"Are the reserves of weapons still enough, King of Heroes," Apsu... Emiya Shirou calmly looked at Gilgamesh.
Emiya said nothing, yet Gilgamesh inexplicably heard a phantom voice.
The King of Heroes' golden armor was now shattered and ruined, fragments scattered on the ground, exposing the body beneath, covered in wounds. Blood oozed continuously from his injuries, staining the broken armor and cloak red.
The ground was littered with countless broken weapons; blade fragments flickered faintly in the dim light. The air smelled of metal and blood, and the surrounding walls and floor were furrowed with cracks and dents left by battle. The whole scene resembled a wasteland ravaged by war.
Despite being battered all over, King Gilgamesh's gaze remained sharp, and with indomitable pride he stared at the god before him.
"There are some things I hope you will assist with," At first, Emiya proposed a negotiation like this.
But Gilgamesh refused to talk; he directly opened the Gate of Babylon and launched an attack.
Gilgamesh is a hero born between gods and men, possessing very high divinity, two-thirds god, one-third man, and having perspectives of both gods and humans.
He has among Heroic Spirits the highest-level affinity for divinity (A+), yet the gods killed his only beloved friend Enkidu and let the Bull of Heaven wreak havoc on humanity, bringing endless disaster and ruin. These unforgivable sins made Gilgamesh full of deep loathing and hatred toward the gods.
Although those past events had no direct relation to Apsu, as the primeval god of all things in ancient Babylonian myth, Apsu naturally could not escape being the target of this arrogant king's transferred wrath.
However, the King of Heroes' emotions and feelings... Emiya didn't care.
To a creator god, the love and hate of a human king are ultimately too shallow.
[Gate of Babylon], the Noble Phantasm of King Gilgamesh, rank E–A++, is in truth a key-shaped sword connecting to the Golden City, able to freely take out items from the treasury, including prototypes of all Noble Phantasms and crystallizations of human wisdom.
Gilgamesh's favored combat method is to open the treasury gates of [Gate of Babylon] and fire countless Noble Phantasms at his enemy like bullets.
Because it holds prototypes of all Noble Phantasms, it can strike any opponent's weak points, allowing Gilgamesh to fight advantageously against most Servants.
Across all human history, Heroic Spirits possess thousands upon thousands of Noble Phantasms, and among them, [Gate of Babylon] is undoubtedly one of the strongest.
But even this treasury that stores endless legends has extremely few counters.
For example, [Unlimited Blade Works].
The projection of Noble Phantasms from [Gate of Babylon] requires two steps: "opening the treasury gate" and "firing out the Noble Phantasm." In the intrinsic boundary of [Unlimited Blade Works], there is no need to "take out" any Noble Phantasm; projection can be conducted directly.
The operating mechanism of [Gate of Babylon] determines that it has an inherent disadvantage when facing [Unlimited Blade Works].
So, when Gilgamesh is drawn into an [Intrinsic Boundary], even an Emiya who has just learned to use [Unlimited Blade Works] is enough to suppress him and prevent him from opening the treasury gates.
And now, under the power of [Projection/Imaginary Elementalization], where Emiya stands is, in effect, [Unlimited Blade Works].
Gilgamesh wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, golden pupils burning with cold fury, "BASTARD!"
Compared with his usual habitual "trash talk," this "bastard" sounded slightly more "mild."
Gilgamesh raised his hand and took from [Gate of Babylon] a strangely shaped longsword, [Enuma Elish: Star of the Opening].
The blade was composed of three huge slabs, symbolizing Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld; they slowly rotated, emitting a low rumble.
As the slabs turned, the surrounding space began to warp, wind pressure compressed into faults, forming pseudo time-space fissures, as if even the world itself trembled before this force. An ultimate sword capable of shattering all adversaries.
"Trace on," Emiya intoned, and a sword similar in appearance to [Enuma Elish] appeared in his hand. The three slabs of the blade likewise began to rotate, and the wind-pressure fissures formed around him.
"Judgment is upon you. Behold the crushing might of my Sword of Rupture."
"—BEHOLD, ENUMA ELISH!!", Gilgamesh roared as he swung his sword.
Emiya swung his sword likewise, "[Enuma Elish: The Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth]"
The Divergence Sword carries an attack value that cannot be defended against except by equally ranked anti-correction defenses or equal-rank counterattacks.
And at this moment, Emiya was using precisely a weapon of the same concept.
The Divergence Sword that rends the void and establishes the sky, pierces the sky and returns to the void, the force symbolizing beginning and end, [Enuma Elish], within the scope of Heroic Spirits, only Gilgamesh, who inherits divine factors, is normally permitted to use.
However, the true opener of worlds is not the blade itself but the will of the god.
