The Night of Final Battle
In the end, Kurumi did manage to obtain what she had wanted.
As she and Sakura walked out of the children's restaurant, the previously prideful restaurant owner came hurrying over.
With a dramatic leap, he slid to his knees, executing a flawless bow of repentance before her.
"Forgive me! I was wrong!"
"Oh, come now~~~" she replied, feigning innocence.
···
On this last day, Irisviel and Saber were also cherishing what remained of their time. They and Kurumi agreed to meet at dusk, at Homurahara Academy, just below Mount Enzou.
——
It seemed fate itself favored them, for the summer-like day stretched well past its usual hours, delaying dusk by several more.
Great streaks of crimson clouds painted half of Fuyuki's sky. Young Sakura, exhausted but fighting sleep, gripped Kurumi's hand tightly.
Letting go meant saying goodbye forever.
Their final stop was at the Matou residence, the place that had once brought Sakura to despair, only for her to be reborn.
Merely looking around made her chest tighten painfully, as though her heart was being clenched.
But it was also a place of new beginnings, and with Kurumi beside her, the anxiety eased.
That night under the stars, Kurumi had shattered her chains with a single step.
"Sakura... Tokisaki..."
Sakura Tokisaki.
Not a bad name, after all.
The two leaned against one another in silence, watching the sun dip below the horizon.
"You have to win," Sakura whispered, her heart offering a quiet prayer for Kurumi's victory.
"Oh my~" Kurumi teased, gently scratching Sakura's soft chin as her lips curled up into a smile.
"I'm the strongest."
···
The sun vanished completely behind the ridges of Mount Enzou, and street lamps cast their light, filtering through delicate cherry blossoms that swayed in the evening breeze, creating mottled shadows across the ground.
Sakura buried her face deeply in Kurumi's embrace, her breathing soft and rhythmic like a kitten's.
Kurumi rested her chin on Sakura's head, swaying gently as she stroked the girl's back with a soothing rhythm.
But soon, she would have to leave, to return to the temporary residence near the Civic Center.
As she carried Sakura, the little girl pretended to be asleep, but her delicate fingers clung tightly to Kurumi's coat, unwilling to let go.
Kurumi handed Sakura off to one of her clones, who then walked off into the distance. Watching the clone's retreating back, Kurumi felt a fleeting sense of loss.
Shadows coiled around her body, transforming into her elaborate black and crimson gothic spirit attire.
She headed toward Homurahara Academy.
···
To Kurumi's mild surprise, it wasn't only Saber who awaited her at Homurahara Academy—there was also Irisviel.
This gentle woman was insistent on witnessing the Holy Grail's destruction with her own eyes.
In a flash of silver, the limousine sped toward Ryuudou Temple.
Kiritsugu Emiya's plan was straightforward. He and Maiya Hisau would set up the ritual for the Grail's descent. Saber would wait at the lake behind Ryuudou Temple, ready to destroy the Grail if needed.
That infernal black mud was deadly to any Servant, so Saber had to keep her distance.
As for Kurumi, she would stand guard at the temple gate, ready to intercept Rider if he came.
——
A small shock rippled through Waver's chest, jolting him from his drowsiness.
The surge of magical energy resembled the emergency flare that the Church used to summon Masters.
He looked southwest, to the sky above Ryuudou Temple, where the glow of mana burned with an even more intense hue than before.
"What's that symbol, boy?"
Hearing Rider's question, Waver nodded gravely.
"The color in that light... Thirteen... It's 'Death,' meaning the end."
He hesitated.
"A sign for the final battle, then?" Rider's powerful frame shook with exhilaration.
"Perfect! This night shall be our battle."
"Such a shame, that golden fellow won't get to see this glorious scene."
···
"Yes, at last... it's the final stage." Waver forced a smile.
He knew better than anyone that Avenger wasn't someone Rider could hope to overcome.
It would be a journey with no return.
But then, a journey without return it would be.
"Appear, my companion!" Rider drew forth his sword of Alexander, raising it high toward the heavens.
No thunder answered his call this time.
But his voice split the air, and tearing through the void came the sound of hooves—those of a majestic, horned steed.
Bucephalus, gleaming with the aura of a Heroic Spirit.
Its hooves struck the asphalt, leaving deep marks on the road.
"Come on, kid! There's a spot right here. It may not be as comfortable as Gordius Wheel, but it'll do." Rider scooted back to make a small space, gesturing for Waver to climb on.
