Instead of the dream-like world outside time and space where heroes of old would await their call, Oda Nobunaga found herself inside empty darkness. Everything around her was black, with neither ground nor roof above her head. Unnatural as it was already, she'd tried to stand up only to suddenly feel as though gravity itself didn't want to let her go.
"What… the hell?" Sensing movement in the depths of darkness, she narrowed her eyes to her side. There, she saw mud. The same black mud that appeared under the floor where she and Saber had fought. "Dammit! What is this?!"
She tried to wave it away, igniting her flames to char it off her. But getting rid of it soon turned impossible when neither her fire nor arm even dared budge. Nobu soon realized that not only was she unable to move, but her entire body was also encased by more of the muck. The only conclusion for the Daimyo was that the mud itself had sealed away her powers.
'What in the hell is going on?!'
"So, you've finally awoken." A new voice she didn't recognize spoke up. Nobu raised her gaze and saw it.
A black mass floated above her. Tendrils of dark red and essence in the shape of dripping muck crawled about in the space overhead. But despite its horrid appearance, Nobu's trained eyes sensed something off. It seemed damaged… hurt. As if I had tried to squeeze through a fire, some parts of it looked shrivelled and charred.
Nobu didn't know what this thing was, but she could feel the evil exuding from it. And it felt… somewhat weak.
"What in the hell are you?!" She didn't have time for this. She needed to find her Lelouch. But with no clue as to her whereabouts, she demanded.
"So… you're the Avenger of this war… How… interesting…" It definitely didn't sound interested. It sounded more tired. Why though, the Daimyo couldn't care less. "What I am… doesn't matter. All you need to know… is that I can fulfil your wish…"
Her wish? Nobu had many of them but right now she cared only about one.
'Lulu should feel happy that I put him above everything else I want.' Of course, her partner will pay for it with a lot of cuddling and more after everything is over. She eyed the weird creature warily. "Anything I want?"
"YES!" It lost composure, earnestly demanding it. "Just wish for it… and I will fulfil your heart's desire!"
Nobu took one look at the thing and smirked mockingly. "Don't want it."
"… what?!" the creature gurgled the word.
"I have no need for some random monster granting any of my wishes. Do you take me for some kind of fool?" Nobu chuckled darkly. "Think that I can't see when someone is trying to trick me? I know what you are, mud fiend! A plebeian-turned-god that which slept in the Grail, the parasite Angra Mainyu!"
The Servant-like aura exuding from the mass couldn't escape her eyes. Though she never came off as more than a mad fighter due to her bloodlust, the tactician's mind within could easily read her current foe. That and the scent of revenge-lust emanating from the creature, all of it told her enough about the other Avenger.
But whatever such an annoying pest would have to offer, she also knew well enough that it wouldn't benefit her and her betrothed as promised.
"Leave me, parasite. I've not the patience for your presence." She had to find Lelouch. All else was an obstacle.
"… insolent… bitch!" the tired muttering echoed all around before culminating into a maddened howl. "LIKE MASTER, LIKE SERVANT, ARROGANT TO THE VERY END! DO YOU NOT SEE THAT I AM YOUR ONLY HOPE?! CAN YOU NOT SENSE THAT THIS IS MY WORLD! MY CREATION! THE ONLY WAY FOR YOU TO SEE HIM AGAIN IS THROUGH ME! NOW, PROCLAIM YOUR WISH! AND I SHALL GRANT IT—"
"Do you think you can threaten me?" she uttered back, severely ticked off. "I am the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven. I am Oda Nobunaga! The great and cruel unifier. The usurper to the throne of the King of Conquerors. You would dare threaten me? You would dare curse me?! Heh… Heheh… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"
The chuckle-turned-laughter escaped her devil-smiling lips. If the Servant hiding in the Grail sounded mad, she was insanity incarnate. Considering who she thought she'd lost earlier, it was beyond deserved.
"You're quite a laugh, aren't you, scapegoat deity? You, who'd been cursed by simple village folk wishing for a sacrifice for their sins, would try threatening me, the one whose name has been cursed as a god-killer by hundreds of thousands of monks, their families, their friends, their entire sects that I burned alive… Do you think I'd fear such curses?"
Fury was her power. Anger was her drive. And right now, unsure as to her beloved's whereabouts, she was barely holding onto her sanity.
"I am Oda Nobunaga, killer, warmonger, tyrant. I am who they call the Demon King! I am who they fear as the enemy of the heavens! Gods tremble at my presence for I damn them to oblivion! My very legend lives on in the very lands you were summoned in! DID YOU THINK YOUR PETTY WORDS COULD HURT ME, YOU WANNABE-GOD?!"
A resounding crack echoed into the dark abyss. Then, it started to hiss as heat broke through the mud wrapped around her. Hardening the accursed muck, it burned away the caked soil into blackened cinders, freeing her from her prison.
Power enveloped her form as the heavy presence that weighed her down started to vanish. Surrounded by flames of vengeance, hell's fury fueled her very soul.
She who had been summoned as an Avenger Servant was a being whose sole purpose was her namesake due to suffering grave betrayals in life. But, in practicality, only a handful of mortals were ever on Nobunaga's shitlist, to begin with. Not to mention, all of her ancient foes had been dead for centuries, while her former
kingdom
was now a relatively prosperous nation.
There were no targets for her vengeful flames. Well, no human, that is.
The presence of a being who claimed to be god flinched when she laid her eyes upon their disgusting form. She sensed it. Fear, weakness, disdain. But more importantly, she felt the anger as it broiled within her.
The former Avenger, a broken God who hid inside and manipulated the Grail, the same Grail she was meant to be sacrificed to, feared her. And for good reason. She was mad at it. Mad that it tried to play her for a fool. Mad that it tried to manipulate her feelings. Oh, that's right. This thing was also the objective of the war. The same war she and many other Servants were lied to about.
The seeds of retribution bloomed within. Through her class's designation, the urgent need to exact reprisal powered her fire. With a snap of her fingers, she channelled her anger, her hellfire, and focused it on the being that cowered before her.
"DAMN YOU!" It howled through her mind. "YOU TOO WOULD REJECT ME?! YOU WOULD REJECT A WISH FOR ANYTHING YOU SO DESIRE?!"
"Have you forgotten why we were designated as Avengers, Angra Mainyu?" she mocked with nary an amused smile on her face. "We are those who'd been betrayed. Therefore, we seek revenge. And besides, there's only one man I would trust to grant me anything my heart desires. Sad to say, but you're in my way of reaching him."
The monster did not like that. With a vile scream of anguish, it reached out with its tendrils and wrapped a tight grasp on her throat. She didn't budge upon getting choked. All the while, it howled furiously.
