[Semiramis: "Your smile is infuriating!"]

  [A massive number of chains materialized—this time, more than two hundred—striking at Mordred from all directions.]

  ["You're the annoying one!"]

  [Mordred fought back while dashing forward. Though she managed to destroy most of the chains, three managed to entangle her.]

  [Without hesitation, she released a surge of magical energy, shattering the remaining chains before accelerating toward Semiramis at full speed.]

  [Semiramis retreated to the throne, summoning divine fish scales as a barrier while simultaneously preparing to summon the strongest beast she could.]

  ["Out of my way!"]

  [Mordred shattered the divine fish scales and attempted to press forward, but the slight dey had given Semiramis enough time to complete her spell.]

  ["Manifest—reveal yourself!"]

  [My strongest summoned beast, one of Tiamat's eleven creations—Ba?mu—!]

  ["Alright, Saber, let me see just how miserable you can get!"]

  ["Heh."]

  [Ishtar: "That's Ba?mu! How can a human like you summon that thing?"]

  Although the others had seen Semiramis summon Ba?mu during the battle against Goetia the previous night, none of them except Gilgamesh had known its identity until now.

  Waver: "I recall that Tiamat's eleven monsters were originally created by the Mother Goddess of Creation to destroy the gods, right?"

  Ishtar: "Yeah, they were enemies of the gods. But after being defeated by Marduk, Ba?mu became a guardian, protecting the gates instead."

  Ishtar: "No—this isn't the full version. I was wondering how a human could completely summon a being like Ba?mu."

  Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Even if it's only a partial summoning, it's still an incredibly fearsome entity."

  Waver: "This really seems like the end of the line."

  Sisigou: "No—don't jump to conclusions just yet."

  [Semiramis had become overconfident. Because of her pride, she failed to recognize how different the situation was from before.]

  [That fool who doesn't care about his own life. He's already charged in.]

  [And in his hand, a Command Seal.]

  ["Use the Command Seal! Now's the time to seize victory!"]

  ["Master, I accept!"]

  [Mordred ignored the immobilized Ba?mu, making no attempt to engage it, and instead swung her sword straight at Semiramis.]

  [With the boost from the Command Seal, her speed surpassed its limits. Semiramis was too slow to react, her shoulder was severed, and part of her spiritual core was destroyed.]

  [Semiramis regretted not fleeing immediately, but it was far too te for regrets now.]

  Waver: "This—"

  Mordred: "Heh, I told you all not to underestimate me. Now you know how strong I am."

  Semiramis: "Hmph. You're just relying on the power of the Command Seal."

  Mordred: "And you, old hag, underestimated your opponent."

  Kayneth: "Even if we assume she has recovered by ten percent, the multiple-choice answer didn't say Semiramis was eliminated. In other words, though she's been heavily injured, she's still alive."

  Sisigou: "Yeah, managing to pull this off was already beyond my expectations."

  [Teleportation activated—Semiramis vanished.]

  [Mordred turned back, realizing that not only Semiramis but also Ba?mu had disappeared.]

  [That meant Semiramis had truly fled.]

  [And with her departure, the poisonous gas in the hall also dissipated.]

  ["Hah…"]

  [Sisigou weakly climbed up, managing to sit on the steps, while Mordred also colpsed, removing her armor.]

  [Sisigou: "Saber, did we win?"]

  [Mordred: "Of course, didn't you see?"]

  [Sisigou: "I can't see anymore."

  [Mordred: "...I dealt her a fatal blow. That woman's dead for sure."]

  [Sisigou: "Good… To be honest, this was a complete gamble. I had no idea if it would work."]

  [Mordred: "What exactly was that injection?"]

  [Sisigou: "A serum made to counteract Hydra's poison. When I realized the Bck Archer was Chiron, I expected something like this. After all, if it was that wicked Empress, this was bound to happen."]

  Chiron: "..."

  Waver: "So it wasn't just luck, Sisigou actually predicted Semiramis's move."

  Semiramis: "You're rather sharp for a man, being able to read my intentions like that."

  [Mordred: "Hahaha, so that's it! My Master's amazing!"]

  [Sisigou: "Sorry to interrupt your celebration, but I have bad news."

  Mordred: "What is it?"

