The World is finished.
Finished as in lifeless, dead, eradicated, ended.
The desolate landscape stretches out before the eyes, a haunting sight that evokes a sense of desolation and despair. A gloomy shroud hangs over the land, drenched with an eternal stillness that echoes the annihilation of all that once thrived in this place.
Hope is nothing but a distant memory now, a flickering flame on the verge of extinguishment. The remnants of humanity, survivors of the cataclysm, are now nigh-extinct. Their faces bear the marks of hardship and loss, etched deep into their weary expressions, now sporting lifelessness.
The air itself carries a palpable weight of despair. The souls of the few survivors are consumed by a profound sense of loss, their spirits crushed under the weight of what once was. The spark of hope that once burned bright within them has been dimmed, overshadowed by the overwhelming darkness that surrounds them.
The World had finally succumbed to the catastrophe of the alien beast, and the remnants of life tread through this forsaken realm, resigned to a fate devoid of any shred of redemption.
The unrecognizable land filled with craters, crystal-like substances, and scattered broken weapons, a defeated battle lay.
The scorched earth beneath his feet shouted a haunting dirge as if mourning the lost pledge of a vibrant land.
A broken man pant on his knees, his body filled with crimson stains, covered in blood and dust. He clutches his fractured side, feeling the throbbing pain intensify with each passing moment. severe injuries around him, a deep gash on his abdomen that continues to bleed profusely. The pain only heightens as Unlimted Blade Work's outside effects push its best to quickly heal him.
He tries to recall how he ended up in this dire state, but his mind is clouded by the chaos and destruction that surrounds him. Flashes of violence and chaos flicker through his thoughts, fragments of memories that offer no coherent narrative. All he knows for certain is that he must find a way to survive.
That is if he has any more energy to even summon another hundred blades.
The ORT is too powerful and relentless, its hard skin glistening ominously under the dim light of the moon. Its limbs move with precision and speed, a deadly dance of destruction.
With each passing moment, he realizes the vast chasm that separates his resilience from the lethality of the foreigner.
Said foreigner stilled equally battered and beaten, its further mangled body a far cry to its legendary designation; the hard skin that had once gleamed durable is now marred with deep deep holes and flesh dents, revealing the inner body that kept 'bleeding', its limbs, hang at unnatural angles, twisted and worn from the relentless explosive-type Noble Phantasms.
The foreigner's outer skin, once pristine and impenetrable, is now pierced with the marks of countless strikes. Jagged shards of blades protrude from its frame, signifying both its vulnerability and Shirou's unwavering resolution.
The once deadly Dead Apostle Ancestor has transformed into a solemn mangle of wreckage, as the battlefield bears witness to the clash of two indomitable forces. Yet, it is still standing and is now limping near Shirou with its front claws raised.
Shirou staggers as he stands up, his blood-soaked and tattered Mystic Code clinging to his weary body, his strength waning. A wave of exhaustion washes over him, threatening to pull him into the abyss of surrender. His pulse pounds in his ears, the adrenaline coursing through his veins, fueling his determination to fight against all odds.
Its razor-sharp fangs glisten with the blood of countless victims, its predatory gaze locking onto its worn-out prey.
Every fiber of Shirou's being screams at him to run, to escape the impending doom that now hovers over him. Doubt and fear threaten to consume his every thought, whispering that this battle is futile, that victory is an impossible dream.
The ORT raised its crystal claw high into the air, its jagged edges reflecting the dim light of the battlefield. The atmosphere grew tense as if time itself held its breath in anticipation of the impending strike.
Shirou's heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing with a mixture of fear and determination. His senses heightened, his mind racing to come up with a strategy to evade the lethal blow. Every muscle in his body screamed for him to move, to escape the inevitable strike that threatened to end his life.
With a thunderous wave, the ORT brought down its claw with a force that shook the ground beneath them,
—a flash of blue–
—and the sheer power behind the attack sent shockwaves through the air, causing debris to fly in all directions. A cloud of dust and smoke enveloped the area, momentarily obscuring Shirou from view.
"I have enough."
In that fraction of a second, the ORT's mind raced through countless scenarios, its survival instincts kicking into overdrive. Adrenaline surged through.
