"So... you're me from another timeline?"
"Pretty much."
"Wow, that's... well, normally that would be surprising, but I guess it's not that weird anymore."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"... so, how was your-"
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why did you do it?"
"What are you referring to-"
"Don't play dumb with me. Why did you leave your home? Why did you lead those bastards into battle? Why did you go into the fire for them?"
"I... I was-"
"I was happy. I had a simple, hard, run-of-the-mill, quiet life, and I was happy. Then one day I came home saying I met a weird lady and suddenly everyone started praising me and preparing me for some "greater destiny" I was pushed into.
Every single time I rode into battle, I wished that I could trade all the glory I gathered for a chance at a normal life. I even started craving death. But it was God's greatest irony that my body seemed so resilient and so apt at fighting.
The more it went on, the more I hated what I was becoming and the more I became what I hated. And yet, you tell me... that you did all that willingly? That you died happy? That you didn't bear any resentment? How?"
"... it was my duty, the duty given to me by God."
"Screw that. Why should I be God's plaything? And how do you still believe in God when confronted with forces akin to him?"
"... perhaps what I call God doesn't exist in the way I imagined while I was alive. And yet... I believe that his message, his influence is present, and if you don't want to call it God, call it luck, call it coincidence, but I intend to follow that path."
"So you're ok with being a puppet?"
"I'm not a puppet. God grants each of us an opportunity. He opens many paths to us. And we decide what path we want to follow."
"Easy for you to say, he opened up the path you wanted."
"Maybe he showed you a path through which you could improve as a person."
"Improve as a person? That's rich. So the best way to help me become a better person was to burn me to death? This is why I'm an atheist."
"Every path, every life has its struggles and hardships. I was also scared when they brought me to the square and during the trial. But in the end, I was able to learn and grow and become someone I could be proud of. And look at you, you also are surrounded by friends and allies now. You don't have to fight alone anymore."
"..."
"... I can feel that this isn't the first time I'm reincarnated. I was dragged into a Holy Grail War, and I met this boy, Sieg. He was a homunculus, fated to die a miserable and unremarkable death. And yet, his actions in the war ended up saving the world. Sometimes we can't tell what life has in store for us. We just need to trust the process."
"... from the way you remember him, I bet this Sieg guy must have been good in b-"
"Your mind is too sinful."
"Ow, a real Christian, striking anyone who disagrees..."
The following morning...
"Hey, Gil!"
"Morning, Nero."
"How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, I had a discussion with the King of France."
"I hope things didn't get nasty."
"No, it was pretty helpful."
"I'm glad..."
"... is something the matter?"
"What? No, no, not at all..."
"... come on, spill the beans."
"It's nothing, let's go have breakfast."
With that, Nero tried sprinting forward, but Gilgamesh reached out for her.
Before they could realise it, they were holding each other's hand.
"..."
"..."
"... umu, what are you doing?"
"... I'm holding your hand, I guess."
"... do you plan on letting it go?"
"... no, I don't think I will."
"?"
"Not until you tell me what troubles you."
"..."
"... Nero, you always insist on how trust is essential among companions... and partners. So I ask you to be honest with me."
"... I'm just... scared..."
"Scared?"
"Yes... scared..."
"Of that guy? Please, he just caught me by surprise, that's all there is. He's just another pathetic mongrel. Don't let him-"
"I'm not scared of him. I'm scared for us."
"You're... you're scared for us?"
"Yes... we are about to enter the biggest fight we have had up to this point... against the toughest opponent we have yet to face... and... and I'm afraid... because the risk of one of us dying is really high... and... and after going through so much with all of you... I... I couldn't bear to lose one of you..."
Nero turned around and broke free from Gil's hold as she started to tear up.
After a second, Gilgamesh moved closer and started patting Nero's head.
"Hey, Nero... remember when I destroyed that mountain?"
"... yes."
"And when we found that creature?"
"... Mr. Pop Pea?"
"Yes, Mr. Pop Pea."
"Both times, you threw a fit and, in the end, you got what you want."
"... I'm sorry."
"... so, if you don't want any of us to die and you're this eager to have it your way, there's no way I would concede."
"... what do you mean?"
"I'm saying that, in the end, you always get what you want when you ask me. So, if you're asking me to ensure that no one dies, I promise you that I'll make your dream come true. You trust me, don't you?"
"Of course I do."
"Good, then none of us will die."
"... how can you be so sure?"
"Because I'm here."
"... do you really mean what you're saying?"
"I always mean exactly what I say. Especially when I'm making promises. So don't worry, nobody will die."
"..."
"... now, would you like crepes for break-"
Before he could continue, Gilgamesh was attacked by a suffocating embrace.
"... t... too... tight..."
"... if you don't keep your promise, you're going to look stupid, you know?"
"... y-yes... I-I know..."
"And I'm going to think you're uncool."
"... N-Nero."
"And I'm going to keep pestering you with the word you hate so much."
"..."
"So you better keep your promise, Gil, ok?"
"..."
"Gil?"
"..."
"Are you ok?"
Gilgamesh was, in fact, not ok.
Later on, at the breakfast table, Galter passed the syrup to Jalter.
"So, how did your conversation go?"
"... fine."
"Did you hit each other?"
