Vengeance Unrequited

Good, you made it through the gate! Still not too sure how it opened on its own, but we can worry about that later!

All that's left now is

？！

It seems we've lost our connection. Nothing to be done about it now. We'll just have to make our own calls.

All right, now we split up into two units, just like we planned!

The assault unit will consist of Siegfried, Bradamante, Don Quixote, Sancho...

...Johanna, Holmes, Kadoc, and Fujimaru!

The rest of you will stay here and defend this gate!

Remember, defend it like your lives depend on it!

Yes, sir!

(Gasp, gasp, gasp...) That's it... I can't run anymore...

Oh, you guys are going on ahead? See you later then.

？！

Thanks. Okay guys, let's do this thing!

All right now toUgh...

？！

...I'm sorry, but would you mind saying it for me?

？！

...Okay. I can hang in there a little longer!

I'm seeing about three hundred enemy soldiers ahead!

Don Quixote!

As you wish, Princess! I mean, Your Holiness!

Listen up, you Revenge Realm louts!

Her Holiness Pope Johanna is about to speak!

Huh!?

Stay back, or kneel.

Ghh... Such...pressure...!

H-hey! What are you all doing!?

...I guess it's no surprise my orders are less effective on nonbelievers.

Well, at least I cut down on their numbers pretty significantly.

Got it! Let's take care of these guys as quick as we can!

Gah... No wonder these Servants were stationed in the castle. They're strong...!

Mow them down, Joyeuse!

Phew...

？！

Hm? Oh... Yeah. More or less.

Don't worry. The only place I'm going is the Revenge Realm's throne room.

So this is the Revenge Realmthe city Kriemhild created.

... ...

Let's keep moving, Master.

(Sigh) Good grief...

You seem relieved that your work is done, Gramps.

But unfortunately, this is far from over.

Oh, uh, yes... I'm sure it is. If anything, this is just the beginning.

Exactly. I feel as though I can finally get started.

That you kept Siegried sealed away right under my nose is galling beyond...

Oh, well. It's fine. It's completely fine.

This realm, this revenge... It's all for him, after all.

Nothing and no one will stand in my way.

I see.

It seems as though you had a goal of your own.

Do you think you'll be able to accomplish it?

Of course. All we have to do is win this battle.

Once we acquire Charles the Great's Holy Grail, then I

No... Our Master will have won.

...I see.

Then, I suppose I should fight for our Master too, since I'm technically a Servant myself.

Oh, no. You needn't worry about that, my queen.

All you need concern yourself with is him.

Yes, you're right. It's been a long time. A very, very long time...

They'll be at the castle soon. I'll go out to greet them.

I will, of course, send them straight to you.

See that you do.

Woah!

Taoist arts... Zhang Jue must be here!

Indeed, I am.

And of course, I'm not the only one.

Holmes.

Indeed. Siegfried. Charlemagne.

I would like you two to go with Mr. Fujimaru and Kadoc.

Yeah! We'll handle Zhang Jue!

And all the other Servants here, too!

Rest assured, we will hold our ground to the bitter end!

Sancho! ...I'm counting on you!

Yes, sir. It will be my pleasure to stay by your side till death do us part.

All of you against one frail old man? That hardly seems fair now, does it?

Hahaha, surely you jest.

Lord Zhang Jue, as the most powerful practitioner of Taoist arts in this entire Singularity, we mean to bring all we have to bear in this fight against you as a sign of respect.

Besides, keeping you occupied here is one of our absolute highest priorities.

...I see. Well, that's nice to hear.

All right, it's time for you to die.

Tell us what to do, Holmes! We'll follow your orders to the letter!

Understood!

So far, no enemy soldiers... No, wait, I spoke too soon. Dammit, of course there'd be some here!

There they are!

Move aside. Now!

If you wanted to defeat us, you should've brought at least a hundred of your top-ranked Servants!

We need your summons, Fujimaru! Are you up to it!?

？！

Hey! Hang in there!

？！

We've still got a long ways to go! Keep it down to two for now!

All right. Nice job.

Honestly, I thought you were gonna get carried away and summon way more than you could handle.

I guess you've grown up as a mage a little. A...very little.

Uh-oh, this isn't good. There's a bunch more Servants bearing down on us from both directions!