"YOU THINK HE'D ACCEPT YOU, MONSTER?! YOU BELIEVE HE'D ACCEPT A MURDEROUS SOCIOPATH LIKE YOU, BITCH?! HE'LL BETRAY YOU THE MOMENT HE REALIZES YOU'D BE A THREAT TO WORLD PEACE! HE'LL BETRAY… HE'LL LIE TO YOU JUST AS HE LIED TO HIS OWN SIS—!"
"Is that all you have to say, pagan deity?" Its statement tugged at her heartstrings. Unperturbed, but certainly NOT unaffected, she put her all into the fire. "Then… burn in hell for eternity."
SNAP went her finger.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" cried the mud monster as it was consumed with crimson light. It quickly released her as the fires voraciously ate away at its flesh. Bordering on black itself, the embers of anger also sparked the edges of the world, cindering the darkness while the mud-turned-clay pyre burned. A fitting punishment for those who dared test her patience. "DAMN YOU! DAAAAAAAAAAAAMN YOOOOOOOOOOOU! I CURSE YOU! I CURSE YOU AND THAT BRAT TO HELL! UNTIL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, I WILL HOUND YOU BOTH FOREVER—!"
"Join the queue…" she retorted sarcastically, lacking even a hint of amusement. "Though be warned, the line is quite long. You'll have to contend with Iskandar's army, considering how I made him dirty. Well, hm, them and the rest of the monks."
Indifferent was her scoff as the world crumbled into nothingness. The black mass could do nought but scream in existential pain. Try as it might reach out and at least scratch her, to wipe the absent smirk on her face, there was nothing the forsaken god could do against the flames that ate away into his core.
Even the small myth that made him somewhat divine could only turn to ash before the demon king's eyes.
It was only when she felt the cold night breeze that Nobunaga realized she'd returned to the real world.
She was back atop the destroyed Community Center building, surrounded by ruins and still smouldering fires. Another moment passed before she realized that, not only was she alone, she was stark naked. Gone was her foe Saber and her master, but also her battle attire had left her bare and abandoned. Apart from the flames and smoke pillars that reached for the empty skies above, there was only a redheaded woman alone under the moonlit sky.
But despite her solitude, despite her seemingly vulnerable state, she slowly took a step towards the exit. Then another, then another. The walk turned to a run, the run into a mad sprint as she sped down the flight of stairs.
For some reason, her body felt heavy, worn and exhausted. Her bare feet chaffed on crumbling cement. What's more, it pained her to even make contact with the ground at all. Curious for what was supposed to be a powerful being that was a Heroic Spirit.
However, she couldn't make herself vanish into the air as she'd normally could. Turning into spirit form was… seemingly a little impossible at the moment. Her form… was as solid as the floors scraping against her soles.
But regardless of her sudden lack of spirit form or clothes at that, she didn't care. All that mattered was that she found Lelouch as soon as possible.
Once or twice, she tripped and stumbled. Like a zombie, she ignored her own bodily pain, continuing her search until she arrived at the floor.
The one directly beneath the accursed cup that had long since vanished.
There, a large puddle of black fluids continued to pulsate and spread down to the lower floors. Be it through the stairwell or out the windows, the flood of curses continued to burn and eat away at the building's interior until they poured out and caused damages to the world outside.
Angra Mainyu's influence still remained in this world, though the god and the Grail itself were long gone.
'Bothersome pest!'
Annoyed to all hell that it wasn't gone despite her murdering the mud deity, she willed her flames. Eyes glowing crimson, fires burst all around her. She wavered slightly, feeling creeping nausea well up within, like fatigue taking hold, but she persisted.
In no time at all, the curses started writhing and dissipating. As though they were insects and she was pesticide, the flood of mud fled the floor, dispersing as fast as it had rained down from above.
Where did they flee to, she cared not. If the world burned for her evicting the blighted fluids, she didn't bother with it there. Just in the centre of the room, left alone by the pagan deity's curses, she found who she was looking for.
"Lelouch!"
Uncharacteristically, Nobunaga shouted as she immediately rushed to him. Scraping her knees on the cracked and signed floor, she cared not about the bleeding as she lifted and hugged his motionless body. Nobu pressed her face against his chest and listened.
—DUMP BADUMP
'His heart's still beating!' Giving a quick yet careful examination of his body, she wondered why the Mage Killer would announce him dead.
She found no open wounds that would indicate so. The mud that bathed him left the boy practically as though he hadn't been doused by the blackness at all. There was no sign of oddities or anything. Only that he'd been lying here, asleep under the cursed pool.
'Did the mercenary make a mistake?' she wondered. Only for such thoughts to dissipate when she noticed the strange scar on his neck.
The spread-eagle wings, a mark she remembered only three others had once borne in Lelouch's world. It had her eyes widening at its implication.
"Hah… Hahahahah… So this is how you survived, Lulu?" She smiled softly before putting her forehead against his. Her skin felt a little cold to the touch due to the cold night breeze, but she could sense his warmth. Soft yet still there. "Really now, you had me worried for nothing…"
With a relieved sigh and a single tear escaping her, she whispered as she tenderly cradled the boy's head on her naked bosom. Never again would she let him go, but nor would she be rough with him in such a state.
"Come on, darling. Wake up. I… I'm…" Biting her lip, she remained strong. Like the bonds of their contract. "Don't you dare keep me waiting, Lelouch…"
The World of C
Lelouch wondered if this place was a dream. Or… maybe it was something else. A nightmare, perhaps? Considering who he'd just ordered dead, maybe it was a fallen deity's attempt to lull his mind into a false sense of victory before indirectly playing around with him once more.
Then again, for the one to tell him of such, also admitting their identity as the centuries-old founder of the Einzbern clan while bearing the same face as the woman he'd taken hostage… It was hard not to scoff at her words. Magic was still a complete mystery to himself after all.
But considering his Geass seemed to work on Angra Mainyu, would it perhaps allow him to gain the answers he sought—?
"Such an unnecessary use of your power would be merely a waste, your majesty." The woman spoke, contrary to expectation, respectfully, regally. With eyes closed, she made a small bow. "I beseech you to stay your hand. I come merely as a messenger."
"For someone who should be long dead, you seem to be well-aware of my identity and power." Lelouch's gaze narrowed further. He opted to be indirect. "Then again, after reading through Zouken's journals, you're not who I expected as one of the three founders."
"… Zouken… " A hint of nostalgia broke her flat expression. A slight wince of her crimson gaze was all that she let slip before schooling her intimidatingly cold features once more. "… That… is true. I… the former head of the Einzbern clan, had died over two centuries ago."
"And yet, here you are. Alive and well, are you not?"
"No, your majesty. Not alive." She shook her head once more before directing an almost robotic gaze towards him. "I, the former shell that was Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, am now a part of the Grail. My death… was merely the first step into joining with the device. What I am now is what carries out the victor's desire for the Grail."
In a way, she was a sacrifice as well as a cog for Heaven's Feel ritual. Whatever it was had been lost to time, as with Zouken's notes and sanity. But be that as it may, she still existed within the cup. Meaning her original goal was to work from within the device. Perhaps, as a guide, guard, or mechanism to utilize the artefact. Or maybe even all three.
