Author's Note: Thanks for pointing out the "nephew" mistake. It should be "niece" Hehe.
Me English bad bad, sorry (ᵕ • ᴗ •)
Also, before you continue reading, I'd like to mention that I've added some AUX chapters. Feel free to check them out.
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Artoria was about to answer Ren when a voice suddenly came from the shadows behind her.
"We don't need your help."
She turned sharply.
Kiritsugu stepped out from the darkness with Maya beside him. His expression was calm, almost indifferent, as if this decision had already been made long ago.
Ren tilted his head.
"Oh?"
Artoria frowned.
"Kiritsugu."
Kiritsugu barely spared Ren a glance. His eyes briefly landed on Irisviel before returning to Artoria.
"This is not something we entrust to a stranger."
Artoria's brows immediately furrowed.
"A stranger?" she repeated, her voice already rising. "Irisviel is collapsing right in front of us and you refuse even the chance to save her?"
Kiritsugu remained unmoved.
"This war requires sacrifice."
That answer only made her angrier.
"Irisviel is not some disposable tool," Artoria snapped. "She is a person."
"She knew what she was created for," Kiritsugu replied flatly.
Artoria stepped closer, her expression sharp with anger.
"And you accept that so easily!?"
"Yes."
The answer came without hesitation.
From the moment the war began, Kiritsugu had already known what would happen to Irisviel. Irisviel herself knew it too. Both of them had chosen this path.
Artoria stared at him in disbelief.
"That woman is your wife."
"And this war decides the fate of the world," Kiritsugu said.
For a moment, Artoria simply looked at him as if she could not believe what she was hearing.
"You would sacrifice her?" she demanded.
"If that sacrifice can save thousands, then yes."
The answer came without the slightest pause.
Artoria clenched her fists.
"Unbelievable."
Her voice was no longer calm.
"If you can abandon someone who stands beside you, someone who trusts you, then what kind of salvation are you even pursuing?"
Kiritsugu did not respond.
Artoria turned toward Ren again.
"I will take that chance."
Kiritsugu's voice cut in immediately.
"No."
Artoria turned back sharply.
"You would deny even this!?"
Kiritsugu slowly raised his hand.
The red markings on the back of his hand began to glow.
A Command Spell.
"Saber."
The atmosphere instantly tightened.
"By the command spell, I order you… abandon the idea of seeking his help."
The command surged through the contract between Master and Servant. Artoria's body stiffened as the order took hold, her sword trembling slightly in her hand.
Anger flashed across her face.
But a Command Spell could not be resisted.
Slowly, unwillingly, she lowered her weapon.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Artoria lifted her head and glared at Kiritsugu.
"You would go this far just to silence me?"
Her voice trembled with anger.
"You would force a knight to abandon someone who might still be saved?"
Kiritsugu's expression remained unchanged.
"I cannot allow unnecessary risks."
"That is not risk," Artoria shot back. "That is hope."
Kiritsugu shook his head slightly.
"Hope without certainty is nothing but gambling."
Artoria clenched her jaw.
"If I cannot even save the life of someone standing beside me, then how could I ever hope to save a nation!?"
Kiritsugu did not even hesitate to answer.
"This war is not about what we want. It is about what must be done."
Artoria looked away for a moment, her expression dark.
"I see."
Her voice was quieter now, but the anger was still there.
Not far away, Ren watched the two of them argue with great interest. At some point he had even taken out a slice of pizza, calmly eating while observing the scene like it was some late-night drama.
Honestly, this was great entertainment.
As a certified Reddit user, He, Ren Aion loved a drama, especially a family drama.
Part of him even wanted to shout, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" while fanning the flames a little more.
Too bad Kiritsugu's decision had already killed the mood.
Ren sighed and took another bite of pizza.
Still, who was he to them?
Just a stranger.
He wasn't some hot-blooded anime protagonist who would force his help on people even after being rejected.
Besides, Irisviel knew how this war ended for her. Even knowing the outcome, she had still chosen to walk this path.
What Ren offered just now was a way out.
Between Ren and Irisviel, he had only met her a few times.
He had no right to make decisions for her life. That would just be another kind of selfishness.
If even her own husband refused the offer, then there was no way for Ren to step in.
It simply wasn't his style.
Sure, he hated tragedies.
