Antarctica

Ritsuka wakes up thinking about how Chaldea's Grand Order is to secure the future and wonders what it means to secure the future. They then see Fou leave the room and decide to walk around as well.^[19]

They go to the command room and ask Goredolf Musik what it means to secure the future. Goredolf answers that it is about sharing a vision of stability: a solid work-rest-entertainment balance for all. For that reason, he declares Novum Chaldea must win for the Earth can still be fixed. But he dreads the inevitable bankruptcy his family will face once the Earth is restored, so he requests they capture Chaldea Base with minimum collateral damage.^[19]

Captain Nemo mentions he read about Chaldea's Grand Order many times in Marisbury Animusphere's documents. Reciting Chaldea's oath, he finds it honors the title of Human Order Security Organization, but it belongs exclusively to Chaldea. His idea of securing the future means having a precise sailing schedule and doing everything in their power to follow it, finding it too much for one person to decide the future of humanity.^[19]

The Marines say their Grand Order is protecting the Storm Border. Professor feels the same and is confident they can plan for any contingency as long as they still have the TRISMEGISTUS II. Although considering she is a non-combatant, she thinks her personal Grand Order is to wish everyone good luck.^[19]

Jingle Abel Meunière just wants everyone to return home safely, like always, and believes the rest of the staff would agree. Goredolf considers returning alive the bare minimum and wants them to return victorious with a trophy worthy of their merits. Nemo concurs and thinks the end of a longer than foreseen voyage warrants a delicious banquet.^[19]

Outside the command room, Ritsuka asks Mash her thoughts on Chaldea's Grand Order. Mash finds it admirable that Marisbury put his ideology of the continuation of human history. Yet despite her praise, she still harbors doubts about Marisbury's objective, his morality, the legitimacy of Chaldea's Grand Order, and whether they were right to perform Rayshift experiments or repair Singularities at all. Regardless of her fears, though, she reassures she will do her utmost to secure the future.^[19]

Ritsuka then asks Mash if she has seen Fou. Mash says she hasn't seen Fou for the past few days. She shared her concerns with "Solomon", but he reprimanded her for fussing over nothing when Fou is insultingly fit.^[19]

After eating at the cafeteria with Baker and Cerejeira Elron, Ritsuka goes to the engine room. There they ask Sion Eltnam Sokaris what it means to secure the future. Sion says the duty of Atlas alchemists is to predict the future rather than secure it, so they couldn't help Chaldea, or more accurately the Animuspheres, with their goal. The best they could was to lend out their equipment. However, Marisbury sucessfully made CHALDEAS, an Earth environment model with zero differences, and by etting its inner date 100 years ahead, he managed to secure 100 years worth of future.^[19]

Sion finds Marisbury's idea and the technical skill used to execute it to be top-notch, something she believesnot even her father could devise. Her only problem with it is its ulterior motives are incomphrensible. Engineer is of the opinion that since it bleached the Earth, CHALDEAS was meant for evil. Sion disagrees and thinks it's possible Marisbury saw bleaching the Earth as the best and perhaps only way to secure the future. He could have accomplished his alleged goal back in 2015, yet for whaterver he chose to bleach human history. That is the antithesis of his Grand Order, something mages are supposed to take as absolute. Sion cannot analyze Marisbury's ideal and so she has labelled them as incomphrensible. As for her own personal idea of securing the future, it is the advancement of technology and the preservation of humanity's positive qualities.^[19]

Next, Ritsuka goes to the medical bay where Leonardo da Vinci has just finished giving herself a check-up to ensure she was perfectly healthly for the final operation. "Solomon" had filled in for her while she was absent. He also expanded and streamlined the summoning system we used to fight ORT, so that instead of using Ritsuka's vitality, force of fortuity to power the summons, they can instead let the Storm Border's electricity handle it. However, Servants summoned by the Storm Borders lack their experiences from Chaldea nor can they communicate since they're pure combative Spirit Origins made to last a single battle.^[19]