Then, that implied…
"Does that mean then… that you had allowed Angra Mainyu to take it over?"
'And wrought upon the mess I had to clean up' went left unsaid but was mentally heard. It was pretty apparent when Justeaze lowered her head immediately.
"The internal corruption of the Grail by something it had summoned was… not something I and my colleagues had taken many precautions for." The monotonously regrettable tone irked Lelouch somewhat. "Presumably, a Servant would no longer be able to influence the external plane once they'd lost connection, be it through their demise or the loss of their anchor. However…"
"There was an exception," Lelouch finished for her. "That which your own kin summoned in a desperate attempt to bend the rules to your clan's favour."
"I have no excuses."
Regal and dignified as she was, her sincerity was clear. And due to the fact he knew neither she nor the initial founders intended for the twist this war had gone down, he could accept it. Not that he could forgive their incompetence, however.
"For ridding the taint, as well as freeing me from imprisonment, I wish to extend my gratitude, your majesty."
"Enough with the platitudes and get on with the point." Feeling impatient, he urged her. "What do you mean by him, by Angra Mainyu still being alive!"
"Your highness," sensing his annoyance at the matter, the doll-like face of the Einzbern founder shifted warily. For better or for worse, she complied with a nod. "As you know, the Servant Avenger, the very first one, had been summoned by my kin during the previous Grail War. And though they had twisted the rules to allow for one of the unorthodox classes to be called from the Throne, he had been the weakest Servant to ever be summoned and was summarily defeated. However… as you can see, he persisted in this world—"
"I already know of this! Tell me what I do not!"
"Though he has been defeated here," she answered quickly. "Even now, the one called Angra Mainyu has simply returned to the Throne… that which houses all Heroic Spirits, weak and strong, remembered or not. What's more, death is truly meaningless to a Heroic Spirit for they are just copies of their original legend. Killing him, in this world or another, be it with Geass or not, is futile."
'A spiritual clone, you mean?' Lelouch clicked his tongue at the assertion. An undying enemy was one thing. But a foe that could be called upon time and time again… that was a nuisance. "My main objective was to kick him out from the Grail—!"
"Which has worked, your majesty!" she said, trying to appease him with a bow. "The entity known as Angra Mainyu no longer hides within the cup. But I'm certain, though it has lost this vessel, that the Heroic Spirit will try to find another. But that in itself is within the realm of impossibility."
"What do you mean?"
"The Grail is the only possible artefact that can actively house its existence. With the mana stored within, and its nature of being a Conceptualized Artifact that was repurposed to feed on human desires, the ethereal entity needs the Grail specifically to be as active and corrupting as he was. What's more, it is the only thing that could give it a chance at being reborn in this world. I am confident that, wherever Avenger had vanished off to, it wouldn't survive long on its own."
Which meant being angry about it was pointless. He already used his Geass to remove any trace of it within the Grail, that was considering he was still within it. However, blaming Justeaze any further would do him no good. Not when he still hadn't asked her how she knew about him. And his power.
"Just how much do you know?"
He need not say about what. Justeaze merely acquiesced with a nod. "You're a fallen emperor from another world. One who was called to prevent anyone from winning this Grail War. Thus preventing the reincarnation of Angra Mainyu and the end of this world. As well as freeing me."
"Then… you must also know who it was that summoned me here."
"Yes." Justeaze nodded once more. But unlike earlier, her eyes betrayed an emotion akin to contempt. Or was it frustration? "The Collective Unconsciousness of mankind and the drive for its survival as a whole. The one many magi revere but also abhor for her influence on their research to the Root… Alaya."
That thing… that entity… The one he had many questions for but never a chance at interrogating.
Lelouch remembered the night when he was summoned to this world.
Still in his bloody royal robes, confused, startled, and very much in a panic, he had been forced to stare at an incomprehensible mystical being in an empty void while it demanded him to stop a war from reaching a definite conclusion.
Alaya hadn't given him much information or knowledge of this world beyond the surface level. And even that was pretty ambiguous to the otherworldly him. On that night, the gist was thus.
'The Grail is corrupted. It will twist any and every wish in an attempt to destroy humanity. Prevent anyone from getting Grail. Summon your own Servant. Don't die.'
Well, Lelouch failed only one of those orders. Yet, even still, she persisted and he remained cautious. Alaya made it clear that he was only human, neither having Geass or skills in magecraft beyond the Command Seals.
That raises the question, then, didn't it? How exactly did he get his power back?
"For someone known as the Collective Unconsciousness of mankind, Alaya sure doesn't like to explain anything, doesn't it?" he scoffed, knowing he wouldn't get any answer from such a callous entity. "Only pushing tasks on a mere human at their convenience."
"On the contrary, your majesty. Alaya wouldn't hold back information from that which she summons at the behest of saving humanity." Justeaze countered with a neutral tone. "Whenever she summons her Counter Guardians to prevent a calamity caused by mankind, she withholds nothing for the sake of averting disaster. However, such a right is exclusive only to say, Guardians. Something that you are not."
Counter Guardians? Didn't Angra Mainyu mention that before?
"If I am not a Counter Guardian, then why did she call upon the recently-deceased me to this world to embark on a mission to defend humanity? Doesn't sound like I had a choice in the matter either."
For the first time, a small smile curled up from the corner of Justeaze's face. "That's because, your majesty, the Collective Unconsciousness of mankind fears you. You and that mark on your throat."
Lelouch frowned. He couldn't see it, but his gaze narrowed on her upon feeling the scar and noting its familiar shape. "What…?"
"Alaya is afraid and is on high guard around you. Think back, your majesty. Back in your world. It was then when your parents almost managed to destroy your world's own Collective Unconsciousness of humanity which was in a dormant state and couldn't protect itself, that you appeared to save it. If it wasn't for you and your power, they would have succeeded. Humanity in your reality would have perished in that very instant, lost to an eternity in the void without anyone or anything to keep it from destroying itself."
That still didn't explain why he had a code inscribed on his person. There was no one to steal it from. Not C.C. and certainly not Charles when he'd vanished into the ether.
"However, your majesty not only managed to save the Collective Unconsciousness via preserving it, you even enforced your will upon it." Justeaze continued. "'To continue the march of time', was it not? That is what Alaya fears. She is afraid of a mere human who is so able to control a being on par with her. Most likely, considering you could demand one to eternal enslavement to their task, she fears you might willfully destroy others as well."
"Destroy the Collective Unconsciousness? I have no reason for such!" Especially since this was what his parents wanted. Lelouch will make sure their wish won't be ever accomplished. For Nunnally's sake—
"However, should their duty of preserving their own worlds conflict with the preservation and continued existence of yours, would you stand idly by?" Justeaze knew she made a good point, though she didn't gloat about it. "Forgive me for stating, however, your majesty was once a normal and impulsive human. One who was also known for making unusual and risky decisions all for the sake of your single-minded objective. It is because of this that Alaya deems making you a Counter Guardian is far too dangerous a risk. Not only will you gain access to her powers, but you will also be directly connected to her. Knowing of your character and your power, the World itself is threatened."
