Ritsuka was momentarily taken aback by Witch's outburst.
"You---You don't even have the shame to trick a woman?!" Witch yelled, pointing at him like he was her two timing ex.
"Yes. The worst," Anastasia added, arms crossed with vivy, agreeing with Witch as though they'd suddenly become best friends in betrayal.
Ritsuka raised an eyebrow. "I did trick you...so what? It was a tactic in war. Why are you agreeing with our enemy, Duchess?"
Anastasia turned her cold eyes on him. "Because unlike you, she didn't lie to my face."
"How dare you!! How dare you!! How dare you!!" Gilles suddenly exploded, his madness overflowing as his key, the book began to glow with malicious energy. "You tricked both Saints! You will pay for this crime!"
Ritsuka stepped back with a confused frown. "Why am I suddenly being treated like some cheater with multiple lovers or something?"
Witch pointed her finger at him, still fuming. "Even if you tricked us, it won't change anything. You'll die here."
"Nope. I won't die today." Ritsuka grinned as he glanced behind them. "Who knows? My backup might arrive any minute now."
As if on cue, a massive explosion erupted near the city entrance, shaking the ground beneath their feet. The sky lit up with fire and debris.
Everyone turned toward the smoke and flames.
"Speaking of the devil... they're here at last," Ritsuka said, a light chuckle escaping him. "Gudako has arrived, Jeanne."
The sudden shift stunned Jeanne and Anastasia. The monsters that had surrounded them began turning toward the direction of the explosion, responding to the new threat.
"Hah! Even if our opponents are a bunch of Servants," Gilles sneered, gripping his book tighter, "my army and my Saint are more than enough to destroy anyone who dares defy us!"
Witch laughed with growing arrogance, flames dancing in her eyes. "This is perfect. I'll use this chance to slaughter every one of your reinforcements. That'll teach you what happens when you trick me!"
The siege army outside the walls began to stir and move to intercept the newcomers.
"Will it be alright?" Jeanne asked, worry creeping into her voice. She knew Gudako and her party was strong, but Gilles's undead legions were nothing to scoff at.
Ritsuka didn't even hesitate. "It'll be fine. I believe in Gudako."
He smiled faintly, remembering her words.
"I'll catch up to you. No matter what."
Crash!
As if to echo Ritsuka's confidence, another powerful explosion shook the earth. Dust and debris scattered into the air as a distant but unmistakable melody rang through the battlefield.
"A-Ah. As expected of her... but she brought crazy Servants…!" Ritsuka muttered, blinking rapidly.
His enhanced hearing twitched no, reacted to the specific soundwave. It wasn't just an explosion. It was a song. A scream turned into a blast of destruction.
"…Who the hell makes explosions through vocals and songs?" he murmured, eyes widening slightly.
Crash!
The next explosion boomed even closer. A gust of force pushed against them, forcing even the undead to reel backward. Pieces of rubble, limbs of monsters, and black ash rained down from the skies.
Drop!
From the sky, bloodied remnants of the undead rained upon them. Ritsuka instinctively flicked away a cracked femur and shielded Anastasia and Jeanne with his arm. The three of them looked up as something large and heavy smashed nearby.
"…This is…" Jeanne muttered, as the smoking object rolled to her feet.
Witch and Gilles stared down, their faces twisted.
A severed, still-twitching arm, dripping black blood. Cracked and twisted legs, scorched by magical heat.
These weren't human remains. They were the remains of their own army.
"…"
Witch didn't speak. Her lips trembled.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
The music-driven chaos continued approaching. The sound of a hellish chorus was joined by rhythmic stomps, shouts, and spells. A whirlwind of Servants was marching directly toward them.
Through the dust and fire, the silhouettes of Siegfried, Elizabeth, Marie Antoinette (Rider), Mozart, Kiyohime, Mashu, Boudica, Mandricardo, and Gudako emerged burning their way through the army like a divine parade of destruction.
They had arrived at last.
Ritsuka narrowed his eyes, then smirked.
"Look at this. It's no joke, right?"
He tilted his head toward Witch, like a man showing off his girlfriend at a family gathering. The smugness in his grin was unbearable.
The corner of Witch's mouth twitched. Gilles was grinding his teeth.
Both of them wanted nothing more than to stomp Ritsuka's face into the dirt.
But the explosions, the music, and the incoming pressure made that thought hard to focus on.
"…"
Ritsuka, still smirking, leaned to Jeanne and whispered calmly, "Gudako really knows how to make an entrance."
Witch's glare swept the battlefield her crumbling forces, the collapsing undead army, and finally, her eyes locked onto Ritsuka, Jeanne, and Anastasia.
Her grip on the blackened flag tightened until her knuckles turned pale.
"…Have you made your decision, my saint?" Gilles spoke with grave resolution, his ominous grimoire pulsing with corrupted energy.
