Edward stood silently amidst the broken battlefield, the violent winds brushing through his hair. The ground beneath his boots was cracked and smoldering, remnants of the apocalyptic struggle that had already claimed too much. His hand absentmindedly touched the blood-stained necklace around his neck. Its weight was far greater than the physical chain—it was the burden of loss, of a sacrifice he had never wanted but had been forced to accept.

"Seriously," his whisper came in a broken voice, almost stolen away by the storm, "why does it feel like despite everything, I keep failing to protect the ones in front of me?"

His words were not for anyone else. They were for the ashes, for the memory of the woman who had stood against impossible odds for his sake.

Edward didn't truly know what Scathach had felt. He hadn't realized the depth of her change in the short time they had fought alongside one another. He hadn't seen how she, the immortal warrior who had lived only for battle, had started to reach for something beyond death. He hadn't realized until too late that she had chosen to protect him not out of duty, but out of something far more personal.

Was it love? He wasn't sure. They had barely spoken beyond the battlefield. Yet there was something undeniable in her smile, in the warmth of her lips even as life slipped away, in her final words that shook him more deeply than he cared to admit.

He liked her. He found her eccentric personality strangely amusing, her balance between regal composure and sudden, almost awkward humanity. He had wanted to know her better. He had wanted more time. But fate had already decided otherwise.

Edward sighed, eyes closing as if the act could seal the ache inside. "Sorry, Scathach. Sorry for not realizing it sooner."

When he opened them again, the grief was gone. It had crystallized into something sharper, something colder. Wrath burned in its place. His gaze fixed on the skies where Zouken's monstrosity still loomed.

"Since it has come to this," Edward spoke, his voice carrying across the ruined battlefield, "let me show the world what true despair looks like."

He raised his hand, and the chant began, each word resonating like a curse woven into existence.

"I saw it.The end where no prayers were heard,the silence after humanity's last breath.A sky of iron, an earth of ash…"

The ground quaked violently. The atmosphere itself dimmed, color bleeding from the world like ink washed from a canvas. Solomon, who had been holding Zouken above the clouds with his levitation circle, widened his eyes in realization.

"Is this…" he whispered in disbelief, "...the inevitable end?"

But Edward's voice did not falter. His fury, grief, and determination drove him forward.

"If paradise was my gift,then this wasteland is my warning.Come forth, Land of Steel —and remember why you must never be!"

He thrust his arm outward, voice thundering with finality.

"Noble Phantasm, full release—The One Who Witnessed the End: Land of Steel!"

Crack!

The world split as though the very air itself had shattered. A terrible cracking noise resounded, heralding the collapse of order. The battlefield turned gray, desolation creeping like a plague as despair spread across every corner of the earth.

Above the clouds, Zouken Matou, bound in the rising circle, widened his eyes in dawning terror. His grotesque body, fused with the monstrous form of Beast VI, trembled. He suddenly felt heat—not from fire, but from an overwhelming presence—and turned.

Behind him, suspended in Edward's reality marble, hung death itself.

Hundreds—no, thousands—of missiles floated in the air. They were identical, each one radiating the same destructive force that had ended Edward's original world. They were nuclear warheads, the ultimate folly of mankind, the weapons of mutual destruction that had erased civilization.

Zouken, a magus who had crawled through centuries with nothing but obsession for survival, felt something he hadn't in lifetimes. Fear. True, primal fear that ate through his arrogance and madness.

These weren't just weapons. They were the memory of humanity's self-inflicted apocalypse. Edward's cursed recollection of the end, now made manifest through the Noble Phantasm.

That was why Edward had never wanted to use it. Unlike other Noble Phantasms that symbolized glory or heroism, Land of Steel was despair incarnate. It was not just destruction—it was the memory of how it came to be, of humanity's collective folly written into reality.

Even across the world, the vision spread. Mages and ordinary people alike looked to the skies and saw their doom. Mothers clutched their children to their chests, trembling as the missiles descended. Fathers spread their arms to shield their families in futility. Entire cities froze in despair.

Touko Aozaki, flying toward Japan, almost dropped from the air as she saw it. She slumped into her seat, reaching for her cigarettes. "Screw this. I can't do anything against that. This is the end, huh?" She struck a match, ignoring the panicked flight attendants.

Zelretch, already en route, stopped mid-step across the dimensional rift. His crimson eyes widened. "Really? This is the memory that lunatic carries? To think someone would etch this into a Noble Phantasm… Ridiculous!" He clicked his tongue. "I don't want to get nuked to death. But… it seems this world won't escape it."

Above the clouds, Zouken screamed in rage and terror as the first missiles descended. They struck him, detonations atomizing his twisted body even as his regenerative swarm of crest worms tried to recover. But nuclear fire burned even them, stripping mana away with every passing second.

The monster shrieked, its grotesque heads wailing, but Zouken's voice broke through the cacophony. "I see… so this is it. For centuries I pursued immortality, crawling in the dark. But now… it feels like I've woken from a nightmare. My thoughts… are clear." His burning flesh sloughed away as he whispered, "A butterfly turning back into a worm… truly, I have failed."

His charred remains plummeted downward, toward Solomon's temple.

The King of Magic stood below, the ten demon pillars still surrounding him. For the first time since he had been summoned into this war, Solomon smiled. Not the cold, calculating face of a puppet serving the will of the God, but something genuine.

The oppressive weight controlling him, the strings that bound his will, vanished in that moment. He raised his arms, as if to embrace the searing heat crashing down upon him.

"It feels… nice to be myself for once," he said softly. "If humanity begins its journey with you, then it is fitting you should end it as well. Usher in a new beginning for them. Allow me to offer a final aid, not as Grand Caster Solomon, but as a man."