But that didn't mean he would overturn everything for someone he barely knew.
Even if he knew their story from an anime or a novel.
The answer was still the same.
No.
Looking at both of them, Ren only shook his head
"I see. If that is your choice, then I will not lend my hand to her,"
He waved his hand casually then a portal opened in distance.
A moment later it spat out two figures onto the ground.
Gilgamesh and his master, Tokiomi.
The portal closed immediately after.
Gilgamesh straightened himself the moment he landed. His golden eyes immediately locked onto Ren, anger flashing across his face.
"You insolent thief!" he barked.
Too bad for Gilgamesh.
Ren had already decided he was done playing around. The sooner this war ended, the better.
Before Gilgamesh could even move, Ren raised his hand slightly.
No flashy chant. No dramatic buildup.
The power of SCP-2030 spread out silently.
For a brief moment, the space around Gilgamesh twisted, like reality itself had been edited.
Then, Gilgamesh simply disappeared.
As if his existence had been removed from the world entirely.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
The battlefield fell completely silent.
Artoria stared at the spot where Gilgamesh had been standing just a second ago in horror. Her grip on her sword tightened slightly as she tried to understand what had just happened.
There had been no chant.
No magical circle.
No surge of mana.
Nothing.
As a Servant, she was extremely sensitive to magical energy. Even the smallest activation of magecraft should have been obvious to her.
But Ren's action felt different.
It was as if space itself had obeyed his will.
Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Ren.
Tokiomi looked even worse. The color had drained from his face as he stared at the empty space where his Servant had vanished.
Even from a distance, Waver, who had been quietly observing everything, felt a chill run down his spine.
None of them could understand what they had just witnessed.
Ren, on the other hand, looked completely relaxed.
He brushed the crumbs off his hand and glanced toward Artoria and Kiritsugu.
"Well then," he said casually.
"Congratulations."
Artoria frowned.
"For what?"
Ren shrugged.
"For winning the war and for Losing someone you care about."
The words made both Artoria and Kiritsugu stiffen.
The two of them then stared at Irisviel whose body was about to disappear.
Ren stretched his arms.
"Well then, I'll be waiting for the two of you at Mount Enzo. That's where the Holy Grail will appear anyway, right?"
Before anyone could respond, Ren raised his hand again.
Space distorted for a brief moment.
Then he disappeared.
The next moment, Ren appeared at Mount Enzo.
The night air there was calm and silent, completely different from the battlefield he had just left behind.
Ren walked forward toward the cave where the Greater Grail was supposed to reside.
However, when he reached the entrance, he stopped.
A faint shimmer spread across the air in front of the cave.
"…Huh."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
There was a barrier here.
"I don't remember there being a barrier here."
Ren tilted his head slightly as he stared at the cave entrance.
The air in front of it shimmered faintly, like an invisible wall quietly blocking the path.
He waved his hand.
A portal opened beside him.
A moment later, Aesc stepped out.
She looked around calmly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Is it time already?" she asked.
Then her eyes landed on the cave entrance.
Her expression shifted slightly.
She walked closer to the barrier and raised a hand, lightly touching the air.
A faint ripple spread across the invisible surface.
After checking it for a moment, she turned her head toward Ren.
"Why did you bring me here?" she asked.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she examined the barrier again.
"…And this barrier."
Aesc frowned.
"Eh?"
Her fingers hovered just above the surface again.
"…Demonic energy?"
Ren blinked.
For a second, nothing clicked.
Then suddenly
"Ah. So that's how it is."
Neberius Family.
"Right, they want the Black Mud."
The corrupted contents of the Holy Grail.
If someone wanted to harvest that kind of Trashy thing, waiting here made perfect sense.
Ren sighed.
"And since their earlier plan failed…"
He glanced toward the barrier again.
"They decided to set up barrier to prevent anyone entering"
"Aesc, can you crack this barrier?"
Aesc kept her hand near the surface, studying the flow of energy inside it.
"Yes. But it will take time."
Ren nodded once.
"Never mind then. I'll handle it."
He reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
A rusty golden key.
Aesc glanced at it, her expression turning slightly puzzled. The look on her face clearly said, why a key?
Ren noticed it and gave a small grin.
"You've been in my library, so you should know about SCPs."
He raised the key slightly between his fingers.
