66 [66] He's Still Alive
"So that's how it is..."
"...You spent such a tumultuous time as the Son of the White Dragon in your dreams, experiencing all of that... Quite an extraordinary revelation."
Quietly, silently.
Waver sat in the sickroom, patiently listening to the disciple's slow and detailed narration of the entire lengthy, convoluted, and grandiose story.
Reinhard's final words fell silent.
Waver remained silent for a long time.
His fingers hung slightly in the air, as if holding an imaginary cigar.
He took a deep breath, inhaling the invisible substance into his lungs, and then slowly exhaled.
Those complex, chaotic thoughts seemed to empty out along with it.
"Hmm..."
"Rein, I probably understand... what happened."
"Well... can this also be explained?"
Hearing this, Reinhard couldn't help but be stunned.
Because he knew best that Alvin Pandragon's adventures were actually triggered by the system as a simulation... it wasn't a real dream.
It was the reality of this world, a history that had once existed.
But the existence of the system made it inconvenient to speak of such things.
So, Reinhard explained it in the form of a dream.
Reinhard had complete trust for his mentor.
If at first it was just the impression left by the anime that made Reinhard favor Waver.
Then, after more than a year of being together, he knew exactly what kind of person Waver was... a mentor worthy of entrusting everything to.
For his disciple, this mentor could risk his own life.
According to Gray, Waver once risked great danger in Castle Adra, bravely continuing to maintain Luviagelita Edelfelt's magic circuit, breaking the bounded field that trapped everyone in the castle.
If there were any doubts, Reinhard wouldn't have accepted Waver as his teacher. His mastery of magecraft had actually surpassed Waver's.
It wasn't just his trust in his mentor.
His mentor, in turn, also gave him unconditional trust, without treating him differently because of his suspicious identity as a 'foreigner'.
They trusted each other as mentor and disciple.
However...
Reinhard felt that saying, "Professor, you're actually a character from anime," might be a bit too disillusioning, so it was better left unsaid.
A 'dream'...
This was the interpretation Reinhard had carefully considered for Alvin's experiences.
Could such a thing actually provide a reasonable explanation?
"Yes... Rein."
"Do you know what 'Necromancy' is?"
Waver brought up a somewhat obscure term.
Reinhard pondered for a moment.
"Are they... the magus who like to use corpses as spell materials?"
Things like corpse explosion, flesh stitching, undead summoning, resurrection, tainted soil...
He actually had quite a bit of impression of necromancy, but only a small part of it came from the moonlit world.
The most typical was probably the Lich King, Arthas Menethil.
His weapon Frostmourne was so famous.
As for the necromancers native to the moonlit world.
Reinhard only knew one necromancer, Kairi Sisigou, because one of the Fate series anime he watched was Fate/Apocrypha, he has a slight impression.
"Are these necrophilia enthusiasts related to my dream?"
"Necrophilia... Hmm~ That's one way to put it, but the point isn't the corpses, it's the spells themselves."
Waver was amazed at his disciple's rhetoric.
Reinhard always seemed to grasp the essence of things and express them in the most straightforward and understandable concepts.
Mastery of magecraft doesn't mean one can teach, this is undoubtedly an excellent quality required of an outstanding teacher.
"Necromancy, in a sense, is a type of magecraft that communicates with the dead. It intersects with Thaumaturgy and Curse at the Clock Tower."
"To be honest, it's a relief that you woke up after three days. Otherwise, I was going to ask someone from those two departments to see if you were cursed."
"The phenomenon on your body... might be... Spiritualism."
"Spiritualism?"
Reinhard muttered the word.
Waver, being the encyclopedia of the magical world, found a logical explanation for the excuse of the dream.
"Yes, because you came into contact with the relic of the Son of the White Dragon, the aura on it happened to trigger your clairvoyance, producing the effect of 'Spiritualism' with the dead."
Waver sighed.
"That is definitely not a dream."
"Because dreams are often vague and hazy..."
"Your memories are too clear and too logical, full of various astonishing details."