Ritsuka then asks Da Vinci her thoughts on Chaldea's Grand Order. Da Vinci states the people who joined Chaldea and labored for decades in the hostile environment of the South Pole all worked toward the ideal of defending the future regardless of whether Marisbury was sincere about the cause. The same is still true for Novum Chaldea, so Da Vinci thinks Ritsuka should be proud. She reassures them that while CHALDEAS might turn out to be an evil created by Marisbury, it would be his alone, adding that their journey and Grand Order never matched his. Ritsuka thanks Da Vinci for her words, to which Da Vinci thanks them in turn for bringing an end to her incomplete journey. The two of them then head to the command room as they’re nearing the Antarctic Circle.^[19]

Arriving at the Antarctic Circle, the Storm Border safely passes through the Wall of Human Order. However, to their utter shock, the Chaldeans find a massive hole where Chaldea’s arctic base should be. Da Vinci immediately orders Meunière to analyze the atmosphere and Nemo to reduce speed and check the radar. She tells Sion to take over the computer room and prepare summon Groups A through E of the Spirit Origin registry. Sion immediately leaves for the computer room.^[19]

A Marine soon reports the hole is not a hole but a crater measuring 1000km in diameter and 500km in depth. Another Marine reports the atmosphere outside contains no oxygen, only helium and hydrogen, making it a borderline vacuum. Another Marine reports they’re surrounded by countless heat sources according to the radar yet they see nothing.^[19]

Suddenly, a Marine picks up a waveform in human language that seems to be a message. With Goredolf’s permission, they decode and play the message. It turns out to be a prerecorded message trying to dissuade those from the bleached Earth away from Antarctica, calling their existence unnecessary, and advising them to leave before warning the automatic defense system will activate in 60 seconds. The fact the message was prerecorded all but confirms that Marisubry was expecting Novum Chaldea.^[19]

Goredolf orders to go full speed ahead toward Chaldea Base, confident they’ll slip through before the automatic defense system can activate. The aforementioned automatic defense system, however, turns out to be an entire forest of Fantasy Trees, which proceeds to fire upon the Storm Border. Thankfully, the Chaldeans are able to make it through thanks to using Servants to shoot down attacks from the Trees, strengthening the ship’s defensive barriers, and cutting through the Trees in their way with the Holy Sword. Unfortunately, there is no sign of Chaldea Base.^[19]

Da Vinci orders the computer room to run both SHEBA and TRISMEGISTUS II at full capacity for detection with the range being the entirety of Antarctica. But then she realizes that since Marisbury was expecting them, he would make securing CHALDEAS his first priority. After they were tricked into thinking CHALDEAS was destroyed when Anastasia froze it, he immediately swapped the entirety of Chaldea Base with CHALDEAS-Earth to keep CHALDEAS out of their reach.^[19]

Sion reports that their defenses can only hold for another two hours. She recommends deciding on a plan by that time as it will take half an hour to cool the engines. If they decide to fall back, they can withdraw from Antarctica before the engines fall back. Goredolf questions how they turn back now after coming this nor do they have the time as this is their last chance to restore Earth. Everyone is dejected by the situation, all except “Solomon,” who is surprised by their dejection given they resolved situations like this countless times.^[19]

Reminding everyone they can still rayshift, “Solomon” reveals there is a gate to CHALDEAS that he had opened in the first Singularity that CHALDEAS ever discovered: Singularity X. The fact that Ritsuka and Mash had spent time there cannot be erased, and so it is possible to rayshift there. Given his own connection to it, “Solomon” admits he could rayshift Fuyuki as well, and he confesses he initially he had intended to rayshift on his own. That was until he factored Ritsuka and Mash in, in which case there is no need for him to personally go. Much of the reason he lent his aid was because of this.^[19]

He instructs Ritsuka and Mash to go to the Singularity and seize the Greater Grail. Once they do that, he will then connect the gate to the Storm Border, which is the only way to move the whole ship to CHALDEAS-Earth. However, he expects the Singularity to have new defenses incorporated into it and asks Ritsuka and Mash if they’re still willing to go despite the risks. Ritsuka and Mash both affirm that they are, and so with Goredolf’s authorization, they are both rayshifted to Fuyuki.^[19]

Fuyuki, the Original Singularity

During the rayshift, a flashback of CHALDEAS accepting Olga Marie Animusphere as a component of itself is heard, followed by a scene that appears to be a shore.^[5]

