Chapter 3- The Demon King of Aincrad

To think that just over a month ago, Marth found himself transported to this world as a Servant, residing within a mostly intact manor in a now ruined city of fire and death. This wouldn't be the first time that he found himself in a situation like this, but that didn't make it any less jarring. What was his supposed role this time? To defeat the other six Servants and win the wish-granting Holy Grail.

Honestly, just how did he end up in this situation? Marth himself didn't have any wishes that he wanted granted. Okay, that was partially a lie as there was one wish that came to mind. The removal of his Curse of Calamity. While he was one of the seven demon lords, the seat he held was taboo, never meant to have a new successor. That was because the Wrath Lord position was cursed, with its holders going mad and being forced to be put down by their fellow demon lords, or else they would become a threat to the world. It was because of that curse that they were then dubbed as the Lord of Calamity once they reached that state.

As the current Wrath Lord, Marth was no exception, and that very curse plagued him for not one, but two lifetimes. During his first life as the half-demon prince, Zane, his human father Lambert forced Goddess Sinestra to make the three-year-old boy the new Wrath Lord by threatening his life. Despite knowing the consequences of following through with such an action, Sinestra reluctantly obeyed all because Zane was a member of the Umbris family, the very first demon family she created, going so far as to use her own blood to do so. While the Goddess of Darkness considered all the demons of Eternus to be her children, her connections to the Umbris family were much more intimate, all due to that direct blood connection. In fact, those blood ties are why only those of the Umbris line possess some level of divinity, making the majority of their descendants quite powerful. Heck, Marth's original birthmother, Altena, was so strong that many believed she was the avatar of Sinestra. It was no surprise that she was made the Demon Lord of Pride, who served as the leader of the demon lords, which only further augmented her powers.

Anyway, back to Marth's plight. In his first life as Zane, he didn't have much experience with the Curse of Calamity as Sinestra locked his Wrath Lord powers (and the memories of the traumatic event) behind a powerful seal. The seal held firm for years, even when Zane started fighting alongside his mother during the War of Light and Shadow, a terrible war caused by a dark god intent on destroying the world. However, near the end of the war, the seal started to crack as Zane began losing people he cared about, including his beloved mother, who had been killed by a rebel demon lord that usurped her position and divided the demons into two factions, the Darkfallen (the traitors who sided with the dark god) and the Eternia (the demons still loyal to the Umbris royal family and Lady Sinestra). However, Zane reached his breaking point when he lost his younger sister, Lucia, during the final battle with the dark god, where she took a fatal blow in his stead. That's when Sinestra's seal finally broke and Zane's powers as the Wrath Lord awakened, and the curse was free once more. Ironically, it was actually thanks to the power of that curse that Zane was able to defeat the dark god, but soon the last Umbris began his descent into becoming the next Lord of Calamity, the divinity in his blood only able to slow it down by so much.

However, Zane never became the Lord of Calamity, as he died sometime after that fateful battle. How and where he died was a mystery, but it was able to put a halt to the curse's corruption. It wasn't until he was reincarnated as Marth, a full-blooded demon, that the curse resumed its work, albeit restrained by a weaker seal formed by a certain mage, hampering its progress even further. Sadly, there was still nothing the demon prince could do to rid himself of the curse. Demon lord positions are tied to the soul, meaning that you aren't rid of it even if you die and reincarnate. You're only truly free from it when you pass your position to a successor, which can only be done with Sinestra's consent (and she hadn't been seen since the War of Light and Shadow ended seven thousand years ago).

Truth be told, it frustrated Marth that he had no control over his future. No matter what he does, his ultimate destination is becoming the Lord of Calamity, and arguably the strongest one to ever exist due to his heritage. However, despite his frustrations, Marth didn't really try to find an alternative way to change his fate. He felt that it was simply a waste of his time. That didn't mean he would just roll over and accept the hand others dealt him. Quite the opposite, in fact, as he chose to play this rigged game of fate his own way. Despite his cursed status, Marth was still a demon lord, and those powers were necessary in order for him to fulfill his grand plan, Eternal Twilight.

