Lev froze in place. Even though Ritsuka had yet to swing the sword, Lev's demonic instincts screamed in terror. The holy aura radiating from the golden blade was a pure antithesis to his very existence.
"Heh… you think you can actually use that sword?" Lev shouted, his voice trembling slightly as he tried to mask his unease.
"You're not Arthur! The Holy Sword will never answer the call of a fake human like you! Even if you've swallowed the Dragon Cores of two King Arthurs, you're still not them!"
Ritsuka smiled coldly. His left hand tightened around Excalibur's hilt, responding to the pulsing dragon heart in his chest.
"We won't know until we try, right?" Ritsuka challenged.
ZING!
The sword blazed brilliantly, bathing the dark cavern in dazzling golden light.
At the same moment, Mash and the Servants moved.
CLICK.
Nobunaga summoned dozens more matchlock rifles. The black muzzles floated in the air, forming a firing wall that surrounded Lev from every angle.
Assassin manifested from the shadows directly in front of Rikka, her pistol already aimed steadily at Lev's head, finger poised on the trigger.
At the front line, Mash stomped her foot down. Her shield locked firmly into place, protecting everyone behind her.
In the Chaldea Control Room, Romani stared wide-eyed at the monitor.
"Th-this can't be real…" Romani murmured in shock. "All these energy readings… the sword really responded to Ritsuka! Excalibur acknowledged him!"
Lev clicked his tongue, his expression sour.
"Tch—this is going to be a huge problem," he muttered. He knew he couldn't win against Excalibur in this state.
Lev's eyes then shifted sharply toward Olga, who was still trembling in Ritsuka's arms. His gaze was filled with hatred and mockery.
"Fine. I'll retreat for now. But remember this, Olga!" Lev shouted, his voice echoing.
"You're finished! You'll never be able to return to Chaldea! Without a physical body, you'll die and vanish right here! You'll become a ghost forever! HAHAHAHA!"
With a horrifying laugh, Lev's body was swallowed by black mist and vanished without a trace.
Once Lev's malignant aura completely disappeared, the tension in the air slowly faded.
Nobunaga dismissed all her rifles, and Assassin returned to her spirit form behind Rikka. Mash turned around and lowered her shield.
"S-Senpai… what should we do now?" Mash asked anxiously. She looked at Olga, whose gaze was empty, as if her soul had been shattered. The Director looked dazed, unable to think.
Ritsuka took a deep breath, returning his eyes to normal. He knew he had to deal with Olga personally.
"For now… Mash, take the Holy Grail. Nobu, please accompany Mash," Ritsuka ordered calmly.
Mash hesitated briefly upon seeing Olga's condition, but then nodded.
"Understood, Senpai. I'll retrieve it."
"Roger, Master," Nobu replied. The two of them turned and walked toward the Grail.
Only Rikka remained. She stared at her brother, who was still holding Olga tightly. Jealousy flickered in her eyes, but she also saw how broken the woman was.
"Brother…" Rikka called softly. "How are you going to handle this? Lev said she can't go back."
Ritsuka looked at Rikka with a pleading gaze.
"Rikka, can you give us a little time? I need to talk to the Director alone."
Rikka fell silent for a moment, looking between Ritsuka and Olga. Finally, she sighed in resignation.
"Alright," Rikka said shortly.
She turned and walked away, giving them privacy, Assassin's presence following quietly behind her.
"Director… you don't need to worry," Ritsuka whispered firmly. "I'll never leave you. I won't betray you like he did."
But the words seemed to evaporate before reaching Olga's ears. She bowed her head, her shoulders shaking violently.
"Ritsuka…"
Olga's voice was cracked, dry, and cold.
"Lev was right… I really am already dead. He… the person I trusted the most… killed me. He threw me away like trash."
Slowly, Olga lifted her face. The eyes that were once filled with pride were now flooded with tears of despair.
