"It's over..."
Xia stood at the edge of the forest, holding Caster, whose lower body had already turned into specks of starlight.
He watched as the Reality Marble representing the glory of the Conqueror King's life, the Army of the King, shattered like glass and became fragments scattered across the sky. As the blue lights flickered and slowly faded into the air,
he spoke with a trace of wistfulness.
Then,
the last hidden Servant vanished along with the Reality Marble, meeting Caster's final end.
As the Reality Marble crumbled, the two figures that appeared in Xia's view gradually came into focus.
Saber remained motionless where she stood, still holding the pose of swinging her Holy Sword.
The Conqueror King, his face full of astonishment, slowly let the expression fade.
The wound across his chest, which had nearly split him in two, clearly showed who had won the battle.
Even though the soldiers had shielded him to the very end, that strike—embodying the Knight King's lifetime of glory—was no easy thing to endure! Especially when he'd taken it head-on...
In the instant of their collision,
the dazzling golden light that burst forth had almost immediately swallowed the army he had been so proud of.
The Conqueror King's countless followers fought with all their might to push their respected king back!
They threw themselves in front of him, one after another, with their own chests!
But,
the radiance of victory and glory swept away those soldiers, who had no idea what they were up against, in the blink of an eye!
The brilliant light, the glory of victory, the king's choice!
When the golden light had swallowed everything, all that remained was the Conqueror King, whom his soldiers had desperately shielded to the very end, standing on the earth.
His tiger-like eyes were wide, his face full of shock and amazement.
But... all he could do was offer a helpless smile.
"A splendid strike... Knight King." He smiled in approval.
With a look of quiet satisfaction, the Conqueror King stood beneath the clear sky and turned into a wisp of smoke, vanishing into the air.
"Mm..."
Once the Conqueror King had disappeared completely,
Saber tried stubbornly to straighten up again. But the enormous expenditure of magical energy and her still-healing wounds made her let out a faint groan of pain.
Her body swayed a few times, and her steps were unsteady, as if she were floating in the air.
Her foot slipped, and her delicate body tipped backward, about to fall to the ground.
He's here, so there's no need to worry...
A soft breeze blew past...
Just as expected, the exhausted Artoria fell straight into Xia's arms.
"Just as I thought. You really did show up..."
The happiness of having her trust vindicated made Artoria smile unconsciously.
Especially when she saw the face before her, tinged with helplessness and worry. Artoria's already beautiful smile grew even gentler and lovelier.
But while Artoria felt happy, Xia's face was dark with worry...
"Xia... you promised me..."
Hearing Artoria's soft voice, the tightly furrowed lines between Xia's brows finally eased a little. He held the frail body in his arms tightly. His reddened eyes gradually cleared as he let out a long sigh.
"My Goddess, please rest for now. Leave everything else to me..." Looking at Artoria's battered body, Xia forced a smile.
The lovely woman in his arms blinked her tired green eyes at him, then nodded meekly.
Completely relaxing, she trusted him without reservation and slowly fell into a deep sleep in his arms.
Xia smiled as he watched her sleep in his arms, then raised his head to look at the sky, where the dark clouds had dispersed.
The red sun hung high in the sky, its warm light spilling across the earth below.
The snow-white world looked even more dreamlike in that moment.
The boy stood atop the castle ruins, holding the girl in his arms as he quietly basked in the sunlight.
The birdsong rang in his ears.
The earth breathed anew.
The battle was over.
The Fourth Holy Grail War had come to an end.
Now...
Crunch.
"!?" The sudden footsteps behind him put Xia on alert.
He swiftly turned and looked toward the sound.
"Kiritsugu Emiya... where's Alice?" He slowly spoke the newcomer's name, then glanced at him in confusion and asked about his beloved, who had not come with him.
His face was cold, marked by boundless exhaustion.
His hands, gripping his magecraft gun, trembled slightly.
His black trench coat was stained with blood.
"Come with me at once!" His voice was almost a command, tinged with anxiety and unease. Xia's brow furrowed at once.
"Are you..."
BOOM!!!
Just as Xia was about to retort, a deafening explosion rang out! Then, behind Kiritsugu Emiya, Fuyuki City suddenly erupted in flames! The violent blasts and spreading fires mercilessly devoured the lives of the people around them.