Witch answered coldly, "No matter what happens, once the ritual starts, it's over. The ritual affects all of you. I just need to sacrifice a few of your precious Servants to kick it into motion."
She cracked her neck and slowly raised her flag. The air around her twisted as her dark magic surged.
Then, she glared daggers at Jeanne.
"You're lucky. You've got a bastard on your side who's really good at tricking people. Cowardly and manipulative," she hissed, her voice laced with venom.
"Honey," Ritsuka said with a wide, smug grin, "I'm very adorable, you know."
Jeanne and Anastasia sighed simultaneously.
Witch twitched.
"Knock it off, you little shit!" she snapped, pointing her staff. "I'll beat the both of you before your little cheer squad makes it here!"
"Are you really okay with that, though?" Ritsuka tilted his head innocently. "Aren't you a key role in this ritual? Isn't that kind of reckless?"
That made Witch pause for a second.
Then her expression twisted.
"…Doesn't matter," she growled. "I'll do anything to wait… how do you know I'm the key to the ritual?!"
"I didn't." Ritsuka flashed a smile so smug it could end civilizations. "I was guessing… but thanks for the confirmation."
Jeanne and Anastasia stared in disbelief, then both slowly turned their eyes away like they wanted to pretend they didn't hear that.
Witch's pupils dilated. Gilles's aura spiked.
"You…!"
"…Even if I suffer greater losses, even if my army is reduced to dust, I'll make sure to give you the most painful death imaginable!" Witch shrieked, her white hair fluttering wildly as magical energy crackled around her.
The ground began to shake as her mana burst into the air like black flame.
Ritsuka blinked.
"Ay!" he said, holding up his hands like a peace sign. "You really have anger issues, you know?"
A vein bulged on Witch's temple.
Witch muttered under her breath, "I should've summoned King of Britain instead to work for me…"
BOOM!
Another explosion echoed behind them closer now. Gudako and her team were nearly here.
Witch's face distorted further.
Although the undead and monsters closed the distance fast, Ritsuka didn't even flinch under his Kamen Rider mask. His grip on the Ridol tightened, and a deeper smile played on his lips behind the visor.
"But you know…" Ritsuka murmured, giving the Ridol a light flick, sparking faint mana. "Why are you treating me like some tool you can just take out and toss aside whenever you want? How about we go for a date instead?"
"How dare you? You insignificant insect your life is nothing I can't snuff out with a thought!" Gilles roared, his voice cracking with madness.
At his command, waves of undead and monsters howled and surged forward. Their eyes glowed red. Their fangs and claws were stained with blood.
Anastasia calmly stepped forward beside Ritsuka. "You really have a talent for pissing people off," she muttered, readying her ice spear with a soft glow of blue mana.
Wing!
A radiant gust passed over them. Ritsuka blinked.
"Huh?"
A sudden pulse of divinity, warm and powerful, enveloped them. Jeanne stood still, her staff held aloft, eyes closed, her form surrounded by a protective light.
Jeanne's Holy Banner rose, shimmering as the golden cross radiated its divine strength. The air around them became lighter, protected.
"Since you're both fighting at your limits," Jeanne said softly, "I'll help with everything I have. I might not be in my prime anymore, and I can't promise I'll be the strongest… but at the very least, I won't let either of you die. I can still support you."
Ritsuka looked at her, impressed. "How reliable," he grinned. "I almost feel like we're a party in a game."
Anastasia nodded. "It's right, but... I trust her."
Ritsuka turned his attention back to the front line.
"Are you ready, my lady?" he asked with theatrical flair.
"I'm," Anastasia said with a smirk.
Mana surged around him as he drew up his Ridol. He slashed the air
Slice!
A wave of pure magical energy surged forward like a storm, howling across the battlefield.
Slice! Slice! Slice!
The undead and monsters were cleaved apart in mass. Those who couldn't dodge or defend in time were shredded, their bodies torn apart by the slicing shockwaves. Black blood rained across the battlefield.
Screams echoed.
Those tough enough to resist...hulking beasts and knight-type undead...stood tall. But then—...
Crack!
Anastasia's hand gleamed with frost. "You freeze where you stand."
A storm of ice surged outward, blanketing the entire second wave of monsters. Their limbs locked in place as jagged ice crawled up their bodies.
Crack! Shatter!
Her ice magic made short work of them, reducing half of Gilles' force to shimmering frost and bloodied chunks on the ground.
"Hey, don't you think your plans are falling apart? Shouldn't you go fetch the rejects you already threw away?" Ritsuka taunted, casually resting his Ridol on his shoulder.
"You bastard! You dare mock me! I'll bury you beneath the might of my stronger army!" Gilles screeched. With a frantic chant and a twisted gesture of his bleeding hand, a magic circle erupted beneath him.
Thud! Thud! GRRRRRAAAHHH!
