1.5. Align
Fujimaru pants. His heart is beating frantically inside his ribs. Before him, a wall of pure light hums, bringing up a sense of security and reassurance. It takes him two minutes able to talk.
"...you did it." His voice is quivering and squeaking until a scattered, disbelieving laugh leaves his lips. "You did it— Mash!?"
His joy cuts short the moment Mash sways and collapses. Quickly catching her, Fujimaru realizes she is on the verge of losing consciousness.
"Mash!" Panic creeps into Fujimaru's voice. He is trying his best to hold her while his other hand steadies the shield. Losing its anchor, the great wall slowly breaks into light grains and fades away.
Reviving from the shock, Saber clenches her jaws. She twists the hilt of her sword, letting the dark magical energy roar around her once more. A second before the Noble Phantasm finishes charging, an arrow hits her gauntlets and blows up. Though it hardly inflicts damage on the King, the blast has knocked the blackened Excalibur off her grip.
"It's over, Saber. You lost."
Golden eyes lift from her shaking hands to Berserker who is aiming at her with a curling sword notched on his bow. Blood trickles down the side of his head, over his blackened eye. Surrounding them, dozens of swords are hovering. Out of the corner of her eyes, Saber can glimpse Caster, propped by Artoria, watching her closely. Hidden runes pulse in the air, ticking her skin. One wrong move and they'll trigger off.
They have stayed like that for minutes until the Servant lets out a soft huff.
"... Indeed. It seems my sword has finally been defeated… Unbeknownst to me, my power has weakened. I stayed my hand at the very last moment." Saber lowers her hands, tension leaving her shoulders. The corner of her lips curls up into a bitter smirk.
"I was going to defend the Holy Grail to the end, but I lost because my tenacity wavered… Ultimately, no matter how my fate changes, I will always meet the same end if I'm alone."
Completely unaffected by the wary looks thrown her way, the King cranes her head up, her eyes closed. Anyone seeing her now wouldn't imagine a few seconds ago, this is the Servant who was attempting to erase their existence from this Earth.
Hesitated, Berserker is the first one to lower his bow. A crease forms between his eyebrows. One by one, the floating swords return into thin air. Caster exhales after sparing between the two of them a brief glance. With a soft tap of his wooden staff on the ground, the invisible runes quickly follow the suit.
"Well, it's nice and all. But care to tell what the hell is going on here? Normally, getting involved with something outside the Holy Grail War is against my character, but I think I deserve an explanation that much." He speaks up, deciding now is a good time. Gesturing to Artoria he is fine, the caster steps up. Ruby eyes fixate on Saber, waiting.
The King returns his gaze, impassive as always. Suddenly, her face twisted. Faster than anyone can react, Saber brushes past Caster, the blackened sword reappeared in her hand. Artoria doesn't even have time to yelp when she snatches her arm—
And take a blow that was originally aimed at her heart.
Grunting mixed with a snarl, Saber throws the girl toward Berseker and swings her blade at whatever has targeted her. However, the blackened sword cuts into nothing. Losing her momentum, the Servant drops to one knee. She props the sword on the ground to support her weight, panting.
"Saber…?"
The King glances at the other Servant other her shoulder. While Fujimaru and the rest are yet to catch up with what just happened and Caster is biting back a curse, Berserker stares at her in silent bafflement. For the first time, his characteristic smirk is nowhere to be found.
"You never learned your lesson, did you, Shirou? You and I… one of us mustn't repeat the same mistakes." Saber reprimands, blood leaking out of her lips. Her tone is dead calm as though the large hole in her chest is nothing. Blood drenches her black armor, dripping down to the ground as she staggers to her feet.
"But… You had protected me well, I praised you for that."
Berserker's adam's apple bobs. Something in those golden eyes seems to melt the moment it meets his gaze once more. But faster than a blink of an eye, it disappears. When Saber faces the rest of the group, the stoic look of the King has returned. Her chin held high in regal authority despite her current state. Much to Fujimaru's wonder, her body appears to disintegrate from below.
"Be aware. [Grand Order]— the battle to obtain the Holy Grail has only just begun."
Her lips continue to move. The words are lost to all but those near her, Artoria and Berserker. The King of Knights vanishes in the shower of golden sands, leaving behind a fleeting illusion of a pair of green-tinted golden irises and a small, shining shard in her place.
