Shinji Matou at Your Service

Shinji slowly descended from the sky, catching the now dull Immortal Blade just as the sun's flames were exhausted. His face, which had been filled with regret, now alternated between expressions of surprise and confusion.

"A different future... Was it just a hallucination brought on by his intense wish before death? Or did he see a different scene?"

"It doesn't matter whether it was or wasn't. Humanity will face extinction one day, just like the planet."

The pure white princess descended from her high vantage point and landed beside Shinji.

"The important thing is, what do we do with what Zepia left behind?"

Suspended in the air were two crystalline droplets, spinning and still bearing the marks of Zepia's soul.

"What is this—?"

Shinji first cast a protective spell on himself and tentatively reached out to touch one of the droplets. As he made contact, a message flowed into his mind.

"I see, it seems he did see it."

"What is this thing?"

Arcueid asked.

"A legacy, and a reward."

A blue light of soul energy swirled in Shinji's hand, firmly encasing the two droplets.

"The legacy is his accumulated knowledge and techniques over the years, as well as the equations for his final prediction of the future, meant for his descendant, Sion Eltnam Atlasia. Because the gift is a polymer of spirit particles, it will dissipate quickly without someone to sustain it, so he hoped I would preserve the legacy and deliver it to Miss Sion. As for the reward, he left his experiences from the pursuit of Sixth Law—an offer too tempting to refuse, but..."

"But what?"

"Never mind, I'll explain when I see her in person—by the way, Arcueid, could you help me search for any remaining blood, especially any mixed with spirit particles?"

"Sure."

When it comes to sensitivity to blood, who could surpass a True Ancestor with an insatiable thirst for it?

With a wave of her hand, she sliced open a floor tile, revealing a thick substance, half crimson and half pitch black.

Seeing this strange blood, a hint of curiosity flashed in Shinji's eyes.

"It is here. In this state—haha, no wonder Zepia chose this descendant. Even a small oversight could leave a hidden danger."

Sensing the threat, the half-red, half-black blood began to melt and burrow deeper. Unfortunately, it was just a mass of blood and hadn't reached its future potential. Shinji easily froze and sealed it with runes, storing it in Kibisis.

"Mission accomplished. Now for the cleanup. Whoever named this building Temple clearly isn't from the world of mysteries, and the conflicts in the mysterious world shouldn't affect ordinary people—let's restore everything."

Archeid nodded. Pure white light spread outward, reversing time wherever it touched. Ruins and debris were reassembled, and the floors demolished by Noble Phantasms were restored. In just a few seconds, the entire building was completely rebuilt, as if tonight's battle had never happened.

As the white light vanished, the princess and her knightly protector returned to the rooftop. With the end of the Night of Wallachia, the conclusion of TATARI, the dissipation of Marble Phantasm, and the cessation of Soul Materialization, the city's anomalies finally came to an end. The otherworldly realm centered on the building gradually calmed.

Without the high concentration of spirit particles, Shinji, who had appeared in his Servant form as a young man, reverted to his youthful self. Arcueid also reverted—her long, flowing hair became short again, and her elegant, regal gown turned into a contemporary, breezy summer outfit.

Similar to how Shinji used magic to recreate his true soul form, Arcueid used Marble Phantasm to manifest her essence—the true form of the Natural Sense, the dignified yet cold copy of the Crimson Moon. In this state, she could come infinitely close to the Crimson Moon and summon that thousand-year-old red moon.

In this form, Arcueid's presence and power were much stronger than her usual self, but Shinji still preferred her usual self—the willful one, who liked to act spoiled, feared boredom, clung to him, and was easily jealous. Just like now, as soon as she reverted, she pouted and glared at Shinji with her newly red eyes, muttering "Mmm" under her breath.

"If you have something to say, just say it," Shinji yawned.

"Mm-mm..."

"If you won't say it, I'll sleep for a bit. When the sun comes up, it'll be your turn."

"The red-haired woman who appeared at the end—what's her relationship with you?"

Arcueid finally spoke up, and Shinji was puzzled.

"Huh? Why did you suddenly think to ask about that?"

"I feel she's very dangerous. Just tell me quickly."

"Your feeling is correct. She is indeed very dangerous."

"And she is—?"

"Scáthach."

"Never heard of the name..."

Seeing Arcueid's bewildered face, Shinji helplessly covered his forehead.

"If you haven't heard of her, just read the world's memories."

"No."

Arcueid refused without hesitation.

"It's too troublesome, and I'm exhausted. Summoning the Crimson Moon was tiring, and you even made me restore the building. If I use any more power, I might not be able to resist biting you."

Biting, in this context, meant sucking blood. Arcueid extremely detested bloodsucking, so Shinji used this term as a euphemism, and over time, Arcueid began to use biting instead too—this was one of the changes in Arcueid since meeting Shinji.

Previously, Arcueid both hated and feared her bloodsucking impulse. But Shinji believed that it was a natural part of her race, an unavoidable reality. So he began to slowly guide her, and now Arcueid could actively face this innate impulse, even working with Shinji to find ways to suppress it.

Hearing Arcueid's words, Shinji knew she had indeed reached her limit.

It makes sense. Tonight, eliminating the Night of Wallachia seemed like Shinji did all the heavy lifting with Arcueid merely observing coldly. In reality, it was quite the opposite—the observer was the real hero.

Without the red moon she summoned, no matter how many noble phantasms Shinji unleashed, he wouldn't have been able to kill the phenomenonized Zepia. At best, he could have protected himself and endured the night in the Virtual World.

Summoning the red moon from a thousand years in the future was a tremendous drain on Arcueid, just as Zepia had analyzed—she indeed had no strength left for combat and had to rely on Shinji.

Of course, because Arcueid's appearance was so deceptive—whether her lofty demeanor earlier or her current lively enthusiasm—she gave the impression of being in good condition, causing Shinji to subconsciously overlook her weakness.

In the future, he needed to pay more attention and not be fooled by her energetic facade. The princess was unexpectedly prone to overexertion.