That was the type of person Marth Umbris was. Many of his peers hate and fear him for his actions and cold demeaner. They would take any opportunity to vilify and slander him, branding him as the Demon King (that happened before he knew of his upbringing due to his memories of his previous life being missing, but boy was it ironic in hindsight), but he didn't mind. Instead he just used his less-than-stellar reputation to suit his own needs, like protecting his younger sister, Kisara. Nothing else really mattered to him. He would rather protect the few people he treasured than the entire world.

"At least that's my mentality back in my world," Marth hummed to himself as he remained in his seat. "Here in this alternate Earth, one that has a different history and where I don't even exist, I was just going with the flow. I was summoned here by a rather interesting Master, and I found myself feeling the desire to not disappoint her."

There were only a handful of girls in Marth's life before materializing in this world that he got such a sensation from. The majority of them were the women in his family, like his sisters and adoptive mother, while the remaining ones were girls he held romantic affection for. It wasn't much of a surprise to him that he found himself developing feelings for his Master, but he knew deep down that no matter how their relationship progressed, they would end up going their separate ways.

After all, Marth was a Servant, a being with a temporary existence in this world. Truth be told, he shouldn't even have materialized here as the only way to even become a Heroic Spirit is that you have to be dead, never mind the fact that this wasn't even his world, meaning he wasn't recorded in the Throne of Heroes. In the world he hails from, the Demon King of Aincrad is very much alive. This Servant body of his is but an emulation of the true him, a fleeting dream that will disappear like the mist upon a meadow.

"I still can't believe I ended up materializing as an Avenger of all things," he muttered aloud. "I know it's fitting given my status as the Lord of Calamity, but boy does it restrict my abilities. Caster or Saber would have been much more preferrable as they would allow me to unleash my true might in magic and swordplay respectively."

An alluring giggle soon filled the room. "True, this class is far from your best one, my master," a female voice spoke up. "But you must admit that it has its own appeals as well. It is a representation of your final destination, what awaits you at the end of your journey. Perhaps this world has need of this version of you?"

Marth glanced to his side, seeing that he was no longer alone, well physically speaking at least. Lying rather seductively on the couch to his right was a beautiful woman with long black hair and eyes the color of blood, a mischievous smile gracing her lovely face. Her skin was a pale white, almost the color of snow. She was garbed in a gothic black dress with red trimming that exposed her slender shoulders and arms, as well as her cleavage. On her legs were black leather heeled boots with long laced leggings that matched. Right below her neck was a diamond-cut red gemstone that resembled the same gem that decorated a certain demonic sword, which served as a physical representation of her link with it and its master.

The Demon King of Aincrad let out a snort, as if he just heard a bad joke. "Come now, Sophia. Just what good could a Lord of Calamity bring to this world, especially one that's devolved into a waking nightmare?"

The dark spirit maintained her alluring smile. She was one of the people who was completely unbothered by the male demon, both his personality and his position. After all, she was his ever-faithful partner. No matter what happens where he goes, she will always be by his side. It was only natural for her to come here when he materialized as a Servant. "Well you are supposedly destined to destroy the world, so why not bring this one to an end? Everything else has already gone to hell thanks to that man, so why not add the finishing touch so we can go home? Not that I don't enjoy our alone time in this Singularity, of course, but we can't remain here forever. After all, we still have much to do in our own world."

She did make a good point. The one upside of him being a Servant was that he had (relatively) full control over the Curse of Calamity. There was no fear of its corruption spreading while he remained in this world. He didn't know why this was the case (probably due to his rather unique circumstances as a Servant), but he sure wasn't gonna complain about it. Besides, he did have a promise to keep, one he made to the one person he considered to be worthy to be his Master. Even a Demon King kept his word, and he wasn't planning on breaking that oath anytime soon.

"Rin did order me to bring an end to this Holy Grail War," Marth recalled, swallowing down the sorrow in his heart as he said her name. "Perhaps things will correct themselves if we put an end to this farce. I still don't know why Saber is so insistent on keeping the Grail War going, but at least she and her lapdog have stopped attacking us. I don't want this place to suffer any more damage. This was her home after all."