Dark mist roiled, and mutated advanced-class undead began to rise armored zombies, beastmen hybrids, undead giants with corrupted magic leaking from their limbs. Their eyes glowed deep red, and their snarls echoed across the battlefield.
Like Gilles thought, Ritsuka and Anastasia had cleared out the weaklings. Now, only the true nightmares remained.
"Is that so?" Ritsuka muttered, his tone playful but eyes sharp.
He dashed forward, Ridol crackling with energy.
Crash!
Ritsuka's Ridol met a hulking monster's claws mid-air, sparks bursting from the impact.
Scratch!
The shrieking sound of bone scraping reinforced steel rang out, piercing the ears. Before Ritsuka could follow up, three swift undead lunged toward him from the side.
Instead of panicking, Ritsuka relaxed his grip.
Rattle!
The monster pressing on him lost balance as Ritsuka shifted weight, its skull slamming right into his knee.
Crash!
Its cranium exploded on contact, brains splattering across the ground.
Without a pause..
Whish!
A rusty, bloodstained knife sliced toward him from a decapitated corpse.
Ritsuka's body twisted low.
Flash!
The blade missed his torso by inches.
Clutch!
Ritsuka caught the corpse's wrist, yanked it forward, then used the force to rebound.
Slice! Slice! Slice!
Each swing was clean, brutal, and efficient. Heads flew. Bodies dropped. His Ridol carved through the horde like it had a will of its own, targeting the critical points in every enemy's form.
Meanwhile, behind him—
KRRRRRSHHHH!
Anastasia raised her arms.
"Ice Age."
With a single whisper, waves of absolute cold enveloped the undead charging her. In a matter of seconds, frost crawled up their limbs, across their chests, through their skulls—
CRACK! CRASH!
Dozens fell like glass, shattering under their own frozen weight.
Drop! Drop! Drop! Drop!
The front line collapsed. In that instant, Jeanne's eyes widened with relief, while Witch's lips curled in growing frustration.
"…You little shit," Witch growled. "What are you?"
"Bring more in," Ritsuka said casually, waving his Ridol like a conductor inviting a new movement.
Gilles snarled and screamed out another chant.
As the next wave advanced, Ritsuka moved again.
And this time, Anastasia watched carefully.
'Amazing…!'
She had seen him fight before seen him brave hopeless odds with a smile. But now, it was different. He wasn't just powerful he was flawless. Every step had intent. Every movement flowed to the next. His blade was like a whisper before death, and yet, he never overextended or let an attack through.
But there was something more.
Something… inhuman.
Far away from the battlefield, in the deep part of his mind, a voice chimed softly.
[Enemy trajectory adjusted. Predicting movement... Auto counter-slash pattern C.]
It was Sakura AI,
She wasn't just a tool. She was a part of his thought process now. A guardian angel that whispered decisions in milliseconds.
"Thanks, Sakura," Ritsuka murmured under his breath.
[You're welcome, Host.]
Ritsuka's movements became even more fluid. A step ahead. A breath faster. No wasted strength.
He was a blur in the storm, dancing with death while his allies stood tall beside him.
Jeanne raised her banner again. Anastasia surged her powers. Ritsuka grinned under his helmet.
"Damn it!"
In the end, Gilles spat the words and raised his hand, fury twisting his features."Attack them, my Army! Tear them apart if you must rip off an arm or a leg! I don't care, just kill them!"
Ritsuka turned his head slightly, his eyes flicking to the elegant woman standing behind him after he just blew off another monster's head.
"Did you hear that, my lady?" he said, almost casually.
"That's a pity. You both made excellent shields."
Behind him, Anastasia narrowed her eyes, clearly unamused.
"Don't treat someone else like a shield," she muttered, gripping her staff tighter.
"They're going to come for you seriously now. Are you going to be alright?" Jeanne asked, her voice calm but concerned, as she adjusted her grip on her staff.
"…Actually, no. Not really."
Ritsuka exhaled quietly, feeling the familiar emptiness inside him. His borrowed mana was depleted, and he didn't want to tap into his prana yet not until he absolutely had to. The Witch was still watching, waiting for Ritsuka to exhaust.
"But it's fine. Just keep the buffs coming. That's enough for now."
"…I understand," Jeanne nodded, already channeling her blessing once more.
Anastasia's voice cut through the hum of rising magic. "Master, I believe we'll need to use a Command Spell soon."
Ritsuka blinked in surprise at the sudden suggestion.
Still, he couldn't deny it.
"…You're right, my lady," he said, steadying himself as he fixed his stance.
Thump!
Suddenly, a blazing inferno erupted before them. The world turned red for a moment.
FWOOOOOSH!
A massive wave of fire surged toward them, burning the ground, incinerating what was left of Gilles' lesser undead.
Anastasia stepped forward, her ice blooming in layers—CRACK!—freezing the heat just enough to form a shimmering barrier that saved all three of them.
