Dr. Roman's words were no different from a depth charge.
"Why is it like this?!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka was the first to shout out.
"We've already done everything we were supposed to do, so why can't we go back to Chaldea?!"
"Because—"
Dr. Roman's eyes were filled with apology.
"The 'Coffins' in the Central Control Room were almost entirely destroyed in the explosion. Right now, there is only one spare, old-fashioned 'Coffin' left."
"But with its current structural integrity, it can at most support one final round trip. And as for successful cases of a single 'Coffin' transporting more than one person simultaneously..."
"Chaldea has zero."
The world's malice continued to emanate.
They had managed to deal with everything in Singularity F with great difficulty, yet what followed immediately was the news that not everyone could return to Chaldea.
The price of reversing Olga Marie's death was far greater than imagined.
"On our side, we will continue to look for a more suitable plan!"
"However, please make a decision as soon as possible. Once the Singularity becomes established fact, no one knows what problems might arise."
"I am very sorry..."
Likely realizing that every additional word he spoke was a provocation to the three in Singularity F, Dr. Roman silently cut the connection.
But Ian knew that right now, he must be feeling worse than anyone else.
Inside the hollow of Mount Enzou, a deathly silence descended at this moment.
Even the always active Fujimaru Ritsuka could not say a single word now.
A long time passed.
Knowing that continuing like this was meaningless and would only waste precious time, Ian took the initiative to break the silence.
"Are you guys okay?"
"Not okay."
Fujimaru Ritsuka spoke up very frankly.
That gloomy expression was already silently recounting the girl's breakdown.
"Why is it like this—even though we worked so hard, someone still has to stay here?"
"I do not accept such an ending."
Ian did not answer Fujimaru Ritsuka's words, but instead hugged her.
Although in the future, Fujimaru Ritsuka would grow into a powerhouse capable of standing on her own, right now, she was just an ordinary high school girl.
Facing such a reality, not crying was already a sufficient display of strength.
"Mash, you..."
"Eh, I..."
The pink-haired girl squeezed out a forced smile.
"I'm fine. Originally... I should have died in that explosion anyway. Being able to live a little longer now is already considered a quite lucky situation."
"You really aren't good at lying, Mash."
The man pierced through the girl's lie with a single sentence.
"Clearly, you're very scared, right?"
"Your hands are shaking."
The subconscious deep within the heart cannot be hidden.
Only then did Mash notice her hands were trembling; the shield she could usually lift easily now felt as heavy as ten thousand tons.
She was indeed afraid.
Even having escaped death once, facing death again was still frightening.
Ian naturally understood this.
Because he felt similarly at this moment—the possibilities of reincarnation resets were used up; the ending this time could not be rewritten again.
Was the hope he had found with such difficulty going to vanish just like this?
"Being like this won't solve the problem either."
Knowing he absolutely could not show a fearful side, Ian forcibly suppressed his emotions.
"Let's vote."
"I'll count to three. Ritsuka, Mash, you point to the person who should live."
"One."
"Two."
"Three."
Three hands extended simultaneously, yet led the situation into an even more awkward deadlock.
Ian pointed at Fujimaru Ritsuka;
Fujimaru Ritsuka felt this chance should be given to Mash;
And Mash's hand pointed impartially at Ian.
This was an absolutely stable triangle, but at this moment, it seemed like the shackles of fate.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"You guys are..." Ian was the first to speak. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Because—"
"I think you are the most suitable to live on!"
Mash was the first to answer.
"Being able to resolve King Arthur so smoothly already shows you are a very reliable person!"
"If it's you returning to Chaldea, even if there are difficulties later, you can definitely handle them!"
"But Ritsuka, you..."
Fujimaru Ritsuka seemed to have known she would be asked for her reason.
She looked at Mash, stating her reason as calmly as possible.
"If we can't all leave, I hope to stay with him until the last moment before the world is destroyed, rather than returning to Chaldea to endure the pain of surviving alone."
