FINAL CHAPTER The Beginning of the End The rolling waves rocked the room. “…Uh, hng…?” He realized they had been in the cabin of the boat from the very start of the journey. Rintarou, Luna, and Sir Kay were lying on their beds. “Uh… What was I just doing? I wasn’t absorbed, was I…?” Rintarou peeled himself off the bed, shaking his head. “…You’re so annoying… After all that work you made us do…” Luna lay on her bed with her head propped on her hand. She looked at Rintarou with a gaze that was almost tender. “…This is…” Sir Kay looked at the thing in her hand. It was the sword of the most virtuous knight, Lahat Chereb. Before going to sleep, Sir Kay found the sword under her sheets and leaned it against the wall. At some point, it made its way into her hand, and she had been holding the blade. “…I see. So this sword had been trying to help us this whole time…” While the three of them were absorbed by these revelations… “…Congratulations. Your search for the Holy Grail was successful—an impressive achievement.” Dindrane quietly stood in a corner of the cabin. Next to her was a person holding a cup that glittered gold. That figure looked like a nomad, clad in a cloak and hood. It was that person Sir Kay met at the village that had been overrun by the demon. That figure gently tugged off their hood and exposed their form. Silver hair tumbled out. She wore a white surcoat and light, silver armor. A beautiful female knight with a slight otherworldliness about her. “…Galahad?” “…Yes, that’s right, Merlin.” She grinned at Rintarou’s question. He grumbled, seeming sullen and sulky all of a sudden. “Seriously…that was a nasty trial… Telling its participants that they can’t desire the treasure…? To hell with that. Why else would we be involved in this quest?” “But in the nightmare the Holy Grail showed you, you realized its true nature. You stopped seeking things from the chalice… You stopped focusing on your avarice. That is exactly why you were able to obtain it.” Sir Galahad stepped in front of Luna and held the Holy Grail out to her. “…Oh.” Luna took it. Sir Galahad turned to Rintarou. “Merlin… No, Rintarou… You know what to do, don’t you?” “…” “Only imbue the Holy Grail with kindness for your precious friend. Not anything else. If you do that, the Holy Grail will answer you. As you are now…I’m certain you can do it.” He stared at the Holy Grail in Luna’s hand. “Rintarou…here.” “…Yeah.” With no hesitation, he pulled a small leather bag from his pocket, opening the contents of it out into his palm. It was Nayuki’s crystal. “…Please. Give back…our friend, Nayuki!” There was none of the fear that he’d locked away in his heart. Because of that, he could wish for just this one desire. Though they were in the boat’s cabin, a blinding light came from the heavens and poured over their heads. The particles of light pooled over Nayuki’s crystal. Then, glowing incandescently, it floated into the air and mended. Eventually, the particles of mana that gathered in the middle of the core turned into the incarnation of a girl. The light faded, and the one who gently floated down and stood there was… “H-huh…? Where am I…? Why am I here…? R-Rintarou…?” Nayuki fluttered her eyelids, unable to piece together what had happened. “N-Nayuki…! You little…!” Rintarou pulled her into a hug, unable to hold back his tears. “What do you think you were doing, you idiot…? You’ve always been stupid…even when you were Nimue…!” “!” Nayuki’s eyes opened wide. His words had triggered her into remembering everything. “Uh, um…Rintarou…no, Merlin…I-I’m…” “Shut up. It doesn’t matter. Everything is fine now… Don’t say anything. Just be quiet and stay with us…all right…?” “…Okay, I understand… Thank you…hee-hee, it’s like a dream come true…” Nayuki was tearing up as Rintarou hugged her firmly. Because of her resurrection, their memories returned. “…Welcome back, Nayuki.” Luna wore an unusually kind expression as she patted Nayuki’s head. “…” Sir Kay watched the three from a slight distance. Eventually, as though noticing something, she turned to Sir Galahad, holding out the sword of the most virtuous knight, Lahat Chereb. “Sir Galahad…your assistance was of great help. This sword was originally yours. I am not fit to wield it… I will return it to you.” Sir Galahad smiled, shaking her head. “No, it’s yours now. You were chosen by it. You chose the blade, and it chose you. Please use it.” “Huh?! B-but I couldn’t