Kirei Kotomine: I feel like I should never have had this daughter.
"I want to return to the day the king was chosen… and let fate make the decision it should have."
Artoria Pendragon spoke without hesitation.
She revealed the wish she had carried silently for years—the wish she had sworn to the Grail before her death. It was the obsession that still bound her.
Rin Tohsaka, sharp-eyed and deeply learned, immediately understood the terrifying implication.
This was no simple wish.
It was a demand to turn back time itself. To force history to diverge.
"Stop dreaming."
Wan Wan swirled the wine in her glass, her eyes gleaming with disdain. "You're just a king clinging to fantasy. I don't even know what this 'Britain' of yours is, but have you ever considered something? Kingship isn't eternal. No matter how glorious, every nation falls before time's march."
She sneered, though in her heart she felt a begrudging admiration.
To rule a country as a woman—that was no trivial feat.
But no matter how strong a woman became, she was still someone's daughter. And when faced with impossible choices, hesitation gnawed at her heart.
"Even if it's just a glimmer of hope, I want to try," Artoria pressed. Her voice trembled with conviction. "Didn't you say God can do anything? Even if it takes a thousand years, if there's hope, I'll fight for it."
She strode forward and sank to one knee before Wan Wan.
That steel in her eyes—it was frightening.
"…Fine," Wan Wan said at last, sighing. "When God descends, I'll give you a chance to speak with Him. But remember: if you dare to be rude, I'll erase you completely."
"Thank you."
Artoria ignored the threat, bowing deeply in gratitude instead.
Wan Wan frowned. What a dangerous girl.
That Night — Fuyuki City
An explosion rocked the western district.
From beneath the earth, an entire city rose into the sky.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, a fortress suspended above the world.
Artillery cannons unfolded, fortifications gleamed, countless devices whirred into motion.
Medea, newly summoned as a Caster, gazed in horror. She barely had time to raise her defenses before the fortress's cannons unleashed hellfire.
Her Noble Phantasm, her Master, everything—obliterated in a single bombardment. She and her companion were consumed in flames.
"What a fool," the fortress's mistress sneered. "To be a magus and yet fail to build a single defense? Pathetic."
Semiramis, the Queen of Assyria, hovered in the night sky, her black gown billowing like wings.
The man at her side—her supposed Master—was shriveled, drained by her endless consumption of mana. She barely acknowledged him.
Why would she? She needed no Master.
The Holy Grail War's restrictions on Heroic Spirits were unusually lax this time. If it weren't so, constructing her Noble Phantasm would have taken her days. Now, Fuyuki itself trembled beneath her fortress.
The sight was beyond imagination for ordinary people.
In his living room, Shirou Emiya stared at the television. Entire city blocks had been annihilated. His face turned deathly pale.
This… this is the Holy Grail War? These aren't heroes. They're executioners.
Beside him, Nero Claudius yawned lazily.
"Nero," Shirou said urgently, "I'll do it. I'll fight. Let's go stop her."
"Oh?" Nero smirked, stretching languidly. "But I haven't had enough sleep. Besides, what chance do we have against a floating fortress?"
She pouted, almost sulking. "Without enough joy, I won't march off to die so quickly. Especially for a Master with such pitiful mana reserves."
Her golden eyes sparkled with mischief, but her refusal was firm.
Shirou clenched his teeth. His phone buzzed—a message from Sakura.
[If the world changes, and you can't handle it, come to the Tohsaka estate.]
"…Did she foresee this?"
Shirou's breath caught. He leapt onto his bicycle and pedaled furiously toward Rin's home.
At the Church District
The night blazed with battle.
Above the church, Gilgamesh clashed with Enkidu, his oldest friend.
The King of Heroes, usually untouchable, now appeared vulnerable. Enkidu's power matched his own, countering every strike, unraveling every Noble Phantasm.
Below, Kirei Kotomine had been preparing to depart, when a soft voice stopped him.
His daughter stood there.
"…Why are you here?" His tone was ice, his expression that of a stranger.
