Author's Note: Massive thanks for the patience and hard work of my two betas Plague and Mae for helping me with this chapter. They had really hit it home on how weak my writing was in the latter half of this chapter - something that I don't think I fixed completely. As always, feel free to message me or join the Discord link if you like to discuss my story.

Issei shuddered as they walked through the broken streets of Fuyuki. Each of them had to mind their footing — loose asphalt and potholes were rampant, and shattered glass loved to pop up when they least expected it. There was no escape from the acrid smell of smoke either. It lingered within every ramshackled building they came across.

Caster had told them that the Holy Grail War changed midway. Something had caused the incineration of every human living here in Fuyuki, leaving behind only Servants, and the enemy Saber had defeated and taken control of them. Caster and Saber were the only two remaining in the War with Archer and Berserker left as her thralls; the rest were defeated earlier by Caster and Mashu.

Issei had thought he was prepared. They all had thought that. Their naivety was shattered the moment they encountered the walking undead.

When Issei heard the clamoring of their boney feet against gravel, he paled not because he was afraid of fighting them. They were weak foes — corrupted mana could only do so much to reinforce their demented frames. Their wretched strength laid in their rapturous numbers. Behind every nook and corner, their crackling jaws taunted them and pursued with their limbs flailing.

They could not afford to fight every single time as each confrontation whittled down their endurance, and more so, their mentality. Issei tried not to keep count of how many they had destroyed.

It would only give him an increasing answer to a question he never wanted to ask: how many humans have died for this?

A brief lull allowed them to catch their breath underneath a dilapidated bridge. It provided Issei a chance to check up on everyone.

He started with Olga, who leaned over with her arms on her knees, heaving in and out. Stray strands of hair glued themselves onto her forehead before she dabbed her sweat away with a handkerchief. Ritsuka was by her side, dirt and ashes and sweat adorning her clothes as equally as they did with Olga. She clutched her empty bottle, fingers playing the the cap, twisting it off and on before she caught his gaze. She offered a simple smile — one not large enough to hide her sorrow, but just enough to tell him not to worry.

Issei nodded to her before turning his attention towards the last two. Rather than resting, Saber and Mashu stood vigil at the perimeter.

Weariness couldn't reside in Saber's posture; instead, it dwelled within her frown. There was little idle chatter during their skirmishes, but her swift annihilation of the undead spoke of her simmering anger and exasperation.

He could only imagine what it would feel like to walk through a city he had once known — only to see endless death and destruction.

Then there was Mashu; her eyes darted back and forth, fingers wrapped around her shield, unwilling to miss any signs of activity.

Issei knew she was a Servant now, but it wasn't that simple. He couldn't forget that moment in the wreckage — when he had to convince himself that her injury wasn't fatal or that it was not her blood that had seeped into his soles. He'd dreaded the way the warmth in her hands flickered, his tightening grip the only kindling he could offer.

He hated that he had to choose to let her go in order to protect another.

"Saber, Mashu," Issei called as he approached them.

Saber's frown lessened, but she kept her eyes trained on the horizon. "Master."

"Ah, Hyoudou-senpai!" Mashu exclaimed.

"You can just call me Issei, Mashu," Issei laughed. "Though, shouldn't I be the one calling you Senpai? After all, I'm the newest one here."

"No, it's not like that, Hyou— I mean, Issei-senpai," Mashu stuttered. She rested a hand on her chest, taking deep breaths. "I consider you and Ritsuka-senpai my senior in terms of living."

Issei raised an eyebrow. "Living?"

"You see, I was born in Chaldea. All of my life, I spent inside of it, with only pictures and videos to show me the outside world," she explained.

"Is that why you wished to see the sky?" Issei murmured to himself before he asked, "You've been in Chaldea for how long?"

"I'm sixteen now, Senpai." A wispful smile painted over her face. "My entire life was all about Chaldea's mission. I never had a chance to think 's why, when I met Ritsuka-senpai, she was unlike everyone else. Not that they were bad people, but she had such a different mindset than they did. She didn't care about status or power; she just wanted to help everyone. I thought it was an earnest way to live: she felt more human than anyone I had met."

"I can understand that. I don't think Ritsuka gives herself enough credit," Issei said, "but, compared to her, I don't think I've really done that much."