"I don't have a body in Chaldea anymore," Olga rambled shakily. "My vessel is gone. If we Rayshift back now… I'll disappear. I'll be erased into nothingness. Reduced to zero."
Suddenly, Olga grabbed Ritsuka's collar with both hands. Her grip was so strong her knuckles turned white.
"I'm scared, Ritsuka…!" she screamed hysterically. "I don't want to disappear! I don't want to die! I don't want to become a ghost!"
Ritsuka endured the pain of her grip and gently held her arms instead.
"Director," he said softly. "Listen to me. I won't let you disappear."
"HOW?!"
Olga shouted into Ritsuka's face, her tears soaking his cheeks. Her defenses had completely collapsed.
"How can you save me?! I don't have anything left!"
She weakly struck Ritsuka's chest again and again.
"My home is gone… my family is gone… friends? I don't have any! And now…"
Her voice caught in her throat, turning into a painful sob.
"The person I trusted… Lev… he betrayed me… He laughed while I was suffering…"
Olga buried her face in Ritsuka's chest, clutching the fabric over his heart in despair.
"It hurts, Ritsuka… it hurts so much here, you know? It hurts more than death itself!"
Her body sagged, her legs giving out, but Ritsuka held her so she wouldn't fall.
"I don't know…" Olga sobbed, her voice fading into the whisper of a frightened child. "I don't know what to do anymore… please help me…"
Ritsuka stayed silent for a moment, letting her cry it out. Then, gently but firmly, he cupped Olga's cheeks and lifted her tear-streaked face to look straight into his eyes.
"Look at me, Olga," Ritsuka commanded. His low voice dispelled the panic in the air.
"You said you have no home. You said you have no one."
He wiped the tears from the corners of Olga's eyes with his thumb.
"Then make me your home. Make me your friend. Make me your reason to live."
Olga sobbed, her eyes searching for certainty.
"B-but my body… Lev said—"
"Forget what Lev said. He's just a failure of the past who couldn't see your worth," Ritsuka cut in coldly.
Ritsuka leaned closer and whispered,
"As for your body… that's an easy problem. There's someone out there I know who can help with that. Believe me—creating a new vessel for you is a small matter for me now."
Olga's eyes widened.
"Y-you… can do that?"
"I can. And I will," Ritsuka promised.
Then his expression softened. He took Olga's right hand, and slowly, Ritsuka knelt on one knee before her—amid the ruined cavern.
Olga gasped.
"Ritsuka…?"
Ritsuka looked at her like a knight gazing upon his queen.
"Director Olga Marie Animusphere. Lev betrayed you. The world discarded you. But that is precisely what will make you stronger."
Ritsuka kissed the back of Olga's hand reverently.
"Because from this moment on, you belong to no one else—and no longer to your past."
His gaze sharpened, locking onto her soul.
"I'll repeat what I said before. From now on, I am your knight. I am your sword that will cut down anyone who hurts you. And I am your shield that will protect you from the fate of death."
"I swear on my own life… I will always stand by your side. I will be the one person who will never—never—let go of this hand, even if the entire world orders me to."
Ritsuka smiled faintly and wiped the remaining tears from Olga's cheek with his thumb.
"So stop crying, my princess. Your tears are far too precious to waste."
Olga fell silent, absorbing the touch. Slowly, a gentle smile formed on her lips—yet a new resolve shone in her eyes.
"Thank you, Ritsuka. You're right," Olga whispered.
"Because now… I have you," she added inwardly.
"Alright. I won't cry anymore," Olga said firmly. She then held Ritsuka's hand and helped him stand.
Ritsuka nodded in satisfaction.
"That's the Director I know. A strong, proud woman."
The warm atmosphere was suddenly shattered.
"Ahem."
A loud clearing of the throat echoed from behind them.
Ritsuka and Olga froze instantly. They turned stiffly, like poorly oiled machines.
There stood Mash, Nobu, and Rikka.
All three stared at the "intimate" scene with mixed expressions.
