Time to Wake Up

The falling leaves froze in midair, birds hung motionless in the clouds, the wind ceased its movement, and even the grass stopped swaying.

In an instant, the entire world seemed to freeze.

Arkhan continued to smile as he gently stroked the heads of the two children, his eyes filled with tenderness.

"What are you... saying?" Nidhogg chuckled, albeit a bit forced. "Isn't this your home? Where else would you go?"

"Right, we've been waiting so long for you to come back. We can't let you leave again." Morgan quickly chimed in.

"Do you... really want to leave us?" Artoria said expressionlessly, a hint of sadness flickering in her eyes, making it hard to refuse.

"Don't leave me, Daddy—!"

"No! Father just came back to us. We don't want you to leave!"

The two children held onto Arkhan's leg tightly, refusing to let go.

"I have to admit, even though I know everything here is fake, these are the things I've longed for..." Arkhan's gaze swept over everyone, his face showing a hint of nostalgia and longing. "Family, love, friendship... things we often take for granted or overlook until we lose them... Honestly, if I had to make the choice again, I might not have the courage to take that step."

He shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Perhaps this is what they call bonds... Hahh... in the end, I'm just a human being..."

"If that's the case, why not stay here?" Nidhogg couldn't understand. "Whatever you want, you can have it all here with ease. This is a paradise that many people dream of... Why do you want to leave?"

"Because what I carry on my shoulders is not just for myself..." Arkhan said softly, his eyes becoming more resolute. "If I stay here, only I would be satisfied, and that kind of satisfaction is not what I need. I embarked on this journey for the sake of my people, and they are waiting for my return!"

"That's just wishful thinking on your part!" Morgan shouted harshly, her beautiful face contorting like a demonic witch. "You've been away from that world for so long, maybe they've already forgotten you, or even worse, they might think you abandoned them, a cowardly deserter!"

"No..." Arkhan shook his head, still wearing a gentle smile. "They won't forget me because their voices still echo in my ears."

As soon as he said that, Morgan's eyes widened suddenly as she saw silhouettes of people, countless people.

Among them were noble and elegant mages, honorable knights, devout ministers, loyal soldiers, ordinary civilians, and... she even saw herself in there!

An endless crowd of people stood behind Arkhan, their gazes all focused on him, filled with obvious respect and reverence.

As if shaken by this magnificent scene, Nidhogg, Artoria, and Morgan reluctantly took a step back. Even the two children couldn't help but feel a bit frightened, quickly releasing Arkhan's leg and retreating behind their mother, their bodies trembling slightly.

Countless crimson feathers fell all around Arkhan, who spread his palm to catch one of them. Watching the feather dissolve into specks of light, he chuckled softly.

"Really... one of the cliche plots of villains in anime. Even the most beautiful illusion is still just that, an illusion. You can't live forever in a dream world, y'know... I believe, one day, I'll make these beautiful illusions a reality... But not here, not now..."

Countless crimson feathers quickly ablaze like flames and converge into Arkhan's palm, gradually forming a greatsword wreathed in crimson-yellow flames.

He calmly turned, gazing up at the towering tree that obscured the sky before him.

"Now, it's time to wake up..." Arkhan muttered and raised his greatsword.

"Wait!"

"Don't!"

Ignoring the surrounding screams, Arkhan raised the greatsword high, and without hesitation, swung it forward.

*Whoosh—!*

A surge of flames rushed like a burning cloud, swiftly engulfing the towering tree.

Infinite light blossomed in an instant, and finally, Arkhan departed from this realm of fantasy.

===

In a ruined castle, a giant man, Heracles, half crouched on the ground. As time passed, he seemed to sense something and lifted his head to look up.

"What's up, Berserker?"

A little figure in front of him asked curiously.

Heracles lowered his head and fell silent for a moment. After a while, he opened his mouth, his voice deep.

"The time has come... It's about time for me to go through it as well."

Illyasviel, as pale as snow, instantly widened her eyes, unsure whether it was because the usually silent Heracles suddenly spoke or because of what he said.

"You're going through it? But... why?"

Illyasviel's face showed a pitiful expression, making one feel unusually heartbroken.

"We finally defeated that powerful enemy. All we have to do now is wait for your Noble Phantasm to recover. With it, the remaining Servants are nothing to fear, and we can easily obtain the Holy Grail. You can also get a physical body through this. Stay here forever, by my side, protecting me forever. Doesn't that sound great?"

"Or is it..."

Crimson patterns climbed slowly along Illyasviel's fair skin, like ancient totems as her expression instantly turned as cold as ice.

"Your care for me used to be a lie. You never wanted to stay by my side. You're just like Mom and Dad, wanting to abandon me, leaving me to live forever alone in this cold castle."

Looking at Illyasviel, who suddenly became aggressive, Heracles's expression hardly changed. His eyes were still filled with gentleness as he gently stroked her head.

"Illya, my Master, our bond is something that even time and space cannot sever. In these endless years, only you have remained in my memories. If you want, I can stay here with you forever."

"But I know very well that your loneliness cannot be filled by just me alone. You have lost too much. Do you know? The reason I responded to the call of the Holy Grail back then was because of your loneliness. I don't really have any wishes for the Holy Grail. My only wish is that you can retrieve all those lost and fill your life anew."

"In that case, you should help me more to get the Holy Grail!" Illyasviel pouted.

Heracles shook his head slowly and pointed behind her.

"What you need isn't the Holy Grail, it's them."

Illyasviel turned around in surprise and saw several figures standing behind her, whose presence she hadn't noticed before.

Among them were a middle-aged man in a trench coat with a rough face, a gentle-looking white-haired beautiful woman, identical twin maids with calm expressions, and a young man with short reddish-brown hair.

They silently watched her, their eyes filled with warmth.

"Dad, Mom, everyone..."