"No, that's not true! You definitely remind me of her, Issei-senpai," Mashu exclaimed. "When I saw you fight Berserker, I had wondered what gave you the courage to stand against him."

Issei scratched his cheek. "I wouldn't say that was courage —"

" — Perhaps it would be more apt to say foolishness instead," Saber added.

"Perhaps, but I was amazed. You had no memories, no obligations, nor any power," Mashu murmured, "but you chose to fight rather than run away. It made me question myself: how do humans continue to fight even if the odds stand against them?"

Normally her bangs covered the left side of her face, but this time, he saw both of her eyes — they were windows to a brilliant violet sea, ravaged by storm and thunder. Issei felt that she had voyaged for a clear sky for her entire life.

"You know, it has been overwhelming. Waking up in Chaldea and coming to Fuyuki, I'm not sure where to even begin," Issei admitted. "A part of me wants to shout out. Why did I lose my memories? Why did Chaldea get attacked? Why did Fuyuki get destroyed? Can I do anything? Why am I even here?

"Maybe there are reasons; maybe not, but that is life. I don't know everything. I can't do everything. But I'm not alone. We're not alone. Even if the world itself is against us, we can help each other. We fight because we want to see another day again."

"Because our time is as limited as humans, we have to make do with what we have together," Mashu concluded, the tension easing from her shoulders.

"Exactly. I would rather do something than to regret not doing anything," Issei said. He glanced back and found Ritsuka and Olga walking towards them. "Because I doubt anyone knows when time will run out."

It was nauseating, Issei thought, as they stood at the entrance of the cave. They had trekked past the urban parts of Fuyuki and into the mountainous forest. The light of the moon couldn't pierce through the darkness of the inside. The air was viscous with a disturbing, wretched miasma. It squirmed atop of his skin, raising his goosebumps and dotting his body with cold sweat.

"It sure feels like this is definitely the place," Ritsuka quivered, rolling her shoulders as if she wanted to shrug something off."The mana concentration here is ridiculous!"

Mashu traced the edge of the entrance with a finger. "It looks like a natural cave, but has Fuyuki always had such a site?"

"This isn't a full natural one. It looks like a magus once took over it and built their workshop deeper and deeper inside," Olga concluded after her inspection. "They had probably wanted to tap into Fuyuki's leyline."

Saber and Caster shifted to the back of the group as Issei heard footsteps from a cliff behind them.

"Looks like the guardian came to greet us personally," Caster snarked, leaning on his staff.

A man, hair whiter than snow, peered down from atop the cliff. Red lines, reminiscent of what Issei had seen on the Berserker, crept up from his neck to one side on his face.

"The Archer Servant," Saber frowned and tightened her grip on her sword.

"I don't recall ever calling myself a guardian, but at the very least, I can take care of intruders," Archer said, rolling his eyes. He kept his hands open, but Issei didn't see any weapons on him.

"So, you're on gatekeeping duty. That sounds a bit boring, why let us keep you company for a bit, Archer." Caster grinned and raised his hands, framing them with blue energy.

Motes of light rushed into Archer's hands, materializing into a bow and sword. As soon as he notched the sword, it twisted and transformed into an arrow. "I don't have that much free time," he said and took aim, releasing the string.

Mashu rushed in front of the group as Issei attempted to summon forth Ascalon. However, just a few feet before the arrow reached them, Caster shouted, "Eihwaz!"

Flames sprang from the arrow, twisted around it, and incinerated it into ashes.

"Don't say such sad things, Archer. What's the rush unless you have no confidence in taking me on?" Caster taunted, writing glowing runes onto the air. His arm slashed forth, and the runes transformed into fire and shot forward, converging and exploding at Archer's location. Black smoke billow as upturned chunks of dirt and rock flew off the ledge.

Archer jumped backward, out of the smoke, clothes not touched by the debris. His mouth tightened, his eyes focused. He readied another sword and aimed again.

"Go now! Deal with Saber and Berserker!" Caster urged as he barreled past Mashu.

This is what they had agreed to do earlier, but running deeper into the cave and leaving Caster to fight alone left Issei conflicted. Caster was blunt at times, but Issei didn't mind it. Issei could say it was nostalgic, having someone that he could banter with in the brief time they were together.

There were no traps impeding their descent. The moonlight didn't reach deep enough, but there was an eerie, violet light that illuminated the path forward. When they reached the opening that the road led to, all of them could only stand in horror at what they saw and felt.

