In darkness black as pitch.
Slowly, ever so slowly, she sinks. The proud, noble King of Knights, devoured by darkness, was falling into the abyss.
"That is, the Grail... what I, so desperately desired...!"
And then, that King of Knights flails, reaching out towards the false illusion before her eyes. But, knowing how foolish an act that is, I reach out and grab her shoulder.
"Stop it."
"Who are you! To interfere with me...!?"
"Who am I? That kind of thing... shouldn't you know by looking?"
I had a dream.
Surely, I had woken from a dream... Surely, I had entrusted him with the return of the holy sword and fallen asleep.
Once again, I am dreaming. And what appears before my eyes is me repeating the ridiculous mistakes of the past. I thought bad dreams had their limits... but I realized where this place is, why I am here.
"You are..."
"Rest now. Do not waste your strength on a meaningless act any longer. Frail King of Knights, still tormented by an obsession unable to escape the hill of Camlann. Now, it is time to sleep."
"....."
"You are me, I am you... So, leave it to me now. We are, after all, one."
I no longer have to return to Camlann. Now, where we... no, where I must return is not Britain.
What I desire, where I truly wish to return to is...
"... Ha. How does it feel to be reborn? Saber. Child of the failed Merlin."
Your side.
".... It's a refreshing feeling. Having shaken off the obsession, I feel clear-headed."
Even if it is a different appearance. Even if you do not know me... I know that your essence has not changed. The hero who fought to save the world now fights for his own family, for his own happiness. Even if it is a dirty deed, even if everyone condemns it...
Just as I fought for the world (Britain), I will fight for a single man (the one I love).
"Ha, is that so? Having shaken off the obsession... Does that mean you're no longer interested in a wish?"
"A wish... That doesn't matter anymore."
Even if you do not acknowledge me... I am satisfied just to be able to be with you again. Even if this is a midsummer night's dream... even if it will disappear upon waking, even if it is a fleeting dream, I... am happy.
So, no matter what you do, I will follow you to the end.
Whooooo....
A forest on a dark, windy day. Fergus, who came to the back of Einzbern Castle. Before him were Berserker and his Master. Illyasviel. She got down from Berserker and watched Fergus from a distance.
"Coming alone without a Master. What could you be thinking?"
"What could I be thinking. I came to kill you? Are you asking the obvious? You empty, useless vessel."
"Saying things you don't mean. What on earth do you want to cause such a fuss?"
"What for? Ha... Even though you're a child who lost her family and was abandoned by them, you don't understand? I can only sigh. Ah, that muscle lump next to you killed his own family with his own hands, right? If he had just farmed and lived quietly, maybe he wouldn't have incurred Hera's wrath. One of two, right? Either kill the god who curses you, or live quietly. Isn't it because he did neither and was half-hearted? That muscle lump with a god-killing-rage disorder. You know you're quite at fault too, right?"
"...."
"It's useless to try to provoke Berserker. He listens to me well."
"You've become a real bastard. For someone with the appearance of a great hero... Well, where are there any heroes in this Grail War anyway? There's only a father who killed his own child with his own hands and an incompetent father."
"... Have you changed that much? Caster."
"Haa?"
"I had a dream... A strange dream of meeting you... I know you as a reliable, father-like person. I know you as someone who loves and cherishes his wife. But, why are you so sorrowful now?"
"... Really, there's not a single person I like. I don't need the Einzbern Grail. Instead... the Einzbern Servant dies here."
He uses teleportation to disappear, and I reveal myself in that spot.
Kwaaaaaa!!!
Berserker charges rapidly at the undulating shadows and giant black light.
"No, Berserker!!!"
Sorry, but it's already too late.
Kwaaaaaaaaaang!!!!!!!!
I kill Berserker with my full power from the very beginning.
Before, both here and then, it was ultimately my defeat. But... now it's different, Berserker.
"──■■■■!!!!"
Berserker returns from death and revives. I'll kill you as many times as it takes. That is what I must do. I'll fight you as many times as needed, great hero without reason.
Kwakwakwakwakwaka!!!!
We battle several times on the lake, moving here and there in the castle, engaging in fierce combat with Berserker. Even spamming the holy sword without restrictions, you fight this well. In terms of pure power, my current self far surpasses my Britain-era self in destructive power. With this strength alone, a rebellion would have been unthinkable, yet you fight head-on without reason.