Olga's face instantly flushed red all the way to her ears. She hurriedly released Ritsuka's hand and stepped back.
"Y-you guys…!" Olga stammered in panic. "S-since when were you there?! D-did you see everything?!"
Mash turned her face away, cheeks bright red.
"E-um… I didn't see anything, Director. Really."
Nobu, on the other hand, laughed loudly with a mischievous grin.
"Wahahaha! What a sight! Master, you looked very gallant just now. Like a samurai swearing lifelong loyalty to his lord. Very romantic!"
But there was no laughter from Rikka.
Rikka stared at Olga with a sharp, icy gaze. A dense hostility radiated from her, making Olga flinch and instinctively hide behind Ritsuka's back.
Ritsuka noticed the tension and tried to intervene.
"Rikka…?" Ritsuka smiled awkwardly. "Don't look at the Director like that. That's not like you usua—"
Rikka didn't answer. She stepped forward, grabbed Ritsuka's arm tightly, and yanked her brother roughly to her side, pulling him away from Olga.
"Rikka?"
Rikka looked up at her brother, her eyes dark and serious.
"I don't care about whatever loyalty oath drama you were doing," Rikka hissed coldly.
Her grip tightened painfully.
"But listen carefully, Brother. If you ever dare to abandon me for that woman…"
She shot Olga a brief, murderous glance.
"I'll kill her. Got it?"
Ritsuka jolted violently, eyes widening in shock. He had never seen this side of Rikka before.
"Rikka… why are you saying that? This isn't—"
GRUAAAAAA…!!!
Before Ritsuka could finish, his words were cut off by a violent tremor.
The ground shook violently beneath their feet, and the roar of collapsing stone thundered from the cavern ceiling.
Suddenly, loud static burst from the communicator, followed by Romani's panicked shout.
"This is bad! Everyone, listen! This Singularity is collapsing! Its foundation is completely destroyed!" Romani yelled.
"You must get out of there immediately, or you'll be erased along with it!"
Olga flinched, her face turning pale again. She looked quickly at Ritsuka.
"W-what should I do, Ritsuka?!"
All eyes turned to Ritsuka. Yet he remained calm amid the chaos.
Without answering Romani, Ritsuka extended his right hand into the empty space before him.
Nobu narrowed her eyes, seemingly realizing his intent.
"Hoo… you're planning to take us there?" Nobu asked.
Ritsuka nodded firmly.
"Don't worry. Inside that place, the laws of the physical world don't apply. You'll be safe," Ritsuka said.
His eyes shifted to Olga.
"Especially you, Director. In that place… you won't disappear."
WUUUNG…
The air trembled. From Ritsuka's fingertips, darkness seeped out like ink dropped into clear water.
The darkness swirled, expanded, and formed a dense Black Vortex.
They all stared in shock at the phenomenon—except Nobu, who merely smiled crookedly.
"What is that, Senpai…?" Mash asked, eyes fixed on the cold yet harmless vortex.
"Brother? Is that one of your new abilities?" Rikka asked, awe and fear mixed in her gaze.
"Yeah, you could say that. It's a special space," Ritsuka replied briefly.
He looked at his companions.
"Now let's go. We don't have much time before this cave collapses on us."
Olga stared at the black hole hesitantly.
"Go in…? Is that some kind of door?"
Ritsuka nodded.
"A door to a safe place."
"So… we just step inside?" Olga asked again, making sure.
Ritsuka nodded once more and extended his hand invitingly.
"Trust me."
Olga hesitated briefly. She glanced at the falling debris around her, then back at Ritsuka. The choice was made.
Taking a deep breath, Olga stepped forward. She closed her eyes and walked into the black vortex. Her body vanished into the darkness.
Nobu followed casually, strolling in after Olga without a hint of fear.
Rikka and Mash exchanged a brief glance.
"Let's go," Rikka said.
They nodded, then ran forward and leapt into the dimensional vortex.
Now, only Ritsuka remained in the collapsing cavern.