"What is that?" Ritsuka asked, turning her head upwards.

Issei couldn't answer. The path had opened up into a large span of space, riddled with the bones of countless humans, and a gigantic hill towered over them in the middle of it. It didn't seem like it was composed of actual earth, rather it was some sort of wretched black mud. The violet light emanated at the zenith, radiating out like a sun rising from the horizon.

Olga frowned, cupping her chin, as she scanned around. "Is this a Magecraft reactor core? Is this what a Holy Grail is?"

"Oh ho," a familiar voice called out. "I see two interesting servants and their little Masters walking into this den of lions. A girl with the most intriguing shield and someone I had never thought I would face. But I wonder... "

Issei couldn't help but shiver when he gazed at the woman who stood at the peak. Just like Artoria, she too possessed beauty, but it was cruel rather than captivating. Her skin was pale, untouched snow, and her eyes were just as frigid and desolate, rather than the gentle green that he was used to. They froze him, left him stranded in a blizzard that sought to deprive him of any warmth if he gazed in for too long.

A dense aura, just as black as her armor and dress, coursed through her entire body. Issei grimaced; he recognized it as a form of Mana Burst. But what he feared most was the dark holy sword that she held in her right hand.

There was no doubt that it was Excalibur, but Issei wondered if it was correct to still call it holy when so much evil seeped from the edge. It was unlike the time he had observed Artoria's Excalibur. It demanded his attention — he felt repulsed by its corruption yet it still captivated him. This Black Saber was an exact opposite to his own; an alternate that he wasn't sure he could condone.

She shook her head, closing her eyes. "Even if it's you, do you truly have the power to change your fate?"

"To become so warped in evil, how could you have fallen so low?" Artoria roared, clenching her fist; wind raged from her sword's edge as she dashed towards her counterpart.

"Do not dare to admonish me with righteousness, not when you yourself also committed atrocities!" the Black Saber sneered, sliding down the hill to meet Artoria. "But that was always your shortcoming — your pathetic insistence to cling onto weak ideals was the reason why Camelot fell!"

The Excaliburs clashed, a tango of light and dark.. "I —"

" — We share the same origin! Deep down, I know you harbor doubts. There was no need for us to restrain our power! So what if our people feared us? As long as all our enemies perished, then it didn't matter how we achieved it!" The hill shuddered as they disengaged with the force of their swings.

"There's always a price that comes with too much power! Look at Fuyuki!" Artoria demanded, pointing towards the entrance. "Tell me, where are the people? What kind of kingdom exists without them?"

"Sacrifices had to be made for the greater good," the Black Saber frowned, but she didn't avert her eyes.

"Is that your only answer?" Artoria asked, shaking her head. "There was indeed a time where I had thought that it would be better if another one had led Britain than me. I had made so many wrong choices, hurt so many people, and suffered a lot of defeats. But my path was not wrong. I had fought for one thing — the future. I do not and will not regret that. Just like how we are fighting for the future right now!"

"Then prove to me that resolve!" Black Saber challenged, beckoning with her sword. "Prove to me that you can endure what lies in the future!"

Artoria began to dash forward —

"▂▂▃▃▅▅ーーー！" The earth shook again as Berserker erupted from the top of the hill; his axe crashed into Artoria's blade, ferrying both them away from the group.

Mashu nodded to them as she walked forward. The Black Saber leapt from the hill and cracked the earth with her landing.

"Now then, girl, is your will to protect stronger than my sword?" The Black Saber ran forward as Mashu raised her shield to block the strike. Purple sparks scattered across the surface and Mashu struggled to parry each of her blows; her knees buckled each time, arms left shuddering.

Unlike Artoria, the enemy Saber used her Mana Burst without restraint. Black mana coalesced into her Excalibur — so much that it was no longer steel that she wielded, but pure darkness instead. Each attack left Mashu struggling to recover, and the onslaught increased in ferocity. Olga had conjured a barrier to protect them stray debris and mana, but it shuddered from the sheer wind pressure of Saber's swings.

Issei wasn't sure how much more Mashu could endure when he could feel the force of Saber's attacks from this far. They had to go on the attack now.

"What's wrong? You cannot protect anything if you do not have the will to press forward!" Saber snarled.

