6 6

(Ritsuka fujimaru pov)

"Interesting, you chose short swords as your weapon," Artoria remarked, clearly surprised by my choice. 'Did he summon his weapon out of nowhere? And those short swords are not normal weapons. I can sense a similar feeling from them,' she thought to herself.

"Yes, and the reason why I chose these weapons is because only these daggers, and another demon sword, can withstand my darkness art technique, but I'd like to try these daggers now," I clarified. The weapons I create with my mana can withstand to some extent, but I can't perform my technique properly with them.

Or I need to learn blacksmithing to create the my own best swords. If only I could summon a skilled swordsmith in future.

The Altered Saber began to advance "Then you must prepare yourself." raising her own sword, she pointed it towards me "With this blade, I shall deem whether your words are true or false." She started to raise her aura but she saw a knight appeared beside me and stopped 

Igris emerged from my shadow and addressed me, "My Liege, you can leave this to me."

"Igris, if I relied too much on my summons, then my instincts would become softer, you see," I replied, as Fou jumped on Igris from me.

For a brief moment, silence permeated the battlefield, allowing the crackle of fire and the whistling air to take over.

And as soon as it had come to be, the silence disappeared.

King Arthur let out a battle cry, Excalibur engulfed in reddish darkness as she charged forward.

The final battle had now truly begun.

I took a step forward with my daggers and started to release my aura. With a kick to the ground, I dashed forward.

"Quicksilver!" I exclaimed.

I ran fast, closing the distance between us. She and everyone else were surprised.

"Darkness Slash!"

Dozens upon dozens of dark energy flickered and descended on Artoria, but her armor allowed her to withstand the attack and block a few strikes.

Slice, slice, slice, slice!!

Her armor cracked, and her helmet broke. I saw her beautiful golden eyes, but they lacked life and light. She seemed cold and emotionless.

'She has good resistance,' I thought to myself.

She attacked me with her sword, and I blocked, retaliating with my left dagger. She blocked it, and our weapons clashed together. We started to move, our attacks so fast that no one could see us with the naked eye. The ground was destroyed beneath us due to the impact of our fight and the shockwaves from our attacks.

"Are you kidding me? Even after enchanting my eyes with mana, I still can't see them?" Olga exclaimed to Tamamo and Caster Cu, who were watching from afar.

"I can barely see them," Tamamo replied, amazed at our fight.

"I can see them, but if only I was summoned in my lancer version. I would love to fight Ritsuka. And I bet he wasn't going all out," Cu Caster said, his blood boiling with the desire to battle, despite being a caster, much to his disappointment.

"Wait! He's holding back?" Olga exclaimed in shock.

"Director, Ritsuka Fujimaru is not using any powers or magic. He's just using his pure skills and strength," Romani explained through the communication screen. "But if this fight drags on—"

"You don't have to worry about my Liege, WEAKLING," Beru interjected.

"E-eh?" Romani recoiled as if he had been struck, before slumping in his chair. "W-weakling... I've been called a weakling by an ant…" he mumbled, his expression downcast and somewhat despondent for a few moments. He inhaled and then looked back up, trying his best to build up his confidence again, while Da Vinci laughed at him.

"My Liege is enjoying this fight," Igris remarked, and Fou nodded in agreement while looking at the fight, where Ritsuka had a smile on his face.

As Ritsuka and Artoria started to fight more seriously.

'I felt a rush of excitement. Yes, this is what I've been missing. I sparred with my soldiers before, but none of them had the intent to kill me.'

While fighting with Artoria, I began to imagine scenarios of our battles with different outcomes. I analyzed her movements. Artoria mostly dodged my attacks because of her instinctual EX skill.

Artoria acknowledged Ritsuka's skills and decided to end the fight. She used her Noble Phantasm.

[Excalibur Morgan

Sword of Promised Victory]

Upon sensing her attack, Ritsuka jumped up and dodged her attack. Then, he used Ruler's Authority on himself and threw himself towards Artoria. Artoria slashed with a mana burst at him.

But Ritsuka used Ruler's Authority on the ground to change his angle and move faster than her attack. Then, he punched the ground, making her unstable. Ritsuka followed up with a powerful kick, sending her flying far away. He then threw his daggers with Ruler's Authority skill at her. Artoria blocked the attack, and the daggers returned to Ritsuka's hands.

