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votestaynight · 1 year

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15th day "Utopia" (scene 5)

――Let's return this sheath to its rightful owner. I don't know if I'll succeed until I try. But Saber put her hand into my body to check for the sheath's existence. Then it shouldn't be impossible to take it out.

"Wha――are you serious, Shirou?" "I'm serious. It's yours to begin with, right? So it's only natural to give it back to you, and you might be able to beat him if you have it."

"…My magical energy will certainly increase if I have my sheath back. But I still cannot guarantee that I will be able to beat Gilgamesh. And――if you take out the sheath, what will you do? If you take the sheath out, you――"

I won't heal even if I get hurt. But that's normal. I've relied too much on this body of mine without even knowing it. People die when they're killed. I can't be protected from such a normal thing now.

"Take the sheath, Saber. We need to do this to win." "―――――"

Biting her lip painfully, Saber doesn't answer. …I don't know how long that lasted. Just as the clouds disappear and moonlight starts to shine in through the window… "…All right, Master. I shall borrow your heart." Saber nods at my words.

"…Then, I shall begin. Are you ready, Shirou?" "――Yeah. Go right ahead." Saber agrees. Saber places her hand on my chest and―― "――!" …Plunges it into my body.

…My job is easy. Taking out the sheath is similar to the steps in the "projection" magic. The sheath of the holy sword is melted into my body. I just need to gather it into one place and form it like it was before.

Of course, that's just the image. I say I'll return it to its original form, but it's only the magical energy that will be shaped like that.

Saber's the one who gives it shape. The cluster of magical energy will take shape in Saber's, the possessor's, hand. I'm just helping her. As if making something from nothing… I take the scattered pieces of the sheath and carefully reproduce it without flaw――

"―――――!" …My body's burning. Projection is way beyond my level. The magic surely kills my body every time I use it. It destroys my nerves, burns my skin, crushes my brain, and makes me a vegetable… But it's the only weapon I have, and this is the only way to help Saber.

…I imagine. Her figure as I saw it in my dreams.

The golden sheath suited to the king who ran through many battles. I take what protected the king and led her to numerous victories and reproduce it vividly without any mistake.

――So that no matter what happens. I engrave it into my mind so that I will not forget it, no matter what kind of end awaits us――

"――!" I hear Saber's voice. …Something that was binding my body for a long time escapes my body.

"Amazing… this is excellent, Shirou! No one else would be able to reproduce it so perfectly…!" It must be perfect as Saber seems surprisingly happy.

"――" My body is burning, and I fall onto my butt.

"Shirou…! You are sweating a lot! I will bring something to wipe it right away…!" …Saber runs to the house. Listening to her footsteps, I let out a sigh. I felt it was perfect too. It was so perfectly done. I believe no future projection will be as perfect as that.

"…Bye. Thanks for everything." I bid farewell to that which was part of me until now. ――The golden sheath that protected her. I will never forget it. Even if it leaves my body, its figure has been engraved into my heart.

――The moon is distant. The clouds have cleared and the darkness has a dim blue glow. Daybreak is close. The long night is about to end.

――This is the final moment. Going through the night, Saber and I have reached our final destination.

"――Shirou, this is…" Saber sounds tense. I feel the same way. As I nod, I can feel sweat dripping down my neck.

…The mountain feels like one big living thing. The wind coming down from the mountain gate is warm, and the shaking trees seem like breathing lungs. Chills and pressure assail me every time I take a step. No――the air really is thick and wet.

"…Mana is dense here. This is just like ten years ago. I expect…" …The summoning of the Holy Grail has begun or it's already over. Either way, that must mean that Lancer has fallen to Gilgamesh.

"――I'm going to make sure, Saber. After we reach the top, all that's left is to fight. You take care of Gilgamesh, so I'll take care of his Master――Kotomine. We won't assist each other. …We just have to beat one of our opponents."

"Yes. I will concentrate on my own fight this time. And Kotomine is an enemy you must defeat." "…Yeah. Leave him to me. You too Saber. Don't let that guy beat you."

"…Yes. I will swear on my pride that he will not defeat me. Not as a Servant, but as a heroic spirit, I cannot allow him to beat me."

Saber says so strongly without hesitation or distress. So there's nothing more to say. We will go to battle and determine the winner as the last remaining Masters. ――Even if in the process… If one of us dies, the other need only defeat their enemy.

Even if I die, if Saber beats Gilgamesh, Kotomine won't be able to obtain the Holy Grail. At the same time, even if Saber dies――if I defeat Kotomine, Gilgamesh won't be able to stay in this world. …So there's no need to help each other. Our battles have already gone their separate ways.

…We go up the stone stairs. The air gets denser the closer we get to the mountain gate. Sweat drips down my neck. Ominous premonitions prick at my skin. Our strongest opponents await at the end of these stairs.

――But. I really don't care about that. We go up the stairs. The mountain gate is approaching. …This is the end. No matter who wins this battle, Saber will disappear.

The long and short days of battle will end and Saber will vanish from this world. She's going to return to her proper time.

――I… I can't say I have no regrets. Losing Saber… Losing the one I promised to protect, the one whose happiness I wished for. I don't know yet how hard it will be. We are still walking together and I can feel her presence. I'm not yet ready to lose her.

Even if I knew many days ago. Even if I knew from the moment we met that there would be a parting at the end.

"―――――" Thinking back, there were so many memories. Nights when we walked together, and times we fought together. I selfishly tried hard in the beginning, thinking that I couldn't let a girl fight. She trained me hard in the dojo. I slept in the shed because I was unable to sleep with a girl in the next room. We had lunch together.

Saber liked the bath, was satisfied when the food was good, liked the clothes Tohsaka prepared for her, and talked with Fuji-Nee. She pushed herself, took all the burdens onto her shoulders, and finally collapsed――and we shared our warmth in the ruin.

…I've been crazy since then. I couldn't think of anything but Saber, and after my reasons for fighting changed, I realized that I loved Saber. How can I lose someone like this?

"―――――" Saber doesn't say anything. I can't say anything either. When these stairs end… If we reach the top, there'll be nothing for us to talk about.

Losing Saber and parting with her will happen in the future. But. This moment is the only time allotted to us for farewells.

"―――――" …We go up the stairs. If I don't want to say goodbye, I can just talk to her about meaningless things. Like… Like going to town again after we go home. Or what she wants for breakfast tomorrow morning. Such meaningless things.