A solemn silence hangs in the air. No one knows what to feel save for Olga. The young woman is biting the nail of her thumb.
Grand Order… How did that Servant know that name—
"Honestly, granted the Holy Grail, yet still trying to keep this era going… That damn Saber made me go through a great deal of trouble."
In an instant, Berserker jerks Artoria behind his back. He hurls the double voulge at the source of the foreign voice without a single deliberation. Fujimaru instinctively hugs Mash closer to him when Caster dashes in front of them and Olga, ready to protect them. Because whatever or whoever that is, it was powerful enough to destroy Saber.
The weapon glides to the top of the embankment until it's stopped unnaturally in the middle of its movement, right before its target.
"My, my, what a warming welcome. I'm so touched." The mysterious person chuckles, humorlessly. Berserker growls and Caster narrows his eyes, but Fujimaru and Olga gasp at the familiar presence. The young man can't believe his eyes.
Lev Lainur, the person who isn't supposed to be here, is standing right before them. Alive and well.
Oddly, instead of relief, a vague sense of foreboding fills in Fujimaru when the man smiles down at them.
"I'm afraid this gift doesn't suit my taste." Lev says, idly eyeing the voulge halting in the air in front of him. "You can have it back."
With a flick of his hand, the weapon is whirled back at them at incredible speed. Summoning the twin blades in his hands, Berserker deflects it away. He's about to charge forward until a tug on his coat halts him.
Over his shoulder, Artoria's looking at him, lips pursed. The fright is written on her feature. It reminds him of why he can't act rashly. Gritting his teeth, Berserker relents, muscles taut under the suppression of grief, fury, and killing intent all boiling in their shared link. He doesn't forget to present Lev with a death glare.
The only person who fails to notice how off the atmosphere is is Olga.
"Lev?! You're alive…!" She exclaims with a pure relieved smile breaks on her face. The director attempts to run up to the embankment, only for Caster to block her path with his staff.
"What are you doing? Let me go—"
Olga flinches at the look on his face. Even when fighting against Saber, Caster didn't seem vicious like this. Too focused on the others, Fujimaru doesn't notice Mash has somehow regained her consciousness. The young man is startled the moment she grabs the shield.
"... You stay back too, senpai. That…" She whispers, stepping before him and settling in stance despite her fatigue. The cold sweat is rolling down her back not only from her exertion, but also from dread. Involuntary, she shudders.
"That isn't the professor Lev we know..."
Something about that man seems to have changed entirely.
"Oh? Impressive, for a Demi-Servant. You're able to sense that I am a fundamentally different life form." Arching eyebrows, Lev clasps his hands in mocking praise, not bothering to deny her statement.
"You… What are you?" Caster narrows his eyes. The hostility in his voice takes Olga back, seeing she doesn't dare to snap at him for being rude. Fire runes crackle up as he pounds his staff to the ground. In return, Lev shoots him an unimpressed look. The golden shard, which was floating among them, forgotten ever since he showed up, flies up to his open palm.
"With Saber out of the picture, you have no business here, Caster." He simply states. At his words, the golden shard flashes up. Immediately, Caster's body glows with it. To everyone's astonishment, his feet begin to beak into golden grains.
"Caster! You…!" Fujimaru exclaims, unable to hide his anxiety. It's the same phenomenon that occurred to the opponent Servant.
"Gah! I'm being forced back! I know the Holy Grail War's over but…!" Staring at his transparent hand, Caster hisses as well. Unlike Berserker whose contract was renewed, he's still bound by the rules of his war. And damn, it has ended with Saber's unexpected defeat.
Clicking his tongue, the caster turns to the youngsters. His gaze softens slightly at the crestfallen look they giving him.
"Listen, I don't have much time so I will make it short." He tells them. "This is how it ends for us Servants. Even if we're called to help you out, it's you people [living here, right now] who move on. Don't forget, voyagers, about all those shining stars brighter than any storm can conceal. They will be your guide to the horizon."
Fujimaru purses his lips, trying to press down the twinge inside him. Ignoring the way his throat tightened, he manages to curl his lips up into a wry smile at best.
"Thanks."
Caster grins in return. Cradling the wooden staff, he tussles his hair with his remaining hand.
