This was a strike born of a young woman's devotion.
The blade, gifted to her by him many years ago, now shone with a brilliance that rivaled even Excalibur. Artoria gripped it, as if holding his hand itself.
"Excalibur E-en—!"
It was not an Alteration, yet it surpassed it—a beam-like slash. This was the Knight King's Shadow's most sincere apology, left for the maiden he had desecrated, after his death.
Of course.
To delve into the specifics.
It also contained Irisviel's life-consuming assistance. As the one who retrieved the fallen Servants' vessels during the Holy Grail War, she had conveyed everything to Emiya Kiritsugu before being completely corrupted by the Holy Grail's All the World's Evil. She knew she might be the only one who could persuade him.
Fortunately, that life-draining plea indeed changed the Mage Killer's mind. As if fulfilling his wife's dying wish, he exceptionally issued a second command to Artoria.
"Destroy the Holy Grail, at all costs."
However, Kiritsugu Emiya had still concealed one thing in the end. His body was already utterly overburdened. The negative effects of using the magecraft "Fixed Time Control" grew increasingly severe with each use. Furthermore, wielding an ordinary sword to unleash an Excalibur E-en to shatter the Holy Grail was bound to consume an immense amount of magical energy.
It could be said—
The moment he agreed to his wife Irisviel's plea, Kiritsugu Emiya knew he was destined to die there. But this way, everything could finally end, couldn't it?
This Holy Grail War born of desire;
This Holy Grail War filled with betrayal;
This Holy Grail War that had cost him his wife.
Though there were many regrets he couldn't rectify, at least he had given his all before his death. Kiritsugu Emiya knelt on the ground, his left hand tightly clutching his chest, attempting to hold on just a little longer.
Being a Hero of Justice... it wasn't easy.
The black beam-slash formed by Excalibur E-en shot forward. It was an anomalous, super-standard attack that even a layman could instantly tell was wrong. And Gilgamesh, naturally, was no exception.
But more than surprise, he felt admiration.
"Even at such a time, can the king who denies the 'Way of Kings' still unleash an attack of this magnitude?"
"But unfortunately—"
"The outcome of this Holy Grail War is singular: this king will win!"
As he spoke, Gilgamesh glared at Kirei Kotomine beside him. The latter, understanding perfectly, immediately activated the Command Seals he had acquired through deceit.
"King of Heroes, please enjoy my offering."
"You truly are well-suited to be my subject."
Gilgamesh's lips curled slightly upward; he was clearly very pleased with Kirei Kotomine. The next moment, countless golden ripples appeared behind him. It was the obstinacy and arrogance befitting the King of Heroes. He intended to forcefully receive Artoria's Excalibur E-en to prove himself the strongest in this Holy Grail War.
Of course.
There might also have been an intention to protect the Holy Grail, but that was secondary. More profoundly, it was Gilgamesh's will as a "King" acting with unparalleled arrogance. He was a "King," and if he could withstand another "King's" attack, wouldn't that perfectly demonstrate his superiority?
Thinking thus, Gilgamesh heavily utilized Kirei Kotomine's considerable Command Seals.
However—
He seemed to have forgotten one thing. Even including Iskandar, who had just been defeated not long ago, only four Servants had died in this Holy Grail War so far.
A Lancer, who had always remained detached from most events, now joined the battlefield.
"Gae Bolg Alternative!"
A shimmering, dark-red spear shot towards Gilgamesh, disrupting the King of Heroes' display of power. And even more terrifying, Gilgamesh found he couldn't dodge the spear—not even with spatial transfer! Its hit was a fated outcome. The process itself was merely a replay.
Screech—!
The Gae Bolg Alternative pierced through the King of Heroes' armor, then was swiftly retracted.
"Mongrel!"
Gilgamesh furiously looked towards where the spear had flown from, then saw Scathach, the Lancer.
"You dare to lay a hand on this king!"
"So what?"
Scathach pointed her Gae Bolg Alternative at Gilgamesh.
"You wouldn't think possessing divine qualities makes you superior, would you?"
"Furthermore—"
Scathach looked at Kirei Kotomine behind Gilgamesh. Having witnessed their contract exchange, she knew full well that the King of Heroes was not so forthright.
"You are nothing but a despicable wretch."
"You dare speak to this king in such a manner?!"
Gilgamesh, having his sore spot hit, became enraged.
"Then this king shall deal with you first, as a celebration of my resurrection!"
In an instant, the Gate of Babylon, originally aimed to obstruct Excalibur E-en, was entirely re-targeted at Scathach. Due to Kirei Kotomine's cheating, Gilgamesh no longer had to worry about his attacks depleting his magical energy. Countless swords emerged with sharp points from the golden ripples, all aimed at Scathach on the ground.
However—
Facing thousands upon thousands of sword blades, like a torrential downpour, Scathach showed no fear whatsoever.
"Hmph."
"Exposed, and now enraged?"
"Then—"
"I suppose I'll have to teach you a good lesson."
Scathach plunged her Gae Bolg Alternative into the ground, then began chanting an incantation. As the Queen of the Land of Shadows and the guardian of the world's outer and inner gates, Scathach possessed a powerful, little-known weapon. It was a Noble Phantasm that was the "Gate" itself, sublimated.
This god-slaying warrior had now resolved to end Gilgamesh. Her eyes began to glow a deep crimson, as if plunged into a sea of blood.
"Those who have died—!"
"Do not dream of resurrection!"
"Open now! The channel between worlds!"
"Gate of Skye—!"
As Scathach unleashed her magical energy, her body began to burn with unimaginable speed. A massive, mirror-like gate appeared behind her. Dark energy flowed from it, sweeping across Fuyuki Bridge. This was the Gate of Skye, the great gate Scathach had diligently guarded throughout her past life.
