In different parts of France, various figures... or rather, Servants... stood.
"Huh? It's already over, Mozart?" Marie Antoinette, France's future queen, spoke as she felt her existence fading, addressing the eccentrically dressed man beside her.
"It seems so. The Holy Grail War has been resolved…" Mozart, the flamboyantly clad Servant, gazed at the sky as the world began to collapse.
As Servants summoned by the Grail, they immediately understood what was happening.
Mozart's face showed a hint of surprise. "This is unexpected. They defeated the enemy without even gathering us?"
"What's so surprising? Maybe the Grail summoned a super-powerful Heroic Spirit who wiped them out," Marie said casually, smiling at the crumbling world. "This way, France has a future, right?"
"Of course. With history back on track, this world has a future," Mozart nodded, though a trace of worry crossed his face. "But securing that future won't be easy."
He glanced at the sky, where the massive halo still hung, unchanging.
In an abandoned warehouse, a bare-chested Servant stared upward, clutching a greatsword infused with dragon's blood, granting it dragon-slaying power.
Siegfried, the legendary dragon slayer bathed in dragon's blood, looked frail.
Feeling himself fade, he frowned in confusion.
"So, why was I brought to this world?"
He didn't understand. He knew nothing and was already leaving, like someone knocked out on the street and dumped in the wilderness.
Before he could grasp the enemy's purpose, the rescue team arrived to take him away.
He, too, was returning to the Throne of Heroes.
In another city, two women looked skyward, puzzled.
"It's over, huh," Elizabeth Báthory, the younger Carmilla, said, hands on her hips.
"Indeed, it's done. How surprising. I thought I'd fight for this world, but it ended like this," Kiyohime said with a smile.
Even as a Berserker, she maintained her elegance and rationality.
She smiled softly. "It's not bad. It's like a rare trip to a foreign land."
Elizabeth Báthory pouted. "Ugh, I had things to do! I wanted to punch that guy, and now it's over!"
"You mean your future self?"
"Of course! How could she do that?!"
"Someone probably beat her for you, since the Holy Grail War is over."
Grumbling, Elizabeth and the smiling Kiyohime began to fade, returning to the Throne of Heroes.
As she vanished, Elizabeth shouted, "If I find out who stole my chance, you're done for!"
…
The battle was over, decisively. The monsters summoned by the Grail's mana began to dissipate, as did Servants like Atalanta.
The green-haired girl approached Morpheus, hugging him tightly once more. Without hesitation, she leaned in, pressing her soft lips against his.
The kiss was shy yet passionate, laced with a hint of resentment.
"Ow!" Morpheus yelped like a wounded wolf, blood trickling from his lip where she'd bitten him. Atalanta's lips bore traces of his blood.
She licked it, grinning. "You owe me!"
"What, turning into a vampire now?!" Morpheus grumbled, but her smile melted his annoyance. He waved. "We'll meet again soon!"
"I know. I'm heading back now, and my main self will know. Don't you dare run. I've got plenty of time to track you down, and if you do, it won't just be a bite."
Atalanta's tone carried a playful threat as she vanished.
Morpheus turned to the only remaining Servant, not counting Mash, the Demi-Servant.
Jeanne looked at her body in surprise. Though she was fading, her enhanced form resisted for a time.
"You're a Holy Spirit now. Your body can't return, but your soul can. Your main self on the Throne of Heroes will gain those traits," Morpheus said, smiling at the vanishing woman. "I'm sure we'll meet again soon. The world still needs saving, and the future's bound to have more messes."
Jeanne smiled, glancing at the sword in her hand. She gripped the blade and handed the hilt to Morpheus. "Thank you."
Taking the Durandal, Morpheus felt its now-greater power and sheathed it.
As Jeanne, losing Durandal's support, began to fade faster, Morpheus said, "Don't you want to see Gilles? There's still time."
Jeanne hesitated, then shook her head. "History's back on track. I can't change his future, but I believe the Lord won't abandon anyone. After enduring what he must, he'll find redemption in time."
She smiled. "I'll be waiting at that moment, when everyone finds redemption."
With that, Saint Jeanne vanished completely, returning to her Throne.
"Get back here! This place is collapsing!" Olga Marie shouted through the communicator as the teleportation array activated. A flash of light enveloped them, and when they opened their eyes, they were in the Rayshift chamber.