possibly have such a powerful sword as this one!” “I believe that starting now, you will all be involved in a large battle for the human world.” “What does that mean…?” “I’m sure you will know soon enough. Because that is how fate has been paved.” “…” “When the time comes, the power of the sword created to protect others…Lahat Chereb will most certainly become your strength.” “Huh?! …I understand. I will use it gratefully.” “Oh, but make sure you’re careful. That sword is cursed, after all. If you use it for your own benefit and hurt someone, you’ll end up fated for ruin and kill the person you love… Just like Sir Balin.” “Whhhhhaaaaaaaaaat?! I’m scared!” “I think you’ll probably be fine, since it’s you, Sir Kay. Heh-heh-heh…” “‘Probably’…? Were you always so mischievous? I thought you were always more, well, emotionless and peerless in your nobility, and upstanding—a perfect human specimen…” “Well, even I’m just a young, beautiful maiden at the tender age of seventeen. If I hadn’t ended up the way I did, I would have enjoyed my youth more like a normal person… It would have been nice to have at least fallen in love.” “…I see. Of course. Even someone as saintly as you…is human, too.” “I have no regrets about fulfilling my role, though… Now that I’ve come to this point, it’s not as though I could do anything about it anyway.” While informing them with an amicable expression, Sir Galahad stepped toward Luna and humbly held out her hand. “…Luna, the modern king chosen by the Holy Grail… Bestow upon me the Grail.” “Oh, right. Sure.” She had sought to become king with her own power from the start. She had no attachment to something like the Holy Grail. Luna easily handed the chalice over to Sir Galahad. “I’m sure you already know, but…this Holy Grail has long since been tainted by the will of an evil god… It cannot remain in this world.” “What are you going to do with it?” “I will…return it to heaven,” Sir Galahad said without hesitation, without gloom. “I’m sure that is for the best. Because…this is my role.” “Of course.” Rintarou nodded in agreement. “I kind of…don’t really get it, but it seems like we really owe you one.” “It’s fine. I am sure I can leave the fate of this world to you, being who you are…I can leave without worry. Though I did want to see where your royal road would take you after you successfully obtained the Holy Grail—the very treasure King Arthur longed for but could never grasp… That will just not come true at this juncture.” Sir Galahad held the Holy Grail and quietly closed her eyes. A blinding light poured over her head and engulfed her entire body. As all of them watched, her form slowly faded as she floated into the sky, cocooned by light. “…Good-bye, everyone. Good-bye…” With a tranquil expression, Sir Galahad started to disappear… She ascended. They were all humbly witnessing her… “HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Luna catapulted off the ground and dropkicked the knight right back down. “Eeep?!” Blown out of range of the downpour of light, Sir Galahad immediately regained her physical form and crashed to the ground headfirst—right into the floor. After being thrown over, the Holy Grail bounced several times off the floor and miraculously landed upright. They could almost hear crickets chirping. The great knight who formerly accomplished this great quest was upside down, sticking straight out of the floor. They were all in silence for several seconds, gaping at the surreal scene. “What do you think you’re doooing?!” Rintarou howled, tears in his eyes as he grabbed Luna’s collar. This final memory of Sir Galahad was ruined—along with everything else. Luna ignored Rintarou and barreled toward Sir Galahad. “…Huh? Um…? Luna…?” Sir Galahad pulled her head out from the floor and blinked up at her. Luna zipped right up to Sir Galahad’s face. “It’s those selfless acts that leave a bad taste in my mouth. I guess you can call it martyrdom? Are you trying to say you don’t care what happens to you as long as everyone else is fine and dandy? …Hmph!” “Oh, no, well…it’s not about whether anyone likes it or not…” “Point is, I don’t like a whole tragic heroine act standing out more than me.” “That’s what motivates you?!” “Well, if you would have been some broken savior—without a single doubt or hesitation left in you… I would have let you go! But you were kind of normal and seemed like you’ve just been holding back, and that irritates me