"―――――" …But I can't even talk about such things. If I talk, that'll be our final conversation. A clear end. Neither of us can offer a clear farewell.

――And so, we reach the mountain gate. This is the final choice. If we go on, it will end. But if we go back――I might be able to find a way to avoid losing her.

"――Saber." I stop and turn back to Saber. Saber is the same always. A tense stare with a composed expression.

The moment I see it, all kinds of temptation attack me. Like, let's run away. Like, if I don't want to lose her, I can go back. She would accompany me if I wished.

"―――――" My determination wavers. That temptation rises in my throat. But I stop it. "――Let's go. This will be our last battle." I declare that as a Master just as I always have.

Saber nods silently. Her eyes are strong-willed as always. "―――――" So, I won't have any regrets. As she believes in me. I too will believe that my choice is correct.

We start for the mountain gate. We head into the battle with no return.

I couldn't say anything and I couldn't tell her what I really wanted to tell her. But I want to believe that this silence was able to tell her my feelings.

――The long stairs we climbed together.

This is our final memory of our time together.

Red light fills the mountaintop. The blowing wind is getting stronger and it seems the source of it is that light――coming from the back of the grounds. The red phosphorescence scatters on the wind, and the grounds is too bright for nighttime.

Stagnant air filled with the presence of death. ―――――This is… Like the fire back then.

"―――――" But it isn't like that. Within all this red light, something is about to emerge.

…From the back of the building. A black darkness oozing in the bright red. If this clearing is like a clear lake, that mud is like an oil spill.

Mud that spreads, taints the ground, and does not kill anything it swallows. It's like a visible curse. I'm a magus too. I can sense that the thing only reacts to the human mind and only swallows human bodies.

"――You are finally here. I have been waiting for you, Saber." He is there, within all the rich colors. Ignoring the blood red and the death-stained black. The Servant clad in gold is waiting for us――no, for Saber in the middle of this place.

"And the time is about right. The Holy Grail has finally moved into action and the void has just opened. This curse is the contents of the Holy Grail, the Third Element which keeps us Servants in this world. ――This is what you splashed me with ten years ago."

Gilgamesh is only looking at Saber. It goes the same for Saber. She takes a step forward and points her sword at the knight in front of her.

"Gilgamesh. What do you intend? What do you wish for with that curse――that thing falsely presented as the Holy Grail?"

"I have told you that I have no wish. I do not care how Kotomine will use the Holy Grail. For now, my only concern is you."

As if in answer to Saber, the golden knight raises his hand. ――At the same time, the air behind him sways like a haze. The king's treasure, hundreds of Noble Phantasms, are loaded like bullets.

"…Yes. The time has finally come. I have been looking forward to this all this time, Saber. How to pin you down and make you swallow that. The way you will be unable to stop yourself from going crazy, disgracing yourself, and begging at my feet――!"

"――Well said. Then you shall have no objections to yourself meeting that exact fate." Another step. Saber steps into range of the many Noble Phantasms. …This isn't a battle I can do anything about. The battle between Saber and Gilgamesh is something no human can interfere with.

"――Heh, that is what I expect of you, Saber. That strong spirit, even though you know you cannot defeat me. It is indeed suitable to end this party, but――"

"I do not want any intrusions. You lowlife, disappear right now if you want to see Kotomine. He is waiting for you at the altar."

"――!" Kotomine is waiting.

…I glance at Saber. She nods while looking at Gilgamesh. Her figure tells me… That she is wishing me her best.

――I turn around. The one I need to face isn't here. Behind me. As I run, I hear the battle start.

At the back of the building. Behind the main temple is a large lake. Untouched by humans, the lake is holy as if a dragon king lives in it. The clear blue water is pure and the lake isn't even murky.

But that's all in the past. The lake now has none of these characteristics. The red light is in front of my eyes. And the sea of black tar. ――And――

The "void" created in the air and the girl presented as a sacrifice.

"――Koto… mine…!" My calm mind instantly goes over the limit. I stop and glare at my enemy.

"Welcome, Emiya Shirou. The last surviving Master." He smiles sarcastically and opens his arms to welcome me. …This is the site of our battle. This is the altar of the summoning in this Holy Grail War.

"――Let Ilya down. I'll beat you up after that." I glare at Kotomine. …There's about ten meters between us. The fight will begin if I move another step. I don't know what kind of magus Kotomine is, but I assume he'll use some kind of projectile weapon like Tohsaka.

In comparison, I can only punch him. Even though I have the dagger Tohsaka gave me, it's useless unless I get near him. …Once the fight starts, I'll have to run straight at him and stab his chest. But first, I have to do something about Ilya――

"Hey. Didn't you hear me? I told you to let Ilya down. What's so fun about torturing a kid?"

"I understand your feelings, but I cannot do that. The Holy Grail has appeared, but the void is yet unstable. My wish will not come true unless she bears this until she dies." Until she dies――then Ilya is still alive…!

"…I see. If you have no intention of letting her down, I'll just have to use force. I'll stop your wish――that black mud, right now."

"…Oh. So this must appear to be my wish to you. ――As expected from the son of Kiritsugu. I did not expect two generations to make the same mistake." "Wh――at?"

"This mud is not of my making. This is the power leaking out of the Holy Grail, the 'colorless power' that should have been omnipotent. No human power is able to stain it black. This Holy Grail has been like this from the beginning. Once opened, it will flow out without end and cause a disaster."

"This is the true identity of the Holy Grail. This thing is filled with every evil, something that curses everything in this world. No one can control such a thing."

"―――――" …What is he saying? If that's true, then he became a Master not for a wish, but just to open this up…!?

"…Kotomine. What's your wish?" I clench my teeth and glare at the black priest. The man smiles. "Well, let's see. If anything, it is for entertainment." He makes a simple claim as if it's only natural.

"Wh… at…?" "――Do you not understand? Music, for example. Why do people find music fun, Emiya Shirou?" "Eh――w-well…" "How about a book? Why do you think stories attract people?" Why――I've never thought about it.

"Yes. You do not even need to think about it. Every entertainment exists to pleasure people. It is amusing because it was made by people."

"All creation comes from within people. In short, the most entertaining things in the world are humans themselves. Bare humans are the best entertainment in the world."

"Compared to that, entertainment created by people is just secondary. …Yes, music, stories, like, dislike, pity, belief, betrayal, morals, corruption, illusion, truth…! It is all just trash to be discarded. Such things are mere second-rate trashy entertainment. What I like to enjoy are people themselves. Such pointless things are not my taste."

