The gun barrel pointed at Sola, who was slumped against the dirty wall.
Once a proud noblewoman, now covered in blood and dirt, her previous beauty was no longer visible.
A blade had partially severed her arm, and Kayneth was panicking. Despite her pressuring him for the command seals, he truly loved this woman.
"Rustle—"
A piece of paper floated onto Kayneth's crippled leg. Under normal circumstances, this slight sound would have alerted Diarmuid.
But Lancer was currently engaged in an intense battle with Saber, and most of his attention was focused on that fight.
So...
Kayneth's mind was chaotic, with family honor, the Holy Grail War, and his fiancée's life tangled together.
"Click—"
Kiritsugu Emiya released the gun's safety.
Kayneth trembled as he looked forward...
"Lancer's master, you don't have much time left. Killing you will yield almost the same result."
Kayneth's lips quivered as he looked at Sola, the bloodied woman.
Using all his strength, he said, "I... I agree to your terms."
Kayneth never imagined that the command seal he had just obtained from the priest would be used so quickly.
His lips turned pale, and he trembled; he had no choice.
Using the command seal, he gave Lancer his final order... to commit suicide!
In the dilapidated courtyard of the unfinished building, Saber had just distanced herself from Lancer.
Lancer had lost his short spear, and Saber had not used the power in her left hand.
They were evenly matched, and perhaps because they weren't fighting to the death, the battle remained relatively calm.
"Spurt!—"
Bright red blood splattered onto Saber's fair face.
In disbelief, her eyes, as green as emeralds, narrowed slightly. "Lancer..."
Diarmuid's crimson spear had easily pierced his light armor, impaling his chest.
For a child who had never used a spear, they might accidentally hurt themselves, but the chances of fatally injuring themselves were almost nonexistent.
But for a master spearman like Diarmuid to stab himself...
A mistake? Not.
'It's the command seal!'
Saber realized instantly and looked towards the unfinished building, 'What happened?!'
A sense of foreboding gripped her heart.
In his wheelchair, Kayneth clung tightly to his fiancée, Sola, his expression lifeless, his spirit shattered.
And not far from him, Kiritsugu Emiya stood... as if explaining everything.
Saber quickly saw that Kayneth's hand bore no sign of the command seals.
"You... you!" Diarmuid's body trembled, blood continuously flowing from his wound, either wrapping around the crimson spear or dripping onto the ground.
Overwhelmed with rage, Diarmuid's pupils were tainted with black, and bloodshot eyes exuded a sinister aura.
Just as Diarmuid uttered his curse and was about to disintegrate, his movements ceased abruptly, like a statue.
Kiritsugu was on high alert, raising his gun and eyes scanning the surroundings. He was ready to flee at the first sign of danger.
"It seems we're too late."
The voice, devoid of emotion, was like a cold wind piercing Kiritsugu's bones, making him even more cautious.
But for Kayneth, who had lost his magic circuits, it was like the warm sun in winter, filling him with warmth.
Golden divine radiance surrounded the area, emanating a sacred aura. Even the Red Queen, by Kurumi's side, appeared more solemn under its glow.
Her large eyes glanced at Kurumi's position, afraid to make a sound. In this state, her master was terrifying!
Would she be sent back for reformation if she said the wrong thing?
"Ugh—"
"Aliceviel!"
Saber held the limp Aliceviel in her arms. Under the warm divine radiance, Aliceviel felt highly uncomfortable!
Golden eyes glanced at her, making her feel like she was falling into an abyss!
Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes, his gun-wielding hand never lowering, while Maiya, the woman named Maiya, hid in the shadows, hoping to assist Kiritsugu.
"Witch! What are you doing?!"
Seeing Aliceviel grow weaker in her arms, Saber thought it was Kurumi's doing. Her anger flared, and she couldn't help but question.
"Fulfilling a request."
Saber gritted her teeth. She also noticed that the divine radiance was making Aliceviel extremely weak and began using her body to shield Aliceviel.
The radiance was warm, but the warmer it felt, the more uneasy Saber became.
'What's going on? Why is Aliceviel...'
The divine Kurumi seemed to see through her thoughts, her lips parting slightly: "She has a source of evil within her."
"Not!" Saber refuted without hesitation. Aliceviel had Avalon within her, a holy artifact. How could it be called an evil thing?
Saber's understanding was thus, and Kurumi didn't explain further.
She was almost devoid of desire in her divine state as if nothing in the world could interest this "goddess."
Pointing to the broken Diarmuid, under some unknown power, the fragmented pieces reappeared, gradually reintegrating into Diarmuid.
It was as if she was creating life!
Kurumi had invoked the rules of the Nasuverse, and only in her state as a "divine proxy" with a commitment to "fairness" and "justice" would the two forces of suppression grant her permission.
When Diarmuid returned to his human form, the crimson spear separated from his body, and his wounds quickly healed, the power of time finally dissipating.
Diarmuid clenched his hands, feeling lost in the divine radiance.
He vividly remembered cursing everyone as his consciousness faded, yet now...
"Lancer."
Diarmuid snapped back to reality, turning to face the "witch."
Her transformation was immense; even in the mortal world, she would be worshipped as a deity!
If he guessed correctly, she must have saved him, but why...
Meeting her golden gaze, countless fragments of memory formed a river flowing into his mind!
Frozen is in place, and he couldn't believe everything before him was real.
Looking down at his hands, everything was familiar; even the magic within him no longer depended on his master.
Did his "future self" sacrifice everything for his final battle?
Diarmuid could even sense the ethereal consciousness within him, watching everything.
Was that him?
The river of memories flowed empty, and Diarmuid bowed slightly to Kurumi, "I am deeply grateful, Your Divine Majesty!"
"Lancer! Take up your spear and end this final battle. Afterward, I will send you back to the Throne of Heroes."
"Whoosh! Buzz—"
Diarmuid looked up slightly; next to the crimson spear was the yellow short spear.
He had broken the same 'Yellow Rose of Mortality'!
From its aura, it was real, truly existent!
Everyone was stunned, witnessing an executed Heroic Spirit return to the world...