Not just them... Fou, the stowaway, emerged too.
As Morpheus stepped out, he noticed the control room staff staring at him, their eyes brimming with gossip.
"I'm off to rest," He said, waving off their stares and heading to his quarters.
After such a day, he deserved a good meal and rest!
In the control room, Olga Marie crossed her arms, puzzled. "So, Romani, you're saying Morpheus won over Atalanta in the Age of Gods?"
"Clearly," Romani said with a grin. "Making someone remember him so long she never married... Morpheus has some serious sins to answer for."
"What's so great about him that she'd hold on like that?" Olga Marie muttered, then paused. "His report didn't mention lovers, did it?"
"That's personal. He didn't need to report it."
"You think he had other women in the Age of Gods?"
Romani blinked. "Why do you say that, Marie?"
His gossip-loving soul blazed.
"Because plenty of women in Greek myth stayed unmarried, some adventuring with him... like Medea. They were on the Argo together. Think there was something between them?"
Romani pondered, weighing possibilities, then gave up. But a spark of inspiration hit.
"Let's have Ritsuka try a precise summon of Atalanta!"
"Why?"
"She was Morpheus's companion in the Age of Gods. She'd know all about him!" Romani said, eyes gleaming, looking smug as if expecting praise.
Olga Marie scoffed. "Precise summoning? We don't have a catalyst! And summoning a Servant just for gossip... is that necessary?"
"Then what?" Romani shrugged. "We can't just ask Morpheus."
Surprisingly, Olga Marie shouted, "Why not?!"
"What? I'm not asking! That's too awkward," Romani said, then prodded, "Why don't you, Director?"
The single Director put her hands on her hips. "Fine, I'll do it!"
She stormed off, her steps resolute. Romani gaped. "She's really going?"
The staff watched, intrigued, unclear if they were curious about Morpheus's love life or Olga Marie's impending confrontation.
…
Back in his room, Morpheus examined Durandal, now his strongest weapon. Its power could instantly grant him immense physical and magical strength.
"It matches my full magical output, comparable to when the four archangels back me. Thanks to Jeanne's blessing, this sword lives up to its name.
"If I combine angelic support, magical enhancement, and Durandal, my power could double or triple, enough to devastate a continent.
"But to unleash its star-slicing potential, I'd need to sanctify myself, resonating with the sword as a saint. Only then could I threaten a planet in an instant."
Feeling this power, Morpheus sheathed Durandal.
With this experience, he was more confident about crafting Solomon's ring. He'd have Romani wear it for an upgrade.
He also began preparing materials... not for the ring, but for Servant summoning.
"Servant summoning… If I tweak the array, could I summon a Heroic Spirit directly from the Throne? Even true demons or angels could be summoned with the right process and theory."
Excited by the high chance of success, Morpheus headed to Chaldea's archives for information.
Opening his door, he found Olga Marie pacing outside, clearly preoccupied.
"Miss Animusphere."
"Just call me Director or Marie," She said, annoyed.
"Alright, Marie, what's up?"
"Can't I check on you? You left so fast, I was worried about your condition!"
Seeing her scramble for excuses, Morpheus shook his head. "Sure, I believe you."
"You don't believe me at all!"
"You said it, not me."
Olga Marie was exasperated. This guy was infuriating.
Calming herself, she asked, "Did you hide anything in your report?"
"Hide?"
"Like intimate encounters with legendary figures. Don't misunderstand... I'm not prying into your personal life. We need to be cautious since they're summonable Servants!"
"Oh, that. Obviously, I had a thing with Jeanne Alter this time, right?"
"She's a Servant…" Olga Marie thought of the fabricated woman and shook her head. "But you mimicked Jesus to bear her sins? If the Church finds out, you're in trouble!"
"Look at the four archangels beside me. They'd get a chance to rephrase."
"…"
Speechless, Olga Marie dropped her pretense. "Fine, tell me who you hooked up with in ancient Greece!"
"Oh, that's what you're after!" Morpheus nodded. "You should've said so earlier!"
"Then spill!"
"Not many. In ancient Greece, just Medea and Artemis. Oh, and now Atalanta."
Olga Marie froze, stammering, "Y-You said Artemis? The virgin goddess, Artemis, is your…?"
"My lover, yep!"
Olga Marie stood stunned. The legendary virgin goddess Artemis was Morpheus's lover?
***
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