"I'm fine."
Rei Ao smiled at Irisviel and gently ruffled her silver hair with his fingertips.
The strands were soft and smooth, carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance.
His gaze swept across the courtyard, and his brows lifted slightly.
"Mm… the 'feel' of this place is pretty strange."
The lingering traces of mana in the air had already thinned, but they couldn't escape his notice.
They were the distinctive fluctuations of other Servants, fading away bit by bit.
"Lancer and Berserker?"
Rei Ao turned to Artoria standing to the side, his tone one of immediate understanding.
"They were here—and they're already out?"
Artoria nodded, her sword hand relaxing a fraction.
The patterns on the hilt had warmed under her grip. In a steady voice, she explained, "Not long after you left, they tracked the Grail here."
"Lancer, Diarmuid, and his Master, Kayneth."
She paused, recalling the scene, then added, "They were desperate to obtain the Grail."
"I dueled Lancer in a fair fight."
"His spearwork was superb, and his character was noble—he was a knight worthy of respect."
"In the end, I only barely won by a single exchange."
"And because his Master forcibly interfered with a Command Spell… I finished him."
She didn't dwell on how perilous the battle had been, yet the respect in her words was impossible to miss.
"As for Berserker…"
Artoria's voice dropped, and a complicated emotion flashed through her eyes.
"Berserker was Lancelot—one of my Knights of the Round Table."
"His Master, Matō Kariya, could no longer control him."
"Or rather… he was burning his own life away to force him onward."
"The fight was brief, but exceptionally brutal."
"In the end, I shattered his Spirit Core."
"After Berserker dispersed, Matō Kariya's mana was completely exhausted."
"His body collapsed with it, and not long after he…"
She didn't need to finish. Everyone understood the ending.
A maddened Round Table knight, and his tragic Master—both exiting the stage in shadow.
After hearing it all, Rei Ao showed no real surprise. He simply nodded.
"I see. That saves us a lot of trouble."
His tone was flat, as if he were commenting on something utterly trivial.
Just then, a loud—yet weary—laugh burst out.
"Hahahaha! Exactly! It really does save a lot of trouble!"
Iskandar strode over, his towering body looking slightly worse for wear.
There were no obvious wounds, but his presence wasn't as overwhelming as before.
"Not just them—this king has also just suffered a fair defeat at the hands of the King of Knights under your banner!"
As he spoke, he deliberately emphasized the word "fair," the teasing in his voice unmistakable.
"Rider was a bold opponent—his strength is not to be underestimated."
Artoria didn't take credit, her voice still calm.
"His 'Ionioi Hetairoi' truly is astonishing. That Reality Marble was magnificent."
"However, after learning the truth of the Grail—and with no need to worry about mana supply…"
"I was able to respond with everything I had, without holding back."
"In the end, it was by fully releasing the 'Sword of Promised Victory'…"
"…and crushing the core of his army head-on, that victory was decided."
She described it lightly.
Rei Ao understood at once.
With effectively infinite mana behind it, Excalibur at its theoretical maximum output was enough to break any Reality Marble.
Iskandar gave a wry smile, shaking his head as he stroked his thick beard.
"I lost fair and square! Your Saber—and these two goddesses…"
"Your strength is downright cheating!"
He laughed, and there was no bitterness in it—only pure acknowledgement.
"Hahahaha! This war is getting more and more interesting!"
When he finished laughing, his eyes fell on the hovering Grail, curiosity filling his gaze.
"Still, this king is curious. By the rules of the Holy Grail War—"
"Though, from how things look now, those rules are a joke—aren't you the 'victors'?"
He pointed at the cup glowing with golden light.
"So what will you do about the 'ownership' of this Grail?"
"Will you have an internal showdown? Or…"
It was a very practical question. Even if the Grail had been tainted, the immense magical energy it contained still carried real value.
With multiple Servants and involved parties present, it was only natural to wonder where it would end up.
The moment Iskandar finished speaking, three voices answered almost at the same time.
"I don't need it."
Artoria's tone was firm, her gaze unwavering.
What she had pursued all her life was the salvation of Britain—not a wish granted by the Grail.
"Who'd want that filthy piece of trash?!"
Ishtar crossed her arms, her disgust completely unmasked.
As the Mesopotamian goddess of harvest, she had no reason to covet a mere Grail.
"I have no such desire."
Ereshkigal's voice was steady, her eyes calm and still.
The ruler of the underworld had no interest in a mortal wishing device.
Medusa only shook her head in silence, her violet eyes without the slightest ripple.
Irisviel looked at Rei Ao warmly, her smile gentle. "I'll follow your lead, Rei Ao. Whatever you think should be done, do it."
Little Rin and little Sakura stood to the side, watching the adults in confusion…
They didn't really understand what the Grail meant—only that the atmosphere felt strangely serious.
Rei Ao let out a scoff, his eyes sweeping over the golden cup with open disdain.
"Divide it? What's there to divide?"
"It's a contaminated piece of junk. Whoever wants it can pick it up."
At that, Iskandar froze for a beat—then threw his head back and roared with laughter.
"Hahahaha! Good! 'Whoever wants it can pick it up'!"
"A war fought to seize an all-powerful wish-granter—and the victors toss the spoils aside like trash!"
He laughed so hard he nearly doubled over, tears almost spilling out.
"This is the most interesting—and the most absurd—war this king has ever taken part in!"
His laughter went on for a long while before finally tapering off.
Iskandar lowered his head and looked at Waver, who had been clutching tightly at the corner of his cloak.
The boy's eyes were red, lips pressed tight, fighting back tears.
Iskandar reached out a huge hand and ruffled Waver's hair, his voice turning much gentler.
"Kid, looks like our journey ends here."
Waver's shoulders trembled. He didn't speak, but the tears fell harder.
"Even if we didn't obtain the Grail, we've seen so many heroes…"
"And we've learned the truth behind this war. That alone makes the trip worthwhile."
Iskandar's voice carried a hint of emotion, but his spirit remained bold.
"Your performance—as this king's Master—was barely passable!"
"From now on, walk with your chest out. Don't go shrinking into yourself again!"
"Rider… ngh…"
Waver finally couldn't hold it in. Tears burst out, his voice breaking.
He knew it—his Servant had been defeated, his Spirit Core damaged, and his own mana was ordinary.
Iskandar didn't have much time left in the world. Their separation was close.
Iskandar gave Rei Ao one last look, then swept his eyes over Artoria and the others.
He waved grandly, his tone carrying reluctance—yet also acceptance.
"Then, everyone! Until we meet again!"
"Next time, I hope it's on a vaster battlefield!"
"Hahahaha!"
In the wake of his hearty laughter, his massive body began to break apart into countless motes of spirit light.
Golden sparks drifted upward, slowly dissolving into the night.
"Rider—!!!"
Waver lunged forward crying, but only embraced an empty halo of light.
His fingers passed through the dispersing motes, grasping nothing at all.
He sank to his knees, shoulders heaving, sobbing uncontrollably.
Iskandar's figure vanished completely, leaving only that bold laughter—
as if it still echoed faintly in the night sky, lingering for a long, long time.
The courtyard fell silent, with only Waver's suppressed crying…