[3rd POV]
Olga struggled against Lev's grip, trying to conjure a Gandr with both hands, but the magical beams were instantly dispelled as Lev tightened his grip on her neck.
"Wow, you really are pathetic. But do you know what's even more pathetic?" A malicious grin stretched across Lev's lips. "You're already dead. Or rather, your body is. It died the moment the bomb exploded. The Rayshift carefully transferred your spirit to this land using a body made of pseudo-Spiritrons. That means if you go back to Chaldea, you'll cease to exist!"
Olga's expression froze as Lev held her in place. Not only her—Mash and Ritsuka's eyes widened at the revelation.
"I... I'm not dead! I can't be... I have to go back! I must keep going!" she choked out, still struggling in Lev's grasp.
Olga had never seen herself as capable of filling her father's shoes as Director of Chaldea. She just wanted to prove she could be the director, to be praised or acknowledged for her efforts.
Lev smiled condescendingly as if dealing with a stubborn child.
"Indeed. But that's a sad story for you. How about I show you the fate of Chaldea—the place you devoted your entire life to?" Lev tossed a small crystal into the air—the same one they were trying to recover. The damaged ceiling of the cavern opened up, revealing a gap, as if someone had opened a window. Through that rift, Mash, Olga, and Ritsuka could see the interior of Chaldea once again. The great blue sphere in the command room floated before them. Now, it burned with a searing red.
"Look at your madness! Not a single trace of the blue that represents humanity's survival remains. Only a bright, blazing red. This... this is the result of your mission. Isn't it glorious, Marie? Once again, your incompetence has led to tragedy!"
"But Lev... why?" Suddenly, Olga's body was pulled toward the ceiling. She struggled as Lev continued to mock her, releasing her neck to watch her get dragged away. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of the desperate girl.
"I could kill you, you know? But where's the fun in that? Instead, I'll grant your last wish—to be with Chaldea. Of course, it'll be slightly different from a black hole or a sun. A human who touches it would disintegrate on a molecular level!" A sadistic grin covered the traitor's face—a smile so twisted that even Nobunaga's eerie grin and Altair's wild smirk seemed tame in comparison. "Experience eternal living death!"
The great blue sphere in the command room glowed with a searing red. Olga Marie looked at the sphere and then at Lev, her eyes wide as she realized what would happen.
"No... No! Someone help me! Please!" Olga screamed in despair, tears streaming down her cheeks as a vacuum force pulled her closer and closer to the rift. "I... I don't want to die here! I was never praised… No one ever praised me. Why? Why does this always happen to me? Nobody ever valued me! Everyone hated me!"
Watching the girl fall into pure despair, Lev almost forgot the damned job that cursed Saber had given him. Even after receiving the Holy Grail, she caused trouble by insisting on preserving this era. If she had just behaved, she would have been allowed to live.
Pushing thoughts of that cursed Saber aside, he opened his mouth.
"Goodbye, Marie..." Lev smiled, but the next instant, his smile was interrupted by a kick to his face.
"You talk too much." Altair adjusted his foot and leaped toward Olga, grabbing her.
"Miller!?" Olga exclaimed, clinging to him desperately as the two were pulled toward the burning orb. "I just want to do things right... Since the day I was born, no one has ever accepted me. Is it wrong to want that?" Not in a healthy state of mind, she held onto the boy as if he were all she had left.
"No, there's nothing wrong with that. But if no one accepts you, I will. If no one praises you, I always will." He said gently, feeling the girl trembling in his arms. "Olga, you did a great job. You were exceptional." Altair smiled, brushing his hand through Olga's long hair and shielding her body with his arm, which was beginning to disintegrate slowly, thanks to the Monkey King's Robe still resisting.
"Thank you… thank you… I-I really mean it… thank you…" she repeated like a broken doll, resting her face against his chest. Then, she looked up and saw the pain in his expression. "Let me go! You have to survive. I'm already dead."
"So what?" He smiled, swinging his hand and summoning his staff. "Grow!" The staff extended, slamming into the ground and launching the two out of the gravitational field.
Altair twisted his body, absorbing the impact as the Monkey King's cloak vanished, lacking the mana to sustain it.
His body crashed heavily onto the ground, next to the group that rushed toward him.
"Insolent monkey…"
Two shots were fired at him, but he raised his staff, striking the ground and creating a dome of wind that blocked the red beams.
"Demon King, huh?" he muttered, looking at Nobunaga, who had seven rifles floating around her. "Hahahahaha! You don't deserve that title. Only one person can bear it." He opened his arms, laughing maniacally. "You don't get it—the future was incinerated the moment Chaldea turned crimson! Your end is certain. Your era is no more. These magnetic fields might be protecting Chaldea, but anyone outside it will face the same fate as Fuyuki City! Humanity is gone!" His laughter became increasingly crazed.
"As if I care." Nobunaga massaged her neck, glancing worriedly at the armless boy holding Olga. Hatred crossed her eyes, and two more matchlocks fired, hitting the wind barrier.
Lev sighed, returning to his usual expression.
"That monkey is useless. I told you: she's dead. She has no body. She can only exist in this Singularity…"
"Dude, you talk way too much. Shut up—your voice is annoying." Accompanied by Mash and Ritsuka, Altair smiled with difficulty as Olga helped him to his feet.
"What do you think you can do against death, monkey?" Lev sneered.
"Of course I can." Altair returned the smile. "I'm Altair, but I'm also Sun Wukong. If Buddha stands in our way, we'll write that he's an idiot on his palm." His smile grew even wilder.
"Big words for someone—"
Ignoring Lev, Altair stumbled away from the girls. He turned to Olga.
"You... open your mouth," he said with effort.
"Altair-kun!?" Ritsuka was surprised by the request.
Olga blinked, confused, but trusting him, she opened her mouth, revealing her tongue.
"This might feel strange to you." He plucked a hair from his head and placed it on her tongue. Her tongue brushed his fingers, and she unconsciously swallowed the strand.
Ritsuka and Mash exchanged a glance, stunned by the surreal scene unfolding before them. Even Lev, mid-villain monologue, widened his eyes.
Just as I thought—no common sense. Nobunaga smirked internally.
Altair pulled his hand back and found a thin trace of saliva on his fingers. The next moment, Olga collapsed to the ground, clutching her neck.
Her skin prickled and burned as if it had been drenched in molten ether. Her magical circuits seemed stronger, and a red dot appeared in the center of her pupils.
"What did you do?" Lev shouted, realizing something strange was happening.
"I gave her a body." Altair smiled. "If she doesn't have one, then I just have to give her one. A body without a soul that could host a soul. Basically, I made her swallow one of my [hair clones], creating a body around her soul. Honestly, I wasn't sure it would work… but…"
He looked back and saw Olga examining her hands.
"Looks like it worked. I'm a genius…" He collapsed to the ground, his consciousness fading.
"I'll kill you!" Lev roared.
"Please don't fall in love with me," Altair muttered, on the verge of blacking out. "By this Command Seal, I order you: burn it all, Nobunaga."
Before blacking out, he heard Nobunaga's voice murmur, "Understood," with quiet pride.
«Show your corpse to the Three Thousand Worlds...»
Unaware of Nobunaga's attack's result or Olga's new body's fate, his mind faded into darkness.
••• ••• •••
A/N: This Singularity has finally come to an end. It wasn't very long, especially compared to the next one, which I'm already close to finishing writing.
Don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me.