"She hit me."
"I'm sure she had a good reason."
"You're already pissing me off."
"Isn't it a bit too early to be pissed off?"
"... forget it... what about you? What were you doing in the meantime?"
"He slept with me."
"... what?"
"Oh yeah, Salter dragged me to my bed and I fell asleep pretty quickly, and today when I woke up, I found out she had fallen asleep too."
"That bitch..."
"Still, you could have avoided rolling right up against me, you were practically sleeping on top of me."
"THAT BITCH!"
"Something wrong, witch? That's an awful lot of syrup you're putting on your food... even for you..."
"I'm going to turn you into syrup, you dog."
"Do they always bicker like this?"
"I'm afraid so, they're a headache."
"Still, I could never anticipate the King of Heroes and Nero would..."
"I'm just as surprised as you are, Jeanne."
"... I'm glad Mordred is somewhere safe, Artoria."
"Me too, but let's not talk about it too much... we're being watched by those bastards."
"I promise we'll get to them sooner or later."
"Thank you, Jeanne. Still... I hope that the children are doing fine."
"Don't worry, I left them in the hands of trusted friends."
Meanwhile, at the school...
"Ok, kids, let's play hide and seek!"
"What are you doing, Astolfo? You were supposed to teach them!"
"I'm teaching them hiding skills!"
"Oh dear, they're going to drown!"
"I can't swim..."
"Alice, come down from that tree!"
"Can we have lunch?"
"Stop hitting each other?"
"Gilles, what did you make for lunch?"
"Shut up and help me, idiot!"
"Please would be nice..."
Back to Versailles...
"Yeah, I'm sure they're in good hands. Plus, Nightingale and Dunant are there to treat them."
"Yeah, when they're not playing doctor with each other..."
"You seem very critical of love."
"Do I? Maybe I'm just a bit cranky lately..."
"Maybe it's something you've come to believe in your life."
"I'm not sure if we're the best people to discuss love... I mean, you're a literal saint..."
"... I guess I am..."
Just then, Louis walked in.
"I'm sorry to cut short your breakfast, but we have less than 24 hours before the power of an entire reality comes crashing down on this place."
"The palace is surprisingly devoid of people today."
"I evacuated everyone apart from a few hundred loyal soldiers, powered by D'Artagnan. They'll provide some relief, but most of the work will be done by us. A couple of dozen Sevants command them. They won't last long. Remus's army outnumbers us and is comprised of at least a hundred notable Heroic Spirits."
"Great, are there any good news?"
"Once we defeat Remus, his army will disappear."
"Good, then let's all teleport to that bastard and crush him."
"Even assuming we could do that, there's no guarantee we could do it instantly. And if he manages to stall us, his army will quickly surround us and ensure our defeat."
"Do you have a better plan?"
"I've been devising a plan ever since I foresaw it would all come down to this. In past skirmishes, I placed magic trackers on some notable targets —people who need to be eliminated to guarantee we have a shot at winning. I'll assign these targets to all of you."
"Aren't we forgetting about the main problem, the head honcho himself?"
"I can stall him long enough for you to achieve your objective."
"You intend to fight him alone?"
"My powers are optimal for buying as much time as possible. Afterwards, you all can eliminate him."
"You mean 'we' can eliminate him, right?"
"... King of Heroes, you have the most important mission."
"But of course... what would that be?"
"You must take care of most of the army. You'll use the full might of your treasury to target the enemy indiscriminately."
"Are you sure about this, Sun King? I'm sure I could take care of all those mongrels you want to get rid of."
"I'm sure you could, but no one else can replace you in this mission I gave you. Your group is powerful enough that even with overwhelming numbers, it might be impossible to overpower you. However, overwhelming numbers and the overwhelming power of a Grand Servant are a different matter entirely. You might win, but not without losses."
"Why do you care, though?"
"Because even without one of you, this world is doomed. Isn't that right, King of Heroes?"
"Either way, I made a promise that none of us will die, and I intend to keep it. Fine, I'll agree to your plan, mongrel."
"Very well. I have nothing more to say. Enjoy these last fleeting hours before this testament of my greatness becomes hell on earth."
The group spent the day training and fraternising with the French soldiers and Servants.
Salter got drunk and almost hit Jalter with an Excalibur Morgan, before being escorted back to her room. Jalter then feigned being unwell and Galter watched over her until the following morning.
Jeanne shared stories with Artoria and they prepared a delicious stew, though in the end, Jeanne just had some soup, leaving the meat to a hungry Artoria.
Nero dragged Gilgamesh around, betting all sorts of things at all sorts of games. Needless to say, Gil always won. However, he always ended up giving everything to Nero, who in turn gave it back to the soldiers because she felt bad about taking from them.
"Your Majesty, the preparations for the attack are complete."
"Very well, D'Artagnan. You're free to go."
"Thank you, Sire."
"... can I ask you one thing?"
"Of course, Your Majesty."
"Do you envy me?"
"Right now, in this exact moment... I don't think I do, Your Majesty."
"I see... so this is what it feels like not to be envied... perhaps Mazarin was right... However, I don't hate it. Remus, the slain brother of the founder of Rome, the embodiment of envy itself... I'm ready to face you, once and for all.
I'll prove you wrong."