And here we are, my dear readers. You better have your tuxedo and your favorite OST playlist, because this is finally happening. It really seems like yesterday when I wrote the first chapter of this story… but we'll save the nostalgia for later.

I won't bother you with a long AN since I have little to say at this point, so I'll just drop some recommendations for those of you, who like me, read while hearing music to enhance the experience.

Aside from the classic Emiya theme for the obvious Shidou vs. King of Fakers Alter, there is a part in which a more subdued BGM would fit more. Like the "Lord of Cinder" theme. Or you can just go full "Bury the light". Even if the lyrics aren't written for them, it kinda fits the theme of two twins with opposite views fighting to the death.

You'll also need the "girl evolution" OST once again, and for the grand final, I think the best OSTs to represent the moment are "Outbreak" and "Rebellion" from F/GO. Close behind would be "The moment a star is born". And for the fight itself, "Absolute demonic front", "Absolute demonic front Mesopotamia", "Goddess of Venus: Space remix", "The time of parting hath come", "Four rings", "Sword of Promised Victory"… and the list can go on eternally. 90% of this chapter is action, so all the emotional OSTs should be reserved for the epilogue, which will be updated alongside this chapter.

Without further ado, let the chapter begin!

Disclaimer: I don't own any right over Type-Moon, the Fate Franchise, or Date a Live.


"Guh!" The golden girl gritted her teeth to suppress all the pain she felt throughout her body and kept swinging her sword.

Her red eyes were burning as she desperately forced them to see the incoming attacks of the whirlwind of destruction in front of her. With every clash, with every heartbeat, she felt that her body was going to fall apart the moment she took a second to breathe.

Mana tried everything at her disposal, and that meant all the treasures in the vault. She threw weapons, broken phantasms, chains, spells, and even buildings, but the monster tore through them with easiness.

It was like fighting against a Berserker that had an effective method to counter the Gate of Babylon. Even worse given the sword that Alter was currently wielding.

The flaming red sword clashed against the Original Sin at blinding speeds. The monster let the experience and fancy movements of the Empress of Roses invade his brutal style, creating a barrage of attacks that would demolish even the swordmasters that dedicated all their life to the path of the blade.

The only reason why she wasn't turned into a red sticker on the concrete was that he had to pay attention to two fronts.

Swords were literally growing from the ground to attack him from every possible angle, and her "temporary servant" was also attacking him with a demonic katana.

"Those are good movements, Mayuri-chan. But not nearly enough!"

"Whoah!"

Aestus Estus deflected Myoujingiri Muramasa just before its wicked blade reached his back, and with the same spinning movement, he took her overextended arms and threw her like a rag doll into some nearby building.

"Mayuri!" Mana couldn't help but feel confused.

He could have used the same movement to destroy her with his white claw, but he just chose to use non-lethal force? Something was off here. It was the same as when he tried to blend in with his disguise instead of just killing everyone.

"This is not the time to be dazing off, Mana-chan!"

"Gah!" But she didn't have time to dwell on it as his steel-tipped boot crashed on her chest.

Her consciousness flashed for a second as her little body crashed into a pile of rubble. A trail of blood slid down her chin as she tried forcing away the black dots at the edge of her vision and putting strength into her crumbling body.

She was already way past her limits, even with Gilgamesh helping her in every possible way. Even if the wounds weren't that bad, her body barely answered her orders. She could only glare at the monster walking toward her nonchalantly.

"Well, I think this farce has dragged on longer than necessary." He gave her a toothful smile as he planted his foot on her chest, causing her to groan in pain. "Will you give me some last words? I want to know what Goldie thinks now that I kicked his ass for the second time."

"Heh… I see you like… your current job… as a mere attack dog…" She replied with a smirk while looking behind him.

"Well, if my two targets willingly wear each other off, then that just makes my work easier, don't you think?"

"And what's holding you… from killing the girls? Don't tell me… are you one of those simps? Do you have… a secret crush on them?"

"I just don't see any point in killing them. Unlike you, Goldie. You didn't think you would be able to get away after trying to do the same as that bastard, did you?"

"What the King does during his free time is none of your concern." To his surprise, the Golden King now in control started to laugh at him. "Besides, you hit your time limit, mongrel! You are completely screwed!"

"Huh!?" His steel-grey eyes widened as his instincts suddenly screamed at him. The monster immediately turned around and swung his claw with all his might.

"Set, Nine Lives Blade Works!"

A massive impact took away all the sound in the area while chunks of debris were blown away just by the shockwave. The claw of the white wolf smashed to splinters the axe-sword mid-swing, but the body of the monster was already hit by some of the other simultaneous attacks, blowing him away with severe damage.

Before the smiling King and an astonished Mayuri, the figure red knight finally entered the battlefield with his waving coat and a firm stance. His sole presence already changed the atmosphere of the place due to his sheer confidence.

A ray of light was casted upon this desperate situation. The unwinnable battle was now winnable.

His golden eyes left the place where his evil twin landed to look at his natural enemy with a smirk.

"Did you miss me, Goldie?"

"You took your sweet time, as always, Faker! As repulsive as it sounds, I guess I'm glad to see you. Now go get rid of that unsightly counterfeit already!"

"I see that Mana's period is already affecting you. Well, let's just say I took a little detour to solve an unfinished business. Now then-"

"SHIDOU!" Before he could look at his opponent again, Mayuri hugged him with tears of happiness in her eyes. "I'm so glad to see you! We all thought we might not be able to see you again…"

He gave her a reassuring smile as he took her chin. "Sorry for worrying you, guys. But there's nothing to fear now. I'm gonna beat these bastards' sorry asses and then we can catch up with each other."

Their lips joined for a light kiss to restore their bond, and that seemed to renew her determination completely.

"Heh, so you actually made your way back here…" The monster walked out of the crater in which he landed, Camael's flames having finished healing him. "Now what? Are you going to take me to the shopping center for a date?"

Despite his snarky comment, the smile had faded away from his face as those steel-grey eyes stared at golden ones.

"Well, I had something more like a dance in mind." The red knight let go of Mayuri and walked toward the monster. "Will you join me for this tango?"

"By all means. But you should be careful, or I might step on your feet a little hard."

The massive killing intent that filled the place seemed to actually decrease the temperature. Kanshou and Bakuya appeared in the hands of both as if they were images reflected in a mirror, and they rushed at each other's throats without ceremony.

The sight for the spectators was… fascinating. It was like seeing two calm water streams converging at a single point, but at the same time, it also felt like watching two raging storms colliding.

Their Yin Yang swords clashed in perfect balance, filling the place with sparks. It was a mesmerizing, yet brutal dance. There were no wasted movements nor fancy fencing. Both of them used every trained movement, every perfected technique in their arsenal to surpass the other's predicting skills and destroy him.

There was no concept of hero and villain here. The line separating those concepts became too blurry as their blades danced through the wind. The horrible monster fought to protect humanity, and the shining knight fought to protect the ones he loved.

The high stakes of the battle were completely forgotten. The reason they attacked each other with killing intent was way simpler than that. They just couldn't stand each other. Even if their ultimate goal was the same, their views of the world around them couldn't be more different.

But the difference should have been obvious, right? The parameters of the monster surpassed those of the red knight. In a fight in which their skills and battle experience were completely mirrored, Alter should be the one with the odds in his favor.

So why… Why couldn't he break the guard of the red knight?

"Tsk!" The monster clicked his tongue in annoyance as he threw his married blades at his opponent. They were easily deflected, but that was just a distraction as he was already swinging his white claw. "Disappear!"

The attack destroyed everything on its path. Just the wind pressure generated by the movement was able to cleave through the concrete like a hot knife cutting through butter. However…

"Huh!?" The monster widened his eyes in surprise as he saw the red knight jump between his claws elegantly.

He made it look like child's play, but it was a suicidal maneuver in every sense of the word. The slightest mistake would have left him completely skewered. But he pulled it off as if was just another day in the office.

"Don't you get it?" Shidou showed him a cheeky smile as he spun in the air while readying his leg. "Fighting monsters is my specialty!"

The steel-tipped boot descended upon Alter's head, but he blocked it with his right arm.

"Guh!" The strength of the impact, though, was way bigger than he expected. Even with a mana burst, it shouldn't be so strong- "…!"

At that moment, his senses perceived something different about the energy his counterpart used to propel his leg. It was… more violent, more akin to the one produced by a dragon core, the ideal one for that technique.

"You…" He was starting to use the spiritual energy sealed in his body. Using it all at once would destroy his human body, but it shouldn't be a problem if he released a small, controlled burst.

But it didn't matter anymore. He lost the surprise factor, and the same trick would work two times against the monster as his authority would immediately make him stronger than his opponent, even with an excuse of a master.

The monster spread his arms to catch Kanshou and Bakuya and resume his offensive. But it was then that he realized his second miscalculation.

CLANG!

The married swords were blown away by two blades that emerged from the ground at the right moment with perfect accuracy, leaving him wide open.

That's right. Unlike the lonely monster, the red knight had never been fighting alone.

To his surprise though, Shidou discarded his swords as well in favor of throwing a punch at his face powered by another mana burst with spiritual energy. And at the same time, another fist clad in a golden gauntlet came at him in perfect synchrony.

Each fist connected with both of Alter's cheeks with a huge impact, repelling him several meters. His boots carved two trails through the concrete, and the two siblings landed in a cool pose.

"Was that even necessary?" Mayuri remarked with a blank stare after seeing how the precious opening she created was completely wasted.

"Necessary? No. Satisfying? Absolutely!"

"You bet it, Nii-chan! We should do this kind of thing more often."

"That was actually clarifying..." Alter interrupted the pair of siblings while they were high-fiving. He caressed the cheek in which Shidou's fist landed, Camael having already healed the wound. "Now I know for sure that I won't be able to beat the foolishness out of you… So, what do you think about finally taking this seriously, me?"

"You took the words out of my mouth, me." The red knight answered back as he let Mayuri take Mana away.

""I am the bone of my sword.""

Once the two were truly left alone, they uttered the first line of their aria and summoned their respective noble phantasms. The dark, wicked sword rose from the shadows to challenge the golden sword that brought a calm feeling to the battlefield.

"HAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"RAAAAAAAARRGHH!"

The two men roared as they rushed at each other once again. However, the sight now was completely different.

No elaborated fencing. No complex strategies. No calm and collected fronts. Now that there were no longer hidden tricks or surprises, such things mattered little.

The two men just swung their swords back and forth in the same way two persons argued. Their hands were one with their swords. That caused the impacts to be transferred directly to their bodies, but it was their way to receive what the other was trying to say through their steel.

"Why are you so insistent!" Alter was the first one to break the silent exchange and voice his thoughts. "Where is the pragmatic man that achieved our dream even after hardening his heart! Is that body you're possessing!? Did the hormones fry your brain!? Why are you putting the well-being of a few girls over the rest of humanity!? Do you really think that talking things out is going to work in this brutal world!?"

His heated swords were also translated in the form of a vicious barrage of cuts. The black blade that seemed to be made of pure darkness clashed violently against the golden one, and for a moment, it seemed it was about to take away its light.

"Ngh!" Shidou gritted his teeth and closed one eye as he endured the onslaught.

How Alter's blows became identical to the ones that destroyed his body during his fight against the Primate Murder wasn't the actual problem. His mind went numb with each swing he parried. It was manageable when they were just using Kanshou and Bakuya, but now that they were using the actualizations of their ideals, the memories of his counterpart assailed his brain like gushing water.

'Don't feel pity!'

He was forced to see the path of murder and loneliness Alter followed throughout his life. He did what he didn't without ever being able to see the smiles of the people he saved, slowly descending into the pits of his own hell.

'Don't feel pity!'