He looked up, staring intently at the burning red globe of CHALDEAS before him—the symbol of humanity's destruction.
Ritsuka bit his lower lip, his right hand clenched so tightly it turned white.
"Should I just destroy that damn thing right now?" he thought.
"If I destroy it, maybe the future will—"
But a second later, Ritsuka shook his head firmly.
"No. Too risky," he muttered to himself.
"I should discuss this with Sensei later. He'll know the best course of action."
With his decision made, Ritsuka turned around. Without looking back, he stepped into the black dimensional vortex. His body vanished, and the vortex sealed shut.
Total silence.
Strangely, the Singularity that should have collapsed suddenly stopped shaking right after Ritsuka left. Broken rocks floated in the air, dust froze mid-fall. Time itself seemed forcibly stopped by an overwhelming power.
In the dead silence, footsteps echoed.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of metal boots casually stepping over rubble.
"Ara~ Ara~ That was close…"
A woman's voice—far too cheerful for the situation—broke the silence.
"My heart was pounding, you know! I thought Senpai was really going to destroy our precious CHALDEAS."
From the darkness of the cavern, three mysterious figures emerged.
Two in the back wore thick black robes that covered their entire bodies and faces, completely hiding their identities. One of the robed figures carried a large bundle on their back—a cloth-wrapped object shaped like a human body.
But the one leading them was the most striking.
She wore no robe. A young woman with extremely long lavender-purple hair, flowing beautifully down to her hips.
Her face was pretty and sweet, yet adorned with a smile that was slightly… broken.
They approached the massive sphere of CHALDEAS.
The woman spun lightly, twirling joyfully like a child in a flower garden—despite standing in the middle of the apocalypse.
"Senpai… Senpai… ah~ it's been so long since we last met," the woman hummed. Her hand traced the air as if caressing the face of someone who wasn't there.
"I missed you soooo much, you know?"
Her purple eyes gleamed with thick obsession.
"Your scent… your mana traces… everything is the same. Ah, I want to hug you so tightly you can't even breathe."
The two robed figures behind her stood motionless, like lifeless dolls, guarding the human-shaped bundle protectively.
The purple-haired woman wore heavy battle armor. Its design resembled that of a holy knight, yet its color was pitch black, as if it absorbed all surrounding light. The aura it emitted was not protective—but oppressive.
"Senpai… just wait a little longer," she whispered softly, her eyes burning with madness. A wide, chilling smile spread across her beautiful face.
"I'll destroy this order… and create a beautiful new world just for you."
They stopped directly in front of the blazing sphere of CHALDEAS.
The woman turned and cast a cold glance at the two robed figures behind her.
"You two. Put the bundle down. Open it now. I want to see her face one more time."
Without a word, the robed figures carefully lowered the burden from their backs. Pale hands pulled away the thick cloth covering the object.
Under CHALDEAS's red light, the face of the sleeping figure was revealed.
The purple-haired woman smiled in satisfaction. She crouched down, her iron-gloved fingers gently caressing the cheek of the unconscious figure.
"The face… the body… they really are very similar," she murmured, her tone both analytical and mocking.
"Good thing we prepared a backup plan in case the real Director was successfully saved by Senpai."
The figure lying stiffly on the floor was a Perfect Clone of Olga Marie Animusphere—a biological replica identical down to the genetic level.
"This really is a masterpiece. One hundred percent identical," she praised.
Then the woman stood upright and turned away, her voice flattening into emotionless calm.
"Alright. Carry out your task. Throw the 'Director' into the sphere."
The two robed figures immediately lifted the clone's body. Without hesitation, they swung and hurled the helpless form straight toward CHALDEAS.
The clone's body floated briefly before being sucked into the blazing core, becoming a sacrifice to keep history moving according to their will.
The purple-haired woman didn't watch the process. She only gazed toward the darkness where Ritsuka had vanished.
An obsessive smile returned to her face.
"Wait for me, Senpai… we'll meet again very soon."