From the far end of the battlefield, a silhouette began to walk forward.
The Witch had finally entered the fight.
Her robe billowed in the heat. Her grin widened with anticipation.
Her cursed aura began to spread—and the temperature around them dropped sharply, despite the fire.
---
(Author's Note: I'll be skipping the detailed part of how Ritsuka defeats Jalter. Since she's a newborn and reckless, Jeanne, Anastasia, and Ritsuka manage to defeat her as in the FGO main story and manga. The focus continues from there. Frankly I was slept and forgot so I didn't include this fight until I saw final cut. I read the manga but didn't write the fight scene. Hehehe)
---
Jeanne's flag pierced through the Witch's stomach with a brutal stab.
The Witch trembled, her body barely able to stand upright. Behind Jeanne stood Ritsuka and Anastasia, both watching in silence.
Then ...dash!Gilles rushed forward and caught the collapsing Witch in his arms.
"I have to fight... That's what you told me to do... right?" she said, weakly gripping his robe.
"Yes, my saint," Gilles whispered, his smile sorrowful. "But please, leave the rest to me. I'll take care of everything."
"…Yes. You're the only one I can trust. I leave it to you, Gilles..."
With those words, her body shimmered with fading light and vanished.
"You finally decided to reveal her identity," Ritsuka said coolly, as he watched Gilles.
Jeanne turned to him. "What… do you mean?"
Even Anastasia blinked. "What are you saying, Master?"
Ritsuka crossed his arms. "The Witch… was the Holy Grail itself. Gilles created her his own fictional Jeanne. Haven't you noticed? He always called her my saint, while calling you just Saint. That's because she was his wish a corrupted saint brought to life."
"Shut up!" Gilles snarled, voice cracking.
"You tried to start your own Holy Grail War, collecting Servants with the help of your twisted version of Jeanne."
"I said shut the fuck up!!"
Gilles' composure broke completely. Nervousness and fear surged within him as he gritted his teeth. Yet, he hardened his expression and pulled something out...a warped Holy Grail, the space where the Witch had disappeared.
And then....he revealed a book.
The Key.
The torn page that Ritsuka had ripped before had somehow restored itself, looking perfectly whole. As Gilles opened the ancient tome, an ominous wind blew across the battlefield.
Screeech! Screeeeech!
Screams echoed through the air.
Like the wailing of tortured souls, nails scraping across a thousand chalkboards, and ghosts vomiting curses into the sky.
KWWWAAAAHHH!!!
Gurggg—Gurggg!!
TatatatataK!!
Monsters and undead joined in the howling chorus. It was as if they were cheering for the book's horrific power. The air turned heavy. Rotten. Frightening.
Gilles stood in the center of it all, laughing manically.
"Okay, I admit it! You're one annoying bastard! Even worse than those disgusting humans! You're the worst! If only you didn't exist… everything would've gone exactly as I planned!"
Ritsuka smirked under his mask. "Wow. Aren't you complimenting me a little too much?"
"Say whatever the hell you want. You won't be able to use that mouth for long!"
The book in Gilles' hands began flipping its own pages, possessed by some foul will.
Ritsuka's voice dropped. "So you're going to use that? You do realize if you unleash the Key's power now, the ritual will be delayed."
"Only a bit! A tiny bit! It doesn't matter. I'll just use it once—to kill you!"
"Can you even control it properly? The Witch , your Key you used is gone now. Your control must be limited."
"Don't you dare say my saint's name with that filthy mouth! I don't need much power to kill you!"
Ritsuka tilted his head, mockingly. "What about Jeanne? Our precious Idol Jeanne might be swept by your attack."
"Tch… That can't be helped." Gilles' voice trembled. "Her arms and legs might go, but I'll keep her alive."
Anastasia frowned. "He's already half-given up on her."
Ritsuka clicked his tongue inside his Kamen Rider-style mask. "That's disappointing. I was hoping to keep using her as a shield if he still had feelings."
"Please keep those thoughts in your head so we don't hear them!" Anastasia snapped, clearly done with Ritsuka's usual antics.
Rumbling—!!
A massive column of black smoke erupted from Gilles like a volcanic explosion, expanding and twisting into the sky. It writhed like a serpent, wriggling and coiling as it grew large enough to swallow several buildings whole. Then with a violent hiss the cloud's head turned toward Ritsuka, Anastasia, and Jeanne.
"Keep them away… until I finish transforming!" Gilles roared to his army.
The monsters obeyed at once.
Undead, demons, twisted beasts—all charged forward. Their movements were unnatural, uncoordinated, and rabid, like puppets yanked forward by invisible strings. They slammed into Ritsuka's team and Gudako's squad with relentless fury.
The battlefield was consumed in chaos. Blood sprayed. Screams echoed. Neither strategy nor formation existed in Gilles' horde—just overwhelming numbers and maddening intent.