"For that, we need to discard excess things such as their lives. You heard of flashbacks, right? It is like that. People have value only at the moment of their deaths. Using their lifetime to gain momentum, they jump high to dazzle. That flicker is my wish."

"That is the answer to your question. As you feed on peacefulness. ――I live by feeding on this planet's light."

"―――――" The priest offering a speech with his hands apart is abnormal. I feel a chill, but not at his speech. But at the priest himself because he looks like a holy being while he says he wants to enjoy humans.

"So, you――"

"Yes, the fire ten years ago wasn't too bad. It was on a small scale, but it was filled with unusual excitement. …These are the only things I wish for. Such a hell contains an explosion of souls, the best flicker a man can give. You must have experienced that as well, Emiya Shirou. See? People dying in regret must have touched your heart, did it not?"

"Y――!" Don't… talk shit. That time… That hell… can't be contained with just that one sentence.

"Do you understand now? It is in a distorted fashion, but no one loves humans as much as I. Therefore, no one is more appropriate than myself to receive the Holy Grail." The priest laughs in satisfaction. As if… As if he thinks that event where people died in vain is wonderful from the bottom of his heart――!

"――Oh, I see." I concentrate on my feet. I put my powers into my legs, about to jump forward. "――So, I can kill you…!"

I jump forward with all my might. It's about ten meters to him. I'll go in straight at him and―― "―――――" I jump sideways. This is the result of my instincts of not wanting to die… …Surpassing my desire to kill him. "――!" I roll sideways onto the ground. I stop instantly and look up.

"That's――!" I look at the place I was running over. A sound of burning. The burning sound is coming from the black mud, stretching out from the lake. …It's like a black carpet. The mud slashed like a whip, attacking me as I went after Kotomine, and left a mark on the ground.

"I forgot to tell you, but you are already within my range. And to add, this thing is sensitive to living beings. ――I do not mind you moving, but you will die if you move carelessly."

"――!" I jump to avoid the black mud mercilessly attacking me. Screw moving carelessly. He's ready to kill me…!

"Damn――you fake priest…!" I stand up, still keeping watch over the lake. …The distance to Kotomine hasn't changed. That means this ten meters is as near as he wants me to get. …But that tentacle of mud stretches without limit. It will come after me if he wants it to, and I'm sure there are more than one――

"Oh, so you are ready to fight. That pleases me. I could not kill you if you were to run away, but there will be no problem if you attack me. I serve God, so I cannot kill someone who is pleading for their life."

"――Heh, don't lie. You can't say that after attacking someone from behind." He must have remembered what happened with Lancer. Kotomine laughs as if in admiration.

"Oh, yes. I hated you for that. There's no need to put this off any longer.

"…To be honest, I had hopes for you, Emiya Shirou. I felt some sort of fate when Rin came to the church with you. You cannot know how happy I was when I found out that you were Kiritsugu's son and that you were like him on the inside as well. The wish that did not come true ten years ago… I never expected that I would be able to get my revenge on Emiya Kiritsugu."

…The tentacle whips out. The quivering mud coming from the lake is like a black snake.

"―――――" …I bite my lip. This is the worst situation as I thought. The number of snakes continues to increase without end. I don't know how long I can survive, let alone how I can get close to him――

"It is only natural for you to be unable to win. There is a large difference in the years we have lived. It is a difference you cannot overcome unless you have something major."

The priest raises his hands. He glares at the heavens as if he is conducting an orchestra.

"――Put your life on the line. You might be able to reach me if you do so―――!"

He releases the black snakes.

Sparks fly off. The golden knight retreats from the blows which are full of the utmost spirit. She must have seen it as an opening. Saber dodges the swinging sword and moves deeper into the enemy's range――!

"Yaaaaaaaaaa――!" If the yell is a rip, the sword is like a comet. It overwhelms the opponent and he hesitates. But she keeps attacking. The sword keeps moving. It has destroyed rocks and pierced through walls, but… "Guh――!" Every blow is blocked by weapons appearing from behind him. "You persistent――!" Escaping danger, the golden knight――Gilgamesh has another sword in his hand. "――!" It is easy to repel that weapon. But she cannot block it straight on. All of the enemy's weapons have unknown abilities. It would be suicidal to block it without knowing its ability.

"Haa――Haa――Haa――" Saber jumps back out of range and catches her breath. Gilgamesh raises himself unhurriedly.

"You do not give up, woman. Can you not tell it is futile?" Gilgamesh shows no fatigue. For him, this battle is just entertainment. There must be no fatigue or strain when he knows he is going to win.

"Haa――Haa――Haa――" But it's different for Saber. For her, this moment is her only chance of victory. Before her enemy becomes serious. She has to defeat Gilgamesh before he takes out Ea or she will be the one defeated.

That is why she has continued to attack without a thought for saving her energy. She has cornered the enemy like this more than a few times. But still――she could never get past his wall of Noble Phantasms.

"Are you still going to continue? It is good to be loyal to your master, but there should be a limit. That lowlife would have been killed by Kotomine by now. There should be no reason for you to fight now." "…My master is still very much alive. Shirou will not be defeated by that Master."

"It can only be a matter of time. You do not know the Holy Grail. Even I have trouble against it. That kid will not last even a minute." "―――――" "You cannot beat me and that kid cannot beat Kotomine. You have mistaken your roles. If you had gone after the Holy Grail, this battle would have been yours."

The golden knight's eyes are not laughing. He is serious. ――But that is wrong. For Saber, such a choice would be a mistake.

"――Nonsense. This is the correct decision. I will not lose to you, and Shirou will not lose to a corpse such as that. You have fallen low to hope for a result that has yet to happen." "――Oh. It seems you still have energy to talk impudently." ――Space distorts. The number of Noble Phantasms behind Gilgamesh increases.

―――――It is coming. She grips her holy sword once again. …Actually, there is a way. There is only one, but there is a way to defeat that golden knight. ――――But for that… It will not succeed unless several conditions are met.

Even if she defeats Ea, he will be able to defend against her attack if he has energy left. And the method to defeat Ea will remain unknown until she takes a direct hit from it once more. ――Take a hit from Ea…? No way. Even with the sheath, I would not be able to get up after being hit. But there is no other way to win. It is a matter of how to grasp that slight chance.

Usually, she selects the best choice by instinct and follows that view. But right now, she cannot even feel it with her instincts. Probably because the probability of victory is so low and the chance of a comeback is pretty much zero.