Now—
It would become the path to the underworld for the demigod Gilgamesh, dragging him to the "Land of Shadows" and ending everything.
A fierce wind howled, and whirlwinds surged. The Gate of Skye, obeying Scathach's will, began to swallow the Noble Phantasms projected by Gilgamesh.
One!
Two!
Three!
No matter how many weapons the King of Heroes projected, they were instantly absorbed by the Gate. Gilgamesh began to panic. He realized that the opponent's Noble Phantasm perfectly countered his own, just as he had countered Iskandar.
He had to use Ea!
However—
Scathach had witnessed the previous battle and knew how Iskandar had been defeated. She would not give Gilgamesh another chance to draw his sword. With a swift movement, the warrior conjured more Gae Bolg Alternatives, plunging them into the King of Heroes' arms. For Gilgamesh, who denied death and sought resurrection, her patience had reached its absolute limit.
"If you can achieve death—!"
"Then properly accept it!"
"You—!"
Gilgamesh's eyes widened. Filled with unyielding resentment and fury, he was dragged by Scathach into the "Land of Shadows." The gate vanished in an instant, silently proclaiming the failure of the King of Heroes' resurrection plan.
Only Kirei Kotomine remained on the spot, while the distraught Waver had no idea what had just transpired.
Despite knowing his Servant might be killed, Kirei Kotomine was strangely exhilarated. He found that watching the high and mighty Gilgamesh depart this world in such despair was also a very pleasurable experience.
"King of Heroes, is this your teaching?"
"I... will truly enjoy it!"
With Gilgamesh's obstruction gone, Artoria further channeled more magical energy into Excalibur E-en. The beam quickly reached the location marked by Irisviel's final will: the mountain peak of Fuyuki City.
The black beam, like a giant sword, struck the peak directly. Almost instantly, Artoria felt the surging indignation from the Holy Grail. It seemed unwilling to be shattered so easily, even manifesting an illusion of Irisviel crying and begging for mercy. But the young swordswoman already knew that wasn't her friend's true intention. The hallucination in that moment only strengthened her resolve.
"Holy Grail, shatter now!"
The black beam utterly shattered its target. Countless fragmented substances spewed from its destruction, cascading down the mountainside and surging towards Fuyuki City's urban area. In an instant, flames erupted, incinerating everything they touched into ash. Countless sins transformed into a sublime crimson lotus in that moment, silently proclaiming the end of the Holy Grail War.
Thud.
Artoria fell to her knees. Having unleashed that final strike, she knew her end was near.
But—
The young woman had no regrets whatsoever. She gazed at the ordinary sword in her hand, now dim after unleashing Excalibur E-en, and smiled from the bottom of her heart.
"Mr. Ian... I did it."
"Who is Ian?"
"Hm?!"
Hearing the voice, Artoria looked up to see the Lancer she had fought at the docks earlier. However, it no longer mattered to her. After all—
Regardless of whether the other party chose to attack, her life was already fleeting.
"He's a very impressive person," the young swordswoman replied.
"A very impressive person...?" Scathach's interest was piqued. "How impressive?"
"..."
Artoria looked at the ordinary sword in her hand, a faint, strained smile on her face.
"He's the most impressive person I know."
"I see." Scathach nodded thoughtfully. "I understand."
Screech—
A spear pierced Artoria's chest. Scathach pulled it back, then looked at the distant roaring flames, recalling the final outcome. She realized she had underestimated Gilgamesh. Even after being dragged into the "Land of Shadows," the demigod king had not lost all his combat capabilities. Scathach had to use thirty-nine Gae Bolg Alternatives to finally defeat him. This was clearly beyond what an ordinary Servant could handle. If she hadn't intervened, the King of Heroes might indeed have been resurrected.
However—
Although she had won, she certainly hadn't emerged unscathed. The Gate of Skye, due to Gilgamesh's excessive power, had consumed magical energy far beyond Scathach's initial estimates. This Noble Phantasm, transcending the world's surface and depths, was naturally not something an ordinary person could withstand.
Therefore.
Sola-Ui, who was responsible for supplying magical energy, quickly died from being unable to bear such consumption. The magical energy supply connection instantly returned to Kayneth. But the Clock Tower's top-tier mage likewise couldn't bear the magical energy consumption. He clutched his arm, struggled for a moment, then died in extreme agony. Before his death, Kayneth embraced his fiancée, whispering softly in her ear, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought you."
And after severing the magical energy supply from Kayneth.
Scathach suddenly understood the meaning of Kayneth's foretold inevitable death in her premonition.
Indeed.
This was what she had brought about. The one who could not die had passed death onto the one who must die. This was a fate woven from countless entanglements, now clearly displayed before Scathach.
Evidently, there was no possibility of replicating this.
But Scathach was not saddened by this. After all, she had diligently fulfilled her duties as a "Servant." More importantly, she had taken note of the person named Ian. If even Saber could acknowledge him, he must be a truly remarkable existence, right?
Then—
Perhaps such a person could kill her.
Thinking thus, Scathach conceived the intention of staying in Fuyuki, to meet him through the Holy Grail War. And the foundation for achieving all this truly lay before her.
It was the flames formed from the "black mud" within the Holy Grail, containing sufficient magical energy. Moreover, Scathach, having arrived as a living being, didn't strictly need Kayneth's magical supply—his death was simply because their connection couldn't be broken.
This way, she could persist for a considerable time.
Thus—
Perhaps she could meet the person named Ian.
"If you truly exist, then come and meet me."
Speaking these words, Scathach walked against the blazing light, into the inferno.