Aaahhh!!!
Help... Aagh!
Run!!
What's happening?! Aah!
As the flames consumed everything, the screams of people poured into Xia's ears.
Burning houses, collapsing earth, crying babies, women's hoarse sobs, and men's angry shouts.
Against the backdrop of those flames that seemed to scorch the heavens, the whole sky was dyed crimson.
"Please! I can no longer do anything about the Holy Grail's rampage. So... please save them! They're innocent civilians!" Kiritsugu fell to his knees and begged Xia. The man who had never shown the slightest emotion was crying now...
"I know you despise me, even hate me! But even so, please save those innocent people first! After that, you can do whatever you want with my life! Please!" Kiritsugu begged and pleaded with a sincerity he had never shown before.
By now, Xia was the only one who still had some strength left to destroy the Holy Grail.
Artoria had nearly exhausted her magical energy, and Kiritsugu Emiya's own supply of magic... Honestly, the fact that he'd managed to make it here alive was enough to make some remarkably tough Servants feel ashamed.
My child!! My child is still in there!!!
Get out of my way!! If anyone's going to die, you can do it yourself!!
Mother!! Mother! Let go of me!! I have to save my mom!!
"Grrk...!!" Looking at Kiritsugu on his knees before him, begging for help, and hearing the hellish cries for rescue, Xia gritted his teeth in anger until they creaked.
He looked up and gazed into the distance with a Servant's vision, dozens of times sharper than a human's.
He saw the ominous black hole, from which foul black mud was slowly flowing.
The sticky black mud crept along the ground. Whenever a human corpse touched it, a scream of agony rang out! It was the cry of a soul being devoured! The torment of being denied reincarnation! The despair of being imprisoned in hell forever!!
A bead of cold sweat ran down Xia's temple. He absolutely couldn't touch that stuff! He mustn't touch it! Absolutely not!!
If he were an ordinary Servant, it would be simple enough. He could just unleash a finishing move and maybe destroy it.
But he was in trouble! This body, made up of the "thought-form" gathered from the "Sea of Goodwill," was premium-grade! Touching that mud, the embodiment of all the world's evils, would be like pouring cold water into boiling oil! He'd be dead beyond a doubt!
But... if he didn't go!
His brow furrowed as he gazed unwillingly at the lovely woman in his arms.
Don't go! Don't go! What do their lives have to do with you?! A furious voice kept roaring in his mind.
All you have to do is wait with Artoria until midnight! Then you can take her straight back to the "Sea of Goodwill"! You'll be together forever! Why risk doing something that will almost certainly get you killed?! Think it through!!
This was the best choice for me now, the choice I ought to make.
But...!!
Mother!! Mother! Let go of me!! I have to save my mom!!
My child!! My poor child... Waaaaah!!
The anguished cries in his ears made it impossible for him to make such a selfish choice.
Besides, what would Artoria do if she found out he had made that choice?! With her stubborn nature, how could she ever forgive him?
"Xia..."
Just as Xia was growing frantic, unable to make a decision, Artoria's weary voice sounded.
"Ar... Artoria?! Why are you awake?!" Hearing her voice, Xia's face turned deathly pale. He lowered his head and saw that Artoria had woken up and was struggling to wriggle out of his arms.
This was it...
He was done for...
There was no way out now...
Xia felt as if the world were ending. His mouth went dry as he thought.
"Xia... your body... I know. S-so... leave it to me." Artoria leaned against him, panting faintly. Her eyes were already growing unfocused as she spoke.
"What are you talking about?! You're in no condition to—!"
"Magic... replacement... one of Xia's... special moves..." Artoria said weakly.
"You... how did you..." Xia knew now that he really couldn't get out of it. Artoria had even learned that move, so there was no way she would give up on saving those civilians.
Her small hand clutched his. A faint blush, born of anxiety, spread across her face.
"Xia...!! They... save... innocent...!" Even in such a frail state, Artoria still insisted on saving those innocent lives.
"...Impossible!"
Meeting the hopeful look in Artoria's eyes, Xia gritted his teeth and steeled himself.
"They're just ordinary civilians! They have nothing to do with you!"
Please save my son!! A mother knelt in front of a burning wooden house, begging the people running for their lives.
"Your life is the only thing I'm here to protect!"
