By now, the Chaldea team had just emerged from the desert and entered the wilderness surrounding the Holy City Camelot.
"At this rate, we won't make it in time," Da Vinci said, glancing at the distant, towering Camelot and calculating the remaining time. As the saying goes, a mountain that looks close is still a long way off. By the time they arrived, the Lion King would have had plenty of time to bathe, change her clothes, and take an afternoon nap.
"If only my car were still here!"
Although Da Vinci had rejoined the team, she had been operating in Lancelot's territory. Even if Lancelot harbored absurd ideas at the time, he would never have allowed her to tinker with any strange contraptions. Thus, her Egyptian-style car never got a chance to shine.
"Wait, Mr. Lancelot, your body... it's disappearing!" Gudako, positioned in the middle of the group, noticed something was amiss.
"It's not just Lancelot, Senpai! Your body is disappearing too!"
Mash had been constantly monitoring Gudako's condition, ensuring she could protect her at a moment's notice. In her eyes, the instant Gudako spoke, her body began to flicker and fade, becoming translucent.
"We're all like this!"
"Finally got through!"
Once they left Ramesseum Tentyris, Chaldea's communications finally restored. Dr. Roman's voice, a mix of urgency and elation, crackled through the comms. "Ritsuka, our monitors show the Singularity is being restored! You went for a quick stroll through the desert and already defeated the Lion King?!"
"We haven't even seen the Lion King yet," Mash explained. "We just emerged from Atlas!"
This was the first time a Singularity had returned to normal without Chaldea's direct intervention. Despite their arduous journey, the actual outcome felt more like a sightseeing trip—it ended before they even glimpsed the Lion King's face.
"It was Dad... Lancelot who told us Jiang You had already reached the Lion King. We rushed out of the desert, fearing he couldn't hold his own against her."
"The Lion King was defeated by that guy?"
Romani knew Jiang You was no ordinary Heroic Spirit, but with his current, pitifully weak Spirit Origin, how could he possibly stand a chance against the Lion King?
"So it really is that Noble Phantasm that uses history and Heroic Spirits as cards..."
"Judging by the current situation, the King has indeed fallen."
Lancelot couldn't believe that Camelot, along with the Lion King who had nearly ascended to godhood, had been single-handedly defeated by one Servant. He covered his face in exasperation. Though he didn't show it, he had endured a long and agonizing internal struggle to convince himself to betray the Lion King. Now all his anguish had been wasted. If only he had confessed to his daughter sooner, he wouldn't have had to endure those shield strikes.
"Ugh, is it over already?! The journey had just begun!"
Xuanzang protested. She hadn't even started her proselytization (palm techniques) yet—how could the journey be ending already?
"You just haven't had enough fun yet, have you?!"
Tawara Tōta grumbled, "Xuanzang hasn't shown a single sign of being a proper high priestess the entire time. She's been nothing but loud and boisterous from start to finish. But I guess it's time to say goodbye. Even though we didn't accomplish much, it was really awesome running wild together on the path to save the world! Next time we meet, I'm definitely raising a toast with you all!"
"What do you mean 'not done having fun'—ah, she's gone."
Xuanzang was about to lecture him, but Tawara Tōta made the first move, retreating to the Throne of Heroes before she could land a punch.
"Well, it's time for me to say goodbye too. Ritsuka, you may have forgotten, but we once traveled together before. Where you're from—Chaldea, right? Just like your journey, our connection isn't over yet. I'll never forget this memory. When the time comes, allow this master to guide you!"
"We eagerly await your arrival. Chaldea will always welcome you, Xuanzang!"
Gudako didn't know why Xuanzang claimed they had traveled together before, but she could sense the truth in her words.
Smiling, Xuanzang dissolved into Prana, returning to the Throne of Heroes. Only then did she finally display the dignified demeanor of a true master.
"Then it's my turn."
Lancelot watched his body fade into transparency and quickly gripped Mash's hand. He had only just gained a precious daughter and had barely exchanged a few words before having to part. He still had so much he wanted to say.
"Mash, my child. Though I don't know what led the King to make such a grave mistake, our enemies must be unimaginably powerful. Your path ahead will be fraught with peril. Protect your Master well, but don't push yourselves too hard. When the time comes, leave the rest to me, your Father! As long as you remain in Chaldea, I will answer your summons without fail!"
"Ahrrrrr—!" Berserker Lancelot roared in displeasure.
"Silence! No one can understand your gibberish anyway!" Saber Lancelot snapped. Only Saber Lancelot, as his blade-wielding counterpart, could decipher Berserker Lancelot's roars. "And Mash, remember this: Lancelot is a swordsman, not a Berserker..."
Before he could finish, Berserker Lancelot's blade slashed at him, robbing Saber Lancelot of his final moments with Mash. Enraged, Saber Lancelot unleashed his Noble Phantasm with his remaining strength and clashed violently with Berserker Lancelot, accelerating his return to the Throne of Heroes.
"My chance to showcase my genius has been completely ruined! And after I went to the trouble of coming to this Singularity myself, on a whim!"
Da Vinci stood with her hands on her hips, looking thoroughly disgruntled. It seemed she had only spent a few days lounging in Lancelot's camp after arriving at the Singularity before everything came to an end. "And we didn't even manage to retrieve the Holy Grail! But since the Pharaoh showed no intention of making a wish and the Singularity is disappearing, I suppose the problem's been resolved satisfactorily! Still, I have so many questions now, Ritsuka. Make sure you write a thorough report when we get back."
"Huh?"
Gudako, barely an adult herself, wasn't quite ready for the prospect of writing work reports. "Can't I just give an oral report instead?"
"Absolutely not!"
Da Vinci and Romani refused simultaneously, then exchanged a knowing smile.
"Oh, right, Da Vinci-chan, I wanted to tell you... there's something fishy about Romani..." Gudako cast a mysterious glance at Romani's projection, loudly whispering the "secret" for everyone to hear.
"Let's discuss that back at Chaldea," Da Vinci replied, cutting her off.
Da Vinci pulled Gudako and Mash aside, waving goodbye to the remaining two Knights of the Round Table. The three of them had reached their limit. "We must depart as well. Thank you for your help. We will never forget this journey. Until we meet again!"
"Is it finally over?"
Watching his companions vanish one by one, Bedivere felt no relief. He gazed at his Silver Arm with a sorrowful expression.
"I still haven't returned it to the King. How much longer must my journey last? Forgive me, King. I..."
Just as Bedivere was about to break down in tears, a black helmet loomed before him.
Berserker Lancelot seemed to want to say something, but his low, guttural growls could not form coherent sentences. Frustrated, he gestured wildly with his hands.
"Lancelot, why are you still here...?"
Bedivere wasn't a servant who had arrived via Spiritron Transfer; he was an ordinary human, thus immune to the Counter Force's recall. Lancelot's continued presence, however, was inexplicable.
Then Bedivere saw a shooting star streak from Camelot, its trajectory unmistakable—it was heading straight for them.