Just as it seemed to jump back, a burst of neon-blue light erupted from Shirou's location. A radiant shield formed around him, pulsating with a protective energy that defied the destructive force of the ORT's claw.
Blue light and smoke expanded and condensed in a circular manner as azure rays blazed with it, coalescing into a whole. With a burst, a sphere with blue flames suspended in the air, accompanied by two rings rotating slowly around it.
Shirou's eyes widened in his exhausted state. The ORT stepped back, it knew it. The being in front of it, the ORT recognizes it. It needs to go. It needs to run away—!
"Are you turning away? Will you flee from my presence cowardly?"
Before it could react or do anything, the ORT suddenly collapsed. It landed on the ground in a heap, its aura dissipated as if its core had exploded due to the sudden pressure exerted by some unseen assault.
For the first time since the beginning, fear struck the ORT like lightning. That thing in front shouldn't even appear.
Bioluminescent strings of energy emerge from the whirlpool sphere. They move like jellyfish tentacles toward the downed Shirou.
These thin tendrils of the Counter Force were used to start the process of claiming someone as its agent, a Counter Guardian. But Shirou was already one.
His eyes grew more fatigued and on the verge of unconsciousness. He couldn't prevent the tendrils from entering his body upon contact with his stomach. Deep within, he felt them moving into his soul, and through his Reality Marble. They reach for his endless blades and grasp a small blade.
A Mystic Code.
The stings drew back and held with them, a dagger with a jeweled blade, glowing with a multitude of colors from its unactivated dull jewel.
"Alaya... activated the Jeweled Sword?" Shirou thought wearied. The mentioned sword glowed kaleidoscope-like and a tear in space opened near him, the other side an endless cosmos.
Shirou looked at it in curiosity, not knowing what to do, but with a sinking feeling, he felt like he knew what may happened. With the current state of the world...
The ORT also seemed to realize this as it screeched and hurriedly went to attack, crystals rapidly grew and shot at Shirou. This time, he didn't have mana to defend with Rho Aias.
But even if he did, there would be no need.
The approaching attack was met with a series of powerful golden lights, followed by numerous chains that repelled the weakened ORT.
The clash of energy created a mesmerizing display, illuminating the darkness of the battlefield with a brilliant, otherworldly glow.
"Hm, well now, it seems I made it just in time to save you from meeting your doom." A feminine but regal voice chuckled.
"Be thankful for the queen, Sword Incarnate."
The wind appeared to be moving, slowly at first, but then directed in all directions. A figure in white and blue descended, and the ruined ground beneath her almost glitched, turning the scene into an otherwise lavish garden for a moment, as if it was welcoming her.
Excluding a royal presence, a 17-year-old female with long golden blonde hair that almost reached the ground, piercing red eyes that can be only owned by a dangerous killer machine, and a charismatic but destructive aura that made the ORT cowered.
"Arc–Arcueid?" Shirou's half-lidden eyes slightly widened in recognition of someone whom he hadn't met in a long time since the Holy Grail War on the Moon Cell. She was the White Berserker at that time, the lone survivor of the True Ancestor's royal bloodline.
Something is different with her now, evidenced by the ruthless tone she used just now, and with her demeanor she looks like a queen that will show no mercy. Furthermore, in contrast to her plain clothing, she's now wearing a corset underneath a gorgeous, opulent oversized dress.
And another presence is intertwined with her own, almost like...
"Indeed that is me, but please do not treat my name lightly." Her lips amusingly curled up, "The Planet's Will sent me, as the Archetype of the World."
"Archetype of the Earth?" Shirou recalled how the naive and bubbly Arcueid always felt someone in the back of her mind, an older and earlier personality speaking from her subconscious. Is this her?
"The True Ancestors' White Princess was not always like the one you remembered. This form is at her original and most powerful before Roa took a majority of her powers. Her truest form which shows her side at the touch of the planet as the True Ancestor of the highest grade of purity. The Crimson Moon. The Original One." Alayashiki's undeterminable voice spoke to him, almost startling him back to full consciousness before a breeze slightly pushed him, backing to the portal that had the other side swirled until an image of a forest manifested in the end.
The wind grew stronger, and so was Shirou pushed back. This is Gaia's doing?