"Let me introduce you. This is SCP-005."
He gave it a small spin.
"Also known as the Skeleton Key. It can unlock any mechanism."
Ren turned his gaze back to the barrier.
"Including this one."
Aesc blinked once.
Then she exhaled quietly.
"…Of course it can."
At this point, as long as Ren didn't casually bring out something like "big guy" from containment, she figured nothing else would truly shock her anymore.
Ren stepped forward and lightly tapped the barrier with the key.
A keyhole suddenly appeared on the invisible surface.
Ren inserted the key.
Click.
A soft sound echoed, like a door had just been unlocked.
The shimmer in the air flickered once, then the barrier vanished.
"There we go." Ren stretched slightly, then glanced toward the cave entrance. "Oh, by the way, we shouldn't go in just yet. Let's wait for someone."
He opened a portal and casually pulled out a small table and two chairs, setting them down near the entrance like it was the most normal thing in the world. A pizza box followed right after.
"Come on, sit. There's something I want to talk about."
Aesc didn't question it anymore. She took a seat, picked up a slice of pizza, and took a bite.
"What is it?"
Ren sat across from her, resting his chin on his hand. "After the Holy Grail War ends, I want you to go back to the Throne of Heroes."
Aesc paused slightly, but Ren raised his hand.
"Before you say anything, hear me out. My promise still stands, and my request for you to teach Sakura isn't going anywhere."
He leaned back in his chair, tapping the table lightly.
"The reason I'm saying this is because of your current state. You're here as a Heroic Spirit, basically a split version that descended from the Throne of heroes, while your original self is still up there."
Aesc stayed silent, watching him.
"What I want is for your original self to come down instead." Ren grabbed another slice of pizza. "I know it sounds impossible. You're tied to the Throne, your physical body is gone, and your existence is already recorded there."
"For most people, that would be the end of it. But for me, that's not really a problem."
Aesc narrowed her eyes slightly.
Ren leaned forward a little, his tone still relaxed but more direct.
"Instead of leaving you up there to slowly fade or get stuck in that place… why not come down here? With me. With Sakura."
He tapped the table once more, then shrugged.
"We could explore things properly. Sounds a lot better than staying rotten in the Throne, right?"
"You know my original self, right?" Aesc said. She didn't question whether he could actually pull it off.
Ren nodded. "Yeah. You're the younger version of the Queen of Fairies… Morgan."
Aesc's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Interesting. Even knowing that, you still dare to invite my original self down here?"
Ren shrugged, completely unfazed.
"What, you think that's supposed to scare me?" He took another bite of pizza. "No offense, but compared to SCPs… being Morgan isn't that impressive."
Aesc stared at him for a moment, then let out a small laugh.
"Hehe… fair enough. Then tell me, how exactly do you plan to get me out of there?"
Ren reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper covered in strange runes.
"Here."
He handed it to her.
"Memorize the symbol written on it."
Aesc glanced down at the paper, her expression turning more serious as she studied the pattern.
Ren leaned back in his chair.
"If your original self agrees, just draw that symbol. Anywhere is fine. On the ground, on a wall… even in the air."
He tapped the table lightly.
"That mark will let me lock onto your position."
Then he gave a small grin.
"And I'll pull you out of the Throne."
Aesc looked up at him.
"…You make it sound simple."
"For me, it is."
"Oh, and don't worry about Alaya."
He said it casually, like it was nothing.
"Even if she notices… and figures out it was me…"
"I doubt she'll do anything about it."
meanwhile, Inside his head
'That girl has definitely noticed me already…'
'After all during holy grail war, every Heroic Spirit moves under her watch. There's no way she didn't see what I did to the sun back in Iskandar's Reality Marble. I bet she was scared silly'
'But...If she still dares to send the Counter Force after me after watching that'
'Then I'll have to call her the strongest at courting death among them all!'
Aesc looked at the paper in her hand for a moment, her gaze lingering on the runes before she folded it carefully.
"…Alright. I'll return to the Throne after the Holy Grail War ends, then I'll speak to my original self."
Ren nodded, satisfied. "Good. That's all I need."
Aesc glanced at him again, her expression a mix of curiosity and disbelief. "…You really are planning something ridiculous."
Ren shrugged. "Isn't that normal by now?"