"While the development may vary slightly, upon careful consideration, it is basically consistent with the wild history I know."
"The name of the Son of the White Dragon has never appeared in official history, but now I know the answer... it is Alvin Pendragon."
"That is undoubtedly the truth. Rein, what you glimpsed was indeed history itself."
"Because the abnormality in your magic circuit occurred inside your brain, it was enough to support this level of spiritualism... I'm sure you must be exhausted now, right?"
No, I feel like I could punch through the Clock Tower.
Feeling the synchronization with Alvin, his whole body surged with energy, and there was nowhere for it to vent.
Reinhard nodded solemnly.
"It's a bit tiring..."
"Then... your magical energy consumption must be severe. Rest well."
"Such precious memories are indeed an invaluable treasure. As magus, knowledge is, to some extent, our power."
Waver looked at his disciple with the eyes of someone looking at a treasure.
Not only was he exceptionally talented, but his luck was also so good.
The hope of reviving modern magecraft was now clearly evident in Reinhard.
Waver was extremely sure that the future modern magecraft would definitely make the Clock Tower the first discipline.
"Now that I understand the cause and effect, and see that you're unharmed, I can rest assured."
"Rest well. I still have to go to class. Don't let Reines ruin your spirit."
Waver gave his instructions earnestly.
However, he only mentioned Reines, not Gray.
It was clear that he was somewhat biased towards his disciple.
Anyone could see the affection behind the three days and three nights of vigilant watching.
Waver was deliberately matchmaking his two disciples.
Gray, who had a tragic upbringing from childhood and whose face made her even more distant, entrusted her to Reinhard, so Waver was extremely confident.
So, Waver prepared to leave and give the young people some space, while also taking care of Reines.
This was the art of playing favorites.
Indeed.
Eating and then sleeping, it was the pinnacle of happiness, and it was even more comfortable with someone warming the bed.
Reinhard understood Waver's intention to leave and did not think about that.
"My body tells me to rest, but my reason doesn't allow it."
Reinhard smiled wryly.
"Don't worry, professor, you've already taken care of me these past few days."
"Tsk."
The upper body that had just stood up immediately sat back down.
It definitely wasn't because of the phrase 'taking care of me.'
"Are you trying to butter me up? The fees I charge now are quite high..."
Yes, today is a weekday.
The reason why Waver was in a hurry to return was because there was still a big group of students waiting eagerly to be fed, and he still had to teach evening classes to supplement his income.
The funds of the El-Melloi family were all shouldered by him.
Let's not mention the astronomical figures. Anyway, there definitely weren't any gold coins that came pouring out after his death, just a bunch of debts.
Being able to spare time to visit his disciple amidst his busy schedule, Waver had already done his best.
Before the conversation could continue, the black-haired youth directly took out a stack of pounds from his pocket and gently placed it on the bedside.
"No need to count, professor, you can handle it yourself."
Waver's gaze was somewhat blank.
"It's been a long time since I've played. It's quite nostalgic. Let's finish the lesson you didn't complete last time, professor... I'm interested in that segment about the 'forgotten history of Britain.'"
"Tsk~ Your adorable attitude as a student who is diligent and eager to learn is truly irresistible."
Waver tapped a few times on his worn-out smartphone and sent a text message to the administrative office that had been drafted earlier, adjusted his sitting posture, and half-laid on the chair next to the sickbed.
Unfortunately, it was a hospital room.
If only he could smoke.
"What do you want to ask, Rein? I'm sure you have a lot of questions."
Reinhard organized his thoughts before speaking slowly.
"First... um, teacher, what is the account of King Arthur in official history?"
"If it's official history... let's start from where your 'dream' ended..."
Weber closed his eyes and pondered for a moment.
"First of all, in the records of British official history, King Vortigern never left any descendants after defeating the petty kings. In other words, there is no such person as the 'Son of the White Dragon.'"
"After conquering the petty kings, King Arthur unified the entire British Isles, including Wales, England, Scotland, and Ireland, and built the magnificent and flawless Camelot on the ruins of Londinium. The Celtic Kingdom and the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom all fell under her rule thereafter."
