Saber’s departure.
The moment that was decided, everything came to an end. Automatically, the departures of Caster, Assassin, Cu Chulainn, and Charlotte Corday were also determined.
No matter how much they wished to fight more, no matter how much they wanted to go with him, it was impossible.
This was because Cu Chulainn and Charlotte were neither Servants summoned by Chaldea nor Servants summoned by the Counter Force. They had been summoned by the Holy Grail War that was taking place in Fuyuki.
Therefore, with the Holy Grail War over and no one else remaining, the curtain had to fall on the conflict.
Whirrr... At the same time Saber’s departure began, particles of light began to flow from the bodies of Cu Chulainn and Charlotte as well.
He wanted to stop it somehow, but there was no way, so he just watched. As a Master, he could only stand by and witness it. Charlotte looked at his face and smiled.
The hell he would face going forward would surely push him to his limits. He was such a simple, honest person that it was hard to believe he was the one who would walk through such a hell.
He got swept up in the atmosphere and made mistakes; he got paralyzed by fear and made rash decisions. But even so, he had won.
With an ordinary body just like Charlotte’s, he was trying to achieve an even more absurd goal than she ever had.
Charlotte stood before her regretful Master and smiled.
"Master, our bond was brief. I was merely summoned to fight Saber. Compared to the path you must walk, our meeting was far too short. In the future, you will surely meet many people with much stronger impressions—people who are far more capable and wonderful than I am. Even so, I’ll say it anyway... Please, summon me to that place called Chaldea. As your Servant. Though, if I would be a hindrance on your path forward, I suppose it can't be helped."
At Charlotte’s words, the Master let out a hollow laugh.
It felt closer to a chuckle or a self-deprecating smirk. The Master tried to force his unmoving hand to stir.
Charlotte stayed still, knowing he wouldn't listen even if she told him not to overexert himself. She took the hand he slowly reached out.
It was covered in blood, and the tips of his fingers had turned an unnatural color.
Necrosis had begun to set in due to the excessive consumption of magical energy. Yet, she felt no repulsion at all. He was sacrificing that body to save the Human Order.
No matter the wounds, the pain, or the scars he would gain in the future, her gaze upon him would never change.
If it did change, that would be the real problem.
"To be honest, I was disappointed enough to cough up blood when I first summoned you. I wanted direct combat power. ...But now, I’ll say it from the bottom of my heart. You’re the best Servant. Choosing you here in Fuyuki was the right answer. My Goddess of Fortune!"
"D-Don't call me that."
"I promised I would."
"That was a one-sided promise."
"It was still a promise."
The moment the Master had become certain of that was when Saber’s final Noble Phantasm missed.
It was only natural to think of Charlotte at that final moment of true 'luck.' The Master looked at Charlotte and smiled.
That smile was bloody, scarred, and frankly, quite a mess... but...
Charlotte simply gazed at that smile with a gentle expression. He was smiling for her.
"In fact, I’m the one who wants to ask. Please, come to Chaldea later. ...I need you."
Charlotte’s eyes widened. The serious, matter-of-fact tone in his voice almost moved her to tears.
One night. It had only been one night.
But Charlotte could already think of no Master other than this one.
He had affirmed everything about her.
The things Charlotte had thought of negatively, the things she thought were meaningless, the things she had used to belittle herself—he had smashed them all and reached out his hand.
He said she was needed, said he believed in her, and said it was good that she was there. Blushing, Charlotte took the Master’s hand in both of hers.
Compared to the road ahead, he was so fragile. How far could this body, even more fragile than Charlotte’s own, possibly go?
She prayed that his journey would be even a little bit peaceful.
"Your name."
"Huh?"
"I... I don't know Master's name. Please... would you tell me?"
One never knows where or how bonds will connect.
There was no guarantee they would meet again, and no guarantee that the one who met him would be the Charlotte standing here. But Charlotte had a small conviction.
Even if they met again knowing nothing, she would fall for him all over same. He trusted Charlotte unconditionally.
That ruthlessly strong trust had quickly reached Charlotte’s heart.
As she looked at him without hiding her fluttering heart, Cu Chulainn, who was also in the middle of departing nearby, cut in.
"Ah, come to think of it, I haven't heard your name yet either."