While far from its prime, the Tohsaka manor served as the heart of Avenger's territory. It was one of the few buildings that managed to survive the disaster that struck Fuyuki a month ago. Even the mindless skeletons and dragon-tooth soldiers knew better than to venture near the manor, lest they sought to die from lightning or cursed flame. Sadly it did suffer some damage over time, mostly whenever Saber or Berserker attacked, forcing Marth to confront them and make them retreat.

Despite its true owner having already perished, Marth still made an effort to keep the western-style manor in decent condition. Whatever magical energy he could spare went to maintaining the upkeep of the house. Despite this, there were still a decent number of holes in the interior and broken windows, due to him having to dedicate most of his efforts to maintaining his Spirit Origin, which had been damaged during the fight that had cost Rin her life. Not helping him was that he strained it even further during his clashes with Saber and Berserker. It was only through sheer force of will that Marth has managed to maintain his physical form for this long in his current condition. His Master ordered him to live and he refused to disappoint her.

Suddenly he tensed up as he sensed the last set of his perimeter wards going off. Looks like Caster found some new allies in this Chaldea. So then, did the Hound of Culann lead these Masters from afar to kill him or recruit him? The latter made more sense since even the mighty Cu Chulainn would have issue taking on both Heracles and the King of Knights. It was a logical decision for them to recruit Marth, the only other Servant not corrupted by the Holy Grail. However, the Demon King of Aincrad couldn't bring himself to accept even a temporary contract with any of the Masters from Chaldea. There was only one Master he would ever accept, and he buried her in the backyard after she died. It was extremely petty, and he knew that, but he felt that accepting a new Master would desecrate his memory of Rin. Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time that his selfishness drew people's ire. Why stop now?

Sighing in reluctance as he mentally braced himself for the fight that was to come, Marth rose to his feet. At the same time, Sophia disappeared into his shadow, ready to act should her master need her aid. The Demon King then switched to his spirit form to easily slip through the walls of the Tohsaka manor before rematerializing outside while hovering in the air, his twin pairs of purple translucent wings appearing from his back allowing him to fly.

He looked down by the front gate of the manor, where he saw the Celtic druid accompanied by a few faces he didn't recognize. The first two people were obviously Masters, with one being a young man with short spikey brown hair and the other a young woman with long white hair. He could tell that the woman was a skilled mage just by looking at her, while the young man was obviously a regular citizen. To no surprise, both of them looked extremely tense. That was to be expected since they were standing before a Servant, not to mention that as a demon, Marth always had a menacing presence that unnerved most people near him. Right on the boy's shoulder was a strange white fox-like creature that definitely seemed familiar to him. As for the third individual, that one definitely piqued his interest. It was a young woman with lilac hair that covered half of her face. Her outfit was black armor that admittedly didn't cover much, and she had a large black shield shaped like a cross in her right hand, the bottom tip resting on the stone pavement.

"What a strange mana signature she has," Marth mused in his head. "It's both human, and not. Is she some sort of fusion between a human and a Servant?"

Be careful, Master, Sophia advised cautiously, using telepathy to communicate. We don't know what kind of Heroic Spirit that girl fused with. If Caster's here to fight, then that girl might be able to tip the odds in his favor.

That was a possibility. However, Marth quickly noticed that the girl in black was trembling as well, though she tried her best to hide it. Upon closer inspection, he realized that whoever this girl was, she was a total rookie when it comes to combat. If a fight does break out between them, Marth had full confidence that he could beat her even with her having Cu's support. After all, he wasn't exactly alone himself. But for now, he'll just see what their intentions are.

"Well, well," Marth said coldly as he glared at the group below him. "I see you made some new friends, Caster. Very bold of you to come trespassing in my territory. So why have you come here?"

The female magus looked to be sweating bullets as she gazed up at the Demon King. She looked ready to bolt for it, but surprisingly she stood her ground. After a few moments of silence, she took a deep breath to calm herself and said, "Greetings, Marth Umbris. I am Olga Marie Animusphere. I am the director of Chaldea. My companions are fellow Master candidate Ritsuka Fugimaru and the Demi-Servant Mash Kyrielight. We have come here to ask for your aid in correcting this Singularity."