Okay, I'll handle the ones up ahead! Siegfried, you handle the ones behind

!!!

Master, Kadoc! Behind you!

Die!

？！

Dammit!

(...Guess this is it for me.)

...Guess my time has come.

(Oh well. Nothing I can do about that.)

Don't be silly. I'm not going to let that happen.

...Huh?

You're... No. It can't be...

What did you expect?

I was asked to protect you.

Kch!

Ah, dammit. So I still can't go out in the line of duty?

Of course not.

You may not go peacefully in your old age, but you can at least try a little harder to stick around as best you can.

That's what... What my Anastasia and I, Viy, want for you.

So hang in there a little longer.

I know you can do it.

？！

Yeah. My trump card.

Hey, Fujimaru, gimme one of those stim amps.

You saw it too, right?

It's not as good as a real Servant, but I still have a tiny fraction of Viy's power.

Which means I can help you out, if only a little. Got it?

Good. Then let's get out of here as fast as we can, before the ice melts!

Khh...

？！

Are you two all right? Don't worry. We're almost done here!

I know, but still! ...Dammit, place is still teeming with Servants.

My, oh my. Are you trying to clear a path?

!

Dammit, just what we need!

Hmph. How rude.

Huh? Didn't you go over to the Revenge Realm?

Don't be absurd. I would never follow a liar's orders.

Hey, you. Yes, you.

Answer me honestly. Do you mean to destroy this Singularity?

？！

... ...I see.

I would never lend my help to the lying liars of Proper Human History, but...you're honest, so I don't mind helping you.

I'll clear a path for you with my flame. It's a straight shot to the throne room.

Don't worry about anyone coming after you. I'll hold this ground.

I don't get it. Why are you doing this?

... ...You know, that's a good question.

Honestly...I'm not entirely sure myself.

？！

You're quite welcome.

I think...seeing you get back on your feet like that is all it takes to make me happy.

Hehehe, I wonder why that is? Teeheeheehee!

...I don't know what that was all about, but I guess you've got it pretty rough, huh?

I sure as hell do! Get a clue, would you!?

Well, as long as you understand, it's probably fine. Probably.

？！

...Okay, this should work. I'll stay here and help this Servant hold off your pursuers.

Siegfried, I'm counting on you to settle things with Kriemhild. Go get her!

... ...

Hey, thanks for helping us out!

Everything about you is a lie, isn't it?

Pretty much!

And you don't seem to understand insults, either... Oh well, nothing I can do now, I suppose.

Just try not to get caught in my flames.

All right, let's do this thing! Time to kick ass and take names!

You do know it's rude not to listen when people talk to you, right?

As the sun ascends to the heavens, the five elements manifest, and the ten celestial stems stand tall. I humbly offer my respects...

(This incantation...)

May the great, wise gods descend and protect this Great Teacher without ever leaving his side!

(It's usually used to request protection from Xians, but he's used it to make himself into a godlike being!)

(This is most likely his trump card, as well as)

Ms. Bradamante! Stay away from him for a while! Focus entirely on defense!

G-got it!

I suppose I'll just have to come to you, then. Hrn!

Mante!

Oh wow. Thank you!

You must be the female pope.

Yes, that's right. What about it, old man!?

Oh, nothing. I was just wondering how you really feel about being on that side.

You detest Proper Human History, do you not?

I'm...I'm just not going to think about that right now!

I had someone who mattered to me much more than that, and you Revenge Realm crazies took him from me!

So now I'm here to kick your sorry asses!

Can't blame me for trying.

You've left me no choice. I didn't want to do this...but I can always crush you under sheer weight of numbers!

Those Servants are Kriemhild's vassals...and they're all as strong as Heroic Spirits!

(Reinforcements! The last thing we needed...!)

Huh!?

Lord Holmes? Did you do that!?

No! I don't even have a gun!

You! Have you turned traitor on us, you disgraceful monk!?

...'Course I have. No way I was gonna pass this chance up.

I've been wanting to get rid of this Singularity ever since I got here.

I've been waiting for this moment for so long! I don't care how dirty I have to get my hands to seize it!

I'm going to ruin everything you've been working towards, Mr. Great Teacher!

Tch!

You thought you were far enough away from me to be safe!?

Begooone!

...