She let out a quiet sigh, but there was a faint smile on her face. "…I'll think about it."
Not long after, footsteps echoed from behind. Ren didn't even turn.
"Finally here, huh."
Artoria stepped into view first, but the moment her eyes landed on Aesc, her expression sharpened immediately. Her body tensed, and her hand moved instinctively toward her sword.
"…Morgan."
Aesc didn't react much, simply taking another bite of pizza like the tension didn't concern her at all.
Ren raised his hand lazily. "Relax. She's not your Morgan."
Artoria didn't lower her guard. "That presence…"
"Yeah, I know," Ren cut in. "Similar face, similar aura, but different person." He pointed at Aesc with his thumb. "She's Aesc. Think of her as a version of Morgan from a completely different timeline."
Artoria's eyes narrowed slightly. "…Another Morgan."
"Sure, if that helps you chill," Ren said casually. "she's not here to destroy your kingdom, so you can calm down."
Aesc finally glanced at Artoria. "…I have no interest in your Britain."
That didn't fully ease her, but Artoria didn't attack.
Kiritsugu stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Ren. "Why are you here? You've already interfered more than enough." He paused slightly. "Or are you planning to take the Holy Grail for yourself?"
Ren looked at him, then let out a small laugh. "…You're overthinking it."
He stood up slowly and stretched his arms. "I'm not here to steal anything." His gaze shifted toward Artoria. "You should remember what I said back in Iskandar's Reality Marble. I'm here to prevent an XK-Class scenario."
Artoria frowned. "…XK?"
"You can think of it as a world-ending situation," Ren said casually, then pointed toward the cave behind them. "The Holy Grail you're after is basically a cup filled with humanity's malice. There's something inside it, black mud, and that thing corrupts anything it touches."
He looked at both of them. "If the Grail fully descends and spills that stuff into the world, then yeah… that's your apocalypse."
A brief silence followed.
Ren slipped his hands into his pockets. "And that's not even the only problem. You're aware that devils exist in this world, right?"
Kiritsugu didn't answer, but his expression was enough.
"Good," Ren nodded. "Because they're also after the Grail. The moment you step inside, don't expect it to be clean. There will be devils, stray groups, maybe more."
Ren looked between the two of them, a faint smile forming on his face.
"That's why I'm here. To make sure this whole thing doesn't turn into the end of the world."
Those who know him, can't help but to spat on him, protecting the world? its already a good thing that Ren didn't get bored and triggered Red sun all over the world
A walking Apocalypse saying that he want to protect the world?
if Ren in video game, there will be achievement
'Bulsht 100'
Kiritsugu didn't respond right away.
He simply stared at Ren for a few seconds, as if trying to read something behind those casual words. Then he shifted his gaze toward the cave.
"Words are cheap."
Ren shrugged. "Fair."
Kiritsugu turned slightly. "Saber."
Artoria nodded without hesitation. "Understood."
Without another word, the two of them moved toward the cave and stepped inside.
Their figures disappeared into the darkness.
Aesc watched them go, then stood up from her chair.
"I'll follow."
Ren didn't even look up.
"Sit."
Aesc paused.
Ren took another bite of pizza, completely relaxed. "No need to rush. Give them about five minutes."
Aesc frowned slightly. "You're letting them walk into danger."
Ren swallowed and glanced at her.
"They won't die that easily."
He tapped the pizza box lightly.
"Besides, it's better if they see it for themselves."
Aesc looked back at the cave entrance, her expression thoughtful.
"…Seeing is believing, huh."
"Exactly."
Ren leaned back in his chair.
"So just sit, relax, and finish the pizza first."
He gestured toward the box.
"We've got time."
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[Author's Note: For those who didn't know who is Alaya
Alaya is not a person or a god, but the collective will of humanity itself. You can think of it as the instinct of mankind to survive. Whenever something threatens the continued existence of humanity, Alaya reacts through what is known as the Counter Force. It doesn't act directly, but instead influences events or sends agents to eliminate the threat. It has no concern for individuals or morality, only the survival of humanity as a whole. As long as mankind continues to exist, any sacrifice is acceptable.
A bit of spoiler, Alaya herself fully on the side of Humanity, this also one of the reasons that Humanity able to dominate the overworld/earth while other beings stay on different realms1]