Arcueid then heard something and turned her attention from Shirou to where she struck the ORT. Said monster was slowly pushing itself back to stand up. A barrier made up of crystals that weren't there before slowly dissipated from its body.
"Are you that adamant about killing the Wrought Iron, 5th? Even with the hard time he gave you, you just won't perish." The Original One looked on in contempt.
"Then, let's see how you fare well in this one." Arcueid slightly leans back and swipes her hand elegantly,
"Alt Nagel!"
—And a violent wave of powerful zephyr collided with the ORT.
Fierce turbulence of air blew past and surrounded it, tearing the beast inside as it shook violently from the onslaught of harsh wind. It lost balance and toppled over to the ground yet again.
Shirou stumbled forward, trying to steady himself once again but failing miserably. His legs were shaking badly, threatening to give out. His eyes were burning as he tried his best to stay conscious.
"What was that?!" He whispered to himself. No sooner than the words left his mouth did he feel a sudden sensation of dizziness wash over him. Before he knew it, his mind started distorting, as fuzzy knowledge started entering. Information of a magnitude and variety that were foreign to him. Understanding of Magic, Magecraft, and Mystery. Of the Throne of Heroes, Counter Force, the Ages of Man and Gods, and the Swirl of the Root.
As soon as he was able to think coherently again, he realized he was now inside the portal. Gaia took the time to push him further. Shirou didn't have the time to react as he was then sucked by the vacuum of the portal.
"You have accomplished your part in this world, Hero. Now it is time for you to save the Humanity of another."
The last thing Shirou saw was Arcueid's smile before she and Alaya diverted their attention from him. Then he blacked out, unaware of the Jeweled Sword closing the portal and returning to him accompanied by a golden cup.
The very damaged ORT struggled desperately to regain its footing amidst the raging winds, scattering the debris and destroying pieces of its body in a matter of seconds.
The ground quaked beneath their feet, cracks forming like veins across the scorched earth. Dust and rubble flew. The wind seemed eternal, an evermore torture of an unstoppable force from an even more unbeatable power.
The wind continued to grow until it took on the form of an immense pillar of destructive wind that stretched to the heavens. A massive explosion occurred in the center of the ORT. Its body was torn to shreds, chunks of flesh flying off with an incredible force. The flesh was slowly vaporized.
All the while, Arcueid maintained a somewhat delightful face. As though this was all just a game.
She stood there with a relaxed expression on her flawless face, enjoying herself.
After the dust subsided, only a smudge of dirt remained at the place where the ORT once was. Not even its remnants were spared.
"Now that is over," Arcueid then turned her head and smiled maliciously in the direction of multiple presences that appeared before she killed the ORT, that's why Gaia and Alaya had wasted no time to send Shirou off.
"What should I do with you, impudent fools?"
Numerous ominous intents seep from that direction as one of them spoke hoarse, "Impudent?"
"Your arrogance shall only lead to your death, Lady Arcueid. There is no escape to these lands. Your actions are now futile." Vlov Arkhangel the 19th, his voice as cold as Russia's winter.
"My, you are in a bad mood." Arcueid smiled again, unaffected by those words.
"Bad wouldn't even be the appropriate word to describe our mood, vampire." Michael Roa Valdamjong the unofficial 28th, the Serpent of Akasha.
"I see your attitude is still the same as ever," Arcueid's smile twinkled before it was wiped off and she narrowed her eyes, her expression turning serious. "Even in your pitiful state caused by the Wrought Iron, you are still annoying."
"I'll gladly take advantage of my pathetic state to crush you," Roa spat bluntly.
"Don't get too cocky." Arcueid replied with confidence, "I am much stronger than my original, and I won't fall for the same trick you did twice. I could kill you instantly if you really thought I couldn't."
"You're underestimating us, vampiress." Nrvnqsr Chaos the 10th, his deformed body also caused by Shirou in a recent battle. His skin looked like a patchwork of burnt animal leather, patches of scales and spikes, and patches of bone that were visible underneath. Sword marks stick out from his body, his arm torn off after Shirou killed Enhance the 18th member.
"Oh come now, you haven't improved that much since we last met." Arcueid mocked them mercilessly, "Besides, the real fun begins when you are defeated by me, right?"
Roa snarled darkly, his red eyes flashing with malice, "Are you sure about that, bitch?"