...!?

(I got them in one shot? No counterattack, no trap, no payback curse?)

(Then, does this mean...they died just to get me to drop my guard!?)

Now, Don Quixote!

Raaaaaah! Here I come, old man!

(I see. So this was their ploy!)

Noble Phantasm...

...Valiente Asalto Dedicado a la Princesa!

Oh, no you don't!

...Not that one, sir.

Bouclier d'Atlante!

Gah! My eyes! Still, it'll take more than that to

I'm sorry, Lord Zhang Jue, but it's time you retired.

And you can kick it off with a visit to my reality!

Sancho!

...Go back, go back, go back.

Books end. Dreams conclude with the cold splash of reality.

All fades into the past like a passing fever.

We must abandon our dreams, that we might more fully live our lives.

Or this is where humankind's path will end!

Activating Noble Phantasm. Return to reality.

Triste Gentil Alonso Quixano!

What...? My power... It's...!

Haaa!

Dammit...!

Got you!

...Ghh!

...I think this is it for us, sir.

Indeed...

I guess all we can do now...is pray...

You did beautifully, Don Quixote, Ms. Sancho.

Great work, Mante!

Oh no, I still have a long way to go! More importantly...

You're wondering who that mysterious sharpshooter who assisted us was?

That's right!

I don't think we had any snipers that skilled among our own soldiers...

I'm afraid I have just as little to go on as you do, but if nothing else, they didn't seem to be our enemy.

From what Zhang Jue said, they must have been a Revenge Realm Servant waiting for an opportunity to turn on them.

...That was some truly remarkable shooting.

(Huff, huff...) ...They did, it huh? Thank goodness...

I don't know who you guys are, and there's nothing more I can do than pray for you...

But whoever you are, make sure you win, dammit...!

...We're here.

With Charlemagne and that other Servant buying us time...

...this may be our best chance.

I'm off to see Kriemhild...the queen of the Revenge Realm.

Please come with me, Master.

Hello, Siegfried. It's been a long time.

...Yes, it has.

You're as glum as ever, I see.

Or is that just your way of trying to prove you won't go easy on me now that we're enemies?

Both.

You always did complain about how glum I was.

Yes, I did.

Even I didn't expect the same dour look to be on your face when you were confronting a foe.

...You're not going to stop, are you?

No, I'm not.

Not even if every other Servant of the Revenge Realm abandons me.

Not even if I had to fight everyone myself.

I know what I have to do and who I have to defeat.

You, Siegfried. My loathsome love. My traitor husband. Liar!

...You're right. I did lie to you Kriemhild. A great deal.

Too little, too late!

I loved you, and you betrayed me! I risked everything I had to avenge you...

...only to learn you allowed yourself to die! How dare you? How dare you!? HOW DARE YOU!?

(Yikes.)

(It's like the air itself is crackling with her words.)

(The two Holy Grails have raised her rank as high as it can go.)

(Her stats are probably even better than Siegfried's now...!)

？！

...I know.

Between your sacred Balmung, and my demonic Balmung...

...it's obvious which is stronger.

We both wield the genuine Balmung. Neither of us could ask for a more worthy opponent.

I see... If you can't even tell how much stronger your opponent is than you...

...then you are no hero! You're a fool!

Here she comes! Get ready! This is gonna be the big one!

？！

Ah, ah, ah, aaahhh!

(Shit, she's strong! So this is what two goddamn Holy Grails backing you up can do!)

Ghh... Khh!

Diiie!

Haaaaaa!

？！

Dammit. If only... If only we knew her weakness...

!

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Viy, answer me. Can you transfer your Mystic Eyes' power to Siegfried?

...Yeah. Why?

Then do it.

It'll use me all up.

...Please!

I'm just kidding, Master's Master. Okay, here goes.

Siegfried! I'm sending you a support spell!

...Understood!

Raising antenna. Adjusting channel.

Initiating see-through vision connection. Target hero: Siegfried.

This... This is it!

...!

(Something's different. ...It's not me. I'm still functioning fine.)

(Mystic Eyes...)

...!

...I've heard Mystic Eyes occasionally manifest. You have them, do you?

(Damn, she noticed?)

It's clear they're not the kind that restrains their target, Siegfried.

