(Note: I should mention that in the supplementary chapters, I've included a section with ideas for fanfics—in case anyone would like to take those concepts and create their own.)
Once the Atlantic Lostbelt was restored, I sat down on a bed—one I don't think I'd ever actually used—to reflect on all the new information regarding this universe and, above all, the future.
By all logic, the story of *Fate/Grand Order* ought to conclude in a way that doesn't result in the destruction of parallel timelines or alternate worlds. But that was the version of the story where I hadn't intervened.
I couldn't be certain whether my actions had altered the course of history, but it's possible that I've made it impossible for Chaldea to destroy this Lostbelt's Fantasy Tree—at least, as long as I remain on Wodine's side.
I felt confident that by the time Chaldea arrived—assuming they managed to ascend to Olympus—they would still have to contend with Libra. She remained alive, and she posed a major threat to them; with the right plan, she could take down the Artemis satellite without having to compromise her own Saint Graph—unlike what Super Orion would have done.
The real issue arises once they actually get here: Kirschtaria, the Machine Gods, Zeus, and—above all—Chaos.
I couldn't help but scratch my head as I contemplated everything that was unfolding, and so, I made a decision.
"No matter what happens, I have to see this through to the end—to ensure that everything turns out alright," I told myself.
...
When I arrived at Wodine's room, he was the only one there, surrounded by various papers and a few monitors. Some displayed frozen magical formulas and circles, while others monitored specific locations across Olympus.
"I expected nothing less from a man married to his work," I said, by way of a greeting.
"I feel like all of this is just shaving years off my life at an accelerated rate," he complained, without even glancing my way.
I stepped closer to examine the algorithmic formulas on the papers—linear algebra, multidimensional matrices, complex calculus, and even calculations involving quaternions and octonions. Just looking at them gave me a slight headache.
"In cases like this, I prefer magic," I remarked, half-jokingly.
"Unfortunately for me, I'm still human. I can only use thaumaturgy, which means I have to work within the laws and dimensions—manipulating them however I can—in this case, through mathematical modeling," he replied, finally looking at me.
"Hmm? What's going on?" I asked.
"It's been over a week since the Hindu Lostbelt fell," he said, making my eyes widen.
To be honest, I'd been so focused on my own world that I hadn't kept track of time—I hadn't realized how much progress had been made since Chaldea first entered the Russian Lostbelt.
"I see," I said—a simple response, as I honestly didn't know what else to add.
"Luckily, most of the Servants summoned by the world went unnoticed, thanks to you all," Wodine continued, walking toward the only window in the office.
I couldn't help but wince at his words. Perhaps I'd gone a bit too far—but what's done is done; I can't change the future. "Do you know what happened after my battle against Libra?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Once it was confirmed that the Grand Servant was wounded, Artemis decided to attack the stragglers," he explained. "In the end, eight Servants remained; things have calmed down a bit, at least, while Libra takes time to recover."
At that moment, he looked back at me.
"Odysseus will handle any potential new Servants who might be summoned; he's more than enough for the task," he explained.
"Just Odysseus? What happened to Chiron?" I couldn't help but ask.
"He fell to Achilles. The centaur might have won earlier—he was somewhat fatigued from our battle and slightly wounded—but in a fair fight, the demigod managed to prevail. Mind you, he didn't come out unscathed; he used his final attack to leave the centaur missing an arm," I clarified.
"I see," he replied. "Do you need me to do anything?"
"Nothing for now," Kirschtaria said simply.
"And what about when I reach the top?" I asked. He gave me an odd look, pondered for a few seconds, and answered, "That will depend on who arrives with them. You may go; I need to get some sleep."
With that, he left the office, leaving me alone.
I stared at the papers on the table, realizing that if I destroyed them right then and there, I could delay everything and give Chaldea a significant advantage. But doing so would immediately expose me—it would even cause Wosine to break her contract with me, leading to my own disappearance—so I dismissed the idea.
Just as I was about to turn away, he stopped me.
I looked at the papers and smiled.
"He wouldn't mind if I 'borrowed' his research, would he? After all, since we're in another universe, he'll never know." With that, I began searching for a camera to photograph all the important documents, intending to transcribe them later.
...
Things had changed a great deal during this time—for instance, the confrontation between Wodine and Zeus, which saw them reach a level of equality and earned the human the god's respect. That was why I was allowed to switch classes, though my petty rivalry with the Olympian god remained unchanged.
