The brief journey had come to an end, but for the magical girls, their encounter with Chaldea would surely become an unforgettable summer memory, wouldn't it?
Having revealed his identity, Sakatsuki returned to the original world with the three girls in tow. With Sakatsuki—a priest of the Church—vouching for them, Irisviel naturally had no objections. Even the initially furious Taiga Fujimura was utterly charmed by the "handsome young man," and with the "tribute (homework)" offered by Illya and the others, she ultimately let the three truant students off the hook after nearly a week of absence.
After resolving Illya's affairs, Sakatsuki wasted no time returning to the Church. After briefly greeting Danzou and Caren, he vanished into thin air once more.
Now experienced with Displacement Magecraft, Sakatsuki no longer needed the aid of the Fate Compendium. Tearing through space with his bare hands, he arrived in the world of the Ainsworths.
Desolate, lifeless, and blanketed in falling snow.
This was the world after the depletion of the Greater Source—the end of humanity's road.
"You said that when we met again, you would provide a way to save this world," Julian spoke steadily, barely maintaining the dignity befitting the head of the household.
It was unclear whether he still remembered, but Sakatsuki had dealt with the Ainsworth family's affairs before returning to the world of the magical girls. Following the drifting trail of Illya and the others, he arrived at the island where Chaldea was also present, enjoying a one-of-a-kind vacation.
But for the Ainsworth family, this "resolution" had been far too heavy a burden.
All the Class Cards they had painstakingly obtained through substitution (gacha), including top-tier Heroic Spirits like Gilgamesh and Hercules Mani, had been confiscated by Sakatsuki. Materials preserved for a millennium had been plundered, and even Pandora's Box had been sealed away by this young man, forbidden from being touched by anyone.
As for Darius, the true head of the Ainsworth family, he had been brutally extracted by this man, sealed within a spiritron crystal, stripped of his emotions, and reduced to an artificial intelligence-like existence capable only of mechanical responses to questions.
Gazing at the mindlessly rotating crystal at the center of the hall—their ancestor and "father"—Julian barely suppressed the wariness in his eyes, forcing himself to meet Sakatsuki's gaze.
This was no longer the Emiya Shirou he had once known. At the very least, that man would never have smiled while extracting Darius's soul, treating him like trash and turning him into a tool.
He had to exert every ounce of his strength to protect the Ainsworths from this young man's grasp.
Yet in the next moment, a golden light seized Julian's full attention. Staring at the Holy Grail cradled in Sakatsuki's hands, he swallowed dryly, his voice hoarse.
"The Holy Grail..."
"The Grail! The Grail!!!" The crystal at the center of the hall trembled violently. Even deprived of emotions, Darius's obsession roared relentlessly. "Seize the Grail! Save the world! The Grail belongs to the Ainsworths!"
Before Sakatsuki could act, Julian snapped back to his senses and pressed down expressionlessly. Cracks spread across the crystal's surface, and after a final scream, Darius's consciousness dimmed into silence.
"Well done. It seems you have a clear understanding of your place." Holding the Holy Grail aloft, Sakatsuki curled his lips into a smile. "As you can see, I've already obtained the Holy Grail."
Under Sakatsuki's ruthless plundering, the reason the Ainsworth family hadn't resorted to desperate measures was this young man's promise to find a Holy Grail other than Miyu.
And now, Sakatsuki had arrived as invited.
After a long silence to process everything, Julian finally snapped back to reality and rose respectfully from his seat:
"Then, without further delay, let us proceed to the prayer chamber—"
"No, your approach is flawed." Sakatsuki couldn't exactly say that in the original story their reckless actions had destroyed the world and forced Miyu to sacrifice herself, so he simply adopted an uncompromising tone. "Placing the world's future in the myths of the past is putting the cart before the horse."
"But—this is our only method!"
"That's your limitation, not mine." Sakatsuki looked at Julian with confident eyes. "Take me to the source of this destruction. After pursuing salvation for so long, your Ainsworth family must know where this planet's ley lines first began to wither?"
After a prolonged silence, Julian chose to concede: "Please follow me."
Having defeated the mighty Ainsworths and somehow obtained a Holy Grail... perhaps this man truly had the power to save the world.
Holding onto this hope, Julian led Sakatsuki under the guidance of the autonomous terminal Darius to the source of calamity the Ainsworths had discovered a century ago—
Only to be met with despair.
With a dull thud, Julian fell to his knees, staring at the dead earth with trembling voice.
"No... this can't be... The Ainsworth records... how could..."
"According to records from 325 years ago, the scope of vanished ley lines has expanded by ten... hundred... thousand... million... beyond quantification. The borders of paradise show no response, the human texture has ceased functioning, and the Counter Force shows no activity."
After this ice-cold report, the autonomous terminal Darius delivered its merciless conclusion.
"This world is already finished."
BANG!
Julian smashed the crystal in his hand against the ground, his face contorted: "No! You're lying! You've been deceiving me all along, Darius! Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me the ley lines had deteriorated to this extent!"
Ley line extinction.
Unlike mere decline, this meant the ley lines had reached their lifespan's end. Declining lines could be replenished, but extinct ones would vanish forever.
Wounds may heal, but severed limbs can never be restored.
This holds true for humans, and for planets alike.
This was the dire straits facing this world—a future beyond even a Holy Grail's redemption.
[That world is beyond saving. The planet's greater source has dried up. Simulating the 'Land of Steel' will only plunge humanity deeper into the abyss.]
[But for you, there might still be hope. Use the Holy Grail to fill the world's void—this could buy considerable time through unsustainable means.]
Greater source depletion. Land of Steel. Holy Grail. Unsustainable exploitation.
"So this is what you meant, old man..."
Ignoring Julian's shock and despair, Sakatsuki gazed at the cracked earth and crumbling soil, finally understanding the words the Wizard Marshal had spoken when he first arrived in this world.
This world was advancing one step ahead of all other parallel worlds, sliding toward the final outcome of the 'Land of Steel.'
Even with the Holy Grail in his hands, he was as powerless as a child in the face of the entire planet's death.
The hand holding the Grail slowly clenched as the young man closed his eyes and quietly asked himself:
Should I still save this world?
Yes, I must.
Not just for Miyu, but also for Shirou—the man who had generously given him everything.
Without Emiya Shirou's sacrifice, he wouldn't be standing here now, nor would he possess all that he had.
The man named "Sakatsuki"—his foundation lay here, his salvation was here.
So, save it. Even if this world was already dead.
—Even if it meant using these hands to seize more wishes, even plucking the moon from the sky!
As the young man cried out, the tome within him seemed to resonate, trembling as it emitted a glow, moving without wind.
[Detected resonance of will. Innate Skill: Endless Sorrow forcibly activated!]
[Wish received. Drawn by its pull, processing begins. Confirmed Servant Class: Assassin!]
[Commencing construction of Servant data. Inputting skill parameters. Confirming information resonance. Initiating vessel infusion!]
[Infusion complete. Ownership transfer confirmed. Individual name updated!]
[Assassin·Sakatsuki, deployment initiated!]
In the distant beyond, a young man appeared within the summoning circle. Under the fervent, almost fanatical gaze of the summoner, he slowly opened his eyes.
Salvation or destruction?
Somewhere in the unseen, Fate let out a mocking voice, watching the black-clad assassin.
Come, let me see the extent of your resolve.
—Savior (▉▉▉).
***
Hey readers!
Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.
🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