But Waver pressed his lips together, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
This was a steed only heroes could ride. Someone as small and powerless as him couldn't sit there.
Over the past week, he had come to fully realize just how weak he was, a stray dog who belonged nowhere.
But even a stray has a hero to admire.
He raised his right hand, his unused Command Spells the final chains in Rider's path.
—My Servant, I, Waver Velvet, command you with my Command Spells—
—Rider, you must win—
Mana flared up in the air, leaving no room for hesitation.
—I command you again: Rider, you must claim the Grail—
—And finally, with my last Command Spell—
—Rider, you must conquer the world. You cannot fail—
A gust of magical energy surrounded him, the contracts on his hand fading into nothingness.
For the first time, Waver felt truly free, without a single regret.
"… Now I am no longer your Master."
He kept his head down, afraid to look at Rider.
Afraid this mighty king would despise him for such cowardly abandonment.
But he felt a profound sense of peace.
"Go on, go wherever you wish..."
Waver's shoulders trembled, the glistening in his eyes hinting at tears.
···
The sound of hooves reached his ears again, as though the steed were riding away, yet it was so close.
Of course, it was because once again, Waver found himself lifted by his collar and placed onto Bucephalus's back.
"I'm going to the final battle," said the towering Heroic Spirit behind him.
"But since you've given me such a grand order, shouldn't you come and witness it yourself?"
Bucephalus snorted playfully, as if sharing a laugh.
"Are you an idiot?" Waver yelled. "I'm not your Master anymore, and I have no Command Spells left!"
"Ah, that's true," Rider replied with a hearty laugh. "But you're still my friend, aren't you?"
"That fact—will never change."
"Raise your head, boy! See that distance—it's an endless ocean of stars."
"Your future is long. Stand tall and walk beside me."
···
"Now then, let's answer that first Command Spell. Keep your eyes open and watch closely, boy."
"… I will. I'll watch."
...
The asphalt road, cast in the cold light of night, lay empty.
Bucephalus, the legendary steed, let out a cry as it thundered toward the signal's origin.
Mount Enzou, Ryuudou Temple.
Startled citizens awoke from their sleep, peeking out of windows to find nothing there. Though dismissed as a dream at first, it became the subject of yet another urban legend as word spread the next day.
With mighty leaps, Bucephalus reached the foot of Mount Enzou within minutes. The mountain ridges loomed like eerie specters in the night.
The steed snorted as it trotted cautiously around the temple's entrance.
"—Avenger."
The girl in the black winter uniform sat atop the temple steps, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her graceful, slender legs were encased in thigh-high stockings that seemed to glisten even in the dim light.
Even from a hundred meters away, the penetrating gaze of her wine-red eyes sent an icy chill through Waver's entire body, freezing him to the core.
"Are you scared, boy?" Rider's large hand settled on Waver's back, his voice steady and reassuring.
The warmth of his touch slowly eased Waver's fear, and he straightened up.
"Not anymore."
"That's better." Rider's smile was confident and calm.
Empowered by the Command Spells, a miraculous force surged through Rider's body.
His very purpose, his entire essence, was centered on "victory." In this moment, Rider was in his finest form.
···
Kurumi slowly rose from her spot on the stairs. The cold stone beneath her had chilled her to the bone; she regretted not bringing a cushion.
As she descended the steps, her gaze lowered, and the imposing aura she had displayed earlier softened, transforming from an imperious "queen" to a demure "lady."
Step by step, shadows rose from the ground, draping over her slender shoulders and then slowly falling away, leaving her body encased in a black-and-red spirit outfit that swayed gently around her.
In each hand, she wielded an ancient firearm, and her unearthly clock-like eye fell upon the two figures standing by the gate.
"Well, Rider, are you ready to die?"
"Ha ha ha!" Rider laughed heartily.
"I won't fall easily, not until I reach the ends of the stars."
"Oh my, what a brash fool you are," Kurumi chuckled.
Click—
Click—
The revolver's cylinder spun, a sound as subtle as silk.
"If I could, I would have loved to test my mettle against that little British girl," Rider said with a daring smile.
"But a king has no fear!"
With a slight press of his legs, Rider urged Bucephalus forward, brandishing his sword of Alexander.
"Gather, my comrades! Tonight, our bravery will be etched into legend!"
A gust of scorching sand swept over the land, dispelling the last traces of the night's chill.
Heroes, warriors who had dreamed of journeying eastward to the sea alongside their king, materialized one by one beneath Alexander's sword.