I no longer felt any hatred toward this place, so I could walk around freely; however, the history they shared—and the fact that both were aware of the Pan-Human History and how it ended—created a certain friction. Not to mention my own closeness to Europa. All of this made it difficult for me to stay in the same room as them for very long.
"Hey," a voice called out from behind me. I turned around and realized it was Caenis.
"Oh, it's you. Long time no see," I said, sounding rather unenthusiastic.
She gave me a strange look, then moved around me, observing me from various angles. I just followed her with my eyes, having no idea what she was up to.
"You look different," she remarked, staring straight into my eyes.
"Yeah, well... things happened," I replied simply.
"So, how about we catch up over a drink?" she exclaimed, her smile full of anticipation.
...
Anticipation for a drink, that is.
I watched as she downed her fifth glass while I sat there with my orange juice.
"I only transferred here so I could have a drink," I complained, prompting her to slam her glass down onto the table.
"Partly, maybe," she conceded. "But that doesn't change the fact that I want to know exactly what's happened over these last few months—and who better to ask than someone who was actually there?"
I just grimaced in annoyance.
"Well, I've already told you everything that happened. Is there really anything left to say?" I asked, taking another sip of my orange juice. "Seriously?" she asked, sounding somewhat doubtful, to which I simply nodded. "Mmm," she hummed, taking another drink.
"And what's been going on out there?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Aside from the collapse of the other Lostbelts—nothing much. Though Wodine is likely talking to the other Crypters right now about Chaldea's movements," she informed me, and I nodded. "Oh, and that vixen has been asking about you quite a bit."
I froze for a moment.
"She's been tracking Chaldea, and since they're bound to show up here, she'll likely come looking for you again," she added.
"Thanks for the heads-up," I said, my voice stiff.
Caenis stood up, slamming her glass back down onto the table.
"Aren't you heading down?" she asked.
"Maybe not," I replied, noncommittally.
"More entertainment for me, then," she said with a sadistic grin, before turning to leave.
I remained where I was, finishing my drink.
If Caenis is here, it means Chaldea will be entering the Lostbelt before long.
"I need to stay alert."
...
"Life is pretty boring when there isn't much to do," I remarked, gazing up at the sun—or what I assume is the sun. I'm not entirely sure, but at this point, trying to figure out whether that thing in the sky is actually the sun feels absurd.
Given that Apollo is dead, it must be something akin to the sun, maintained by Zeus. Even though the sun is technically a star in the solar system, we're in a Lostbelt—anything can happen, and anything can become reality.
"Well, well, look what fate has brought my way," a mocking, seductive voice chimed in.
I pushed up my sunglasses and glanced toward the voice, revealing Koyanskaya—or, as some might call her, "Tamamo-no-Bitch."
I was lounging in a beach chair at the edge of Europa's field of flowers, dressed in a swimsuit. Beside me, Zeus's consort—along with Kiss-shot—was doing the same, though my wife had a parasol set up to shade her body.
Eos's presence sort of defeated the whole purpose of sunbathing, but for her, it was more about the company than the experience itself.
Upon seeing the woman, Kiss-shot merely clicked her tongue, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
Although they hadn't met before, I'd told her about my past encounters with this woman—including all the advances she'd made toward me. Honestly, if I weren't married and a father to several children, one might easily mistake me for a gay man based on those interactions.
But the consequences of getting involved with a woman without permission are, for me, quite traumatic—so my choices should be understandable.
"Who is she?" Europa asked, peering at her from behind her own sunglasses.
"Just an intrusive woman," I replied, having no intention of introducing her.
It's not that I dislike her, exactly—it's just that she tends to bring a lot of trouble along with her, and it's better to keep her at a distance.
"And a homewrecker," Kiss-shot remarked, narrowing her eyes at her.
Koyanskya merely smiles, offering no denial.
"I'm just passing through; don't worry about me. When I saw Dante shirtless, enjoying the sun, I couldn't help but want a closer look," she said, approaching me rapidly. Just as she was about to place a hand on my chest, a hand wreathed in flames seized hers.
"Do you want to lose your hand?" she threatened, her eyes burning with rage.
"And do *you*?" the Beast countered, without a shred of fear.
"I'm the wife of the man you're trying to make advances toward," she replied curtly.