Ritsuka and Mash arrive in the Singularity and see that it is the same as before. Mash remembers they never actually repaired the Singularity as they were forcibly unsummoned from it when it began to collapse after losing its Holy Grail. Correcting the Singularity would have removed it from history as if it never existed, yet it only suffered a "collapse", which meant the means to access it were lost. But it is an immutable fact that it remained where it was.^[5]

After Mash goes into her Servant form at Ritsuka's behest, the two of them suddenly hear someone crying out for help. To their surprise, it is Olga Marie being pursued by Fantasy Tree seedlings. Ignoring their confusion, they go and rescue her. It seems she was expecting Ritsuka and Mash, though she is caught off-guard by how different they are from what she was expecting.^[5]

With the seedlings eliminated, Ritsuka tries to touch Olga Marie to see if she isn't an illusion. But Olga Marie quickly tells Ritsuka not to move. She finds between Mash's weaponry and the amount of magical energy Ritsuka possesses that there are many strange things in play, but she chalks it all up to the current circumstances. She insists Ritsuka and Mash explain their circumstances, after which she will cooperate with them.^[5]

Ritsuka and Mash explain their circumstances to Olga Marie, which she summarizes concisely. She is also well aware of her tragic fate and reveals she is akin to a memory etched into the Singularity. She supposes she was recreated as a component of the previous Singularity X when Ritsuka and Mash arrived. An illusory Spirit Origin existing only in Singularity X, she can only repeat the past events therein and cannot have a past nor a future. But moving, she knows Ritsuka and Mash seek the Greater Grail to open a path to CHALDEAS and offers to guide them via the shortest route, being quite familiar with the Singularity.^[5]

Ritsuka already knows they need to go west to reach the Greater Grail, but the road is blocked by crumbled building and intense flames. Olga Marie says they'll take a detour that uses the shortest possible route that avoids magical energy hotspots since Ritsuka's resistance to magical contamination is reliant on their Mystic Code.^[5]

On a separate topic, Olga Marie notes Ritsuka didn't summon any Servants during the last battle. Ritsuka confesses they somehow felt that they couldn't summon. Olga Marie reveals that is due to a mental lock as they were not yet a Master at this time and therefore they were made to think they couldn't summon. She undoes the mental lock so they can summon. The three of them then proceed onward.^[5]

While travelling, the trio glimpse illusions of Marisbury and Solomon. Olga Marie explains they’re records from when Marisbury fought in Fuyuki’s Holy Grail War in 2004. She suspects the illusions appeared unexpectedly because she intervened, but thinking it could be their advantage, she encourages Ritsuka and Mash to make contact with the illusion if they want to learn what happened in 2004. The trio then fight Rider.^[5]

Rider is defeated, but Olga Marie is utterly disappointed by Ritsuka and Mash’s performance. Nevertheless, she commends Mash for remarkable mental growth. But she notes Rider’s strength was abnormal and concludes the Singularity like Ritsuka and Mash is different from before. She recommends backtracking to the urban district so they can recruit a certain Servant who helped them before.^[5]

They soon find Cú Chulainn fighting Assassin, who possesses the power to transform into monsters. They help him defeat Assassin, after which Ritsuka asks him if he is the same Cú Chulainn from before. Cú Chulainn all but confirms that he is when he mentions he suddenly found himself again, presuming it is Odin’s doing. Nevertheless, he is very much willing to help the heroes.^[5]

Ritsuka and Mash explain to Cú Chulainn why they’re in the Singularity, revealing to him that it leads to CHALDEAS. He is curious, though, why Olga Marie is here if the Singularity in the real world is at present after Artoria Alter’s defeat and the cavern’s collapse.^[5]

Olga Marie explains it is because Ritsuka and Mash appeared. While it might seem it’s “after the fact” for everyone, right now they’re reenacting the events of Singularity X, which means participating in the Holy Grail War of 2004. It is an unavoidable prerequisite for descending into the cavern once more and why Olga Marie brought Ritsuka, Mash, and Cú Chulainn together.^[5]