It's also clear they're not making you stronger. Looking into the past wouldn't do you any good right now.

So then, they must either show the future...or an opponent's weaknesses.

... ...

The latter, then. Fine. Use whatever tricks you like.

I know your weaknesses too, after all. This makes things fair.

I doubt they'll be very fair for you.

Don't bother acting like you're a good guy. You're only making me angrier.

I see. Vicious it is, then.

...I'm sorry, Kriemhild, but I won't be going easy on you.

Ahahahaha! You mean you had been up until now?

No, not at all.

But...I can't honestly say I was trying to kill you, either.

...!

So now, I'll fight to kill. But before that happens, I'm going to defeat you.

We can talk more after that.

You... You... You really piss me off!

Fine then. You have your heroism, I have my wickedness.

Now let's see once and for all which of us is in the right!

Look! Kriemhild doesn't have the Holy Grails anymore! Fujimaru!

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It's over.

？！

What? I thought you'd be happier about this.

？！

Long for what?

...(Sigh) So much for that.

Even with an army ten thousand strong, two Holy Grails, my demonic sword, and hatred driving my revenge...

...I was still no match for you.

...That's not true. You were a fearsome opponent.

And, the truth is...I should have had more faith in both your strength and your weakness.

What are you

I...I thought you were the kind of person who could recover from anything.

I was sure that, strong as you were, you would live an even better life without me.

And, above all...

...I should have had more faith in how you valued love.

As if you even cared about me at all. Like I said, it's too little, too late. Idiot.

...You're right. I am an idiot. It's painful to think about.

Painful?

There's nothing more painful than looking back on one's own foolishness, is there?

I... I made a mistake. And, I'm about to make another one.

Huh?

...Master. No... Fujimaru.

Kriemhild will never use her demonic sword again.

The mass of magical energy the Holy Grails were providing to her is gone. Our battle consumed nearly all of it.

I tried to kill her and I nearly succeeded. And now, here we are.

This is exactly what we agreed to. I...hope you can forgive me.

？！

No, thank you.

You have my gratitude for granting this foolish wish of mine.

All right...

Eh? Huh? What...what are you doing?

Your ambitions... Your dreams... Whatever you want to call them, any hopes you had of permanently establishing this Singularity are dashed for good and all.

The Holy Grails are now in our enemy's hands.

This means, at long last...I can fight for you openly and proudly.

I... What?

Huh?

I'm sorry to surprise you. But I decided this some time ago.

If Kriemhild is still alive even after we stop her...then from that moment on, I want to fight for her.

...Even if it means you and I should become enemies.

Even if it should result in my own death.

You... Huh? Why...why would you do that!?

You can't. You can't! I won't accept this!

Kriemhild.

I may have been wrong about you, but you were no less wrong about me.

Huh...?

What's so strange about wanting to fight for the one you love?

... ...

Please, stand up. Let's win this together.

Let's win this for your pride, and for your love.

... ...

Don't get carried away, Siegfried.

Of course I can still fight.

With you on my side, I can fight even better than before.

Right. Of course you can. I knew you weren't the sort to give up easily.

Is that all you love about me? My tenacity?

I could name several other things...

...but I haven't the confidence to sing your praises where others could hear.

I don't want you catching another man's eye.

... ...Hm? Wait.

Are you saying you're worried someone else might come and steal me away?

Yes, that's right.

...

...When I woke up today, nauseating PDA was not on the list of things I expected to see. What are you two, middle schoolers?

Who are you calling middle schoolers!? ...Middle schoolers can't be married!

？！

...Haven't really got a leg to stand on when it comes to betrayals, do I?

Besides, one of a Master's duties is granting their Servants' wishes.

But you'd better not let them winand they don't look like they're about to make it easy.

？！

...Thank you again, Master. But don't expect me to hold back.

...Okay, Siegfried. Let's win this.

...So this is the end.

Is...is this okay? I did such terrible things...

Just because you did terrible things doesn't mean you deserve a terrible ending.

...You're wrong. This ending is perfectly terrible.

I have so many regrets.

I regret my going mad for revenge...this situation...everything!

Then those will be my cross to bear and my sins to atone for.

Come, Kriemhild. As long as I can die by your side, I have no regrets whatsoever.

...Okay. Then please, hold my hand. Whatever you do, don't let go.

