"It seems my role here is finally done..."
"You spent the whole time eating, didn't you?"
"It was a magnificent battle. May the future be filled with happiness—"
"You. Spent. The. Whole. Time. Eating."
...Artoria, look...
...
Try not to... take it too hard...
GudaGuda Victory! Ready, Go! Toward a Future of Hope!
Having purged the darkness from Nobunaga's heart and the lingering grudges of failed creations, the group finally held the Holy Grail in their hands.
"Umu! I've given my rewards and run the battlefield by your side. I have no more regrets! In that case..."
As soon as she saw the Grail safely in Rikka's hands, golden particles began to drift from Majin Saber's body. It was the sign of a role fulfilled—the time for departure had come.
"Right! All that's left is to follow the standard Fate concept: the poetic departure scene! It's tradition!"
"Nobbu... are you... disappearing?"
"It can't be helped. I was summoned by that Grail, after all. Thinking as a Heroic Spirit, I've got to make my exit eventually."
"I see... Nobbu, thank you. For everything."
Despite the farewell, there was no sadness on Rikka's face. This wasn't a parting of regrets, but a smile shared between comrades who had truly lived. They knew the weight of loss too well to let this moment be anything other than a celebration of their shared luck.
"It was fun," Rikka said softly. "It was total chaos, but I loved it. I think... that's the first time I've ever fought a battle where I could actually breathe."
"Exactly, exactly! Humans can only do what they can do. Tomorrow's wind will blow tomorrow. No matter what kind of life you lead, you must never forget to find the fun in it. Don't you forget that, Rikka Fujimaru."
Nobunaga remained cheerful to the end, her eyes fixed on Rikka.
"Try everything once! You'll always gain something from it, and that's how the world stays exciting! Walk your own path! That is your own 'Tenka Fubu'—your own conquest! Live, live, and survive your own warring era!"
"Yeah! Thank you, Nobbu!"
"And you, my Marshmallow Servant! Never falter! Even if your new battle style doesn't fit the 'Shielder' concept at all! Believe in your official buffs and endure!"
Nobunaga offered her own brand of encouragement to Mash.
"And don't let those stalkers get to you! If you want to protect the good and stay true to your wishes, you have to be strong! A dream without power is a dream crushed by the world. Well... it can't be helped, right!?"
"Y-Yes! I'm not quite sure what you mean by stalkers... but I, Mash Kyrielight, will never let go of the shield that protects Chaldea!"
"Good. Move forward without wavering. Do not stop..."
Watching them, Nobunaga nodded in satisfaction. For all her bluster, the Demon King was surprisingly good at looking after others.
"A dream without power is crushed... those are quite the words of truth. I suppose the woman who came within a step of ruling the world speaks with a different weight."
The King of Heroes, watching with an amused smile, called out to the departing Archer.
"Hmph. Well, I think being strong alone isn't enough. Strength has no end, and the path of conquest has no destination. In an era of peace, strength doesn't linger, and ambition always hungers for more. I heard the Monkey really messed things up later. Truly, all things are impermanent."
"Indeed. Then, Revolutionary of the Sengoku, I shall ask you one thing."
"Hmm?"
Gilgamesh looked at the warlord who had sprinted through the fires of civil war.
"Should the world that remains be a world of the 'Strong'?"
Nobunaga blinked, then let out a boisterous laugh.
"Bwahaha! Of course not! Strength is only ever trampled by greater strength! There is no such thing as eternal power in this world! You can see that from the fact that neither the Monkey nor the Raccoon could make their reign last forever. A world that is 'only' strong has no future!"
"Then, what is the world that should remain?"
"Hmph! It's a simple, self-evident truth! There is only one thing that should remain in this world!"
As her body began to fade into light, Nobunaga raised her voice to dispel any lingering sense of loss.
"The world you want to live in! That's the only answer! No matter what people say, no matter what petty jealousy you face! You just look them in the eye and say, 'Shut up and die! We're living our lives, you bastards!' and laugh it off! Even if you have to step over a few corpses to do it!"
"It can't be helped!" Nobunaga declared with finality.
"There is no 'Right Path' that surpasses your own! Moving forward without regret is the only way to live a life worth having! Do not forget this! Any of you! When things get hard, remember! Stand up as many times as it takes! We heroes believe in you—the ones who are living in the 'now'!"
"Nobbu..."
The world... I want to live in...
"That shall be your compass for the hardships to come. It is the truth that will support your joy. Do not forget it, Ea."
—Yes! Thank you, Nobunaga-sama!
The departure was nearly complete.
"Well, it's time. It can't be helped! Take good care of my reward, now!"
"Thanks, Nobbu! Forever Nobbu! I'll buy your CD when it drops!"
"Thank you, Nobunaga-san! Please, come visit Chaldea again!"
"This level of idiocy wasn't entirely unpleasant. A commotion like a drunken daydream... it was truly refreshing."
As they each said their goodbyes—
"Leave Okita behind. —See ya, Demon King of the Sixth Heaven."
"Umu! Never forget to respect everything! Farewell! A man's life is fifty years, but compared to the world below—an Event is like a fleeting dream!! Bwahahahahaha—!!!"
And so, the Demon King of Owari, Oda Nobunaga, vanished into the light.
"Oof!!"
With Nobunaga gone, the fusion of Majin Saber came undone, leaving Okita face-down on the floor.
"Uuu... to use my body like that and then just toss it away... You're too cruel, Nobbu! You're not human!"
"Come on. We're going home."
Hijikata turned on his heel, heading toward the rayshift point.
"Wait! My body is... paralyzed from... the recoil... I can't move!"
"Use your fighting spirit."
"Hijikata-san!! Master! Someone give me a shoulder! Maaasteeer!"
"Okita-san is sickly, so it can't be helped, right!?"
"Leave the escorting to me! I'll protect you with all my 'Mash-ness'!"
The usual, relaxed banter filled the air once more.
"Good work, everyone. You've let off some steam with all that GudaGuda chaos. Now, come back. Back to our Chaldea!"
"The Suzuka Circuit... I wonder if a private leisure land has any value..."
"Director?"
"Ah, sorry, it's nothing. Good job. Don't let your guard down until you're home. A warm peace is waiting for you."
The support staff back at base welcomed them with open arms.
(Let's head back. If we don't keep a balance between the serious and the silly, we'll never survive this.)
—Yeah! ...I wonder if the Mini-Nobbus will come to Chaldea too...
"If the bond is there, it will be simple enough. —Hmph. 'The world you should live in,' she said. In that case, we cannot allow ourselves to stop halfway. Not until every pruning is complete."
The King looked up at the sky, his eyes narrowing with rare seriousness.
—Gil?
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"