Did the Heroic Spirit I conquered become a reality?

At this moment, the King of Heroes felt his perception being ruthlessly overturned, and he even doubted whether he was hallucinating because of his anger.

He suddenly looked down, staring intently at the figure blocking Caster's path, trying to make out what it was.

Then... he saw it.

It was neither a hideous monster nor an ancient phantom of a god.

Instead, she was a stunningly beautiful woman wearing a pure white dress, with bare, snow-white feet, and a petite and exquisite figure.

Gilgamesh's arrogance and impatience froze instantly, replaced by unprecedented shock and astonishment.

The woman simply stood quietly in front of Tohsaka Yu, raising her head to look at the Golden King on the streetlight, who held the Ea sword and whose face was filled with shock and disbelief.

There was no anger, no roaring, not even a single word.

But her mere presence, her mere gaze, caused the surrounding space to groan in an unbearable agony.

Gilgamesh stared at the suddenly appearing figure with suspicion and uncertainty, feeling the terrifying aura that almost completely "denied" his own existence, as if he had vaguely figured out something.

But what I felt most deeply was an unbelievable shock.

impossible……

How is this possible...?!

This woman… what is she doing here?!

Tiamat seemed not to have figured out the situation yet. She looked around blankly, then looked up at the Hero King on the street lamp.

A hint of confusion lingered in her clear, bright red eyes as she tilted her head.

"Aaa?"

boom!

The moment Gilgamesh heard the voice that seemed to come from the depths of his soul, he felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in his mind, making his entire head buzz.

His lips trembled slightly, and his scarlet eyes stared blankly at the blue-haired woman in front of him.

After an unknown amount of time, he finally came to his senses, his lips trembling slightly.

"……Mother?"

……

Inside Einzbern Castle.

On the magical medium, the image of Fuyuki City's streets remained clear, but the crimson magic power, capable of destroying everything, mysteriously vanished just as it was about to fall.

The golden king, wielding the sword Ea, now had a stunned expression on his face—an expression that Kiritsugu Emiya had never seen before—that was almost blank.

"The King of Heroes...has stopped?"

For the first time, a clear look of confusion appeared in Kiritsugu's gray eyes, which were as calm as an ancient well.

what happened?

Why did Gilgamesh suddenly stop? Did that Caster do something? Or was it... that mysterious woman who suddenly appeared and blocked EA's attack?

He subconsciously looked at Saber—Merlin—beside him.

“Saber, what was that just now…”

However, Kiritsugu's words were interrupted midway.

Because he noticed that the flower magician, who always wore a gentle and composed smile and seemed to have everything under control, now had an unusually serious expression on his face, even... solemn.

Merlin didn't look at him, but stared intently at the stunning figure blocking Caster's path on the screen. His purple eyes were filled with a complex and unfathomable light, as if he had seen something beyond his comprehension.

...Even Merlin lost his composure like this?

Kiritsugu Emiya's heart sank.

Although he didn't completely trust Merlin, he knew the strength and knowledge of this near-Grand Caster.

Who is that woman who suddenly appeared, the one who could make Merlin show such a solemn expression?

Emiya Kiritsugu took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

Judging from this, it seems that this Holy Grail War has deviated from everyone's expectations from the very beginning.

……

Meanwhile, in the Tohsaka family's underground magic workshop.

Tokiomi Tohsaka silently slipped away and put down the phone.

He had just confirmed, through the intelligence network shared by Kirei Kotomine, the brief but extremely intense conflict between the King of Heroes and the mysterious Caster.

When he learned that Gilgamesh had drawn the sword Ea, preparing to eliminate the enemy with lightning speed, he was somewhat dissatisfied with revealing his trump card too early, but he also believed that the outcome was already decided.

However, the information that followed immediately made this magician, who always maintained an elegant and composed demeanor, turn pale.

Archer's strongest attack... was actually blocked?!

Was he casually blocked by a suddenly appearing, unidentified being?!

How can this be? !

A strong sense of unease instantly welled up in my heart.

The being that could stop EA must possess unfathomable strength. If Archer continues to remain there, he will not only fail to achieve the desired "purge" effect, but may also fall into unknown dangers.

It might even... reveal more about your own trump cards!

He must come back immediately!

A resolute glint flashed in Tokiomi Tohsaka's eyes. Without further hesitation, he immediately raised his right hand.

"—Issue this order in the name of the Command Seal!"

His voice echoed in the empty workshop, carrying an undeniable force.

"My king, please calm your anger and return to my side immediately."

The crimson Command Seals emitted a blinding light, and the powerful force of the contract instantly transcended the barriers of space, acting upon the Golden King who was far away on the other side of the city.

In any case, we must ensure the safety of the Hero King first... even if doing so will leave the Hero King feeling unsatisfied.

But compared to the enormous unknown risks, taking Archer's wrath is the only "reasonable" choice he can make at the moment.