"If there's a next time, try to summon me as a [Lancer]." He winks before calling over his shoulder. "Archer— err, Berserker, it's up to you now. Watch over those kids."
And like that, he is gone.
Wrinkling his nose, Lev sneers in disdain.
"...Honestly, all these complications have irritated me." He spits at the remaining golden dust of Caster. His eyes move to the group, "I didn't expect you'd get this far... Beyond my plan's expectations and my own tolerances."
Against her better judgment, Olga gulps when he stops at her. The light in his eyes is sharper than a knife.
"And the biggest complication is you, Olga. How come you are here after I set the bomb right under your feet?"
For a second. her heart feels like it has paused. Dazed, the director glances up at Lev, amber eyes enlarged. Her mouth is open, but no sound comes out while Fujimaru, Mash, and Artoria can only watch her with the same perplexity.
"—What?" She utters after a long. "...L-Lev? Um, wh-what's that supposed to mean? You are joking, right? You are here to help me like it's always been, right?"
"No, of course." The man shrugs. Idly, he picks up his words. "I'm not even sure calling you alive is acceptable. You're already dead... Your body, at least, long ago. TRISMEGISTUS must have been kind enough to pick up your residual thoughts and take you along the ride. Otherwise, your body wouldn't have been able to rayshift."
As though someone just punched her in the guts, Olga staggers back. She can't comprehend it, her head is swimming. The fact Lev wears the same smile back in Chaldea, albeit it is looking so twisted makes it worse.
"Understand? You only gained the aptitude you so desired after you died." Lev shakes his head in pity. "That's why once you return to Chaldea, your consciousness will vanish."
" I– I'll vanish…?" Like a broken record, the young woman repeats. Rigidly, her head creaks over her shoulder. Mash, Fujimaru, and Artoria are mirroring her stunned expression. Even Berserker knows to keep his tongue for once and not even stare at her.
She doesn't understand.
She… can't return to Chaldea?
"Indeed. But that's too sad of a story for you. Let me show you the fate of the Chaldea that you devoted your entire life to." Reading her face, Lev laments. Yet the smirk on his face betrays every word he spouted. With a snap of his fingers, the space above him is sliced horizontally. It cracks open, revealing a close view of CHALDEAS, along with the poor state of the Command Room.
"CHALDEAS… it's bright red…" Olga breathes, her voice completely shattered. "It's not real, isn't it!? That's just a virtual image right?!"
Behind her, Artoria is at a loss for words. All she can do is stare at the crimson orb in the center which's giving off an impression of a large eye on the space, devoid of life. Mash and Fujimaru press their lips into a thin line. Although this is the second time they witnessed this sight, there's a bitter taste inside their mouths.
"It's the real thing." The man shakes his head, sneering. "I linked space-time together for you. With Holy Grail power, even this a child's play, you see."
Throwing his hand up to the ripped space, Lev bellows.
"Take a good look, scion of the Animusphere. These are the results of all your folly! Not a sliver of blue representing human survival remains. Nothing but a burning, bright, red. That is the outcome of this mission! Isn't it wonderful, Marie? Once again, your incompetence has brought forth tragedy!"
Olga recoils, hugging her body in the vain hope it could protect her from the man's words. She feels sick at the way he called her name. That voice once she found so sweet is sending a wave of nausea into her.
It can't be the truth... What did she do wrong? It couldn't be her fault!
"Don't—Don't be absurd!" She screams, her eyes swirling. "I'm not responsible! I didn't fail! I'm not dead! Who are you?! What have you done to my Chaldeas!"
Blinded by desperation, Olga makes the biggest mistake of her life. She races to the embankment in a hissy fit, baring her teeth at Lev. It was so abrupt that no one can stop her.
"《yours》? Honestly—" Rolling his eyes, Lev snaps his fingers again. In an instant, Olga's feet leave the ground. The young woman yelps in shock while her body levitates toward the embankment.
"I've taken pity on you, poor girl. Let me grant you your last request." The man says, smiling in glee the moment she arrives. "Go ahead and touch that treasure of yours."
What did he mean? The question runs around her muddle mind as Olga tries to wrestle out the invisible force that's blinding her. At that moment, heat brushes on her skin. She immediately freezes. Realization comes along with terror.
Wait— Her treasure...?