About what he expected, but he was more impressed that she actually managed to say all that without a stutter. Did Cu help her rehearse that or something? Either way, it somewhat improved his opinion of her, but not by much. As for her revealing his True Name, that wasn't much of a surprise to him. Caster must have told her before they arrived at his doorstep.

Marth retained his passive mask, making it impossible for the Chaldeans to discern what he's thinking. "I figured as much. There's not much point in you coming all the way out here when Saber's in the other direction. That being said, what makes you think I would be willing to lend you my power?"

It was the male Master who spoke up next. "Cas-Lancer said that we needed your help if we want any chance of defeating Berserker and Saber," he said with a brief stutter. "Please lend us your strength. Chaldea's in a bad spot right now and you're the only one we can turn to for help. Please help us bring an end to this nightmare.

Interesting. That young man, Ritsuka Fugimaru, may possess the aptitude to be a Master judging by the Command Spells he possessed on his right hand, but he had no talent for magecraft. It reminded the demon prince of a certain redhead who longed to become a hero of justice. This young man may have no talent at magecraft, but even from this first meeting, Marth could tell that he was a very honest and kindhearted individual. In terms of personality, he could potentially be the ideal Master most Heroic Spirits sought to have.

Unfortunately for Ritsuka, it will take more than that to win over the Demon King of Aincrad, the most feared swordsman in the death game known as Sword Art Online.

"Wait a minute. He called Cu a Lancer? That can't be right. He should be a Caster now."

Marth turned his focus towards the blue-haired Servant, who looked at him straight in the eye with a shit-eating grin, something only the bravest of people would have the guts to do in his presence. As expected, Cu Chulainn was still in his druidic attire instead of the blue bodysuit the Demon King saw him in during their very first encounter at a certain school. However, instead of carrying the wooden staff Marth expected him to have, he was holding Gae Bolg!

It took a great deal of restraint for Marth not to reveal the incredible shock he felt at seeing the crimson spear, but he had a feeling that Cu noticed regardless as his smirk only grew wider.

"Is this some kind of joke?! Why does Cu have Gae Bolg again? He should have lost it when his class changed to Caster? This doesn't make any sense."

Maintaining his current height and distance, Marth redirected his focus at the cursed spear that slouched over the Caster's shoulder. To his immediate relief, it wasn't the actual Gae Bolg, but rather a projection of it. He could tell immediately because he was familiar with the practice. But that only raised further questions? Cu didn't know how to use projection magic. There's no way he could have made this replica. As if to further surprise him, this projection of Gae Bolg was nearly flawless. Only Marth's mentor, the Witch of Dun Scaith, was capable of achieving such a feat with the cursed spear.

Well, there was one person who had the potential to pull this off, but he's been dead for over a month. There's no way he could have made that spear. There's just no way.

Immediately on-guard, Marth growled out, "Where did you get that?"

Despite the high tension in the air, Cu Chulainn maintained his wild grin. "A certain someone gave it to me," he said knowingly. "How about I introduce you two?" He then glanced over by a large pile of rubble a few feet from the manor. It was just high enough that Marth couldn't see who was behind it, but he could sense that there were two people hiding there. "Hey, kid! Come say high to the Demon King of Aincrad."

A young man emerged from behind the rubble, the sight of him causing Marth to physically gasp in disbelief. That red hair. Those bronze-colored eyes. He would recognize those anywhere. His outfit may be different, but Marth could never forget that face.

"Shirou?" he said slowly, feeling the strength leave his body, but he somehow managed to stay airborne. "But…how? I saw you die. How can you be here?"

The Master of Saber tossed the shell-shocked Servant his usual friendly smile. "Hey, Marth," he greeted casually, as if he was simply greeting an old friend he hadn't seen in years. "How've you been?"

It took everything the Avenger Servant had to stay calm. Was this some kind of trick? Some kind of illusion cooked up by Chaldea to make him lower his guard? No that can't be it. Marth's instincts were way too sharp for illusions to work on him. But there was no other explanation for why Shirou Emiya was standing before him, alive and well. Just what is going on here?