Saber swung upwards and smashed Mashu into the air. She lost her grip on her shield, falling onto her face, but she lifted her chin even if her limbs couldn't muster enough strength to get onto her knees.

"If you cannot get up, then this can only be a mercy for you," Saber murmured. She walked up to Mashu, raising her sword above her head.

Issei ran, gathering mana into his legs and letting it explode outwards. The usage of Mana Burst was instinctual as if he had used this technique for years.

Saber swung down with both arms to behead Mashu, but she struck only dirt. Her eyes narrowed, growling with anger as Mashu had teleported backwards from her position — thanks to Ritsuka's Mystic Code. She took a step forward to continue her assault, but Issei had already placed himself in his path.

He called forth his sword and let his the mana flow into the blade. Saber's eyes widened as she raised Excalibur to catch Ascalon, crossing their weapons, and he shouted, "Ritsuka!"

Ritsuka braced an arm as she pointed her palm at Issei. A red glow covered her uniform before it faded away and collected into an orb. It flew into Issei; he could feel strength surging within his body. It compounded on what he had mustered, but he focused only on channeling it into his weapon to invoke its true power.

"ASCALON!"

Waves of gold erupted from Ascalon, bathing both Issei and Saber in light. The power rippled forward, gouged the ground, and enveloped Saber's entire body. It continued onward until it collided with the hillside. Dust and smoke billowed from the aftermath.

"Did we get her?" Issei panted, sheathing Ascalon into the dirt as he leaned upon the hilt. It would take some time for him to recover back his stamina and mana.

Ritsuka rushed towards Mashu with a green glow outlining her Mystic Code this time. A sudden gale of wind cleared the smoke and turned his attention back towards the hillside.

"To think that you would even possess a dragon slayer's Noble Phantasm. I see that my other self wasted no time in teaching you how to use Mana Burst."

The Black Saber pulled herself out from the crater in the hillside. Her entire armor was cracked, and a faint trail of blood ran down the side of her lips. She wiped it off her free hand. "It would not do if your education was lacking — let me show you the proper way to utilize it!"

Before Issei could even respond, Saber poured mana into her sword, and the torrent of black light condensed into the shape of a dragon's head. It opened its maw wide and sprung forward, seeking to consume Issei whole.

Issei tried to gather mana towards his feet; he could feel the heat of the energy teasing his cheeks —

" —- Sorry, I'm here now, Issei-senpai!" Mashu grounded her shield in front of Issei, protecting him from the body of the attack. The ground around them cracked as black flames licked the sides of her shield.

"That was close. Thanks Mashu," Issei sighed

"No." Mashu shook her head. "It's the least I can do after my terrible performance as a Servant."

"So you managed to avoid that. Then here's your final test! Can you endure this?" Saber raised her sword upwards. Black light eclipsed the violet glow, engulfing the very airspace above them. Issei paled, his knees buckled, and he struggled to breathe underneath the buildup of pressure.

"That isn't good, Issei-senpai, get behind my shield!" Mashu cried.

"EXCALIBUR MORGAN!" she roared. A tsunami of black light engulfed the entirety of Mashu's shield. The torrent gushed around them, and he could see nothing but darkness.

Mashu's knees faltered; her greaves snapped backwards by the force. Her grip on her shield's handle slackened, almost dropping it until another hand covered and supported hers.

"Don't give up! I'm here for you, Mashu!" Ritsuka said, smiling. "We're here for you. You're not alone! I believe in you!"

"That's right — we fight so we can see another day together," Mashu murmured, the vigor slowly returning into her legs. "Please watch me, Master!"

Her shield resonated with her will. White light pulsated throughout the surface, eating away at the darkness, and bricks projected from it, forming the foundations of a giant wall — it was a bastion against evil.

"Hah!" Mashu yelled as she began to push back Excalibur Morgan's light.

"The Shield finally awakens," Saber murmured as her attack could no longer flow past Mashu's Wall. It bubbled up at the center, and Mashu rammed it back at Saber. There was nothing to impede the flood on Saber's side; it submerged her and scoured the ground, leaving nothing but a shallow crevasse in front of them. Smoke from the aftermath obscured their vision, but it subsided quickly.

Saber crouched over her sword with slitted eyes, blood dripping from her scowl. Her armor was shattered, gaps revealing black garments beneath.