"Seriously? In all the time I spent with him, he never once mentioned you. I suppose you don't satisfy him enough—that's why he ends up sleeping with other women. But here I am to take your place, so you might as well just—" She couldn't finish her sentence; Kiss-Shot grabbed her by the wrist, hoisted her up, and slammed her into the ground, shattering the earth violently.
I moved instantly, scooping Europa up—cradling her like a princess—and leaped backward several times.
Since this was the first time I'd touched any part of her body other than her hands or arms, the sensation of holding her by the legs and waist made her blush as red as a tomato.
An explosion erupted from the center of the crater, revealing an annoyed Koyanskaya glaring at Kiss-Shot—who held her parasol in one hand to shield herself from the flames.
Seeing the fury between the two women, I decided on the best course of action for my own survival: run.
Still carrying Europa, I took off as fast and as far away as I could.
In my peripheral vision, I spotted Wodine walking toward us.
"Dante, some things happened down there; I came to find you to—" he began, but I cut him off.
"No time—run!" I urged, darting past him. At the same time, a massive explosion occurred behind me.
Wodine and Kiss-shot could take care of themselves; my priority was Europa—and, of course, my own life.
...
From Kirschtaria's office, I watched as several machines darted frantically back and forth, while nearby buildings lay in ruins, partially destroyed.
The explosions and destruction had ceased, leaving me unsure whether the battle had truly ended.
"How are my flowers?" Europa asked, sounding a bit sad.
"They can be fixed with some magic—Wodine can handle it without much trouble," I said, glancing toward the man himself, who sat in a chair, meditating.
He let out a sigh.
"Once we finish what we've set out to do, I can restore your garden to exactly how it was before," the Crypter confirmed, momentarily stepping away from his focus on Zeus.
"In that case... why did you come looking for me?" I couldn't help but ask Wodine.
He remained silent for a few seconds.
"A few days ago, the Chaldeans arrived," he revealed, causing me to raise my eyebrows. "Because one of their Servants managed to secure Poseidon's Divine Core, they were able to defeat Caenis. I had to intervene—I would have wiped them out right then and there, if not for that one fellow... but it doesn't matter now."
"Hmm. And what do you want me to do about it?" I asked.
"I need you to go and eliminate them yourself," he commanded.
"I see—so that's why you need me," I said, nodding.
"So, with your intervention—" Wodine began, but I cut him off.
"I refuse," I said. He stared at me for a few moments, his eyes narrowing.
"Is it because of Libra?" he asked.
"Partly," I admitted. "But to be honest, I'm just tired of having to fight people I consider my loved ones." As I said this, I placed my hand over my heart. "For these past few months, I've set aside my values and what I once held important—all to eliminate as many enemies as possible and devise a plan to bring down the rebellion. But I'm tired now."
"I see," Kirschtaria said, his tone sympathetic as he closed his eyes. "I can understand your perspective, but that doesn't mean I'll let you do whatever you please."
"I know. So, if you want me to do something, here's what we can do," I suggested, meeting his gaze. "I can head down and keep you updated on the movements of the Servants and Chaldea. And if they happen to reach Olympus, we can devise a plan to separate Libra from Chaldea and the other Servants—that's when I'll make my move."
Wodine stared at me for a few seconds before closing his eyes and letting out another sigh.
"I expect you to follow through on what you've said," he warned.
"Don't worry—I have everything under control," I replied, flashing a smile.
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Hey everyone, I was supposed to post this chapter yesterday, but I got a massive migraine, so I had to stop halfway through.
Anyway, the important thing is that it's up now. Before that, though, I have a question—I'd like to see what you all think.
Honestly, at this point, the whole "harem" aspect—and the idea of a hard limit of 6 or 7 members—doesn't really matter much to me anymore. As long as it makes sense within the story—and isn't just a "Pokémon-style" situation where you "catch 'em all" only to leave them abandoned in a corner—I'm open to including pretty much anyone.
So, I've been wondering: how good of an idea would it actually be to include characters like Europa, Koyanskaya, or others? To be honest, I'd much rather add characters from the *Fate* series to the harem than anyone else.
As for *Naruto* or *My Hero Academia* (*BNHA*), none of the characters really interest me—well, Tsunade is fine, but I've already explained why I don't want to include her. I don't think any other characters from those series are worth adding. And regarding the *Marvel* side of things, I feel like the story has progressed far enough that it's probably time to stop adding new members to the harem.
I'm at a bit of a crossroads, which is why I'm bringing this up. That's all for now—have a great day or night!