"Mash, can you forgive this selfishness of mine?"
The girl's voice was quite cold, but precisely because of this, it was even more genuine.
Those who have made up their minds do not have emotional fluctuations.
It was just that Fujimaru Ritsuka did not realize that what Mash thought of at this moment were the scenes of her buttocks being touched by Ian.
Even though she treated her as such a friend—
"What about you, Ian."
Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at the hand pointing at herself, yet couldn't feel happy at all.
Being chosen certainly showed he cared about her, but why did it have to be at a time like this...
"I believe in your possibilities."
"If it is you—"
Ian recalled the times Olga Marie broke down again and again in previous loops.
"You will absolutely arrive at a more hopeful tomorrow."
The atmosphere fell into deathly silence once again.
All three knew that the one person who could return would absolutely endure pain more terrible than death.
"How about this—"
"We gamble once?"
These words naturally attracted the gazes of Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash.
"How do we gamble?" The former held Ian's hand.
"It's simple. Transport via a single 'Coffin' only lacks successful cases, it isn't one hundred percent failure."
"You mean..."
"Betting on success this time?" Mash understood.
"Correct." The man nodded.
"Since none of us can accept the result of living on alone, we might as well go for broke."
"However, let's say it upfront: we might die halfway, the kind where not even a soul can be found—"
Ian extended his hand.
"Even so, do you still have the idea of trying it with me?"
"..."
"I'm not afraid of that!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka slapped her hand on top of his.
"Worst case, I die together with you and Mash! In that case, it's not unacceptable!"
"Indeed."
Mash also placed her hand on top.
"If we die together, we should still feel happy, right..."
Consensus reached.
Chaldea did not reject the trio's idea.
After all, this belonged to Chaldea's own dereliction of duty, not the fault of the survivors.
Blue light flashed, and the old-fashioned 'Coffin' arrived at Singularity F.
Its battle-damaged appearance showed it indeed had some years on it.
It was a completely different concept from those newly built 'Coffins' from before.
Steam rose, and the door of the 'Coffin' opened.
Ian and the others entered one after another.
It was a considerably cramped space, so the two girls were almost tightly pressed against his body.
Two distinctly different soft sensations converged in the darkness; it was a feeling that would absolutely make a man's heart beat faster.
But at this moment, Ian only wanted to pray to the gods.
He hugged Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash, one on the left and one on the right, pulling them into his embrace.
"Calling Chaldea!"
"Singularity F Squad, requesting return!"
"Received. Confirming Spiritron Transfer coordinates."
"Good luck to you—"
The 'Coffin' was torn apart.
Almost the moment they departed, Ian confirmed this fact.
Synchronous Spiritron Transfer for more than three people had indeed not been proven to have a zero percent success rate, but the lack of successful cases until now already illustrated that it was behavior equivalent to suicide.
Miracles don't charge a fee, but they are by no means easily obtained.
But...
I don't want it to end.
I don't want it to end just like this!
Why must we die here!
At the moment his obsession reached its peak, Ian felt a golden light shine within the already shattered 'Coffin'.
That was...
Artoria's scabbard of the holy sword, the existence named Avalon!
Wait, was it because of her extremely high 'Instinct' that she perceived this moment like future sight?
Ian could not be sure.
But he knew this was the final sliver of a chance for survival.
"Avalon—"
The man used all his strength, reaching out to grasp that ray of light on the verge of death where roaring winds raged!
Unknown time passed.
Ian opened his eyes, seeing a pure white expanse.
"Where is this?"
"Medical room."
"Eh?"
Ian looked in the direction from which that hoarse voice came; reflected in his eyes was Olga Marie, her eyes filled with tears.
The dark circles under the girl's eyes silently recounted her exhaustion.
But at this moment, she had only eyes full of excitement and the trembling that accompanied it remaining.
"You finally woke up..."
"Welcome back to Chaldea."
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