"he was trying to stop us from escaping," Jeanne observed, her eyes narrowing.
"Seems he's going all in," Anastasia added coldly, dodging a clawed swipe. "His final trick."
"Yeah," Ritsuka muttered, cleaving a skeletal giant in half with one clean arc.
"You were expecting this?"
"Yeap, my lady."
At this point, neither Jeanne nor Anastasia were surprised by Ritsuka's responses anymore.
Jeanne adjusted her grip on her staff. "Then... you have a plan, don't you?"
Despite the rapidly deteriorating situation, Jeanne's voice remained calm, like a still sea before a storm.
"Yes," Ritsuka said, eyes glowing faintly behind his Kamen Rider mask. "But I need you to get ready to buff me when I give the signal."
Jeanne nodded. "Don't worry. That's what I do best."
---
Ritsuka's battle stance shifted.
His Ridul style once focused on intercepting and defending changed drastically.
Now it was wild. Brutal. Offensive.
It no longer cared about elegance. It was made for one thing: destruction.
[Activity Destruction Mood] sakura said
Swish! Slash! CRACK!
Ritsuka's sword tore through waves of enemies like a storm of blades. The undead screamed as they were cleaved apart. The wall of monsters, once tightly packed and unyielding, began to crumble under the sheer force of his relentless assault.
But there was a cost.
Pierce! Grrgh!
Ritsuka's offensive shift left his flanks open. Sharp claws and fangs found their way through the gaps in his guard. Even though he wore the Kamen Rider suit, several attacks managed to draw scratch on suit.
Deep cuts. Bruises. Blunt impacts.
But he didn't flinch.
He didn't stop.
The pain was nothing.
The mission was everything.
Then—whoosh!
A sharp blizzard spell exploded behind him. Ice needles shattered a charging ghoul mid-leap.
Anastasia had stepped beside him, her hands glowing with magic, a determined look on her face.
"You're not doing this alone, Master," she said, voice cool as frost.
"Damn right he's not," Jeanne added, spinning her staff like a banner. Waves of protective light surged over Ritsuka as buffs began layering onto him—defense, speed, endurance, and strength.
Together, they carved their way through the horde, inching closer to Gilles, who continued to transform beneath the dark cloud—his figure beginning to shift, mutate, and swell into something monstrous.
"DIIIIEEE!!!" Gilles voice heard from the cloud.
BOOOOM!!
The black cloud column surged forward like a tsunami of death. It howled through the battlefield, tearing through the air, growing in size and pressure as it rushed toward Ritsuka, Jeanne, and Anastasia.
It wasn't just an attack—it was a judgment.
Ritsuka stared up at it. His hands didn't tremble. His breath didn't falter.
Swish!
In the narrow space he had carved out between the hordes, Ritsuka adjusted his stance. He stepped forward, lowering his hips, and pulled back his Ridul.
His muscles tensed.
His heart pounded once.
Zing!
Mana surged. It wrapped around the Ridul like a whirlpool, humming with sheer force. Underneath the Kamen Rider mask, his eyes sharpened—focused, burning.
Then—
BOOOOOM!!!
The black cloud slammed down like divine wrath.
But Ritsuka was already moving.
Pierce.
The Ridul shot forward in a perfect thrust.
Burst!
The air fractured. Space warped. Invisible energy collided with the black cloud mid-air, and shockwaves erupted in all directions. Ritsuka didn't stop—he fired another thrust, and then another.
Each time, a piercing roar echoed as invisible blades tore through the incoming blackness.
CRAASH!!!
The black cloud struck the earth what was left of it. The pressure was immense enough to vaporize dozens of undead and monsters in an instant.
But Ritsuka stood tall, his Ridul still glowing, his boots planted firmly on the ground.
"HAHAHAHA!"
A mad laugh echoed over the battlefield. Gilles was now fully transformed.
He had become one with the black cloud. A grotesque, bloated entity hovering above like a storm demon. His body was a twisted fusion of flesh and mist, with glowing veins and grotesque symbols carved into his arms.
"I HAVE TRANSCENDED!!" he bellowed. "I AM APOSTLE OF THE KEY! KNEEL BEFORE MY GLORY!!"
Ritsuka tilted his head slightly. "...Is this it?"
Jeanne blinked. Anastasia raised a brow.
"I mean... no matter how you look at it, this guy just turned into a giant human fart."
Anastasia snorted. "Pfft!"
Even Jeanne, who was half-drenched in sweat and mana exhaustion, looked up dazedly and let out a helpless sneeze.
"Ah... I look like I was rescued from a flood..."
"You okay?" Ritsuka asked, not lowering his Ridul.
"…I don't feel too good," Jeanne muttered. "You kept draining me non-stop."
"Ah, my bad," Ritsuka scratched the back of his helmet. "I got carried away with framing your buffs into my back shots."