If his past already made the girls sad, seeing that would certainly break their hearts. He willingly accepted the mantle of the 'villain' for the sake of others, and never got anything that could resemble a reward.

'Don't feel pity!'

But as heartbreaking as that was, Shidou refused to give in! Even if he now knew his reasons, he still kept swinging his golden sword.

"Sorry, but I was never as selfless as you!" He slowly started to fight back and regain the offensive. "I'm not selfless enough to throw away my dream and happiness for the sake of others! I'm just a stubborn fool that just kept hitting his head against an unbreakable wall until it miraculously fell apart! And now that I found that last piece I lacked, I'm definitely saving everyone!"

"Wha-"

The tides of the battle were immediately turned around as Shidou's emotions were transmitted through their blades with that last shout.

Alter too was assailed by the memories of his counterpart as he stared at that unwavering gaze. The thing that he lacked- no, that he discarded, and the boy in front of him still possessed.

Even if all the hardships he went through left it buried in the bottom of his heart under layer upon layer of cold steel, it never disappeared. Some would call it "innocence". Others would choose words like "naive" or "foolishness".

But regardless of the name, it became plain as day for Alter that it was the real reason why his other self achieved his dream while he failed miserably. And now that those layers were completely destroyed, the flame in those golden eyes was brighter than ever.

"Tsk!" Alter decided to disengage and start pouring all his magical energy into his sword.

Shidou mirrored him, putting all his energies into his golden sword, and the two prepared for the final clash.

""HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!""

Deafening roars preceded the massive impact caused when the golden, warm light clashed against its dark, murderous counterpart. The night turned day as knight and monster struggled together.

As sides of the same coin, they nullified each other. The concept of power became meaningless, making the only way to decide the winner their sheer stubbornness. A clash of wills.

And then, the outcome of the battle was decided. No, it had been decided the moment the red knight finally found his answer.

"Khh!" As hard as Alter was trying to hold his ground, the golden light steadily overwhelmed the impure one.

He was able to see them as he stared at that light. All those smiles that he missed during his life. The smile he was never able to wear. But more importantly, the smile he always wanted to see…

"Ahh…" The golden light finally reached him as his determination crumbled away.

His eyes no longer showed him the red knight's resolved eyes, but the smile of a beautiful, blonde woman as her dream came true in her last moments.

"I also wanted to see her smile…"

When the pillar of light finally faded away, Shidou was able to see his counterpart's inert body lying in the middle of the street.

He wasn't that damaged. Shidou's sword was a tool of salvation, not murder. However, he no longer could feel any will to fight from him as he sunk into the shadow.

"I'll leave it to you this time…" He could already hear his reluctant words.

In regular circumstances, they wouldn't have fought like that. However, this world didn't need a murderer like Alter. That much was clear after seeing how horribly ended that timeline.

Shidou offered a silent prayer for his counterpart as he regrouped with Mana and Mayuri, but there was no time to stop and rest. He would no longer look back.

May King of Fakers Alter find the flitting happiness he always sought in another life.


Some minutes before…

"Excalibur Morgan!"

"Michael, Rataibu!"

Mukuro had to use both Michaels at the same time to create a big enough "gate" and strengthen it, so it could swallow the dark light of the strongest illusion and spit it in the atmosphere.

"Ngh!" And even with the power of two angels, her little body still struggled to contain the hammer of the vile King.

Once she finally redirected the entire attack, her slender legs gave in, and she had to use her staff as a crane. It was the same for Kotori and Origami. The two were struggling to catch their breath and put together whatever energies they had left.

That was the fourth blast they had to deflect, and fortunately, the puppet seemed to have finally made a dent in her master's reserves. The dark knight stood there, awaiting their challenge once again.

But as good as those news were… the only ones left that could still stand up were Yoshino and Natsumi.

The green-haired girl looked at her best friend. Even with her armor, she would never be able to fight head-on that monster. Yoshino was never a close-combat fighter, even if her armor mode and her Muramasa complement each other perfectly.

However, Natsumi knew she wasn't the best choice for the fight either. Her body wasn't as weak as it used to be thanks to everyone's efforts, but even with her astral dress and reinforcement magic, she would be blown away easily.

But still… even so… even if she was the proverbial fifth wheel of the team in this fight… Even if she thought that she didn't deserve to have such wonderful friends… she will protect them.

Yoshino could notice the change in her friend almost instantly. Her stance became firm. The twitching in her lips stopped, as well as the trembling of her hands holding her angels, and the resolution in her eyes hardened.

Her eyes no longer showed her the cold, dark knight they needed to defeat, but the firm back of the red knight she sought to one day reach. Even if she couldn't defeat that monster, she will gain enough time for someone else to defeat it!

"Can you keep up with me?"

"Stay back, Yoshino. I'll buy you guys some time to regain your energies." Her firm voice left her comrades surprised as she stepped in front of them. "Haniel, Kaleidoscope!"

Her broom-shaped angel fused with her astral dress and took the familiar form of a black combat suit and a red cloak, and her katana took the form of the signature twin swords of the nameless hero. She looked exactly the same as when she was possessed by the heroic spirit EMIYA. But even if her presence wasn't the same, it still transmitted confidence and security.

The dark knight acknowledged the determination of her enemy and readied her sword. Green eyes locked on pale yellow ones as she stabilized her breath and lowered her body.

"Here I come!"

With a roar to spark up her determination, she kicked the ground and crossed the distance. Kanshou was immediately swung at the puppet's neck, but the blackened sword easily repelled it. Natsumi didn't mind it, her other hand already swinging Bakuya at the enemy, but once again, the dark knight parried the blow.

The Holy Sword didn't stop there, its blade coming down at her in the same way as someone who swung a flip-flop to crush an annoying bug. But to everyone's surprise, Natsumi crossed her blades in time to block it. Not only that, but she used the perfect angle to deviate the massive strength behind the attack to one side.

A quick turn of her right foot put her out of the way of the attack, Kanshou already coming at Saber's side in a reverse swing that took advantage of the momentum she gained. The puppet used her bulky gauntlet to stop the attack, and quickly swung up her blade to counterattack, forcing the little, red knight to jump back.

"No way…" Kotori was left breathless at the impossible sight. It was just… like seeing her Onii-chan fighting.

All of his battle experience, all of his fighting techniques, and all of his skills were flowing into Natsumi. Her green eyes were not only able to see the incoming attacks with clarity. Her mind started to read ten steps ahead.

Even if she wasn't managing to land a strike on the dark knight, the fact that she was holding her on her own was mesmerizing. An elegant dance of death where the two swordsmen tried to outmaneuver each other through their battle senses and skill. Something they haven't seen since their seven duels against the heroic spirit swordmasters.

"Albeit her technique is inspiring, Natsumi-san is giving her last sparks."

Just as Mukuro said, they could plainly see how strained Natsumi's face was. She was struggling to keep her breath steady as all the muscles of her body were literally on fire and screaming for more oxygen. Her little body wasn't prepared to fight at that level, even with all the spiritual energy circulating through it.

It was an overdrive that was slowly leading her to a painful defeat. Even she could see her approaching death in her Mind's Eye.

"We can't let Natsumi-san's efforts go to waste." Yoshino spoke firmly. The sight of her best friend giving her all despite her insecurities sparked a flame in her eyes. "If she can't create the opening to defeat that monster, we'll have to do it instead."

"That's right." Origami finally found the strength to stand up again and hold her Metatron Muramasa. "She has given us the final clue to defeat her. Shidou's ultimate technique."

"But Natsumi-san doesn't have the capability to create more copies of Nushi-sama's blades…"

"We'll be her blades then." The absolute confidence in their Commander's voice as she stood up gave no room for doubts. "Let's bring to an end this date/battle!"

They were doing it.

CLANG!

Just at that moment, Natsumi was repelled several meters by a mana burst. Her boots slid through the battered concrete as she forced away the numbness in her arms.

The little, red knight was more than aware that she would fall apart the moment adrenaline left her system. That's why she immediately crossed her blades to throw them just like Shidou.

However, the two combatants widened their eyes when, instead of Kanshou and Bakuya, what came rushing at Saber Alter was Kotori and Origami. The two drew the same arcs in the air that would have the married blades and attacked from both sides in perfect synchrony.

The puppet treated them like a simple annoyance, her Holy Sword repelling both attacks with a single swing. But before she could attack them, two "gates" swallowed them, and a third one formed in front of her.

"Haaaaaaahhh!" Yoshino came rushing from the other side of the hole with a battle cry, prompting the puppet to attack her.

But before she moved for an easy parry that would leave her enemy wide open, her instincts that bordered precognition warned her about the surprise attack that came from another hole behind her. The dark knight then opted for batting aside Yoshino's attack, throwing her back inside the hole, and using the movement to tilt her body and avoid the katana about to stab her back.

She wasn't allowed to rest though, as another pair of portals were opened, one in front and the other behind. Kotori came out of the one in front of her, throwing an attack symmetrically with Yoshino's, and Origami did the same respect Mukuro's.

And even so, Saber managed to put her Holy Sword in front of Origami's attack, and grab Kotori's katana with her bare hand to throw her aside.

The succession of simultaneous attacks from different angles failed, bringing the fight to another stalemate. Or that's what would have happened if they hadn't had another attack prepared.

"Third step, the absolute sword…"

"Ah…" The puppet let a surprised voice for the first time in the battle as Natsumi suddenly appeared in front of her.

She crossed the distance so quickly, and the katana she was now wielding had such a mundane aura, that even her instincts failed to notice her in time. And now, the awkward position in which her body was left after all those attacks didn't allow her to react in time as her mind wanted.

"Mumyo Sandanzuki!"

The three simultaneous thrusts pierced her black armor and skewered her internal organs. Saber Alter fell to the ground, leaving a massive trail of blood in the air as Natsumi landed behind her.

"Michael, Jerez!" And even before checking her state, Mukuro came out from one of her "gates" and stabbed her with her staff.

Even if Natsumi's attack didn't kill her instantly, that finished the job. It didn't outright atomize her body due to her high magic resistance, but she steadily crumbled away before her body was swallowed again by the shadow.

"Haaah…" The moment they confirmed the enemy's death, Natsumi's breath became a mess and her legs failed to hold her weight anymore.

"I got you." But luckily for her, Yoshino was there to catch her before hitting the floor. "You were amazing, Natsumi-san!"

"Yeah, way to go, Natsumi-san! Your skills and beauty reached the next level there!"

She would have become a stuttering mess upon hearing their compliments if she didn't lack the air to pronounce a single word.

"You can rest, for now, Natsumi. We'll handle the rest."

"You protect her, Yoshino."

The other three girls couldn't allow themselves to rest as they quickly rushed to where Mio and Westcott were fighting.

"It seems you're running out of pawns, Westcott." Mio gave the businessman a cheeky smile after noticing her "daughters" approaching. She even took the liberty to stop her onslaught of tendrils and beams so that he could catch his breath and answer.

"It seems… I underestimated a little… your fighting power… But no matter…" Westcott regained his twisted smile despite all the wounds on his body as he raised his hand to show them his last command seal. "This has been just a courtesy time. The real fun begins now. By my command seal, I other you, ultimate murderer, plunge this helpless girl into the utmost des- Ugh!"

All his confidence and bravado suddenly vanished when blood sprouted from his mouth as a hand burst his chest open from the inside. A familiar pale hand that was now holding a corrupted crystal.

"Ara, what were you saying, Westcott-san? Did I ruin your moment of glory? Sorry, but I couldn't help myself seeing you wide open."

"Nigth… mare!?" The face of the businessman became the embodiment of confusion as his blue eyes stared in the distance.

The girl clad in a blood-red dress leading the army of clones with her katana was still fighting his troops. He made sure to always keep an eye on the one that had the angel, as she was the one that could naturally counter his shadow.

