From the moment the Great Holy Grail War ended, the human world had only one final week left to function.
Although the Archangel who caused all of this claimed, "This is God's mercy," no one was likely to feel grateful for it.
Almost without suspense, after Yggdmillennia informed the Mage's Association and the Holy Church of what had happened, both organizations decided to conceal the truth from the general public.
At the very least, doing so would allow the human world to maintain the most basic order and civilization during this final week.
Even so, it could not stop the spread of rumors. After all, Metatron had sent down pillars of light all across the world.
Every nation was in chaos. Even with secrecy maintained to the greatest possible extent, doomsday theories still ran rampant.
The Association began preparing for the decisive battle against Metatron, while the Church gave up on fighting the angels and calmly accepted the Lord's judgment.
The Magi were dissatisfied with this, but now that Metatron, the Scribe of God, had already decided to end the world, the fact that the Church did not turn around and help the angels attack the Magi was already more than generous.
As for Metatron's combat strength, aside from the Archangel herself, who possessed a planetary-level Spirit Origin, there was also the army of one million angels she had summoned, ranging from the "Ninth Tier" to the "First Tier."
As for the Mage's Association's own fighting strength...
In this world, Mystery had drained away far faster after the end of the Age of Gods than in other worlds, so the standard of modern Magecraft was far from ideal.
The Clock Tower had no figures like the Aozaki sisters, and the Twelve Lords were nowhere near Kayneth's level.
No matter how one looked at it, humanity's extinction had already been decided.
...
In a spacious room inside the Fortress of Millennia.
A Magic Circle drawn on the floor gave off a soft white glow.
At the center of the Magic Circle lay a Sleeping Beauty as lovely as a blooming flower.
At the outer edge of the Magic Circle, a red-haired boy had his palm pressed against the circuit.
Shirou's body was surrounded by a massive torrent of Mana.
Right now, his body had become nothing more than a pathway for the Mana flowing from the Dragon's Core.
The Mana transformed through his breathing passed through his palm into the Magic Circle, then flowed into Manaka Sajyou's body.
Although she would likely never open her eyes again, Manaka Sajyou's life had, for the moment, been saved.
For that, they had to thank Kairi Sisigou.
The moment Shirou and the others returned to the surface, Sisigou provided serum for the Hydra venom.
Had he been even slightly later, Manaka would probably have been beyond saving.
As for why Sisigou had serum for a great serpent from the Age of Gods...
When he accepted the Master's commission, the Necromancer had taken a jar of formalin containing a Hydra larva from the Association as part of his advance payment for joining the war.
Then, after learning that the "Black" Archer was Chiron and the "Red" Assassin was Semiramis, he had probably anticipated this development and prepared the serum ahead of time.
In the end, that serum saved both Mordred's life and Manaka's.
However, Manaka did not have Mordred's powerful body, the kind that could take a point-blank blast from the Holy Lance and still remain standing.
On top of that, the serum itself was almost as potent as a deadly poison. So even though the poison had been neutralized, Manaka Sajyou still did not wake up, and her condition continued to worsen.
Now she could barely keep breathing only because Shirou continued pouring powerful dragon Mana into her body.
From late last night until noon today, nearly twelve hours, Shirou had remained by Manaka's side, continuously feeding her Mana.
How much longer could this kind of life support continue...
"At least go rest for a while, Saber-san."
A voice came from behind him, but Shirou did not turn around. He simply continued maintaining the spell.
"...Fiore?"
The girl in the wheelchair looked worried. "You haven't rested at all since coming back last night. Even for a Heroic Spirit, shouldn't you be nearing your limit?"
Shirou frowned. "You seem to misunderstand Heroic Spirits. A Servant is not affected by going without food, water, or sleep."
"That may be true, but Saber-san, you don't currently have a Master supplying you with Mana, do you?"
Fiore's tone grew firmer.
"A Servant without a Master's Mana supply could disappear at any moment, and no one would find it strange. The fact that you can still remain manifested at all is already unbelievable, yet you're also continuously feeding Manaka Mana. Forgive me for being blunt, but if you keep this up for another two hours at most, your Spirit Origin will completely dissipate."
"..."
Shirou knew Fiore was not exaggerating.
He could feel that the amount of Mana he could convert with each breath had already become extremely limited.
If he kept outputting Mana like this, he probably would not last more than a few hours before his Spirit Origin completely collapsed.
But if Shirou stopped feeding Manaka Mana, she would definitely be unable to survive.
Even if someone called him "unfit to be a Savior," he would still rather fail to save the world than let Manaka die right in front of him.
Shirou had already prepared himself to wring out every last drop of his Mana.
"Please leave this to us and go rest, Saber-san."
Another voice offered the same advice.
Shirou frowned in deep irritation and turned around, ready to tell them off and drive them out, only to see someone unexpected.
They were the Homunculi brought over by Caules, the ones who had remained inside the Fortress of Millennia.
Among the crowd, Shirou saw Toole, who was on good terms with him, as well as the little Homunculus he had saved with his sword scabbard in the forest.