even more!” Luna grabbed Sir Galahad’s collar. “You know what? I hate it when people deliver lines like ‘You’ll know when the time is right’ or…‘Now isn’t the time to talk about it’…and stuff! I hate that holier-than-thou, I-know-more-than-you attitude! Just spit it out already! If you’re not going to explain yourself, then don’t bring it up in the first place—” She stood Sir Galahad upright and pointed a finger right at her. “Come with me. Become my vassal. Got it?” “W-wait! I’m already dead! I have physical form because this is a netherworld! Outside, I wouldn’t even have flesh…!” That was when… Rattle! Rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle… A sound started coming from the Holy Grail on the ground. “Huh? What was that just now…?” Dindrane swiftly picked up that Holy Grail and tilted it. Something rolled out of the chalice and dropped into her palm. “…Ha-ha, Sir Galahad… It seems it is the Holy Grail’s will.” Dindrane quietly handed the thing to Luna. What she handed to Luna was a piece of stone with XIII engraved in it. “A Round Fragment?! And it’s the perilous thirteenth seat to boot—Sir Galahad’s!” “I-is that for real…?” Sir Galahad asked in a daze. “As long as you have this, you can stick around in the physical world like Sir Kay and Sir Gawain… Heh-heh-heh. Well, that settles it.” Toying with Sir Galahad’s Round Fragment, Luna grinned insolently as though this was it. “That’s absurd… There’s no way…? Is this actually possible?” Rintarou held his head and staggered at the unexpected development. “But…you’re here too, Rintarou, because Luna is the way she is…and she saved me…” Nayuki smiled gently next to him. “Yes, I want to protect her because she’s Luna.” Sir Kay gripped the flaming sword. “…In which case, I should return this sword to you.” “No need, Sir Kay. That sword did decide to tie its fate to you. I’m no longer its owner.” “But…” “It’ll be fine. I have tons of relics that are just as good or even better.” “You little hack,” Sir Kay spat, automatically disgusted. Once again, Sir Galahad turned to face them all. “Anyway…I got it. For the time being, let’s get back to the real world and settle down. Then I’ll tell you about the secrets surrounding the Holy Grail, what I saw in my past quest for it…and the danger that currently is approaching the world. “Before we do that, we need to deal with that dangerous chalice… It wouldn’t be good to bring this thing home to the real world. Unfortunately, the real world isn’t filled with noble people like you. The Holy Grail would churn out desires, and the world would be in chaos.” “In that case, how about I take it back to heaven?” Dindrane volunteered, holy cup in her hands. “…Are you sure?” “Yes. Unlike the Jacks or Nayuki, I have passed on in the past with no connections to this world. Even the Holy Grail’s power cannot bring back the dead. All I have done is come to this world temporarily through the ceremony of the King Arthur Succession Battle…” It seemed that was the only way to do it. “Thanks. If you could… We’d owe you one.” “…Yes. May luck be on your side in the upcoming fight…” Dindrane looked at all of them and smiled faintly. Right at that moment… — In a certain place… “I see. I don’t know what kind of miracle has occurred, but…I was surprised they skirted the fate of the assassin who killed King Arthur.” The dark witch laughed. “But this is no issue. Fate is in my hands.” — “Aaaaaaaaaah?!” Dindrane let out a shrill scream. “Wha—?” They all opened their eyes wide and froze. Her chest had been ripped open, gushing blood and sinew… A woman’s arm was growing out of it, grabbing the Holy Grail in Dindrane’s hands. “Found it…! Finally…finally…!” “Cough… No…! Not like this…! St-stop…!” Fwoosh! Dindrane’s body instantly turned into particles of light and scattered into the air. Condensing again, they reconstructed into the form of a new woman. The one who appeared was… “—Vivian?!” It was Vivian, holding the Holy Grail firmly in both her hands. “I did it… I did it…?! Finally! Finally, I hold the Holy Grail in my hands… I thought it was impossible for someone who isn’t fully human to hold this goblet…but…I did it…!” With a smile filled with madness, Vivian sounded as though she had triumphed. “Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! What do you think?! Merlin! How do you feel being outwitted by an insignificant woman you belittled and treated as a fool?!” “Huh?!” “I thought you would definitely die in this quest! But I made an arrangement on the off chance that you completed this trial! I never thought it would have happened! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! It would have been the ultimate revenge if I had actually done this to Nimue’s crystal rather than Dindrane! Unfortunately, I had to make her a sacrifice! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Well, she was already dead to start and served her purpose… I’ll just say it was worth it to see your stupid expressions. Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” Vivian wasn’t in her right mind. It seemed she had already been affected by the Holy Grail’s devilishness. “Why, you…!” “…How vulgar…” Rintarou readied his swords, and Luna steadied her Excalibur next to him. Nayuki prepared her ice magic and Sir Kay gripped her Lahat Chereb. Sir Galahad was armed with a white sword and shield and a spear that she had pulled out of nowhere. It was five against one. Everyone on Rintarou’s side was a powerful warrior. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t even be a fight. However… “Heh-heh-heh… As long as I have this Holy Grail, I can get anything…I don’t need to wait for the Catastrophe or King Arthur’s second coming! I don’t need to control the world in secret anymore from the underworld…! I—and I alone—will be able to rule this world for eternity…! Forever…!” Vivian held up the Holy Grail. In the next moment, condensed darkness flooded out of it. In a second, it corrupted its surroundings and wiped them out. FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHT! At the sound of crashing waves, they were dragged into the bottom of a deep ocean created by the void. “—Mrph?!” The water pressure was starting to crush them. The extremely low temperature of the water was chilling them to the core. They were suffocating. “Yes… I have no need for a king anymore… No need for Merlin… I will kill you all… Yes, this world is mine! It’s not meant to be controlled by humans…! It’s the world of the gods! Give it back… Give it back!” Then, Vivian’s body transformed before their eyes into a singular eyeball—an evil god as mighty as a giant. “Balor of the Evil Eye!” Sir Galahad called out its name. “…The leader of the Fomorians…? It couldn’t be that the evil possessing the Holy Grail was…” “Bingo, Sir Kay! Well, that’s just a single part of Balor’s incarnation… It’s not his main host…but if he can so clearly manifest himself in a netherworld…?! Gah?!” Sir Galahad was speaking to Luna, frightened. “Hurry! Let’s return to the real world! It might be in a dire state right now!” “Okay…but my body feels like a lump of coal… I can’t really move…!” Luna struggled desperately, glugging as she sank toward the bottom of the deep ocean. This was Fomorian territory. It was their domain. It would make anyone incredibly weak. “Perish, you fragile beings!” Vivian—Balor’s avatar—raised a stout arm and brought it down toward them. “Huh?!” None of them could move—Luna, Sir Kay, nor Nayuki. They were captured in enemy territory, frozen in place. Only two of them… “Hraaah!” Rintarou… “…Hwah!” …and Sir Galahad were exceptions. Rintarou had undergone his Fomorian Transformation, moving through the water like a shark, slashing at the giant arm with his swords. He brought them up into an X and sent the arm flying. In that moment, Sir Galahad swung her glowing blade and spear to form a cross, blasting away its body. Rintarou’s shadow Aura and Sir Galahad’s light Aura caused a giant explosion. “Gwaaaah?!” Balor comically propelled through the water, sent flying far off… “Heh! This was Fomorian territory? That makes this my home ground, doesn’t it?” Rintarou stood to protect Luna and the others. “Well, I’m a saint of saints after all… Darkness isn’t a big deal.” Sir Galahad proudly shouldered her spear. “Oh, so you can bring it. The true Lance of Longinus, David’s Sword, Joseph of Arimathea’s Shield… You’re going strong with all those overpowered artifacts.” “Yeah, but…” Sir Galahad was cautious of her surroundings, readying her glittering sword. “It’s coming… It’s not just Balor’s avatar. Sea demons are approaching us and forming a giant group to eat us up.” That was certainly the case. A group of repulsive monsters of unparalleled evil were approaching from all sides of the ocean’s darkness. The horde’s presence was enough to make their skin crawl. Through the sea, they heard