For an instant, the scene resembled broad daylight, the air thick with intense heat.
Thousands of Heroic Spirits stood assembled behind Iskandar, their voices rising to a roaring crescendo.
"Before us stands a most formidable foe! My warriors, show this strange Heroic Spirit our might!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Iskandar's voice boomed over the battlefield, and his soldiers roared in unison.
Though he was helpless against Avenger's terrifying "Spacequake," he nevertheless chose to bring forth his ultimate power.
Iskandar let out a war cry and, in a wedge formation, led his Heroic Spirit army charging toward Kurumi.
"Alalalalalala——"
The earth-shaking chant reverberated through the night.
···
Kurumi lifted her right hand high, and Rider and Waver's hearts skipped a beat at the sight of her familiar stance.
But instead of triggering a spatial quake, she intoned—
"City of Devouring Time!"
Rider's Reality Marble, bolstered by Command Spells, brimmed with unparalleled strength, and that power fed directly into Kurumi, the equivalent energy funneled back to her.
From the black-red shadows, countless pale, shadowy forms emerged, layered in graceful, eerie beauty.
To Waver and Rider's astonishment, each and every shadow took the form of Avenger—thousands of identical, ominous figures.
"This… how can this be?" Waver stammered in horror.
"What is it, boy?" Rider asked, frowning.
"They're all Servants… every single one of those shadows has the attributes of a Servant," Waver's voice shook.
"So what? I've got Servants, too!"
With renewed resolve, Rider's army charged toward Kurumi, thundering forward like a tempest.
Half the world seemed to darken in red and black under the influence of Kurumi's Devouring Time. The countless shadows that looked like her all began to laugh, a layered, seductive laugh that seemed to stretch on endlessly, sending chills through those who heard it.
Kurumi was unfazed by the advancing army. With calm deliberation, she reached beneath her skirt, drawing out a heavy machine gun—a skill she had nearly forgotten.
The M-137 Gatling Gun.
Click—
Click—
···
Thousands of machine guns answered the army's charge.
Whirrr—
The metallic clatter grew louder as pitch-black barrels began to spin, flickering with blue sparks before unleashing a storm of bullets.
A brutal torrent of metal and fire filled the air, a scene that had never appeared in modern warfare. Thousands of machine guns fired in unison, creating a terrifying crescendo of destruction.
In an instant, Rider's undefeated army was felled, as though mown down like a field of wheat.
Waver's vision blurred with tears, and when he finally regained sight, he was faced with a scene of pure hell.
The majestic warhorse stood in front of him, Iskandar shielding him, though blood flowed freely, soaking his suit.
Boom—
Bucephalus collapsed to the ground.
With the fall of his soldiers, the entire Reality Marble shattered.
As though waking from a dream, they found themselves once more at the foot of Mount Enzou.
"Rider…" Waver's face was ashen as he looked at his Servant.
"Cough…" Blood spurted from Rider's mouth as he clutched his chest.
"Before I go, there's something important I'd like to ask you," Rider said with a smile, his voice gentle.
"...What is it?" Waver asked, looking up.
"Waver Velvet, will you serve as my vassal?" Rider's hand rested on his head, as warm as it had ever been.
Waver trembled, his tears finally overflowing.
"Of course… you've always been my king!" The young man, hearing his name spoken in full for the first time, stood tall and unwavering.
"Please, guide me forward."
The proud king grinned, clapping Waver on the shoulder.
"It is the duty of a king to bring forth dreams, and it is the duty of a vassal to witness them and pass them on through the ages."
"Live, Waver! Witness everything. And carry forward the glory of Iskandar!"
Waver knelt, bowing his head so low he never wished to raise it again.
In a distant land, light shines eternal—
Sword in hand, Rider charged forward toward the temple gate.
Clink—
Chains fell.
"Well, goodbye~~ King of Conquerors." Kurumi's tone was somber.
She held the chain's end, her weapon whirling in a deadly arc that slashed through everything in its path.
—Carnage Feast.
With both guns in hand, Kurumi leapt forward, trailing a bloody arc as she slashed at the towering Heroic Spirit before her.
She was a phantom in the moonlight, graceful beyond compare.
Boom—
Iskandar fell to the ground, his strength spent.
Waver looked at the heavy-soled boots in front of him, his whole body trembling.
The king was gone.
"You know, he told you to live on, didn't he?"
Kurumi looked up at the cold moon, then turned and walked toward Ryuudou Temple.
-5:01:23
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