Then… who was the one that managed to sneak behind him even with the curses guarding him?

"You don't recognize me? What about now?"

The moment she took off some kind of hat, her complete figure became visible to everyone. Even her allies were completely astonished by her sudden appearance. But it was then that the realization hit him like a truck.

He thought that the key to victory that Mana bestowed upon Kurumi was that katana. After all, as a conceptual weapon that was no longer bound to a Sephira crystal, it could be wielded against Takamiya Mio. And at the same time, it made it usable by anyone with enough magical energy.

Even a degraded clone.

And meanwhile, the real Kurumi sneaked behind him with that unassumingly old cape that no one would bother investigating when paired with a masterpiece like Zafkiel Muramasa.

However, what truly left him was the sight of his last command spell vanishing without anything happening. Even if he didn't end his phrase, his sole intention should have been more than enough. So, why didn't his servant appear…

"GAH!" Westcott didn't have time to dwell on it as Kurumi retracted her arm, making sure to cause the most damage possible, and jumped toward Mio and the others' side to avoid being skewered by the shadow.

It was just a precaution though, as the man dropped to the ground convulsing and the curses around him fell into disarray now that the dedicated fusion between them was disrupted. All the pseudo-spirits fighting against her clones started to fade away too now that their master lost the source of their very existence.

"Kurumi!? When did you…"

"To deceive your enemies, you have to deceive your allies first, don't you think?" She got ahead of Kotori before she even finished her question. "Now, let's return this to its legitimate owner… Zafkiel, Dalet."

She summoned her regular angel and fired the fourth bullet at the Qlipha crystal to revert it to its state as a Sephira crystal. Once the process finished, she reached for her intercom.

"Are you there, Nia-san?"

"You bet it, Kurumin!" They heard the mangaka's voice both through their intercoms and physically as she was just teleported from Fraxinus. "Come with mommy!"

She eagerly accepted the crystal Kurumi tossed to her and introduced it into her chest. Her casual clothes were immediately replaced by her astral dress and Rasiel appeared in her hands.

"Aaah… it feels so good to be finally complete again…"

"It is good to see Nia-san's fated reunion, but what should we do about that man." Mukuro's words redirected their attention to Westcott again. The concern in her voice was more than justified as the mortal wound Kurumi caused to him was being quickly regenerated.

"We should strike now-"

"IKE!"

Origami was already putting spiritual energy into her metallic feathers to blast him away, but a steel-grey blur got ahead of her. The strongest wizard quickly took the businessman, protecting herself from the rampant curses with her territory and leaving behind her four persecutors.

"Tsk. She got away."

"Apologize. We weren't able to defeat her in time."

"It's fine. You guys did great holding her for so long. Now, what should we do, Woodman-sama?"

"From what I see, I can tell that his fusion with the shadow is falling apart. He shouldn't be able to pull off another stunt for the time being. And if that were the case, I would personally interfere. You and Fraxinus have a more pressing matter to attend to now."

"Yeah, we have a worse enemy to face now…" It was the clone holding Zafkiel Muramasa who spoke as she came to return it to its legitimate owner. "As much as I enjoyed playing as me, I guess you're going to need that."

"Yeah… Now that DEM is no longer an immediate threat… this woman is now back to being our enemy…"

The eleven spirits plus Artemisia were reunited in front of the one that started it all. Even if they were exhausted to different degrees, their will to oppose her wasn't diminished at all.

Mio's expression became melancholic at the sight, but it was quickly filled with cold resolution as more white ribbons emerged from her halo, ready to retrieve the missing crystals.

"I fear that is the case. It's been a pleasure being able to spend this last day with you all as friends, but it shall be done. Once I find Shin, we will be together forever-"

"If you want to do that, then you're choosing the wrong opponent, Mio." A calm, yet firm voice interrupted her, causing her to widen her eyes.

Everyone was left breathless the moment they turned around to see a certain golden-eyed boy approaching them accompanied by Mana and Mayuri. There was a moment of complete silence as their minds were still debating whether what they were seeing was real or an illusion.

"Shidou!" Tohka was the first one to react, and she immediately rushed at him in tears of pure joy before pressing her lips against his without hesitation.

Their bond was immediately reestablished, but she managed to retain enough energy so that she didn't end up naked in the cold night.

"You really came back… I'm so glad…"

"Sorry for worrying you like that. I promise I'll never leave your side again."

"Darling!" Their intimate moment was suddenly interrupted when a certain idol barged in to steal his lips, having her powers sealed as well.

"Shidou/Shidou-san/Shidou-kun/Nushi-sama/Onii-chan!" One by one, the spirits greeted him by hugging and kissing him.

Yoshino, Natsumi, and Mukuro gave him light kisses. Kaguya managed a tongue kiss despite being a stuttering mess, while Yuzuru boldly intertwined her tongue with his without a problem. Origami and Kurumi didn't stay behind, giving him sticky kisses, but there was a pause when the next in line approached him.

"What's this change of look, Kotori? It really suits you." Shidou expressed his honest surprise at seeing his sister wearing one ribbon of each color, getting a giggle out of her.

"It better, 'cause the kind of girl I've become now will definitely make you fall over heels!" After her bold proclamation, she jumped to kiss him and seal her powers.

And after that, the last spirit to be sealed stepped ahead with a cheeky smile. "Well, Shidou-kun, the time you've been eagerly awaiting has finally come!"

"And I see I'm not the only one who feels like that."

Her teasing attitude crumbled away the moment he pulled her for a French kiss without hesitation. She was so surprised that she forgot to maintain her astral dress and ended up naked between his arms.

"Hey, hey, hey, Shi-Shidou-kun! We still have to defeat Miocchi!"

Her embarrassed voice fell on deaf ears. The moment that the spiritual energy of the last Sephira crystal was sealed into his body something clicked in his mind. It was like… something was finally complete.

"Aah… I see… This entire journey… everything has been for this very moment, huh?"

"Is this the time to have flashbacks of your entire life? Or are you going to obtain a power-up?"

Her voice this time got him out of the trance, and he gave her a confident smile. "Kind of. While you go get some clothes, please give this to MARIA and tell her it's a present from a reliable Onee-chan."

She blinked like an owl when she saw the pen drive he just dropped into her hands, but she finally managed to get a hold of herself.

"Ahem! 2D heroine, you heard him." She coughed while resummoning his astral dress, and a flash of light was casted from the ship above them to retrieve the USB.

"I hold discussing that questionable nickname for now. If this is what I think it is, then this is going to be interesting."

With all that settled, Shidou stepped ahead to face Mio. Despite the tension between them, the red knight still gave her a soft smile. This was the first time he actually saw Takamiya Mio's real appearance in person but thinking of her as a stranger didn't feel well.

"Thanks for waiting patiently, Mio. We can get down to business now. I would introduce myself, but I think we already know each other well enough."

"Yeah. I'm sorry for what I'm going to do Shidou, so I still let you have your moment with them. Now, would you kindly come here so I can return that body to its legitimate owner?"

Shidou frowned, not because of her words, but because what he was about to do was essentially shattering all her delusions that led her to this point.

"That's not going to work, and you know it. You are aware that Takamiya Shinji isn't coming back, so you're just taunting me to fight you."

She frowned at first, but her expression softened in the end. "I guess I can't fool a heroic spirit. Yes. I was never able to move on from Shinji's death, but a was never able to end my life as a nature spirit either. But you certainly can. Especially now that you have such a large portion of my power."

"I see…" His expression turned sorrowful seeing her pleading eyes, but he steeled himself again. "However, that's not your only goal, isn't it? There was never a necessity to give me your power in this particular way, am I correct?"

That actually made her tilt her head in confusion. "What are you saying, Shidou? I-"

"You did that help me discover that same magical feeling that made you so happy, isn't it?" He started to walk towards her as he dropped the bombshell. He wasn't even putting up his guard, as if he were completely sure that she wasn't going to attack her.

"Huh? But I… even if I knew it would be just a mere illusion… I still…" She was still in denial, but he kept on until her defenses shattered.

"That was your original intention… until you saw the memories of that nameless hero that had always been there with you two. The one that helped Shinji to meet you. The one that helped him to protect you. The one who inspired him to confess his feelings despite never knowing love. A part of you wanted to help him, to help me find love, right? That's why you still went with this plan despite knowing that it wasn't necessary."

He finally got in front of her and rested his hand tenderly on her cheek. She never pushed him away. Just like he didn't want to fight Mio, she couldn't fight against Shinji.

"I… even if a part of me agreed… I don't think I can…"

"That's not true. The you that was Murasame Reine managed to slowly rebuild her life by observing me. You helped me, and now… I'm going to save you."

He quickly closed the distance between their faces. This would be the final step to ensure the ending in which everyone could live happily. Tears started to slide down her cheeks, but she accepted his tender kiss.

The moment their lips touched, her halo expanded to envelop the two of them, blocking everyone's sight of them.


"IKE! Please, hold on for a moment, Ike! We have to extract this thing from you before it consumes you!"

Ellen was doing her best effort to push away the curses trying to consume them with her territory, but it was a losing battle as long as Westcott remained as their host.

The delicate fusion was performed using Beelzebub as an anchor, and now that he no longer possessed it, he would need to adapt to the change or die. And having the soul of a servant as powerful as King of Fakers Alter returning to his body and forcing him to start his role as a lesser grail was just making it worse.

That twisted monster seemed to want to take Westcott with him as a parting gift to his counterpart.

Ellen was really running out of options there. Their plans truly crumbled away this time. She was so focused on keeping her territory up that she almost had a heart attack when a weak hand held her arm.

"Ike!? Are you awake!? Don't worry, I'll hold it off while you try to control it-"

"There's no time for that…" Despite his weak voice, his usual playful tone was still present. "Can't you feel it? The mana in the atmosphere… it seems 'Deus' is releasing a massive quantity of power…"

"I feel it too… but what has that to do…"

"Prepare yourself, Ellen… It's time to create the second Spirit of Origin." He pointed to a specific location above the spirits, Mana, and Artemisia. "No… with All the World's Evil and a Beast of Calamity in my body… this will be the birth of something greater…"

She widened her eyes at the implications of that. That would basically mean that his only objective was really destroying the world, regardless of what mean he had to use.

She bit her lips… A part of her just wanted to take those horrible things out of him and let this be… but she couldn't. She had already pledged her heart to him a long time ago…

So she could only see this through.


"Where…" Shidou felt the same feeling as when he deployed his reality marble, but the sight that received him the moment he opened his eyes was familiar in another sense.

The calm sea reached as far as the eye can see, bathed in the dim light of the twilight sky. The landscape that was the most engraved on Shinji's memories… and in Mio's as well. The place where they kissed for the first time. Even the season changed to resemble that special day.

"Huh?" But that wasn't the only surprise. He could tell that his point of view was now at least a head taller than just a second ago.

His steel-grey eyes looked at his hands and saw the same tan he had during the last years of his first life. It seemed he had taken the appearance he usually had as a heroic spirit in this strange place.

"Then this place is…"

"The manifestation of Takamiya Mio's lingering regrets, yes." A familiar drowsy voice finished the line for him.

"Reine?" He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the sight of Mio's adult version.

"I'm surprised by this development, too. It seems I, the part of Mio that accepted moving on alongside you, got separated from the one that still wants to cling to her happy past. Come, they are waiting for us."

"They?" He didn't receive further answer aside from a soft smile before she took his hand to walk across the seashore.

He found it strange being the taller one now, but he put that aside as he finally saw the two teenagers Reine was referring to. One was obviously Mio, but the other was… Emiya Shirou? No, he looked the same, but Shidou immediately knew who it was judging by the way he was holding hands with Mio.

The former owner of his body. He was…

"Takamiya Shinji?"