"She implemented many policies that might be considered forward-thinking by your standards... dispersing the noble aristocracy, establishing a basic centralized state, emphasizing agriculture and law, and promulgating an official examination system for officials, which is also considered the prototype of the modern British civil service system."
"According to historical records, she never felt fatigue, not only achieving continuous victories in foreign wars but also handling thousands of political affairs in a single day without making any major mistakes."
"Under her virtuous and holy governance, the animosity between the Saxons and the Celts gradually diminished as they merged racially over the years of civil war. Only external enemies, similar to the Romans, remained."
"Here, we need to mention the history of our magical development... the final decline of the Age of Gods is generally believed to have occurred during this period in Britannia."
Recalling what his disciple had witnessed and heard during that dreamlike period.
Waver sighed with emotion.
"In theory, as an island nation, Britannia basked in the twilight of the Age of Gods."
"Once the Age of Gods declined, the barren land would cause all things to decay and wither. The Celtic people, as the remnants of the Age of Gods, would also absolutely not be able to survive in such an environment."
"According to historical records, Britannia at that time did indeed suffer from years of uninterrupted natural disasters, such as floods or droughts.
"However..."
Waver Velvet's expression became solemn.
He continued.
"...The virtuous and perfect King Arthur devoted herself to promoting agricultural techniques and attached great importance to food storage and transportation. She even transformed the environment and developed a new type of food that could increase production even in such barren conditions."
"Scholars have always wanted to know the answer, but no one knows exactly what it was... only that it was referred to as the 'Seed of Hope' in historical records, described as 'a spreading, vigorous greenery across the land'."
Reinhard's expression became somewhat trance-like.
"That is..."
"Yes. Now we know the truth."
Waver said softly,
"It's none other than... Microalgae, such an astonishing answer on this planet, the most ancient form of life."
"Relying on the existence of the 'Seed of Hope,' King Arthur's kingdom managed to pass through the decline of the Age of Gods relatively smoothly."
"The vast majority of the Saxons and Celts in the kingdom survived, but... from here, a very peculiar divergence appears."
Waver reminisced about the various scrolls he had read.
"Ordinary people may not care about these historical details, but we magus know, Rein... the Celts are the descendants of the survivors of the Age of Gods."
"Their bloodlines contain the true ether, and as a result, many of them became outstanding warriors in the years to come."
"While the decline of the Age of Gods was not a big deal for the foreign invaders such as the Saxon, it was different for the Celts, who couldn't survive without true Ether. They would still suffer massive casualties and ultimately be unable to survive."
"However... the vast majority of them did survive in the end."
"Although their bloodlines gradually assimilated into those of the proliferating saxons, according to historical records... the Celts disappeared of their own accord, having achieved a peaceful end."
Waver averted his gaze, looking out the window.
Due to the haze, London couldn't see many stars.
In the quiet night sky hung a solitary, silent moon.
"This is not something that can be achieved by simply having the 'Seed of Hope.' The real reason, you won't find this passage in any history book of Britannia."
"Because this is the foundation upon which the Clock Tower rose to prominence, even within the Clock Tower, only a handful of Lords can delve into the secrets hidden in the ice chamber."
"...The Inner Sea of the Planet, above Londinium, was pierced by a hole."
"This brought forth a murmuring, like a stream of hope true Ether."
"And it was because of this that King Arthur gathered all the Celts to Camelot, which is the original site of Londinium, and thereby saved the Celtic people."
"Which means..."
Waver lowered his gaze and looked at the black-haired youth in front of him.
"...Alvin Pendragon has truly succeeded. His achievements saved everyone."
"I see..."
Upon hearing the conclusion of the people on the island, Reinhard's expression became somewhat trance-like.
The world seemed unchanged, but in reality, it had already been altered.
Alvin Pandragon's choice not only ensured the world's continuation but also saved everyone on the entire island.
Reinhard was extremely certain that it was his own free will, the determination of the king named Alvin Pandragon.
However, was it all predetermined by historical facts?
Like a connected loop.