Her smile became cold, sinister in its malice, and she replied with her eerie voice. "You don't know my true intentions, but it doesn't matter..." Her grin spread wider as a flash of harsh, golden light emanated from her being.
"No matter what happens here, the one who will die first is you, bastard. Alaya and Gaia will make sure of that."
Arcueid then threw both arms wide open and her body swayed in the wind.
—A golden sphere slowly swirled into existence.
—An explosion akin to a supernova.
—Her last arc.
"The End."
Shirou opened his eyes from his recollection of the memory from a year ago at the sound of voices.
"—and with their numbers increasing as time passes by, it will surely affect them eventually." Olga continued her speech, "The Hindu of course can't be allowed to continue spreading their faith throughout the Human World."
That's right... this is where he has been brought to. In the meeting room.
He looked around as he straightened up from his seat, glancing at everyone seated.
"That would be rather troubling, to say the least. What about them?" Reines questioned. She was sitting comfortably with one leg on top of another as she leaned forward, listening attentively.
"Yes, yes. The Hindu will have to be purged as we speak. They are becoming more and more insufferable as time goes by. I am afraid it might take much longer for us to rid ourselves of their influence completely and remove them from our ranks entirely. But rest assured that we'll achieve everything that we've set out to accomplish." Olga said confidently as her horn and eyes glowed. The Beast inside her was a woman of great strength, a warrior at her core as her gaze bore down the members in the room with determination.
"Next are the Chinese Religions. It seems like they've already grown complacent. As long as the Chinese remain tends to be overly optimistic, they end up causing trouble for us." Olga sighed heavily, she too was worried.
"The strongest among them was the Jade Emperor, only after the great Buddha, followed by Xiwangmu, the West's Queen Mother, Nüwa, Mankind's Creator, Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy, Longwang, the Dragon King, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, and Shangdi. Each one of them, however, was treated as equals by the Jade Emperor, so we can't expect a war from them due to his benevolence. He has always been one to be fair to his rule. We should keep an eye on the Eastern countries for any activity." Olga then shifted her eyes to the members, each listening attentively.
"At least Qin Shi Huang can be at ease with this." Da Vinci thought. Maybe not just him, but also the other Servants hailed from China.
"As for the Japanese, Sasaki, Ryougi, Amakusa, Emiya–" Shirou nodded, "–Ustumi and Tamamo didn't discover anything disputed during their reconnaissance, so they don't pose a threat right now except for the engaging conflict between the Amatsukami and the Kunitsukami."
"That won't be resolving anytime soon, it seems as the legends say," Sherlock stated.
"There's nothing else we can confirm regarding the Japanese Religions' situation other than they are behaving quite differently from usual. The others were more aggressive during this whole affair, whereas the Shinto had more restraint." Shirou explained.
Olga nodded at his explanation, "Very well, Shirou. I agree with your analysis. Let's assume them as the same as the Chinese Pantheon."
She continued, "As for the Egyptians, their Ennead ruled with Ra as the head. Despite being neutral to the rest of the pantheons, as long as that god continues to rule, Egypt is bound to be subjugated by him and the rest of the Ennead; Atum, Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys. With such circumstances, we may need to eradicate them."
Rin raised an eyebrow at that comment, "Do you mean to eliminate them outright? That is a bit extreme even for the current times of peace."
"They pose the greatest threat to our plans." Olga simply replied calmly. She then gave a meaningful look towards everyone present in the room, "This is what we must determine to ensure humanity's safety."
Everyone nodded silently without any objections.
However, the question is; does it all make sense if one thinks about things rationally? Is it all because they are not yet ready? Or are there more factors to consider? And which one is more important?
Perhaps the most likely reason was that they lacked sufficient intelligence or enough knowledge of history. However, regardless of the reason, the result is the same no matter how one looks at it.
For every decision that needs to be made in the future, the results would remain constant, whether one chooses to be pessimistic or hopeful, it all depends on the decisions to make.
But ultimately, it must be remembered that there are many things beyond their control, and the path one chooses, no matter how certain they seem to be, will inevitably change the outcome in the end. Thus, the choices that were made would affect every human. Even if someone chose to ignore that fact in favor of something else, he would ultimately end up regretting it.