Ritsuka Fujimaru was breathing heavily, barely able to stay on his feet. His body was on the verge of collapse, but he stood — solely because he had given a promise to Mash.
Even after Goetia's devastating blow, he hadn't fallen. He couldn't allow himself to fall. Mash wouldn't have sacrificed herself for a coward.
The Heroic Spirits who had fought their way to him through hordes of demonic pillars were barely holding on as well.
Mordred lay unconscious in a deep crater — the mark of Goetia's latest strike.
Joan of Arc, gripping her battle standard, was repelling constant attacks. She shielded Ritsuka and the other Spirits, but her strength was waning — Goetia showed no sign of stopping his relentless barrage.
Nero and Artoria Alter leaned on their swords, struggling to rise after another wave of magic. Their movements were sluggish, as if every muscle screamed in pain.
Arturia Lily sat on the ground, clutching her sword with both hands. Her legs could no longer support her, but she hadn't given up — the blade remained raised, a symbol of unyielding spirit.
Emiya Shirou (Archer) was badly wounded, his blades shattered. After tossing aside the broken pieces, he created a bow and tried to draw the string — but his hands trembled, unable to overcome the weakness from his numerous injuries.
Morgan le Fay leaned on a massive weapon resembling a halberd. She was one step away from collapsing, but pride and stubborn will kept her from surrendering.
These were all the Heroic Spirits who had managed to break through alongside Ritsuka Fujimaru.
Ritsuka gripped the shield — the very one Mash had left him — tighter and, pushing through the pain, slowly advanced toward Goetia.
Goetia didn't even flinch.
«Yes, in the end, I'll allow you at least to strike me. I fully understand your emotions. So strike me with your feeble fist — and, upon touching my body, vanish into nothingness».
«Master!» — Joan tried to grab him, but her legs buckled and she fell to her knees. Her strength had finally given out.
«But first, I must remove these foolish ones who came to aid you», Goetia raised his hand to the sky, preparing to destroy the spell that kept the Heroic Spirits in this world.
And at that moment, Gaia's detached voice rang out:
«The True Grail has been used».
These words made Goetia freeze. Ritsuka froze as well. Everyone who still found the strength for one final attack froze. Even those in Chaldea felt time come to a standstill.
«The wish is acceptable».
The air beside Goetia warped. Space tore open, and from a vortex of chaotic magic emerged a figure. Their single eye blazed with otherworldly light.
Without wasting a second, the stranger lunged forward. Their hand pierced Goetia's chest like a knife through butter. Then they braced their feet against the enemy's body and forcefully pushed — Goetia flew back hundreds of meters, leaving a trail of dust behind.
The stranger stood still while Goetia was hidden in a cloud of dust. With a single motion, they summoned a massive greatsword from thin air and assumed a battle stance.
Goetia casually swiped his hand, dispersing the dust.
«Who is this? Another hero come to defend humanity?»
«No», the stranger's voice was as cold as a blade. «I am here for revenge».
And before Ritsuka could comprehend what was happening, the stranger charged at Goetia. There wasn't a shred of doubt in their movement.
Before.
The darkness enveloped me — dense, soundless, devoid of even the echo of time. I awoke… in front of something. In front of a planet? No, not quite. In front of an image of a planet — glowing, unreal, as if painted on crystal.
"What the hell am I doing in space?" the words burst out of me. My voice sounded unexpectedly clear, as if the very space was shaping the sounds.
"What the hell can I even speak in space?" I repeated, more slowly this time, listening to my own voice as if it belonged to someone else.
And then — softly, like the rustle of stardust — it came:
"Leo De Morgan."
I froze. That name… it hadn't been spoken in far too long. Only my first world knew it.
I turned around, but there was nothing behind me except a sphere of light — not blinding, but gentle, as if woven from twilight.
"A soul that has not fulfilled its purpose." - the voice whispered. Neither male nor female — just a voice, devoid of flesh.
"What nonsense are you spouting? What purpose are you talking about? And who the hell are you, anyway?" - I lunged forward, but the light remained at arm's length.
"The doom of the human race. The beast of indifference. Mortals defied fate, which is why you failed to fulfill your purpose." - the voice didn't answer my questions. It declared, like an ancient scroll unfurling on its own.
My single eye narrowed.
"Are you talking about my kin? About those who defied fate?" - The words came out sharper than I expected.
The light flickered. Or was it me who trembled?
"Fate brooks no objections. But they... dared to change yours."
"Don't you dare speak of them that way."
The sphere flickered, as if trying to pull away.
"If your words are true, if all the titles you've bestowed upon me are real, I should have been dead." - My mind started working at 120%, and after analyzing the information I'm hearing right now, my heart ached.
I clenched my fists, though there was nothing to strike in this void.
"Humanity would have chosen my death — a sentence without trial. But they didn't. They believed in me, risked the entire world just to keep me alive. They took on an impossible burden, just to give me a chance to live."
The voice fell silent for a moment. Then it spoke again, softer, almost contemplative:
«The price of their choice is your unfulfilled mission.»
"What a blessing — that I didn't destroy humanity because of fate!" I laughed, and the sound spread like a crack in ice. "That's a problem for you, but not for me. Instead of the fate they had prepared for me, they gave me what I never should have known: laughter. The sun on my skin. The taste of bread. My mother's voice as she sang to me before bed. They gave me what I was never meant to have — happiness."
The light trembled. Or was it me?
"I didn't know about my mission. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. But they did. And still they took the risk. Every day, every breath. They raised me, loved me, taught me to look at the sky and believe in myself — and they never wavered."
I took another step forward. My voice was quiet but firm:
"They went against fate. It was love. The purest, bravest kind. And if my mission failed, it's the mark of their choice. I wear it like a medal. Like honor. Like a legacy. I can't even imagine what they went through every day. I only saw their smiles and heard that everything was fine. What horrors did they hide from me? Who were they protecting me from all these years?"
The sphere remained silent. Then, ever so slightly, it bowed — or was it just my imagination?
Her light flowed like molten wax, condensing at the center. A shimmering orb appeared in the air — no larger than a fist, yet it radiated a sense of depth, of something… more than just light.
"This is yours," the voice said.
"What is it?"
"The Marble of Reality. A fragment of the power that should have been yours by birth. What you could have held in your hands — if not for your parents' fate."
I reached out my hand. The orb hovered above my palm, not touching my skin, yet I felt it — like the pulse of distant stars, like the whisper of uncharted worlds.
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"You cannot win the battle you are walking into. That is why I give this to you. Goetia's plans do not align with mine. So you will destroy him."
I merely smirked.
"Trying to get rid of him through me? Fine, I'll do it anyway…"
But the sphere didn't let me finish. It simply struck me with magic, and in the next instant, I found myself standing right before Goetia.
"How rude." flashed through my mind as I struck at Goetia.