IBHJ 1374

“RUMBLE.”

The ground convulsed as violent tremors rocked Mount Enzou. Jagged chunks of stone thundered down from above, and the ancient cavern—once a resting place for the remnants of the Greater Grail—buckled under the pressure. Within seconds, the entire structure gave way, crumbling in on itself until nothing remained but a mountain of shattered rock.

Then, with a sharp boom, a blinding pillar of light surged up from the ruins and shot straight into the Vortex Gate hanging in the sky.

Manaka’s expression darkened.

“...It’s an anchor,” she muttered, eyes narrowing. “The Lord of Salvation planned for this. He predicted everything down to this exact moment.”

Mordred and the others finally arrived, just moments too late. After a quick exchange, the situation came into focus.

“So Beast VII is gone now, right?” Mordred asked, glancing at the fading light. “Then that means the other two anchors should be safe, yeah?”

“Not necessarily,” Manaka replied “The other me—she may have been revived, but that just makes her more dangerous. The Lord of Salvation might use her again. According to what Beast VII told me, his real plan is to free her, turn her into the Antichrist, and push Ritsuka to become the Beast of the End.”

Her gaze turned upward toward the Vortex Gate.

“Then he’ll erase this world... and perform a Root Kill on Fujimaru Shirou, who still exists in the Age of Origins.”

Mordred scowled. “Root Kill? That doesn’t sound good.”

“You’re not wrong,” Manaka said quietly. “But what that actually means, or how it works, we still don’t know.”

She paused, her voice dropping.

“But there’s something else. Something Beast VII told me before she attack me.”

Mordred’s brows drew together. “What?”

Manaka didn’t blink.

“She said: ‘The moment Fujimaru Shirou fires Akasha’s Arrow will be when all things return to unity.’”

Mordred frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean? I thought Akasha’s Arrow was the one thing that could kill the Lord of Salvation.”

“I’m not sure anymore,” Manaka replied. “The only one who ever knew the full truth was Tethys—and the Lord of Salvation erased her a long time ago. But there’s something else. Shiki once told me the Council trained her specifically to obtain Akasha’s Arrow.”

She paused. “And that’s what led me to a... bold hypothesis.”

Mordred raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

“Everything—me, Shiki, the Council, even Demonic Bodhisattva—it might have all been part of the Lord of Salvation’s plan from the beginning. The real goal wasn’t just destruction or rebirth. It was Akasha’s Arrow.”

She glanced toward the sky, where the light of the Vortex Gate still lingered. “But because Fujimaru Shirou became the Eternal King, it triggered the birth of the Ideal King. That deviation caused the Arrow to fall into his hands instead. Which means—” her gaze returned to Mordred “—Fujimaru Shirou becoming the Eternal King might’ve been the only thing the Lord of Salvation didn’t account for.”

Mordred’s jaw tightened. She didn’t pretend to understand everything, but one thing was clear. “So you’re saying... all of this—every battle, every sacrifice—it was part of his plan? And that damn Arrow, the thing we were counting on to stop him... might actually be the final key to freeing him?”

Manaka nodded slowly. “That’s the only explanation that fits. The twin Vortexes—mine and Shirou’s—are the keys. Together, they can open the Vortex Gate and link it to the Origin Era. Then you have the vessel of evil. Add Akasha’s Arrow, and the Grand Summoning Circle, and you have all the conditions needed to release the Lord of Salvation from the Gate of Truth.”

Mordred scowled, mentally walking through it. “So... the vessel is the shell. The Arrow unlocks the Gate. And the Summoning Circle is the bridge.”

“There might be other conditions we haven’t uncovered yet,” Manaka admitted, “but with what we know now, this is the most likely scenario.”

“But to think Akasha’s Arrow could be both the key to destroying the Lord of Salvation... and the key to setting him free.”

A heavy silence followed. No one spoke, but the tension deepened. Everyone wore the same frown.

Manaka nodded slowly. “Exactly. But if there’s one thing working in our favor, it’s this—because of the Ideal King’s interference, the Arrow didn’t end up in the Lord of Salvation’s hands. It went to Fujimaru Shirou instead.”

She turned her gaze toward the swirling Vortex Gate overhead.

“That means Shirou holds the initiative now. Whether the Arrow becomes salvation or disaster depends entirely on how he chooses to use it.”

Mordred glanced up at the sky. “But... my father...”

Manaka met her eyes. “He’s probably realized the same thing. But knowing what the Arrow can do isn’t the same as knowing how to use it.”

She paused, then added with quiet urgency, “We can’t interfere with anything happening in the Origin Era. But we can stop the original me. If we don’t, everything will spiral out of control.”

Her expression darkened.

“And don’t forget—Britain is still one of the final anchors.”

Mordred nodded without a word. She didn’t like it, but she understood.

Without further delay, the group turned and set off toward Britain.

But just as Ritsuka was about to follow, Manaka’s voice stopped her.

“Wait, Ritsuka.”

Ritsuka turned back, puzzled. “What is it?”

“Let’s take her to a hospital first.” Manaka raised her hand. A black bubble shimmered into view, then burst with a soft pop—revealing Olga Marie’s unconscious form on the ground.

Mash instinctively stepped forward, eyes narrowing. “Beast VII?”

Manaka shook her head. “No. That part of the Beast... it was already eliminated.”

Ritsuka hesitated, eyes fixed on the motionless figure. “So this really is Miss Olga Marie?”

“She still has vital signs,” Manaka confirmed. “We need to move quickly.”

Without another word, Ritsuka rushed forward and gently lifted Olga Marie into her arms. Mash fell in beside her as the two of them headed off in the direction of the hospital.

Manaka stood behind, watching them disappear into the distance. Then, slowly, her gaze rose to the swirling vortex above.

She had delayed this for as long as she could, and now, there was no going to the Origin Era for her. Not anymore.

And yet, she didn’t feel regret.

If anything, she was certain—if she had gone, she would’ve regretted it far more.

“Am I a fake… or something closer to a real human?” she asked herself.

“Manaka, stop zoning out!” Ritsuka’s voice rang out from down the street.

She blinked, then nodded with a small smile. “Coming.”

Manaka turned and walked toward her.

Whatever came next, she would move forward on her own terms.

Because right now, whatever this strange life was… the thing beating in her chest—that was her heart.