On a related topic, Olga Marie asks Cú Chulainn if he knows why Assassin and Rider were stronger than they were before. Cú Chulainn reveals that, according to Assassin, an overseer has appeared for the Grail War and he has empowered the Servants with multiple Command Spells with the commands to safeguard the Greater Grail as well as eliminate visitors from Chaldea. It is quite obvious to Cú Chulainn that the aforementioned overseer is Kirei Kotomine, the last surviving Apostle of the Alien God.^[5]

The Servants affected by Kirei’s Command Spells are Rider, Assassin, Archer, Lancer, and Berserker. Cú Chulainn recommends eliminating them one by one before heading to the Greater Grail lest the heroes get ambushed. He can detect the Servants’ locations, but it isn’t accurate. He guesses Olga Marie would be better suited.^[5]

Olga Marie complains that she had hoped to get everyone to the cavern safely and by the shortest route. But she concedes that if Kirei is the last line of defense, they must weaken the enemy’s combat potential. She then states the closest Servant is Lancer, and so the heroes set forth with the goal of reducing the enemy’s numbers before they’re noticed.^[5]

On their way, the heroes destroy a number of seedlings when they spot another illusion of Solomon and Marisbury. At Olga Marie’s behest, Ritsuka and Mash make contact with it, allowing them to see a memory of the past.^[5]

It is a memory of when Marisbury first joined the Grail War with Solomon as his Servant. Solomon had answered Marisbury’s summons because he agreed with the latter’s dream of securing the Human Order for all of time. It was one of the great feats he once wished for. God had thus granted him the Human Order’s Supplementary Protocol, which stopped functioning with my death. The Supplementary Protocol’s wishes, however, survived in the form of Grand Orders, transmitted as challenges to a number of mages, including Marisbury’s ancestor. But Solomon was curious about why Marisbury dreamt of securing the Human Order.^[5]

Marisbury confessed it was because he loved humanity. He described how they can secure the future by correctly administering the present to ensure mistakes never happen. He said that observing the future was enough and vowed never to intervene with it after the Grail War. CHALDEAS will serve to guide mankind onto the right path.^[5]

Solomon told Maris bury that guiding mankind onto the right path would be more difficult than forging CHALDEAS, noting Earth is in a constant state of conflict. But he described human life as not an endless chain of mistakes and believed humanity’s progress thus far came from the intent to improve the future. He found Marisbury’s dream trusts that progress, so he has promised to grant him the Grail.^[5]

Marisbury agreed with Solomon and told him that humanity can’t stay foolish. However, he found humanity had become too clever for its own good. History has proven effort is best given in small and mundane amounts because every time humanity has tried too hard, it was always for the worst.^[5]

With the vision over, Olga Marie asks Ritsuka for their honest impressions of her father. If Ritsuka describes Marisbury as cold and terrifying, Olga Marie agrees and describes her father’s love for humanity as hollow since he refused to look beneath the surface.^[5]

Mash interjects and asks what Marisbury meant by intervening with the future, assuming he was referring to a rayshift. Olga Marie reminds Mash that only Singularities are subject to rayshifting, and her father wasn’t alive when Singularity X was discovered. The intervention Marisbury is referring to is a Lostbelt overwrite, having used all the resources the Animuspheres spent accumulating for a millennium to create a micro-Lostbelt to overwrite history so he would be a participant in the Grail War. The result was Singularity X, formed by two histories colliding and merging, and the altered Grail War left Fuyuki in a far dire state than the original ever did.^[5]

Cú Chulainn then forces Lancer out of hiding with a fire spell, and the heroes promptly defeat him. With him gone, Olga Marie urges everyone to hurry to the next location. Due to the time discrepancy between the Singularity and the outside, they must hurry and conquer the Singularity before the Storm Border is destroyed. Olga Marie supposes one hour outside equals twelve in the Singularity, and if everything goes smoothly, they can reach the cavern in two Singularity hours.^[5]

In the next area, the heroes are constantly bombarded by Archer, whose shell has been repurposed by Kirei after defeating him for refusing to obey CHALDEAS. With Mash protecting everyone with her Noble Phantasm, the heroes charge through Archer’s bombardment and toward his location.^[5]

As they get closer, another illusion of Marisbury appears before them. They decide to run through it when Olga Marie trips over some rubble. Ritsuka tries to catch her, but the moment they make contact with her, their hand passes through her and they see another vision.^[5]