What wasn't said was the fact that many Counter Guardians were known to become broken shells of their former selves after serving Alaya for aeons. To make a Guardian of a young man who likely still had attachments to his flesh and blood now separated from him in another world outside his current one… Justeaze, dead as she was, felt a chill crawl down her spine.
"That's contradictory…" Lelouch muttered under his breath. "If she so fears my power, then why is it that she allowed my Geass to reawaken?"
Lelouch was sure that the power that brought him into this world should be able to take away his power. After all, it brought him back from the dead, no? Why is it that an all-powerful being as great as Alaya is unable to muzzle him even now?
"Because Alaya has no power over it," Justeaze stated it as a matter of fact. "Geass, the power you wield, is unknown to her. By that extension, as someone who works with a device that skirts her authority over the Throne, not even I can comprehend it."
"Even you, an ancient magus of a prestigious clan, are stumped by it?" the look in her eyes betrayed it before she spoke. It wasn't just that she didn't know. She feared what she didn't understand. Quite the human reaction from the doll-like apparition.
"It is neither magecraft nor True Magic." Her tone was monotone yet concerned. "It is alien to humanity itself, hence why the Collective Unconsciousness of this world line is unable to do anything beyond sealing it for some time. As your majesty knows, your power returned to you upon your death in this world. Her seal had broken at that instant, once your integration within this reality was lost."
"Hm…" This raised another question. "Then, Lady Justeaze, would you care to humour me?"
"What would you ask of me, your highness?"
"What am I?" the woman's features shifted uncomfortably. "Care to speculate?"
Was he not mortal? Apparently so, considering he died twice yet still lived.
Was he a Servant? A Heroic Spirit? Not likely, considering Gilgamesh's take on the matter. And he was a somewhat-omniscient demigod himself.
Then, was he now a Code-bearer? Just like his father and uncle once were? Just like C.C? It wasn't as though he hated the thought of it. Just that it still didn't explain much beyond his ability to have survived Angra Mainyu at all.
And although he could excuse the Code most likely coming from his defeating Charles, the symbol only appeared after he was killed twice. Both in his world and this one. Not to forget, somehow Lelouch had both Code and Geass.
C.C. had dictated the rules to this power: A person could only attain one version of it. Geass or Code. The power of the King or the curse that damned them to eternal solitude. Only one, never both.
In his case, it had become both. So… what did it mean for the anomaly that was the twice-resurrected Demon Emperor?
"That… would not be so simple to answer, your majesty," the woman sighed resignedly. "But for someone who'd been called upon by the Collective Unconsciousness, Alaya, for the sake of saving 'The World', Gaia, referring to you as… as a mere human is… now but a fallacy. If both that which my kin and I know as 'The World' all humans live on, as well as its protector, fear you, well… … An 'anomaly' is the politest term we would use to designate your highness."
He internally shrugged at that. Considering that a being on par with a deity was afraid, being vague was reasonable. Even if she couldn't openly admit to it, Justeaze's fear was apparent for she knew the truth and was afraid to step on his toes.
Perhaps, Nobunaga had been aware of it all as well. Only, she was just more accepting of him than his sponsor and this messenger ever could be.
"And," he urged her on. "What, pray to tell, is Gaia's take on this?"
Knowing now that Alaya was fearful, what did The World itself think, he wondered.
"Gaia is also afraid. Only, she was desperate at the time." Justeaze didn't sound as sympathetic as her words made it seem, yet she continued. "To save humanity, she needed someone more capable than another Counter Guardian. To that end, Alaya proposed a deal to the Planet's Will to Survive. In exchange for writing your legend and story into this reality's human history, Gaia would then be able to call upon you whenever needed."
"You mean to say that I was transported to this world and made into an unofficial Counter Guardian?"
"Nay. More in a sense that you were integrated as though you were destined to be a Heroic Spirit from the start. Not a mere part of the Counter Force, but a bonafide member of the pan-human history's roster of legends and myths." Justeaze paused. A seemingly snarky smile barely curled the corner of her lips before vanishing. "However, such an integration was far more than both Gaia and Alaya expected."
"You mean… my power, yes?"
"It is as you say. Though a foreigner like yourself was able to adapt to this reality, turning you into a member of the Throne did more than add your legend to the system. It also called upon your power. Geass, Such a mystery that neither the World nor Counter Force could comprehend, sought after you through time and space, shackling itself onto your very soul as though it had always been a part of you. It was due to this… miscalculation that left both entities quaking in fear."
The way she said it seemed spiteful. Not at him, but more for Alaya and Gaia. It seems, though she had to work with them due to the machinations of the Grail system, Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern's magus side, that which rebelled against the safeguarding entities of mankind, still lived within this apparition of hers.
Still, spite aside, it made things clearer. He was a Heroic Spirit. Or an unconventional one, at least.
It was a lot to take in, but if what Justeaze says was precisely that, he'd been grafted onto this reality, literally as well as metaphysically. His past, his present… his future… would all now take place within this world. Or so far as how 'reality; stretched to include Gaia and Alaya, his sponsors as well as captors.
As a new member of the Throne of Heroes, he was practically tied to them. For better or for worse.
'And that's why they're afraid.' Having summoned and integrated him to their plane of existence for the purpose of making him their champion, they unknowingly invited the power of Geass to follow after him.
For being told that he was going to be used for someone else's gain, to find out that his very existence brought fear to them had neutralized his initial surprise. Though he'd heard of ancient myths depicting Mother Earth, now hearing that the deity was very wary of her mistake changed Lelouch's impressions of it all.
It also explained a lot more.
His presence and power are able to affect Angra Mainyu, another deity of this plane. Not to mention, Gilgamesh's perception of him. If one were to instate him as a non-traditional Servant, it would be the best explanation.
A slight sight almost escaped him.
'I guess… this means the King of Heroes will get his wish.'Meeting Gilgamesh and dealing with the arrogant king again aside, there was another thought to come to mind. 'If… If I die again or am forced to disappear, I guess I'll be returning not to my home but to the Throne. Meaning, in the worst possible scenario, I'll still be reunited with Nobu again.'
It was good news. Good enough to force the frustrated sigh out as a relieved one.
"Tell me, Lady Justeaze," Running out of woes to address, Lelouch decided to continue his questions. "Now that I have been made part of the Throne, does this, in any way, affect my ancestry at all? Specifically, does this mean I am, in some form or another, related to the Saber, Arturia Pendragon? It may just be me, but I've felt something akin to… familiarity… concerning that woman. I'm unsure it is a familial feeling, however."