The one leading them was not Commander Toole, but another petite, girl-type Homunculus with silver twin tails.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Saber-sama. My name is Althea."
The girl walked over and offered her hand.
Shirou noticed that her features somewhat resembled the kid's, meaning she was the type of Homunculus skilled in Magecraft.
"We have already heard what happened. Please leave Manaka to us and go rest. We will take turns channeling Mana into Manaka and maintaining her vital signs."
Hearing Althea say this, Shirou hesitated.
"What are you hesitating for? Do you not trust our intentions? Do you think we have some ulterior motive?"
"No, that's not what I meant..."
"Please understand. Even if you are a hero who once saved the world, when it comes to 'serving as a battery for humans,' you are only a novice. How could you compare to us, who have so much experience? Ah, the efficiency of this Mana transfer is dreadful. So much is being wasted during transmission. I can hardly bear to watch... Please step aside!"
"..."
Overwhelmed by Althea's forcefulness, Shirou obediently stepped aside.
Althea quickly took over his work and began transferring Mana to Manaka.
"I-I'm sorry, Saber-san..."
The kid looked apologetic, while Toole folded her arms and wore a faintly teasing expression.
"Let's go. We shouldn't stay here and get in their way."
Toole led Shirou out of the room.
With the Homunculi's support, she assured Shirou that Manaka would have no problem lasting another week.
"Thank you."
Toole shook her head. "There's no need to thank us, Saber. Every one of us is standing here because you saved us. That debt is impossible to repay. This barely even counts as repayment, so at least let us do something for you in the time we have left."
At this point, Toole's expression grew very complicated.
"I'd like to do something for Saber too... but unfortunately, as a combat-type Homunculus, it seems I can't be of any help."
"..."
Shirou did not know what to say to comfort her.
During the Great Holy Grail War, she might still have been useful in some way. But now that Shirou's enemy had become angels, combat-type Homunculi had lost their purpose.
"I'm just glad to see you're still alive, Toole."
Shirou looked toward the aerial fortress on the distant horizon.
The pitch-black witch's castle had already been dyed white. Tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of angels circled around it, forming a halo of light like a satellite ring.
"The fact that you're alive proves that the battles I've fought until now had meaning."
"I-Is that so..."
For some reason, a faint blush spread across Toole's cheeks.
"Saber, you really are kind, even to a Homunculus like me... Ngh! R-Right! You haven't eaten anything since last night, have you? Hurry to the cafeteria. After you eat, make sure you get some proper rest!"
Toole forcibly dragged Shirou to Yggdmillennia's cafeteria, then said she had other work to do and slipped away as if fleeing.
It was a little past one in the afternoon, and since lunchtime had already passed, there were not many people in the cafeteria.
For Shirou, that was actually a good thing.
He crossed the hall and went straight into the kitchen, intending to make himself lunch.
"Hm? Is someone else here?"
Hearing Shirou's voice, the person in the kitchen poked her head out.
"Sa... Saber-san!!"
The blonde girl's eyes widened. She dropped the things in her hands, rushed toward Shirou, and threw herself straight into his arms.
"Thank goodness! Truly, truly... thank goodness! I thought I'd never see you again, Saber-san!"
"Uh..."
Shirou was at a loss. After hesitating for a while, he placed his hand on the blonde girl's shoulder.
"Calm down, Ruler. When did you wake up? No, wait... are you Leticia?"
The blonde girl looked up and forced out a smile, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
"Yes. This should be our first time meeting. I'm Leticia."
Just as he thought.
Although they looked identical, or rather, they were using the exact same face, Leticia's air was very different from Jeanne's.
The expression on Leticia's face was somewhat fragile, as if she could not calm down.
The unease in her eyes and brows made it clear that she was an ordinary girl one could find anywhere.
Most likely, she had woken up soon after they returned to the ground, then come to the cafeteria to help because she had nothing else to do.
"Saber-san, this should be our first conversation, right? I'm so glad I can finally talk to you. Until now, I could only watch from the sidelines... Ah, saying it like that sounds a little disrespectful to the Holy Maiden."
The girl was somewhat excited. After all, so much had happened while she had been asleep.
The one person she could rely on and trust, Jeanne, had also disappeared.
Leticia had only been able to suppress her unease by keeping herself busy.
It was not until she saw Shirou again that her anxious heart finally settled down, which was why she was acting so eager now.
"Me too. I've wanted to talk to you for a long time. But before that... Leticia, could you make me something to eat?"
Shirou said this a little awkwardly. Before entering the cafeteria, he had not even felt hungry.
The girl's eyes moved, and then she said brightly, "All right! Leave it to me! I've been so busy I haven't had lunch yet either, so let's eat together afterward!"
"Oh, then I'll help too..."
"Saber-san, please go sit outside and get some proper rest!"
He was chased out of the kitchen.
Fifteen minutes later, Leticia came out carrying a huge pot of stew.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"I didn't really wait long."
"I heard Saber-san has a big appetite, so I made a whole pot on purpose... There's more if this isn't enough."