The boy mirrored his surprise. However, his was more in the lines of never expecting to see with his own eyes that nameless hero of his dreams. And that was why he suddenly bowed in front of the red knight.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, King of Fakers-sama! I've always admired you! And thank you for lending me your powers to protect Mio! Even if… well…"

Shidou couldn't help but awkwardly scratch his cheek. "There's no need for formalities. You can call me just Shidou, Shinji. And I should be the one to be apologizing… after all, I couldn't…"

"This is not the time for sad stuff like that! C'mon, let's enjoy this amazing day at the beach." A cheerful Mio interrupted them, taking their hands and dragging them while Reine followed them closely.

The two couples hung out playing on the beach for what seemed like an entire afternoon. As ridiculous as the sight was, there was no one there to see a boy and a man competing like a pair of hot-headed brothers while their "sisters" cheered for them.

As a byproduct of Mio's Ain Soph, this was an ideal space in which reality could become whatever she wanted. She even spawned a pair of grills so they could have a cooking competition once they got hungry.

Overall, Shidou found himself enjoying it. The feeling of having something akin to a little brother was similar to him, and even if they ended up competing, it was way better than having to see your other self's murky past while trying to kill each other.

But still… as happy as those moments were… as genuine as those smiles were… he was fully aware it was just a flitting midsummer dream…

"C'mon, Shin, cheer up already. Even if Shidou's use of reinforcement is way more advanced, I still prefer yours."

"But you still said that his were tastier!"

"One thing doesn't take away from the other~"

"I see you're still as unscrupulous as always…"

Shidou barely repressed a laugh at their interaction. The concept of "going easy" was nonexistent for him when it came to cooking, so he ended up showing why he was able to feed around ten mouths every day.

He couldn't deny that seeing that couple really warmed his heart. He knew the world was a cruel place, but their tragedy was quite up even for his standards. He could notice his lips forming a bittersweet smile knowing that the boy in front of him was just the manifestation of the residual memories of his body. And Shinji knew it too.

Even Reine was looking at them with some sorrow. It was the expression of someone watching an old video taken during some happy vacation. She still had some mixed feelings, but by holding Shidou's hand, she was able to reign over them.

The only one who seemed content to pretend that this illusion would last forever… was Mio herself.

"Aah… I want to try so many things alongside you, Shin, Shidou, Reine… I wish this would last forever…"

"But it isn't going to last forever, right?" Shidou took the opportunity to pronounce the cruel words that none of them had the courage to pronounce.

Her smile immediately sunk. "I went and forced you to say it..."

The artificially happy atmosphere faded away when the light of the cruel reality was casted upon it. Even Shidou himself seemed sad, but he still stood up and walked up to Mio.

Even if it was in front of the manifestation of this body's lingering feelings and regrets, to ensure the smiles of those girls, to ensure that the girl in front of him could smile again, he would say.

"Now, would you come with me to a brighter future, Mio?"

A soft giggle escaped her lips as she looked at the boy by her side. "What do you think, Shin? Isn't this the moment in which you should be protecting your girlfriend? If you stay quiet, Shidou here is really going to take me away from you."

"Well, I…" Shinji's face was the definition of awkward, but just a moment later, his eyes hardened as he looked at Shidou. "I definitely won't let you take Mio away from me! Even if you're the ideal I aspired to be! Or well…"

His expression softened as his golden eyes looked at Mio. "That would be what I would tell him if I was alive… but right now I'm nothing more than a ghost. Even if it breaks my heart, if I have to choose between you redoing your life with another man or having him kill you, then, of course, I would choose the first option. So please, don't let me drag you down more, Mio. Take his hand and enjoy the happy ending his been fighting so hard to achieve."

"Shin…"

After seeing his smile one last time, the girl gave him a hug as a farewell gift before walking to Shidou's side.

"I know I don't need to say it but take care of her in my instead."

"Of course. I'll achieve our dream once again- eh?" He was interrupted when Reine suddenly hugged him tenderly.

"I guess this is when we part ways. Thank you for giving me the best date, Shin. I really enjoyed this last year-"

"What are you saying? You are coming, too." To their surprise, he took both Mio and Reine's hands and put them together. "Regardless of your currently different mentalities, you both are crucial aspects of Takamiya Mio. Even if I want you to move on, you shouldn't forget Shinji either. Life is an accumulation of meetings and partings as they say."

"Heh, as expected of a true eroge protagonist." Shinji couldn't suppress his amusement, and the two women laughed.

"Hey, I'm being serious here."

"Yeah, I almost forgot you would say something like that…"

"We have to save everyone, right, Reine-san?"

And with that, the three bid farewell to the boy and started to walk towards a new dawn.


Some minutes earlier…

"Huh!? What did just happen!?"

"Darling was abducted!?"

"I didn't feel any harmful intentions coming from Mio, but I'm not sure what that thing is…" Mana's words did little to appease their concerns, but one of them was actually showing a cheeky smile.

"Don't worry, guys! At times like this, you can rely on your Onee-chan! It's your turn, Rasiel!"

None of them wasted a single second peeking over Nia's shoulder to see what her book-shaped angel was showing them in a manga format.

"Hnn… An enclosed space that reflects the owner's inner landscape. It seems that's the real appearance of Ain Soph. Just like Amakusa Shirou Tokisada engraved the Shimabara Hell in his soul, Mio engraved that beach landscape… huh?" Even Nia had to make a double-take when she turned the page. "That's Shidou-kun… but that is also Shidou-kun's adult form… And that's Reine, too… what in the world is going on here…"

"I think… that's Takamiya Shinji-san." Those simple words that left Kurumi's pink lips plunged the entire place into a dead silence.

"But wasn't he… dead?"

"That isn't the real one." Mana answered Artemisia's question with a deceptively calm tone. "It must be an illusion created from the lingering memories in Nii-chan's body. I guess this is his final trial if he really wants to save Mio."

"Our final date/battle, huh? But will Onii-chan have the strength to take Mio away from her first love?"

"How can you doubt Darling, Kotori-san? Didn't you notice it? Just like you, something about him has changed."

"Yeah… I don't know how to put it into words… but I know that, as he's now, Shidou won't lose."

"He no longer has doubts." Origami almost cut Tohka's words, prompting her confident smile to turn into a frown. "When he kissed me some days ago, I could notice Shidou-kun still had some doubts. But that seems to be no longer the case."

"Do you think… Nia, can't you use your Rasiel for that!?"

"Request. Can you investigate what answer did Shidou come to?"

"Kaguya-chan, Yuzuru-chan, my angel can't read thoughts. Besides, it's better to let him tell us than spoiling the moment."

"As things stand, we can only wait- huh!?" Mayuri's eyes suddenly widened, as if she noticed that something was really wrong there.

"This is…"

"The mana and residual energy in the atmosphere… it's being dragged in one direction!" Mana and Artemisia didn't take long to notice it, too.

The three of them immediately raised their heads to look in the direction all the mana was being attracted and the other girls imitated them.

And it was then… that the hopeful and happy atmosphere was completely shattered.

"Rejoice, my friends! For all, you are about to witness the birth of the second Spirit of Origin! One that will not have flaws and will be able to rule over this planet!"

In the epicenter of the literal whirlpool of mana, they saw Westcott with an outright lunatic face. The pools of curses overflowing from his body were absorbing the energy, and some kind of black cocoon was formed around him. However, the ominous presence he was beginning to exude was more than enough to tell them what kind of being he was going to become.

"That's the Spirit Formula, the spell that originally created Mio! And he's using himself as the core!" Mayuri clarified it even further while she turned all the concrete around her into a wasteland filled with swords and fired them at Westcott.

But to her immense surprise, the cocoon resisted the barrage with just some dents and cracks.

"Now you've done it, bastard! I planned to leave Nii-chan to deal the finishing blow, but I'll kill you my- Gah!"

Mana seemed to be going to make her attempt, but even before the first weapon emerged from the Gate of Babylon, she collapsed while spatting blood.

"Wait, don't force yourself, Mana-san!"

"This is bad! Her condition is really critical! She isn't making it past this week at this rate!"

Yoshino and Natsumi immediately attended to her, and Natsumi almost had a heart attack when she used structural grasp on her body.

"Has someone enough gas to fire a beam at that!?"

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for most of them. Origami, Kotori, Mukuro, and Natsumi were too worn off to fire an anti-fortress attack.

"I'll try Halvanhelev then!" Tohka immediately summoned her throne and proceeded to smash it to add its parts to her sword.

"Yuzuru, let's try our final attack then."

"Agree. Let's use Raphael: El Kanaph!"

The Yamai twins immediately convinced the parts of their angel to form the bow that commanded the winds… but it was no use.

"We are late… That monstrosity is starting to fill the night with its wicked presence."

Mukuro's elaborated words announced the advent of the Beast.

The darker-than-the-night cocoon started to fall apart to reveal a familiar, yet foreign figure. His appearance was mostly the same, but at the same time, there was a huge change in the form of two massive horns protruding from his ash-gray hair. Its sole presence was enough to make anyone tremble, and it seemed to extinguish the brightness of the stars behind him.

What was floating in the middle of the sky wasn't a businessman, nor the vessel to spill the myriad of curses trapped inside the Great Grail. It wasn't an incomplete Beast of Calamity as it was the monster's case either.

The entity in front of them was a genuine Evil of Humanity, one that usurped the position of the one that was absorbed within him. A Beast with the only purpose of killing humans by reshaping the world around him into a literal hell.

"Hehe… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" His loud laugh as he stretched his new body just instilled even more fear in their hearts.

"What's the matter!? Where is the thunderous applause from the audience!? Are you just shy in front of the ultimate being? C'mon, Ellen, throw me a bone here."

Even the strongest wizard that flew to his side remained in silence. But Westcott paid it no mind, his blue eyes drifting to the white cocoon among them.

As if to respond to his wicked presence, the beautiful chrysalis opened to reveal two figures.

One was Mio, whose appearance was now a little more mature, a middle ground between her original teenage appearance and Reine's if you will. The other one was a Shidou that seemed to be around his twenties. However, his skin wasn't tan, his hair was still auburn, and his eyes still conserved their golden glint.

"Shidou?"

"Onii-chan?"

But what really surprised them was the aura around him. It was imposing, but in a completely different way from Westcott's. His was regal and transmitted them warm and comforting feelings. Just being by his side made them feel that everything was going to be fine, even in the face of a true Beast of Calamity.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, guys. We had to get ready to face that bastard."

"Aah… you finally did it… Nii-chan…" To everyone's surprise, tears of join started to fall from Mana's eyes when she saw his confident smile.

Even if these were her last hours of life… she was able to see at least one time her Nii-chan at his pick.

"Well, now that all the actors are present, we can finally start this play!" Westcott smiled enthusiastically as he raised his hand. "Take this as my way of thanking you for taking the trouble of coming back from whatever world I threw you just to let me achieve this form, Itsuka Shidou. It's time to bring the twilight of this world, Belial!"

Something took form above his head and in between his horns. A black sun… no, a hole in reality connecting to the myriad of curses in the Greater Grail. The black mud started to descend into the city in the same way it did in Fuyuki when Saber's Holy Sword destroyed the lesser grail, and some ramifications started to attack the branches creating the border for Ain Soph.

"Huh!?" Mio widened her eyes in complete surprise. "He's corrupting and overwriting my reality marble!? Is this the real power of an Evil of Humanity?"

"The Demon King that was persecuted by humanity and now comes to seek vengeance alongside All The World's Evil and the true Apex Predator of the Planet… I guess the World really had its reasons to arrange this. But don't be afraid…" Shidou didn't lose his confident smile as he stretched his right arm forward and rested his left palm over his forearm. "...because I'll be here to lead the way!"