Master! Sophia cried out in warning. That other presence behind the rubble. It's…

She didn't finish her sentence, nor did she need to. Without waiting for any cue from her companions, a young woman revealed herself and calmly trotted over to the manor's front gate. Long brown hair that fell below her shoulders instead being held in their usual twin-tails. Blue eyes that sparkled like the prettiest of gems. Even her outfit was different from what he remembered: a long-sleeved red shirt, a black skirt, along with matching color leggings and brown leather boots. Around her neck was a simple silver chain pendant decorated with a ruby. Even from this distance, he could sense the magic power within it. His magic power.

It can't be. Seeing Shirou seemingly alive was impossible enough. There's no way she can be alive. He buried her himself. She should be dead!

And yet, here she was, alive and well. Her physical appearance was somewhat older than the woman he remembered, but he knew that loving smile anywhere, a smile that he never thought he'd see again. Her very presence was too real to have been conjured up by magic. It was indeed one of the few women that he found himself falling for. The magus who summoned him into this world as her Servant. Someone he swore he'd protect but failed in the end.

He couldn't conceal his emotions anymore, the shock quickly appearing on his face. "R-Rin?" he said weakly.

The Tohsaka heiress brought her hand over her chest, her gaze firmly locked onto her old Servant. "Hello, Marth. It's good to see you again."

It wasn't that hard for Rin and the Chaldeans to reach her old residence. Sure they got attacked by the occasional skeleton or dragon tooth soldier, but Cu and Mash made quick work of them, the former very much relishing the chance to wield his beloved spear again. However, it was only when they got closer to the manor that attacks finally stopped, and it was clear why. Not even these mindless creatures wanted to cross paths with a demon lord.

It was Cu's idea to have her and Shirou hide behind some rubble while he took Ritsuka and the others to meet her old partner. He figured that it would be best if they broke it to Marth slowly as there was no telling how he would react to seeing the gem mage alive. She was relieved to see that her home had been largely spared from the destruction fell upon Fuyuki. There were no fires or traces of black mud anywhere near it. There was some damage to the exterior, no doubt caused by a Servant. Heck, the whole neighborhood looked completely trashed, as if a tornado had hit it. No doubt there had been quite a few fierce battles that took place here, especially when taking into account who the Dark Swordsman's opponents likely were.

It was amusing to see the director look so terrified of her old partner, so much so that Rin had to stop herself from giggling otherwise she would give away her and Shirou's position. Much to her immense relief, Marth hadn't changed at all since this Grail War diverged from the one she knew. There was absolutely no trace of any corruption from the black mud anywhere on his person.

"Thank goodness. I don't know what I would've done if he had been driven mad like Rider and the others."

Once she and Shirou finally revealed themselves to the demon, she felt her heart swell. How she longed to embrace him again. To think that she would get a second chance to see him again. Dare she even hope that this time, she can be with the one she loved. She could only greet him in the only way she knew how.

"Hello, Marth," she said affectionately. "It's good to see you again."

The Demon King just hovered there, unable to say a word. Finally, all the strength seemed to escape his body as he collapsed on the pavement.

"Marth!" Rin cried out in worry as she dashed over and kneeled next to the downed Servant.

Upon closer inspection, she quickly noticed that Marth's Spirit Origin was in bad shape, his mana supply nearly depleted. It was a miracle that he was still able to maintain his physical form in his condition. It must be thanks to the Self-Restoration skill that's inherent in the Avenger class. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she no strength to stop them as she held her beloved in her arms.

"Honestly," she said tearfully. "You can be so stubborn sometimes. A normal Servant would have disappeared by now."

Marth gave the brunette a smile, though it looked like it was a struggle to do so. "You ordered me to live, so I did everything I could to carry that order," he said weakly. "Is it…really you, Rin?"

She simply nodded as she forced herself to smile. "Yes, it's me. I'm okay."

The Dark Swordsman looked relieved but it was quickly replaced with understanding. "I see. Now I get it. You're not the Rin I know. You're the Rin that's supposed to exist if this Singularity never happened."

