Karna had fallen. After Altair blocked the god-slaying Vasavi Shakti with his dialogue board, he faded into obscurity, his presence nearly undetectable. Seizing the moment, he summoned his golden cloud, slipped behind Karna, and delivered a villain's backstab, piercing his heart.
Karna, defeated, returned to the Throne of Heroes.
The Holy Grail War's most formidable servant was vanquished. Semiramis, caught in the blast of Karna's spear, perished instantly. Her death severed her control over the Red Faction's Masters, who succumbed to the poison she'd administered. Without their Masters' magical energy, the remaining servants couldn't sustain their existence. In the chaos, Mordred capitalized on Achilles's dwindling magical reserves, thrusting her sword through his heart to end their duel.
Mordred's tally in this war was impressive: she'd cut down Assassin Jack, obliterated Berserker Frankenstein with her Noble Phantasm, and now slain Achilles, a triple kill, a remarkable feat.
With Altair defeating Karna and Mordred finishing Achilles, only one enemy remained amidst the ruins of the Hanging Gardens: Ruler, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.
Dressed in tattered black priestly robes, Amakusa looked like a vagrant emerging from a junkyard. His once-silver hair was grimy, his clothes in shreds.
"You're still alive? That's surprising." Altair remarked, genuinely astonished. Surviving his divine-slaying beam and Karna's Vasavi Shakti was no small feat.
"In a way, it's quite fortunate." Amakusa said with a bitter smile. "I used my Noble Phantasm to mitigate some damage, so I clung to life. But it seems surviving was pointless. Lancer, Assassin, and Rider are gone. I've lost this Holy Grail War."
Amakusa made no attempt to hide his defeat, openly admitting his failure.
"You're right. Without any servants, you have no means to fight us." Altair said, planting his giant sword in the ground and resting a hand on his hip. Mordred joined him, stabbing her sword into the earth and leaning on it with a smug grin.
"Indeed, I have nothing left." Amakusa admitted, sitting down. "All that's left is to await my end." Having just used his Noble Phantasm and gravely wounded, he had no strength to face Altair, let alone with Mordred at his side.
"Mordred, send him back to the Throne of Heroes." Altair ordered.
"Yes, Father!" Mordred replied, drawing her greatsword and charging. With a single swing, she beheaded the rogue Ruler, sending Amakusa back to the Throne.
"It's over. We're the victors of this Holy Grail War." Altair said, patting Mordred's shoulder with a proud smile. She'd slain four servants, Jack, Frankenstein, Achilles, and now Amakusa, a stellar performance.
"Yes, Father. Fighting alongside you was an honor." Mordred said, her voice warm with satisfaction. In this war, she'd earned her Father's trust and recognition as a potential king. That was enough for her.
"Then, farewell, Father." As the last servant standing, Mordred, having achieved victory, ascended like a saint achieving nirvana. Before Altair's eyes, she dissolved into motes of light, willingly returning to the Throne of Heroes.
The Holy Grail War was over.
In the distance, Kairi, their magical battery, noticed his Command Spells vanish. He grinned, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag, gazing at the sky. "Time to collect the rest of my payment."
As a magus, he'd joined the war at the Mage's Association's behest, receiving a deposit before coming to Romania. Now, with his wish fulfilled, he'd claim the final payment, return to Japan, sire a son to inherit his family's Magic Crest, and live perfectly.
With Mordred gone and Kairi departing, no servants remained. Altair stood alone amidst the ruins of the Hanging Gardens.
He gazed at the golden key in his hand, a relic forged by the Greater Grail's remaining magical energy, a passage to another world where his desired holy sword awaited.
[Key to Another World]
[Opens a gate to the world anchored by the Greater Grail, based on the holy sword you described. You can reach that world through the gate, though the means of return are currently unknown.]
[This key, a miracle crafted by this world's unique magic, can only be used here.]
"A one-way ticket, huh?" Altair muttered, chuckling. He didn't feel cheated. A ticket to another world was more than most could hope for, and returning was simple, he'd exit the "dungeon" Of this world, taking the Grail's realm with him.
"Let's see what this world with my holy sword has in store!" Altair declared, channeling magical energy into the key.
The key floated from his hand, hovering in the air. It emitted a red glow, forming intricate crimson patterns in the sky. The patterns shattered, creating a circular portal.
The gate to another world opened.
Altair retrieved his giant sword from the ground, stowing it in his spatial pocket. With anticipation burning in his chest, he stepped through the red portal. As he crossed the threshold, the gate slowly closed, dissolving into motes of light.
Moments after the gate vanished, a white figure dashed to the edge of the ruins.
"Here ends, " Jeanne began, brandishing her flag-spear, arriving at the magical signature she'd sensed. But the ruins were empty.
"Huh?"
The Ruler summoned by the Greater Grail had spent the entire war running, chasing shadows.
In the end, she caught nothing.
***
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