I want us to be together to the moment we disappear like so much dust in the wind...

...Now is it over?

？！

Right. We still have to deal with the worst one of them all.

Master!

We're seeing that you've secured three Holy Grails!

？！

Most of the Revenge Realm Servants have already disappeared.

Some of the ones that are left have chosen to surrender...but either way, all three realms are now united.

It shouldn't be long now before all the remaining Servants follow suit.

Indeed! Well done, my boy! Well done!

But...why doesn't the Singularity seem to be going anywhere?

Oh, hello. I take it you're all finished?

？！

...I see.

So the three Holy Grails have been gathered, and the Servants who were rebelling against Proper Human History are disappearing.

What a strange, luxurious feeling.

Seeing all this ugly, self-centered conflict come to an end and the Servants who fought it disappear...

I never would have thought it would make me feel so lonely.

Well, it looks like I'll be on my way, too. Oh, and one last thing...

？！

I think you're my Anchin.

It's okay. I'm certain enough for the both of us.

Of course not. There are few things we understand less than ourselves.

It's okay. I have a good eye for character. All you have to do is trust it.

？！

All right, I'll be going on ahead now. May the rest of your days be joyous and fulfilling.

There you are. I've already heard the report on your battle.

Now, for our report. We eliminated Zhang Jue.

But he disappeared the same way he did in the assassination mission, so I've not been able to confirm that he was the real Zhang Jue.

What about Siegfried? I see he hasn't returned with you.

He and Kriemhild died together. But hey, at least we got the Holy Grails off her first.

Hmm... I see.

However, we have all three Grails, yet the Singularity persists.

This must be his doing...

An earthquake? ...No. This must be

An emergency transmission? ...No, wait. What is this!?

Congratulations, members of the Righteous/Reinstatement Alliance Army.

The rebellion against Proper Human History has been brought to an end, and the Singularity will collapse.

...Or so you believed.

I'm surprised you're patching us into this call, too. Who are you?

My name is James Moriarty.

I am a Foreign Disciple and the last Servant who still rebels against Proper Human History.

...!

Well, hello there, Bradamante and Johanna. Long time no see.

I didn't expect to see you two swayed by your emotions, but I did account for the possibility.

No use crying over spilt milk. You were originally on Proper Human History's side anyway.

This Singularity just happened to inflame your existing passions.

...You may be right. But do you also mean to say the same isn't true for you?

Of course.

Uniting the three realms was merely a necessary ritual, regardless of who ultimately did so.

A ritual, hmm...

...I see. But then, it seems you're no different after all.

Oh? In what regard?

You said this Singularity didn't affect you...

...but I don't buy it.

Ah, I see. Yes, perhaps you're right.

Lord Holmes! Lord Fujimaru!

What's going on!? Who is this man!?

Well now, if it isn't Don Quixote de la Mancha, the great teller of tall tales, in the flesh.

And your companion there would seem to be Sancho... Dulcinea... Rocinante... Oh, and

One more word about my inner workings, and I'll sue you for sexual harassment.

Whoa. Well, there's a response I certainly didn't account for.

Good, good. You two are just fine.

Not that you'll last much longer either way though, will you?

...So it would seem. It looks like our role in this has come to an end.

Yes, it would seem so.

Well, congratulations to both of you!

Oh, yes. Thanks to your valiant efforts, this Singularity will be sticking around forever.

So everything you've done here has been meaningless. Tell me, how does it feel?

...!

Hahaha! That's your big revelation!?

Young man, as I have a great deal more experience than you, let me tell you a little secret.

War has always been meaningless! Life is itself all but meaningless!

But that doesn't mean we should just throw up our hands and give in to despair.

There's nothing wrong with being a little delusional, as long as you treat those delusions with respect.

I was enthralled by my dream of becoming a knight, and so I did my best to live like one.

If you're determined to be a knight, real or not, you can't go around robbing and stealing like a common thief, can you?

Not to mention, this particular war was special. You know why? It DID have meaning! Fujimaru and his companions are still alive!

...I see.

Okay, everyone, it looks like we'll be taking our leave a little ahead of the rest of you. Let's go, Sancho.

My sir already said just about everything I wanted to, so I have nothing to add.

Goodbye, everyone. You too, Lord Moriarty.