It wasn't a surprise to her that Marth figured out the truth about her, and honestly she was glad he did so. There was no way she would be able to maintain a white lie, pretending to be the girl this version of her Servant knew. It just wouldn't be fair. Plus it's not exactly like it would have been hard for him to figure it out. After all, she didn't exactly have the same appearance she had back when she fought in the Holy Grail War.

"That's right," she said as she held one of his hands while supporting his upper body. "I'm from the future, after we succeeded with ending the Holy Grail War. I'm the Rin that's supposed to exist if this Singularity never happened." Tears were leaking down her face, but she was past the point of caring anymore. "Marth, tell me what happened. Cu filled us in on most of it, but I know he left out some key details. Who was responsible for this disaster? Who turned our Holy Grail War into this nightmare?"

Marth was silent for a few moments before he uttered a name that Rin did not expect to hear.

"Lev Lainur."

"What?!" Rin said in confusion, but Olga looked elated.

"Lev's here!" the young director said quickly. "He's alive. Oh thank God. He's always been there to help me. Where is—Hey!" Olga tried to approach the downed duo, only to be held back by Cu, his narrowed eyes telling her not to interrupt. Romani's hologram also appeared, but he maintained his silence as well.

"You know him, Rin?" Marth asked.

She nodded her head in confirmation. "Not well, but yes. He's the head technician of Chaldea. Supposedly he died in an explosion that occurred shortly before we ended up in this Singularity. What did he do?"

"Merlin and I sensed a disturbance near Fuyuki Temple, so you and I went to investigate. It wasn't long before we ran into Lev. He had this strange fragment and used it to unleash the corrupted Greater Grail. Almost immediately, the whole city was covered in fire and black mud. We tried to stop him by fighting alongside the other Masters and Servants, but we failed. He used the easiest tactic to use against a Servant. Eliminate the Master. It took everything I had to keep you safe, but it still wasn't enough. After you took a fatal blow for me and fell into the mud, I strained my Spirit Origin to rescue you and retreated. I tried to heal you once we got back to the house, but you refused to let me use Ascalon on you, saying that I needed it more than you. You died soon afterward, using your final Command Spell ordering me to live. I…nearly lost myself to my grief, but Sophia managed to snap me out of it."

It was a relief to hear that Sophia was alive as well. Heck Rin could see the dark spirit lurking about in her beloved's shadow. The ravenette sure made things interesting for the Tohsaka heiress, constantly teasing her about her crush on Marth and even encouraging her to confess while making her own advances on the male demon.

As for hearing about Lev, Rin couldn't help but grimace that her instincts were right about that man. She knew something was wrong about him the moment she saw him, yet she stayed silent because everyone else seemed to trust him. Maybe if she said something sooner, this whole situation could have been avoided.

"It's not your fault, Tohsaka," Shirou reassured, taking a knee beside her. "You couldn't have known this was gonna happen. This is all Lev's fault."

She couldn't deny the truth in her friend's words, but that didn't erase the guilt she felt in her heart. The memory will haunt her for the rest of her days, and she'll just have to bear it. "Thank you, Emiya," she replied softly before lowering her gaze back to her Servant. "What happened next? Where's Merlin? Is he still here?"

"Merlin?!" Romani shouted in disbelief, catching everyone's attention. "As in the Mage of Flowers and the one responsible for putting King Arthur on the throne?! The man known as the world's greatest kingmaker and world's greatest scoundrel. I thought I misheard earlier, but are you saying that Merlin was here during the Fifth Holy Grail War?"

It was Shirou who answered on the duo's behalf, standing back up to meet the confused gazes of the Chaldeans. "Sort of," the redhead explained hesitantly. "The Merlin we met wasn't the one from the Arthurian legend, but instead hails from the same world as Marth. Instead of being a half-incubus like in our world, this Merlin was a twili, a being born between a fairy and demon. He was the one that gave Marth's scabbard, Ascalon, which is basically a dark version of Avalon, to Tohsaka, allowing her to summon him as a Servant. He also helped us out a bit during the Holy Grail War and was one of my magic tutors."

"WHAT?!" both Olga and Romani shouted in disbelief. Interestingly, Fou let out a growl over the mention of the twili, which confused Rin. Meanwhile Cu just chuckled over the duo's over the top reaction.

