Thanks for the invitation. I'm in Type-Moon, inheriting the legacy of Zi-O.

"Mr. Amadeus?! Is that alright? You'll get hurt!" Looking at Amadeus's frail body, Mash found it hard to believe that he would fight head-on.

"It's nothing serious, it's just a rehearsal for tomorrow's final battle~ Don't worry about a minor injury, don't worry about it." Amadeus seemed indifferent.

As soon as they finished speaking, a group of monsters sprang out from the dense forest bushes and pounced on the two of them.

However, it was to no avail. The monsters had the advantage of numbers and the darkness of night, but their instincts—to feed—did not grant them the ability to sense danger.

The reduced vision in the dark had no effect on the Servants, and their numerical advantage was overshadowed by their overwhelming strength. These monsters were easily wiped out like leeks; perhaps only when facing death could they feel a sliver of fear.

Fortunately, there were no more monsters around them, and the two finally broke through the encirclement.

"Phew, we finally broke through the encirclement safely. But we unknowingly ran out of the forest while we were fighting..." Amadeus scratched his head helplessly as he looked at the familiar plains around him.

“Ritsuka and your Mr. Nencho must be worried. Let’s rest for a bit and then head back to camp.” Amadeus found a place to sit down and took a long breath.

“…Well, although it’s a bit inappropriate to talk about this now, may I ask?” Mash put her shield aside and sat down as well.

"Okay, go ahead. Ask me anything, whether it's something important or trivial." With a friendly expression, Amadeus was unusually forthright. "Anyway, the decisive battle is tomorrow, so it's best to finish anything that's still unfinished."

“Um… I’m sorry to bring up old matters again…” Mashu hesitated for a moment. “I wanted to ask about the first time Mr. Amadeus heard about Miss Mary’s passing. Mr. Amadeus said something like, ‘Humans can choose what they like.’ I don’t quite understand what that means.”

Then he suddenly waved his hand and said, "Ah, no, I understand the literal meaning of that sentence. It's just that I don't understand what 'choice' refers to."

"What is worthy of appreciation should be things that are right in accordance with moral values."

"What should be rejected are the evil deeds that are despised by society."

With her eyes lowered, Mashu showed a rare look of bewilderment. "That's how I was raised, and I also think it's the right thing to do."

Amadeus gazed at the sky full of brilliant stars and spoke slowly.

People who hold on to hope

“So, Mash,” Amadeus asked, looking at Mash, “what do you consider to be correct?”

"It's probably... about saving many lives and acknowledging many lives." After a brief silence, Mashu answered with a hint of uncertainty.

“That’s too general.” Amadeus disagreed with her answer. “What if that Heroic Spirit’s spirit is not a guardian of humanity, not that kind of person?”

“This…” Mashu fell silent. The confusion and unease on her face became increasingly obvious.

“I’m sorry, that’s a rather unrealistic assumption.” With a softened expression, Amadeus comforted Mashu. “But you must remember this confusion and unease. Mashu, you’re probably someone who has just gained freedom.” Amadeus saw right through Mashu’s inner panic.

"So you're afraid to make choices, afraid to move forward, and confused about how you should exist as you gradually take shape in the future."

“…Perhaps…that’s true,” Mash lowered her head. “Because I…don’t really understand the outside world. …No, maybe I’m not even qualified to like anything. Because I—” Mash wanted to continue, but Amadeus interrupted her.

“Oh dear, you are truly pure and innocent. Like a musical score without a drop of ink.” Amadeus sighed helplessly, rubbing his forehead with one hand, but then his tone turned serious as he looked directly into Mashu’s purple eyes. “But remember this, Mashu. Even if you are a puppet who only knows how to fight, you have an obligation to love something. Perhaps you don’t have that freedom, but you have that obligation.”

"Obligation...? Shouldn't it be called a right or a qualification?" Mashu asked, puzzled.

“Yes, it’s an obligation, or you could say a responsibility…” After correcting Mash, Amadeus continued, “Humans bear this responsibility because they possess the intellect to think about problems.”

"What to like, what to hate. What is sublime, what is evil."

"This is all up to you. You don't need to listen to what others say or compromise your own ideas," Amadeus explained, shaking his index finger.

"Human beings are diverse and complex. There are no two people with the same values ​​in this world." (Author: Fu Qiang... Amadeus: Get out of here!)

"We've learned about all sorts of things and witnessed all kinds of scenery. Your life has gradually become richer in this process. So listen carefully, Mashu—"

"It is not you who created this world, but the world that created you. And as your wings grow stronger, one day you will fly over this world."

“You must leave behind evidence of your existence, in whatever form.” Amadeus said, puffing out his chest proudly. “Like me, the vast collection of music I left behind is proof.”