……

Fuyuki City, streets on a snowy night.

Time seemed to freeze.

Gilgamesh maintained the posture of swinging Ea, but hesitated to launch another attack.

His bloodshot eyes were fixed on the figure that had suddenly appeared in front of him, and his heart was filled with an unprecedented storm.

Tiamat?!

How did she end up here?! And in such a spirit form?!

And what's more, she actually... blocked EA?! To protect Caster?!

Countless questions assaulted Gilgamesh's mind like a raging thunderbolt, causing even the oldest king, who had witnessed the end of the Age of Gods and overlooked countless historical changes, to feel an almost absurd confusion.

He couldn't understand.

Why would the Primordial Mother, who should have been sleeping in the Sea of ​​Imaginary Numbers, respond to the call of a mere human Servant and descend upon us?

Why would she choose such a form... almost "human," full of gentle maternal aura? This is completely different from the terrifying existence he perceived as representing chaos and return!

And... who exactly is Caster? What is his connection to his mother? How could she possibly be so willing to personally appear and even block his strongest attack?!

Countless thoughts flashed through Gilgamesh's mind: some were astonishment at the unknown, and others were a subtle, almost imperceptible, tremor that even he himself was unwilling to admit came from the depths of his soul when facing this true "primordial being."

Now how to do?

Should we continue the attack? Should we unleash an EA on this "mother"?

The thought flashed through his mind for a moment before Gilgamesh forcefully suppressed it.

That's not just a matter of power; it involves something else... a taboo.

But to just retreat like that? To leave this Caster and this "mother" here? That wouldn't be in accordance with his dignity as a king!

We must find out everything about this Caster, and we must understand the real reason why my mother is here...

Just then, an irresistible force from the contractual level suddenly descended upon Gilgamesh's spirit origin!

Command Spells?!

Tokiomi Tohsaka... actually used a Command Seal to forcibly recall at a time like this?!

Gilgamesh froze abruptly, a look of displeasure instantly appearing on his face.

Under normal circumstances, Gilgamesh would have been furious at such an "order" and might even have tried to disobey it.

But this time...

He felt the forceful pull of the Command Seals, and glanced at Tiamat in front of him, whose aura was calm but brought him invisible pressure. Unusually... Gilgamesh did not immediately erupt in anger.

Perhaps... a temporary withdrawal isn't such a bad thing.

For the first time, this thought crossed the mind of the King of Heroes.

The situation before him was too bizarre; Tiamat's appearance had completely disrupted his understanding.

Forcing them to stay might not be a good thing... Let's go back and discuss it further.

Thinking of this, Gilgamesh's emotions slowly subsided, and he finally gave Yu Tohsaka a deep look.

“Caster…I will remember you.”

"I hope you can survive until the Holy Grail War ends... At that time, I will personally eliminate you."

Leaving behind these threatening words, Gilgamesh's figure vanished in the light of the Command Seal, turning into golden particles.

With Gilgamesh's departure, the oppressive aura of a king receded like the tide.

On the street, only howling wind and snow remained, along with... a few people looking at each other in bewilderment.

"call……"

Yu Tohsaka looked at the spot where Gilgamesh had disappeared and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It's finally over for now...

He was about to turn around when he was immediately embraced tightly by a soft and warm hug.

Tiamat had somehow appeared beside him, embracing him tightly with her incredibly elastic and maternal body, rubbing her fair face against his, and uttering "Aaaaa..." sounds filled with obvious reassurance and dependence.

Yu Tohsaka: "..."

Feeling the heavy "motherly love" in her arms, Tohsaka Yu was a little helpless for a moment. She could only reach out and gently pat her back to comfort the creator goddess who had just arrived safely.

Meanwhile, Sajou Aika looked at the scene before her, a hint of doubt and confusion flashing in her eyes.

She tilted her head, looked at Yu Tohsaka, and then at the incredibly clingy Tiamat.

Is this woman, whose strength seems unbelievably powerful, really summoned by Caster?

Why can summoned heroic spirits also include "family members"?

And this "family member" seems to have such a close relationship with Caster?

Summoning heroic spirits, and you can get a 'buy one get one free' deal?

For the first time, this Princess of the Roots developed an even stronger curiosity about the rules of the Holy Grail War and her own Servant.

After some affection, Tohsaka Yu turned to Sajou Ayaka and said, "Master, I know you may have many questions... but let's go back first, shall we?"

With such an exaggerated battle taking place in Fuyuki on the eve of the Holy Grail War, all the Masters have probably already realized that staying here will only make them the target of everyone's criticism.

Sajou Aika seemed to understand this as well, and nodded slightly.

But before leaving, she glanced at Tiamat with some concern.

Although she was just a spirit, she still felt that the aura emanating from the woman in front of her was a bit too exaggerated... Was this really within the scope of a servant?

For no apparent reason, the thought popped into Princess Genyuan's mind.

……