Before Artoria could react, Ritsuka closed in on her. She saw his body covered in dark and purple aura, his eyes glowing. She witnessed his smooth sword technique once again, his dagger now enveloped in darkness. The dagger rushed towards her neck, aiming to cut her head off.

Just as it seemed the fight was about to end, Artoria used mana burst on herself and escaped Ritsuka's attack. She distanced herself from him.

Blood trickled from her neck due to Ritsuka's deadly attack. She was certain that if she had been even a split second late in evading, her head would have rolled on the ground.

After healing herself, she prepared to unleash her Noble Phantasm on Ritsuka on a large scale.

"This will be the end," Artoria said, preparing to unleash her Noble Phantasm.

"[Excalibur Morgan - Sword of Prom...]" she began, but I interrupted her.

"It's over, Arthur," I declared, using my skill.

{Bloodlust Skill}

Suddenly, a sea of darkness engulfed her, immobilizing her. She felt like she was being sucked into a dark abyss with no way out. Two piercing eyes looked down on her in darkness as if she were a mere insect.

Stab.

Ritsuka Fujimaru stabbed her in the chest. As the darkness dissipated, Artoria saw Ritsuka Fujimaru standing before her.

Artoria fell to her knees.

"Haa... So this is what I got for letting myself into this mess. No matter what, it would appear I will always lose when I am alone," Saber said.

"Hey, you're right. I have my family and friends. That's why I won, King," I replied.

"I see, you have something to protect," she said as she slowly started to disappear.

"Hey, I want to ask this. You like womens so much, so you became a woman or you became woman, because you like womens so much?" I asked.

"No, I'm not women-obsessed. Who said that, and I'm a woman from birth," Artoria responded, clearly annoyed.

'I see, she is not gender change like Da Vinci' i thought 

"Anyway, Art, you should leave the past and move forward. If you think you are alone, then find a new purpose. I bet you look beautiful when you smile," I said.

"What? No one has ever said that to me. You are strange. You are a god with a human heart, and I lack that," she said as her body weakened.

"Art, you had a heart in you. But it was sealed deep. I respect you and stand proud, King Artoria. You are strong," I said, showing my respect for her.

Because of this fight, I can feel I level up three levels.

Then my group came to meet us.

"What?" At the same time, Caster began to fade away as well, accepting that it was his time to go and smiling at the master.

"Well, I guess it's up to you, kid. If you can summon me, please let me be a lancer, will ya?" He then faded away with a goodbye, leaving only Saber.

"You may have won this battle, but the war for the Holy Grail has just begun. Grand Order," she said while looking at my friends.

"God of Darkness, I want to tell you this. It was fun to talk with you, and you smell good," Artoria Alter smiled then faded away, leaving behind a golden chalice.

"WHAT?" Hearing her last words made my heart skip a beat. I know who said the same words before.

I respected her, but after hearing her words, I felt uneasy. I don't like this feeling even after I won.

Meanwhile Olga Marie Animushere's bad day is finally coming to an end.

Saber has been defeated through their combined efforts and sheer attrition, and the Holy Grail is right in front of them, waiting to be taken.

She could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

So why is she felt something uneasy?

"Grand Order…" Olga muttered under her breath, feeling a sense of unease. "How did she know that name?"

"Well done, you guys!" Romani's voice crackled through the comm units as he finally received the after-battle update he wanted to hear. "And Igris, can you take the Holy Grail?" he asked, prompting Igris to retrieve it and present it to his lord.

"Is there a problem, Director Olga?" Tamamo inquired, noticing her unease.

Olga recomposed herself and returned to her mature stature, pushing aside her doubts for the time being.

"Well done, Tamamo, Igris, Ristuka and ...Beru." She said as Fou jumped onto the her shoulder with a yelp.

"As the director of Chaldea, I acknowledge your accomplishment, Ritsuka Fujimaru," Olga declared, her tone firm and authoritative. Fou hopped onto her shoulder with a yelp, and she continued, "Well done, Tamamo, Igris, and Beru."

Ritsuka Fujimaru remained focused, his gaze fixed in another direction, waiting for the final mastermind to reveal their face. He could sense a demonic presence looming.

"It is surprising that only you were able to get this far! This is beyond my predictions. No, I must say that this is beyond even my wildest dreams," a voice echoed, capturing everyone's attention.

It's Lev… her mentor, right in front of her eyes. 