"I cannot be certain, your highness." Snapped out of her earlier musings to spite Alaya and Gaia, she promptly answered. "Perhaps your ancestry may have been related to someone like hers in the past. Though the worlds are different, the bloodlines far more so, similar legends beget a… slight connection to adjacent World Lines. In a sense, it is how alter egos are born."
"'Alter'… you mean alternate personalities?"
"It is not impossible. Many legends tell of saints that died for a cause. Yet still, there exist stories of how they fell from grace rather than accept their martyrdom. Or perhaps some would rise and be called heroes by their people when others would decry them to be villains. Such divergence in identity is due to the planet's meddling. They do exist, although, with my current state, I cannot summon an example for your highness to see."
"You mean to say that there are variations of heroes, legends of them that branch down a different path. And due to that variation in myth, does there exist more than one of the same Heroic Spirit? Does that not mean the same person could exist but as a different form?"
Justeaze simply stared at him, expression downcast as she was unable to agree.
"Forgive me, your highness. I can surmise, however, I cannot substantiate it. Even I do not have a clear grasp of the universe's rules, I only know now that they do through my connection to the Throne. I'd lost my life for the sake of the search of the Root, after all. And none have yet managed to reach the Truth that I and so many magi desire. Perhaps… no one will, considering the two entities that barred entry to it for eternity."
Those words hid a small contempt for the beings on high. A reminder of her past as a magus. With a soft sigh, she continued on.
"Perhaps your connection was merely one of fate. For an idealist king to meet the realist emperor that fulfilled her dream that drowned in failures. A subtle nudge at the irony. Or maybe… someone carrying the blood of another King Arthur who died without a true heir was conceivably an extreme surprise for that woman."
"She… she never had an heir?" Lelouch murmured to himself, slightly bemused at missing that fact. 'Going with my story must've been a shocker then. If she'd never had a child or even a relative that shared her lineage with proper descendants, then… it'd be reasonable for her reaction then.'
It still didn't explain why she went along with it, however. She must've had a nephew, the one who slew her in Camlann, Sir Mordred. But… if the heir belonged to the line that betrayed her, why did she let him live? Why… did she not bare her fangs at the descendant of the one who shattered her kingdom?
"I pray you do not lose yourself to pointless deliberation, your majesty. In all simpleness, there could still yet be a hidden story. Another legend unknown to most." Justeaze remained composed even as she eyed him warily. "After all, myths lost even to the flow of time still carry heavy weight to the machinations of the Throne. That device is even more powerful than the Grail in that it can call upon heroes and legends like yourself beyond time and space. Past, present… even future. No myth can escape its call. All it needs… is for such a myth to exist. Ingraining yours into another's myth is but a simple thing for it."
'Myths, huh…'
There was a connection, a myth. Or rather, it was a false belief that the Britannian Royal Family was related to King Arthur. Once growing up amongst the façade of that nobility, he knew that all the others purposefully enforced that lie by a long past emperor to advertise their legitimacy as rulers. History books were rewritten, generations were made to believe in propaganda. Even the masses had no choice but to accept it as fact.
Truth is born through repeating a lie. If that history was transported to this world to instate his own legend as a fallen prince, it might've explained why Lelouch felt he and Arturia connected in some way.
'To think magic could turn even falsehoods into power-bearing truth. It's pretty much nothing short of a miracle. But… does this mean that other aspects of my life in Britannia and Japan are now part of my legend as well?' His life as a student. His life as a rebel leader. Or his life as a cruel emperor. Which was him. Which wasn't. Or better yet, 'Did Alaya incorporate it all in one?'
If so, what were the consequences? What were his abilities now that he'd awoken as a Heroic Spirit? Would he be deemed a threat to be neutralized once again or… Even more concerning, which variant of the Heroic Spirit was he? So many more questions were born from one. Yet another Pandora's box had fallen to his lap. It felt like the time he'd been given Geass. The only difference, he wasn't in the middle of a warzone filled with a desperate need to survive.
"Rest assured, your highness. This place is the safest you could ever be in." Stepping away from him, she stared into the familiar void he knew to be the World of C. "For a Reality Marble, such a place exudes an alien aura even to one such as I. Truly, it is a fascinating marvel born from a soul of another reality."
"Reality… this place?" his eyes narrowed as he studied the place. Scrutinizing eyes roved all over the place he'd once extinguished the existence of his parents in.
"Indeed," Justeaze nodded as she stared up into the Jupiter-like being. Or rather, the copied image of the Collective Unconsciousness from his world. "For your inner world to embody the place where you wrested the reins from god itself… I must say, not even they can stomach your subconscious' creation."
'Is that supposed to be a compliment?' he thought as he eyed a wide smirk forming on her face.
"It is, your majesty." She admitted without hesitation, sounding a bit gleeful despite the monotone. Her stare to the heavens above seemed to only grow more expressive. "For me to sense their fear, their apprehension of this place… I must admit, I never expected such cathartic feelings about the ones who held off my kin and myself from the Root for millennia."
Ignoring the woman's rambling was a tad difficult, but after comprehending her words, it didn't take long for him to stare into the void alongside her.
His inner world… was cold. It wasn't empty, per se, but it lacked… something. Or… could it be better described as being grandiose without a purpose?
It was but an empty shell of what used to be the Sword of Akasha. What had resembled the metaphysical plane that his father used in an attempt to slay god was now but mimicry of that weapon. Even the empty clouds in the distance, the ever-growing expanse that was the horizon, and the planet whose swirl eyed him from above… all of it… felt pointless.
It was only due to the fact that he'd chosen to let go of his old world.
What had been the turning point, the first step into truly wielding his power for the betterment of mankind, this was that place. A reminder, this entire world was. A monolith to his beginning on the path for true salvation to the world.
The sentimentality of it all was laughable.
'To think another world's magic would ensure I never forget the past I left behind…' he smiled wryly at the scenery. 'But for it to look so… bland to me now… Guess it goes to show how inhuman I've become after all this time.'
A Reality Marble was supposed to be the materialization of one's inner world. For his to be that place from that moment, it just goes to show that, despite his earnest desire to move forward, his heart really wouldn't forget it.
Reawakening his Geass, receiving a Code, and now attaining a Reality Marble. Or had it happened the other way around? In any case, Lelouch had arrived at the precipice of his ascension as a Heroic Spirit.
Whether he wanted it or not, that was what he was now. All he could do… was move forward. With Nobu at his side, of course.
"You've answered my questions," he started, drawing Justeaze's attention back. "But now that I know all this… now what? I've fulfilled my end of the bargain to Alaya. What comes after now that it is all over?"
Would he be recalled to the Throne or would he be allowed to persist as a human for a little longer? In the first place, was he even needed beyond this point? As Gilgamesh stated, his presence at the moment was neither as a human nor Servant. That implied a somewhat mortal incarnation. But although that was the case, being attacked by Angra Mainyu and brought here left the dubious case of his mortality in question.