Mashu fell to her knees, barely able to keep her shield upright. Fractures riddled the white wall of her Noble Phantasm.

"Mashu!" Ritsuka wrapped her arms around Mashu's waist, hugging her close.

"I'm okay, but," Mashu wheezed, "the fight isn't over yet."

Issei nodded. He found it ridiculous that this Saber was still standing after receiving Ascalon's and her own attacks. Golden light gleamed from a distance, attracting everyone's attention. He felt hope instead of despair when he gazed upon it.

Saber winced as she mustered mana to her feet. With a kick to the ground, she leapt—

" — EXCALIBUR!"

"▃▃▅▅!" A howl of insanity faded with the light, and a giant chasm crossed perpendicular to the previous one.

Caster dashed next to them. "I see that our Saber has finished her battle as well. You all did well lasting this long." Issei noticed he was no longer wearing his coat. Caster's chest was bare; his muscles slick with sweat and smudged with dirt.

Artoria also landed next to them. Parts of her chest plate were dented, but Issei couldn't see any major injuries. She frowned. "Master! I should've used Excalibur earlier to stop her from releasing hers!"

"It's fine, you had a lot to deal with," Issei said, nodding at Mashu. "Mashu was able to use her Noble Phantasm to protect us."

"You did a good job, Mashu. I'm so glad," Ritsuka sniffed.

"Victory to the power that protects, just like that innocent youth back then," the Black Saber spoke. She closed her eyes and smiled. "Ultimately, no matter how fate changes, I face the same end when I'm alone."

Her leg flickered into transparency, and her foot began to dissolve into a drizzle of golden light. It developed into a heavy rain as it stormed towards her torso, wiping away everything in its path.

"What are you talking about? Do you know something?" Caster asked.

"Eventually you will come to know, Ireland's Child of Light. Your trials are not over. The Grand Order, is it? The battle for the Holy Grails has only begun," Saber murmured as her entire body faded away.

Caster yelled, "Hey, wait! What did you mean by that —-"

He glanced down, noticing that his own legs were also fading into sparks. "I see, with the defeat of Saber, the War is over then, and I have no more purpose here."

"Caster-san, thank you very much!" Mashu bowed.

"Tch, it's nothing." He shouldered his staff and smirked. "Well, I'll leave it all up to you to clean up. If there's a next time, summon me as a Lancer instead!"

Issei watched as the last of the sparkles danced into the air. Issei knew Servants weren't human, but to see Caster disappear suddenly saddened him. Even if they had summon him, could he be considered the same person if he didn't have the memories of this version? Issei glanced at Artoria, unsure what would happen when the time comes and she had to leave.

"There's no longer a signature for the enemy Saber and Caster," Mashu looked around. "Did we win?"

"This War should be the source of the singularity," Ritsuka said. "Concluding it should've solved everything — "

Ritsuka's communicator rang.

"Well done, everyone!" Doctor Roman exclaimed through the device. "I can't get a visual down there, but I'm sure you all are happy! Director, looks like we don't have to worry about the Fuyuki Singularity."

Issei and the others turned to Olga, but she wasn't smiling.

"The Grand Order," Olga whispered. "How did that Servant know that name?"

"What's wrong Director?" Ritsuka asked.

"No, it's nothing." Olga shook her head and smiled. "Well done, Mashu, Fujimaru, Hyoudou, and Saber. Mashu, no matter your inexperience as a Servant, your own will was capable of activating your Noble Phantasm. Keep at it, and you'll be able to unlock its True Name."

"Yes! Thank you, Director!" Mashu exclaimed.

"Fujimaru and Hyoudou, you both also proved yourselfs on the battlefield. Utilizing whatever you possess to your advantage is a sign of a good Master," Olga praised.

Issei clapped his hand with Ritsuka in a high five, while meeting Artoria's gaze and nodded towards her. He heaved out, eased the tension from his shoulders, relieved that the mission was over —

He heard a clap, echoing around the cave. Issei glanced around to check who was clapping, only to find the group bewildered and on their balls of their feet.

More claps came, allowing Issei to pinpoint it towards the peak. A man, dressed in a green fur coat, kept clapping, but there was no enthusiasm in it.

"My, I never thought you would all get this far. This is an unforeseen element of the project that goes beyond what my tolerance allows."