Truly, it's utterly terrifying. If you had reason and maintained your skill, as Fergus said... even my current self would be in danger.
But, with this, it's farewell.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A soaring pillar of giant black light. With the release of his True Name, the peerless great hero meets his death.
Shirou and Rin, who had arrived unnoticed, come into view. I leap towards them and land right beside them. I point my sword at Shirou, who is shocked by my appearance.
Swing~!
"... Saber."
"..."
Did he say not to kill him? That he still has use value. How pitiful. Because he said to kill him when his value disappears. At that moment, the red archer runs towards me.
Whoosh~!
I dodge his sword and leap back. Archer... Indeed, he seems familiar somehow. A heroic spirit that didn't exist when I was with Fergus, I have a feeling I've seen him somewhere, and we've had a conversation this time too. He's a man I'm not close to anyway. Since there was no word to save Archer, shall I dispose of him?
"Move aside."
Kugugugugugugugu!!!!!!!!
At that moment, Fergus reveals himself in the sky above the forest. That is the True Name release of Curtana Bolg, which he uses as a Caster, right? Just how much magical energy is he drawing from the Grail? No, for a malignant Grail overflowing with magical energy accumulated since the Third War, over 60 years ago, it's nothing. In terms of pure destructive power, it surpasses Excalibur. Even as a Caster, only his body is weakened.
"Disappear along with the castle, Lesser Grail."
"... Fergus."
At that, Illyasviel sheds tears looking at Fergus... According to that memory... Well, it's a matter of another world. It's not my place to intervene. I leave the spot with the shadow and watch from within the shadow.
"{Curtana Bolg}(The Slashing and Destroying Magecraft of Annihilation)"
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A giant red sphere of light appears, swallowing everything including the castle, becoming a giant sphere of light that erases everything. With this, they too... No, they barely endured.
"Kh, ugh...."
Archer's Noble Phantasm? A shield... Was it that shield he used against Fergus? They barely held on. But they used up all their magical energy. Even Rin has no hope of getting up. She won't be able to rise for hours.
"Shirou, why..."
And Shirou, who protected Illya and lost an arm. This will be the end, I suppose. Fergus discovers the survivors and prepares to fire his Noble Phantasm again, but...
Tadat!
"Haa?"
Rider appears at that moment, takes them, and quickly evacuates the spot. Surely, that girl is Fergus's Servant...
"... It's Sakura. Doing something unnecessary. I tried to control it to only kill Illya, but she goes and saves them. Whatever. I can just kill Illya later. For now, since she's the Master, I'll overlook a little deviation."
Matou Sakura. I've occasionally seen her with Shirou, but she never seemed that remarkable a woman. But now I understand. How could she be so harmless in another timeline? I don't get it...
".... Is it the man she loves? How foolish. Why love a man who will die before you anyway."
... Fergus. Do you, hate yourself that much? Even Scáthach said it wasn't your fault... Has that not reached you here? I keenly feel my own weakness, for I... cannot help him. It's sad, and I'm jealous. In my current state, is it still too much...
Fergus sits alone in front of the Grail in the cave. He seemed to be staring at some distant place.
I know it's insensitive, but I come and sit beside him.
"Now what..."
"Past sight, is it."
"... So what."
"You truly love your family."
"Of course. Family is everything to me. Well, what would you, who have no family, know? What would you, who killed your own child with your own hands, know about the sorrow of losing family?"
"Saying things you don't mean."
"Who are you to judge that?"
"Who knows, why?"
"... Annoying."
"The conclusion is, no matter what you are like... you love your family. That the wives who love you are more precious than anything else, isn't that so?"
"... What? You."
"... Connla."
"You see my face and think of your son first?"
"... Pretend you didn't hear that."
"Heh, I'll do that."
No matter how much you change, your heart alone does not. I know that...
"....."
"... Tch."
See, even if I lean on your shoulder, you just let it go... Even if steeped in obsession, even if said to have gone mad... you have not changed.
"Um... shall I come again another time?"
"Why the hell did you come here without saying a word!?"
Hmm, Rider came at just the right moment. That girl, wasn't she originally just a mob that Fergus would kill? Interesting... I can see Fergus somewhat likes her. Perhaps... well, Medusa and Fergus... in a way, they might be the most compatible comrades.