And that wasn't discounting the fact that he was feared by the World and its Protector. 'Would I even be allowed to roam free now that I've done my job?'
It wasn't really a question of how he'd be removed. But when. A threat was a threat. And, no matter how they leashed him to this plane, they still feared the possibility of him rebelling. It was, after all, a part of his legend to wrest away God's power, was it not?
Worst case scenario, he'd be erased. Second, that being if he was returned to the Throne, he'd be forced to seek out Nobu from there. Bar that, he'd be made to wait a few years… maybe even centuries… until he was called again alongside her.
By that point, he wouldn't know if she'd remember him… Or if she'd be friend or foe…
Justeaze, seemingly reading his mind again, merely smiled softly. "Worry not, your majesty. Neither Gaia nor Alaya would wish to earn your ire. Not after the favour you've granted them, heh."
The woman couldn't help but sneer, it seems. Lelouch guessed she really had it in for the two who blocked her mortal pursuit of the Root.
"So you say, Lady Justeaze, but I don't really have anything to serve as proof except your word for it." He didn't have a direct line to the World or Alaya. He may not be human, but he certainly wasn't anything more. Counter Guardians, she called them. He wasn't that either.
"I'd hope my word would suffice, at least. However, I fully understand the thought that worries you, your highness." Offering a bow, she returned to her monotonous poker face. "But may I remind you, milord, I am their messenger. As your current liaison to them, I bring word of their… intentions for you in the future."
He had nothing to lose. Well, apart from Nobunaga. But knowing that they were wary of his power, Lelouch knew they wouldn't try and piss him off from the get-go. If they wanted to talk, then he'd accept. "Let's hear it then."
"On the matter of your mission, you have done exemplary well. Not only have you fulfilled your original task of preventing any clear winners, but you've also purified this Grail from the taint that hijacked it. Impressively, you also managed to… shall we say, avert another fate from falling deep into tragedy. Considering Gaia's designs for this singularity to branch off in the future, you have reduced the number of threats for the foreseeable future. For this, she wishes to thank you."
"'Averting a tragic fate', is it?" Lelouch took those words with a grain of salt. The inference that his actions seemed to have 'meddled' in what had been a predicted disaster implied more than a mere 'saving another life'. He'd have to contemplate on this later. "And? What awaits me now that it is done?"
"Forgive me for correcting you, milord Emperor. However, the task is not simply 'done'."
'Hm?' Lelouch's eyes narrowed at that. "And what exactly do you mean by that I wonder?"
"It is on the topic of Singularities, your majesty. But that can wait. As I've said, Gaia wishes to reward you for your endeavours. It is a courtesy she insisted on for someone she wishes to be a guide for humanity in the future."
'A point of gratitude to placate me, is it?' Lelouch smiled, knowing he was being offered a clear bribe. Whatever the entities wanted, it was clear they didn't wish to get on his bad side. That being said, "And just how would they wish to reward me, Lady Justeaze? Quite frankly, I'm not exactly the type of person who'd so easily be swayed by mere gifts."
"But of course, your highness," Justeaze seemed to take a liking to his mindset as the smile resurfaced for a moment. "Neither of them wish for you to refuse. However, it seems they desire for you to continue living as you were. That being removing as many threats to humanity's survival with whatever skills you could muster. This being as a mortal or as a Servant in the coming future."
Meaning he wouldn't be playing another life for long. Sooner or later, it would end as all lives should. But in the meantime, he'd be allowed to live so long as he did as requested. "And I assume the mentioned threats would include things apart from another Grail War?"
"It would indeed mean so. Grail Wars, yes, but it wouldn't necessarily mean the same Grail, my liege." The choice of words had him staring hard. Suggesting there were more corrupted wish-granting cups around meant more work akin to the gauntlet he'd just run through. He had his work cut out for him and it wasn't really shaping up to be a good thing. "You need not fret so much, milord Lelouch. Gaia herself has designed to allow your power to persist. So long as… you do not turn it on humanity for destructive ends, of course."
"Hmph, a consolation for giving me more work, is it?" He was free to do as he pleased then. So long as he kept in line with the duo entities' vision of preserving humanity. It wasn't impossible as he didn't have much disdain towards people of this world, to begin with. But that in itself could lead to a boring life, did it not?
"The freedom to reign over humanity is still free to you, your majesty." Cheekily, Justeaze gave him a smirk, reading his intentions from the get-go. "That and you still have a wish to avail of the Grail, your highness. You are the Fourth Grail War's victor, after all."
The way the doll-like woman smiled his way, he could tell she was insisting he make one that stuck it to those who sent her. Despite being their messenger, there was no love for the World and Alaya within the former Einzbern head.
Knowing full well where his thoughts lay throughout this whole exposition, Lelouch shared the woman's sneer. Albeit, his smile was born more from relief than actual mirth. "Well then, I guess I shall have to avail that wish, don't I? Are there any rules or limitations I should worry about?"
"There exist laws to prevent the corruption of the Throne, yes," Justeaze didn't bother hiding her chuckle under a mask of indifference. "However, knowing how wary they are of you, milord emperor, I'm certain they would allow a… minor exception… for this case."
He didn't mind her blatant desire for him to do just that. The spite was but a small price to pay for their inconveniencing him. Asking for his help yet leaving him mostly in the dark… they deserved it somewhat.
But more than that, he had a contract to fulfil. Not to some god wanting the preservation of the world or the ethereal entity that safeguarded reality. Touching the mark on his neck, the boy couldn't help but smile slightly.
The past no longer weighed on his mind as he looked forward, ready to march on towards his new future. "Well then, Lady Justeaze. I shall state my wish."
"I am yours to command."
That being said, it'd be boring for him to go at it alone, no?
Fuyuki City.
The scent of smoke hit him first. But immediately after, his sight was overwhelmed by the beautiful woman who lent her lap for him to use.
"Hey there, cutie. Enjoying your new pillow?" Oda Nobunaga's smirk was teasing as it was filled with sheer relief. Seeing her, after all, that had happened earlier… it captivated him. He couldn't help but continue to stare. "O-oi… Why aren't you saying anything?"
Lelouch could automatically tell. She was getting embarrassed. He didn't let the moment slip away. "Well, considering how comfortable this 'pillow' felt, and the fact that I'm being stared at by an angel, I guess you could say I was wondering if I actually got into heaven."
That the entirety of her face down to her shoulders turned red at that, it was clear he got her good. He didn't let up, however.
"Add on the fact that you look more stunning than I've ever seen you before, I really can't take my eyes off you, my adorable Daimyo."
"Ngh! Kkkkuh!" Red-faced, she stared him down as shame forced words through her grit teeth. "You've got quite the nerve to say inane things… after the worry you've caused me…"
"Worry not, my dear. I've made sure there'd be nothing to worry about now," he said as he reached out to caress her cheek.