the sound of teeth clicking, claws scraping, tentacles writhing, and unknown organs rising and grinding with unpleasant noises. Then, there were Balor’s attacks, which made the rest of the horde seem soft. They could tell that, at that moment, the horde was coming in at terrific speeds. “What shall we do, Rintarou? This battleground doesn’t work to our advantage. It will be hard to protect those who cannot fight, even for us…,” Sir Galahad observed. Rintarou made a quick decision. “Luna! Leave this to me! You all get out of here first!” “R-Rintarou?!” Luna was taken aback. “Heh! All I did this time around was show my pathetic side, right?! I’ve got to make up for that now! Hurry! Sir Kay’s flaming sword should be able to cut open a road to the real world!” “B-but…” “Did you forget? I’m Merlin. I can hack my way out of any situation and, with Merlin’s magic, I’ll figure out a way back! So let me be the anchorman!” Even as they were talking…Balor’s avatar and the sea demon horde drew closer… “Sir Galahad…you’ll protect Luna and the others on the way home, right?” “…Of course. I am Luna’s Jack now, after all.” “I leave it to you.” While Rintarou and Sir Galahad were having that exchange… “Gaaaaaaaaah!” Balor’s avatar created a terrific torrent of water and appeared in front of him. Grotesque sea demons surrounded Luna and the others and started to attack. “Hyah!” However, Sir Galahad swung her holy sword and spear, which created a whirling tide and systematically cut down the sea demons, piercing them, mowing them down. They were practically driven away in one blow. Then, Rintarou and Balor clashed. When his two swords and Balor’s fists collided, it was clear this battle was in a different league. It was already at a point that the others couldn’t offer any help, since they were weakened by the domain of darkness. “R-Rintarou?!” “You can’t, Luna! You’ll get in the way!” “I understand your feelings, but…all we can do now is what Rintarou has said… We can’t do anything… All we’ll do is drag him down…” Sir Kay and Nayuki’s faces seemed bitter. For a while, Luna looked at her friends and then at Rintarou’s back. “Rintarou!” she yelled. “You’re going to make sure you come home, right?! To me! You’re going to come home, right?!” “’Course I am! I’m the world’s greatest vassal to the world’s best king!” That was enough for her. “…Sir Kay!” “Yes! Lahat Chereb!” Sir Kay waved her sword. The fire glittered as it whirled, creating a vortex from a fierce blaze. Lahat Chereb wasn’t a sword meant to defeat anyone—it was a sword of protection. As long as it was used just for that, it would draw on the wielder’s wishes and display almighty powers. At that moment, Lahat Chereb tore through the darkness of the deep ocean and created a single road of light to the real world. “Gah?! This is heavy?! …Please follow after me! I will most certainly lead everyone to the real world…!” Sir Kay left first. “Gotta hand it to Sir Kay. You’ve already mastered Lahat Chereb more than I had. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so unfaithful with so many other weapons? Ahh, I suppose I’m just too saintly…” Sir Galahad continued after Sir Kay while cutting down the approaching monster horde at random. She was batting them away like she was swatting flies. “Rintarou! Thank you! Make sure you come home! I’ll be waiting! I’ll wait for you…!” Nayuki left, crying. “…” Luna could no longer say anything and turned around wordlessly. She simply squeezed the hawthorn cross hanging around her neck. “…Yeah, I’ll come home.” While swinging his swords, Rintarou continued to heroically fight Balor’s avatar. Of course, he wore the hawthorn cross on his chest—the one that matched Luna’s. “Why? Why…?!” Balor’s avatar looked down at Rintarou with his giant, swiveling eyeball. “Why do you disobey me, my son…?! Why won’t you kill King Arthur?! I created you to carry that out… Why do you do this?! Why?!” “Shut up! I don’t understand what’s going on, but don’t come out of nowhere acting like my dad!” Rintarou howled while knocking back Balor’s great arm with his swords. “You want to know why I’m disobeying you?! That’s obvious! Unlike your ugly mug, she’s a million times cuter and more entertaining!” By themselves at the bottom of the deep ocean of darkness…the battle to the death between Rintarou and the repugnant embodiment of malice unfolded.
Chapter 60
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