Let's rewind a bit.
Right after Ryuunosuke was shot in the head by Kiritsugu—
Due to an unforeseen circumstance and the death of his Master, Gilgamesh ignored everything happening below and immediately departed, flying toward the Tohsaka family mansion, leaving that disgusting scene behind without even a glance back.
To protect themselves, Kiritsugu and Maiya continued carefully monitoring Caster's movements until Arthur and Artoria arrived.
And then… they witnessed a scene they would never forget.
"Ryuunosuke! Ryuunosuke! Are you going to leave me too?! Only a very small number of humans can truly understand the beauty of art the way we do!"
"Indeed… once art takes form, it is destined for destruction—and even its creators are no exception!"
"Ryuunosuke!"
On the shore, Gilles, thick tears streaming down his contorted face, shook Ryuunosuke's mutilated corpse violently. It wasn't fully decapitated, but grotesquely destroyed—like an unfinished piece of violent artwork.
"Beauty is nothing but an illusion meant to be destroyed… that's right! I must destroy all of this!"
His voice trembled between ecstasy and despair.
"Since Ryuunosuke's body is still intact… then I must use art to complete this part!"
His eyes were wide, gleaming with bubbling madness.
"To prevent what just happened from happening again… I will use myself as the raw material! This is the ultimate art, Ryuunosuke!"
"What is he going to do?!" Maiya asked, frowning, her voice filled with restrained disgust.
Through the scope, she saw Caster lift Ryuunosuke's mutilated remains with almost reverent care—like an artist handling a masterpiece—before opening his sinister grimoire.
The pages turned on their own, and then he began to chant.
The words were incomprehensible at that distance, but the tone… the tone alone was enough to induce nausea.
"Is he… trying to fuse with his dead Master?!"
Kiritsugu had witnessed enough horrors to numb an ordinary man.
But this… went beyond all logic.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
Maiya felt it too.
He tried contacting Arthur, but the phone line was busy and the radio was useless.
"Damn it."
Kiritsugu dropped both devices with restrained frustration and returned his gaze to the scope.
His finger rested on the trigger, ready to fire at any moment.
But as time passed… he hesitated.
Because even in the face of that abomination, he was still a man who calculated.
He had other priorities—and he could not die there.
Not now.
Even knowing that letting Caster act would lead to disastrous consequences for Fuyuki…
He simply wasn't a match for a Servant.
And in that brief moment of hesitation, Gilles completed his "art."
With precise, almost delicate movements, he fused Ryuunosuke's corpse into his own body.
Flesh split open.
Bones snapped and locked together with wet cracks.
Tissues intertwined like roots seeking nourishment.
They now shared the same head—but from the neck down, their bodies grotesquely split apart, forming an abomination that defied all sense of anatomy or sanity.
"Huh? I'm not dead? Caster… it's so dark! I can't see anything!"
Ryuunosuke's voice came from Gilles' mouth.
The Command Seals that had vanished from Ryuunosuke's hand reappeared.
"Ryuunosuke, this is a miracle! A miracle created by our shared art!" Gilles exclaimed, trembling with emotion.
"A miracle? I see… then it must have been God who saved me!"
"God? No, no, no!" Gilles denied immediately, almost offended. "I have committed acts that defy even the most blasphemous sins of mankind. God would never grant me any grace!"
He tilted his head slightly, curious—almost childlike.
"But you… who never believed in religion, who never witnessed miracles… why would you think that?"
"Well," Ryuunosuke replied with strange, almost innocent enthusiasm, "this world might seem boring… but if you pay attention, it's full of interesting things."
"I've always thought this world is perfect, with so many wonderful things hidden within it."
"If you calm your mind and observe… you'll see that God's miracles are everywhere!"
"Thank you, God, for writing this epic story with billions of characters… and for allowing us to take part in it!"
"I am truly moved, Ryuunosuke…" Gilles lowered his head, ashamed. "Your faith is so pure and unwavering… I feel ashamed of my own inadequacy."
Then he raised his gaze again.
"Ryuunosuke… do you think God loves humanity?"
"Of course He does!"
The answer came instantly, without hesitation.
"If an ordinary person had to keep writing the script of this world nonstop for hundreds of thousands of years, they would have killed themselves by now… who could do that without love?"
"He must be enjoying His creation! Admiring every scene!" Ryuunosuke continued, gesturing exaggeratedly—even in that grotesque form.
"The gods appreciate humans filled with courage and hope… just as they appreciate spilled blood, the lament of the dead, and the despair of the innocent!"
