Fujimaru Ritsuka remembered that figure. In a certain dream, or perhaps in a parallel world, that figure had said to her, "I'm going to go snatch the Holy Grail. You stay here, don't move." Her tone was matter-of-fact, as if snatching the Holy Grail was something trivial to her.
The Mystic Code she was currently wearing was not the old kind meant for "surviving by any means necessary," but equipment meant for combat. It was something designed to crush all enemies regardless of the cost, even using ordinary nerves as a substitute for magic circuits. It allowed her to summon Servants at will, but the designer had limited the number of uses to seven.
Excessive use would place a burden on the nerves, causing "damage" to the body. Yet, as long as the brain and heart remained intact, she could continue to fight.
What a madness this was. This organization was not an army, but merely a research institution. Yet, it was this group of people who now had to shoulder the survival of humanity, storming directly into the enemy's lair.
However, she did not refuse. Instead, she said "Thank you" to her, because she wanted to live and did not want to die in that great fire of 2016!
Having successfully cleared eight Singularities, she now stood before the Final Singularity. The most primal emotion—the "desire to live"—dominated her body.
Mash, Chaldea's test-tube baby, had lived in a sterile environment since childhood. She was diagnosed by her attending physician, Dr. Roman, as only being able to live until eighteen. Subsequently, she participated in the Heroic Spirit fusion project, though her lifespan remained capped at eighteen regardless of whether the fusion succeeded.
In a crisis, she fused with the Heroic Spirit No. 2 (Galahad) within her and formed a contract with Fujimaru Ritsuka, becoming her Servant.
Regarding her impending end, Mash appeared incredibly calm. She rejected King Solomon's persuasion and held firm to her beliefs, standing on the side of Chaldea.
The straight man of Chaldea, pure and fresh, seemingly an airhead, extroverted, timid, restless, and not good at expressing emotions.
Though she had little life experience, her knowledge was vast, which is why she often addressed others as Senpai.
Because of her taciturn nature and her cold, no-nonsense attitude and speech habits, the description "just like a Doll" suited her well.
But in reality, she was an ordinary girl who was proactive and full of curiosity, just a bit quiet with somewhat strange speaking habits.
When that Senpai (Fujimaru Ritsuka) expressed to her that "she should stay at Chaldea," Mash refused without hesitation. She was Fujimaru Ritsuka's exclusive Servant. From the day Fujimaru Ritsuka held her hand, she had decided that if Fujimaru Ritsuka was going to fight, she would go too, even if it meant sacrificing what little time she had left.
"It's far too early." That familiar voice made everyone freeze. "Congratulations on the victory you achieved after using up three trump cards. Although I am truly furious, I must still praise you. You have grown a lot, Fujimaru Ritsuka."
Along with Lev's voice, the surrounding Demon God Pillars rose one after another, and a terrifying creature gradually crawled out from underground to the surface.
"But it's meaningless, completely meaningless, because we are infinite!"
"Now, reveal yourselves, my kin!"
The Demon God Pillars erupted from the ground. Amidst roars and tremors, countless silhouettes of Demon God Pillars appeared before Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash.
"The Demon God Pillars are regenerating! No, this is..."
Picking up where Mash left off, Lev continued, "Exactly. We are this space itself, we are this temple itself! The 72 Demon God Pillars is not a title, but a description of our state!"
"We exist in a state where there are always seventy-two Demon Gods."
The figure that emerged from the Demon God Pillar was Lev, though he looked far from human.
"Don't you understand? In other words, unless you eliminate all seventy-two of my kin, you cannot kill me!"
With a snap of his fingers, the Demon God Pillars tightly bound the group from Chaldea, intending to eliminate them right then and there.
"Of course, that's impossible! Where on earth would you find such terrifying firepower? Hahahaha!"
"First Singularity, Melting Furnace Naberius."
"Second Singularity, Information Room Flauros."
"Third Singularity, Observation Post Forneus."
"Fourth Singularity, Control Tower Barbatos."
"Fifth Singularity, Armory Halphas."
"Sixth Singularity, Watcher Star Amon."
"Seventh Singularity, Life Institute Sabnock."
Countless images flashed through Fujimaru Ritsuka's mind. Looking at the seemingly endless Demon God Pillars before her, a sharp pain in her head made her crouch down involuntarily.
"Yes, this is the human history you are so obsessed with!"
Braving the massive shockwave, Mash protected Fujimaru Ritsuka behind her. The shield-bearing girl now seemed like an indestructible wall.
"Humanity's final Master, Fujimaru Ritsuka, fighting you was truly enjoyable! The futility of fighting until now! The tragedy of dying having achieved nothing! We would evaluate it as wonderful! Thank you, and..."
The aberration in Lev's form crawled out from within the Demon God Pillar and gave a slight bow to Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash.
"Farewell!"
"Go along with Chaldea and follow the humanity that has already been incinerated!"
The eye-like organs on the Demon God Pillars looked down upon Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash as if they had already won. However, in the next second as they were about to strike, a voice rang out through the entire space.
It was the sound of flesh being torn apart. Accompanied by a roar, dozens of Demon God Pillars collapsed. A voice that sounded like one from a dream came from another direction.
"I don't know what happened, but I should be within the chapter of The Grand Temple of Time: Solomon right now, shouldn't I, Fujimaru Ritsuka?"
"Aka... Akatsuki?!"
The person from the dream stepped into reality. Tearing apart the massive bodies of the Demon God Pillars seemed as easy as lifting a hand. She broke straight through the wall of flesh formed by the Demon God Pillars and arrived before Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"That's right, the King of True Ancestors, Akatsuki Brunestud. And I'm not the only one who came."
"Wrong!"
A voice came from the horizon.
"Look, the French village girl is here too."
Although Akatsuki wasn't sure how she had ended up here, what needed to be done was obvious: break through the Final Singularity!
She had clearly fallen asleep holding Justeaze, yet when she opened her eyes, she found she had somehow ended up in the middle of a cluster of Demon God Pillars.
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