Rewinding slightly in time, the moment Artoria and Arthur died…
The Holy Grail trembled violently.
It was not a simple tremor.
The souls of the Servants stored within it began to ascend to the heavens, one after another, like flames being drawn upward by an invisible current.
The impact of their return to the Throne of Heroes was not silent.
It was a colossal shock that forced that great gate wide open, as if something had been broken from within.
"This… this is?!"
Kiritsugu raised his gaze, unable to look away.
High above, a "crimson moon" had appeared, carrying such dense malice that it seemed to crush the very air around it.
The scene was exactly like the one he had seen in his dream.
As Kiritsugu trembled, torn between fear and confusion, a loud, mocking laugh echoed—filled with scorn.
"!!!"
His already unstable heart began to pound wildly.
He turned his head immediately and saw Gilgamesh slowly emerging from the rubble.
"Gilgamesh?!" Kiritsugu's voice faltered for a moment. "How are you still alive…?"
"What's the matter?" Gilgamesh replied with a crooked smile. "Surprised to see me still alive?"
As he spoke, his wounds healed before the naked eye.
His treasury contained countless healing elixirs.
So, logically, it wasn't impossible.
And yet—it was absurd.
Because, truthfully, even Gilgamesh himself hadn't believed he was still alive just moments ago… or rather, he hadn't been.
"Where is that man?" he continued, his gaze scanning the surroundings with growing irritation. "That damned woman is gone too…"
His eyes then fixed on the chalice.
"So that's it…?"
His smile twisted.
"This is the 'Holy Grail' you were searching for?"
"Ha! What nonsense!"
His eyes gleamed with pure disdain.
"How dare this filth, which pollutes my garden, even think of existing?"
"Hahahaha—"
But suddenly—
Another laugh overlapped his.
Kiritsugu had started laughing.
His mind teetering on the edge of collapse.
Who could have imagined that it would be Gilgamesh—the man he considered his greatest enemy—who would give him a sliver of hope to achieve his wish?
What a cruel irony.
There was a limit to how much the world could mock a man.
And apparently, he had crossed it long ago.
Completely ignoring Kiritsugu's unstable state, Gilgamesh slowly raised his hand.
Behind him, a golden ripple opened, and from within it, he drew EA.
He lifted it and pointed it directly at the chalice.
"Disappear. Filthy trash."
However, before he could act—
Everything visible to the naked eye fell into a sinister stillness.
It was not silence.
It was… absolute paralysis.
Everything—absolutely everything—stopped.
Even reality itself seemed suspended, like a painting caught between moments.
And yet, Gilgamesh's consciousness remained active.
His thoughts continued to flow.
His perception of the outside world was not cut off by the frozen space-time.
It was as if something behind all of this was deliberately allowing him to watch.
A forced witness.
An observer incapable of intervening.
All he could see was—
From within the black mud, a figure emerged.
"?!"
Gilgamesh's eyes widened instantly.
Even unable to move, his mind reeled in shock.
"I was the last survivor… and the victor…"
His voice echoed, filled with disbelief and fury.
"Then why… is HE there?!"
Reflected in Gilgamesh's crimson pupils was a majestic figure.
His golden hair, slightly longer than usual, fell elegantly to his shoulders, emitting a soft, constant glow.
There was no explicit arrogance in his expression.
None of the overwhelming pride that defined the King of Heroes.
Only a calm—absolute and superior.
His eyes held neither fury nor burning pride.
They were silent, as if they perceived far beyond the surface of existence.
His attire consisted of a long, flowing white robe.
The fabric moved gently, even without wind, as though it possessed a will of its own.
At first glance, the design seemed simple.
But upon closer inspection, it revealed subtle and incredibly complex patterns.
Golden ornaments rested lightly upon his shoulders.
Elegant. Refined.
His chest remained partially exposed, revealing a perfectly balanced physique—
Neither exaggerated nor ostentatious.
Across his skin, red lines traced his torso.
They were symmetrical and structured, resembling circuits.
Around his waist, golden details held the robe in place, forming a perfect balance between elegance and authority.
His arms were partially covered by the wide sleeves.
His wrists and hands bore simple yet refined golden adornments, free of excess.
There was no need to prove anything.
His feet were bare—and yet, no corruption dared approach him.
The black mud formed from "all the evils of the world" receded before his presence.
As if it had no right to touch him.
It was as though the world itself refused to allow such filth to stain him.
At his side, as if it had always been there, a golden spear materialized.
It was long, majestic, and imposing.
Forged from gold interwoven with black accents, its design was intricate—combining perfect geometry with symbolism bordering on the divine.
Its blade possessed multiple layers.
Each distinct, yet connected.
As if each represented a fundamental concept:
Sun.
Moon.
Star.
A/N: Yes, this is totally OC, I was inspired by this when I saw this image
Gilgamesh's eyes widened, and for the first time in a long while, he felt neither anger nor disdain nor superiority.
Only—
"…Is this fear…?"
The word surfaced in his mind, strange and deeply uncomfortable.
Something completely unacceptable to him.
The figure stopped.
And slowly turned its gaze toward Gilgamesh.
That single movement was enough to make his very consciousness tremble.
At that same moment, from the vortex of origin, countless blue magical threads began to emerge.
Ignoring the black mud entirely.
They intertwined in the air, forming a human silhouette.
A few seconds later, a feminine figure became clear.
She had white hair and red eyes.
She wore a pure white dress.
"Irisviel…?!"
Like Gilgamesh, Kiritsugu—who still retained the ability to think within that frozen space—remained kneeling, utterly stunned.
His eyes fixed on the figure forming before him.
Shock and disbelief filled his gaze.
His lips trembled slightly.
Silently calling the name of the woman who, in his eyes, should already be dead.
In the sky, Irisviel slowly opened her arms without hesitation.
And then—she embraced him.
In the next instant, her body began to dissolve into particles of light.
And before both of them, she vanished—completely merging into the body of that imposing figure.
(End of Chapter)