As for Mash, there were practically stars in her eyes. "Incredible!" she said in awe. "To think that you were trained by the great Merlin himself. You're really amazing, Shirou-senpai!"

"No kidding," Ritsuka agreed, also looking awestruck. "Even if it was an alternate version of him, I can't imagine how lucky you are to be trained by Merlin."

Shirou just scratched his head sheepishly, looking uneasy over the attention he was getting. "I wouldn't get your hopes up if I were you. I'm still hopeless at magecraft. Even with all the help I got during my training, I'll never be more than a mage's apprentice."

"Still a pretty big deal, kid," Cu answered simply. "It's not like I'm one to judge. After all, Marth was trained by his world's version of my mentor."

"Are you serious?!" Olga cried out. "Marth was trained by Scathach of all people?!"

"Yep, except I don't exist in his world. His world's Scathach rarely took apprentices, even rarer than my mentor. Anyway, we're getting off-topic. So Marth, where's that womanizing twili?"

The Demon King of Aincrad let out a weak chuckle in amusement. "Long gone," he said firmly. "After Rin and the others died, Merlin bailed. He said that he'd be encroaching on another Merlin's territory if he remained any longer, don't ask me what that means, but he was sorry he that he had to leave. Before he left, he did tell me that people from Chaldea would arrive to correct this Singularity, and low and behold, here you are. He could at least have given me a heads up that alternate versions of Rin and Shirou would have appeared alongside them, but it's just like him to leave out details like that for his own amusement. I'm sure he's having a laugh watching this from his tower back home."

Yeah, it wasn't surprising to Rin that the alternate Merlin withheld the knowledge that she'd appear in this Singularity from his prince. It wouldn't be the first time he pulled a stunt like that. She was about to say something to condemn the twili mage when suddenly she noticed Marth's body beginning to dissolve into golden light.

"No!" she cried out in torment, the tears threatening to fall again. "Don't disappear, Marth! Not when I finally got to see you again. Stay here with me, please!"

Unfortunately, the Demon King's body didn't stop disintegrating. It took all his willpower to maintain his physical form while having a damaged Spirit Origin. The relief he felt upon seeing Rin again weakened him enough that he could no longer remain in this world.

The tears quickly fell as she kept a tight hold on her old partner. She only stopped when she felt a gloved hand gently stroke her cheek, wiping away her tears. Marth gave her a gentle smile, the type of smile he only showed when they were alone.

"I'm sorry, Rin," he said sadly. "I reached my limit a long time ago. At least I can die knowing that your world is in safe hands. Goodbye."

"Good…" Rin stopped herself, choking on her own words. She couldn't believe that she finally reunited with the man she loved, only to lose him just as quickly. This world really likes to torment her, it seems.

Suddenly she felt a strange heat coming from her chest. She looked down and noticed that the gemstone in her pendant had turned purple and was glowing with a strange light. Why was it doing that? She never saw it react this way. Wait a minute. Was this why her Marth infused his mana into her pendant? She didn't know for sure, but she chose to trust her instincts.

Setting the fading Servant down gently, Rin rose to her feet and snapped the pendant off her neck, holding it out. No one knew what she was planning to do until she started an incantation that was all too familiar.

"For the elements: silver and iron. The foundation: stone and the archduke of pacts. And, for my great master Shvinorg." Purple liquid began to drip from between her fingers, falling down onto the pavement before drawing a magic circle. "Close the gates of the cardinal directions. Come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom." The magic circle was complete and began radiating with power. "Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Repeat five times. But when each is filled, destroy it. Set." The circle's light grew in intensity. It became all too clear what the gem mage's intentions were.

"No way," Olga said in disbelief, wide-eyed. "The summoning incantation! Is she trying to form a contract with him?!"

Cu cracked roguish smirk as he watched the spectacle unfold. "Looks that way. That young lady can be just as stubborn as her partner when she wants to be."

"Go for it, Tohsaka!" Shirou called out in encouragement. "Save Marth!"

"You can do it!" Ritsuka added. "I know you can."

"Heed my words," Rin declared boldly. "My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny."

