"No one will stop me from fulfilling my dream!"
Shirou Amakusa Tokisada's roar thundered across the battlefield. The burning determination in his eyes seemed ready to set the very heavens ablaze. He charged forward, brandishing his katana with all the force of his warped faith, aiming straight for the heart of the man who stood between him and his ideal.
Arthur didn't move an inch. With an almost lazy motion, he raised his arm and caught the blade in his golden gauntlet, stopping it effortlessly with inhuman strength. Then, his fist flashed for a brief moment—and moved like lightning.
Tokisada's pupils constricted as he saw the punch coming.
BANG!
The impact echoed like an explosion.
Arthur's fist struck Shirou's jaw with overwhelming force, launching the priest through the air until he crashed brutally against one of the marble pillars of the floating palace. The shock was so immense that cracks spread across the pillar as Shirou's body sank into it, leaving deep fractures in the stone.
(A/N: It reminded me of that punch Saber Alter gave Berserker in Fate/Heaven's Feel.)
For a few seconds, the world went silent.
Shirou spat blood, the metallic taste flooding his mouth as his vision blurred. Only then—between pain and dizziness—did he finally realize, with cruel clarity, the abyssal difference between himself and the man before him.
Arthur walked toward him—calm, imposing, almost godlike.
Shirou laughed bitterly, blood staining the corner of his lips.
"I never thought I'd end up facing a monster like this…" he murmured, gasping for air. "Is this… divine punishment? My wish has come true at last, and yet… I won't live to see it."
Trembling, he tried to stand, leaning against the pillar. Every movement sent waves of pain through his body, yet Shirou Amakusa Tokisada rose again—stubborn and unbroken, sustained by his unshakable faith.
He knew he couldn't win. But perhaps… he didn't need to.
"I have not failed, Guardian!" he cried, his voice echoing through the hall like a desperate roar. "The Greater Grail cannot be stopped anymore! Even if I die, the salvation of mankind will be achieved!"
"Master!" Semiramis shouted, her face filled with panic.
She no longer had the will to fight Jeanne and the others. They were not the true enemy. She ran toward Shirou, her cloak flowing through the thick magical smoke.
Arthur watched her approach, and for an instant, his eyes turned cold.
"This is your end, Shirou Amakusa Tokisada," he declared, his voice deep and final.
From the Gate of Babylon, a golden sword materialized in his hand. He grasped it firmly and lunged forward, thrusting the blade straight toward the priest's heart.
"Master!"
Semiramis' cry rang out the moment she threw herself in front of him.
The impact followed immediately.
The sword pierced them both—striking through Semiramis' spiritual core and Shirou's heart at once.
Time seemed to stop.
"Semiramis…?" Shirou murmured, his voice trembling.
Their eyes met. There was pain—but also peace.
Arthur watched in silence, a glimmer of respect in his gaze. He released the sword's hilt, leaving it impaled between them, and turned away, walking slowly.
"I'm not cruel enough to deny them their farewell…" he thought.
As he walked off, Semiramis wrapped her arms around Shirou, tears mixing with the blood on her lips. Then, enveloped in a purple light, the two of them vanished—teleporting away together, for the last time.
---
Jeanne, Mordred, Atalanta, and Frankenstein approached, still feeling the heavy silence that followed.
"What do we do now? Should we destroy the Holy Grail directly?" Mordred asked, wiping blood from her blade.
Arthur turned to the center of the sanctuary. The Greater Grail pulsed like a living heart, emanating golden light that bathed the entire hall.
"No," he said calmly. "Destroying it now would be a waste."
"A waste?" Jeanne asked, confused.
Arthur nodded.
"Although Shirou's wish can't be completely stopped, it still needs time to activate. The Holy Grail can't instantly turn all of humanity into spirits—the magical energy required is immense."
"So what are you planning to do, Master?" Mordred asked, suspicion in her tone.
Arthur smiled faintly.
"I have a wish of my own I'd like to fulfill."
"A wish?" Jeanne repeated in surprise.
"Yes," Arthur replied, turning toward them. "Something simple, but perfect for us—a true body. Not these spiritual shells, but bodies of flesh and blood. So that we can exist in this world, not just as echoes of the past."
Jeanne blinked, uncertain.
"But… can the Greater Grail really do that?"
Arthur placed his hand on the crystal surface, feeling the magical pulse reverberate through it.
"Don't worry," he said confidently. "It still holds enough power for that. Let's begin."
---
A few minutes later…
A brilliant light filled the sanctuary. The ground trembled.
A figure emerged from within the Greater Grail—his feet touching the earth solidly. It was Arthur, now with a true physical body, breathing the world's air as a living man. One by one, other figures followed—Jeanne, Mordred, Frankenstein, and Atalanta.
But something unexpected happened—there was one extra person among them.
It was Laeticia, the young woman whom Jeanne d'Arc had once possessed. Now that Jeanne had her own body, the girl's body had been freed.
She looked around, disoriented.
Jeanne approached her, a gentle smile brightening her face.
Arthur crossed his arms, satisfied with the result.
"Now that our wish has been granted, it's time to destroy the Greater Grail," he said gravely.
He extended his hand, and Ea, the Sword of Separation, appeared in a flash of light from the Gate of Babylon.
"If the Greater Grail isn't destroyed, humanity's future in this world will be doomed," he murmured, raising the blade.
"Your wish will not come true, Shirou Amakusa Tokisada."
Ea began to spin, releasing waves of energy that distorted the very fabric of space.
"ENUMA ELISH!!!"
The roar sounded like both creation and destruction itself.
A beam of red energy split the heavens and struck the Greater Grail. The impact was cataclysmic—the world itself seemed to tremble. The Grail erupted in a storm of crimson light that consumed everything around it.
When the glow faded, the Holy Grail was gone—utterly obliterated.
The Holy Grail War had ended.
The Black Faction had won.
---
Several days passed.
Peace slowly began to breathe again across the scarred lands. Jeanne, Atalanta, and Frankenstein, now with human bodies, could feel the wind, the warmth of the sun, and the pulse of life—not as spirits, but as people.
Arthur, in turn, finally opened his heart to Jeanne.
He told her everything—his true origin, his duty as a Guardian, the fact that he didn't belong to this world. Jeanne listened in silence, and when he finished, she simply smiled.
Their bond deepened even further.
Meanwhile, back at the Yggdmillennia castle, Fiore had taken leadership of the family. With the war over, she chose not to prolong the conflict with the Mage's Association.
And, surprisingly, the Association—having learned the full truth—didn't move against them again. Instead, they extended their hand in respect.
With the Heroic Spirits by their side and a new future ahead, the name Yggdmillennia once more shone with honor and hope.
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."