"You're the worst," Jeanne groaned. "I can't even take you seriously right now."
Ritsuka turned his gaze back to the towering fart-cloud-man.
"Alright then, Gilles. Great power and all that... what's next?"
"DON'T GET COCKY JUST BECAUSE YOU BLOCKED ONE MASS ATTACK! I HAVEN'T EVEN USED—"
"Yeah, yeah. That's enough," Ritsuka interrupted flatly. "You're done."
"WHAT NONSE—"
CRAAAAASH!!!
A second explosion rang out this one much closer. Gilles flinched, his grotesque head slowly swiveling like a rusted windmill.
There, standing amidst the settling dust—
Gudako and Mashu.
"Oi, told you I'd catch up!" Gudako shouted, waving. "Look at that...perfect timing!"
Ritsuka's eyes widened.
Then he smiled beneath his mask.
"...You're late."
"Are you alright, Ritsuka?"
Gudako's voice softened, all the tension in her shoulders melting the moment she laid eyes on him. Her brave front wavered. Just one look at Ritsuka, and it all came rushing back how much she missed him, how often she'd worried, how hard it had been without him.
She'd grown since they parted. Fought. Suffered. Endured.
But in front of him now, Gudako felt like a girl again—like a woman still tethered to something precious.
Her Ritsuka.
"RITSUKA FUJIMARU!!"
A thunderous shout exploded from a comms screen hovering nearby. Olga Marie's face filled it, furious and flushed.
Her voice shook the air as if she'd personally slap him through the transmission.
'Wow, so f*cking scary,' Ritsuka thought grimly, blinking beneath his mask.
Her rage wasn't just authority it was personal.
"D-Director Olga!" he yelped, straightening up instinctively.
Olga was standing on the Chaldea bridge, arms around a small girl...Airi, his daughter...whose wide red eyes shimmered with concern as she clung tightly to her mother's uniform.
Gudako and Mashu finally reached him. Without a word, Gudako grabbed him and hugged him tight.
"Uwah—!" Ritsuka staggered slightly, almost losing his footing. She wasn't holding back.
"I was really worried…" she whispered.
His heart squeezed. He awkwardly raised his arms and patted her back.
From the screen, Romani's warm voice chimed in.
"It's good to see you, Fujimaru. Seriously, you scared the hell out of us."
"Don't go dying on us again. Geez." Da Vinci added with a playful grin, though her eyes betrayed her relief.
Ritsuka gently stepped back from Gudako's hug, then looked at the screen.
"…I'm sorry. I made you all worry. But the plan worked because of that risk."
He looked down at Airi, who was still nestled in Olga's arms.
"Especially you, Airi. Daddy's okay."
Burst! Burst! Burst! Burst!
Four colossal black clouds exploded up from the ground around Gilles. Each was three times the size of the previous one, churning and pulsing like sentient storms.
"DIIIIIIEEE!!!" Gilles bellowed, spittle flying as his voice cracked with madness.
He had finally lost it.
The black clouds roared toward Ritsuka and the others, weaving through the sky from different angles—an ambush designed to overwhelm.
CLANG! THOOM! CRACK!
One by one, they were stopped.
A blur of power and presence entered the battlefield like divine instruments of justice.
Siegfried, blade glowing, cleaved one cloud in two. Elizabeth Bathory let out a screeching sonic scream that dispersed the second. Marie Antoinette rode forward on her glowing steed, a smile on her face as she summoned a barrier of light. Mozart flicked his fingers, a crescendo of notes exploding outward and tearing apart another cloud with raw magical harmony. Kiyohime's flames surged like a dragon's breath, engulfing her target. Mashu, Boudica, and Mandricardo coordinated perfectly, shielding the group and delivering precise counterstrikes.
Craaaaaash!!!
The clouds disintegrated mid-air, fragments of cursed mana falling like ash. The sky cleared around Ritsuka and Gudako—as if the battlefield itself had chosen its side.
Gilles stared, stunned, lips twitching in disbelief.
Then
Gudako stepped forward, brushing dust from her shoulders. She raised an eyebrow.
"...Is that all?"
Ritsuka turned to look at her, and for a second, he almost forgot they were in the middle of a war.
'She's... really cool now,' he thought.
And yet, somehow, still his Gudako.
As the smoke from the shattered black clouds began to clear, several Servants turned their eyes toward Ritsuka.
Siegfried, ever the calm and stoic knight, nodded respectfully. Elizabeth, meanwhile, leaned forward with gleaming eyes. Marie Antoinette (Rider) clapped her hands together gently, her expression serene but curious. Mozart tapped his chin dramatically. Kiyohime stared fixedly intensely her gaze unblinking.
They had finally seen him the one Gudako had fought so hard for. The one even Director Olga screamed for. And the one little Airi had cried over.
"So this is your boyfriend, huh…" Elizabeth said, tail twitching. "Puppy looks kinda cute."