"I am the bone of my sword."

"Steel is my body and fire is my blood."

"I have created over a thousand blades."

As Origami said, there were no more doubts in him as he casted his arias. A massive amount of energy started to pour into the ground and rewrite the very reality, taking aback even the Beast facing them.

"Unaware of beginning,

nor aware of the end."

Casting used to be only a suggestion to never lose sight of his ideals, but now it was to change himself and reach his final destination. The faces around him were filled with surprise as they noticed the divergence in his aria. It was to be expected.

"Withstood pain to create many weapons, protecting those precious smiles."

What he was chanting now wasn't the answer he received after living all his life as a sword. It was the answer he finally obtained after realizing his real feelings and finding the part of him that was missing.

"Never alone again, this is the path a chose alongside them."

That place in his heart that had been hollow ever since he was saved from that hell. The seat that should be reserved for one's most precious person, themselves.

He could never fill it by his own means no matter what kind of happiness he sought. But now, it was filled with the figures of all the precious girls around him.

"My whole life is... Unlimited Blade Works!"

The fire ran to create the new border. The devastated city around them was replaced by a sight that inspired hope in their hearts. A grassland brimming with life stretched as far as the eye could see, bathed under the warm light of a new dawn.

There was no longer a rusty fog blocking the blue sky over them, and the countless swords stabbing the ground no longer seemed to be graves.

But more importantly. Even if the black sun hanging in the sky still remained there, the black branches trying to corrupt and rot reality were completely burned away. And in turn, the pure branches coming from Mio's Ain Soph were embraced.

"I see… So you were finally able to accept your feelings…" Mio's deduction explained the huge difference between the lonely hill in which the nameless hero met his end and the one they were seeing, and they started to feel butterflies in their stomachs.

This very world and the way it embraced Mio's power was the very proof that their feelings were finally reciprocated.

"Impossible!" On the other hand, Westcott's mocking attitude was replaced by an expression of pure disbelief as he glared at the red knight. "How can a mere nameless Counter Guardian overpower my Beast Authority!?"

"Heh, you surely are slow to uptake. Do you really don't recognize your archenemy? I guess I should introduce myself properly." The red knight showed him a teasing grin as his hand reached for his golden sword.

The Avalon illusion wasn't casted when he wielded it, but it wasn't necessary as his reality marble had already reached its ideal state. The light of the sword itself seemed to be brighter and stronger than ever, and the Beast felt a chill running down his spine when its blade was pointed at him.

"I am the sword whose light paves the way for humanity to reach the stars! I am the Grand Saber, summoned by these girls' hopes to defeat you and reach their happy ending!"

After declaring his true identity with a fierce resolution, he tilted his head to the side so the girls could see his warm smile.

"C'mon, girls. There's nothing to fear about that bastard. Let us save the world together!"

Those words bolstered their morale at the same time Mio replenished their strength over their limits. The twelve spirits and Artemisia stepped beside the two of them with their heads high and their backs firm.

"Let's do this then!"

"Our strength is yours, Shidou-san!"

"We'll do this together, Onii-chan!"

"It's finally time to become heroes!"

"Kuku, if Shidou is about to show us his best, then we can't be less!"

"Motivated. Let's finish this with a bang!"

"Now that Darling is here, then the real concert can begin!"

"Let's show him the real power of our steel!"

"I-I'll do my best to not fall behind!"

"Let's show him the power of our bonds!"

"Time to defeat the final boss with style!"

"Muku will follow Nushi-sama to the end of the world!"

"I'm really lost here, but I guess we have no choice but to defeat that man!"

"Tsk…" Westcott finally recovered from his shock and clicked his tongue. "A minor setback. I'll show you the true extent of my Authority!"

With an unnecessary snapping of fingers, the dark mud accumulating below him expanded to reveal countless shadowy figures. Corpses brought out from hell started to spread and swarm the land full of hope.

Horrendous, anthropomorphic forms pulled straight from the worst of nightmares that joined together to form a massive wave with the only directive of "killing humans". There was really no end to them. "Infinite" is a word born from the limitations of the human mind, but there was really no end to them as the corpses kept spewing from the hellhole in the bright sky.

"Heh, your best idea is to attack with some pests? You must be really desperate, Westcott!" But even in the face of that, the Grand Saber's confidence did not waver.

A lone swing of his immaculate blade dismantled the wave of curses, sending them back to oblivion. The light that represents humanity's hopes and dreams was the strongest poison against the impure demons.

But even after facing that display of absolute might, the corpses still kept advancing towards them and quickly replaced their slain brethren. However, just like they kept persisting, their targets didn't just stand idly.

The first of the amalgamations suddenly fell to the ground before realizing it after a sword pierced its spine, and that was just the first of many to come. With a mental command, all the swords in sight sprung out of their resting spots and flew towards the "illness" spreading throughout the reality marble.

The "infinite" enemy was met with an unlimited supply of weapons that came raining down on them. The sky was almost obscured by the countless blades fired at the demons in retribution.

But it was still not enough to push them back. Knowing that he couldn't waste the mighty power of his Grand Saint Graph, the red knight stuck with that instead of using his sword.

"By my Command Seal, I order you!" And then, a thunderous voice raised to make the difference. "Mayuri, use your marble phantasm to pave the way for Nii-chan!"

Mayuri's eyes widened as she felt the huge amount of energy from the command seal flood her already powered body.

"Haaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" Her special magic circuits overflowed as she used her power beyond her maximum output.

Her marble phantasm usually changed the landscape into that of the Unlimited Blade Works. In other words, the ultimate forge that could produce the strongest weapons even from just the materials found in mundane places. But now that she was inside that very landscape she tried to replicate, the blade she could forge were no longer just weapons of the highest quality, but actual noble phantasms like Myoujingiri Muramasa.

The literal torrent of blades crashing into the wave of curses doubled in intensity, finally pushing them back into the underworld from which they came.

"I guess I'll have to raise the quality as well." Not wanting to fall behind, the Beast snapped his fingers yet again.

Amidst the clash between the hellish waves and the storm of steel, six figures with way more ominous that the nameless corpses. Figures that resulted quite familiar for them.

"Excalibur Morgan!"

The corrupted light of the Strongest Illusion illuminated the battlefield once again, tearing through the monstrosities summoned by the Beast and the torrent of swords alike.

Using the newly opened path, the six figures charged towards them led by the dark knight. A man clad in black spandex and wielding a blood-red spear, a woman of long, purple hair that wielded a pair of chained spikes, a witch flying through the battlefield with her butterfly-like cape, a shadowy figure hidden by an ominous cloak that only revealed a skull mask, and a rampaging black giant whose thunderous roar shook the entire battlefield.

"I guess we'll have to make our way through them then… Mayuri, keep the fire steady! Everyone, choose your opponent wisely while Mio and I rush for the Beast!"

Everyone nodded at the Grand Saber's words, and they immediately charged towards hell together. Only Mana and Nia stayed behind, the former due to her condition, while the other was stopped by a voice that came from Fraxinus, the only ship that was present in the reality marble.

"If the problem is numbers, then the me from the world in which Shidou landed gave us the perfect solution. Nia, come to Fraxinus for a moment."

"Okay then! I'll be right back kicking asses!"

"While you are at it, deploy the Yggd Folliums and keep firing Mystletainn to support Mayuri!"

"We're already on it, Commander! With the density of mana around us so absurdly high, we have basically infinity ammo!"

"Guys, I never expected something like this when I signed for this job, but I'm digging in!"

"Let's call this "Beast destroyer operation"!"

Kotori smiled as she heard the good morale of her crew through the intercom as she prepared her katana and halberd to meet head-on her chosen opponent.

"Miku, I hope you remember how to fight as a Bride Saber, 'cause we're stopping Rider on her tracks!"

"You bet, Kotori-chan! I've been waiting for this moment! Gabriel, Rondo!"

Her regular manifested around Medusa as she stabbed her katana into the ground, amplifying its power to the point it managed to hinder the servant's movements. The supersonic blur coming right at them turned visible, and Kotori was able to block her attack with easiness.

"Artemisia, we're taking on Lancer!"

"Right behind you!"

The albino and the wizard intercepted the other speeding black blur running towards the red knight by firing energy beams at him with their metal feathers and spear respectively.

The servant's "Protection from Arrows" skill immediately activated, allowing him to easily deflect all the projectiles. But the barrage achieved its purpose of stopping the Celtic hero so they could close the distance in time.

Their first attack was the only one allowed to them though. Even with the power-up Mio granted them, holding against Lancer's bestial fighting style was an almost insurmountable challenge.

"Let's take the Caster then, me!"

Kurumi summoned all her remaining clones and rushed at the witch hanging in the sky, who had already carved several magic circles and was ready to start her bombardment.

She casted the myriad of spells in the blink of an eye, way before the clones could get into effective range. But before they were completely wiped out, several gates opened to swallow the majority of purple beams.

"Michael, Rataibu!"

"Zafkiel, Aleph!"

The situation was completely reversed when the majority of the beams were fired right back at Caster, and the clone's flying speed was dramatically increased. Even with her constant use of teleportation, fighting against spirits that could control time and space became a nightmare.

"Here you are!" Amongst all the chaos, Natsumi was finally able to spot the shadowy figure trying to sneak on the already busy spirits and swung down Kanshou and Bakuya at him.

Her attack missed though as Assassin gracefully maneuvered to get on her back, but freezing wind unleashed from Yoshino's katana repelled him before stabbing Natsumi with one of his dirks. Even if his protection against the wind allowed the Hassan-i-Sabbath to sail through it unharmed, the ice fragments carried by it still proved to be harmful.

"All cover you, Natsumi-san!"

"Thanks!"

While the armored girl deflected all of the dirks thrown by the servant, Natsumi switched her Haniel Muramasa to take the form of Shidou's black bow and immediately reeled a random sword from around. Using her own magecraft and the experience drawn from the bow, she reinforced it to take an aerodynamical shape and fired it at the servant.

They formed a team with perfect synergy. While Yoshino protected them from any attacks, Natsumi kept drawing the nameless hero's experience through all the weapons at her disposal to hunt down the servant.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!"

After the fastest of the servants were already confronted, the ominous giant and the silent dark knight arrived at the battlefield. But before the first one managed to collide against their spearhead, the Yamai twins took action.

"Let us take Berserker, Shidou! There's no worthier stage than this to show our ultimate technique!"

"Determined. Let's do this, Kaguya! Not even the mightiest of heroes will withstand our true power!"

Both of them stabbed their angels in front of them to form an 'X' and held hands before gently joining their lips. The moment they made contact, everyone lost sight of their bodies inside a blinding light. But before anyone could blink, a projectile shot towards the blackened giant at blinding speeds.

Heracles reacted instinctively and immediately smashed it aside with his stone axe-sword. The purple lance was repelled, but unexpected strength behind the attack halted the giant's advance. And that wasn't the end of it, as several cuts appeared on his steel-like skin.

Even if his God Hand was degraded due to being an incomplete summoning, it wasn't rotten and rendered useless as the case with the giant's iteration that had to be put down by his own weapon. And even so, the raging winds commanded by Raphael were able to pierce through it to some extent.

"ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRR!" It mattered little to the mad warrior, but now his hostility was completely focused on the girl smiling confidently while pulling her chain to retrieve her weapon.

Everyone, despite being in the middle of the battlefield, turned to look at her for a moment in surprise. Her voluptuous figure, even surpassing Miku's, was covered by an armor that looked more like a straitjacket with several padlocks and chains adorning it, and a pair of metallic wings floating on her back. Her long, orange hair flowed with the wind, her shining, blue eyes staring fearlessly at the unstoppable giant.