Interesting... causality.
"So, professor..." Reinhard raised a new question, "Londinium is... London?"
"Yes, Londinium is indeed the ancient name for London."
"Then why is it that I can't see that empty void above London?"
Reinhard especially liked to conduct magical research in the workshop at night. The quiet night would make him feel a serene concentration.
For over a year, he had often looked at the moon in London, yearning... for his family.
They must be worried, right? Is his body still in that world? How are mom and dad now? Are they healthy?
But... such thoughts.
The more he thought about it, the more unbearable it became...
So he stopped thinking about that for now.
And then, for over a year of gazing at the moon, he had never seen that dark sun in the sky above London.
"I've never seen it either..." Waver shook his head.
"But, the reason why the Clock Tower in London has always been the center of the world's magecraft..."
"Besides the Spiritual Tomb of Albion...."
"Also because the leylines here are much more abundant than elsewhere."
"Although it's definitely incomparable to the Age of Gods, it's still several orders of magnitude higher than ordinary places."
"Do you know, Rein... since the time of King Arthur, the leylines in London have never dried up."
"Moreover, the origin of the Clock Tower was precisely during that period when a group of magus summoned by King Arthur regarded Britain as a base and established the organization."
"So, I speculate that the empty void has always been there."
"Just... hidden away."
"Hidden away?"
Looking at the moonlight outside the window.
Reinhard's gaze flickered.
"Yes, let me give you an analogy."
Waver smiled.
He raised his hand and tapped the wall behind him with his knuckles.
"If a hole appears in the wall of your home."
"A hole that you can't repair with your skills, or even temporarily cover up, it looks very unsightly and damages the image."
"...What would you do?"
Reinhard responded without hesitation.
"Cover it up."
"That's right, cover it up!"
Waver reached for a curtain and covered the area of the wall he had tapped.
"I suspect that what is doing here is the same."
"...Don't air your dirty laundry. If it can't be repaired, then block it off and don't let people see."
Waver toyed with his cigar, contemplating.
"However, a hole that can't be repaired is still a hole in the end... if everything you've described is the truth of history, then I speculate that there will come a time when this empty void can be glimpsed!"
"...What time?" Reinhard sat up.
"An eclipse."
Waver smiled.
"In magical terms, an eclipse symbolizes the aperture of the world."
"London experiences an eclipse approximately every three hundred and seventy years."
"In the Britannian calendar, in the year 527..."
"In the year 2003..."
"Haven't you heard the recent news reports, Rein... sorry, I forgot you were unconscious, according to astronomical observations, the next time London will be able to observe an eclipse is within this month."
Waver raised his gaze, his eyes seeming to penetrate the circular lamp on the ceiling, looking towards the distant sky.
"That's precisely the time when... Alvin Pendragon raising..."
He sighed with emotion.
"...The Dark Sun of Britannia."
...
Reinhard sat on the sickbed, lost in thought for quite some time.
Meanwhile, Waver sat leisurely on the chair, rocking back and forth, observing his disciple with amusement.
Heh heh... Such an exciting deduction truly justifies my appearance fee, doesn't it?
Transmitting knowledge and resolving doubts for my disciple is, after all, the teacher's duty.
Although... my disciple's rank seems to have surpassed mine already.
But, as the saying goes, the student surpassing the master is a natural progression, and I am pleased to see it.
They remained in that state of contemplation for quite some time.
Finally, the black-haired youth turned his head and asked, "What happened to Artoria?"
"In the official records, naturally, she died, and it was an incredibly tragic death, so pure, so glorious, so perfect a king, yet she still succumbed to internal and external troubles."
Waver sighed softly.
"Britain and Rome were engaged in intense warfare year after year. To achieve victory, King Arthur led his army across the sea and personally went into battle."
"In such a grand context, that royal successor, named Mordred, gradually grew up."
"...Mordred?" Reinhard vaguely remembered that Mordred seemed to be King Arthur's illegitimate child, but the details of the complicated relationship behind it were not clear to him.
"Artoria, did she marry... um, a king? And did she have children?"
