Fate: As Gilgamesh

Ch. 10 Unfolding

"Ansuz! Burn it to ashes!"

Chanting the spell, drawing the runic symbols, a scorching flame is unleashed.

A storm of intense heat, possessing undeniable power.

Each strike pounds Mash's shield, the heat slowly searing her skin.

"Ugh... Guh...!"

...

"...Are you okay, Mash?"

Worry fills her voice as Olga Marie mutters. Unlike the earlier panic, she now firmly grasps the situation before her.

"That Servant... he's serious. He's serious about Mash and Ritsuka...!"

"That's probably true. A hound like him wouldn't jest when it comes to exchanging lives."

"In that case, they should stop...!"

"If they were to fall here, it might not be a bad thing. Dying without facing the hardships that lie ahead might bring them happiness."

――Human Order Incineration, Seven Singularities, seven journeys revolving around ⬛⬛⬛⬛. These were the words spoken by a mysterious voice during my reincarnation. To me, they were incomprehensible words without meaning. The world and the two of them face an unprecedented crossroad.

――Which is happier: breaking down halfway or exiting the world unknowing?

For someone like me who didn't even make choices along the way, such options didn't even exist. I wouldn't understand such things.

It's easy to break. It's easy to give in.

Closing your eyes and accepting the end is easy.

"...But."

However, I, who know what lies beyond, have the answer.

Regret comes later. It's a lie that death brings relief.

There is no vague peace after death.

For an insipid soul, nothing remains.

I have witnessed it, and that's why I'm here.

...I don't want that for them.

"Their souls haven't lost their brilliance. They cling desperately, tenaciously to life."

"..."

Yes, Mash, Master. You have a future.

A radiant tomorrow awaits, a future that you can choose. They still don't know that.

――They don't know. They don't yet know the despair that lies ahead.

――Because they don't know, they can walk forward with courage.

Because they don't know, they live with all their might.

Even now, they face themselves, fighting with their lives on the line.

――It's impressive. They possess a brilliance they didn't have before.

"People 'filled with such spectacle' are capable of overturning fate itself."

"King of Heroes..."

"Are you just going to watch, kid?"

"Huh?"

That's right; you're also involved.

"They may be your friends. Encourage a friend in trouble."

"I... I am..."

"...Really. You're a troublesome one, lacking self-confidence."

I suppose that's only natural. In fact, it would be expected to cry, hesitate, and become hysterical.