The commanding and snide tone —- it was familiar to Issei, but he was too burnt out from the earlier fight to focus on that.

"Wait, you're — " Ritsuka gaped.

" — Professor Lev?" Mashu ended.

"Wait, you all said Professor Lev?" Roman asked.

Issei now remembered the man who had called them before the incident in Chaldea.

"Lev! Lev!" Olga called out, blinking back tears but failing. Her tears drenched her smile as she ran towards the Professor, forgetting everything around her. "Thank goodness, you're still alive! Without you, I don't know what I would — "

"Hello Olga. Looks like you had a rough time, too," Lev commented, returning back a smile with no teeth.

"Yes, that's exactly right, Lev! With all of the unexpected events, I thought I would go crazy!" Olga nodded, rubbing away her tears. "But now that you're here, we'll get through it somehow, won't we?"

"Of course. I'm just so furious with all these unexpected events," Lev agreed, turning his scowl towards Ritsuka. "Romani, I thought I told you to come to the control room immediately."

"Lev," Roman muttered.

Lev turned to Olga, shaking his head, and sighed. "And you, Olga. I planted the bomb right under your feet. I can't believe you're still alive."

Olga paused, confusion written over her face. Issei gaped as a part of him hoped Lev was joking — that he had a terrible sense of humor. The other part of him readjusted his grasp on the hilt of Ascalon. If it wasn't a joke, then there was only one alternative.

"Well, not exactly alive. In fact, you're dead," Lev sneered, his canines gleaming. "Your physical body, anyway."

Olga backpedaled, while Issei frowned. He had no idea what Lev was talking about. Olga didn't have any injuries, nor was she even hindered by anything during their ascent to the cave.

"When you were alive, you didn't have the aptitude for Rayshifting. You couldn't make the transfer when you had a body," Lev explained, fingering the rim of his hat, "but you had such an earnest desire for it, you actually obtained the aptitude as you died."

"That's a lie," Olga cried with her legs trembling. She hugged her body, unable to quell her tremors.

"That's why, the moment you all return to Chaldea, your consciousness will cease to exist."

"I will cease," Olga choked, "to exist?"

"But that's too miserable to contemplate," Lev snarked. "You dedicated your life to Chaldea, so the least I can do is show you what's going on."

He raised his hand, and a golden cup erupted from the hilland hovered around his palm. He grasped it, fingers barely able to wrap the stem before it submerged into his hand. A golden hue emanated from his hand before it scurried up his arm and framed his entire body.

Lev snapped his fingers — a visible distortion slashed across the middle of the sky. It split apart, opening wide into a perfect circle, and revealed what appeared to be a room filled with debris. In the middle of the room, a familiar sphere oscillated and bathed them in red light.

"That can't real!" Olga shook her head, glancing back and forth between the sphere and Lev. "That has to be a virtual image, right, Lev?"

"It's the real thing. I linked space-time together for you. You see, with the Holy Grail, even this is possible. So take a good look, scion of the Animusphere family. This is the fate of your family's lunacy," Lev said as he pointed towards Olga.

Golden light similar to the Holy Grail wrapped around Olga's frame as she hovered into the air.

"Director!" Issei and Ritsuka shouted as they rushed after her, but Mashu and Artoria held both of their arms back.

"Don't go!" Mashu pleaded, while Artoria shook her head. Issei couldn't understand why they were refusing to help.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Olga screamed. She kicked her legs and flailed her arms but to no avail.

"As this is the end, I'll make your wish come true. You may touch your treasure." Lev laughed, gesturing towards the globe.

"No, what are you talking about? Please, please stop it! That's CHALDEAS, you know?" Olga whimpered.

"Yes, it's no different than a black hole, or perhaps a sun." Lev shrugged. "Either way, if a human touches it, they will be split apart on a molecular level. You will experience living infinite death."

"No! No, somebody! Somebody help me!" Olga shrieked. Her eyes latched onto Issei's — it was the first time he saw Olga begging. No longer was she the Director, but only just a girl who wanted to live.

A wish that he couldn't fulfill. A failure that tortured his soul. His eyes started stinging, his vision wet and blurry. No longer did he just see Olga — he saw a girl with long blonde hair. She wore a simple black dress, one that could be found on a nun of a church.