"Wait! Olga" Ritsuka said

Olga ran to the older man, ignoring or perhaps unable to hear the warnings behind her.

Olga's heart raced as she rushed towards Lev, unable to contain her shock and disbelief. "Lev!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mixture of emotions.

As she approached him, memories flooded her mind. Lev had always been there to support her, to guide her through difficult times. Surely, he wouldn't abandon her now.

But deep down, a nagging doubt lingered. How could he have survived the explosion? And why was he here now, after all this time?

Despite her inner turmoil, Olga couldn't resist the urge to reach out to him, to seek the comfort and reassurance that only Lev could provide.

""Lev! Y-you're alive!" Olga exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief.

"D-did you say Lev, Director?! Is he really there?!" Romani's voice crackled through the comm device, his surprise evident.

"Oh, so you survived too, Romani… Honestly,... you all are scums," Lev muttered, his words fading into the background for Olga.

"Ah, Olga!" Lev's attention shifted to her, and he let out a sigh. "Apparently, you also had a hard time..."

"Yes, Lev!" Olga replied eagerly, her eyes pleading. "Will you help me, Lev? I can't do it without you!"

"Of course, it always happens that way. You plunge into some deep shit, and then I end up pulling you out of it," Lev sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You know, that's why I set the bomb under your feet. Yet here you are, bothering me as always. Honestly, it's like some kind of curse."

Olga's excitement quickly turned to confusion and disbelief as Lev's words sank in. She staggered back, feeling as if the ground had been pulled out from under her.

"What... what are you saying, Lev?" she stammered, unable to comprehend his sudden change in demeanor. "You... you set the bomb? But why?"

Lev's casual admission left her reeling, her mind struggling to process the betrayal she felt. How could someone she trusted so deeply have orchestrated such a heinous act?

As Romani's voice crackled through the comm device, Olga's gaze flickered briefly to the screen, but her attention remained fixed on Lev. She needed answers, even if they shattered the image she had of him.

"Though you died, after all." Lev sighed. "Your body, I mean. To be more precise you couldn't participate in rayshifting while you were still alive, but after death you were able to somehow accomplish this. Do you understand this? If you were able to rayshift then this is because your body was destroyed and all that was left of you, is your soul and consciousness. In other words. even if you return to Chaldea you'll just die instantly. Good, no more of you bothering me, at least."

Olga's shock was palpable as she struggled to comprehend the betrayal unfolding before her. "N-no… Y-you're lying! You can't be Lev! He would never do this!" she protested with a mixture of disbelief and desperation.

Lev chuckled at her reaction. "Me? Hmm… Well, you're right in a way, but let me tell you, I have inhabited this body," he admitted, his tone laced with amusement.

"But, I confess, it will be a pity if you just disappear without a trace." Lev's expression softened momentarily before he sighed. "Well, consider this as my gratitude for all the years I spent under your command and all the years you gave to Chaldea. I will show you what is happening right now."

With those words, a portal opened above him, revealing CHALDEAS, the perfect replica of the planet Earth, now glowing a bright red, as if bleeding.

"W-what is that?" Olga managed to ask amidst the chaos in her mind.

"This is the real CHALDEAS, of course. Behold, this is the end result of the Animusphere's mission. You see, Marie, I wanted to show this to you as a sign of my gratitude. After all, how would I accomplish this had it not been for your gullible self?"

"I-I am responsible for this?" Olga's voice trembled with disbelief.

"Yes… A fitting last sight, wouldn't you agree?" Lev's tone was mocking, reveling in the unfolding chaos.

"Lev... Lev?!" Olga's gaze shifted to the massive globe, a simulation of the entire planet suspended before her. "It's just an illusion, right?!"

"Oh, I assure you it's not. For this demonstration, I connected space and time so that you could see everything with your own eyes." Lev gestured towards the glaringly red core of the simulation. "Not a single point of blue representing humanity. And you know why? All thanks to your mission and your leadership! It is because of your intervention that humanity will not survive past two thousand sixteen. You've shattered the timeline, and as a result, humanity has already met its demise!"

Having uttered this last phrase, Lev clapped his hands.

"It's amazing, Olga!" The man grinned. "Your incompetence is worthy to be recorded in the history books - the only independent decision you ever made ended the existence of all mankind! I'm not even sure if I should be surprised, delighted, or horrified!"

"But okay, jokes aside." The man sighed, and Animusphere suddenly rose into the air. "If it is time for our parting, then let me give you a parting gift. All the time you treasured your Chaldea so much, so you can be one with your treasure!"

