CRACK—
Before all eyes, the colossal Fantasy Tree was struck down by the axe of a giant of living metal.
The writhing, monstrous tendrils flailed weakly, then went still.
The thousand-meter-high tower of a tree toppled with an earth-shaking crash.
Shikotei's crimson eyes lingered on its fallen form. His voice trembled faintly as he whispered:
"Farewell… my Eternal Empire. Farewell… my Qin."
For the sovereign who had ever spoken with such pride and authority, the tremor in his tone carried an unbearable weight.
Though called eternal, though called invincible—he now stood forlorn, solitary.
The Fantasy Tree Mayall was gone.
He had felled it with his own hand.
Through the roiling dust and thunderous collapse, the groan of splitting earth resounded.
The world itself was breaking apart.
With the core severed, the entire Lostbelt was doomed to vanish.
The world howled.
The world wept.
The world crumbled.
All its histories, its glories, its lives—everything of this two-thousand-year-old Eternal Empire would now be lost.
Not even the one hailed as the transcended being, undying and divine—the "True Man" who reigned above gods themselves—could escape extinction.
Not one would remain.
The Lostbelt would be forgotten, erased. Only Proper Human History would remember the empire that once stood.
None would know that there once existed an eternal empire that unified the globe, ruled the world, and endured for millennia.
====
Back in Chaldea.
Da Vinci stared wide-eyed at the monitor.
"He really… destroyed it himself?"
She had expected a desperate battle.
Cutting down the Tree meant the end of the Emperor's eternal dream of life unending.
In Camelot, the Lion King had only relinquished her obsession after being defeated and stripped of her divinity.
But this—
The First Emperor had not lost.
He had revealed overwhelming weapons: the palace-body of his, the Twelve Metal Giants, the orbital fortress of the Great Wall, the frozen Heroic Spirit repository.
Each one was enough to annihilate Chaldea.
Together, they could have destroyed it a dozen times over.
And yet… he turned them against himself.
His "trump cards" were used not to kill, but to let go.
Who could imagine such resolve?
Mash shook her head.
"If it were me, I don't think I could do it."
She had once feared fighting, feared pain, feared loss. But under her senpai's example, she had chosen to fight anyway—to protect.
That was courage.
But the Emperor's choice was something far greater.
He had borne the weight of an empire. And now, he set it down with his own hands.
"Truly… incredible," Dr. Roman murmured.
Here was a man with immortal life, power near omniscience, dominion unrivaled. All he could ever desire was his.
And yet—he let it all go.
The burden of two thousand six hundred years… laid down in a single instant.
Roman smiled faintly.
"So this is what it means to let go. Thank you… you've strengthened my resolve as well."
On the screen—
The Fantasy Tree collapsed completely. The Lostbelt itself unraveled into nothing.
Nameless whispered:
"Your Eternal Empire will be forgotten. But your spirit will remain—your soul, the spine of a people. Tei," he said softly, "come with me. Let us shape the flawed Human History into its ideal form."
Shikotei closed his eyes, then opened them once more.
"A road of perfect safety, or a road of ruinous struggle and infinite possibility… I choose the latter."
Then, looking to Nameless:
"Tell me—can I trust you?"
It was the trust of a person who carried a whole empire on his back.
Nameless met his gaze firmly.
"Of course. I, and Chaldea, and all Heroic Spirits—we will stake everything to guard humanity's future."
He stepped forward, embracing Shikotei.
"Come. The battle isn't over. But together, we will reach a tomorrow worth believing in."
"…Very well. But mark me—if the future you forge proves unworthy, then I shall raise a new Qin upon Human History itself. And then, I will stand as your enemy."
Nameless only smiled.
"Then I'll stake my life, my soul, my all—to ensure we never fail."
Shikotei laughed lightly, releasing him.
"Go then. Bear your burden well. And show me… infinity."
Light surrounded him. His figure seemed to lift, transcendent, like one about to ascend as a spirit into the heaven.
"Farewell," he said.
Nameless bowed in return.
The Tree was gone. The Lostbelt was ending. The last Master's duty was clear: onward, to the final battle.
====
Later, in a small village.
The people, saved by Chaldea's struggle, emerged at last from hiding.
A little girl looked up at the bright moon, singing softly:
"I sing to the moon, I dance with my shadow. Awake, we share joy; Asleep, we drift apart."
She had been taught those words by Nameless and Keika.
They were beautiful—born of culture, of heritage, of a people's soul.
And then—
A figure clad in feathered robes, graceful as a butterfly, appeared before her.
With a warm smile, they said:
"Ah, a moon-poem taught by your teacher. Lovely. Truly lovely."
The girl nodded earnestly.