"No, this is more than enough."
Shirou clicked his tongue as he looked at the pot, which was practically the size of a witch's cauldron.
"Um, the one rumored to have a huge appetite is actually the other Saber."
The image of Mordred sweeping through the cafeteria like a storm flashed through his mind.
"Huh... Is that so? I-I'm sorry... I got it wrong."
"It's fine. I'll do my best to finish it."
"Please don't force yourself."
Leticia looked dejected as she said that.
During lunch, Shirou learned a few things from Leticia.
First, among those who had left the Sky Garden last night, only Shirou, Leticia, and Astolfo were still staying in Yggdmillennia's castle.
Atalanta, Achilles, and Semiramis were all members of the "Red" faction. No matter how brazen they were, they would not want to remain in enemy territory.
Atalanta had returned to the forest, Achilles had gone into town, and Semiramis's whereabouts were unknown.
Second, the Yggdmillennia clan had no intention of simply waiting for death. They planned to launch another attack on the floating fortress in a few days.
For that purpose, they had even used Darnic's inheritance to order several passenger planes.
The biggest problem, however, was that Astolfo was the only Heroic Spirit they still had, with Mordred as an allied Servant at most.
Before that army of angels, what could two Servants possibly do?
No one said it aloud, but the Fortress of Millennia was shrouded in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Third, the Ruler Jeanne inside Leticia had been forcibly separated from her.
Jeanne, who could originally only manifest by possessing a human, had now become someone else's vessel. The Holy Maiden herself was probably in a dormant state now.
"Um, Saber-san... actually, there's something... I haven't told anyone yet..."
When the topic turned to herself, Leticia suddenly became hesitant and fidgety.
"What is it?"
"Although the Holy Maiden's Spirit Origin disappeared, it seems like some of her power still remains inside me..."
"Is that true?"
Shirou looked at Leticia's back in surprise, only to find it smooth and pale, with nothing there.
"N-No, I didn't mean the Command Spells!"
Leticia protested with a flushed face, hurriedly putting her uniform jacket back on.
"Um... it'll be easier to explain if I show you. Please come with me."
She pulled Shirou out of the castle. After they walked briskly for more than ten minutes, she finally stopped just as Shirou was about to ask where they were going.
They had arrived at an open clearing.
"Now I'll show Saber-san the power the Holy Maiden left behind for me."
"Oh. Good luck."
"Okay."
The blonde girl nervously swallowed, then raised her arms wide.
In an instant, a brilliant pillar of light descended from the sky.
Shirou's mouth fell open. "..."
Leticia asked timidly, "W-What do you think, Saber-san?"
This was not power Jeanne had left behind at all.
This was obviously something left behind by Metatron!
No, because Metatron was not simply "Angel/Metatron," but "Ruler/Jeanne Metatron."
Was that why this had happened!?
The girl tilted her head in confusion. "Is that so? This is... an angel's power...!?"
"Yeah. Angelic power that wasn't completely removed... I see... so that's what happened... No wonder she gave us seven days..."
Shirou immediately realized that Leticia would likely become the key to defeating Metatron.
"Leticia!"
"Y-Yes! Saber-san!"
Leticia looked nervous as the red-haired boy tightly gripped both her hands.
"Can you accept the current situation?" Shirou asked.
"What do you mean?" Leticia asked back.
"Are you willing to accept humanity going extinct like this?"
"Of course I'm not!"
"Good."
Shirou nodded in satisfaction. "For the next week, I'm going to train you seriously and bring you to the point where you can skillfully use that angelic power."
Leticia froze. "You want me to fight Metatron-sama?"
"That's right."
"I can't! There's no way I can do that!"
"No, you can. You're capable of it... Your answer?"
"Yes... Saber-sensei... sob..."
Leticia said with her shoulders drooping.
...
The first day of humanity's final seven days peacefully gave way to night.
From two in the afternoon until eight at night, Shirou taught Leticia Magecraft from the ground up, and only just now had he finally let her go back to rest.
"Report to my room at six-thirty tomorrow morning. Understood?"
"Sir! Yes, sir!"
Shirou's harsh training had begun to show results.
The Catholic Academy student was growing into a super soldier who could fire EX-rank Anti-Army light cannons from her fingers.
After seeing Leticia off, Shirou first went to check on Manaka, then returned to his room only after being chased out by the Homunculi for getting in the way.
In the end, he had not managed to rest properly all day.
Just as Shirou was about to get some real sleep, a voice called to him from the doorway.
"Saber-san."
"Fiore?"
The acting head of Yggdmillennia rolled her wheelchair over.
This time, neither Chiron nor Caules was there to push her wheelchair.
"May I come in?"
"Please do."
Shirou walked over and pushed her wheelchair in for her. She thanked him.
He closed the door and brewed coffee for his guest.
Shirou sat down in front of Fiore and asked, "It's late. Did something happen?"
Fiore looked straight into Shirou's eyes and stated the purpose of her visit.
"Saber-san, please form a Master-Servant contract with me."
***
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (50 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.
***