"No, stop, please! That's CHALDEAS!" Shaking her head frantically, the young woman watches in horror as the crimson orb lines up in her vision. It's a territory of dimensional anomaly, a high-density body of data—
"Yes. No different from a black hole." Lev dips his chin."Or perhaps a sun? Well, either way. A human touching it would be a hellish disintegration on the molecular level. By all means, have a taste of infinite living death!"
A snort slides out through his toothy grin. He watches the young woman's face crumpling in fear with great pleasure, savoring every moment of this.
"No—No, no! Someone help me! Help!" Olga screams at top of her lungs, struggling to get away to no avail. Her whole limbs remain in place, wrapped tightly in invisible vines. Facing the crimson orb again, tears begin to pour out of her eyes.
"I...I don't want to die here! Nobody's given me praise yet…. Nobody has recognized me for who I am!" She sobs. Her body is wrenching in anguish.
What did she do to deserve this? All she does is try her best to not let everyone's [father's] expectations down.
"Why does this always happen to me!?" Olga wails. "Everyone hated me! No one ever valued me!"
Why?
WHY?
The hair at the back of her head raises at the intensity of the heat coming from CHALDEAS.
Her father's pride.
—Her unanswered question.
"No! Stop! No, no, no, no, no… I haven't even accomplished anything yet! From the moment I was born, I've never been accepted by anyone—!"
The amber irises dilate at the sphere of fire in front of her face. Olga's life flashes over them. Suddenly, she turns back into a child, naively peeking up at a father who seemed to always carry a distant look on his face whenever they stood before the CHALDEAS.
《Farther… Where am I supposed to go now?》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
—There are several things happening at once.
"Berserker, NOW!"
The moment Olga thinks she was done for, out of nowhere, a chain wraps around her midsection. She sucks a breath, roughly brought back to reality. The tips of her white hair sizzle when they touch the CHALDEAS due to the momentum.
Lev scolds at the chain. Before he can break it, a row of arrows dives down from the ceiling of the cave. They pierce through the young woman, and ultimately, rain on him. Hoisting an eyebrow, The man wipes his finger up, covering himself with a round boundary.
"Good grief. Your insolence is indeed boundless." Lev speaks, shaking his head at the arrows struck on his shield. Facing the group below, the corner of his lips quirks up in derision. "But, I applaud your effort. Trying to get me at the cost of your director's life. A wise choice, indeed. Garbage must be disposed of."
Cracking up, the man casually tilts his head to Berserker.
"You sure you want to fight me, Servant? That girl doesn't look to last any longer."
From behind him, Artoria is glaring at Lev. Hot, ragged breaths escape her lips. She's clutching the shirt on her chest while sweat sticks to her forehead. Her face flutters red like she caught a cold.
However, the smirk showing on the girl's face falters Lev's smug face.
"...You think so?"
At that moment, a choked yelp reaches his ears. Instinctively, the man snaps his head up in the direction of what he assumed was the corpse of the director. His eyes constricted as soon as he sees Olga being yanked across the air without being restrained. At the other end of the chain, Mash yanked the chain with all her might.
"Mash, go!" Fujimaru urges, keeping the shield for her. Focusing on his inner self, he pictures transferring his energy to Mash in his mind as Artoria has instructed.
"Command Shuffle!"
A sharp pain immediately shoots through his body. The young man falls on one knee while his energy flows into Mash. The girl instantly drops the chain and bounces back a few steps backward. Charging her speed, she sprints forward like a bullet. With a great jump, the girl snatches a bewildered, but totally unharmed Olga from the air.
"Impossible…" Lev hisses in shock and indignation when Mash retreats back safely. His teeth are ground together. They shot down his spell. His freaking spell. From the beginning, those attacks weren't aimed at him but the spell that blinded Olga—
"With the power of Command Seal, release it, Berserker… Momentary Enforcement!"
"GAE BOLG!"
The man howls in pain. A crimson spear impales his heart. Its bright red light illuminates a whole corner before it detonates. The whole cave trembles with the shockwave of the explosion.
One stroke of the red marks on Artoria's hand fades, along with a sharp pain spreading from her magic circuits to the tips of her fingers and toes. She bites back a hiss. That man's words actually hit too close to home than she wants to admit. With every hit Berserker made, she felt like he was draining the life out of her. There's no guarantee how much longer she could keep it up.