"If that weren't the case… how could internal organs be so beautiful?"
"This world can only be overflowing with God's love!"
"In this era where faith has died… and those with power have abandoned divine will…"
Gilles slowly raised his head, his eyes gleaming.
"Such vibrant faith has been born in this rotten world!"
"Yes… bringing you back was the right choice, Ryuunosuke!"
"No…"
He smiled.
"My Master."
"Oh my~ you're making me blush." Ryuunosuke replied, his tone grotesquely out of place.
For Kiritsugu and Maiya, this wasn't just disturbing—it was unbearable.
It was like watching a grotesque performance.
A monster speaking to itself—and answering itself.
A mind shattered by madness.
Schizophrenia?
Multiple personality disorder?
Or something worse?
In the end, the question remained—
Had that man, the serial killer known as Ryuunosuke Uryuu, truly returned?
Or was this merely Gilles playing out a delusion he refused to abandon?
"However, judging by your beliefs, are my blasphemous acts nothing more than a crime?" Gilles asked, a childlike unease seeping into his distorted voice.
"No, I never thought that." Ryuunosuke waved dismissively. "Every story has its heroes and villains. Even if you're just a clown, as long as you play your role well and make people laugh, you'll be considered a first-class artist."
"The gods don't care about blasphemy. As long as you perform your role well."
Hearing that, Gilles burst into manic laughter—two overlapping tones, as if more than one being resided in his throat. Overcome with excitement, nearly euphoric, he exclaimed:
"Blasphemy or praise! To you, it's all the same! Ah—Ryuunosuke! Your words enlighten me!"
"I see now!"
"No wonder you possess such a perverse fascination, no wonder you were able to summon me and become one with me, sharing a connection of souls! It is all the work of fate!"
"Then let us paint God's court with despair and the lament of the innocent!"
Gilles and Ryuunosuke laughed uncontrollably toward the heavens—a broken, dissonant laughter echoing like a profane chorus that defied all sanity.
"Let us tell the Lord in the heavens that He is not the only one who understands true entertainment!"
Walking across the shimmering water, Gilles moved further from the shore. Soon, he stopped at the exact midpoint between both sides, elegantly retrieving his grimoire like a priest about to begin a profane mass.
A sinister purple aura began to expand from him. Using himself as a medium, Gilles released his Noble Phantasm, consuming all his Command Seals at once.
Ryuunosuke: "Caster, let's work together to bring the ultimate art into this world!"
Gilles: "I'm so excited, Ryuunosuke! It was wonderful meeting you!"
As Caster continued his monologue, the water beneath his feet began to change.
First, it darkened.
Then, it thickened.
Then—it rotted.
The dark purple magic overflowing from the grimoire didn't just contaminate—it corrupted everything around it. In moments, what had once been water became a viscous swamp, a living, nauseating mass.
Humanoid limbs emerged and sank slowly, as if something beneath the surface desperately tried to escape… and failed. Twisted fingers stretched outward, only to be dragged back down. Incomplete faces surfaced briefly, mouths open in silent screams, before being swallowed again.
Bubbles rose and burst with wet, repulsive sounds, releasing a suffocating stench—like gas from a heavily decomposed corpse.
Within the water, invisible to the naked eye, dark purple currents moved with purpose. They were not random—they followed precise paths, like invisible brushstrokes painting something colossal.
These currents surged forward, snaking through the depths until they reached the underground reservoirs Gilles had once used as his fortress.
Splash!
The seawater, now completely corrupted, flooded the area like a living, conscious tide, instantly activating the distorted magic circle left behind.
"..."
From afar, Kiritsugu felt as though the air itself had become saturated with death. The stench of rotting flesh filled the surroundings—
As if he were surrounded by piles of decaying corpses.
His brows furrowed deeply, yet he remained motionless, completely silent, displaying inhuman composure and discipline.
But on the other side—
Maiya couldn't endure it.
The smell, the sight, the sensation… everything hit her at once.
She turned abruptly—
—and vomited.
Even through the walkie-talkie, the sound was clear.
Kiritsugu could practically feel her nausea.
"Maiya..."
"I'm fine!" The response came quickly.
Too quickly.
Maiya wiped the acid from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve, her breathing still uneven. Before Kiritsugu could order a retreat, she had already refused—without him needing to say a word.
They no longer needed full sentences.
Years of fighting side by side had erased that necessity.
She could not—and would not—retreat.
Because, unlike more superficial bonds, the connection between her and Kiritsugu was built on raw understanding—
They knew each other, body and soul.
(End of Chapter)