"Motivated. Heed my cry, o' mighty hero turned into a rabid beast! Gaze closely if you will! If we already have the light that reaches the stars, then I shall be the lance that conquers hell! I am Yamai Kazamachi, the typhoon King that reaps all creation!"

Her wings retracted from her back to float over her right hand as her chains enveloped them to form a makeshift shield just in time to block Berserker's sword. An unstoppable blow that could easily change the terrain and mortally wound a servant, was successfully stopped by Yamai using her winds to keep her stance steady.

"Provocation. Let's dance, Heracles!"

"RROOOOOOOAAAARRRR!"

The heroic spirit of the madness and the original spirit that was named "Berserker" by the humans clashed their blades in a brutal onslaught. Mayuri and Fraxinus didn't even need to bother covering them from the corpses as the wind pressure of their attacks was more than enough to blow away anyone unfortunate enough to be near them.

"I'll take Saber then!" Being the last one without an opponent, Tohka immediately rushed towards the black knight with Sandalphon ready.

However, before she could engage in combat, she was forced to block another blade aimed at her heart. Her eyes widened as she recognized the strongest wizard, who had been also empowered by Westcott to the point of reaching the level of a servant.

"Let's settle this once and for all, "Princess". No, Yatogami Tohka!"

"Tsk." She clicked her tongue in annoyance. She was raring to resume their fight, but she couldn't let Arturia Alter slow down the Grand Saber.

Of all the fake servants, she seemed to be much stronger this time, or that was the impression she got from that last Excalibur blast.

"Let me go out! I'll fight that woman!" At that moment, she heard Tenka's excited voice in her mind.

"What!? But it won't make a difference! You'll still have to fight Ellen!"

"That's not what I mean. Remember the kind of place you're in. A reality marble. A place where reality and fantasy cease to be separated concepts. That's the very reason those twins managed to pull that neat trick off so easily."

"Then what do I do!?"

"Just think about it really hard and I'll do the rest!"

Tohka fired a mana burst to repel Ellen for a second, and she closed her eyes in concentration.

CLANG!

The moment Tohka snapped open her eyes open to block the next incoming attack, another clanging sound resounded near her.

A familiar demonic sword clashed head-on against the strongest illusion, wielded by a girl that looked just like her wearing a more revealing battle dress. Tenka only spared her a side glance before going on the offensive, but it was more than enough for Tohka to know that she didn't need to worry about that flank.

"Time to finally get back at you, Arturia Pendragon! This time I will be the one to whoop your ass!" The expression on the evil spirit's face could only be described as a mixture of excitement and pure bloodlust.

In face of such an opponent, a ghost of a smile spread on her lips while she dropped her visor. Vanishing yellow eyes stared right back at Tenka as she opened her mouth to actually speak for the first time.

"I wanted to battle the one that is supposed to be the superior Saber, but you seem to be even more eager. Very well. Even if I'm not the same Arturia you have met, I'll honor your request!"

Their roars were heard throughout the battlefield as another brutal fight similar to the one with Berserker started.

Meanwhile, Tohka turned all her attention to her eternal enemy. Mio might have a huge grudge against the businessman who killed her lover, but if Tohka had to pick the one who caused more pain and suffering to her, it would be this woman without a doubt.

And now that there was no one else to interfere, then she was going to beat her with everything she had!

"If you want a fight, then you're gonna have one! Sandalphon, Ratelibish!"

She summoned her throne and smashed it with her sword. However, the fragments weren't added to her sword as usual, but instead, they were incorporated into her astral dress. It didn't just look more robust now. The power emanating from Tohka's body now managed to cause some drops of sweat to form on Ellen's forehead.

"You better be ready, Ellen Mathers!" While she wielded her reliable greatsword in one hand, Sandalphon Muramasa was summoned into her other hand. "The girl you are about to face isn't the same you once defeated!"

"We'll see about that!"

The two lunged at each other with enough killing intent to take aback the corpses trying to get to them. There was still some confidence in the expression of the strongest wizard as she expanded her territory.

Despite Tohka wielding two angels, her sword style was clearly more focused on wielding one sword, so she was confident in outperforming her even with the current massive difference in power between them.

"ORRRYAAAAAAA!"

"HUH!?"

What Ellen wasn't expecting was Tohka just throwing her greatsword at her like a cutting disk. Sparks rained over the grassy field after she managed to deflect it, her muscles protesting due to the huge impact.

There was no time to even breathe though as her opponent had already closed the distance, her katana coming viciously at her neck. A masterpiece forged to excel in its original capacity to cut concepts, now capable of even cutting even karma. I single cut from that blade would be completely fatal.

But her movements weren't as frenetic now, even resembling the peerless swordsmanship of the King of Knights. As absurd as it might sound, that made it easier for Ellen to read her attacks and act accordingly… while it lasted.

Her blue eyes widened once again as Tohka just threw the katana in front of her. She didn't even put effort into it, causing the katana to just spin in front of her. But everything made sense the moment Ellen detected something coming to attack her back.

It was the Sandalphon Tohka previously threw, returning to the hands of her owner just like a certain pair of Yin Yang swords. Ellen felt the attack coming with a comfortable margin thanks to her improved territory and immediately disengaged to dodge it and get out of Tohka's range at the same time.

However, she realized too late that she just played right into Tohka's hands.

"Saber Home Run!"

She caught her greatsword and used the momentum to strike her katana with all her might while firing a massive mana burst. The Muramasa blade was fired at a speed comparable to the "arrows" Shidou fired, meaning that Ellen barely had any time to react.

Even with all her trained reflexes and the help of her territory, the pristine blade still carved a deep wound in her shoulder and damaged her CR-Unit.

This was the style she developed after all this journey, a combination of the two heroes she admired the most. Two sword styles that were like day and night, put together through her talent and hardworking. A dragon that used everything in its arsenal to destroy the enemy!

"Kuh… Shine till the end of the world, Rhongomyniad!" The strongest wizard immediately fired her strongest weapon to get some breather.

The beam of light fired by her cannon came out several times stronger than the last time, but defying all expectations, Tohka ran directly at the attack.

"Sandalphon!" She literally punched her blade through the beam and dashed through the opening it left barehanded. Her upgraded armor prevented any damage as she quickly crossed the distance and emerged on the other side.

Caledfwlch was already coming at her neck the moment her indigo eyes adjusted to the light of the Unlimited Blade Works again, but she was already raising her left arm the moment she felt the killing intent. Her gauntlet cracked with the direct hit, but she successfully blocked the attack, and she opened her right hand in preparation to grab a hilt.

Neither a greatsword, nor a katana answered her call, but a Holy Sword that caused Ellen to skip a beat.

"Excalibur!?"

"HAAAAAAAAHHHH!" The spirit that she once looked down on swung the image of the strongest illusion at her, tearing through her armor and nearly destroying her internal organs had she not jumped back.

The fight quickly became a last stand for Ellen as Tohka kept switching through her three swords. There was no hope of victory when she was trapped inside a reality marble that gave the advantage to her opponent.

With all the servants and Westcott's right-hand woman occupied, the Grand Saber and the Spirit of Origin ran straight at the Beast of Calamity.

"Athiel!" A demonic flower was summoned in front of the Evil of Humanity, which instead of spreading its "nectar", outright fired a massive beam at them. An attack that stole the life of everything it touched by imposing the concept of death on them.

"Hnn!" But the Grand Saber didn't even flinch in front of such an attack and fearlessly swung his golden sword. The blade met some resistance, but it ultimately split the attack harmlessly, for its shine would never be extinguished as long as humanity kept dreaming and hoping for a bright future.

It was something the Beast already accounted for, a mere distraction as more of his summoned harbingers made their way to the due.

A green comet was the first one to arrive. A glance at the hero-killing spear that was aimed at his heart revealed the identity of the great hero that had been tarnished and used as a puppet by the Beast of Calamity. A troublesome opponent for someone that didn't meet the criteria or lacked the appropriate weapons to bypass his immortality, but…

"Ain Soph Aur!" The dazzling counterpart of the attack Westcott just released impacted square on the Greek hero's chest. His immortality was completely ignored as death was imposed, sending him right back to the hellhole that produced him.

Shidou didn't even pay attention to it as his eyes were already on the next servant. A hero riding a blackened hippogriff and wielding a huge lance. A phantasmal beast whose existence was "impossible", making it capable of shifting to the Reverse Side of the World temporarily for short distance dimensional jumps and a temporary state in which it couldn't be harmed.

It mattered little though. The moment those golden eyes caught a glimpse of his karma, the golden sword was already swung at him even before the beast emerged to their plane again. There was no chance of defending or dodging as the light immediately purified him.

"Kazikli Bey!" The next attack came from a pale man who stabbed his spear on the ground to create a wave of spikes sprouting from the ground, seeking to impale them.

But before they got remotely near, a mental command from Mio sprung Ain Soph into action and warped the spikes so they emerged around their summoner. The puppet couldn't even react in time before his own attack skewered him to death.

"Brahmastra Kundala!" Her blue eyes immediately turned to the next attack, a scorching spear thrown at her from a Lancer that seemed to wield the power of the Sun itself.

And once again, she opened a tear on the fabric of space that swallowed the attack and fired it right back at him. The puppet's figure was swallowed by the massive explosion caused by his own noble phantasm.

"Balmung!"

"Clarent Blood Arthur!"

At the same time, a twilight wave of destruction and a massive beam of red thunder was fired at the couple. Two anti-army noble phantasms of the highest quality that destroyed everything on their path.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" But in this fight to save the world, no blade stood equal in front of the sword of promised salvation.

The golden light of the Grand Saber tore through them with some effort and sent the couple of dragon and treacherous knights back to hell alongside all the corpses in the way.

"Can you keep up, Mio!?" Shidou sent a concerned look at the girl standing beside him, but the confident smile on her face told him it was unnecessary.

"These puppets are nothing! That bastard can pull out as many as he wants!"

"I wouldn't jinx it if I were you, but you're right. Bring it on!"

The pair of lovers continued to bravely tear through the waves of corpses and fake servants sent at them, even if the numbers were becoming alarming.

A huntress with a divine bow, a centaur sage, an indomitable gladiator, an artificial doll wielding the power of electricity, a magus summoning a myriad of golems, an empress wielding dangerous poisons, a witch summoning the fire of hatred from within her body. The combined efforts of all the puppets wee managing to slow the hero that could fight the world itself and the spirit that could rewrite the world itself.

It became a war of attrition between the archenemies. Westcott's victory would only be achieved if he managed to stall them long enough so they ran out of gas, but in contrast, it would be his loss the moment they got to him.

But in the middle of the chaotic battle, something seemed to change. All the corpses and even the majority of the servants suddenly stopped attacking them and instead began to crowd around a single point. Or more exactly, a person.


Some minutes before…

"Gae-"

The tainted Lancer finally ran out of patience after failing to strike a solid blow on any of the two girls facing him and started to summon the true name of his spear. His target was Origami, who was starting to become quite troublesome due to her constant barrage of beams.

However, before he could activate the curse of his noble phantasm, the spirit disappeared out of his sight using Metatron's power. Gae Bolg's primary noble phantasm would ensure a clean hit, but only as long as the target was within its 10-meter range. Origami was fully aware of that exploit and kept bouncing from place to place to avoid it.

But this time, the puppet finally managed to adapt to their strategy, and managed to switch targets before the curse was activated. Artemisia, who was already closing in to capitalize the opening left when the curse failed to activate, widened her eyes in horror seeing the barbed blade pointed at her.

"Artemisia-"

"Bolg!" There was no time to react. The moment the curse was activated, her heart had been already pierced. Thrusting the spear was just a formality-

Or that's what should have happened, but instead, Gae Bolg missed the wizard completely and left Lancer wide open for her.

"Huh?"

"What!?"