"No, she remained unmarried for life."
"Rumors even say that Sir Lancelot, the Knight of the Lake, proposed to King Arthur, only to have his arm cut off by her on the spot, and he was expelled from the Round Table, which laid the groundwork for her subsequent alienation."
"We only know that Mordred is King Arthur's illegitimate son, but we don't know who the child's mother is, and... that rebellious knight, according to historical records, is said to be even more powerful than King Arthur himself."
"As Mordred grew older, conflicts erupted between her and the king she served so fiercely."
"We don't know the exact reasons, but now scholars generally believe that it might have been because King Arthur spent too much time away at war, neglecting his children, which led to Mordred developing abnormal characteristics in her personality."
"As Britain managed to pass through the decline of the age of gods and the barren period, King Arthur still implemented policies beneficial to the people, which further enhanced the prosperity of her country."
"However, at this time, her attention was increasingly diverted by the wars with the Roman Empire."
"Due to her prolonged campaigns abroad, domestic affairs were left in the hands of a stable bureaucratic structure."
"We don't know the reason why, even though there was peace within the country and victories in war, she dismissed all of those loyal and elite knights of the Round Table and sent them all away to pursue the elusive Holy Grail."
"This led to her power gradually being eroded and marginalized by the old noble factions."
"Taking advantage of the depletion of internal forces during King Arthur's final battle with Rome..."
"Mordred launched a rebellion within the kingdom."
"Long harboring grievances against King Arthur, and with most of the Knights of the Round Table now under her command, the Camelot fell, and a trap was quietly laid out."
"In the end..."
"King Arthur returned triumphantly from Rome."
"She faced the ultimate Battle of Camlann."
Reinhard's expression became somewhat trance-like.
Under the twilight, the sunset was blood-red.
Before his eyes, a battlefield piled with blood and corpses like gravestones seemed to slowly unfold.
"The Battle of Camlann."
That was her repayment for all her achievements and glory to date.
"Should we say, she truly lived up to the title of a perfect ruler?" Waver's thoughts seemed to have flown to that battlefield.
"Even in such dire straits, King Arthur quickly quelled the situation, and it is said that both sides' losses were kept within a small range."
"In front of everyone's eyes..."
"Only Mordred and that king remained to confront each other."
"They had been fighting since morning till noon, and then from noon till dusk."
"According to historical records, the knights who were watching heard the rebellious knight roar out words like 'Father King' and 'Why,' presumably venting her frustrations against the perfect ruler..."
"King Arthur..."
"She managed the entire country perfectly but failed to give her children the love they deserved. It's truly a lamentable ending."
"In the end..."
"King Arthur pierced Mordred's heart with the Holy Lance and then discarded all her weapons... in the darkness of the night, she walked away with a dazed expression to her hometown, supposedly a small town in Essex nowadays."
"When she was found dead..."
"She was standing guard in a field of wheat, holding the hilt of a wooden sword."
As Waver finished speaking, his voice fell softly.
The lingering sound seemed to hang in the small hospital room.
As the mentor, Waver raised his gaze and gazed at his disciple, Reinhard.
"When she died, she was waiting for someone..."
Waver said softly...
"...She was waiting... for Alvin Pendragon."
...
"... No... no way! I specifically summoned Alvin Pendragon!"
Putting all their eggs in one basket, but the result turned out wrong!
The chibi version of Gudako went wild in the meeting room, hugging Mash tightly and banging their head against the table.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Senpai! Please calm down!" Mash tried her best to hold onto Gudako, but in this state, even Goetia himself would be helpless!
"Mash! Why... why is this happening! Sob... Sob... Alvin, you abandoned me..."
Inside the meeting room,
As chaos erupted with Gudako's tantrum, everyone present exchanged glances and sighed softly.
"While I admit that Ritsuka took quite a gamble, there's some truth to it... This is strange... clearly, the summoning was supposed to be for that Alvin Pendragon."
Da Vinci analyzed with interest.
"Clearly, Alvin should have had goodwill towards Ritsuka and should have been willing to assist us in Chaldea..."