The Divergence Sword in Emiya's hand gradually intensified its output; with a low rumble, the blade unleashed a rampaging force capable of tearing spacetime.
That wind-pressure swept out like a flood; where it passed, space warped, the ground cracked, even the air was crushed into nothingness.
Gilgamesh's golden pupils suddenly constricted. Now in the Caster class, the Divergence Sword in his hand could not exert its full power. Even if he attempted to burn his Saint Graph and forcibly raise the Noble Phantasm's might, he still could not resist the present force capable of opening heaven and earth. The world-opening sword of Apsu.
The wind-pressure swept like a torrent, mercilessly crushing through his body. His shattered armor was instantaneously pulverized, blood and golden light entwined, proclaiming the end of his existence. His figure gradually disintegrated in the wind-pressure, like a broken statue being erased bit by bit by an invisible force.
"Hmph!", In the final moment, Gilgamesh's rage and resentment seemed to be utterly ground to powder; in its place came a cold snort.
A hoarse voice drifted in the wind, faint to the verge of inaudibility. His figure turned into specks of golden light, like stars slowly fading into the void.
Gilgamesh exited the stage.
As for the other king, Solomon.
If the opposite of good is evil, and the opposite of evil is good, then Solomon is the void.
No matter what happens, he does not waver. Because he has no wish.
King Solomon was not permitted to possess a self; he is a being born destined to be a king.
Following the "voice of heaven" from [Revelation], he calmly accepted the outcome of withdrawal.
His figure gradually faded within the dim glow of Noble Phantasms, leaving behind no regret or sigh. Only eternal calm and indifference.
The desireless, unseeking king, in silent and formless posture, returned to nothingness.
The last Servant withdrew; the curtain of the Holy Grail War finally fell. Aside from Saber Artoria Pendragon, the other six Servants had all returned to the Throne.
Some time had passed since Emiya "projected" into this world, and as time went on, the upper limit of the power Emiya could call upon quietly increased.
Or rather, the Counter Force's stress on him gradually subsided, and the world's adaptability continuously improved.
Roughly, the situation went like this—
Star Sprite: "Counter Force-sama, bad news, there's a "UO" outside."
Alaya: "Intruder, you shall not enter!"
Emiya: "Sis, I'm Emiya."
Alaya: "Ah, Shirou?"
(careful look)
Alaya: "Shirou? Ah, really Shirou. Goodness, I almost mistook you, thought you were a "UO." Come, come, come in, come in, hey, your Saint Graph..."
Emiya: "This is the power of Creation and the End."
Alaya: "Oh, the power of Creation, nice!"
Emiya: "Sis, I brought you a few records, different from our Heroic Spirit."
Alaya: "Ah, that's good, Shirou, how've you been these years?"
Emiya: "All right. Everything went as I wished."
Alaya: "Good, that's good. Hey, throne of Heroic Spirits, summon a few Artorias, Shirou likes that... Shirou, what rank are you now?"
Emiya: "Sis, actually I've long since become a god... I see future people planning human-order burnout, human-order freezing and such; I've already dealt with them."
Alaya: "A god, huh, nice, quite different, impressive!"
Emiya: "Sis, from now on, if any demon gods, human malice, planetary spearmen, UO or the like come to cause trouble here, tell me."
Emiya's "negotiation" with the Counter Force was roughly like that.
———
Inside the Einzbern castle, Irisviel von Einzbern fell into bewilderment.
She was the "Lesser Grail" prepared by the Einzbern in the Fourth Holy Grail War, responsible for collecting the souls of Servants who were defeated or lost their Masters and thus could not maintain existence, detaining them until the end of the war.
The collected Servant souls would perform an important role in the final ritual executed by the Greater Grail.
Irisviel's essence was not truly human, but a magical vessel that possessed a human form.
As the Grail War progressed, Irisviel's burden as the "Lesser Grail" gradually manifested.
Each time she reclaimed a Servant's soul, her body endured tremendous load. This burden eroded her bodily functions and gradually deprived her of human perception and emotion.
Normally, when four to five Heroic Spirits are defeated and reclaimed, Irisviel as the "Grail Vessel" would lose herself; if a Servant's Saint Graph scale is large, this erosion accelerates even more.
But now, six Heroic Spirits had already withdrawn, and Irisviel still retained her original form.
Those defeated Servants had not returned to the Lesser Grail as expected.
Perhaps some unknown external force intervened in the retrieval of Servant souls, or perhaps the Grail system itself developed an unforeseen malfunction. Either way, the course of the Holy Grail War had completely slipped out of the Einzbern family's control.
A figure quietly appeared before her. It was a man wearing a white coat; his short crimson hair swayed gently in the breeze, his gaze deep and calm, like a clear, boundless jewel-sea.
"You are free."
The voice did not seem to come from the air but sounded directly within her soul.