The action surprised her, but feeling her lean in closer, he knew she too sought out more of his warmth. Considering she was bare naked, it might've been instinctual. An urge to get up and hug her immediately was suppressed with difficulty. Stressing his body after being revived a second time couldn't be good for his health, immortal or otherwise.
Instead, he slowly sat up and allowed her to hug him from behind. If she wanted to stay so close a little longer, he'd let her do as she wished. "Did you wait long?"
"No… but you dared make me wait anyway…"
"Hahah. Have I offended you by doing so, my love?" She didn't reply apart from squeezing him tighter than ever. He reciprocated by running his fingers through her hair. Nobu resorted to nuzzling his neck, letting him feel the tears she was failing to suppress. "My, how spoiled the former Demon King."
"Is it wrong to yearn so dearly for what I want?" she asked.
"No." He answered before trying to soothe her. Whispering in her ear, he said, "Relax. There's no longer any need to worry. Now that we have forever to do as we will, you need not fret over the small inconvenience of death."
"'Forever'?" She pulled away slightly, enough to meet his gaze head on but not enough to relinquish him of her grasp. To her inquiry, he had only one thing.
A ring suddenly appeared before her face, sandwiched between his index and thumb. "It's a bit late, but now that all of the more troublesome matters have concluded, there's very little reason to dally, no—mph!"
Nobu held her grip on him. The meaningful silence between them was accentuated only by slight moans and brief gasps of air as she tried her hardest to capture his lips. Such was the vehement answer conveyed to his unspoken proposal.
"Took you long enough!" she snapped, still fuming red even after being the first to pull away from the kiss.
"Must you be impatient, my love? Hadn't I already made a contract with you not a few nights ago?"
"A Demon King I may be, I'm still yet a young maiden at heart!"
Such a bold yet childish declaration was but one of many things he'd adore her for. Still, for her to openly admit it… Lelouch couldn't stop a smile from forming.
"Considering we have all eternity to enjoy ourselves, need we worry so much about delays? For one, I can propose to you as many times, in any way you so desire." He added the last bit whilst snuggling her cheek.
"That's beside the point!" she sheepishly snapped but while playfully slapping his shoulder. It would've been adorable enough, but as she shakily grinned back, he let slip a chuckle at how adorable she was being.
"Well? What say you, former Daimyo Oda Nobunaga? Would you grant me the honour of ruling this world with you at my side?"
"You fool." Nobunaga pecked him on the lips once more. "Was it not already a given? After all the emotions and feelings this heart of mine had to go through, don't you dare think I'd let you escape responsibility!"
"I wouldn't dream of it." Not in his life. A contract was a contract. He'd resolved his old life to live anew. Although thinking as much, he surveyed their surroundings. "Hm. Then again, perhaps a run-down ruin is not the best of spots for a proposal."
"Does it matter, darling? Isn't the barren remains of our battlefield perfectly suitable for such a grand occasion?"
"Says the supposed 'young maiden at heart'—?"
That earned another slap to the chest, however, Nobu was far too ecstatic to let it simmer. Still, Lelouch's attention did not drift away from what their last battle wrought.
He took a few steps to the shattered side wall. With Nobu clutching his arm tightly, she trotted along to stand by his side as they viewed the devastation laid out beyond.
The city of Fuyuki was set ablaze.
Half of the buildings nearby were nought but piles of debris, supports and steel beams melted before the rest of the structures collapsed in on itself. Glass and concrete both resembled molten rock as a flood of flames continued to spread out with the community centre they were in as its origin.
'The curse of Angra Mainyu, hm…' Justeaze had warned him enough before leaving the Marble, but to see the results himself… He couldn't help but grimace.
It was partially his Avenger's flames that kickstarted the inferno, but at the interference and subsequent last-ditch attempt at killing him, the paltry deity's control over and power within the Grail exploded. The expelled curses that infused with Oda Nobunaga's vengeful flames set everything from eleven to a hundred.
Though, that really wasn't a problem now that both of them were free from it all. "Hmph. Quite the mess for a parasite to make on their way out."
"Oh? Is that pity I hear?" Nobu gently whispered into his ear. "Are you feeling sorry for them, love?"
"The citizens? Of course," he grinned a little before brushing her grip off momentarily. Taking off his coat, he threw it over Nobu's shoulders. "If I am to be a ruler of all things in this world, it would only be justified that I will be angered at an attempt to destroy what is rightfully mine."
"You're starting to sound like that blonde idiot," a pout formed on her face which he placated almost instantly.
"So you say, but his words ring true. A ruler is a ruler, regardless of their circumstance."
It was a pity that so many had to die. But beyond his accomplice, he couldn't spare any more thought to the masses beyond this. Besides, a few thousand dead to the flames or an entire world subjected to the horrors of a spiteful ghost, Lelouch was certain it was a cheap price to pay.
Still, starting again from scratch, he now had no one but her in his life. Seeing the path they'd taken to resolve this conflict, bridges burned and people betrayed would no longer threaten their lives. Even if they could do a thing to immortals.
And, noting the path they'd have to take to maintain his and Alaya's deal, Lelouch didn't see the need to involve themselves with anyone else either. On this path, they were alone.
Alone, but together.
"Come. It'll be a little troublesome for the time being, but we have to rebase and start preparations once again. While I quite enjoy finishing up a war I was tossed into at the last minute, we now have a new task at hand. " Extending a hand which she took immediately, he added, piquing Nobu's interest. "A second Grail War to win."
"Hoh? Another one so soon?"
"Not so. This time, we'll be given a decade of free time. Until then—Mmph!"
He didn't finish as she shushed him with a finger. Leaning in, she hungrily finished for him. "Until then, I have you all to myself, isn't that right?! Daaaaaarling~~~!"
Lelouch didn't even get to reply. Red in the face, he fell back slightly into a half turn-in-place when the half-naked woman leapt into his arms. Embracing him once more, their foreheads touched as she stared deeply into his eyes.
"Something you wish to say, my dear?" he asked, sensing something in her silence.
"Just one thing…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"I love you… Lelouch vi Britannia," she said, far gentler than he'd ever heard her say before.
"… … … I know…" he said bluntly and without even batting an eye.
"Tch, not going to say the words every woman wants to hear?" she pouted, earning his chuckle.
"Not every woman can raise hell at a whim, literally and figuratively." She continued to pout, but he surprised her by digging into that pout with another surprise kiss. When she reached the need to breathe, he parted their lips and followed it up with, "Besides, it's more fun when you put in the effort to make me say it."
"You're a jerk…" she retorted.
"And you're a tease." He shot back. "Don't think I haven't noticed how you keep pressing yourself onto me."
"What's the matter, cherry boy? Too much stimulation for you?"
Lelouch didn't bother responding and just escorted her down the half-destroyed stairwell. For two young adults, one looking ragged as though he swam through hell and the other barely even clothed, to flirt so flagrantly in the middle of a hellscape, it would've been an unbelievable sight.