To wife, to daughter, Kirei felt nothing. He was incapable of it.
Karen Ortensia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her lips curving into a faint, mocking smile. "I came to see you off. Better you die at my hands than at someone else's. Isn't that fitting?"
The perfect picture of fatherly kindness, daughterly piety.
Kirei sneered. "I have two Servants. The second is nearly here. Even if I don't raise a finger, they can kill you."
Indeed, Cú Chulainn was five kilometers away, sprinting toward the church.
But Karen only smiled more brightly. "Did you think I would come without allies?"
She clapped her hands.
From the shadows, a massive figure emerged—Hercules, carrying a little girl upon his shoulder.
Illyasviel von Einzbern.
Two girls, both far too young for such war. And yet they stood united.
Kirei's mocking smirk finally faltered. This was no pleasant surprise.
His own daughter commanded a mythical Heroic Spirit. And now another myth had arrived at her side.
At that instant, rainbow light streaked across the night. A spear pierced the darkness.
"Master! I'm here!"
Cú Chulainn's spear struck Hercules squarely through the heart.
A fatal blow.
"You fool!" Kirei snarled. "Do you not know who you're facing?"
Hercules, the hero of Nemea. He possessed twelve lives. Cú Chulainn's strike meant nothing.
Before the lancer could pull his weapon free, Hercules's massive axe-sword smashed into him, sending him flying like a ragdoll.
The church shook with the impact.
Karen's laughter rang out, cruel and triumphant.
"Not bad, is he?" she teased.
"Impressive," Kirei admitted grudgingly. "But you can't kill me yourself, can you… daughter?"
In a blur, he lunged, his hand snapping around her throat. He lifted her effortlessly, his monstrous strength crushing her windpipe.
"Now… order your Servants to surrender. Relinquish your Command Seals. Quit this war—or I'll snap your neck."
His grip tightened, merciless.
Karen's face flushed. She gasped for air—yet still, she smiled.
The golden chains of Enkidu shot down from the sky. The Chains of Heaven.
They bound the church, suppressing everything beneath their radiance.
Karen slipped free, landing lightly on the ground. A silver dagger flashed in her hand and plunged into her father's chest.
Kirei's eyes widened in disbelief.
Karen's smile was dazzling.
"Surprised? I cloaked myself in Enkidu's chains, disguised as armor. You thought you caught me—but it was a trap. To weed you out, my damned father… go to hell!"
The blade pierced deep.
Kirei staggered. Black venom spread from the wound. His fingers twitched helplessly.
He struggled, choking, as the poison consumed him. Memories flickered—hollow, meaningless. He had abandoned love, faith, everything, for destruction. And so, his end was fitting.
His body crumbled, dissolving into dust.
The black mud of Angra Mainyu surged up, swallowing his soul.
The evil he had carried fed the Grail's corruption, strengthening it by half again.
From within the abyss, his soul writhed. Countless tendrils of mud wrapped him, dragging him into eternal darkness.
Above, Gilgamesh scowled.
"Tch… worthless filth. To be eliminated so quickly."
His golden eyes narrowed at Enkidu.
The chains danced in the air, radiant, unstoppable.
Enkidu's smile was calm, unyielding. "You've grown weaker, Gilgamesh."
Gilgamesh's rage flared. "Weaker? I am the King of Heroes! The oldest king! None surpass me!"
"You're not the true King," Enkidu said quietly. "You're a puppet. A fragment with stolen memories. The real Gilgamesh wasn't a petty braggart, a bastard of endless insults. He was my friend. And you are not him."
Enkidu's body shone with divine light.
Chains burst forth, filling the sky. "Chains of Heaven—restore the glory of an old friend! Let none tarnish his name!"
The chains struck.
Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon shattered, treasures scattering like sparks. His gathered energy dispersed.
The earth itself shook as restraint crushed false kingship.
A mocking voice rippled through the night.
"Haha… how interesting. My sister likes you. How about becoming my weapon?"
A girl in black stepped forth, intercepting Enkidu's attack, her hair streaming like night, her smile sharp as a blade.