No sooner had the words fallen than Irisviel felt something within her, a shackle that had bound her for years, quietly snap. It was her contract with the Einzbern family, her fate as the "Lesser Grail."
A warmth spread in Irisviel's left eye, as if a wisp of flame had quietly ignited deep within the pupil.
When she opened her eyes again, the originally pale-red iris had turned a lustrous gold, as if molten gold flowed within.
Three deep-red patterns appeared in the pupil; these ancient runes sketched the shape of a blade.
"The echo of the contract's covenant remains, in threefold."
After a brief daze, Irisviel's consciousness gradually returned to reality. She instinctively raised her head to see the stranger's face, but found no one before her.
Only a faint, barely-there scent lingering in the air proved he had existed.
Irisviel looked up at the sky and murmured, puzzled, "Free..."
———
Emiya pushed open the hotel room door and saw a clean, tidy space. Soft light fell on a beige carpet. The wall art was simple yet tasteful; on the table by the window a bouquet of fresh lilies gave off a light fragrance.
His gaze turned to the center of the room, where Saber sat kneeling on the carpet, eyes closed in meditation.
Golden hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, gleaming softly under the lamp. The girl wore a white knit top suitable for home, the soft fabric fitting her form; below she wore a deep-blue short skirt paired with black stockings, outlining the slender lines of her long legs.
Emiya gently closed the door and sat on the sofa, his eyes unconsciously resting on Artoria.
After a moment, Artoria slowly opened her eyes; her green eyes were as clear as a lake. She looked at Emiya and smiled slightly, "You're back."
Emiya nodded in reply, "Mm. I just handled a few things."
Tonight, he had successively sent Assassin the Old Man of the Mountain, Archer Gilgamesh, and Caster Solomon off the stage... In short, he had ended the Holy Grail War.
Artoria's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, "Shirou, for the next Holy Grail War, what strategy shall we adopt?"
Emiya was stunned for a moment, then hesitated.
His gaze met Artoria's; the girl's eyes flashed with a resolute fighting will.
"Lancer and Berserker are both extremely powerful Servants, and the Assassin who defeated Rider is not ordinary either," Artoria continued.
"However, the strongest opponents are, after all, Archer and Caster..."
Artoria looked at Emiya seriously, focused as she explained the tactical strategies she had conceived.
Emiya listened quietly. As King of Knights, Artoria possessed an excellent tactical mind; she could analyze the situation in detail and propose countermeasures, some of her ideas were indeed feasible.
Artoria: "Shirou, as the qualified of the Crowned Saber, I will surely deliver victory to your hand. No matter how strong the opponent, I will use my sword to carve a path to victory for you."
Emiya looked at her and was silent for a moment.
"Artoria," His tone carried a hint of apology, "Actually... the Holy Grail War has already ended."
Artoria froze for a moment; the excitement in her eyes gradually drained, replaced by a trace of bewilderment and confusion.
"Ended?", she repeated, uncertainty and puzzlement in her voice.
The girl tilted her head, expression somewhat vacant; her golden hair swayed lightly with her movement, "Ended, what do you mean?"
Emiya looked at her blank face, feeling a bit helpless, but patiently explained, "It's... ended. Besides you, the other six Servants have already withdrawn."
"What?", Artoria blinked, her green eyes full of confusion.
"You could say we've basically won," Emiya continued.
"Ah?"
"Their mana did not return to the Grail; therefore no 'wish machine' was produced this time. But if you want, I can make one for you, no risk; this one in Fuyuki has already been corrupted..."
"Eh?"
———
The first Servant to withdraw from the Holy Grail War, Rider the Conqueror, Iskandar, slowly opened his eyes.
His vision cleared from blur to sharpness, revealing a desolated urban landscape: ruined buildings, broken streets, dust and silence in the air, as if a great catastrophe had just occurred.
"Where is this?", Iskandar murmured, puzzled. He stood, his tall frame striking amid the ruins.
At that moment, a clear message suddenly entered his mind, an instruction from the Counter Force.
This time, he was given the identity of "Guardian," descended into this strange world with the mission to protect and help a girl named "Emiya Miyu."
Emiya bore the imagery of the "End," and the world Miyu inhabited was too fragile; if he precipitously descended in his true form, it might cause unpredictable damage to the world itself.
More importantly, an individual named "Illya" was conducting some kind of ritual in that world.
World destruction could be fixed, but if his influence caused any error with "Illya," that would be troublesome.
Iskandar was the first; after him, several more Servants would arrive.
Rider Iskandar, Assassin the Old Man of the Mountain, Berserker Gorgon, Lancer Achilles, Archer Gilgamesh, Caster Solomon.
These few should be able to help Miyu.
Emiya's thought was: this should be enough, and he should properly train Miyu somewhat, he could not spoil the child too much.