Oh, but before we go, I have something I'd like to give you in lieu of being more helpful. Minerva!

？！

She should be a faithful scout for you right up to this Singularity's final moments.

Well, sir, shall we?

Indeed. Farewell!

All right, buddy, what do you want from us, anyway?

Why, a fight, of course.

I want a showdown with Chaldea. Or, more specifically...with Sherlock Holmes.

I see. Naturally, I accept.

After all, you are my greatest rival.

Perfect. Then now we can pit our wits against one another, fair and square.

Should your mind outperform even my expectations, Mister, then this match will be yours.

But if your abilities are as I expect them to be, victory will be mine.

Come, Sherlock Holmes. Show me what you've got.

Where will I find you?

I've prepared a stage for us in the very center of this Singularity, where all three realms' borders meet.

I call it "Reichenbach Falls." Fitting, don't you think?

...Yes, I suppose it is.

All right then, goodbye, Mister. Goodbye, Chaldea.

Goodbye, all you fair Servants.

So James Moriarty has finally shown himself!

Although, I still don't understand his role in this Singularity.

When he paid us a visit, he advised us to unite the three realms and warned us about Chaldea.

But that was all.

...I get the sense he didn't really care about any of us at all.

In fact, he may not even care about this Singularity.

I think all he wants is to settle things with Chaldea...

...and especially with his archrival.

It looks like this is as far as Johanna and I go, too.

It's been a long and winding road, but above all, it's been an honor to fight by your side.

I do need to say though: even now that the realms have been united, part of me still aches to rebel.

That's really how you feel, huh?

Yes, it is, Your Imperial Majesty. Ugh. I really hope I get summoned normally next time.

Well, goodbye!

It's time I was on my way, too, but I'll be praying from the bottom of my heart.

...I still can't fully shake my revulsion for Proper Human History, but I won't let that stop me from praying for your safety.

Besides, if it produced an emperor with a smile as kind and gentle as Kōnstantînos's...

...then Proper Human History couldn't be all bad.

In fact, right now, I can answer your question with pride, Charlemagne.

Yes. Yes, I can put my beef aside to answer that wish.

All right... Good luck, everyone!

With few exceptions, every Servant in this Singularity felt at least some desire to rebel.

This was a consequence of their Master's influence, not the Foreign Disciple's.

No, that's not right. Countless Command Spells were used on all sides while the war was ongoing.

That remains our greatest clue.

As I suspected, Moriarty is only a Foreign Disciple, not their Master.

That's enough, Holmes. We need to set off at once.

...You're right. My apologies.

That said, I'm afraid I'm still unable to repair the damage to my Spirit Origin. I would only slow you down when you face Moriarty.

It seems it would be better for me to return to Chaldea's Spirit Origin graph rather than add to Master's magical energy burden.

Charlemagne, father to us all. Will you watch over Master in my stead?

To that end, it isn't much, but I want you to have the magical energy I would have needed to incarnate.

I appreciate the thought...but unfortunately, I'm kind of a big eater.

It'd only keep me going for another minute or so, if that.

An extra minute should be more than enough for you. Am I wrong?

Heh, maybe not.

Well, Master, Kadoc, Holmes. I shall await your return back home.

？！

Servant return signal received. We'll get him to the infirmary as soon as he gets back.

The end of this Singularity is nearly in sight now. Let's keep it up for the final push, everyone.

？！

Hmm. What exactly did you have in mind?

？！

Oho, I see. So you've become entranced by the pleasures of a piping hot carbonara with a generous portion of bacon mixed in.

Very well then. Make sure you bring a big appetite when you return.

Fou fou fou!

Excuse me sir, but Fou says he'd like you to make him a plate, too!

Huh!?

Er, yes, that's fine with me. Is there something in particular you want?

？！

A delicious meal... Okay. A game many players can play at once... Okay.

Just so you know, I'm not going to join you for that, all right?

Now, what else... A nice, warm bath in a big tub... Okay. A bed where you can get plenty of sleep... Okay.

...Very well, I'll do what I can to make that happen!

Hehe. Now then. Minerva, would you kindly scout ahead for us?

... ...

？！

No, it was a Taoist amulet. It looks like she just made it so you couldn't miss it.

It looks like there's a letter here.