Even the puppet screamed in surprise at such an impossibility. It was absolutely impossible to miss and undodgeable attack-

"Hehe! Your curse might reverse causality, Cu Chulainn, but my Rasiel can change fate!" A familiar voice was heard as a certain mangaka landed near them with her book-shaped angel showing a picture of that exact moment. "Artemisiacchi, Oririn, finish him!"

The wizard didn't waste a second and thrust her spear at Lancer's exposed chest, but the servant managed to break free from Rasiel's influence and jump back. Unfortunately, it was futile. Just as Nia said, Lancer's fate had been sealed.

"POLYGAMY CASTRATION FIST!" Declaring her ultimate anti-male technique, Origami landed a splendid flying quick right on his noble parts.

It was even more of an instant kill than Gae Bolg, and the servant faded away with his face set on a horrified and pained scream.

"Thanks, Nia. You really saved me there."

"Don't sweat it. This is my duty as the Onee-chan of the group." Nia dismissed Artemisia's honest thanks as she left Rasiel floating around her a drew her own katana. "Now, it's time to finish the clean-up here and continue to charge alongside Shidou-kun and Miocchi, right, Mariamon!?"

"That nickname is still horrible."

"But I guess I'll forgive you since you were actually useful for once."

"And we're excited to finally take action!"

The wizard-spirit pair blinked a couple of times after seeing a huge number of identical girls arrive at their side. Silvery-white hair, blue eyes, and an astral dress that resembled Nia's but with the colors reversed, primarily white with a black cross across the chest.

"Fufu, I present you with my own version of the Nibelcole featuring Mariamon! Neat, right?"

"You just put the power and I did everything else."

"Don't ruin my moment!"

"Guys, we're digressing. We still need to make our way to Westcott." Artemisia's voice stopped their back and forth so they could focus on the battle.

"Right, MARIA, can you take Mayuri's place in holding back those things so she can join the battle? We'll help the others with their respective opponents and join the offensive."

The terminal speaking with them nodded at Origami's proposal. "I'm already on it."

Mayuri, who was already sweating bullets, was finally able to relax a little when the army of pseudo-spirits took over and pushed back the corpses with their "arrows" made out of Rasiel's sheets.

"However, it seems the others are already finishing as well."

Just as she said, Tohka was already running to meet up with them with an unconscious Ellen on her shoulders. The witch flying through the blue sky had also met her end already by Mukuro's blade, her Michael: Jerez having nullified all her magical defenses.

"Camael, Megiddo!" The figure of Rider was lost in the infernal fire after finally having been stunned by Gabriel Muramasa's vibration.

""Triple-Linked Crane Wings!"" And the shadowy Assassin found his end too after being trapped in an omnidirectional attack of several pairs of Kanshou and Bakuya that allowed Yoshino to deal the finishing blow.

The bout between Tenka and the actual Saber Alter didn't seem like it was going to end anytime soon though. Both of their armors were already damaged, and they had some nasty-looking wounds, but the feral grins were still present on their faces.

And the other battle raging through the battlefield… well… getting in the way of those monsters could only end up in their deaths.

At plain sight, it seemed that Yamai was just swinging her bare hands at Berserker's sword, but the clanging sounds told otherwise. Layer upon layer of wind reflected light, making it really hard to see the two Muramasa blades she was wielding in a barbaric style. For the knight that commanded the winds at her will, imitating Arturia's invisible air was child's play.

It hardly represented any difficulty for the blackened giant, who just swung his weapon instinctively, but every little detail could prove the difference in such a battle. That extra difficulty kept all the attention of the servant of madness, causing him to not notice the parts of her battle dress reassembling behind her.

"Confident. You activated my trap card, Heracles! Take this! Raphael, El Yeburn!"

She jumped back to reveal a huge ballista with her purple lance loaded as an arrow. The trigger was pulled, and the giant took the shot at point-blank unable to defend in time. The sheer force of the wind shredded his steel-like skin, and Raphael: El'Rem blew up his entire upper body.

And even so, it wasn't enough to defeat the once-great hero. His legs still stood firm, refusing to back down as his body regenerated due to his noble phantasm.

"Observing. That makes two. I don't know how many lives you have left in that state, but I don't have the time to keep fighting you. So let's step into high gear, shall we!"

Yamai took some distance before Berserker finished regenerating and pointed her two katana backward. The two invisible winds were released at once, propelling her like a rocket at blinding speeds.

"RRROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRR!" At the same time, Heracles was already back in action. With a defiant roar, he swung his sword with all his might at the place Yamai was going to be.

However, in an apparently suicidal movement, the knight of the wind let go of her blades.

"Light and darkness intertwine to reveal all Sabers!" But a pair of familiar Holy Swords hailing from another universe appeared in her hand in Muramasa Raphael's place, and Yamai swung them at the Giant with all her might.

"X-CALIBUR!"

The body of the blackened great hero disappeared amidst the light of the Unsigned Sword of Promised Victory. The weakened version of God's Hand wasn't able to endure the attack, and the puppet's spirit origin was completely shattered.

"Phew…" Yamai allowed herself to take a breath as she let go of the Holy Swords. Despite her confident façade, she was starting to feel the fatigue crawling up her body.

She noticed the sounds of steps approaching her, but she immediately recognized their presence and voices.

"Well, now that we're together again, let's move on!" Despite all the questions they have for the girl that emerged as the fusion of their two friends, they knew that should be left for later.

"Agree! We can't let Shidou and Mio have all the fun!"

The ten spirits, Artemisia, and a small army of MARIA's terminals and Kurumi's clones ran to catch up with the Grand Saber and the Spirit of Origin. The two were holding fine, but their help was the push they needed to break through the army of shadow servants.

Like a drill piercing through the concrete, they slowly made their way to Westcott with the help of the two additional Holy Swords and the combined power of all the angels.

But even so, the situation still looked bleak. Their enemy didn't seem to be using that much energy to mass produce all those corpses and servants. It was just a part of his authority as a Beast that exists to kill humans.

They aren't going to make it in time… That was the somber conclusion Mana arrived at.

"Kuh…" But worst of all, she could only grit her teeth while a feeling of absolute powerlessness threatened to crush her heart.

She wanted to be right there beside her Nii-chan and her friends. She yearned to be of use. To change the situation. But no matter how much strength she put into her body, it barely answered her commands.

She would die the moment she tried to use her power once more. It was the expected outcome after burning herself to hold off that monster for so long. But even so… it would have been for nothing if they didn't win this battle.

But more than anything… she couldn't stand being left aside after seeing her Nii-chan as the Grand Saber and not a nameless sweeper dispatched by the Counter Force.

"Ara, ara. You're going to get wrinkles if you keep frowning like that, Mana-san."

She had barely the energy to snort at the girl that emerged beside her with her ever-polite smile.

"What? Did you come here to laugh at me now that I'm useless? You should use your time for something more useful there on the battlefield." The contempt in her tone was more directed at herself than at the girl in question.

"Oh, but I'm using my time in the most efficient way to achieve victory. And you're the key for that, Mana-san."

The golden girl couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Kurumi. If there was something she knew about her, was that her confidence always had some kind of foundation.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Something really simple. Your current predicament lies in the poor condition of your body, doesn't it? But what if you had a body in its prime. Like… let's say, the one you had around 30 years ago?"

Mana took actually a couple of seconds to process Kurumi's piece and its implications… and when she did, a toothy smile spread across her face.

"Do it!" There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in her voice. She didn't even think about what could go wrong.

And that caused a smile to appear on Kurumi's pink lips as well while she summoned her angel.

"That's more like you, Mana-san. Let's save the world together then! Zafkiel, Dalet!"

The fourth bullet was loaded into her handgun, but thanks to the boost in power she received, she was able to overload it before firing it. Now, it wasn't just rewinding her body for just some days at best. It was bringing it back to the time before DEM messed it up completely.

The process should have been painful, but she was already used to it by now. She was able to feel how all those implants disappeared, how all the damage in her cells was reversed.

"Hehe…" By the end of it, the golden girl felt an exhilarating sensation. The huge burden she'd felt on her shoulders ever since she woke up at DEM's facilities was finally lifted.

Mana rose without any difficulty and did some stretching. Just the act of balling her hands seemed to be easier and refreshing. The smile on her face only grew wider.

"Very well… Time to show everyone that Nii-chan isn't the only one that can make miracles! Are you ready, Gil!"

Her red eyes shone at that moment, and an overwhelming presence to flood the place. It was already breathtaking before, but now it seemed to be the genuine article.

"Of course, my retainer! It's time to show this world the real might of the King!" 'He' spared Kurumi a side glance before immediately jumping to the fray. "You shall have the privilege of seeing the King giving his best, girl!"


"Mana!?" Back with Shidou, he couldn't help but widen his eyes in panic at seeing his biological sister being surrounded by all the corpses and shadow servants.

It didn't take much to see that she somehow regained her vitality and power. The sheer confidence and smugness in her smile were quite telling. But the real problem wasn't the corpses accumulating around her.

A battle maiden that wielded a massive, fire bow, a one-man army hailing from China, a great conqueror riding a chariot pulled by two heavenly bulls, a Northern knight wielding a reforged demonic sword, a dark knight whose identity remained concealed while wielding modern weaponry of all things, a demonic princess wielding three katana, one at hand and the other two floating around… Despite being puppets, the servants that were roaming around the golden girl shouldn't be made light of.

And that was basically what she was doing. They weren't attacking for some reason, but it wouldn't take long. In fact, the corpses were starting to join into a solid mass that raised over her like massive jaws.

"Heh, you guys are really disgusting now that I can see you closely. More than an army, you are a decease."

There was hesitation in them. As creatures driven purely by instinct, their prime objective was to swarm and destroy the Grand Saber sent to defeat their master. But at some point… defeating this girl became a step strictly necessary to achieve that goal.

"You don't even know what you came here for? Well, I guess that's to be expected for a bunch of bugs, regardless of the bodies they borrow. You sure get lured out easily by some incense. It's way too much luxury for the likes of you, but since we are pulling out all the stops, then I will show you something really awesome."

Her little body then emitted a blinding light as a majestic aura descended amidst the corpses. "It would be the greatest sight you'll witness before I sent you right back to hell!"

The place was filled with scritches and roars screaming hell as all the corpses and servants rushed to tear her apart.

And judgment was bestowed then and there. A massive explosion preceded a raging storm that shredded the wicked corpses.

A breathtaking sight emerged from the destruction. I figure that no one expected to see.

The golden exterminator manifested in all its glory. His body of perfect proportions and toned muscles had only its lower part covered by his usual golden armor and red cape, letting everyone see the red marks over his chest and arms. His golden hair was now unkempt, waving as the raging winds of his Sword of Rupture annihilated all the corpses and servants around.

"It is regrettable that I am not the star of the show during my first descend upon this world, but I shall fulfill my role as the forerunner, nonetheless. It's showtime, Ea! Let us remind all these fakes who is the true King!"

Overwhelming truth befell them regardless of their power, as the one who saw the abyss raised his voice in challenge. The few ones that managed to escape the strongest noble phantasm would be pierced by the golden chains he wielded with his left hand.

None stood a chance against the oldest hero recorded in human history.

"What the… What is that man doing here!?" Westcott widened his blue eyes, his calm demeanor finally seeing how all his minions were obliterated way faster than he could produce them.

But there was no time to think about that impossibility. Now that there was no one between him and his archenemy, he was…

"Now it's just the two of us, Westcott!" The Grand Saber descended upon him from a "gate" opened by Michael, the light of humanity's hopes and dreams crashing down on him like a hammer of retribution.

"Athiel!" The Beast managed to fire his demonic flower again just in time.

It managed to prevent him from being completely purified, but the explosion still knocked him out of the sky. The businessman broke his fall as he could, but before he could regroup, a sword made of pure light was already swung at him.