"It is. Poems make the heart feel like it's always gazing at the moon."
The figure sat beside her in the grass, uncaring of dirt or weeds.
"In my life as an emperor, all I ever heard were praises of me," the figure sighed. "I enjoyed them, but still… had someone recited a single poem to me—just one about the moon—I would have cherished it."
The girl blinked up at them.
"Um… are you a big brother? Or… a big sister?"
"My gender is irrelevant," the figure answered with a gentle laugh. "I am who I am—the Son of Heaven."
"The Emperor? That can't be! I heard the Emperor lives up in the sky, far above us, where we can only look up."
She pouted.
"But you're standing here, on the ground, just like me."
"Yes," came the soft reply. "For I am human—standing tall, like all of you."
Shikotei reached out, and gently patted her head.
Just like back then, when he first met his teacher—his head had also been patted, his back protected, his path carefully guided.
And in this moment, he finally grasped his teacher's last lesson—
This was civilization's gift!
Even if the body perishes, the soul endures, passed down across generations without end!
The little girl grew even more surprised.
"Eh? Isn't the Son of Heaven supposed to be a god? How can you be human?"
"I am human," Shikotei answered with a radiant smile. "I have decided—when the final moment arrives, I shall remain like this… standing here with you."
He laughed with pure joy.
A light and easy laughter.
Though death awaited, he seemed reborn instead!
"I sing—moonlight keeps me company.
I dance—my shadow sways beside me.
Awake, we share our fleeting joy;
In drink, we part, yet meet once more.
Let friendship outlast fleeting time,
Our bond inscribed among the stars."
Together, Shikotei and the little girl recited poem verses beneath the clear, silvery moonlight, awaiting the end.
And thus, with that carefree smile, Lostbelt No. 3—faded away.
…
In the living room—
Illya couldn't help but sigh wistfully.
"Eh? That's it? It's over already?"
After all that grandeur and heat of battle, to finish with verses beneath the moon—it was the perfect touch.
The entire Lostbelt video had given her an experience beyond anything she'd felt before. Movies couldn't even compare.
"Amazing… the First Emperor actually relinquished everything of his own accord," Kirina also exclaimed.
For a sovereign who had ruled for so long, such a decision was almost unthinkable.
Could any other ruler have done the same?
Clearly, very few—if any—would have chosen so.
Kirina picked up her First Emperor figure, her fondness only growing.
"As expected of Tei-nii! To cast everything aside, without hesitation, and walk toward the end…"
At that moment, she felt her long struggle to save up for that figure had been worth every cent.
Once the video spread, she was sure all of the Shikotei's merch would skyrocket.
"You call him Tei-nii?"
Sanjiro blinked in surprise.
But when he thought about it—well, it wasn't wrong.
The brat was his adopted daughter. Shikotei was his student. They were technically peers.
"Of course. Tei-nii! I mean, at the end that little girl asked if he was big brother or big sister. Calling him Shikotei would just sound weird." Kirina replied with a smile.
And in truth—
She wasn't alone. Countless viewers who had watched Lostbelt No.3 had started calling him Tei-nii or Tei-nee too.
The way he appeared in the final scenes, so gentle and warm, made people's hearts soften instantly.
Compared to the cold title of "Your Majesty," nii-chan or nee-chan simply felt more intimate.
Kirina then tilted her head at her figure, puzzled.
"So… why does Tei-nii look like some giant moth though?"
The feathered robes were indeed gorgeous. But from afar, he looked suspiciously like a big fluttering bug.
"Probably because he once dreamed he was a butterfly," Miyu mused. "then woke unsure—was he a man dreaming of being a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of being a man?"
"In the same way, both the Lostbelt and Proper Human History have a First Emperor. So was it the First Emperor who became a butterfly… or a butterfly who became the First Emperor?"
"Eh, the butterfly dream—that actually makes a lot of sense!" Illya gasped.
It felt like the perfect explanation for the Emperor's appearance.
Kirina smacked her lips, half-joking, half-serious.
"Honestly, if Tei-nii had stayed in the Lostbelt and launched a mobile game, then hired Shakespeare, Andersen, and all the greats as writers—And then turned the most popular arcs into anime or live-action films, projecting them from the Space Great Wall for the whole world to watch… Everyone would worship Tei-nii!"
Just imagining it made her excited.
That way, the empire would be unshakable.
And she—lazy bum that she was—could keep coasting along at home without worry!
But alas… why didn't Tei-nii ever bother with culture and entertainment?
"Play fewer games!" Sanjiro snapped, face stern.
This brat—don't tell him she really had clairvoyance?
How else could she see into his past world?
Just then—
The Lostbelt screen, which had gone dark, suddenly lit up again.