Out of the blue, Olga felt a force pulling her towards Lev.

Slowly, her spiritual body flew towards the floating red core of Chaldea.

"No! Wait! Wait! STOP!" Instantly, in a second that was necessary to realize the direction of her movement, the girl screamed. "What are you doing to me?"

"Oh no, I'm not going to kill you! Chaldea is more than just a simulation. This is the whole history of mankind! This is not just a map, it is an interweaving of thousands of mythological lines. It is the door to any point of the existence of all civilization, it is the core that supports billions of space-time pockets. Chaldea is a whole world, united in a masterpiece of magic and technology! Do you think that you'll just die if you touch it?"

"IT'S SIMILAR TO A BLACK HOLE," Lev stretched his lips in a smile. " IF YOU TOUCH IT, The forces of Chaldea will split you into atoms, smear a thin layer of you on its core, absorb all your mana, information ingrained to you, your soul, and your mind, supported by the power of Chaldea, will be forever locked in an agonizing state unable to live or die completely."

I snapped my fingers and the portal was destroyed which was created by Lev.

"You fucking parasite, you talk too much for someone who will going to die," I finally said loud enough to reach him. Just because he can't sense my power, he thought I was trash.

{Ruler's Authority}

I used my skill to nullify his control over Olga's body. Then I pulled Olga's body towards me.

"Rit-Ritsuka," she said as I took her in my arms, and then she stood on the ground slowly.

"What? How?" Lev was shocked.

"Who gave you permission to talk?" I said and released my aura on him. He fell to his knees, and the ground beneath him cracked from the impact of my aura.

Then Lev sensed my mana level.

'This scum has so much mana. And what is this feeling? Just his aura makes me suffocate. It's as if I'm standing in front of Death itself,' he thought with anger.

"You? How the hell are y... ahhhaaa!" He was about to ask, but I broke his legs with my Ruler's Authority skill.

"Just answer my questions," I said with cold eyes.

Tamamo and Olga saw the kindness gone from my eyes. They saw a different side of me.

"I will kill you, brat," Lev said, trying to stand but failing. He then realized that he couldn't use his mana at all.

The face of Lev hardened considerably.

"You can't use mana now. I used dark mana of world energy on you. It disturbs the mana flow in you, and you can't use your mana as long as I want. It would only work on those weaker than me," I said.

'What is this bastard saying? How can he do this? First, where did this bastard come from? My master didn't see someone like him in the future,' Lev thought, his face contorted with anger.

"But how... can you do it... A lowlife like you, how...??"

Ritsuka raised his head. A trembling voice leaked out of Lev's mouth.

Tamamo interjected, "You have a trash mouth! Can't you use your brain? Mikon... my master is stronger than you, dumbass."

Beru heard this and thought, 'I see, Olga is in the friend zone. Then Lady Tamamo will become my liege's future wife, and she understands my liege very well, like me. Kekekekek.' He chuckled inwardly.

"I saw you felt very happy for what you did to Olga, didn't you?" I said.

"Keu-heuk!!" Lev's face contorted in pain..

"Not only did you destroy her life, but you also tried to throw her into hell," I said as my aura intensified, pressing him into the ground.

"Keuaaahk!!" Lev screamed in agony.

"Answer my questions."

Lev had never felt such humiliation. His face hardened considerably. His race was considered greater than humans, and now he found himself at the mercy of a lowly human. This thought sent Lev into a berserk rage.

"Uwaaaahk!! You b*stard!" he spat out in fury.

With a cold and menacing look, I thought, 'If this parasite wasn't going to be useful... Then, there's no point in keeping you alive. It's time for you to die and become useful.'

I snapped my fingers.

Crackle!

Shatter!

As the void crack formed in the sky and the realm tear appeared, sucking in all the air around them, I spoke, "Didn't you say you would throw Olga into a black hole or something?" 

Soon after, I created a massive 100-meter-wide sphere of pure darkness above us in the sky. Incomparably strong gusts of wind spread apart in a 15-kilometer radius, and the landscape started crumbling, with soil, dead trees, and even mountain peaks suspending in the air, unable to hold their ground regardless of their weight or composition.

"Did he..." Romani spoke with fear.

"Just create..." Da Vinci added with surprise.

"A black hole?" Olga finished the sentence with shock.