Fate Q&A: Chapter 305/306

Chapter 305: A Choice, A Counterattack to the Death

["Heh,, you've slightly ruined my mood. Did you think I wouldn't anticipate this?"]

[At that moment, Semiramis abruptly interrupted the transmission between Sisigou and Mordred, then forcibly severed it.]

[To the Empress, this was nothing more than a minor magical trick—one that required a little effort, but was ultimately trivial.]

[Sisigou: "How did you seal the Command Seals?"

Semiramis: "What a foolish question. This is the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, my domain. You and your allies are not permitted to use teleportation magecraft here. If I say no, then it simply does not happen. That is the power of territory. Surely, you understand that? It's a simple concept."]

[Sisigou was at a loss for words. The answer was just that simple.]

[At its core, a Command Seal is a form of magecraft. Servants with Magic Resistance can partially negate its effects, let alone a magus from the Age of Gods like Semiramis.]

[However, it shouldn't have been this easy to block a Master's Command Seals. One would need an intricate understanding of their structure and proper countermeasures.]

[Oh. That's Amakusa Shirou Tokisada for you.]

[Even for an Age of Gods magus like Semiramis, fully deciphering the nature of Command Seals in just a few days would be incredibly difficult. But Amakusa Shirou was different.]

[Sixty years of obsession, unwavering persistence, and his status as a Ruler.]

[While not as versed in magecraft as a proper Caster, he had ample time to analyze the workings of Command Seals.]

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "So it was Amakusa Shirou…"

He let out a sigh of relief. If Semiramis had managed to accomplish this herself, it would have meant her magecraft skills were far more formidable than expected.

Chihiro: "Hey, why are you acting so relieved?"

Chihiro: "Amakusa Shirou, who isn't even a proper magus, managed to master the mechanics of Command Seals in just sixty years. Meanwhile, your Tohsaka family has controlled the Holy Grail Ritual for over two hundred years. What exactly have you achieved?"

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "..."

He wanted to argue—but he couldn't.

Aside from gathering relics, participating in the Holy Grail War, and seeking the Grail, the Tohsaka family had never conducted any in-depth research on the ritual itself.

Most of their efforts had been focused on refining their gem magecraft, all in pursuit of becoming apprentices to the Wizard Marshall, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.

Compared to the Einzbern and the Matou, the Tohsaka barely resembled one of the three founding families at all. At best, they were participants.

[Semiramis: "That's right. That's how it is. So, abandon the Grail and leave. If you do, I may just let you live."]

[With that, she cut off the transmission. This was her final warning to Sisigou.]

[But Sisigou didn't leave. Instead, he remained outside the door, desperately searching for a solution.]

[If he could use two Command Seals at once, he might have been able to break Semiramis's interference. But he had already spent one—only a single Command Seal remained. And with Ruler nowhere to be found, there was no chance of receiving a replenishment.]

[Mordred's life force was fading by the second. Helpless and without a solution, Sisigou clenched his fists in frustration.]

[Think. Think! A Master's role is to strategize, to find an opening for a Servant who only knows how to charge forward recklessly.]

[One second. Two seconds. Three seconds—got it!]

[Sisigou suddenly had an idea, a method with a success rate of less than one percent.]

[But it was the only option left. If he did nothing, Mordred would die.]

[He could turn and walk away. He could abandon the Holy Grail War and live. After all, this was just another job for him.]

[But—that would be meaningless.]

[Because I have nothing.]

[If I walk away now, I'll be returning to the same lifeless existence as before.]

[The same hollow life I've been leading ever since my daughter died—numb, scarred, and devoid of purpose.]

[The me that mattered is already gone. My body still breathes, but my hope has long since died.]

[Since hope is dead, the life I continue to live is even worse than that of an old man awaiting his grave.]

[The Sisigou who once lived is already dead. Even if I wished upon the Holy Grail, I could never bring him back.]

[But the part of me that still clings to life, maybe he can still be saved.]


[Perhaps, in the very end, I can find out what I have lost.]

[This is the foundation of being human, the emotion that allows humanity to rule this world.]

Sisigou: "..."

Had his true self chosen a path leading only to death?

Yes, the family curse and the loss of his daughter had left him a walking corpse, but he had never let it show.

Only in the past few days, spent alongside Mordred, had he finally felt a shred of what it meant to be human again.

Mordred: "Hey, I'm talking to you... Uh..."

She didn't know what to say.

After spending so much time with Sisigou, she had never realized how numb he truly was.

No—perhaps there had been signs in the first couple of days, but she had simply ignored them.

[…Yeah, that's right. Both that guy and I still have hands we can reach out with.]