It wasn't truly over. The scene shifted—this time to Chaldea.
====
Under everyone's watchful eyes—
The scene unfolded in Chaldea.
A summoning ritual—something never shown before.
On the floor, a complex magical array shone.
Roman, Da Vinci, Mash stood gathered around it.
And Nameless, humanity's last Master, prayed in all seriousness:
"God above, the Devil below, Trimurti's compassion, Alaya's blessing, please let me pull—no, summon—a strong Servant!"
The solemn moment, paired with his prayer, felt absurdly comical.
The official chant began—
"Hear me, I declare!
Your body shall be bound to my will, and my destiny entrusted to your blade.
By the will that guards humanity, I summon you—answer my call!
I am he who embodies all good in the world. I am he who is humanity's final Master.
Let the three great words entwine your form.
Cross the Wheel of Restraint, appear! Answer me, Heroic Spirit who would fight for the salvation of mankind!"
Chaldea's summoning ritual was similar to the Holy Grail War's.
Both drew upon the Grail system to summon Heroic Spirits.
Kirina smirked, face a little odd.
"Tsk. That chant sounds exactly like a contract signing."
"It is a contract," Sanjiro said calmly.
A summoning chant was essentially an agreement, with terms and clauses laid out.
If the spirit accepted, they'd sign the pact and fight at your side.
"Yeah, basically just a contract." Kirina nodded.
Put into plain language, it was basically—
[Listen up.
I'll pay you a salary (mana). You work for me, keep me alive.
If you can hear this, and think the terms are okay, then sign this deal.
Up front: I may do good things. I may do bad things. But it's all for the mission (protecting humanity).
After you sign, I get three absolute commands. You can't refuse.
Oh, and your travel expenses aren't reimbursed. Submit receipts to Alaya if you want that covered.]
Essentially, a worker's contract.
Kirina felt certain—Nameless's deal with Alaya had to be even harsher.
Buzz—
Light flared in the summoning circle.
A familiar, resplendent figure appeared, radiating immeasurable magical power, smiling faintly at Nameless.
"Long time no see, Teacher. Hm? You don't recognize me? Ah… looks like the order of time and causality has gotten a little messy."
It was him—the very same Emperor from the Lostbelt!
With a calm smile, he said:
"Don't worry about it. I am the First Emperor, your Ruler-class Servant."
"Eh—you?!"
Nameless froze in place.
After everything in the Lostbelt—after fighting, after forcing him to let go of his Eternal Empire…
And now he summoned him as an ally?
Awkward didn't even begin to cover it.
Shikotei simply smiled.
"Since you already know me, this will be simple. Teacher, even after that farewell, I still worried. Could you truly protect human history? So—I answered the call. To guard you."
"…Alright."
Nameless smiled stiffly.
A miracle single pull—summoning an insanely powerful Servant.
And yet… why him, of all people?
After everything… it felt like rubbing salt into the wound.
The viewers burst into laughter—
FifthTimeGooning-[Lmao, I was heartbroken for Tei-nee during the main story… but now I almost pity Nameless!]
HungryGames-[Says "go forth and fight with your life"—but then sneaks in to protect you himself. Tsundere Tei-nee, I love it!]
Blackman&Robbing-[Haha, I can totally imagine it now—up on the Throne of Heroes, as soon as Nameless started summoning, Tei-nee just beat up a bunch of Heroic Spirits and snatched the summoning slot for himself!]
YoMamaBeenSlobbin-[Aaaah, Tei-nee is just too cute. How can anyone be this gentle and considerate?]
…
The tone of the barrage had completely shifted, from the heavy grief earlier to cheerful banter and laughter.
And in that lighthearted atmosphere—
On screen, Shikotei let out a long sigh.
"I have already received the memories of the Heroic Spirits, and I have seen the record of Proper Human History… Hmph. Your history is even more chaotic than I had imagined!"
"Eh? Don't tell me—you're planning to turn Proper Human History into another Lostbelt?" Da Vinci asked curiously.
"No, nothing of the sort." Shikotei shook his head. "Though there is much filth and disgrace here that I can scarcely bear to look at… I must also admit, there are virtues and surprises here that my empire could never have produced."
He gave another quiet sigh.
"Enough. I will nitpick no further. Teacher—As one who stands as human, I shall aid you in guarding the future of mankind, until the very end!"
This was his solemn vow.
Having chosen to release his Eternal Empire, he would now protect Proper Human History instead—the history that carried infinite possibility.
The screen finally froze on that oath.
The Lostbelt video truly ended there.
Kirina's little face lit up with anticipation.
"Heheh, I can't wait to see the reaction of those fake gods when they watch this video! I'm so looking forward to it!"