But with their newfound freedom and future, was there any reason for the lovebirds to actually care?
Under a full moon floating high above a burning skyline, the two Demons descended upon the world, incarnated and ready to sow hell amidst their new lives amongst mortals.
Though the city looked to be glowing amidst the pyre, it was as romantic as can be for a couple of tyrants.
The clouds shrouded the sun's rays as a lone knight cried atop a hill.
Surrounded by bodies, both friend and foe, the King of Knights surveyed her eternal battlefield. One where allies and former subjects all killed one another in a senseless battle for the sole reason of unifying a fragile kingdom.
Although saying that… that it would fall to a single rebellion started by her upstart of a knight...that all the hard work, the blood, sweat, and toil she and her loyal companions put in… would shatter at the machinations of her conniving sister… It spoke volumes of just how much a predestined tragedy her rule really was… Of how fragile anything she did was… in the face of betrayal.
'Why… did it have to fall…?' she asked, not expecting an answer after an eternity of searching. 'Why… did I have to fail…?'
'Why… did they betray me…?'
'Why… am I not allowed… to fulfil my ideals…?'
'Why…?'
Why… why… why… Why… WHY?!
The cold breeze drifting through the wasteland didn't respond. As the clouds rolled on, their shadows got thicker and thicker. A storm seemed to be brewing upon the horizon. Although, no storm had ever once drifted over this melancholic landscape. Not once in the past few cycles, nor ever in recorded history of the future.
But… so lost in thought was she that such an abnormality went by unnoticed.
'Why…' Tears welled up in her eyes as her palms balled up. Mud and dirt and grime and blood, all the impurities found in a battlefield, was squashed beneath her palm in anger. "WHY?!"
Arturia's face shot up to glance at the corpse of her killer. Mordred lay peacefully not a meter away from her.
Here, forever frozen in time, the child that was her sister Morgan's spawn could only lie face down into the mud. A face not too dissimilar to hers yet stained with not just mud, but the expression of anger, of fury, of hate.
Even in death, only animosity could be seen of the Knight of Rebellion. Even in death, so dissatisfied was she that her very legend was immortalized alongside the downfall of Camelot.
Why did she refuse Arturia's rule? Why did she, like those who rebelled alongside her, refute the peace she worked so hard for?
In her moment of internal torment, she reminisced about the past… or rather, the dream of a distant future. One where she had a chance to fix everything, to save her people, to redo the crime she committed by taking on an impossible burden.
Then… she remembered the moment such a dream turned into a nightmare… all due to the commands of a single man… enforced upon her by powers beyond her control.
"By my final Command Seal, Saber—"
She tried to block it out. She tried to hold her rage back. There had to be a good reason for the man to use all three seals on one order.
"—I order you. Destroy the Grail."
But upon recalling his dull, almost bored expression… upon reminiscing that man's face… her blood boiled. As did her anger. Her frustration. Her grief.
Time and time again, she believed in Irisviel. Taking the woman's word for it, she trusted that he would understand her desire for an ideal world the most. That he too desired the same…
But now…
Now, the King of Knights… could only lament.
Lament at the fate that befell her old friend.
Lament for the fated end of her 'Master', her last and truest friend.
Lament in her weakness, her failure as a king… to deliver the salvation she wanted for her people.
But more than that… she could only lament… at being betrayed once more… by a man she tried to trust. A man whose ideals she tried to believe in… tried… and failed.
Betrayed by another who'd sworn to fulfil her ideals… it was her nephew all over again…
To that thought, she only had curses.
"Damn you, Kiritsugu! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!"
The once-chivalrous of all knights cursed the man who gave up their chance at victory. She cursed his name, his lineage, his very existence. All the while weeping at her misfortune at having had him as her Master.
As the tears fell, Arturia failed to notice the darkness which encroached on her core.
Under her clenched eyelids, the girl's beautiful emerald orbs turned into a hostile golden light.
The fire consumed all.
Buildings, concrete, glass, even human flesh.
None could escape the flames born from hell itself.
At least, that's what the boy trekking through said hell believed.
Amidst the fires, he saw horror. Black mud that melted solid stone. Raging pyres that cremated people where they stood. All the while, the child tried to survive. It was all he could do.
Forward, lost yet still moving. Even as the last of his family turned to ash, he continued to march on, pushed only by the yearning desire within his chest to live.
So the child trudged onward. Skin singed by the heat, he pressed on, looking for an out. He walked and walked even as his legs wanted to give up. Desperation drove him to march even until he tripped and fell on his back atop a pile of rubble. Exhausted yet still driven, he tried to reach out to the dreary storm clouds above in an attempt to escape the searing heat.
It was then that he felt a different kind of heat as a warmth clasped his hand.
"Hey! Are you alive?! Are you—?!" The face of a man that seemed far older than he really came into view. Amidst the firelight, the shadows of his hollowed eyes seemed to widen with surprise before relaxing with relief. "Thank god! Thank… At least someone's… someone's alive…"
Tears fell on the child's face, though he didn't understand why.
'Why… does he look so happy?' the boy thought. 'How can he… smile… in this situation?'
"Thank god…" he heard the smiling old man mutter weakly. "I… I managed to save… at least one…"
Unbeknownst to the boy, that joyous expression was burned into his mind. Alongside the trauma of being one of few to survive this calamity, he would remember that face. The face of his saviour is so desperate, so wanting, to find someone… anyone… alive in this hell.
But until he received medical treatment and rehabilitation, for now, the boy named Shirou could only silently stare off into space. That is until he was able to finally relax in the calming and reassuring arms of his saviour.
'That smile,' Shirou thought as he drifted off into dreams. 'I wonder… could I be able… to smile like that too…'
—DUMP BADUMP
The resounding beating of a heart trying to cling to life was all that could be heard in the depths.
Cracking open one of its many eyes, the entity breathed a sigh of relief. Though, the shame of being brought so low still ached.
'Damn… them…!' the entity seethed. 'Daaaaamn theeeem aaaaall!'
The last surviving fragment of Angra Mainyu screeched with much hate and loathing. But at the same time, it shivered in fear.
The creature known as All the World's Evil trembled and shrunk. A mere shadow of its former self after it did its best to flee. Hidden in its new hiding spot, it could do nothing but shy away from the world, resting, recuperating.
'The next time… I will destroy them…' fanning the flames of vengeance, as was its original nature, the being swore. 'In the name of Avenger, I shall destroy them and everything they stand for!'
But until then, the Evil God will hide inside the depths of its new host. Awaiting the opportunity to be reborn, until the Grail reforms and the war is called once more, the fragmented creature will sleep. Then, when the time was right, it would reclaim the Grail and use it to be incarnated once more.
All it needed was someone to make a wish again.
Fortunately, the container it managed to stow away in yearned deeply, did it not? Unlike the other despicable and selfless fool, this one wouldn't deny him.