Tears were the morning dew in the green meadows of her eyes, but her smile was the rising sun that slowly embraced away the chill.

"Thank you, Issei-san," she whispered. "Thank you for trying so much or someone like me."

His heart hammered against his rib cage, his breathing labored and haggard.

"Why? I haven't accomplished anything yet! All I wanted was — "

" — friends, and you were my first — "

" — for someone to be proud of me! Lev! Roman! Father — "

" — I'm glad to have met you."

The moment Olga collided with CHALDEAS, a sickening sizzle crackled throughout the cave. Her screams lingered within his ears, long after it died off as the flames swallowed her, fraying and scourging away her skin, muscles, and her bones.

She was no more.

"No! Olga!" Ritsuka sobbed, falling to her knees and hands; tears had painted her cheeks with a gloss thick enough to reflect the burning light of CHALDEAS.

"Damn it all!" Issei snarled, cursing himself. He grinded his teeth hard enough to pollute his mouth with iron.. He welcomed the pain — any punishment was welcomed — but as much as he judged himself, it wouldn't change anything.

He failed them.

"Master, I understand your anger, but calm yourself! We cannot confront this being here," Artoria said.

"That's right, he's too dangerous, Issei-senpai!" Mashu ran forward and grounded her shield in front of them.

"As expected of the Servant and Demi-Servant. You can both tell that I am a fundamentally different creature, couldn't you?" Lev clapped again.

Issei wanted to calm down, but it was so hard when the blood pounded his head. He wanted to wipe away that smirk off of Lev's face, wanted Lev to feel the same feeling of helplessness, wanted him to suffer unending pain just as they did!

But he knew he can't afford to be reckless against someone that Artoria and Mashu were apprehensive about. It frustrated him, crushed him. In the end, it just meant he was too weak.

Too weak to save someone when the time mattered.

"The 48th Master and the unknown 49th Master. I had turned a blind eye to both of you because I had thought you both held no promise. Why do humans always want to avoid the course of fate that is chosen for them?" Lev sighed before brushing his clothes and bowed. "Then I will introduce myself once more. I am Lev Lainur Flauros. I am the charge of 2016, tasked to dispose of your human race. Are you listening, Doctor Roman?"

"Lev!" Roman's disgust buzzed through.

"As fellow students who studied magic together, I will give you one final advice. The future has not disappeared. It's been incinerated. Chaldea is probably protected by the magnetic field of CHALDEAS, but I'm sure the outside world is facing the same fate as Fuyuki."

"Then the reason we aren't able to make contact with the outside isn't because the communications are down, but because there's no one outside to receive them," Roman concluded.

"You will not perish from being a dead end evolution, nor will you not be destroyed after engaging in a war with different races. Rather, your own meaningless and incompetence will be your end! You have lost the favor of our king, and thus you will burn away like useless trash!" Lev shouted, eyes judging them as he clenched his fist.

Despair pummeled Issei and held his insides hostage. Fuyuki disturbed him: it was desolate and broken, with only undead and fire living in its domains. If the rest of the world was also like this, then what could he do? What could they do? Never had the gravity of their mission felt so suffocating.

But something had anchored him from losing himself — Artoria hadn't let go of his arm. He found solace in her eyes; the grim news did little to dampen their guidance. He heaved away the shackles of fear and looked forward. Nothing was set in stone yet, they still had a chance to make things right.

The earth trembled, and they all struggled to maintain their footing.

"An earthquake?" Ritsuka asked, raising both of her arms for balance.

Mashu shook her head. "No, this is something else."

Rocks fell from the top of the cave while the ground was torn asunder from the shaking.

"This Singularity has also reached its limit, eh?" noted Lev, turning his back on them. "The accursed Saber caused me unnecessary trouble, trying to maintain this time period even while being awarded the Holy Grail."

"My other self," Artoria murmured; her hand placed across her chest.

"And so, farewell, Romani, Mash, Saber and the two Masters."

The portal to CHALDEAS closed while Lev faded into thin air, leaving them to deal with the falling debris and cracks in the earth.

"The cave is collapsing! No, the very space of this Singularity is," Mashu said, covering them from falling rubble with her shield.

Ritsuka brought her communicator towards her mouth. "Doctor, it's time to Rayshift us all back!"

"I got it! However, I'm sorry! It might collapse around you first! Anyway, if —- " Roman exclaimed, but communications got cut off.