"―――――!" But still, she must fight. For Shirou who abandoned his protection to give her back her sheath―― She cannot be defeated here by him.

"…I see. It seems you will not be convinced without a complete loss." More weapons appear. They move without Gilgamesh touching them and they aim at Saber. The weapons, whose handles were only visible before, all show blades now and await their master's order.

This is this knight's way of fighting. From the beginning, Gilgamesh has never been a swordsman. These Noble Phantasms are produced in the air and become bullets at their master's command. That is why he is called Archer. This Servant is an archer with the strongest arrows.

"Do your best to avoid them. If you do well, you shall only be stabbed in the limbs!" "――!" With one command, the godspeed rain of swords begins. Each one has fatal power. "…!" She eludes every one of them like a falling leaf――!

A sword from the front, a spear from the left, a polearm from below and above, a three-edged sword arcing and attacking from behind, a swing from a hammer bigger than she is――! She blocks, repels, dodges, and twists her body away from the last attack…!

"Ha――a, ah――!" Breathing hard, Saber recovers the stance she was driven out of. ――In that instant. She sees them behind her enemy. Behind Gilgamesh. The Noble Phantasms are already produced: 47 of them――!

"Ku――guh…!" She jumps full force. Many Noble Phantasms stab into the ground as not to let her escape.

In the rain of Noble Phantasms, she is hit time after time. Her armor is destroyed, her gauntlets pierced, and even the pieces covering her feet are pierced. Saber manages to avoid a fatal wound even in this danger, but then sees the worst thing possible.

On the other side of the rain of Noble Phantasms… As if to finish off a fleeing enemy, Gilgamesh is pulling out his favorite sword――! Ea――! She stops her jump. She lands right away and pours magical energy into her holy sword.

But will it be in time? Wind roars. The blade of light is revealed and she raises her sword without waiting for the wind to fully unseal.

"EX――" She does not even bother with the rain of Noble Phantasms and swings her holy sword with all the speed possible. "Enuma Elish――!" But it is too late. Pounding through his own Noble Phantasms, Gilgamesh swings his sword――

"Guh――!" I kick away the mucus around my ankle. My clothes are burnt away and my skin is exposed.

"――Guh, uh――!" I jump back from the striking tentacle. I can't feel my right ankle and I can't even tell if it's there, but I jump into the open field in front of me.

"Ha――Haa, ha, ah――!" I check my body as I roll. Ankle. All right, it's still there. I just can't feel it. If it's there, I should be able to run.

"Ah――haa, haa, ah――!" I jump in a different direction again to avoid the striking mud. I hear a splashing sound right next to me. The smell of the ground burning forces my dizzy head awake and――

"――!!!!!!" Fire runs up my back. "Ha, guh, guh――!" I shake it off and jump to an empty space. That must have been the end of this attack. The black mud that was surrounding me has disappeared from view for now――

"Ha――aa…Ah." …I bite my lip. I ran so much, but in the end… I'm pushed back to here again.

"Ha―――― haa, haa, ha――" I breathe hard and look at him so as not to lose in spirit. …Kotomine has not moved at all. He has just watched me run around.

"Haa… haa, haa, haa, haa――" …No matter how hard I breathe, my heart won't calm down. It's saying it's at its limits and it needs rest. It's about to go out on its own if I don't let it rest.

"Kuh――ha, haa, ha, ah――" I can't do anything. I can't get near Kotomine nor get through that black mud. …I'm not going to hold back on using the 'projection' magic.

If I can't move forward, I can reproduce Saber's sword again. It'll surely be able to slice through that black mud and I can go straight for Kotomine.

"Hm? Is that all? Tell me if you have given up." The instant he speaks… "Haa――ah, ha――!?" Lots of mud comes splashing toward me, telling me I cannot let myself stop.

"Kuh――!" I raise myself and barely dodge the mud. …The mud itself isn't too bad. It's slow compared to Saber's shinai, and it only comes where it's aimed, so it's easy to dodge.

But that's only true when there's only one of them. I can't deal with tens of mud attacks, the ones that come from behind me the instant I dodge them. As a result, I can only move around. Even then, mud covers me bit by bit.

"Guh, damn――!" There's no time to rest. I can't reproduce a sword like this. "Projection" magic tracing a weapon from the beginning requires at least one minute of concentration. If I show such an opening, I'll be melted down to my bones.

"Haa――ha, ha, ha, ah――!" The parts of my body covered with mud have lost sensation. The only good thing is that I don't feel any pain, but I won't know if I'm dead or not when that mud covers my whole body. I'm finished when that happens, and most of all――I'll have melted away by then.

"Haa――ha, ha, ha, ah――!" All I can do is run. I know it's only a matter of time even if I do, but I have to keep running for now. I won't have any luck getting near Kotomine while I'm dodging this mud. I can't get close now. Waiting behind Kotomine is a pool of mud.

If there's any chance of getting near him, it'll be when I do something about this mud―― "Ow――damn, oh――!?"

"―――――!" I-I can't believe it…! Who on earth would trip at a time like this!?

"―――――" Kotomine looks down at me like trash. He points his finger at me, and many snakes show their veins.

"…!" I get up. I try to get up, but fall again. "――Eh?"

I fall. I fall. The snakes are coming.

But I still fall. Why? Why? Why? Black mud comes for my neck. Why? Oh, I see why. My right ankle is unbelievably black――

"――So, that is it. I hoped I would be able to have a little fun, but you are Kiritsugu's son after all. You people are useless." "Wha――"

…I raise my head. …I'm still conscious. My wrists and neck are held by mud like chains, but I still retain my senses.

"…! Why don't you finish me off?" "I will soon enough. But just doing that would not be all that fun. You are Kiritsugu's fake, so the debt Kiritsugu owes me from ten years ago shall be returned with your death."

"―――――" …The skin with mud on it is burning. It feels like acid is slowly seeping through the pores of my skin. I grit my teeth, bear it, and check on my right ankle.

…It's totally black. I can't feel it nor can I move it at all. I'll have to take the mud out of my body, or put magical energy into it to move the clotted blood in there. …Either way, the moment I move it, all the muscle in my right ankle will be destroyed.

"I see. I don't care about that, but――why do you hate Kiritsugu so much? Was it so annoying to you that Kiritsugu destroyed the Holy Grail?"

"It is just hatred for a similar person. Kiritsugu and I were alike, so everything he did got on my nerves. It is the same as the way you feel hatred toward me."