After saying that, she turned melancholy and said, "Ah, but—it's really nothing special."

"Why?" Mashu was a little confused. Why would Mozart, who was so famous in the world, think that this was nothing special?

"Because I'm a man who couldn't even see his first love one last time when she was dying, you know?" His words were full of bitterness. "Although the things I left behind are loved by people, my own life is not worth mentioning."

But Amadeus had no regrets: "But that's enough. Humans are filthy and vile, and I will not change my conclusion."

"In this world, there are both brilliant villains and repulsive saints. So you don't need to fear your future."

“This world made you, Mashu.” Looking at the girl in front of him, Amadeus seemed to see a newly hatched chick growing and strengthening its wings. “You will also enrich this world and make it grow.”

“So this is what it means to become human,” Amadeus said, tapping Mashu’s forehead with his index finger before returning to his carefree self. “You have to acquire all sorts of things from this world first, and then return them to it as you please.”

"To worry about what the consequences will be is a much more distant problem."

“Mr. Amadeus…” Mashu hesitated, still unable to make up her mind and clear her confusion.

"However, most things will be fairly evaluated and receive the corresponding results. Just like my music, and my life."

Amadeus, who constantly expressed his hatred for humanity, couldn't help but praise them, saying, "As long as humanity remains humanity, evil will eventually disappear. Otherwise, humanity cannot prosper."

"And evil is an obstacle that hinders the flourishing of life. As long as it exists, the flame cannot be continued." He waved his musical staff, drawing out musical notes. "When 'evil' cannot be eliminated, that will be the moment of human extinction. That's what I think."

"...Ah, your breathing has calmed down. The break is over, Mash, go back to the others." Gazing calmly at Mash, Amadeus suddenly spoke as if saying goodbye, "This may be the last time I talk to you. I feel like I've unusually given you a long lecture."

“But I’m so glad we could have one last talk alone. You’ve been a captivating girl all along.” Amadeus finished by waving his staff, producing more beautiful notes. “If Maria hadn’t been here during this war, I might have proposed to you, you know?”

“…Yes, thank you very much, Mr. Amadeus, the great musician.” Standing up, Mashu bowed to Amadeus in gratitude. “I will remember your words.”

“Well, you’ve passed, Miss.” Amadeus responded with a smile. “I hope you remember that, in any case, saying goodbye with a smile is always the most beautiful thing to do.”

The two walked back into the forest and headed towards the flickering campfire.

The supplies sent from Chaldea have already arrived.

"The supplies have arrived, but there seems to be a spatial misalignment." Mash raised her shield, looking at the beast tearing at the supplies. "Senior, can you endure the hunger?"

Ritsuka, who was starving, shook her head frantically, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at the standing Zhuo.

"--That definitely won't work. So Mashu, let's go." Zhuo patted Mashu's head and picked up the signal axe he had just thrown out.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth, watching the wild beasts scrambling for the spicy food, yelled angrily, "Wait! That's what I wanted! Don't eat it!!"

"What an annoying fellow..." Kiyohime looked at the scattered ingredients on the ground, a hint of anger flashing in her eyes. "I was hoping to show off my skills to Lady Anchin...maybe it would remind her of our memories..."

As Zhuo and Mashu charged forward, the battle to protect Chaldea's food supplies began!

Boom—flames and a dragon's roar echoed once more in the silent forest.

Afterwards, Elizabeth sat down to the side, holding a bowl of scarlet Mapo Tofu in her hands, chewing as she looked at Kiyohime, who was smiling beside her.

"Wow, this tastes really good!"

"Then I'll feed you myself~" Kiyohime rolled up her kimono sleeves, scooped up a spoonful of tofu, and held it out to Elizabeth. "Come on~ open your mouth~"

"What...what are you doing...!" Mashu's eyes widened in disbelief.

"..." On the other side, Joan of Arc watched the scene unfold without saying a word.

"Oh, may I bother you for a moment?" It was Amadeus, who sat down next to Joan of Arc, who was deep in thought.

Release the stars and scatter hope.

“Sorry to disturb your rest, Joan of Arc,” Amadeus sat down next to Joan of Arc. “But those two dragons over there are making a lot of noise.”

As she spoke, she pointed to Elizabeth and Kiyohime, who were arguing over there.

“…Amadeus, Mary was very kind to me.” After a long silence, Joan of Arc suddenly uttered these ambiguous words.

“Of course, she’s kind to everyone.” Amadeus looked at Mary, who was sitting there mediating the conflict between the two women, and then looked back at Joan of Arc. “Her feelings for you are even more special.”

"Why?" Joan of Arc asked, puzzled. "Because we are all French...?"