Mom!! Waaaah!! A young man wept uncontrollably as he watched his mother burn to death in the fire while saving him.
"If they die, then so be it! It has nothing to do with either of us!!"
Help... help... A reaching arm, yearning for salvation.
"So... so!! Just let them die! As long as you, Artoria... SMACK!!"
The sharp sound rang out. Her face was filled with anger, and her green eyes showed nothing but disbelief and disappointment.
Xia stared blankly, his left hand covering his reddened cheek. He looked at the furious Artoria and opened his mouth, but in the end he couldn't say a thing...
Artoria pulled free of Xia's arms and struggled to stand upright, taking a deep breath.
"We...!! Will never be separated!!" Artoria shouted at Xia with all the strength she had left!
His black pupils contracted at once. A trace of guilt came over him, as though she had seen through him, and he couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes.
The girl's furious cry poured over the boy like a bucket of cold water.
The snow all around them looked even colder.
"Trust me, Xia..." Her gentle embrace calmed the boy's trembling body, trembling because someone had discovered what he feared most.
Yes, Xia wasn't afraid of dying.
Nor was he unable to destroy the source of evil.
And he wasn't afraid of getting that black mud on his body.
Rather... he was afraid that if he left, he would never see his Goddess again.
Traveling through time and space was never as simple as it sounded.
Great strength, a strong will, and an incomparably powerful soul.
Those were the basic requirements for traversing time and space.
Xia wasn't worried about his strength, and as for a strong will? He'd always believed he had one.
But the strength of his soul...
Three journeys through time and space and one soul split into four had already brought Xia's original soul close to collapse.
It was now impossible for him to traverse time and space again by his own power. Let alone arrive at such a precise time and place.
So, if he were separated from Artoria again this time,
he would have to rely on a medium to return. But... where would he end up? When? What medium would Xia have?
Those were all unpredictable variables, and they were what worried Xia most.
He couldn't know. He couldn't be certain. So he was afraid.
He felt Artoria comforting him, felt her pure, fragrant presence. His racing heart began to settle.
A trace of determination flashed through his weary black eyes.
"What Artoria wishes for is what Drac.D.Xia will stake his life to obtain..."
With a helpless sigh, he raised his arms and held the lovely woman in his embrace tightly.
Green motes of light streamed out of Xia's body and gradually flowed into Artoria.
Her dull golden hair began to shine with brilliant color once more.
Her panting body gradually grew stronger.
The weakness in her arms and legs slowly faded away.
She closed her green eyes and peacefully savored the feeling of being filled with strength again.
Then she suddenly opened them! A brilliant gleam flashed through her green eyes!
-------------------------The final dividing line--------------------------------------
The fire blazed across the sky.
Countless lives had been lost here.
Wretched beings whose souls had been swallowed by the black mud.
A golden-spear-wielding boy danced through the madness.
A girl held a Holy Sword that shimmered with golden light.
Together, they swept aside every corpse that stood in their way.
Close behind them, a man in black struggled to keep up with the pair ahead.
He'd accidentally stepped on a hand. Lowering his head, he took a closer look.
It was the little hand of a boy named Beiju.
There was no time for reflection, no time for grief.
He continued forward, his face twisting with regret.
A flash of golden light, shining like a beacon of salvation.
A roar like a dragon's cry surged forward alongside the golden light.
The pool of black sludge sensed the threat.
It lashed out like a whip, trying to stop its own destruction.
The boy with the golden spear protected the girl, while she gripped the Holy Sword, ready to destroy the evil thing before them in a single strike.
Whoosh!!!!
A black whip shot up from underground, then sprang out of the earth and struck at the blond girl from behind!
A flash of gold— the spear-wielding boy appeared behind the girl in the blink of an eye. He could only shove her out of the way before the black whip wrapped around him.
"Xia!!"
The girl cried out as she watched the boy, bound tightly by the black whip, manage a bitter smile.
In an instant, several more whips of black mud wrapped around the boy, hoisting him high into the air.
"Cowardly!" the girl cried in furious protest as she watched the black sludge use the boy as a hostage.
The black mud was spreading faster and faster.
The Grail, the embodiment of all the world's evils, was about to descend.
Without the boy protecting her, the girl's figure darting through the black sludge was in grave danger.