"Wha――shut up…! Don't you dare say that Kiritsugu is like you…!" I raise my body up with my arms and glare at him. I don't know what's so funny, but he makes that evil smile.

"I see. It must be so for you. After all, he was a good enough person to let me go. He defeated me, the cause of that disaster, but he did not take my life. You should know that was a mistake. If he had killed me, those orphans would have been able to lead a peaceful life."

"――Y…!" "You should not be able to retort. But it was unpleasant for me as well. The fact that such a cold-hearted magus left me alive… it was unpleasant."

…That again. Saber said it too that Kiritsugu was a great magus and that he would do anything to accomplish his goals. But that's――

"But that was not his mistake. The mistake he made is that he thought this war had ended with the destruction of the Holy Grail. That is why he did not tell you anything, optimistically thinking that the Holy Grail War was over, and died stained in this curse."

"He was certainly a fool. He let the one who cursed him go and as a result, died within a few years. Believing that he had accomplished his goal and that the Holy Grail War had ended."

"―――――!" Hold on. Then, what? Kiritsugu died because of this guy? And that peaceful face he had on the night of his death was…

"Oh, let me ask you one last question. What was Kiritsugu's last moment like? Did he give something to you as his son and pass away with satisfaction? Ha, how foolish can he be. He accomplished nothing and pushed the responsibility onto you. His passing must have been ridiculous…!"

"――YOU――!!!" I kick off the ground. I drove magical energy into my right foot and moved it by force. "Gi――!" I ignore my tearing muscles and run to him on all fours like a dog――!

"――Yes. I would expect at least that much spirit." Kotomine raises his hand toward the waterfall behind him.

"―――――" What is he thinking? That is a 'curse' so strong that it's visible. You could call it magical energy specialized for destroying people. There is nothing you can do with it as it cannot be reshaped or anything.

Anybody that touches that mud will be stained with a strong "curse" and will be melted as if digested. In the process. The pain and fear before death remain as magical energy and become the next "curse" to seek out living people.

So, you die if you touch it. Anyone who touches it will die unless they can get the mud out of their body. …The priest stuck his hand in that waterfall of mud, but he doesn't stop smiling.

"This is your reward. Die in the same manner as Kiritsugu." In his hand is a black darkness. I sense that it is something completely different, and――

The world is attacked by a sudden flash of light. The moment I realize that the light is from Saber's Noble Phantasm…

"――Angra Manyu――"

The priest's words instantly turn the world black.

――Her vision blinded by the light is filled with darkness. If she were conscious, she would have known it was the ultimate black light.

"―――――" The darkness was only for an instant. But it is not darkness, but a swarm of grain-sized curses. The darkness swept her body away and she regained consciousness from the unpleasant sensation.

"Oh――" She gasps. The first thing she feels after consciousness returns is pain. Skin that was protected by armor is burned, her body is pierced and slashed, and she is in a miserable state. "I… see――I――"

…Lost to Ea. She was cornered by Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms, could not block them, and took a hit from Ea as well. She managed to offset it a bit with Excalibur, but her body is wounded too badly. The wound is healing without magical energy, but even the protection of the sheath will not return her to normal instantly.

――There… "This is it, Saber. Do not tell me you refuse to admit your defeat in that state." Gilgamesh approaches, without a scratch.

"……" Still on the ground, Saber looks up at her enemy. She cannot do anything right now. The man can do whatever he wants with her.

"…Gilgamesh. That light was…" In spite of that, this is what she worries about. That flash of light. That black darkness from the back of the compound that covered the earth for an instant. …She does not want to think about it, but that darkness might have been aimed at Shirou.

"That light? You should be able to tell. It is a great curse. Kotomine must have summoned it straight from the Holy Grail. I hear that Holy Grail holds something that could curse everything in this world. The pollution you've seen up to now is just the remains of what came out of the Holy Grail. The primary curse has been summoned. Your Master should no longer be alive."

"――No, that cannot be…" She concentrates all her power. …She knows her body will not move. But she cannot abide just lying on the ground.

"No――Shirou is alive. He is still――" Certainly, she still feels the connection with her Master. It is weak and ready to go out, but Emiya Shirou is still alive. So she must go. If the enemy is something so unforeseeable, Shirou cannot match it――

"Guh――!" Using the warmth inside her, she tries to get up. "Ah――kuh…" But it was useless. Even the sheath of the holy sword will require a few more minutes to heal her body.

"It is too late. Stay still, Saber. The Holy Grail will overflow whatever you do. The events of ten years ago will reoccur. But this ritual is for your benefit, not mine." Looking up at the red burning sky, the golden knight smiles.

"Rejoice, Saber. If you are showered with it, you will become like me. You will have a body in this world and be able to enjoy your second life. Though, I am not sure you will be able to keep your sanity as I did." "Wha――" Saber looks up at her enemy in amazement.

Saber can tell that thing is a great curse. It is a magnificent cluster of magical energy and any magic should be possible with that amount. …If it were Caster using it, nothing would be impossible. But it is a double-edged sword. That thing can only curse people. If immersed in such a thing, even a heroic spirit would be unable to keep themselves together.

"……" That makes her realize. The Servant in front of her. This knight called the oldest king of heroes… he was swallowed by that pollution ten years ago. So―― "Gilgamesh, you――" He has gone insane already――

"――Oh. You think so?" Laughing, Gilgamesh looks down at Saber. His face looks crazy――and it suits him.

"Do not take me so lowly. How can I be a hero if I cannot swallow a curse such as this? All evils of the world? Heh, bring at least three times as much as that if you want to stain me. See, Saber. A hero is someone who carries with them everything they see. ――I am already carrying everything in this world." "―――――" Saber gasps quietly at his words.

…She will never be able to come to terms with this heroic spirit. His arrogant thinking, his selfishness to consider himself the greatest, and his merciless nature that never thinks of others. This is different from the path of the king she chose. A set of beliefs that will never overlap with hers. But this man still is a king. She can say that with confidence. Of all the Servants, this man is the only one who would be capable of keeping his sanity after being soaked in that vast curse.

"――Hmm, yes. Making you swallow the mud is good, but it is no fun if you go crazy because of that. Well, let us hold our marriage now." "――!"

"Gilgamesh, you――!" "What? Do you dislike being treated roughly? Then get used to it. I do not hold myself back on women or food. I plunder and eat them at my leisure." "――!" Held upside down, Saber glares at Gilgamesh.