"You didn't tell me yours either, Caster-bro."
"It's Cu Chulainn."
"So casual!! You kept it a secret and now you just say it like that?! You wait until the very end to tell me!"
Cu Chulainn gave a smirk and looked down at the Master.
That trust existed because he had been with him longer than Charlotte; perhaps there was some kind of understanding between men. She didn't think things like 'if only I had been there instead...'
If the first Servant the Master had met was Charlotte, he would have retired before he could do anything.
But she couldn't help feeling a tiny bit envious. A newly awakened affection was easy to set ablaze.
"I consider you a comrade. I don't look down on you as my inferior anymore. ...You did damn well. It was fun having you as a Master."
"...Haha, I just hoped I wouldn't get in the way. Thanks."
Charlotte spoke while still holding the Master’s hand.
"So, your name... could you tell us?"
"You're being awfully desperate."
Of course she was. Even if she was departing here, she wanted to at least know the name of the person she had come to 'love.'
The seemingly dense Master didn't appear to understand the meaning behind Charlotte’s passion.
Only one battle, a bond of only a few hours... and yet, in that battle, Charlotte had glimpsed the Master’s grit and heart many times.
Charlotte took every word he said into her ears and carved them into her heart.
She hoped there would be blessings on the path he walked. She hoped he wouldn't die, and she hoped he wouldn't be in pain.
The Master pondered for a moment with an "Hmm..." Then, Cu Chulainn shrugged and spoke.
"What, is there some reason you can't say it?"
"It's not that... Sigh, I guess it's fine. It's 'Rudolf Hawkeye.'"
"..."
"...That's a nickname, right?"
"It's my real name!"
How could a person's name be Rudolf?
To Charlotte, he looked somewhat Western, but his bone structure also seemed slightly Asian.
Perhaps he was mixed. In that case, there was a possibility that Hawkeye was the name rather than Rudolf.
...That was also a bit strange. Not to be discriminatory, but an Asian person wouldn't usually have Hawkeye as a given name. This might be why he was reluctant to say it.
Maybe she had been a bit inconsiderate. Just as Charlotte was about to offer a fleeting compliment that it was a nice name, Cu Chulainn reacted first.
"Hahahahahah!! No wonder you hesitated! How can a person have that name!! Hahahahahahah!!!"
"Eh?" Charlotte looked at Cu Chulainn, who was openly laughing his head off, with an exasperated expression.
"I knew you'd react like that, that's why I didn't say it!"
"Eh?" She looked at the Master, who took the reaction as a matter of course, with the same expression.
...She felt a bond between them that she didn't share.
She wasn't jealous. Definitely not. It was just a common friendship between men. You could even call it a brotherhood forged in battle.
She had no doubt that if she were summoned to Chaldea before Cu Chulainn and built an even deeper bond, her side of that brotherhood would be superior.
That was why she wasn't... jealous.
"Tsk. The old man who picked me up said I was already about seven years old when he found me. Since I had no memories from before that, he said I must have original parents and a name they gave me. I thought the name given by parents who abandoned me was meaningless, but the old man said the name you're given at birth has meaning. So, he gave me a ridiculous name so I wouldn't forget that my real name is something else."
"H-How... a person's name... Ha, haha... Hahahaha... This is bad, I think I'm going to depart while laughing."
"You're already departing!! Stop laughing! It's actually annoying now!?"
The Master let out a breath and said,
"People around me just call me Hawkeye... or by a nickname."
"Is the nickname Santa?"
"Oh, come on! Just depart already! Shoo! Shoo!"
Charlotte was still holding the Master’s hand.
He seemed to feel the 'tell me that too' look in Charlotte’s eyes. She wanted to know everything about him.
If she were summoned, she wanted to share many stories with him. It wouldn't go exactly as she wished, and perhaps a Charlotte who had forgotten even this conversation would be summoned, but even so, she could hardly suppress her desire to know right now.
"Loop. Everyone I was close with calls me that."
"Loop... Loop... I will never forget it, even after I return to the Throne of Heroes."
"You can forget it. Even if the summoned 'you' doesn't recognize me, I'll just tell you the same thing. That the 'you' I met in Fuyuki was the best Servant."
His face was devoid of any ulterior motives.