"Rin," Marth said slowly. "You…"

"If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me."

She could feel the contract starting to form. A familiar stigmata was appearing on the back of her right hand. But despite her efforts, it wasn't finishing. In order to form a contract with a Rogue Servant, both parties had to consent to the pact. If Marth chose to reject the contract, there was nothing Rin could do to stop him.

"Please, Marth. Don't make me watch you disappear again. I don't want to lose you again. I love you, so stay here with me!"

"I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all the evil in the world."

She pressed on. She had to. If she let up for even a second, she'll lose him again. She couldn't go through that heartache again. She knew she was being selfish, but damn it, what's wrong with that? If the world has an issue with it, then she'll just fight back. He's protected her throughout the entire Holy Grail War. Now it was her turn to save him.

"Marth!" she cried out in desperation, getting a rise out of the fading Servant.

Suddenly Rin felt a change within her beloved. For a brief second, she saw a ghostly image of Marth hovering over the disappearing one. He gave her a smile before disappearing into particles to be absorbed into the fading Marth.

"You seven heavens, clad in the three great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!"

The moment she finished her incantation, a pillar of purple light shot from the magic circle, consuming the fading Avenger, piercing the dark clouds above. The light was so bright that both she and everyone else had to shield their eyes for fear of going blind.

"You sure are a stubborn one, Rin Tohsaka," a familiar voice spoke up, full of confidence. "But that's one of the things I like about you. It reminds me of another girl I know back in my world. Good to see that you haven't changed while I've been gone."

The light died down, revealing a now standing Marth. His outfit had not changed, but his body had been fully restored. She had succeeded.

Marth cracked a smirk, quite the rare treat to see, considering his reserved nature. He reached out his left arm towards the Tohsaka heiress, nearly touching her own outstretched hand. In his right was a black longsword with red accents, the hilt having a wingshaped design that opened towards the pommel. Right in the center of the hilt was a diamond-cut bloodred ruby.

"Servant, Avenger," he declared boldly. "My True Name is Marth Umbris. It's good to see you again, Rin. Once again, my sword is yours to command. Your enemies are now my enemies. Now let us see where this path will take us next."

Rin couldn't help but shed tears of joy. She succeeded in forming a contract with Marth. And that wasn't the only thing that happened. It wasn't just magic power that had been imbued in her pendant. It had contained a piece of her Marth's Spirit Origin. Somehow the Dark Swordsman managed to engrave a piece of himself within the pendant he gave her, all in preparation for when Rin was able to make his Spirit Origin whole again for when she needed him again. The Marth before her was not the Marth from the Singularity anymore. No, instead he was now a fusion of the two Avengers, with the Singularity Marth's Spirit Origin serving as the foundation to rebuild the original Marth's Spirit Origin. Basically, the Servant she knew was back, with the bonus of also having his Singularity counterpart's memories.

"You bastard," she chided, a big smile gracing her face. "This was your plan all along, back when you disappeared two years ago."

"Blame Merlin," the Demon King of Aincrad replied. "He's the one who swore me to secrecy about the whole thing. Good to see you again, Rin."

"Yeah. Welcome back, Marth."

Suddenly the Demon King pulled her into a kiss, much to Rin's delight as she kissed back. Her heart soared with excitement as the pact between them was sealed, her Command Spells fully established. Lev was in trouble now, wherever he is.

The Demon King of Aincrad has returned. Her Demon King has returned. This time, they will succeed in stopping him, no matter who or what he really is.

To be continued

Once again, this turned out longer than I expected. This didn't go quite like what I initially planned, but it works out just fine. Rin's finally reunited with Marth so now she and Chaldea can turn their attention to Saber and Berserker. I'm really looking forward to showing off the fight with Berserker but that'll have to wait until later. There's still one last preparation Rin and the others need to make before they proceed to the final battle of the Fuyuki Singularity. What that preparation is, well you'll have to wait to find out. See you guys next time!

P.S. If the original Marth coming back seems a little convoluted, don't worry. This is the only time this issue will come up. Again, I didn't originally plan for him to come back. It just kinda happened. At least it won't be that major of a change.