[Sisigou pulled a pistol-shaped syringe from inside his coat and sent a transmission to Mordred.]

["Saber, can you hear me?"]

[No response—just the faint sensation of a connection.]

["Are you really going to lose to that Red Assassin?"]

["...Bastard, what kind of dumb question is that?" Mordred shot back.]

["Then, it doesn't matter if I die because of this?"]

["Doesn't matter!"]

["Alright—Saber, get ready. If this works, you'll have a chance to take that Assassin down."]

Tohsaka Rin: "What is he trying to do?"

Waver: "Is there some kind of drug in that syringe?"

Kayneth: "Is he planning to charge in and inject Mordred with it? That's suicidal…"

Even Heracles couldn't withstand that poison, how could a mere human endure it?

He claimed there was a 'less than one percent' chance of success, but in truth, it was a path with no chance of survival.

[Inside the chamber, Semiramis approached Mordred with a playful expression.]

["Oh? Still clinging on? It seems you have a wish you desperately want to fulfill."]

[She thought she had already won and paid no attention to any lingering transmissions.]

["My wish—"]

[Mordred clenched her teeth. "That's obvious. My wish is your head!"]

[She then spat a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva directly at Semiramis.]

[Semiramis blinked in momentary shock. Then, wiping her face, she straightened up and smirked.]

["Very well. Then I shall turn both you and your Master into miserable little clay dolls."]

["Bang!!!"]

[Suddenly, an explosion erupted behind Semiramis.]

["What—?"]

[Her voice abruptly halted, a clear sign of surprise.]

["Saber, report!"]

["Master?"]

["Wait for me."]

[Sisigou strode into the poisoned air without hesitation, shotgun raised. He fired at Semiramis while lobbing a heart grenade.]

[Of course, he wasn't strong enough to injure her. But as planned, he forced her to retreat, just for a moment.]

[But it hurt. He had cut off his sense of pain, yet he could still feel it. This was the poison that had made even Chiron beg for death.]

[He focused, took out the pistol-shaped syringe, and sprinted toward Mordred.]

[One chance. If he failed, then it would all end in a laughable, pathetic death.]

["Stand up!"]

[Sisigou soon suffered the same fate as Mordred—his other eye going blind—but he still managed to reach her and inject the serum into her body.]

[This was the only known countermeasure against Hydra's venom. It had been hastily formulated, but it was potent enough to wake Saber.]

Waver: "Hydra serum? That exists?"

Kayneth: "Idiot, did you forget about the young Hydra he got from Rocco?"

Waver: "So that's it!"

Emiya Kiritsugu: "This is quite the twist of fate. Almost like a sixth sense…"

Sisigou: "Nah. I just figured the mission's death rate was ridiculously high, so I planned to make a profit before biting it. That old man's office had a bunch of valuable junk, but that young Hydra was the most precious."

Sisigou: "But honestly, it really does feel like the gods are screwing with me."

["Agh… ha!"]

[A violent surge of pain wracked Mordred's body, making her feel as though she would burst apart. She coughed up a pool of black blood.]

[It burned, a searing heat coursed through her veins, making her feel as if her entire body were boiling—]

[Semiramis: "This—"]

[Semiramis stared in disbelief.]

[Mordred slowly pushed herself off the ground, flashing a sharp grin.]

["Yo. Been a while."]

[She swung her sword. A single slash, but its presence declared that she had fully recovered and that the surrounding poisonous air no longer affected her.]

["You bitch—"]

[The plan had changed. The most logical course of action now was to retreat. Saber's Master had already been poisoned, he wouldn't last much longer.]

[Once the Master died, even if Mordred had overcome the poison, it wouldn't matter. They would both be eliminated.]

[But something about Mordred's cocky grin irritated Semiramis.]

[So, for once, she acted on impulse instead of reason.]

[She decided to fight Mordred head-on.]

Mordred: "Ha! I thought you were the type who didn't have any personal feelings."

Semiramis: "Hmph!"

Even if she stayed, what would really happen?

The previous outcomes had already made it clear, Mordred would leave, Sisigou would die, and she herself wouldn't even be present.

In other words—she had survived just fine.

Chapter 306: Mordred: I Don’t Want to Be King Anymore!

[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 delay had given Semiramis enough time to complete her spell.]

["Manifest—reveal yourself!"]

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

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

["Heh."]

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

Although the others had seen Semiramis summon Bašmu 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, Bašmu 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 Bašmu."

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 Bašmu, 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 late 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 Bašmu 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 collapsed, 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 Black 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 complain 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 place."

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

Sisigou: "If you hurry, you might make it. The Black 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 last 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 lacked 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.]