Knowing those words were sincere, Charlotte lowered her head at the pure heart that held no calculation. She didn't have the confidence to look the Master—Loop—straight in the eye.
But still, she wanted to smile at the end.
Even if she hadn't been summoned because of the Fuyuki Holy Grail War, Charlotte was destined to depart due to her wounds. She was only holding on thanks to the Rune of Continuation.
Still, saying goodbye was a little bit sad. Yet, rather because of that, Charlotte raised her head and smiled.
"We will surely meet again. May your own Goddess of Fortune bless you. Master, I wish you peace."
With a whirring sound, Charlotte’s form completely vanished.
Loop simply watched her go. And he made a vow in his heart. The bond had surely been connected.
He would definitely make their reunion happen at Chaldea. In truth, there was no one in this victory who wasn't essential.
That was why it was a bit absurd that Charlotte lacked confidence. Loop had been saved by Charlotte, and it was because of her that he could fight until the end.
The one who had cracked the King of Knights' spiritual core was none other than Charlotte.
Seeing the particles of light vanish, Loop turned his head toward Cu Chulainn this time.
"Well, it's about time for me to go too. ...I'm not as desperate as the Assassin girl, but if you can summon me, give it a shot. I'd like to give you a Catalyst or something, but I don't have anything noteworthy, and even if I did, I doubt a version of me summoned by the Fuyuki Grail War could give you something that would last until you get back to Chaldea."
"I'll try using this."
What Loop was holding was the 'Rune of Fortification' that Cu Chulainn had made. Unfortunately, everything else had been smashed to pieces by Saber.
The Rune of Continuation was also intact, but since it was a one-time use item, it would become a mere pebble once its light faded. Cu Chulainn looked at Loop and gave a short laugh.
Then, he said as if something had occurred to him.
"By the way, kid, did you know Archer? Or have you been to Fuyuki before?"
"Eh? Fuyuki? I've never even been to Japan. I met Archer for the first time here. Why do you ask?"
"When you were buying time against Berserker, Archer said something that made it sound like he knew you. Of course, it wasn't direct, so it's just how I felt. If you say no, then I guess not."
Loop tilted his head.
Could Archer remember his previous self?
No, Archer was quite special, but there was no way he could remember something that even the King of Knights, Artoria Pendragon, and the great hero of Ireland, Cu Chulainn, couldn't.
But it was a bit of a mystery.
Since Archer had already departed and Cu Chulainn didn't seem certain, it might just be that something Archer said based on what he saw with his Clairvoyance had stuck in Cu Chulainn’s memory.
It was already in the past, so thinking deeply about it wouldn't change anything.
"Well then, take care. I won't say I'll have a bond with you during your long journey like Saber did, but..."
"I'd rather you did. I don't even want to see Saber... as an ally."
"Where did the Master who was fighting so gutsily until a moment ago go?"
Whirrr... Cu Chulainn’s form grew increasingly faint.
The particles of light increased, and he could no longer maintain his shape.
"But still, if you can call me, call me. ...Fighting alongside you was pretty fun."
With those final words, the light intensified. Then, he vanished completely. Following Charlotte, Cu Chulainn had departed.
He didn't know if he could summon them again. Even if he did, he didn't know if they would be the ones who had shared life and death with him here. Still, he wanted to summon them.
That intense desire resided in his chest.
...Now, it was time for Loop to go back too. Since he had come here without entering a Coffin, he wondered if he could really return safely.
Beep, beep... The communicator rang. It was perfect timing.
[The connection is... What?! You're alive?! Why is your leg severed?! Your arm...!! How on earth are you still alive?!]
Cu Chulainn’s Rune of Continuation was still glowing. It felt like it would go out at any moment. Once it did, Loop would likely lose consciousness and faint.
But Loop hadn't gone back yet. Because there was someone here who could turn this place into a Singularity once again. Loop looked at Olga Marie, who was worrying about him through the transmission.
It was time. Doing this was incredibly cruel to Olga Marie, but if it was a path that had to be crossed, then it had to be done.
He didn't know how to read presences and didn't know where the person was, but he was certain they were there, so Loop spoke in a low, grounded voice.
"Why don't you come out? You double-dealing rat."
"A rat, is it? You still use such amusing metaphors."
Someone revealed themselves. Loop glared at him with disgust.