When Olga Marie was younger, she confronted her father in his office and questioned his love for humanity when she saw humans as nothing but foolish. Marisbury believed she would grow to understand his love for humanity once she had studied it some more. But Olga Marie insisted to her father she wouldn’t because her distrust of humans grows stronger by the day and believes someone like her cannot inherit his legacy——the project to secure the future.^[5]

Marisbury argued that the same traits his daughter used to describe humans as foolish (destructive self-interest and self-preservation) are a wisdom born only to humans. Humans therefore to him are not foolish but ugly. They aren’t inherently wondrous to him, yet he still loves them.^[5]

Out of his love of the human structure, he examined and studied it thoroughly. But he lamented that despite humanity understanding the human structure down to the molecular level, any replication of it will not be recognized as human unless it has a soul.^[5]

He argued they should be able to make something that functions exactly like a human if they know it functions, while emotional responses can be engineered and controlled. He found such inner processes unnecessary and believed everything should be what is on the surface. But he lamented that humans cannot accept this conclusion, and that is the cause of their suffering.^[5]

Out of his love for humans, Marisbury vowed to resolve their suffering, calling it his reason for living. He also concluded that the soul, an essence unable to be repaired by humans, was of no use in securing the future. Calling the strict desire for substance the bad habit of the universe, he told Olga Marie that he looked forward to the day she’ll see the same as he does, certain she’ll become a splendid star.^[5]

The heroes defeat Archer, who turned out to be a literal empty shell. Cú Chulainn questions how a fake can have the same exact powers as the original and presumes CHALDEAS can make clones identical to the original. Olga Marie corrects him that a clone would have substance and thus cannot have the same abilities as the original. Archer, meanwhile, is only a copy-pasted exterior and therefore without substance. CHALDEAS considers the copies genuine and registers them as the real version. This is in accordance with Marisury’s cosmology because to him something with substance is fake.^[5]

The heroes later encounter Berserker and defeat him rather easily. Ritsuka presumes only Artoria Alter remains, but Cú Chulainn thinks Kirei has already eliminated her because there is no possible way he could act as overseer for the Grail War otherwise. He has no doubt, though, Artoria Alter hit Kirei enough to debilitate him when they fought, which is why he hasn’t left the cavern to eliminate Ritsuka and Mash himself. Thanks to that, they can safely assault the cavern.^[5]

Olga Marie recommends they rest first, doubtless that Ritsuka must be exhausted from doing five Servant battles in a row. Mash goes to set up camp when Ritsuka tries to say they’re fine, but Olga Marie insists they rest for at least half an hour, especially since they won’t be able to once they enter the cavern. Agreeing, Mash and Cú Chulainn go make tea and a fire, respectively. Olga Marie also bans any talk of CHALDEAS during the break.^[5]

Ritsuka and Mash recount their escapades throughout the Singularities up to when Mash blocked the Lion King’s Rhongomyniad with her shield in the Sixth Singularity. Embarrassed, Mash suggests they move to talking about the Lostbelts. Olga Marie, however, bans any talk about Lostbelts as they’re related to CHALDEAS. She instead suggests returning to the topic of Singularities, knowing the Seventh Singularity is up next.^[5]

But all the sudden she spills her tea and claims her finger slipped because she is exhausted. While Mash gets her another cup, Olga Marie expresses her appreciation for quiet moments like now. She finds that although they are brief they are with substance. It reminds of when her original self camped with Ritsuka, Mash, and Cú Chulainn, and she has never stopped remembering.^[5]

She suggests to Ritsuka that they speak with Mash, noticing that she seems stressed. She understands they want to tell more stories, but they’ve never truly relaxed despite all the fun they’ve had, nor given in to all the pain they’ve experienced. She knows they’re still fighting, and so she encourages them to go to Mash, calling it the duty of a top-level Master to help their Servant relax. Ritsuka thanks Olga Marie and hurries to Mash, promising to continue where they left off on their next break.^[5]

The heroes soon enter the cavern, whereupon they see Artoria Alter standing guard. Although he was wrong about her being eliminated, Cú Chulainn asserts he was right that she lost against Kirei. Artoria Alter concedes that he is correct, admitting that her Spirit Core is damaged and she can no longer fight as a Servant. Cú Chulainn asks her why she guards the Singularity.^[5]