"Well... even if he didn't respond to the summoning, it shouldn't have resulted in summoning unrelated Servants like this..."
Da Vinci's voice trailed off.
All eyes turned to the silver-haired, thorn-crowned moth, who, if you ignored the wings of moths behind him, was quite handsome.
"I'm also puzzled, so what's the deal here..."
Oberon lazily lay on the sofa in the meeting room, wrapping himself into a ball with his wings.
"As for... you guys want to summon Alvin?"
The silver-haired youth rubbed his chin, pondering.
"This name... sounds familiar."
Watching Gudako use her head to bang against the table and break it, Dr. Roman scratched his head apologetically.
"So, Oberon, do you know Alvin?"
"It feels familiar, but... I really don't recognize it."
Saying so...
Tears inexplicably began to flow from Oberon's eyes.
He wiped his face dazedly.
"Just..."
"Speaking of this name... it's... so sad..."
Dr. Roman and Da Vinci glanced at each other, somewhat hesitant.
"He must be related to Alvin."
"But... lost memories?"
"So..."
"...Ritsuka! Ritsuka!"
Dr. Roman grabbed Gudako by the collar, shaking her vigorously, transforming her from chibi mode into her teenage form.
"Take Oberon, head to Jerusalem through rayshifting, maybe he knows that king... or perhaps they know each other!"
As he finished speaking...
"Alright!"
Ritsuka jumped up with full energy.
"Oberon! Mash! We shouldn't delay any longer, let's hurry and depart!"
"Hey, hey... I haven't had enough sleep yet! This shift system here is disgusting!"
Dragging the hands of the two, they dashed off, leaving a trail of dust behind them.
Ritsuka once again filled with determination, rushed towards the rayshifting device.
Watching the fiery figure of the red-haired girl.
Dr. Roman and Da Vinci glanced at each other again, sensing each other's confusion and helplessness in their eyes.
"Ritsuka's condition is quite worrying, she's going crazy..."
"The one who made her like this... Alvin..."
"What kind of...person is he?"
As the rayshifting device prepared to activate once again,
The entire Chaldea began to operate anxiously.
Standing on the magic circle.
Ritsuka held hands with Mash and Oberon, her face calm.
This time.
Not only did she need to repair the singularity.
But also...
"...I must summon you out, Alvin."
"To save human order...?"
"No... I just want to peacefully and happily live with Mash, with the doctors, and with everyone I cherish. But, I have too much responsibility on my shoulders, I cannot stop."
"Goetia... I want to hear his reasons."
"Chaldea, human order, counter force... so many things have been too strange, too odd."
"To move forward on this thorny path..."
"If it were you, to protect people, you burn yourself through the Inner Sea of the Planet, would you acknowledge my determination?"
"...Alvin Pendragon."
As the whirlpool of rayshifting, dazzling, began to light up,
Ritsuka closed her eyes.
However...
Inside the control room, looking at the message emanating from CHALDEAS, everyone in Chaldea fell into a state of paralysis.
The brilliance of the rayshifting gradually dimmed.
Ritsuka opened her eyes, feeling puzzled.
"Dr. Roman, is there another malfunction?"
"No... Ritsuka, you don't need to perform the rayshifting anymore."
Dr. Roman's surprised voice came from the control room.
"Because..."
"The singularity in Jerusalem..."
"Has already been repaired..."
...
In the year 1273, Jerusalem.
The immaculate and magnificent Camelot stood amidst the desert sands.
At its pinnacle, where no one could see, the black king of knights stood.
With a sinister and menacing lance deeply rooted in the ground.
A radiant aura, as bright as the scorching sun, bloomed behind her.
The flourishing and dazzling branches and leaves covered the sky, spreading out like a bundle of thunder.
Artoria, with her ash blonde hair, lowered her eyelids slightly.
The vast expanse of darkness, spreading from beneath her, extended from this holy city, like the roots of a giant tree growing and penetrating into the souls of the people stationed within the city, consuming their souls.
Goetia had summoned her to this era.
