Chapter 101: Lancer's End

Words : 1416 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Light continued to gather. Soft, prayer-like beams of light converged one after another, as if their sole purpose was to illuminate this peerless holy sword, adorning it with the most radiant brilliance. The intense yet serene light left everyone speechless. This luminous holy sword was the crystallization of the sorrowful yet noble dreams held by all warriors who had fallen on the battlefield, past, present, and future—the wish known as "glory." "Ex—calibur!!" Light surged. Light roared. The Red Dragon's essence was unleashed, accelerating the magical energy into a flash of light. The spiraling beam of light shot forth, illuminating the deep night. Facing this dazzling aurora head-on, Lancer remained silent, his full attention fixed on the blindingly white moment of destruction. Ah... Yes—this was the light he had longed for. He, too, was a knight who had galloped across battlefields in pursuit of this brilliance. The regrets of the past were profound, but as Diarmuid bathed in this light, new memories flowed through his mind. Descending into this world, swearing eternal loyalty. The warehouse district, where he fought the beautiful King of Knights and emerged slightly victorious. The Hyatt Hotel, where he shared modern delicacies with Caster. The Einzbern Forest, where he joined forces with Saber to battle Berserker. The abandoned factory, where, with his master's help, he fought a thrilling battle against Sakatsuki. And finally, the end, where he narrowly lost to his first and last enemy but was granted a grand farewell... At last, Diarmuid seemed to understand, a blissful smile spreading across his face. To have such precious memories in his second life, he was already content. "I have no regrets..." As his murmur faded, the warrior of Fianna closed his eyes and peacefully welcomed his final end. Lancer, Diarmuid, has exited the stage. [Hidden Condition Completed: Grant Diarmuid a knightly end.] [Hidden Condition Reward: Full projection authority for 'Gae Dearg' and 'Gae Buidhe'!] As the prompt flashed across his retina, Sakatsuki turned his gaze back to the fading light, squinting as if the brilliance had scorched his eyes. He was entranced by that dazzling light of ideals. If he were one of the King of Knights' followers, or perhaps one of the countless ordinary people, he might have been utterly captivated by that light. But those who walk their own paths, fools though they may be, would only pause to admire it, sighing deeply from the depths of their hearts. Unfortunately, while Sakatsuki of a few years ago might have been the former, the person standing here now could feel excitement, could marvel, but would never chase the sorrowful wish behind that light. After all, he was not Shirou Emiya. "At least in this regard, we share a common understanding." A voice suddenly came from behind. Having recovered from the exhaustion of expending a massive amount of magical energy, Kiritsugu stepped forward, walking up to the magical screen and carefully examining the slender yet resolute back of his Servant. The lingering light of the holy sword illuminated the man's eyes, which held a deep stillness, and beneath that stillness, a fiercely burning solitary flame. The target of the anger in his eyes was obvious—it needed no explanation. "Did you see that? That is the light that illuminates a chaotic world." His whisper carried no hope, only profound despair. "But King Arthur's final fate was betrayal, defeat, and a dagger stabbed into her back by her own son, Mordred... The chivalry she praised, and the justice she upheld, did not save her kingdom or her people. Instead, it pushed her into an abyss from which there was no return." "The battlefield is hell! Even so-called chivalry and justice cannot escape conflict. As long as humanity refuses to repent, treating conflict as the ultimate evil, the scenes of hell will repeat themselves over and over in this world!" For the first time, Kiritsugu's face showed a look of disdain—this monologue was the resentment of a man crushed by endless grief and lamentation. "No matter how much blood is shed, no matter how many bodies pile up, humanity will never realize this truth. Because in every era, the brave and invincible heroes only deceive the world with their glamorous legends, refusing to acknowledge that this is the very evil that causes rivers of blood to flow. Humanity has made no progress since the Stone Age!" From the moment the flames of war ignited in Fuyuki, Kiritsugu had been filled with an uncontrollable rage, watching these dazzling heroic spirits who took pride in their heroic deeds. Kiritsugu harboured an inexplicable anger toward those who left behind heroic names and those who admired them... The prayers of people gave birth to the concept of "Heroic Spirits," and he loathed it with every fibre of his being. In the magical screen, Saber had already disappeared, likely following the connection between master and servant to find her way here. However, Kiritsugu had no desire to see Saber, so he turned and walked away without hesitation. "Kiritsugu." Sakatsuki did not turn around, knowing that Kiritsugu's steps would not falter. "There must be limits to the act of sacrificing the few to save the many. The value of life cannot be measured by your single scale—if you keep adding weights to the balance, you will lose everything, 'Hero of Justice.'" The man in black sharply turned his head, his eyes filled with pain and hatred, almost as if they could turn into blades. But in the end, Kiritsugu averted his gaze and did not look back. "Only the Holy Grail can end this unending cycle of evil." He spoke, as if to himself, resuming his steps. "I will use a miracle to change this world, to reform the hearts of humanity. I will make the blood spilled in Fuyuki the last blood humanity ever sheds. For this, even if I must bear all the sins of the world, I will not hesitate." The man's figure melted back into the darkness, disappearing from sight. This time, Sakatsuki did not stop him. The golden-eyed youth closed his eyes and softly hummed a tune. "Even if I am wounded." "Even if I face a cruel fate." "This heart will still radiate vivid colours." "..." You're right, Kiritsugu. The battlefield is indeed hell, and chivalry cannot bring salvation. But that's just a result-oriented perspective. You abandoned the past, ignored the future, and only judged the present, becoming the switchman who sacrifices the few to save the many in endless trolley problems... but you never considered that someone could stop the death-bound trolley, even if that someone isn't you. You were simply defeated by the dark and cruel reality, giving up on your ideals. But the ideals left behind by the heroic spirits of past generations, the will they inherited—this is the future that belongs to us, humanity. We walk under countless stars, Kiritsugu... and in the end, we too will become stars, lighting the path for those who come after us. The Holy Grail cannot save humanity, just as gods never existed in this world from the beginning. To truly illuminate the darkness in people's hearts, all we need is for more stars to appear. I firmly believe that one day, the stars in the sky will bring forth a radiant dawn. Even if I am not the one shining in the heavens. In Sakatsuki's mind, the white-gold light grew brighter, and his soul, now clear as crystal, was solidified by his unwavering belief. That was the light of the Third Magic. At that moment, the crisp clinking of armour and a girl's voice rang out simultaneously. "A wonderful song." Artoria nodded slightly, offering a tired smile. Having personally bid farewell to her friend and foe Diarmuid, even she felt a heaviness in her heart. Sakatsuki, however, awkwardly opened his mouth, his earlier reflections instantly vanishing into thin air. 'Damn it, I forgot Saber was here!' Suppressing the urge to roll on the ground in embarrassment, the white-haired youth covered his mouth and coughed lightly. "Well... I think we need to have a talk, Saber." Seeing the young man's rare blush, Saber's lips curled slightly, her mood lifting a bit. "Of course." *** Hey readers! Want to read ahead? ???? Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster. ????patreon.com/aarvan???? Thanks for being awesome! ❤️

Chapter 101: Lancer's End

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