smile.
"It's time to end this."
She stepped forward and reached for Add in Gray's hands.
Thump! Thump!
But at that moment, Sajyou Manaka's heartbeat skipped slightly.
As if an ancient creature had stared at her, her body stiffened.
She slowly turned her head.
Then the Origin Princess's beautiful eyes widened as she saw the rather handsome face of the young man hiding under a black hood behind her.
A pair of golden vertical pupils looked at her quietly.
Sajyou Manaka blinked and murmured in disbelief, "Besides me… a third person entered the Radiant Tower?"
"Only you can enter the Radiant Tower. Why would you have such an illusion, Princess of the Origin?", the young man asked.
"Because," Sajyou Manaka seemed about to say something, then forced herself to stop.
In her omniscience, there had been no prophecy that a third person would appear inside the Radiant Tower.
'Why is this happening?'
Sajyou Manaka stared at the young man, full of astonishment.
No fear, no dread. Slowly, her surprise turned into delight, and her eyes locked on Alvin.
'Omniscience and omnipotence are useless against him?'
———
[Avalon]
Merlin sat cross-legged on the grass and watched the Radiant Tower's location through clairvoyance, a faintly amused smile appearing on his face.
"After the illusion broke, she really went straight to the palace."
Artoria closed her eyes and said softly, "The princess linked to the Origin, huh?"
"Although magi bodies are fragile, if we let her act freely in the end it might get out of hand, Merlin."
"I know what I'm doing."
Merlin smiled, "Both Morgan and the Origin Princess are extremely arrogant. With Morgan in power, she won't let such a big threat approach the palace, especially with Alvin in the palace."
Mentioning Alvin, Artoria's brow tightened and she slowly opened her eyes, looking at Merlin with depth.
In the two days since she entered Avalon, what exactly has Morgan done with Alvin? It was not hard to guess.
"Lily, this is all for Britain's future, and Alvin isn't losing anything."
'Alvin might not have lost anything, but sister seems to be using me like a pawn.'
Sensing Artoria's murderous gaze, Merlin raised his hands in surrender and said helplessly, "Your Majesty, just watch carefully, and after everything is over return to your throne."
Using Sajyou Manaka to weaken Morgan's forces, and once the dust settles let Artoria return to the palace. From the beginning, this had been the court mage's plan.
Of course, first see what kind of spark the White Dragon and the Origin Princess will create.
Thinking that, Merlin's smile grew more pleased and expectant. In a gentle voice he said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Everything is inside my plan."
———
'Omniscience and omnipotence are useless against him?'
Realizing that, Sajyou Manaka first showed astonishment, then slowly a rush of delight rose in her heart.
The Origin is the source of all things. Reaching the Origin is every magus's dream. Yet the girl born linked to the Origin had never known what happiness meant.
A life pale as paper, with no taste of the young man a girl her age should have. All because Sajyou Manaka, from birth, possessed the special ability, omniscience and omnipotence.
No doubt it was an absolute power touching the divine. When she planned to do something, she would see its outcome in advance.
It sounded wonderful, but a life seen through in one glance had no happiness.
Yet now, there was a person outside her omniscient scope.
Sajyou Manaka's beautiful eyes lit up and she stared at Alvin.
"Are you a transmigrator? Or someone from this era?", she asked.
After Alvin activated [Watchman EX], his presence would be completely concealed. Even Sajyou Manaka could not tell his identity.
Alvin did not answer. Instead he whispered to the gray-haired girl behind him, "You go to the top first."
Gray froze a little and hesitated, "But—"
"Kid, listen to him. If you stay here you'll only be a hindrance."
Add's voice sounded in Gray's ear, its tone grave, "If you want to help, go bring back the Holy Spear first."
Hearing that, Gray made up her mind and turned toward the Radiant Tower's stairs.
Sajyou Manaka watched the gray-haired girl leave without moving.
Alvin looked at her, "I thought you would stop her."
"Returning your favour," Sajyou Manaka said with a light smile, "I did not sense your presence earlier, yet you still did not attack me from behind."
Yes. Her omniscience and Sajyou Manaka herself had not sensed Alvin's infiltration.
If Alvin had wanted, he could have launched a surprise attack from behind her, but he did not.
Out of respect for that chivalric spirit, she would naturally return the favor.
Alvin took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
'Is Sajyou Manaka overly casual, or does she have absolute confidence in herself?'
'Does she think that if Gray really reclaims the Holy Spear, she will still stand a chance?'
After a short silence, Alvin asked, "You don't plan to take the Holy Spear away?"
"I came inside the spear mostly as a detour. Taking it would be best, but it is fine if I cannot."
Sajyou Manaka said indifferently, her gaze fixed on Alvin as if ensuring he would not attack first, and perhaps simply wanting to look at his face.
Alvin was taken aback, "You were originally more interested in Merlin, why past tense?"
[🎉 Shoutout to Kaustup, Gonzalo, Tiago and Roger for joining patreon. Thank you very much.🤗]