Their wills aligned.
With the help of his lance, Rhongomyniad Morgan.
She was about to burn through human history with her spiral lance, perpetuating that segment of Britain's history forever with Alvin Pendragon.
Even if it was just a fleeting illusion.
Just being able to see him made her content.
Burning the souls of all the people in this holy city.
The roots of the holy tree were about to plunge into the Inner Sea of the Planet, and she was about to succeed.
No one could stop her determination.
Not even the grand servants, nor the gods, nor Goetia himself.
Now, under the brilliant and flourishing sacred tree, she was invincible.
The radiant wheat field swayed in the wind.
The black king of knights's eyelids drooped, and in her golden eyes, it seemed she had already glimpsed the smiling face of the silver-haired youth.
However...
In this brilliance, beneath the burning world and the sacred tree of life.
A familiar and unmistakable voice, shrouded in mist, sounded behind her.
"Artoria..."
The black king of knights turned back in disbelief.
And then she saw her, the seemingly nonexistent, ethereal, dark witch.
"Morgan?!"
Her veil and hair gradually transformed, as if night and snow were intertwined.
In her azure eyes, there was a hint of aloofness.
Every inch of her voluptuous figure displayed exquisite curves, and her subtly radiant skin was like the pure moonlight adorning the night sky.
The night was cloudless, and the stars shimmered.
The most exquisite, mysterious, and dark.
All converged in her figure and her eyes.
Interweaving into a captivating witch's countenance, unseen by the brilliant daylight.
Morgan Le Fay.
She stood there.
Even amidst this blazing and flourishing sacred tree, under her dark, night-like skirt, it seemed to dim in an instant.
Except for that person, her beautiful face and heart were not allowed to be seen by anyone.
"Artoria..."
Her voice, as light as the wind.
"Alvin, he is still alive."
Artoria stood stunned at the top of the holy city.
"What... are you saying-"
Morgan lowered her bright blue eyes.
"I once said that I didn't want to see you ever again."
"I especially didn't want to tell you something like this."
"However, for him."
"I came here."
"...You're lying to me... Morgan-"
Artoria tightened her grip on her lance.
Her expression was somewhat trance-like.
"Because... I'm going to be with him forever... Are you afraid..."
"Artoria..." The witch spoke softly, "He is still alive."
"This is impossible!"
Artoria roared, his voice trembling slightly.
"Alvin... He clearly... he dissipated in front of you!"
"Why can't you accept the truth... Morgan, I'm about to succeed, we can all be with him forever..."
"He... He burned his own soul to save everyone. I know."
Morgan raised her head and looked at the profound night sky.
This shadow, just like him.
It was comforting.
"... He saving the world, even if it burns the soul and dies completely, only ashes will remain... the Throne of Heroes will definitely record his existence."
The witch's ethereal voice, so gently drifting.
"However..."
"... I deconstructed the ritual to summon those grand servants. I deconstructed Chaldea's rayshifting, and I completely deciphered the counter force's system for summoning heroic spirits."
"I stood under the eclipse, stood in front of his residual flame, pasted his clear heart, and tried to summon him, tried to summon... my beloved hubby."
"But... there was no response."
Even though 'there was no response.'
However, the witch smiled, as if she felt genuine happiness from the depths of her soul.
The content of her words.
Also made Artoria's body tremble uncontrollably.
"My beloved Alvin, if he was sleeping peacefully on the Throne of Heroes, he couldn't possibly not respond to me."
"So... there is only one possibility left..."
"... He is still alive."
"I am absolutely certain, he is still alive."
Gently stroking the crystal-clear heart in her hand.
The dark witch whispered softly.
"My beloved, still waiting for me in some time and place in some era."
Thud.
Artoria fell to her knees.
Behind her, the radiant tree dimmed, and its branches withered.
"Even if it's the dark sun, it's still my sun."
The witch raised her head and looked at the brilliant sacred tree.
Even amidst this brilliant and dazzling brilliance of this world, it was not as bright as his radiant light, which shone like a million suns.
"To this day, he is still my light."
