"Ansuz! Burn it all to ashes!"
Chanting a spell, tracing runes, the Caster unleashes a torrent of searing flames.
A storm of heat, brimming with undeniable power.
Each strike pounds Mash's shield with ferocious force, the heat scorching her skin.
"Ugh… nngh…!"
"…"
"Is Mash okay?" Olga Marie murmurs, her voice laced with worry. Gone is her earlier panic, replaced by a steady gaze fixed on the scene before her.
"That Servant… they're serious. Completely serious about Mash and Ritsuka…!"
"As they should be," I reply. "In a battle for life, that dog wouldn't jest."
"Then we should stop them…!"
"If they fall here, so be it. To die without facing future hardships might be its own mercy."
Humanity's incineration. The machinations of ████ lurking in ████. A journey through seven Singularities.
Words spoken by a mysterious voice during my reincarnation—terms that mean nothing to me now. The world, and these girls, tread a path fraught with peril.
To break midway in regret or to exit the world in ignorance—which is the happier fate?
I, who never chose a path, had no such options. I cannot know.
Breaking is easy. Yielding is easy.
Closing one's eyes, accepting the end—that's easy.
"But—"
Yet I know the answer, having seen what lies beyond.
Regret festers after death. The notion of finding peace in it is a lie.
There is no rest in death.
No solace in a vague demise.
A barren soul leaves nothing behind.
I've witnessed it. And here I stand.
I don't want them to share that fate.
"Their souls still shine, untainted. They cling to life with reckless, desperate fervor."
"!"
Yes, Mash, Master. You have a future.
A radiant tomorrow, a future you can seize. They don't yet know it.
They don't know the despair that lies ahead.
And because they don't, they walk with courage.
Because they don't understand, they live with all their might.
Even now, they face me, staking their lives in battle.
Their brilliance is captivating—a radiance I've never seen before.
"Those filled with such brilliance can overturn even fate itself."
"King of Heroes…"
"What, just watching, little girl?"
"?"
You're part of this too.
"They're your friends, aren't they? Give them a word of encouragement in their peril."
"I… I… but…"
"Tch. Another one lacking confidence? Troublesome."
It's understandable. Breaking down, panicking, succumbing to hysteria—that's normal.
For such small shoulders to bear such burdens and still stand is a feat in itself.
"I acknowledge you, Olga Marie Animusphere."
"Wha—"
"Your efforts are commendable. Keep striving without faltering."
"—!"
A simple word of praise, casual and unadorned.
Yet for Olga Marie, crushed by anguish, grief, and despair, it was enough to melt the hopelessness in her heart.
"Yes, I get it! I get it! I'll cheer them on—"
"For my first-ever friends, I'll shout as much as it takes!"
"Looks like I misjudged you, kid."
"Ugh… nngh…!"
"Master, ready to die with your Servant? Step back, and you might survive."
"Senpai, run—"
"It's fine."
Ritsuka grips Mash's hand, standing firm.
"We die together. I'm your Master, after all. I have to do at least this much."
"Senpai…"
"I can't fight, but—"
"I can stand by your side!"
"—!"
"Alright then. No regrets—I'll burn you to cinders!"
The Caster's mana surges explosively. It's coming—their trump card. A Noble Phantasm!
"I… I…"
"What are you doing, Mash?! Ritsuka?!"
Snapping back, I see Olga Marie shouting with all her might.
"Director…?"
"You can't die here! Not in a place like this! Why did you come this far? Why did you choose to fight?!"
"Not to die in some stupid place like this, right?!"
"—!"
"For the first time, I talked with someone my age! I had fun conversations!"
"For the first time—I made friends, Mash!"
"!"
Olga Marie's rallying cry continues, pouring out her heart.
"And you, Ritsuka! I won't forgive you if you throw away the life you've been given! You're a Master! You have a talent, a power I could never have, and you're amazing for it!"
"There's so much I want to talk about, so much we still have to do! So, please!"
"You can't stop here—!"
"—!"
Resolve ignites in Mash's eyes.
"Mash!"
Ritsuka's voice blazes with determination.
"Let's do this! Our friends are counting on us—we have to show them!"
"Yes! I'll protect everyone, no matter what!"
Mash readies her shield.
Even from here, I can feel the heat. Yuki's resolve to protect is unshakable.
Now, like a shield guarding humanity's foundation—!
"Crumble, 'Cage of Scorching Flames'! Turn to dust, good or evil—!"
A giant's arm, woven of straw and craving sacrifice, swings down.
The moment it strikes the shield, a cataclysmic shockwave and tempest ravage the surroundings.
"Ugh… uuuuugh—!"
"Mash! You're not alone! I'm here!"
"Uuuuugh—!"
The giant's force intensifies, threatening to crush them.
The ground trembles beneath their feet.
The shield glows radiant.
And then—
The fortress that forms humanity's foundation manifests here!
"Mash—!"
"Uuuuugh—AAAAAAAH!"
Are the treasures you've used not precious?
A voice echoes.
If it's for a worthy cause… giving them up isn't so bad.
Whose memory is this—?
Mash has finally unleashed her true potential.
To think Gilgamesh would speak of friends—what irony.