Yet despite herself, Artoria did it. Her decision to save the director wasn't rooted in audacity. And it also was a far cry from any noble intention, because she's resisting her survival need to run away at the back of her head. This was something more personal.
She saw herself in Olga.
To be acknowledged. That was the reason why she joined Chadeal in the first place. So more than anything, it was an act of self-defense.
Namely, she thought on her feet without prior consideration.
Artoria is glad the other two were willing to go along with the plan she hastily whispered to them when Lev's attention stayed on the director. Their chance was ridiculously low, after all. If not for their collaboration, even with Berserker's convenient skill, [projecting], she didn't dream they'd make it.
The girl peeks to her side. Fujimaru seems to have a hard time in his life. His chest heaves up and down with each painful pant. The young man has yet to be able to get back on his feet. Meanwhile, Olga is bawling her eyes out ever since she was settled to the ground, unable to help herself front the near-death experience. Artoria tries to mutter out a reassuring nod to Mash, who returns to the front with obvious anxiety in her lavender eye.
—She really has to remain on her feet, or they'd all doom for real.
On the bright side, seeing they managed to wound Lev, it means they can defeat him one way or another, right?
Taking a labored breath, Artoria wills herself to stay concentrated. If her grandfather and her mentor knew she'd lunged headfirst into a risky bargain without a backup plan as such, she's sure she'd never be able to live this down… It's really silly that thought is bringing her a bit of comfort at this moment.
"Did you get him…?" Artoria wheezes when Berserker lands back on the ground.
"Not yet." The Servant grumbles in answer. "Hate to break it to you, but Holy Grail's power appears to be able to heal him even at that level of injury."
As though to emphasize his point, the dust settles down at that moment and shows them a sight that is disturbing enough for everyone's stomachs to flip.
Lev's still standing, albeit bending in the most unnatural way. His left side has been demolished completely. The flesh of his remains is bubbling in a mess of blood and gore. It squirms and stretches, attempting to reform back to its shape.
Artoria clads a hand over her mouth. She thinks she heard someone gag out loud nearby, even Berserker has to grimace.
"I hope you saw this coming. After that stun, you've officially put your own name on that thing's hit list." He notches a drilling sword on his bow. The mismatched eyes narrow at their enemy, carefully observing the situation. To his and her own surprise, Artoria finds herself laughing dryly at his statement. She blames it on the adrenaline.
"You don't have to spell it all out. Just do your best to protect me." The girl shoots him a look. "You said before, right? You prefer me to walk out of here with my head intact."
Berserker blinks at the grin she is giving him, emerald eyes twinkling. Stifling an amused chuckle of his own, he shakes his head and turns back to Lev.
"Man, aren't you too demanding, Master? Then again, this is right up my alley?" The sword is drawn until it becomes a lean arrow, crimson lighting cracking around it. He allows a ferocious smirk to appear on his face.
"Let it be one hell of a fight!"
The twisted arrow leaves his fingers. It tears through space to the writhing flesh of a man. Reflexively, Lev tries to stop the arrow with his remaining hand, only for it to be ground in the process. He reels back in pain as it explodes. Inhuman shrieks of indignation and hatred bounce off the rock wall.
Something akin to an electric shock runs through Artoria. More swords are manifested on the airborne. She manages to catch herself at the last minute when Her knees almost buckle beneath hers. Grinding her jaw, she struggles to keep her head above the tide of dizziness and giddiness.
…Berserker certainly doesn't hold back a thing. Surely, he's taking this opportunity for his own revenge.
"... Impossible… impossible… impossible!" Lev seethes, saliva mixed with blood pouring out from his razor fangs. "A mere Heroic Spirit, you— No… you, [Alaya's dog]! You think you can repel one of the [Gods]?!"
The only answer he received is multiple blades flying toward him. However, this time, the floating golden shard next to Lev pulses, keeping them at bay. Growling ferociously, the man blasts those swords back. Swiftly, Mash swaps places with Berserker, bashing them away while he prepares another volley.
"No, this is simply a miscalculation. That's right, that must be it. It's been too long since I left the Temple. My power has been reducing…"
While Lev wallows in his own frustration, Artoria bites her lower lip until it draws blood. Their attack continues to be neutralized by the magic boundary from that shard. She can see his body is recovering at a steady speed. The uncomfortable searing sensation in the center of her chest is growing.