"…Hm. So you honor your Master as a Servant, I see. Ridiculous. I cannot believe you gave him your body just because of the binds of the Command Spell." "――You are wrong. Do not misunderstand, Gilgamesh. I do not obey anyone. My body has never had such freedom."

"…Oh. Then you will not be mine no matter what?" His red eyes pierce Saber. There's no human emotion. He will kill if she disobeys. He will just kill her no matter how attached he was to her. These are his true feelings, Gilgamesh's truth.

"―――――" Saber stares back at Gilgamesh, not averting her gaze.

"――Gilgamesh. I will not become anyone's. I already belong to my country. My body is a king before I am a woman." She does not say it to anyone. She just says so, feeling the small warmth still within her body. "Ha, so that is your answer!? Do not make me laugh, Saber. A country is just a possession. If he cannot rule everything, there is no need for a transcendental being like the king. Geez――King Arthur, that is why your own country destroyed you." The golden knight sneers at her immaturity. "―――――" …That brings back her determination.

"Yes, you are correct. ――But, King of Heroes. That is why you destroyed your own country――!" A roared yell full of spirit. Saber uses her whole body to kick Gilgamesh in the face with her free leg!

"Wha――!?" Gilgamesh lets go. Saber stays upside-down and jumps using her arms.

"You would stomp on a man!? You must really want to be disciplined, Saber…!!"

She closes her eyes and looks within herself. 'That is why you were destroyed by your own country.' …She already knew that. She has heard those words over and over since she was summoned as Saber. But that man is different. He was mad like it was his own affair, but still――he thought that it was something to be proud of. So there is only one thing that must be done. Even if there is not the slightest chance of winning, she cannot stop here. While the warmth is still in her heart. She must run to her master as fast as possible.

"――!" "―――――" About eight meters to Gilgamesh. She places herself at the best range she found earlier.

…Her body will not move as she wishes. Her legs do not have even a tenth of their original power and the arms holding her sword are weak. She will fall without being able to block no matter what kind of a weak attack she receives. But――there are no openings in Saber's stance nor is there any hesitation.

"… Let me ask you…" Gilgamesh has to prepare himself seeing her like that. The golden knight readies Ea and looks at his opponent.

"Are you sane?" "―――――" Saber does not answer. Her eyes show her determination.

"――All right. I will not hold back in that case." The air roars. The sword of separation, Ea. A sword said in ancient Mesopotamia to have divided and created the world.

Gilgamesh's sword of separation roars to exterminate its enemy for sure this time. The swirl of air and the magical energy within it far exceed Excalibur.

"――Disappear. You are annoying, woman." Ea is raised. Saber raises her sword to match it. "―――――" "―――――" Their gazes meet only for an instant.

"Enuma Elish――" Gilgamesh's sword is swung. "Kuh――!?" But Saber's sword falls without power as she is unable to activate the Noble Phantasm.

――The light that cuts everything charges. Unable to do anything, she is swallowed by the light.

The instant I am swallowed by the darkness… …Hell is printed into my brain.

The starting penalty is five. Life penalty, body penalty, freedom penalty, fame penalty, fortune penalty. Give the penalty that extends so much punishment, mud, darkness, and malice. "Elimination of human rights by castration, exile, execution" "Torture and sadism upon the body through digestion" "Denial by consensus of the colony that eliminates all honor"

"Scorn from judgment and selfishness that takes away men's fortunes." death penalty penal servitude imprisonment custody fine penalty, crime from a grudge, crime from self-interest, unconscious crime, self-conscious crime, civil war, inducement, false statement, theft, robbery, kidnap, suicide, rape, arson, bombing, violation, negligent homicide, mass violence, death at work, overconfident accident,

misdiagnosis, concealment, violation for benefit, violation for self-protection, violation for love, violation for respect, selfish ■■■. Stealing fraudulent fraud concealment murder theft crime crime personal grudge attack attack attack attack dirty dirty dirty you are dirty atone atone atone atone every violence every crime every victim atone for everything "This world is ruled by something not human" Know the conscience to reform crimes.

Know the penalty to reform crimes. People's kindness is here. There is so much it cannot be noticed. Know the violence to hide crimes. Know the power to hide crimes. People's malignance is here. It is so rare that it is noticed. A hundred kindnesses and one malignance. Malignance shines bright to keep the balance and exists as a great "evil" to compete with the masses of kindness. The starting penalty is five

■■for self ■■for self ■■for self ■■for self ■■for self ■■for self ■■for self ■■for self ■■for self ■■for self ■■for self ■■for self ■■for self ■■for self ■■for self inducement, false statement, theft, robbery, kidnap, suicide, rape, arson, infringement, dirty dirty dirty dirty dirty dirty you are dirty atone atone atone atone atone atone every violence every crime every victim atone atone atone with death!!!!!! "――Ah" My brain explodes.

The mud eating away at my body remains and steals my warmth mercilessly. I am crushed by the thing seeping in through all five senses. Darkness I cannot look at directly. Ugliness I cannot acknowledge. Crimes I want to run away from. Every crime of the people in this world. That is why I am going to die. One trapped in this darkness will eat themselves to death from pain and hatred.

――But. Kotomine said… That this curse killed Kiritsugu. That fact knocks away every darkness.

――Warmth returns to my body. Blood flows through my beaten up body and makes it stand. It's only natural. Such a thing. Emiya Kiritsugu had been burdened with this for many years. He was pressed by the voices for atonement and died unable to fulfill his wish?

He said he wanted to become a superhero. He ran around trying to help someone, but could not get anyone's permission for that. Yet, he still did what he could to pursue the ideals he had abandoned. In the end, he was relieved by something a kid said and nodded to himself that everything was okay.

"Agh――ah, ah――" So I have to stand up. I relieved Kiritsugu and promised that I'd become one. If Emiya Shirou is really that superhero's son, then I can't let the bad guy beat me.

――Tohsaka said… I should win no matter what. ――Saber said… He is an enemy that I must defeat. ――Even Kotomine said… If I'm going to fight, I should put my life on the line.

They're right. What else can I bet if I won't bet my life? From the beginning, I have nothing else to give.

"AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" I leap desperately out of the dense black mud. "――!?" I can hear his bewilderment.

My throat is burning. My windpipe tears every time I breathe and it feels like I'm swallowing pieces of glass.

"Higi――gi, gii, ah――" I don't care. Tears are welling up from anger. I'm going to go crazy from anger before I go crazy from the curse.

