When Arthur's Servant Spiritual Origin dissipated, his consciousness did not return to the Throne of Heroes through the Holy Grail like an ordinary Servant—because he had never belonged to the Heroic Spirits recorded there in the first place.
…
Slowly opening his eyes, Arthur found himself before something that resembled a black hole—at least in terms of visual perception.
However, countless points of light, like stars, adorned that dark space, making it resemble an ocean formed from the Milky Way itself.
Immersed in it, Arthur felt like a fish in the ocean.
And yet, at the same time, he was acutely aware of his own insignificance before that incomprehensible vastness.
"Is this… the 'Root'?" Arthur murmured.
At that moment, a strange humanoid figure—its form and face indistinct—appeared silently before him.
Its presence was neither oppressive nor comforting.
It was simply… empty.
Its hand gently touched Arthur's face, then placed a soft kiss upon him.
This "phantom" did not belong to 'existence,' nor had it ever possessed a concrete form or a consciousness that could be called a "self."
It had merely appeared to Arthur in a way he could instinctively accept.
In that instant, Arthur felt something being inserted directly into his soul.
But before he could comprehend it, his vision went dark once more.
---
A shift in perspective.
In a mysterious space divided between pure white and infinite darkness, Arthur appeared exactly at the boundary between light and shadow.
The darkness, which had been slowly advancing toward the light, suddenly recoiled—like a frightened animal retreating before a predator the moment Arthur appeared.
On the side of the light stood a woman.
What immediately drew Arthur's attention was her long snow-white hair flowing down to her hips, her mature and elegant figure, and the ceremonial white dress that wrapped around her body.
She walked slowly toward him, her crimson eyes pure and without any trace of impurity.
"Hello, Arthur," she said with a serene smile.
"You're not Iri," Arthur replied, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"Yes, I am not Irisviel," the woman agreed without resistance.
"I assume you'll introduce yourself properly, won't you?" Arthur said.
"My name is Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, and I greet you as a magus of the Third Magic," she declared with a slight bow.
"Oh? I haven't even obtained the Third Magic yet."
"No."
Justeaze gently shook her head.
"You already have. The Holy Grail ritual was completed the moment you reached the Root."
"I see…" Arthur absorbed that quickly.
But to him, none of that was the priority.
"And Irisviel?"
That was what mattered.
The words had barely left his mouth when he suddenly felt a presence behind him.
Arthur let out a soft laugh.
He reached back and placed his hand atop Irisviel's head, gently stroking her soft white hair.
"I'm glad you're safe, Iri."
It was a simple, brief sentence.
But for Irisviel, it shattered something she had been holding together with all her strength.
The moment she heard it, her body trembled, and before she could even think, she threw herself into him.
"Arthur!!!"
He had really come.
He hadn't lied.
He had kept his promise.
"It's okay. I told you—you'd be fine."
Hearing that, something inside Irisviel finally gave way completely.
Tears of happiness streamed freely down her face.
She buried her face in Arthur's chest, clinging tightly to him as if afraid everything would vanish again if she let go.
"You… you really came…" her voice trembled, soft and almost childlike.
"I thought… I would stay there… alone… Even the fragment of your soul you left with me suddenly disappeared."
There was clear trembling in her words.
But beneath it—deep relief.
Arthur wrapped an arm around her waist and gently patted her back in a steady, calming rhythm, like soothing someone who had just awakened from a nightmare.
And in a way, that was exactly what it was.
Nearby, Justeaze watched the scene in silence.
She had never possessed worldly emotions.
Never experienced fear, love, or relief.
All that existed within her was her obsession with the Third Magic.
But not understanding did not mean not knowing.
Though Justeaze and Irisviel were identical in form and appearance, they were entirely different.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on Justeaze's face.
From an outside perspective, she looked like a mother watching her daughter finally being comforted by the person she had longed to see.
Irisviel remained in Arthur's arms for quite some time.
Her fingers still trembled slightly, but the way she held onto him was no longer desperate—only necessary.
Like someone who had finally found a safe place after being lost in the dark.
Her breathing gradually steadied.
Her heart began to beat with a calm she hadn't felt in a long time.
Eventually, she lifted her face.
Her eyes were still moist, slightly red—but there was something new in them.
"Arthur…" she called.
"Hmm?"
"What are you going to do now?"
The question was simple.
But it carried immense weight.
Because deep down, Irisviel knew this wasn't the end.
And she also knew Arthur wasn't someone who would accept an ending like this.
Arthur smiled.
"What am I going to do?" he repeated, amused. "I'm going back to Fuyuki, obviously."
Irisviel blinked in surprise.
"Go back…?"
Arthur shrugged, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"There are still people waiting for me there."
He looked directly at her.
"And I also need to bring you and Artoria back to life."
Irisviel's heart skipped a beat.
"…What?"
For a moment, she thought she had misheard.
But Arthur's expression left no room for doubt.
He was completely serious.
More than that—he was absolutely certain.
"Arthur… that… that's not possible—"
She began to speak, her brow furrowing as logic returned.
"There's no way… we are—"
Before she could finish, a small sphere of light appeared beside her.
Floating gently in the air.
Glowing with a soft, comforting hue.
"Don't cling so tightly to the logic of this world, Iri."
The voice echoed—clear and familiar.
Irisviel froze.
Her eyes slowly widened.
"…That voice…"
She turned carefully, as if afraid it might vanish.
"Artie…?"
The sphere flickered gently.
"Yes… it's me."
For a moment, Irisviel was speechless.
Then she quickly turned back to Arthur, her gaze filled with shock and confusion.
Arthur simply crossed his arms with a satisfied smile.
"The first thing I did when I got here was prevent Artoria's soul from being consumed by the Holy Grail."
He said it as if it were nothing.
Like solving a minor inconvenience.
"There was no reason to let that happen."
The sphere of light glowed a little brighter, as if reacting.
Irisviel covered her mouth with one hand.
"…You…"
But Arthur continued.
"Simply put," he said casually, "I can return."
He lifted his chin slightly.
"And I will return."
A brief silence followed.
"…How?" Irisviel asked, still trying to process everything.
The sphere of light flickered as well.
Clearly, Artoria was waiting for the answer too.
Arthur smiled wider.
"Simple." He raised one hand. "I can force my own summoning."
"…What? How?" Irisviel asked, completely lost.
"By using my own Grail."
This time, both Irisviel and the sphere froze.
"…Your own… Grail?" she repeated slowly.
The disbelief was obvious.
Arthur tilted his head, as if confused by her reaction.
"That shouldn't be so surprising." He shrugged. "I have all the treasures in the world, remember?"
That didn't help.
If anything, it made things worse.
Irisviel simply stared at him, unsure whether to laugh, question him, or give up entirely on trying to understand.
The small sphere flickered slightly—as if even Artoria was speechless.
Arthur laughed.
"Don't worry so much about that."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"The details don't matter right now."
He then closed his eyes briefly in thought.
"Since I'll be responsible for my own summoning…"
He opened them again, a curious glint passing through them.
"…I'll probably appear in the class that suits me best."
Irisviel tilted her head slightly.
"…And what would that be?"
Arthur smiled—this time with a hint of anticipation.
"No idea. But I'm sure it'll be something interesting."
(End of Chapter)