Chapter 24: The Golem Stirs
Riya woke up with a groan, the weight of his "lovely" dream with mordred still lingering—only to find a bird sitting squarely on his head.
A messenger bird.
Peck. Peck.
"Alright, alright," he grumbled, taking the letter from its beak.
As his eyes scanned the paper, his expression twisted from groggy to horrified.
"...No. No way."
In a flash, he leapt out of bed and dashed down the hallway.
Muramasa, already awake and sipping tea, blinked. "What's the rush?"
Riya didn't stop. He kicked open Sieg and Astolfo's door.
"What the hell, Riya?!" Astolfo yelped, tangled in sheets naked alongside Sieg.
Riya held up the letter like a flaming torch.
"It's from the Clock Tower. Avicebron activated his Noble Phantasm."
Dead silence.
Everyone's eyes went wide.
"But…" Sieg whispered, "that golem couldn't be activated without me, do to me being the reactor core."
"He found a way," Riya snapped. "And it's set to fully awaken in an hour. Near the new Red Faction forest."
Muramasa's eyes narrowed. "That's too close. Too soon."
"There is No time to waste. Muramasa You and Astolfo will take Hippogriff and delay the golem. Buy us time," Riya ordered.
"Sieg and I will grab a car and catch up."
The group split immediately.
As Hippogriff soared into the morning sky with Muramasa and Astolfo, Riya and Sieg hijacked a nearby car and hit the gas.
During the drive, Riya glanced over. "Sieg. You might have to transform to Siegfried today."
Sieg stiffened. "You think Astolfo and Muramasa won't be enough?"
"I know they won't," Riya said grimly. "That thing's designed to replace humanity."
Sieg took a deep breath. "Then I'll help... I won't stay behind."
To that riya smirked proudly.
When they arrived, what they saw chilled them.
A mountain-sized golem marched slowly across the landscape.
Wherever its feet landed, trees blossomed and flowers bloomed.
But Riya knew it was no paradise.
This was Avicebron's "Eden"—a false paradise where humanity is erased.
Astolfo and Muramasa were already engaging.
Astolfo's Hippogriff dive-bombed the creature while Muramasa slashed at its legs.
It was useless.
The golem regenerated instantly. Cuts vanished. Wounds sealed. It was unstoppable.
And atop its shoulder stood Avicebron, arms spread, basking in his creation's glory.
Riya growled. "There ain't no way i'm going to let you enjoy this."
He channeled Atalanta's powers.
Then he drew Atalanta's bow and fired a green beam-arrow—straight at the Caster's smug face.
Avicebron didn't even had time to flinch.
But unlucky for riya, The golem has devoured Avicebron straight after he shot him, fusing him with his spirit to accelerate its completion.
Flesh merged with stone. Circuits blazed.
Avicebron's soul also became part of the core alongside his former master roche.
The golem roared to life.
Riya turned to his allies. "Everyone—everything you've got! Now!"
He switched Servants—channeling Merlin.
Hope of Avalon (A) activated, covering the battlefield in a golden glow.
All wounds healed. All stats rose. All Noble Phantasms—boosted.
Astolfo acted next.
"Vulcano Caligorante (B)!"
Chains of glowing light exploded from his sword, wrapping around the golem's limbs.
Muramasa prepared his trump card.
"Tsumukari Muramasa (A+)," he intoned, entering a Reality Marble filled with endless broken blades.
One sword remained—gleaming, divine.
The slash that could sever fate itself.
Sieg raised his hand.
A command seal burned away.
In a burst of light, Siegfried stood tall once more.
"Balmung!" he shouted, launching a massive blue beam straight at the golem's chest.
And Riya?
One last switch—Mordred.
He raised her blade. His voice echoed with hers:
"O body, meet a glorious death for the prosperity of Camelot!"
"Feel the seething rage of this planet!"
"Clarent Blood Arthur!!"
A crimson explosion shot forth.
Three Noble Phantasms—Muramasa's blade, Sieg's Balmung, and Riya's Clarent—merged into a tri-colored storm of destruction.
The golem screamed.
The blast tore through the false Eden.
Then—silence.
The giant crumbled, piece by piece, falling to the earth like a dying god.
Riya collapsed to one knee, panting. Sweat dripped from his brow. His muscles trembled.
"Three Servants... two Noble Phantasms..."
Astolfo landed beside him, smiling brightly.
"But hey—we did it!"
Muramasa sheathed his katana with a heavy exhale. "Barely."
Sieg, still glowing faintly from the aftershock of the transformation, stumbled over to Riya, steadying him. "Are you alright?"
Riya gave a shaky grin. "No... but I'm alive. So I'll take it."
The battlefield around them was scorched, quiet. The scent of ash and ozone filled the air.
Where the golem once stood was now a crater of broken roots and melted stone—its false Eden reduced to ruin.
Sieg looked at the wreckage, eyes full of conflict. "He really wanted to make a paradise, didn't he?"
"Yeah," Muramasa said coldly. "A paradise with no humans in it."
"Intentions don't justify annihilation," Riya muttered. "No matter how noble they sound."
Astolfo knelt beside him and patted his head like a child. "You were awesome, you know that? Like, stupidly awesome."
Riya rolled his eyes. "Thanks, gay-boy."
Muramasa chuckled under his breath. "Well, I'm just glad you didn't pass out mid-battle."
"Same here..." Riya smirked, trying to stand. His legs wobbled a little.
Sieg offered a hand. "Let's get out of here before something else shows up."
Just as they turned to leave, a gust of wind rushed through the clearing.
A familiar presence.
They all froze.
Out of the haze stepped a man with calm eyes and white robes—Shirou Kotomine.
He was alone. No Servants at his side.
Just that serene, almost divine expression he always wore.
"Impressive," he said softly. "I didn't expect you to defeat Avicebron's Eden."
Riya narrowed his eyes. "You sent that letter."
Shirou nodded. "I did. And you did exactly what I hoped for."
"You used us," Muramasa said, hand drifting toward his blade.
Shirou raised a hand in peace. "I saved you. I saved humanity so Be grateful."
Sieg stepped forward, eyes burning. "Why would you want Eden stopped? I thought you and avicebron were together."
Shirou smiled faintly. "we were. But our
interests didn't align anymore."
He turned to leave.
But riya wasn't finished with him "what do you mean by that?" Riya asked.
Shirou turned around with a smirk "what do I mean by that? That's easy"
Shirou's smirk faded into something colder.
"My wish is salvation—true salvation. A world free of pain, war... emotion itself."
He looked over his shoulder at them.
"Avicebron wanted a paradise without humans. I want a humanity without suffering. We were never aiming for the same ending."
Riya narrowed his eyes. "So to save people... you'll erase what makes them human?"
Shirou nodded. "If that's what it takes."
And just like that, he vanished into the fading light, leaving behind a chill that lingered in the wind.
Riya let out a slow breath. "Great. Cryptic final boss stuff. I hate cryptic final boss stuff."
Astolfo threw an arm around him. "Relax! We've got this!"
Muramasa snorted. "Let's just get back. Before the next apocalypse drops out of the sky."
As they began their journey home, the sun seems to start to set as it bled across the battlefield, washing the ruins of Eden in crimson light.
For now, they had peace.
But everyone could feel it.
This was just the eye of the storm.