Unfolding

"Ansuz! Burn it to ashes!"

Chanting the spell, drawing the runic symbols, a scorching flame is unleashed.

A storm of intense heat, possessing undeniable power.

Each strike pounds Mash's shield, the heat slowly searing her skin.

"Ugh... Guh...!"

...

"...Are you okay, Mash?"

Worry fills her voice as Olga Marie mutters. Unlike the earlier panic, she now firmly grasps the situation before her.

"That Servant... he's serious. He's serious about Mash and Ritsuka...!"

"That's probably true. A hound like him wouldn't jest when it comes to exchanging lives."

"In that case, they should stop...!"

"If they were to fall here, it might not be a bad thing. Dying without facing the hardships that lie ahead might bring them happiness."

――Human Order Incineration, Seven Singularities, seven journeys revolving around ⬛⬛⬛⬛. These were the words spoken by a mysterious voice during my reincarnation. To me, they were incomprehensible words without meaning. The world and the two of them face an unprecedented crossroad.

――Which is happier: breaking down halfway or exiting the world unknowing?

For someone like me who didn't even make choices along the way, such options didn't even exist. I wouldn't understand such things.

It's easy to break. It's easy to give in.

Closing your eyes and accepting the end is easy.

"...But."

However, I, who know what lies beyond, have the answer.

Regret comes later. It's a lie that death brings relief.

There is no vague peace after death.

For an insipid soul, nothing remains.

I have witnessed it, and that's why I'm here.

...I don't want that for them.

"Their souls haven't lost their brilliance. They cling desperately, tenaciously to life."

"..."

Yes, Mash, Master. You have a future.

A radiant tomorrow awaits, a future that you can choose. They still don't know that.

――They don't know. They don't yet know the despair that lies ahead.

――Because they don't know, they can walk forward with courage.

Because they don't know, they live with all their might.

Even now, they face themselves, fighting with their lives on the line.

――It's impressive. They possess a brilliance they didn't have before.

"People 'filled with such spectacle' are capable of overturning fate itself."

"King of Heroes..."

"Are you just going to watch, kid?"

"Huh?"

That's right; you're also involved.

"They may be your friends. Encourage a friend in trouble."

"I... I am..."

"...Really. You're a troublesome one, lacking self-confidence."

I suppose that's only natural. In fact, it would be expected to cry, hesitate, and become hysterical.

If they had carried all that burden on such small shoulders, standing firm without being crushed would be an achievement in itself.

"I acknowledge it. Olga Marie Animusphere."

"Eh?"

"Your work is significant. From now on, work to maintain that presence."

"――!!"

It was an insignificant, casual, ordinary word of encouragement.

However, it melted away Olga Marie's despair, which had been caught between agony and sadness.

"I got it! I got it, okay! I'll keep encouraging them—"

"I'll do it for my first 'friend'! As much as they need!"

...

"It seems I was mistaken, little girl."

"...Ugh, uuugh...!"

"Master, would you like to share your Servant's fate? If you step back, your life might be spared."

"Senpai... run..."

"I'm fine."

Silently, I grasp Mash's hand and stand beside her.

"When it's time to die, we'll do it together. I'm not going to let my Servant fight alone. And that includes you, Mash."

"Senpai..."

"I can't fight, but..."

"I'll be right here by your side!"

"――!"

"Yeah, that's the spirit. I'll burn you to ashes without a second thought!"

The magical power explodes exponentially. Caster's trump card is coming, his Noble Phantasm!

"I, I..."

...

"What are you doing?! Mash!! Ritsuka!!"

Olga Marie snaps back to her senses. She's screaming at them with all her might.

"Director...!?"

"I won't allow you to die in a place like this! Why did you come all this way? Why did you choose to fight!"

"In a place like this... Why would you choose to die here?"

"――!"

"I, for the first time, had a conversation with someone about the same age as me! For the first time, I had an enjoyable conversation!"

"For the first time... I made a friend! Mash!"

"!"

Olga Marie's words continue to spur them on, driving home her heartfelt emotions.

"Ritsuka, too! I won't allow you to throw away the life you've gained! You're a Master! You possess incredible talent and power that I can never have!"

"There are still so many things we want to talk about! So many things we need to do! That's why, that's why!"

"We can't afford to stand still in a place like this!"

...

Mash's eyes are filled with determination.

"Mash!"

Ritsuka's voice is filled with determination.

"We'll do it! We can't let our friend say all that and not do anything about it! We'll show them what we're made of!"

"Yes! I will definitely protect everyone!"

Mash readjusts her shield.

You can feel the intense heat even from here. Mash, firm in her resolve to protect.

Now, like a shield guarding humanity...

"The collapsing cage of 'incinerating flames'! Roar and return to ashes, regardless of good or evil―!!"

Woven from straw, the gigantic arm of the sacrificial-seeking giant is now swung.

The moment the fist strikes the shield, a tremendous shock and a raging storm dominate the area.

"Uuugh...!!!"

"Mash!! You're not alone! I'm here!!"

"Uuuugh...!!!"

The momentum increases, and the giant, about to crush them, puts all its power into it.

The ground beneath their feet trembles.

The shield catching the blow shines.

And then...

The fortress that served as the foundation of humanity is revealed right here!

"Mash――――!!!"

"Uuuugh... aaaaaahhhhh!!!"

――――Do you regret using up the treasures?

A voice echoes,

――What if, for the right person to use... it wouldn't be bad to give it away.

Whose memory is this, I wonder...