They need to do something about it before she—
"...The mission to incinerate the future was completed, there's nothing able to affect my plan now."
In an instant, the temperature of her burning body seems to plunge until it's as cold as ice. The second Command Seal, which is about to activate, goes dim completely. Her lightheadedness must have gotten worse, because Artoria thinks she heard hallucinations. She shouldn't have heard anything over the wind and the blasts, yet here she is, asking that question before she can stop herself.
"What did you mean?" The words squeeze out from her tightened throat. "What did you mean by《incinerate the future》?!"
At once, everything halts. Fujimaru and Mash scrutinize her, their mouths dropped, then their gaze moves to the man on the embankment. Even Olga's sobs have to cease into stifled hiccups.
Lev scolds. The abnormal cross-shape irises settle on Artoria, squinting. In a span of a second, a strange light seems to pass over them the moment he sees who has dared to interrupt him.
Suddenly, the man crackles up. The sickening laughter grates everyone's ears.
"Oh, right. You still don't know about it. Unable to observe the future, you babble that it had 《disappeared》... That was truly wishful thinking." Lev shakes his head, slowly as though he was correcting a bunch of gullible children. A wicked smile then splits his regenerated face.
"Allow me to inform you. The future didn't disappear. It has been incinerated, right here, at this point in time."
Like a bolt from the blue, those words struck down harder than any fatal blow. A suffocating silence drapes on them as the man snickers.
"The moment CHALDEAS was dyed crimson, your end is set in stone." Taking joy now the table has turned, Lev sings. "Its magnetic field may be protecting Chaldea, but any outside of it will face the same fate as this Fuyuki City. Your era no longer exists."
The more she listens, the harder it is for Artoria to breathe. Her blood is racing through her veins. She doesn't know about the others, but her heart feels like it is about to burst.
The world…
Their world… was incinerated?
"You are lying… There is no way it could be true!" She retorts despite the distress laced in her shaking voice. From the corner of his eyes, Berserker shoots her a glance, his eyebrows knitted.
Both her breathing and magical energy are all over the place. He has tried to warn her over their mental link but her whirling of emotions is echoing louder than his voice. None of his words seems to reach her and he can't afford to take his eyes off their enemy for too long right now.
"In denial, aren't we?" With a snort of disgust, Lev replies. "If it was evidence you want, then I got one right here for you."
Cranes his neck up, the man calls over the rift in space.
"Haven't you eavesdropped enough, Romani? Be my guest and enlighten us on how things are going on over there."
There is a brief pause as everyone holds their breath. Before long, they hear the doctor speaking on the loudspeaker from the other side.
"—So, that was it." Romani states, his voice strictly controlled. "We didn't lose contact with the outside world due to interference…"
"...We simply lost the outside world itself."
Fujimaru, Mash, and Olda gasp whilst Lev lets out a contempt sneer.
"Pfff. Rather cold-headed, considering how much of a coward you are." The man sniggers, reflexing his shoulder. His body, and even his green coat, have been recovered back to their original state at this point.
"Well, as a friend who studied magecraft with you, let me give you some final advice. Once the time within Chaldea passes 2018, it will be wiped from this universe. You humans have reached the moment of your destruction!"
"I don't understand... Why are you doing this?!" Fujimaru asks through gritted teeth, unable to stay silent any longer. However, he clamps his mouth up as soon as a malicious expression shows up on Lev's face.
"Why? Because you lost the grace of our King!" The man spits out, venom dripping out from each word. "Like a bunch of worthless scrap paper, you'll be burned away without a trace! This is a rejection of humanity by its own history! You didn't perish because of your inability to evolve, nor did you perish due to war with foreign species. It was your own foolishness! Your incompetence!"
With a flick of his hand, a top hap appears. He places it back on his head and tugs the brim down in a mockery salute.
"My name is Lev Lainur Flauros. I am in charge of the year 2017, sent to dispose of all humanity!"
The golden shard in his hand lightens up. Immediately, Mash and Berserker settle in stances as intense bloodlust spears inside the cave. However, just as either of the sides can make their move, a tremendous earthquake erupts. The whole cave rumbles. Large boulders begin to fall down from the ceiling like hail.
"This sensation… The space itself is giving out!" Olga exclaims, picking herself off the ground on the spur of the moment. Unexpected to take up the role of the calmest one, she quickly chants a spell under her breath. Four magic circles are formed around their group and enclose themselves, stabling the ground inside them as it breaks up.