"You've got some nerve, Monsieur Fujimaru," Marie Antoinette added with a smile too sweet to be anything but a tease. "To throw yourself into danger and leave behind such a beautiful wife and daughter…!
"And Airi-chan, my goodness she's the spitting image of you! Such beautiful blue eyes."
"Director Olga, Gudako, and your daughter have been worried sick for two whole days!" Kiyohime added, voice dangerously close to igniting into flames.
Ritsuka winced. "W-We're not married Gudako lied to you, didn't she?!"
He looked over at her accusingly.
Gudako just smiled.
Just as Mashu, Boudica, and Mandricardo arrived to form ranks, Mashu stepped forward and gave a small bow.
"Master Ritsuka… it's really good to see you again."
"Don't vanish on us like that," Boudica added, smiling gently.
Mandricardo gave a thumbs-up, then immediately looked awkward about it.
Suddenly—
"IIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!!!"
Gilles let out a high-pitched shriek, flipping pages in his dark tome with manic desperation. A torrent of dark energy erupted from the pages like a living curse, warping the air and cracking the stone beneath their feet.
"Gudako!" Ritsuka shouted, eyes sharp. "The book is the key! Destroy it now!"
Gudako's hand immediately flew to her Command Seals.
"Siegfried! By my Command Spell, destroy the key!"
Three glowing red lines vanished from her hand.
From the other side, Ritsuka called on his own.
"Jeanne d'Arc, support Siegfried! By my Command Spell—go!"
The battlefield ignited with light.
Elizabeth, Marie, Kiyohime, Mozart, Boudica, and Mandricardo all moved in sync, unleashing their Noble Phantasms to clear a path:
"Báthory Halloween!" A concert of chaos that shook the ground and scattered Gilles' summoned horrors.
"Brilliant Royal!" A majestic ride that trampled over dark energies with regal might.
"Flames of Passion!" Kiyohime's inferno engulfed Gilles' defenses by transforming into dragon.
"Eine kleine Nachtmusik!" A sublime melody struck the heart of darkness.
"Chariot of Glory!" Boudica roared forward, her presence shielding the front line.
"Durindana, the Nameless Blade!" Mandricardo followed, striking down remnants in one blow.
Siegfried's armor gleamed as he rushed forward, Jeanne by his side, her flag glowing with divine brilliance.
"Balmung!"
"Luminosité Eternelle!"
Siegfried's mighty blade crashed into the book just as Jeanne's light enveloped it—
Pop!
The book burst apart without a sound.
Not a trace remained. No ash. No pages. No screams.
It simply ceased to exist as though it had never been there.
"T-The Key…" Gilles murmured, staring blankly at his empty hands.
His eyes were wide and hollow, the madness unraveling. The darkness once infecting his soul had been severed. He slumped forward
Thud!
He hit the ground, unconscious. Normal. Powerless.
Splash!
A sudden crash echoed nearby. The statue of cockroach head that had loomed over city all this time crumbled and collapsed into the central fountain. A column of water shot into the air, and the remnants sank into the depths with a quiet stream of bubbles.
From the screen above, Olga watched in silence, eyes narrowed. Her attention, once on the statue, shifted back to Gilles.
"…It's finally over."
"He said the book was the Key for the Offering Ritual!" Jeanne exclaimed, stepping forward with concern heavy in her voice.
"Does that mean the ritual can't be performed without it?" Olga asked sharply from the screen, narrowing her eyes as she addressed the fallen Gilles.
But Gilles gave no response.
A tense silence followed until Anastasia calmly stepped forward, her long braid swaying slightly as she opened her mouth.
"Then, allow me to summarize the events that occurred after your departure—"
RUMBLE!!
The earth itself growled beneath their feet.
"Kyaah!" Anastasia screamed and instinctively latched onto Ritsuka's arm, her body trembling. Ritsuka quickly steadied her, his eyes scanning the surroundings, heart already racing.
The tremor intensified.
And then...
"It's started! It's started! God's judgment will befall this damn city!"
The laughter was crazed, hoarse, and cruel.
It came from Gilles, sprawled on the ground. Gone was the broken man from earlier—his eyes were alight with fanatic madness, grinning through bloodied lips.
Boudica didn't wait.
SLAM!
"Ugh!" Gilles wheezed as Boudica's heel drove into his ribs, sending him tumbling across the stone floor like a discarded rag.
She stood over him, voice cracking with fury. "Was this your doing?"
The tremors didn't stop. They were growing—louder, deeper, closer.
"Ha! Of course it was!" Gilles barked through coughs. "This is the result of the ritual I designed! I offered my Holy Grail to the altar! And now—hahahaha—it's too late for any of you!"
"Stop kidding yourself, you delusional bastard." Gudako stepped forward, eyes sharp. "We destroyed your Key, and that ugly cockroach statue of yours is at the bottom of a fountain. There's no way the ritual's still going."