“Who knows?” Amadeus shrugged. “I don’t think it has anything to do with whether you’re French or not.”

“Whether you are British, Spanish, or even from a country in the Far East, it makes no difference to Maria.”

“She loves and respects you so much because you are a young girl who rose up alone in rebellion.” Looking at Mary, who was laughing even more happily, Amadeus’s eyes softened a little. “In a way, Maria is just like you. She became queen at the age of fourteen and was forced to fight alone in the Palace of Versailles.”

Pointing to Joan of Arc's armor, Amadeus said half-jokingly, "Of course, it was far less brutal than the battles you participated in. The battlefield amidst flying cannon fire is fundamentally different from the court filled with intrigue and slander."

“But for her, it was still a life-or-death battle. That’s why she resonated with you, that must be it.” Amadeus’s staff moved up and down slightly.

"So, it's because we were all fighting alone...?" Joan of Arc seemed to understand something, but not quite.

“There is another reason, and this is even more important.” Amadeus said earnestly, closing his eyes.

“For Maria, protecting those she loves is a matter of course. Whether the object is her family, outsiders, servants—or even the entire country itself.” However, her serious expression didn’t last long. “But, after all, she’s a pampered young lady who doesn’t know the hardships of the world, so her methods of protection are a bit unorthodox.”

"...Is that so? Then I also want to protect her as a friend." Jeanne looked at Nianzhuo, who was caught in the crossfire of the two women's argument. "Although the situation at the time was truly beyond our control, even so—"

“There are always people who are willing to give up their lives to create miracles.” Joan of Arc smiled as she reached out her hand to Amadeus. “This time, Mr. Amadeus, I assure you, I will be with her. ... I truly mean it.”

“…Phew, you two, you’re both the kind of people who just spout strange things.” Amadeus finally smiled as he grasped her hand. “I’m entrusting Maria to you, Joan of Arc. The best way to repay her is for you to treat her as a friend.”

“Maria and I have one thing in common: neither of us has many friends.” Amadeus smiled, not minding revealing his social anxiety. “But she was able to fulfill this regret in her second life. Unfortunately, this time she was no longer able to walk in front of me with such ease and grace.”

“…Well, everyone considers you a companion, whether it’s Nenjo, Ritsuka, or even me.” Jeanne couldn’t quite understand Amadeus’s reason for saying he had few friends.

“Ah~ no, no, because I don’t think so. Maria said it too, didn’t she? Overall, I’m a complete scumbag.” Gazing at the musical staff in his hand, Amadeus said with satisfaction, “I only love music. That’s how I live. And I’m proud of myself for it. Therefore, I can’t make friends, and that’s also why I’ve been able to leave behind so many works.” He smiled and pointed to himself, the smile on Amadeus’s face slightly forced.

“The moment I start to crave the happiness of ordinary people, I feel disgusted with myself. I wish I could just disappear.” Silently suppressing his smile, Amadeus exhaled the bitterness in his heart. “Well, but thank you. I’m sure Maria won’t regret it, Joan of Arc.”

“…I will hold the ‘Dragon Witch’ accountable—no, killing the enemy isn’t the most important thing.” Joan of Arc gripped the flag tightly. “I will definitely fulfill her wish with her, and I will definitely save France.”

"Hey—Amadeus, what are you talking about with Joan of Arc?" Mary waved and shouted excitedly at the two of them from not far away.

"Alright, alright~ then get some rest, Joan of Arc." With a sigh, Amadeus patted his clothes, stood up, and said goodbye to Joan of Arc.

"...You too, may you have sweet dreams, Amadeus." Joan of Arc's lips twitched slightly as she gazed at the crowd in the distance.

—Finally, let's turn our attention back to Jeanne Alter, whom we haven't seen in a long time.

“Jill, zaima?”

Black Jeanne looked around the empty hall and called out the name of the man she knew.

The ground suddenly twisted, and several sea demons enveloped a magic circle. After unfolding, the man in the blue-black robe stood inside.

Yes, I'm here!

"...Marie Antoinette has escaped, and Sanson has left the stage?" Jeanne Alter gritted her teeth in resentment and spoke sullenly.

“…I’m sorry, my saint. He was too badly injured,” Jill said regretfully after a moment’s hesitation. “Besides, he seemed satisfied…so he left voluntarily.”

"...Is that so? Your wish has come true. Georgios has also escaped from that city." With all the bad news, Jeanne Alter's anger grew even stronger. "If it weren't for that man!" Jeanne Alter gritted her teeth, black flames appearing in her hand as she threw it against the wall.

The flames instantly melted the wall beside them, leaving a huge hole that resembled the void in the girl's heart.