"Ouch there, 'Deus'!" An equal sword of darkness manifested in his hands to block the attack.

"Give up already, Westcott! You're already finished!" Mio kept on the offensive. Her swordsmanship was rather clumsy, but so was her opponent's, developing into a contest of pure strength.

"But why should I!?" Westcott's smile was still present as he refused to back down. In fact… his corrupted horns… they were starting to shine with power. "Why would I surrender when I still have my absolute trump card!"

The realization hit Mio like a truck, her eyes widening in horror. The blinding light that announced the third angel, or demon king in this case. The real authority that made it possible for him to attain the position of Beast IV after absorbing King of Fakers Alter.

"Qemetiel!" The name of the authority of the void was summoned, and a small seed appeared over Westcott's hand before quickly growing into a full black hole.

The void that could erase everything on its path.

Perhaps Enuma Elish would be able to counter it, but Gilgamesh didn't have time to fully charge his Sword of Rupture. So, it was up to her to stop it…

Mio's eyes grew resolute as she prepared her third angel, Ain. The chances of her surviving the clash were minimal. She knew that, but even so… if it was to ensure the happiness of the boy that saved her and those girls she toyed with, she would gladly do it!

"Ai-"

"Yeah, not in my watch!"

But before she could summon it, the dazzling figure of the Grand Saber got ahead of her. Mio's heart skipped a bit seeing Shidou charge directly into the void, catching only a glimpse of his reassuring smile.

BA-BUMP!

Everything seemed to freeze at that instant as the figure of the red knight was about to be engulfed by that blinding dark light.

A twisted grin spread over Westcott's face, most likely having predicted this outcome already. Mio's face was in the middle of screaming the name of the boy, which alerted the other spirits whose face was becoming to be twisted in horror as well.

The only one that seemed to be completely calm was the King of Heroes, who just casually stabbed Ea into the chest of a giant minotaur to destroy him from the inside.

The Grand Saber's golden eyes stared fearlessly at the void that would surely destroy him regardless of his status. The same void that killed his counterpart from that dead world.

But during this long journey, he learned that, to fight the void, you need the opposite concept. Infinite. Just like Sasaki Kojiro's Tsubame Gaeshi was the only technique that could compete directly against Miyamoto Musashi's void sword.

The void in front of her was quite more literal, but so was his sword. The crystallization of humanity's hopes and dreams, their will to keep moving forward, was also light of endless possibilities. Aside from other specifical conditions, that was the very reason he was chosen as the Grand Servant to fight this Evil of Humanity.

But there was still a problem. The only flaw that his noble phantasm had.

As the sole target of that attack, his sword wouldn't be able to draw its full potential. Due to his distorted way of thinking, he would never be included into the concept of "saving everyone"…

Or that's how it used to be. However, now that he had a place to return to, a warm family, and a group of girls he loved with all his heart, his life now had meaning. The Sword of Promised Salvation had finally reached its full potential.

It was time to reenact his legend- no, it was time to surpass it!

"This whole life has been for this very swing! WE ARE ALL GOING BACK HOME TOGETHER!"

Putting everything he had, the Grand Saber swung his golden sword before fading away into the dark light.

The entire battlefield fell into a dead silence. Each second became a whole eternity. A cold calmness, and yet, the tension could be cut with a knife.

"HAHAHA- huh?"

But then, just as Westcott was starting to laugh confident in his victory, a single white line was carved amidst the void.

CRACK!

The sound of a blade carving through something was followed by one akin to a crystal falling apart, and the very void was perfectly bisected before fading.

The absolute power of the Grand Saber. A slash that could sever everything, even fate itself.

The next thing they heard was the sound of his steel-tipped bouts landing over the grassy field. Golden eyes met blue ones, and there was no time for hesitation.

"ITSUKA SHIDOU!"

The Beast of Calamity tried to raise his hand and activate another of his authorities, but he didn't make it in time.

"WESTCOTT!"

The golden sword was swung one last time. The light of humanity slashed the Beast's chest before engulfing him.

The battle was decided, and the reality marbles finally fell apart.


"Guh…" The businessman left a miserable voice as his body hit the ground.

All the parts of his body were screaming at him. His entire existence was pain. It seemed as if someone just ripped out a fundamental part of him.

However, that same hellish pain reassured him that he somehow was still alive.

"My sword isn't a tool for murder." As if reading his mind, the red knight beside him spoke. "It instead purified the demon inside the Grail and let the other me return to the throne of heroes. In other words, your time as a Beast is over."

"Heh…" Even with all the pain clouding his mind, Westcott still found the energy to snort at him. "So, you're going to… spare me? Is it that you can't… live without me… Itsuka Shidou? After all… a hero… needs a villain…"

"Of course not. I believe in the possibility of redemption, but it's plainly obvious someone like you can't be corrected. Besides, my noble phantasm might not be a tool for murder, but this sword sure as hell is."

His other hand moved to reveal a wicked katana he had been holding on. His foot was planted firmly over Westcott's chest, causing him to grunt as the red knight raised Myoujingiri.

"Now, do you have some last words?" The question was asked more to mock him than anything.

"Haha…" But apparently, it seemed as if he just told him a really good joke. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."

Maniacal laughter sounded throughout the entire desolate city. Perhaps the hysteria of the moment. The realization that his dream was completely crushed as a result of a series of coincidences that finally allowed the Grand Saber to be summoned.

But more than anything…

"I'm going to die, huh?" The one that was qualified to become a Beast of human annihilation… actually felt excited at the prospect of meeting his own end.

A twisted kind of depravity that allowed him to fill the final qualification to become a Beast. His abnormal mentality that derived pleasure from seeing suffering and mourning, be it from others or from himself.

In a very twisted sense, he actually loved humanity. Especially their dark aspects.

"Fufu… Then…if you are about to let me experience… such a delightful experience… I might as well… leave a gift behind…"

After squishing those last words, his hand reached into one of the pockets of his black business suit. But the moment Shidou confirmed he was touching some object, he brought down the katana.

It was swift and most likely painless. And even if it had been indeed painful, Westcott wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between it and the pain he was already suffering.

The cut caused by the wicked blade was so clean that he most likely didn't notice when his head was detached from his body. Others could say that this man deserved to suffer more after what he did, but he couldn't bring himself to torture someone that was already suffering.

"…?" However, the red knight couldn't help but raise an eyebrow the moment Westcott's limp arm fell to the ground. He seemed to have been holding onto some kind of remote control.

"I was expecting you to stop me, but I guess I judged you wrong." But he put that aside for the moment as he turned to look at the pair approaching him.

"No, I know it had to be done." Woodman shook his head. There was some sorrow on his face, but it did seem he wasn't about to let it overwhelm him. And Karen behind him seemed to be reigning over her emotions as well. "I just thought that, as his old friend, and the one that helped him start all of this, I had to see it through."

"I see… Well, it seems Tohka did spare Ellen over there, so I'll leave her to you. Nice job holding off all the remaining ships on your own, by the way."

The two nodded at him and move aside to leave space for everyone else to meet him.

"Heh, so you had the guts to actually kill him, Faker." The first one to speak was the King of Heroes, who seemed to be dragging something with his chains. Or rather… someone.

"Let me go, Goldie! I have to finish my square with that woman!" Tenka was thrashing with all her remaining forces against the Chains of Heaven, but her inability to break free despite not having divinity was quite telling about her current state.

"Don't get too mixed-up, girl." Saber Alter spoke with an actual teasing tone. "Even if you actually managed to score the same hits, you're obviously on your last legs. I myself am about to disappear now that my temporary master got killed, so it is better if we leave it as a draw. I'll be heading back to Chaldea now."

And just like that, she just disappeared without giving any explanation.

"Well, now that everything is over, I see some new faces here."

"We are MARIA." One of the self-proclaimed "Nibelcole Mark II" stepped ahead and smiled back at Shidou. "I don't know if I should consider you hanging out with the me on another timeline as an infidelity, but this trick she passed onto me surely is impressive."

"And you? Who is this new beauty?"

"Flattered. Kuku, just like you ascended to your ultimate state, we did the same. I'm not exactly the girl named Kazamachi Yamai due to the growth Kaguya and Yuzuru went through separately. And well, I surely wasn't such a bombshell of a woman-"

Just as she was exhibiting her generous bust, her body emitted a faint light before separating into the Yamai twins once again.

"Oh c'mon!"

"Depressed… Why couldn't we have our minute of glory."

"Well, you defeated Berserker of all people, so I think that qualifies as having your moment." Nia's words managed to cheer the up a little. "But of course, I have the highest killing count among us with five servants! Hehe, they couldn't withstand my Mumyo Sandanzuki."

"You just paralyzed them with Rasiel and stole the kills."

"A win is a win!" That got giggles out of everyone. The tension and adrenaline were gradually leaving their bodies, and the fatigue was quickly making its presence known.

But it was fine. The long night was finally coming to its end, and the first rays of sunlight were emerging from the horizon. It was time to go home and get their rightful rest…

"You are forgetting something, Faker." But the oldest hero didn't seem to share that thought as he pointed Ea's "blade" at the Grand Saber. "Now that I'm not a mere observer in this play, there's nothing stopping me from restarting my plan to bestow judgment upon the complacent mongrels in this modern world!"

The only reaction he got from the red knight was a raised eyebrow. Why was he suddenly acting like a dick? He himself said that he was no longer interested in it.

"And I'll start right here and now with these girls!"

That actually got Shidou's eyebrows twitching, his eyes turning murderous as he stared right at Gilgamesh's red ones.

"Put a finger on them, Goldie, and I'll make the ass beating the other me gave you look like just a pat on the back."

The King of Heroes smirked in face of the massive killing intent. "And why would you do that exactly?"

Shidou was about to retort, but he finally realized his true intentions. What a convoluted way to just make him confess his feelings, but that's to be expected from this man.

He guessed after showing them the answer he arrived at, this was a good moment for it anyway.

"I love them! Each one of them, with all my heart! I love them so much that I don't know how to put them into words appropriately! But I definitely want to spend the rest of my life alongside them!"

"HUH!?" There was a collective gasp after his bold confession. It was actually funny seeing their heavily flustered faces and gaping mouths just before turning into the brightest smiles he had seen.

"Well, my role in this play is finished then." Just as Gilgamesh said that his body started to slowly fade away in specks of light.

"Yeah, I ran out of time, too. Those last hits really took everything I had. It's been a good experience I would say. I'll never forgive this feeling." And as if to mirror him, the Saint Graph of the Grand Saber started to collapse as well.

"Wait, don't tell me…" Nia's expression became one of sheer horror after arriving at a somber realization. "You two are disappearing now that the reason behind your summoning has been fulfilled!?"

The happy and warm atmosphere took a complete turn. Hearts skipped a bit the moment their brains processed the mangaka's words. Time summed to slow down from their perspective just as the red knight's body started to fade away.

"No… No, no, NO, NOOOOOO!" Something seemed to snap in Tohka's mind.

Tears flew through the air as she jumped to hug Shidou. She embraced him with all her remaining strength as if to prevent him from parting away.

"Don't leave us now! I too want to be with you forever! I want to kiss you more! I want to become one with you again! And I'm sure the others want, too! Don't disappear now after finally saying the words I wanted to hear the most!"

However, despite all her conveyed feelings, it was inevitable.

With no energy to sustain his Saint Graph and the Beast finally slain, the Grand Saber faded away.


And that's- hey, hey, hey! Hold the rakes and torches for a moment. This isn't the end yet! You still have to read the epilogue. Which is why I'm going to keep this AN short and leave all my comments and thoughts after that. I mean, it was meant to be a short epilogue but it ended up as long as this chapter.

See you in a moment then!