Gilles laughed again, a dry, choking cackle.
"You stupid fools! You really think rituals are that simple?!" he spat. "You don't know anything! NOTHING!"
No one answered. They couldn't—not confidently.
Despite their victories, the truth stung. Their knowledge of the ritual was limited.
"You dare brag about stopping it when you don't even understand it?!" Gilles raved. "The ritual activates the moment enough life force saturates the basement. Once triggered, you can't stop it! Not even by destroying the Key or the idol! It'll consume the entire city!"
Everyone's expression hardened.
"Then why act like the Key mattered so much?" Ritsuka asked.
"Because the Key, or my Saint, was the only way I could control the ritual!" Gilles screamed, eyes wide. "To decide where, when, and how it unfolds! Especially with the Holy Grail enhancing it! But now that both are gone, it's out of my hands!"
A harsh truth settled like ash over them.
"I created Witch Jeanne as a substitute Saint, a failsafe! But now—now even I can't control it!"
The madness in his voice faltered for a moment. Gilles gritted his teeth—his moment of triumph turned to bitter irony.
"I may die… but my God's name shall echo throughout history! Humanity will tremble before Him—and they will remember me!" His voice broke. "I don't regret it… Not even if I burn."
Boudica stood still, expression pale and stunned.
This wasn't a bluff. Gilles believed every word.
Boudica's face stiffened.
"What's the method to stop the ritual?"
"There's none! And even if I knew, do you think I would—"
CRACK!
"AHHH!"
Boudica broke Gilles' arm without hesitation, her expression stone cold.
"What's the method?"
"Ha! You can't do anything in this situation—"
CRACK!
"AAAGH!!"
"The method?" Her voice dropped low, as cold as steel.
"Hahahaha! Torture me all you want—it's pointless! There really is no method to stop it!"
Boudica paused.
She could see it in his eyes—he wasn't lying. And even if there was a way, he'd never give it up. Not to them.
'I have to get both Masters out first.'
That was her immediate conclusion. She turned, ready to move—
"Don't even think of escaping!" Gilles shouted. "The ritual already covers the entire city! You'll be bounced right back in if you try!"
"You bastard..." Boudica's composure cracked for the first time, her voice rough with suppressed fury.
"W-What should we do, Ritsuka?" Anastasia asked, fear slipping into her voice. "What can we do...?"
Ritsuka stepped forward.
And smiled.
A wide, almost cheerful grin.
"—Teach this pitiful guy a little something called reality."
"Sorry?" Anastasia blinked, confused.
But Ritsuka didn't answer. He slowly approached Gilles.
"You."
Gilles glared up at him, eyes filled with hatred and manic fire.
"You bastard...! If it weren't for you, everything would've gone according to plan!"
"You're probably right."
"But it's all over now! I'll offer your wretched life to my God! You should've just run while you had the chance!"
Ritsuka shrugged. "Man, you really like hearing yourself talk."
Then, he leaned forward slightly, voice casual.
"So... These vibrations...do they start when the ritual activates?"
"Yes!" Gilles snapped, eager to gloat. "They herald the birth of the divine presence!"
"And then?"
"Black clouds will erupt across the city's surface, carrying my God's blessings! It will rain salvation....or death!"
"Like before? Those clouds you summoned earlier?"
"Yes! Exactly like that!" Gilles grinned, convinced Ritsuka was asking out of fear. "Why not tremble now? You're already dead!"
"And... how long after the vibrations do the clouds appear?"
"Immediately! The tremors are the sound of the dark clouds moving through the earth! They rise at once!"
"Huh. I see. But then..." Ritsuka exaggeratedly looked around, arms wide.
"Where are the black clouds?"
"...What?"
Even lying broken on the ground, Gilles raised his head, squinting through blood and sweat.
Nothing.
Not a single dark cloud in the sky.
"W-What?! No... They should've—"
"And now that I think about it..." Gudako added, folding her arms. "The vibrations are slowing down."
Gilles looked down. The shaking ground beneath him... was going still.
"T-This... this can't be happening..."
Ritsuka knelt beside him, voice low and calm.
"Want to know why?"
That smile returned....calm, kind, and sharp as a dagger.
"Remember those magic circles I drew on your god statues? The ones I said were just to stall until Gudako got here?"
Gilles froze.
"That was a lie."
Ritsuka's voice was a whisper.
"Those magic circles are real."
"They're designed to disrupt rituals like this."
"To choke them out from the inside."
Gilles' eyes widened in horror, nearly bulging.
"H-Huh..."
"How was it? That fleeting moment of hope? Tasted good, didn't it?"
Gilles could only tremble.
And Ritsuka's grin faded into cold silence.
—To be continued.
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Note: Here the big ass chapter. Hope you like it. In next chapter I will complete this arc. Comment how you felt the chapter.