Artoria Alter reveals that she guards the Singularity so Chaldea cannot erase the evidence. Like Archer, she too had judged the Singularity to be the focal point of the collapse (presumably referring to the Human Order’s). Its very occurrence was an anomaly to begin with because before Singularity X was created, Singularities simply didn’t exist. Singularity X is thus the first Singularity in history.^[5]

Artoria Alter states besides minor fluctuations from travels between parallel worlds the cornerstones of Proper Human History are immutable once established. But Singularity X is different, for it fundamentally changes the foundations. Thanks to Avalon protecting her from space-time interference, Artoria Alter understands that whoever created the Singularity wants it gone. Archer had compared it to disposing of a body to hide the fact that a murder had ever occurred.^[5]

With Mash realizing the truth, Olga Marie reveals SHEBA was contrived to discover Singularity X as soon as rayshifting was feasible and Team A was ready. Marisbury had set his plans into motion the moment he won the Grail War. The “discovery” and repair of Singularity and the invasion of Earth by Planet CHALDEAS; everything should have gone according to Marisbury’s plan if it wasn’t for Lev Lainur Flauros and Artoria Alter.^[5]

Continuing from where Olga Marie left off, Artoria Alter reveals Marisubry planned to have Team A quickly resolve Singularity X. But that never transpired because Goetia had murdered them after predicting there was no future beyond the year 2017. Artoria Alter has guarded the Grail ever since to prevent the Singularity’s erasure, all to preserve the evidence and the last possible hope.^[5]

Cú Chulainn realizes Artoria Alter had never actually disappeared back then. He concludes she lost because she was worn out from preserving the Singularity all on her own. He sarcastically congratulates and tries to go past her only for her to demand he wait much to his frustration.^[5]

Artoria Alter demands a rematch with Ritsuka and Mash, disliking how she uncharacteristically held back at the last moment when they fought last time. She tells Mash to raise her shield, proclaiming she will teach her what it means to wield the Holy Sword. Although hesitant at first, with Ritsuka’s encouragements, Mash ultimately accepts Artoria Alter’s challenge. The Defender of Humanity’s final battle thus begins.^[5]

Mash bests Artoria Alter, for which the latter commends her for learning many of the Round Table’s arts, calling her a fine successor. She tells Mash the rest up to her now that she drilled the fundamentals of the Holy Sword into her. Mash thanks her for her guidance.^[5]

Artoria Alter tells Ritsuka the battle ahead is for those who live in the present and implores them to become the beacon for many souls, calling it their duty as one who has come this far. Ritsuka asks her if she’ll accompany them. Artoria Alter declines saying she has abused her Spirit Origin to the point the damage may remain in the Throne of Heroes. Declaring this the end of Fuyuki’s distorted Holy Grail War, she urges the heroes to hurry to the Greater Grail and settle the score with the Original Singularity before disappearing.^[5]

The heroes enter the Grail’s chamber, which had been turned into an altar. They also spot the gate leading to CHALDEAS.^[5]

Kirei welcomes Ritsuka and Mash. He confesses he was meant to forbid anyone from entering the altar, but he thought it would be a shame if they parted ways without coming face-to-face given their relationship. Making an exception for them, he implores Ritsuka and Mash to come closer.^[5]

The heroes get closer to Kirei. He recalls that he, Ritsuka, and Mash last met in the Supreme Court. He is glad to see they are in good health considering how the Reckoning Singularity had ended. Ritsuka asks him why he helped them back then.^[5]

Kirei confesses he helped back then because they wouldn’t have been able to reach Antarctica as long as that Singularity existed. Mash takes that to mean he has been Chaldea’s ally from the very beginning. Kirei corrects her that he has never been their ally and it was only by sheer coincidence that their goals aligned as what happened in both the Supreme Court and Mictlan. For the latter, he merely fulfilled his role as the Alien God’s butler.^[5]

He notes the Spirit Origin of that Alien God has since been terminated and so Olga Marie should no longer exist anywhere. But turning his attention to the etched memory of Olga Marie, he expresses his disappointment in her, who was meant to be a priestess, for showing hesitation now of all times. He tells her she no longer exists anywhere, and the Universe Update by CHALDEAS is at hand. He thinks she should have continued to observe Chaldea and never interacted with them like she always did. It saddens that her interacting with Ritsuka and Mash will only bring new scars of attachment for all three of them.^[5]