"Doctor!" Ritsuka shouted. She shook her head at the dimming light of her communicator.

The ground they were all standing upon cracked open and launched all of them into the air.

"Everyone!" Issei yelled, trying to reach for their hands. He managed to grab onto Ritsuka and Artoria, while Ritsuka grabbed onto Mashu — then, everything turned black, and he knew no more.

Issei snapped his eyes opened as he tried to grab into thin air. He found himself staring at his hand, tracing the red lines of the tattoo that denoted him as a Master.

He realized he was in Chaldea's infirmary. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing that he kept waking here. Warm bedding and soft pillows did nothing to comfort him. They had won the Singularity, but they had lost someone important to them. He clenched his hand, nails biting into his palm as he rocked on his forehead with his knuckles.

"Kyuu!"

Issei glanced around and saw Fou sitting on a chair. He flapped his fluffy ears, tilting his head, and gazed into Issei's eyes. The thought of this small little animal looking over him tugged at his lips slightly. Fou jumped over the chair and scurried towards the door andpaused to stare as if he wanted something from Issei.

"Kyuu!"

Issei got to his feet, noticing a white jacket on the chair. It was similar to what Ritsuka had worn. He glanced down and noticed that he was wearing a clean black shirt and pants. He slid off his bed and reached for the jacket until he caught his reflection from a mirror.

It was strange to see himself for the first time since he woke up with amnesia. He wasn't sure if the person he saw now was the same person before he came to Chaldea.

Who even was he now?

He rushed after Fou, unable or perhaps unwilling to answer that question.

There was no one in the halls, but he kept trailing behind Fou. Fou lead him down a familiar path. Once the doors opened, he realized it was the destroyed room. Fou skipped through the debris before stopping at Mashu's feet.

"Fou? What's wrong?" She kneeled down, petting his head.

"Mashu." Issei paused as he took in Mashu's appearance: she was no longer wearing armor nor carrying her shield and was instead in a simple, black dress and jacket. He mused to himself on why she would need to wear glasses though.

"Ah, good morning, Issei-senpai!" Mashu stood up, carrying Fou in her arms..

"Issei's up?" Ritsuka called out as she stepped from behind a broken girder.

"Good morning as well, Master." Artoria followed behind Ritsuka. She brushed dirt from the hem of her blue and white dress.

Everyone was here. They were safe. He smiled through the urge to cry. "Good morning everyone."

"Looks like we're all assembled then," Roman said as he stood up from where he was sitting. "Congratulations and thank you to you both, Ritsuka Fujimaru and Issei Hyoudou. Without your efforts, Chaldea would've been destroyed."

"But," Ritsuka swallowed, "what about the Director?"

"Unfortunately, nothing can be done." Roman shook his head, closing his eyes. "Because of your actions, the Fuyuki Singularity has disappeared. However — "

Roman pointed to CHALDEAS. The model of Earth was still burning red, except now there were seven bright lights around the globe.

"Seven new singularities have been discovered. They're space-time disturbances that Fuyuki can't even compare to. We will have to Rayshift to each of these singularities to resolve them and return history back from to normal. That's the only way we can save the human race and the future."

Roman walked towards the remains of a pod-like structure and laid his hand upon it. "Aside from you two, all the other Masters are left in cryogenic preservation until they can be healed. Mashu and Artoria are the only Servants we have. Under these circumstances, I — no, we have no choice."

Roman inhaled as he faced Issei and Ritsuka. "The 48th Master Ritsuka Fujimaru and 49th Master Issei Hyoudou. Are you and your Servants prepared to shoulder the responsibility of humanity's future?"

Issei glanced at Risuka, gazing into her eyes. They were swollen from tears but bright with resolve. Both of them already knew the answer.

"Together, we'll fight for it. The future is ours to take back!"

"And so it will be! This is the Grand Order!" Roman declared. "Under the directions of our late Director Olgamarie Animusphere, we will preserve humanity!"

"Welcome to Chaldea, Issei!' Ritsuka smiled, and for once, Issei felt he was home.

"It has begun."

"It is about to start."

"It is as it has always been."

"Indeed. It has always been this way."

"What the World desires…"

"What the World rejects…"

"...has always been power."

"...has always been love."

"No matter the era, you always choose the path that leads to Ruin!"