"This singularity reached its limit…" Lev clicks his tongue, throwing a glare at the only blonde girl. "That accursed Saber only caused me unnecessary trouble. If she'd just obeyed, I would have wiped them off... Oh well, they are as good as dead anyway."
He wipes his index finger up. An oval portal is opened in the air beside him, and only then Artoria stirs again.
"Where do you think you're going?!" She screams after him. It sounds like it just popped into her head and flew out before she really had time to be aware of it.
Halting in his tracks, Lev glances at her over his shoulder.
"Believe it or not, I have other things to do." He says, biting. "Be grateful that I was leisurely enough not to kill you right away, Master candidate number 45. It'd be the last benevolence on my part."
"Farewell, you pitiful remnants of mankind. Try to enjoy the little time you have left."
No. No. No. No.
A feeling she's never experienced rises inside Artoria when the portal slowly zips up. Her head is fuzzy. She doesn't understand why, but she has to stop him. Something is pressing her she can't let him get away at all costs.
Spurting all the remaining energy into her legs, she tries to pursue Lev.
"ARTORIA. STOP! Your magic circuits are going haywire!"
Someone holds her back, and Artoria thrashes. Her hand reaches out to that man's back, which is disappearing behind the fading portal. All the sounds are droning inside her ears.
It can't end like this...!
Without warning, that hot, searing sensation inside her chest splits open. Abruptly, her vision is painted pitch-black. the girl barely feels anything as her body slumps down.
"Master—?!"
She saw fire. The moment her eyes opened.
Fire on a blood-soaked battlefield, a hill of regret…
She saw fire.
Fire on a hill of infinity swords. Embers scattered under a rust-colored sky…
—She saw fire.
Fire from the [Grail], as the black [cursed] mud poured out, drowning everything in its path. [Masters'] Corpses, streets, people, buildings, and even [her] wails, were swallowed. The sacred sword lost its shine…
There was nothing but fire.
Cruel and violent. A sick color of orange and yellow.
The scalding winds licked on her skin, hissing in her ears. Smoke grated her lungs. She walked down a scorching street, uncaring the palms of her bare feet burned. It was empty, and eerily quiet. She didn't realize this city, but there was something nostalgic in this unknown path that she couldn't put her finger on.
Soon, a traditional japanese house emerged in her vision. Placing a hand on it, she slid the front door open.
... She felt like someone was strangling her.
Completely different from its frontage, welcoming her was the sight of a western foyer. She recognized this place straightway. This was where she always spent most of her time every summer.
Her grandparents' house.
She wanted to get away. She had a fit, but her own body appeared to betray her. Against her will, her legs kept strolling through the familiar corridor.
She wanted to flee from here, as far as possible. Her hand shook up under her resistance when it reached the knob of the living room's door.
With a twist and a slight nudge, it creaked open.
—They all were here.
Side by side, her grandparents were resting on the chair by the garden doors, so they could watch the white roses her grandma had taken care of blooming. Two cups of tea were placed on the small table between them, parched. She knew instinctively if she spun her head, she would see her mother preparing some afternoon snacks in the kitchen.
However, she didn't have the courage to do so. Because this time, it was completely different.
The scenes that usually filled her with much warmth, were now incinerated in the raging fire.
Her heart sank. Like indistinct laughter, the fire was crackling in her ears. Her nose was tickled by smoke and the smell of burning flesh. She couldn't even cry, or had the heat evaporated all her tears?
Quivering. An invisible force compelled her to wobble around the burning corpses of her dear ones to the small garden outside. Those once beautiful white roses had been reduced to ashes...
So as had the sky.
In numbness, she watched the whole world being consumed by fire in its purest concept. From that glowing circle, another tide of flame flowed out, determined to wipe away everything that was left.
Ah… The current state of the world that man [demon] told them.
Why showed her?
Ẻmerald eyes squeezed shut. Like a vicious beast, the fire crashed on her, engulfing her whole. The pain and the torment were unthinkable. They continued to eat up her mind, her body, ravenously until there was not a single bone remaining.
This [Everything] was a dream or reality, she could no longer determine.
If she was alone in this hellish of a world, it'd be better to let the fire carry her to the place where everyone was—