It had been absurd back then, but meeting him now after going through such hardships and even several deaths made his blood boil. The veins on his forehead bulged with rage.
Maintaining his composure was nothing short of a miracle. The man who appeared was wearing a cunning smile, unlike the appearance he had shown before.
At his appearance, Olga Marie’s expression on the screen froze.
[...Lev?]
The man who had terrorized Chaldea, the traitor, had shown himself.
***
Lev Lainur was looking down at me.
Hey, are you the King of Knights or something? Where do you think you're looking down from? I really wanted to punch that face. I was going through all this misery because of this bastard.
Even if it was destined to turn out this way, I had no intention of forgiving the mastermind. I wanted to go over right now and beat him to death with my fists.
I barely managed to calm the murderous intent that was slowly rising. Lev was stronger than me, but what did that matter?
I had fought against that Saber.
After fighting that living tank, this guy looked somewhat fragile.
He was still stronger than me, but that was it. He looked weaker than Saber.
Lev spoke leisurely while holding his hat.
"To think things would get this tangled. Saber is protecting the Singularity she was told to destroy, and the people who should have died are alive. ...Ah, the phrase 'unable to contain one's rage' is surely meant for times like this. Not to mention Romani, but to think even Olga would be alive. You've interfered quite grandly, haven't you, Loop-kun?"
"Don't call me Loop, you son of a bitch. ...And 'unable to contain one's rage' is what I should be saying. It's not something a double-dealing rat should say after burning through human lives like insects with a shitty bomb terror attack."
[Lev... Was it really you... Why! Why would you do such a thing! Why would you commit such a betrayal—no! Why the Human Order...!]
"Shut up, you fragile thing who doesn't even know which direction you're running."
[...]
"Director, I'll cut the connection if you want."
The Director, who had been standing dazed and lost for words, seemed to snap out of it at my words and shook her head, refusing to cut the transmission.
I told you, she's a strong person. It seemed telling her in advance had a positive effect.
Lev went "Hmm," and seemed slightly interested in our behavior for a moment, but soon spoke with a hollow face that felt devoid of heart.
"First, let me correct your misunderstanding. Why would I commit such a betrayal, you say? That's a bit incorrect. I was on this side from the very beginning. I didn't commit any betrayal. We were never on the same side to begin with."
[...You tried to kill me?]
"Ah, that's also a misunderstanding. Olga, you have no value whatsoever. But you are the Director of Chaldea, aren't you? The person holding that position must be killed. No matter how incompetent and weak-willed a glass ornament the enemy leader is, aiming for the head first is the basic of basics, is it not? I didn't try to kill you because you were special; I only tried to kill you because that position you hold was special."
The Director had a face that made it hard to tell if she was about to cry or what.
However, as if she had expected it due to my words beforehand, there were no signs of her mind collapsing.
But she would certainly be discouraged, and she might cry in her room once this was over. I think the Director is an amazing person.
Being able to cling to something so consistently makes me admire her for that alone.
But the more I saw, the more I thought she was someone not suited for her position. She was vaguely good and vaguely evil.
That was why she lacked the strength to believe in good deeds and the strength to forget evil ones.
...Still, I didn't really want to see that kind of face.
"This double-dealing rat has been talking like he's all that for a while now. ...But you couldn't do anything, could you? ...You couldn't kill the Director, and you couldn't kill the Doctor. You told Saber to destroy this Singularity, but she was doing the exact opposite. This Singularity was cleared by me, Caster-bro, and the Goddess of Fortune. Ah, the mastermind pulling your strings really has no eye for talent. To use an incompetent man like you as a pawn. You, who couldn't even fulfill your role as a traitor."
"Aren't you acting quite provocatively? What will you do if I decide to kill you here?"
"If you were the kind of bastard who could think for yourself without the mastermind's orders, you wouldn't have shown yourself like this now, would you? You just came here to look down on us and give us a shock, hoping to see us waver, right?"
I gave Lev a provocative grin.
If he really intended to do something to us, he should have intervened while we were in the middle of fighting Saber.
Even if Lev only played the role of a Master, that alone would have been a huge deal. The difference between 3-on-1 and 3-on-2 is significant.
The difficulty of the clear would have skyrocketed beyond belief.