"――Impossible. You managed to shake that thing off――!?"

"Kotomine Kirei――!" I push my body and run. I put one hand behind my back. I grab the dagger I've hidden until now.

"――I am astonished. I thought you escaped that thing, but you have a simple mind. It seems you have run out of ideas――" "Shut up! I never had any plans in the first place…!" I run. Kotomine sticks his hand into the waterfall behind him and extracts another clump of darkness.

"Then you can follow your Servant. That previous light was Saber being defeated. You have no one to help you now." "―――――" All my hesitations disappear. If I do reach Kotomine, I think his biggest mistake was that line.

Because the Command Spell is on my left hand. It's the only proof I have.

As long as my Command Spell exists, Saber exists. If she exists――she must have defeated Gilgamesh by now and she'll be heading over here. I think Saber will be angry if I don't greet her with open arms. ――So I will defeat you now. To fulfill the last promise I made with her.

Darkness approaches. A great curse is released from Kotomine's hand. …My body melts from my fingertips. "―――――!" I won't look away. If this is my role―――there is still something I can do――!

"Enuma Elish――!" A dislocation runs through space. With a flash of light and a roar of wind, the swirl of destruction is set loose from Ea.

"Kuh――!" With that in front of her, Saber could not even use her Noble Phantasm. She lowers her sword and moves her body forward as if she's falling.

――The light approaches. She cannot avoid it with her injured legs, and there is no shield in this world that could block Ea. A storm of light and wind that will destroy everything in its path. Nothing can stand against the true name of Ea. That is a fact that cannot be changed. ――Yes. Until a few hours ago.

"――!?" The one surprised is not Saber, but the golden knight bearing Ea. Ea is still emitting magical energy and bringing forth destruction. But Saber steps forward into that tumbling storm of light.

"――!" Her armor screams out. Cracks run through every wall of magical energy protecting her. In the period shorter than a second that they endure the attack, Saber steps up to Gilgamesh and… "EXCALIBUR――!" She opposes Ea's destruction with the greatest power she is permitted――!

Heat and light rumble wildly. The crash of the greatest swords push against each other with pure power, creating a boundary in space. But――is it not useless? Excalibur cannot beat Ea. Even if she approaches at the risk of her life, she can only push back just a little. The balance easily favors Ea and Excalibur's light is repelled back along with Saber.

"――I see, you must have lost your mind…!" Readying Ea, the golden knight looks at the enemy approaching him again and puts magical energy into Ea. This will be it. He will totally annihilate Saber with all his power. Ea's turns reach their maximum speed and the light surrounding Saber mows down Excalibur.

――But just before that. Saber's body jumps forward. A small space created by Excalibur, a place where she can take one more step… The instant she reaches it… Her Noble Phantasm appears.

The darkness becomes a raging wind to cover Emiya Shirou. There is no way to avoid it and the concept of blocking is useless against a curse that paints space itself. Those swallowed by this darkness will be absorbed by it like the painted space.

"Ag――!" Body melts from the fingertips. Legs moving forward step onto empty space, and arms reaching out are already invisible in the black mud. Emiya Shirou will be eliminated from the outside. Attacked by a feeling that his body is shrinking, Emiya Shirou still does not accept death.

"Ha――ah, guh――!" Without looking away, he rejects it with all his might. The darkness surrounding the body, the pain trying to melt the body, and the curse trying to melt the mind. "――! ――――!" But they are futile attempts. There is no way for a mere human to resist the pollution. The body is still moving. The arm raised to grab something is still raised.

But the mind is already destroyed. The mind is already painted in black, and the body should disappear into darkness as well. In that moment… '――You were my…' Why is that voice remembered?

"―――――" A light turns on in the darkness. The instant the eyes realize the light is "that light", everything reverses. "―――――" The hammer comes knocking down. The mind accelerates, crackles with sparks, creates the shape with unbelievable speed.

"――Trace, on." The spell to begin the projection is murmured. In an instant. It is completed, omitting every step of manufacture.

…That is right. There was no need to reproduce it from scratch. Because this shape was engraved in the body. It is perfect in memory as it was part of Emiya Shirou's body. '――You were my sheath――' The arm reaching out still moves. The weapon created without concentration or spellcasting is grabbed. The world changes completely as the darkness is destroyed by a golden light and――in Emiya Shirou's hand is the perfectly reproduced sheath of Saber.

――And like that. With Ea straight ahead of her, her Noble Phantasm is activated.

"Wh――at――!?" That which is released and scattered before her is the holy sword's sheath.

No one knows what kind of a divine mystery it is made from, but the sheath repels all light emitted by Ea. No. It goes beyond the level of "defending".

It is complete isolation. The barrier of fairyland that keeps out all filth from the outside lands. A complete world separate from this one that can never be reached. As Saber is protected by the sheath of the holy sword, she is blocked off from all matter in this world. The greatest protection in this world. The greatest that cannot be infringed by anything not even by the five sorceries.

For that reason, the sheath is named Avalon, All is a Distant Utopia. The place where King Arthur is said to have gone after his death. The utopia the king dreamed of that will never be reached.

"―――――" Gilgamesh sees the death running up his spine. But he won't make it. The raised Ea will not stop turning, and Gilgamesh cannot manage to jump back. It is only natural. Who would even think that an attack with this much magical energy and this much power could be blocked…!?

"Guhhh…!! Damn, such a trick――!" "―――――" Blue clothes run in. There is no armor on Saber. She has released the armor protecting her, put the magical energy gained into her sword, and――

"EX――" "SABER――!!!!!" A scream from the king of heroes. With that before her…

"CALIBUR――!!" The sword splits the golden knight in two with an attack using all her might.

All darkness is blown away the instant the sheath is grabbed. The darkness surrounding Emiya Shirou, the darkness contaminating his body――everything is dispersed.

"Wh――at?" This is no reason to be surprised. The sheath of the holy sword protects its possessor. The embodiment of the utopia she sought cannot lose to this dirty mud――!

He runs. At the moment he is released from the darkness, his speed is like that of a shooting star. "Projection――? Just who are you――!?" The one overestimating their ability, and the one who cannot even spare to think about such things. The difference is only an instant, but an instant that decides the outcome. "Kotomine Kirei――!" Still falling, Emiya Shirou runs on his hands as well. In one hand is the dagger. In a crouching position, running to the black priest… "――!" The sword of retribution is stabbed into the priest's chest.