Olga Marie asks Kirei what he intends to do by building an altar, recalling his duty was to babysit the Alien God. Kirei insists he built it to offer his prayers to the Alien God as per his faith. Cú Chulainn calls Kirie out as a fake in response, for which the latter insults the former by comparing him to a street performer. Perturbed, Cú Chulainn insists they defeat Kirei quickly and take control of the gate. But Ritsuka wants to first know why Kirei remains an Apostle, much to Cú Chulainn’s irritation.

Kirei confesses he was set free when the actual Apostle’s will, Grigori Rasputin, was unsummoned. But instead of siding with the Human Order as a human being, he decided to continue on as an Apostle for two reasons.^[5]

He reveals he is dead man nor a resident of Chaldea’s world. In every chain of events, concrete or hypothetical, the man known as Kirei Kotomine in Fuyuki will die in the year 2004. He already died in a different world, so he finds it inappropriate for someone dead who isn’t a Heroic Spirit to have a say in the Human Order. But Kirei corrects himself that his life was originally far removed from the Human Order itself.^[5]

He goes on to say that throughout his life he has wanted to know if a living being considered evil before it is even born and only knows the means to destroy the world would accept itself after destroying the world. CHALDEAS hasn’t been fully born yet mankind already considered it. It is only once it transforms from a simulated model into the true Earth will its sin take concrete form. Kirei wishes to witness that, believing the unborn cannot be held accountable for their sins and, as a priest, he blesses those who have yet to be born.

Mash summarizes reason for remaining an Apostle as wanting to know the meaning of something capable of destroying the world. Kirei confirms that means he sees CHALDEAS as deserving to be called God calling its birth the reason he exists. With all that said, Kire engages the heroes in battle.^[5]

The heroes defeat Kirei, yet he remains standing. His body begins to crack, indicating that once the magical energy that animates him is fully depleted, he will revert to his original corpse. He finds it deeply frustrating that he will not be able to witness the birth of a new universe—of a new God. But he accepts it was impossible from onset for someone immoral like him and crumbles into ashes, lamenting that even in death his wish must go unfulfilled.^[5]

With Kirei now gone, the heroes are free to investigate the gate, but the magecraft formula involving it are far too complicated. Cú Chulainn suggests Ritsuka check if communications with Chaldea are working. Ritsuka checks when they get a response from “Solomon”.^[5]

Aware the heroes are near the gate, “Solomon” says he’ll begin the preparations to bring the gate out of the Singularity along with the rayshift recall for Ritsuka and Mash. Cú Chulainn detaches the gate from the surrounding space per his instructions. Once Cú Chulainn is done with that, “Solomon” immediately starts the return rayshift for Ritsuka and Mash without warning.^[5]

Ritsuka and Mash beg Olga Marie to come with them. Olga Marie declines, reminding them she is an illusion that can only exist in the Singularity. Despite knowing that, Mash desperately thinks they can use a spare Coffin as a vessel for Olga Marie’s return, but Olga Marie points out Ritsuka should already know she can’t touch anyone.^[5]

She goes on to further reveal the Singularity will disappear now that the Artoria Alter is no longer around to maintain it. Everything that is part of it will be gone once Ritsuka and Mash rayshift. Olga Marie has no objections to the fact that she too will disappear, having repeated the events of the Singularity enough times. Although this was her last retry, she appreciates that she could talk with Ritsuka and Mash for as long as it lasted.^[5]

“Solomon” initiates the rayshift, instructing Ritsuka and Mash not to interact with Olga Marie as she cannot be transferred with them. However, Ritsuka and Mash still want to try. Olga Marie scolds them for being so pathetic, asking if they think they can stop CHALDEAS with such an attitude.^[5]

She reminds them that they are the new Chaldea come to rectify the mistakes of the old and should do so proudly and with dignity. She orders them to defeat Marisbury without a single casualty; Ritsuka and Mash promise that they will. Olga Marie thanks them for turning what was an endless nightmare into a happy dream.^[5]