And yet, Lev did nothing until this Singularity was cleared.
"Don't act so high and mighty. You lost to me... to our Chaldea!! Go back and get a whipping from your mastermind!!"
"You incompetent, half-baked magus..."
"Your tongue sure is wagging for someone who lost to that incompetent guy. You couldn't even destroy Chaldea, and the Singularity has been cleared. Just thinking about reporting this to your superiors must be giving you a headache already, isn't it? I'd be very grateful if your brain just exploded and you died right then and there. ...Director, look closely. You don't need to be so shocked. That thing is trash! Trash! Non-recyclable trash! Just your typical incompetent villain from a story! What you need to do isn't to become a shocked, tragic heroine, you know?"
I smiled at the Director, who was staring at me blankly.
"You just have to mock him for being an incompetent bastard who can't even kill a single human despite having the person who wiped out the Human Order backing him up. How can you not even properly kill one person when you're on the same side as a mastermind with such omnipotent power?"
[...Sorry, I don't think I can think like you.]
"If you say that, it just makes me look bad! Right?!"
Opportunities like this are rare, you know? An opportunity for our side to mock the mastermind’s side. Actually, I know the mastermind’s name, but if I said it for no reason, I might get cursed just from that.
I think there was a story like that in the original...
Or not? Dammit, my injuries are so severe my head isn't working right. I'm putting up a huge front, but my vision has been blurry for a while now, and I can't see anything.
Even voices sounded like they were echoing as if multiple microphones were being used at once.
The Director took a deep breath, then looked at the distorted-looking Lev and spoke.
[Lev Lainur... This is a message from Olga Marie Animusphere. ...From this moment on, you are an enemy of Chaldea and the Human Order.]
"...A-Ah. I really don't like this. This wasn't in the plan. To think that insects who should have died meaninglessly as that person commanded are still alive and baring their fangs at me. Truly unpleasant. Could there be anything more unpleasant than this? The 'you' I know could never have said those words to me in this situation. Someone has made you grow. Someone has built a foundation for you so you wouldn't collapse. ...But fine. No matter how much a small animal struggles, it's just a talent show. You cleared Fuyuki, but you will surely die in the remaining Singularities. I don't even need to kill Olga. I can ignore Romani. I can ignore Chaldea. Rudolf Hawkeye, only you need to die. Will your death be in the next Singularity? I look forward to seeing when it will be."
"You're... just like Saber."
"What?" Lev stared at me. Glaring at him, I spoke.
"Remember this face of a fleeting small animal well. The poison spreading from the wound you ignored as nothing will reach you. Definitely."
"...Meaningless struggling. I'll watch to see how far it lasts."
Whirrr... Lev vanished from the spot. I’m definitely going to punch that double-dealing rat. At the same time Lev vanished, particles of light began to scatter from my body as if I had become a Servant.
Am I departing? To Chaldea?
...It might mean this Singularity has already been cleared. Pant, pant... Ah, dammit. My consciousness...
This is bad, right? I looked at the Rune of Continuation. Its light was out. ...No, this. I felt dizzy.
My body wouldn't listen to me. This is dangerous, really dangerous.
[As soon as you return, we need to start treatment— Wait, what's wrong?!]
Regardless of my will, I collapsed sideways. I won't die. I definitely won't die.
...It's a bit cold, and I can feel death approaching, but I won't die. I can't die.
I don't have the courage to fight Saber again right now. On the contrary, if it's an enemy other than Saber, I think I'd have the courage to fight even if they were stronger.
So, I refuse to retry. I will literally fight death and win to avoid that one thing.
[Abnormal vitals confirmed! Director!! His heartbeat is dangerously slow! We have to treat him right now!]
[Come back quickly! Quickly!! Don't die! I said don't die! Don't die after coming all this way!! I'll make you a lunchbox or whatever, so don't die!! Don't make me give up on the Human Order... no, on myself!! You're the only hope! Please live! Live!! Live!!!]
The voice, close to a scream, grew more distant. ...Within my fading consciousness, in a world where nothing should be heard, someone's voice reached me.
It was a voice so strangely distorted that I couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman—a voice that provided a contradictory sensation of being somehow nostalgic yet unknown.
The words "Survive" echoed in my heart at the same time, and my consciousness was completely cut off.
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