  Sisigou: "Saber, I'm going to die."

  Mordred: "...No hope?"

  Sisigou: "None. I injected myself with the serum, but it was too strong. Well, it was a gamble with terrible odds—can't really compin about the result."]

  Tohsaka Rin: "So he didn't die from the poison, but from the serum instead."

  Sisigou: "That serum isn't something to be used carelessly. If handled incorrectly, it can be fatal, just like in the video."

  [Sisigou: "But in that situation, I didn't have the luxury of overthinking it."

  Mordred: "Whatever. It was worth it just to put that old hag in her pce."

  Mordred: "Looks like I'm disappearing too, then…"

  Sisigou: "If you hurry, you might make it. The Bck Faction still has two Masters left."

  Mordred: "What are you talking about? My fight ends here."

  Sisigou: "...Are you really okay with that?"

  Mordred: "If I were a Servant who wanted to cling to life in disgrace, maybe I'd keep fighting. But I'd rather stop here. It doesn't matter anymore."

  Sisigou: "Really? Your personality really works against you."

  Mordred: "I still can't compare to you."]

  [Mordred murmured, "I'm sorry, Master. If only I were stronger—"

  Sisigou: "No point in those kinds of thoughts. We both pushed ourselves to the limit. That's enough."

  Mordred: "So? What do you think of my performance?"

  Sisigou: "What do you think? You're an excellent Servant. Honestly, you were wasted on someone like me."]

  [Sisigou pulled out two cigarettes, ones he had never had the chance to smoke, and lit one for himself.]

  [He noticed Mordred eyeing it with curiosity and handed the st one to her.]

  [After hesitating for a moment, Mordred took it, mimicking Sisigou as she tried to smoke.]

  [But after just one puff, her face twisted in confusion.]

  ["What the hell is this?"]

  [Sisigou: "Hahaha, it burns a little, doesn't it?"

  Mordred: "Do you actually enjoy smoking this crap?"

  Sisigou: "No, but it still burns…"]

  Tohsaka Rin: "You really are a bad influence. First drinking, now smoking?"

  Sisigou: "Hahaha, we're about to die—why are you still nitpicking?"

  Sisigou: "But I didn't expect Saber to willingly give up on the Holy Grail."

  Mordred: "Come on, I failed because I couldn't protect my Master."

  [Mordred fell silent for a moment, then spoke.]

  ["...I don't want to pull the Sword of Selection anymore. I don't see the point."]

  [Sisigou: "So you've given up on becoming king?"

  Mordred: "Rather than giving up, I finally understand. I'll be happy just picking up what was left behind by the king's hands."]

  ["Ah… If I said I had no resentment toward my father, that'd be a lie."]

  ["I don't hate my father, but I do hate that country. In that era, my father had to carry everything on his shoulders—just because he was cursed with the title of king."]

  ["Every time I close my eyes, I dream of challenging the Sword of Selection, only to fail. I thought there was something missing, something necessary to become a king. But that wasn't the case."]

  ["It's not that I cked something—it's that my father's starting point was different. My father became king because he wanted to make someone smile, even if he never knew their name."]

  ["So I don't care anymore. Even if our interpretations differ, even if there's a misunderstanding—it doesn't matter. I accept it. That's enough."]

  Mordred: "..."

  Artoria: "Sir Mordred…"

  Mordred: "Hmph, don't get me wrong. I just don't want that position anymore."

  Mordred: "Like I said in the video, that position isn't an honor, it's a curse."

  Lancelot: "My king, this is our fault. We failed to support you and forced everything onto your shoulders."

  Artoria: "It's not your fault. This was the path I chose."

  ["...I see. Even if I have to abandon my dream, I can still learn something."]

  [Sisigou's voice grew weaker as he murmured, "In the end, all I wanted was for that girl to live… to smile at me. That would have been enough."]

  ["I was never cut out to be a magus."]

  ["I'm finally… free."]

  ["Magus are like that. Their lives are bound by curses and contracts. Not many get to say goodbye as easily as I did…"]

  [Mordred: "...For what it's worth, Master, I was happy to fight alongside you."]

  [A faint smile appeared on Sisigou's lips. The cigarette slipped from his fingers, falling silently to the ground.]

  ***

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