IBHJ 1328

Shirou brought Mordred deep into the cavern of Mount Enzou.

"This is the Greater Holy Grail ritual site? Looks like someone destroyed it," Mordred said, scanning the shattered ground and crumbling pillars.

"Yes," he replied, his voice quiet. "That someone was me."

She blinked, then crossed her arms. "So? Why bring me here?"

"I didn’t bring you here," he said. "I needed to come."

A thick, red-black mud began to seep from his body, crawling across the ground like it had a will of its own. It didn’t lash out or rage. Instead, it drifted, almost gently, as if remembering something long forgotten.

Shirou watched it move, then raised his hand, pointing toward the flowing mud. "This is where I made my pact with it. I still remember that sorrowful will. He called himself Angra Mainyu."

"Angra Mainyu?" Mordred tilted her head. "The evil god from ancient Persia?"

He shook his head. "No. Just a man. Labeled as Angra Mainyu by the Zoroastrians. They turned him into a scapegoat and sacrificed him. But even as he died, he passed on the seed of power to me. It gave me a chance to reclaim my future. I owe him for that."

His expression softened. "I never saw him again after that. Maybe he found peace. I like to think he did."

Mordred gave a small shrug. "Huh. Neat, I guess."

Just then, a faint glow flickered from within her. The Grail spirit, tied to Mordred's soul, emerged and floated beside her. Its voice was curious, almost amused. "The Evil of Humanity? Such a tiny fragment. Still, this imitation of the Holy Grail ritual is rather amusing."

She frowned. "What are you doing out here, Satan?"

"I sensed something familiar. So, I came to take a look," the Grail replied, circling lazily around her.

Shirou kept his eyes on the red-black mud, his expression unreadable.

She pointed at the ritual formation, brow furrowed. “You mean this thing?”

“This formation draws from the leylines to connect with a fragment of the Holy Grail,” the Grail spirit explained, circling lazily. “No wonder that Beast could jump between connection points and avoid all attacks. He wasn’t just intangible—he was anchored by your own design. So it was you humans who gave him the means to become immortal!”

Shirou gave a small smile. “It’s not the Grail that makes him immortal. It’s humanity’s desires. Without the Arrow of Akasha, there’s no killing him. Not unless you erase human desire itself.”

The Grail hummed in agreement, twirling in the air. “Exactly. That’s the key.”

Before it could say more, Mordred reached up, snatched the Grail mid-spin, and stuffed it back into her soul without ceremony.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Shirou and Mordred walked side by side down the mountain path.

“Mordred,” he said suddenly. “Promise me one thing.”

She glanced at him, puzzled. Then her expression twisted into horror as she crossed her arms. “Wait, if you’re going to say you want my body—I refuse! That’s way too sinful! Even back in the old days, stuff like that would've been a crime!”

Shirou’s face darkened. “Why is that always the first thing that comes to your mind?”

“Because I’m the cutest girl in the world,” she said proudly. “Of course you’d be tempted.”

He stared at her, speechless.

Where did she even get that ridiculous confidence from? Her looks? Her attitude? That unshakable shamelessness... Who on earth did she inherit it from?

“What I mean is, if anything ever happens to me... you need to take care of yourself. And your mom,” he said gently.

Mordred’s jaw tightened. Her lollipop cracked between her teeth. She stared straight at him, eyes sharp. “Are you hiding something from us? You’ve got the Arrow of Akasha. The Lord of Salvation can’t even manifest anymore. So why are you talking like this? What are you not telling us?”

He raised a hand in surrender. “I’m not hiding anything.”

“Then why say stuff like that?”

Seeing her so tense, he let out a helpless sigh. “Don’t you remember? Half a year ago, right after the Eternal Empire War ended. That gentleman who took Abigail away? He invited me to visit outer space.”

Her eyes widened slightly as the memory clicked.

After the Empire’s barrier collapsed, a man dressed like an English noble—an incarnation of an Outer God—descended from the stars. He had taken Abigail and Betty with him. Before leaving, he had extended a casual invitation to Shirou, who had turned him down.

Once human history returned to normal, Shirou moved everyone out of Chaldea and settled in New Fuyuki City.

“A few days ago, he sent me another message,” Shirou said. “Invited me again. He’s been persistent, and honestly... if I keep brushing him off, our friendly terms might turn sour.”

He gave her a small smile. “I figured I’d accept this time.”

She frowned. “Don’t forget, that’s Outer God territory. What if you come back all... indescribable? I’m telling you, you shouldn’t go.”

He stepped closer and flicked her forehead.

“Ow!” she yelped, rubbing the spot.

He chuckled. “You’ll never make friends by turning down someone’s goodwill for no reason.”

“Mm.”

…

Back home, Shirou gathered everyone and explained his decision to visit outer space.

Reactions were mixed. Some voiced concern, others just stared quietly—but in the end, they all accepted it. One by one, they gave their support, urging him to come back safe and not take too long.

After dinner, Shirou headed down to the basement.

There, resting undisturbed, was the Arrow of Akasha.

He reached for it. The dim overhead light flickered across its golden surface, casting a radiant glow that reflected in his eyes. The gleam danced across his face, highlighting his quiet resolve.

Later that night, after packing a small bag, he quietly said his goodbyes and left the house. Alone, he made his way to the coastal park.

“Hey—”

A sudden voice broke the silence.

He turned around just in time to catch a can of beer flying toward him. He looked up to see Gilgamesh leaning against a vending machine. Gilgamesh raised his own can of beer, took a long drink, and—without another word—turned to leave.

Shirou stood still for a moment, then popped open the tab and downed the beer in one go. He lifted the empty can in silent acknowledgment toward Gilgamesh’s retreating back.

Then, without hesitation, he turned again and stepped out toward the sea.

Gilgamesh turned slightly, watching Shirou’s figure slowly fade into the distance. “Fujimaru Shirou... You’re the true King of Heroes. So don’t you dare lose.”

…

Shirou walked across the sea, heading toward Chaldea.

As he moved, the seawater seemed to sense his presence. The entire ocean trembled and split apart, revealing the deep sea floor thousands of fathoms below. The path created itself before him, water walls rising on either side like liquid mountains.

The sea creatures, as if recognizing their Lord's arrival, leaped about in joyful celebration. Schools of fish danced in spirals while dolphins performed acrobatics through the air. But the mutated creatures reacted differently—they fled in panic. A hundred-meter-long mutant whale shot up from the depths and raced away, its massive body cutting through water with desperate speed.

This extraordinary scene unfolded before the eyes of the international organization that had taken control of Chaldea. The observers were frozen, their jaws hanging open, unable to process what they were witnessing.

One agent grabbed the edge of the monitoring station. "It's like Moses parting the sea!"

"This is terrifying," another whispered, eyes wide with disbelief.

A senior officer ran his trembling fingers through his hair. "What in the world is happening?"

Another senior officer paled as she gripped her tablet. "A world-changing upheaval is occurring right before our eyes."

The emergence of the hidden world and the appearance of bizarre creatures had already challenged everything they thought they knew. But just as they struggled to build a new framework of understanding, an even more reality-defying phenomenon had appeared before them—walking calmly toward their doorstep.