？！

Hey. If you're reading this, then I must've died in battle. Dammit.

Actually, maybe we won, and I just disappeared after. Ah well, either way.

The point is, you all helped me a bunch, and I helped you a bunch too.

So before I go, I wanted to leave you with one last bit of info.

I think that each Servant has a different Master.

!

See, I tried to divine something about my own Master with my Taoist arts, and it said:

"Kind" "Forgiving" "Understanding" "Why?" "But, I still can't forgive them"

That's what they were thinking when they summoned me.

But when I tried the same divination on another Servant, it said:

"Kill" "Unforgivable" "They can pay with their lives and it still won't be enough" "Why?"

Later on, that same Servant went over from the Righteous Realm to the Revenge Realm after our war against the Reinstatement Realm.

It made me think the reason each Servant has different degrees of revulsion towards Proper Human History is because, well, we each have different Masters.

And if that's true, it would mean there are as many Masters here as Servants... Hell, maybe there even used to be more.

Anyway, I thought this might be helpful, so I just wanted to let you know. Bye!

... ...Multiple Masters...

It's possible... But then, that would mean

Hey, Sherlock? Mind if we do our thinking on the way?

I don't have a lot of time left here.

I might even disappear right as we reach this Reichenbach Falls place.

...You're right. My apologies. Let's be on our way.

Fortunately, we still have that golem-drawn carriage the Casters made.

If we drive it at top speed, we should make it there in time and conserve your magical energy.

Thanks, pal. All right, I think I'll rest up in my spirit form for a while then.

... ...

？！

Ah, Kadoc?

Hm?

You have some suspicions about me, yes?

... ...Yeah, I do.

When'd you figure it out?

Probably quite a bit before you would expect.

And do you suspect me even now?

I'm not sure.

Maybe it was all in my head.

You sure didn't seem to be holding back in any of the fights we've been in.

Hahaha. Well, I did always make sure to keep some fuel in the tank, so to speak.

Because Moriarty's here. I get it. Can I ask you something?

About the Moriarty here and the older Moriarty you guys met in Shinjuku.

About the young Moriarty here and the middle-aged Moriarty you already know.

Is there any difference between them?

Good question...

As I see it, the older Moriarty liked to play evil.

As someone who was malevolently charismatic, he strove for something that transcended both good and evil alike.

At least, that was my impression of the man.

But the Moriarty we encountered here is the opposite. He's actively attempting to be evil.

Impressive as his Servant powers may be, he seems rather a novice in matters of evil.

However, he won't stay that way forever. At least, that is not the sense I have of him.

That being said, I'm not the only one here who's familiar with him.

What do you think, Mr. Fujimaru?

？！

？！

Is that so?

What about the old one?

？！

Good question...

As I see it, the older Moriarty liked to play evil.

As someone who was malevolently charismatic, he strove for something that transcended both good and evil alike.

At least, that was my impression of the man.

But the Moriarty we encountered here is the opposite. He's actively attempting to be evil.

Impressive as his Servant powers may be, he seems rather a novice in matters of evil.

However, he won't stay that way forever. At least, that is not the sense I have of him.

So does this mean his Foreign Disciple power's affecting his personality?

That is certainly one possibility...

However, thus far, we have seen three other Disciples; Rasputin, Limbo, and Senji Muramasa.

Let's put Rasputin aside for the moment, since we've had almost no contact with him.

Despite containing two Divine Spirits within his body, Mr. Muramasa's personality seemed to be entirely his own.

Limbo is far more suspicious, but we also know too little to say for certain. It's entirely possible that chaotic persona was in fact his own.

As for Moriarty...I didn't see any significant differences in his personality between his old and young incarnations.

That aside, the abilities you've told us of are certainly astonishing.

So there were seemingly no attacks that were able to touch him, hmm. There are a few beings I could name who were known for being invincible.

Precisely.

Achilles, for one. Vritra of Indian mythology also comes to mind.

？！

Under certain conditions, these heroes are able to nullify any and all attacks directed at them.

If that holds true for Moriarty as well, we should be able to determine his weaknesses if we can uncover which Divine Spirits have been embedded in him.

I have a database of mythology from around the world right here. I just hope it proves useful if you need it...

That's Minerva... It would seem we've arrived.