She wanted to attack, but couldn't.
She wanted to evade, but it was getting harder and harder.
What should I do...?!
What should I do...?!
The girl desperately tried to think. If she attacked, she would inevitably hit the boy too. That was absolutely unacceptable!
But if she didn't attack, once the Grail of All Evils descended...!!
What should I do?!
And in that instant of hesitation, the evil Grail of All Evils had already revealed most of its body.
Its sinister black surface was covered with the terrified expressions of countless people and foul water brimming with malice.
The moment the evil water dripped onto the ground,
the flowers and grass throughout the entire city withered at once. It was an ill omen.
"This is bad!"
The girl thought, and attacked the mud whips closing in on her with even greater urgency. But as more of the Grail of All Evils emerged, the number of mud whips kept growing. If this continued...
"Five-Colored Treasure Chain of Sin's Punishment!" A voice rang out. At the center of it all was the boy trapped in midair. A burst of white aurora erupted, transforming into countless white chains that instantly bound the Grail of All Evils, which was about to fully emerge.
"GRAAAAAAH!!!!!"
Thousands upon thousands of souls screamed in unison! The white chains wrapped around the Grail of All Evils began turning black.
"Now! Attack me! Otherwise, you'll be—!" The boy, using up the last of his magical energy, shouted to the blonde girl. "Artoria, you'll be in danger too!!"
"I refuse! How... how can we be separated again? I don't want that!" The girl's face twisted with pain as she loudly rejected his plea.
"Artoria..."
"I'll put an end to all this! I'll destroy the Grail of All Evils and save Xia! Then... we'll go back to how things were in the Fairy Forest!" The stubborn girl kept swinging her Holy Sword. She smiled, her face filled with fearless resolve.
They had been through everything.
They had made it through everything.
From their first meeting, to helping each other, to falling in love, and now, to recognizing each other again and finding love once more.
"So we'll get through this too! Believe in me, Xia!"
The golden Holy Sword shattered several mud chains before her in another strike. Her teal figure sprang up and rushed toward the boy in the air.
The girl's figure drew closer and closer. Her brilliant golden hair, her steadfast green eyes, and her adorable face, smiling at him.
The boy managed to push one arm free of the mud and slowly reached toward her.
At that moment, the girl quickly reached out with her left hand too.
Flames raged.
The black mud roared.
The boy and girl clasped hands tightly and smiled at each other.
"You've really grown up... Artoria." The boy smiled from the bottom of his heart, as if reminiscing.
"Mm... because I'm your Knight King, Xia!" The girl's contented smile was forever branded into the boy's heart.
"Thank you... Thank you, Heaven, for letting me know you, meet you, find you, and even touch you... These will always be my most precious memories." Happiness filled his dark eyes, and a broad smile spread across his handsome face.
"For me... Xia, you're the same." She smiled and admitted it. They were each other's most precious person.
"So... please live well, Artoria." His smiling face and joyful expression were matched by the resolve in his dark eyes.
"Huh?" The girl let out a puzzled sound, slightly dazed by Xia's sudden words.
Then, in the very next instant... the girl understood exactly what he meant.
With all his strength, he flung the girl far away.
As silent tears fell, the boy threw back his head and shouted!
"Are you still not going to use the Command Seal?!!!! Kiritsugu Emiya!!!!!" His cry was filled with boundless sorrow and unwillingness. He never imagined that, in the end... they would be separated again like this.
Xia, who had always shed blood but never tears, bid the girl farewell one last time, with silent tears and a final smile.
"Attack the Grail with your strongest Noble Phantasm, Saber!!" The moment the boy finished speaking, Kiritsugu's voice rang out as he activated the Command Seal.
And then...
Under the girl's stunned gaze, her body gathered magical energy of its own, and she raised the Holy Sword in her hand.
[[[CP|W:28|H:30|A:L|U:http://file2./chapters/201012/24/1733157634288129850823750603630.jpg]]]
A crimson sky.
Fires raging all around.
People crying out in pain.
Suddenly, a light appeared.
Golden light.
A dazzling golden light
shot straight into the sky, obscuring it all...
"...Xia?"
---------------------------OVER------------------------------------
The Fourth Holy Grail War... finally over...
Good grief...
Should I just end the story here?
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