"――!" The priest turns slowly. Before that… Stopping himself with his feet, Emiya Shirou jumps back. Wind comes down. The priest turns to face the enemy who stabbed him. At the same time, two impacts pierce Kotomine Kirei.

The spinning body and all the magical energy in his right hand. He punches the dagger in the priest's chest and―― "Läßt――!" The magical energy is poured into the Azoth sword along with the word of release.

The golden sword was swung. She must not even have the energy to raise it back up. Saber keeps her sword and her face down. Slashed up, the man beholds the knight that has defeated him.

"―――――" The sound of wind echoes through the compound. The waves of light like a flood are no more. The two knights share no words as they place themselves in a parting called the battle's end.

"―――――" And the man sighs. He raises his weak hand and touches the cheek of the knight in front of him as if making sure she exists.

"――You are a hateful woman. You oppose me to the very end." The golden armor starts to fade away. The existence of the king of heroes is disappearing. "But I shall forgive you. Some things are beautiful because they cannot be obtained."

His fingers slip. His raised arm falls powerlessly to the ground. "Heh――and if that is the case, then it was inevitable that I would lose to you."

He says it sullenly. And in his final moments… "Goodbye, king of knights. ――It was indeed fun." He smiles ironically and disappears.

Sparks fly onto the priest's uniform. The sparks are coming from the dagger in his chest. No chunks of flesh or blood are flying out. But still――the battle here is over as well.

"―――――" He doesn't even look at me. He is just looking down at the dagger in his chest in disbelief.

"―――――" The wind is blowing. The wind coming from the "void" above eliminates the sounds around it. In the rumbling silence… "――Why do you have this sword?" Kotomine Kirei murmurs in a clear voice.

"It's not mine. I borrowed it from Tohsaka." "―――――" How long was he thinking? He sighs and the body that he hasn't moved since the beginning of our confrontation finally moves.

"I see. There indeed was a time when I gave it to some girl on a whim. I believe it was ten years ago. ――I see. No wonder I have become weak." He falls. The body of the priest falls to the ground.

"―――――" …I watch it all. He has talked about himself like he was someone else until the very end. And the priest sinks into that which he summoned, that which he wished for.

That is the end of the man called Kotomine Kirei.

――And the true end of the long battle.

The enemy is gone and I face the final large task.

The black "void" in the sky. That mud has stopped, but the strange void is still beating. ――That is the Holy Grail. The omnipotent grail that would have been given to the winner of this war.

There's a wind blowing. Kotomine is gone and the power binding Ilya must have vanished. Ilya is now free of that "void" and she's sleeping by my side.

I don't know what condition she's in, but it doesn't seem like her life is in danger. She should wake up fine if I go home and have Tohsaka look at her.

…The war has ended. Nobody else is going to get hurt, and I won't lose anyone else. The Masters are gone and the Servants will disappear as their tasks are over.

I already knew this was going to happen. We climbed those long stairs together. Our parting is already done. All that's left is to close the curtains.

"―――――" I wait with an empty mind, looking up at the "void". …And she appears. She walks straight towards me, her figure unchanged since the first time I saw her――

"―――――" She stops close enough that I could reach out to her. There are no words to confirm her safety or to congratulate her of the victory. This was something that was already decided. So there is only one thing left to do.

"…I will destroy the Holy Grail. That is my role." So saying, she starts to walk. The strong winds do not affect her as she approaches it step by step.

"―――――" She must be in range. She quietly readies her sword and looks at the black "void".

…I stare at her back. I clench my fists hard, bite my lip, stifle the words about to come out of my mouth, and engrave her figure into my memory. And then.

"Master, please give me the order. I cannot destroy it without your order." With her back to me, she tells me to use my last Command Spell.

Saber will disappear once the Holy Grail is destroyed. No――as she will destroy the Holy Grail, she will never again become a Servant.

Saber became a Servant because she sought the Holy Grail. Destroying the Holy Grail out of her own will means destroying her contract as well. ――If she destroys the Holy Grail… She will end her life as the king.

"――Shirou. I want to hear you say it." Saber's voice. Every time I hear it, I want to scream. ――To tell her not to go. I want to throw away my pride and scream for her to stay here.

"―――――" But. That's something I should not do even for the sake of my life.

I love Saber. I want her to be happier than anyone else and I want to be with her forever. But if I truly love her, that's wrong. I loved Saber as she continued to fight even after getting hurt. She was a girl who discarded everything, was filled with injuries, yet still protected all the way through.

――If I consider that beautiful and want to protect it… I cannot destroy her life just for my own selfishness.

She was born as a king and lived as a king. That will not change no matter what. From the time she swore to carry the sword, the girl became a king and nothing else. That is her pride. She ran through the battles so that in her final moments, she would be able to believe her path was the right one.

The dreams of the girl Arturia. The mind that chose to be the king over her own life. To fight. Even after she learned it would be unrewarded, she still clasped the sword and defended the oath of the king. ――For many years. I cannot do anything to dishonor the pride that she has held until the time of her death.

"――Saber. Please fulfill your role." I say so with a flood of emotions.

――Light emits. The "void" in the sky is cut in half by the light and disappears without a trace.

There's nothing left. The destroyed mountain is now a flat field. Dawn is in the distance. The horizon is shining in gleaming gold.

"――!" My left hand hurts. My last Command Spell disappears. ――That… Makes me accept that the curtains have been drawn.

"――So, everything is over?" "…Yeah. This is it. There's nothing left."

"I see. Then our contract is at an end. I became your sword, defeated your enemies, and protected you. …I am glad to have fulfilled this promise."

"…Yeah. You did well, Saber." Nothing more needs to be said. Saber is far away, and I do not run to her.

The morning sun rises. The halted wind begins again. A gold that seems to last forever. In it… "In the end, there is one thing I must tell you." She says in a voice filled with determination.

"…What is it?" I reply like always with my best bluff. Saber's body wavers.

She is facing me. She looks straight at me and in a voice without regret… "Shirou――I love you." Says those words.

Wind blows. I close my blinded eyes and open them again.

"―――――" I don't think there's any surprise. I kind of saw this coming. That… …Our parting would be like this.

An open field fills my eyes. As the wind blew, the knight disappeared. Just as she appeared. Leaving no trace.

"Yeah――it really is just like you." There are no regrets in my voice. I squint at the rising sun, keeping everything I lost close to my heart.

I stare at the horizon, wishing never to forget, and for it to never fade away.

――A distant land glowing in sunlight. Resembling the golden fields she ran through.