The ten rings that symbolized his authority floated above him, shining with an inner brilliance that defied the gray world. His chant resonated through the dying battlefield.

"The Time of Birth hath come; He is the One who Masters All.

The Time of Crowning hath come; He is the One who Begins All."

The rings spun, forming a radiant circle as the foundations of his Ars Almadel Salomonis ritual began to collapse. His voice grew quiet but unwavering.

"And now, the Time of Parting hath come; He is the One who Lets Go of the World.

Ars Nova."

A brilliant Light surged from the rings as they floated toward the heavens. The Human Order correction ritual burst into particles of light and heat, transferring to the rings.

His body began to burn away, yet his smile only widened with peace.

"O' Heavenly Father," he whispered, "I return to You Your blessings. Omnipotence… is too much for humans to bear. My work shall be done within the limits of mankind."

As the nuclear fire converged upon him, his final words carried through the storm.

"I offer what I have, to him who began it all… so he may save his children."

Boom!

The missiles struck the earth in unison, erasing Asia in a wall of fire. More than half the world disappeared in an instant, consumed in the apocalyptic blaze. Edward focused the first wave on Zouken only to limit the destruction.

Zouken's reality marble shattered first, then Solomon's Temple crumbled one by one, fading into nothing. The monsters, the false Beast VI, all vanished into ash.

Only the Land of Steel reigned.

*****

Ritsuka stood within the Garden of Avalon, her body trembling as her eyes reflected the unfolding calamity outside. The skies had gone gray, the air itself shuddering with despair, and she could feel it—an end so absolute that even Avalon, a place beyond time, quivered at its approach. She clenched her fists as the vision of the earth wrapped in fire and ruin played out before her.

Her voice cracked as she whispered, "What… is this? Is this the end of everything?" Her head snapped toward Merlin, desperate, pleading for a denial that never came.

Merlin's normally mischievous gaze was somber as he exhaled, running a hand through his pale hair with uncharacteristic heaviness. His tone carried neither jest nor illusion, only quiet truth. "This is the most efficient solution," he said, voice weighed with reluctant admiration. "Seriously, I can't hate the guy. He's really planning to use himself as a sacrifice for salvation."

He turned his head toward the ruined horizon, his expression bittersweet. "Keep your eyes open, Ritsuka-chan, for Light awaits beyond darkness. You shall witness the greatest act of love."

Ritsuka's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" Her words tumbled out, sharp with desperation. "Isn't there something we can do? Isn't there something I can do?! Why am I always failing to save the ones helping me?!" Her scream echoed through Avalon, her fist slamming into the ground with such force that it cracked the crystalline surface.

The marble-like plains of Avalon warped, faint distortions spiraling outward from where her fist had struck.

Merlin froze, his eyes widening as his internal thoughts flared in alarm. What the hell?! Chaotic aura—here?! From her?! If she keeps going she'll punch Avalon into nothingness!

Outwardly, he forced a laugh, though his voice wavered. "Ritsuka-chan, calm down. Bear witness to a new beginning. You'll see. He's chosen to carry the burden himself."

***

On the broken battlefield, Edward stood amidst the winds of ruin. His hair and coat whipped violently around him, but his body remained still, silent, his expression unreadable. In his hand, he still clutched the bloodstained necklace Scáthach had given him. Its weight pressed against his chest like a wound deeper than any blade.

The small spinning ring of light—Solomon's last offering—descended, embedding itself into Edward's body. It shimmered faintly, knitting together cells destroyed by the radiation. Burns closed, fractures mended, yet Edward did not resist as his flesh continued to decay and regenerate with each passing second. He accepted it. This pain, this destruction—he had decided he must bear it.

There was only one more thing left to do.

His knees buckled under the immense weight of the radiation poisoning, and for a moment, it seemed he would collapse. Then, a hand reached out, steadying him. Edward blinked upward to see Cain—the murderer marked with divine punishment—standing before him, his remaining arm gripping Edward firmly.

Cain smiled faintly despite his battered, near-vanished form. His voice carried warmth instead of the hatred and malice that had once defined him. "I return your gift to you. Now stand up, and write a new story for us. A story that ends in happiness, not tragedy."

Edward's lips curled into a pained smile, tears burning his eyes even as the heat of destruction roared around them. "Thank you, Cain. You have been a great help. I'm sorry… that I couldn't help you more."

Cain's body was dissolving into light, yet his smile remained. "You have given me more than you can imagine. This was enough for a killer like me. Thank you, Edward." His voice faded as his body scattered like motes on the wind.

Edward watched him vanish, then slowly closed his eyes. His hands pressed together, fingers trembling, as he gathered the remaining power he held within. His voice rang out, solemn and resolute, a prayer etched into the foundation of the world itself.

"Before there was sorrow, before there was death,There was a garden bathed in dawn's eternal light."

The broken world stilled. Time itself seemed to halt, as if the hands of the cosmic clock were forced to freeze. The suffocating despair and crawling corruption slowed, halting in its spread. The cries of the dying quieted, their breath caught between despair and hope. For the first time since the catastrophe began, humanity dared to look up again.

Edward's prayer continued, his voice deep, reverent, echoing across the ruins of the planet.

"I walked away to share her fate,but I have never forgotten the scent of that first morning.Return to us now… the Eden we lost!"

The gray veil blanketing the skies shattered. Light burst forth, painting the ruined world in brilliant hues. The shattered lands healed, ash fading into color as winds carried the scent of renewal. Humanity gazed upward in disbelief as the despair around them was replaced with warmth that seeped into their very bones.

Yet that warmth carried weight—a sorrow deep enough to draw tears even from those who didn't know why they cried. They felt it instinctively: the cost. A gift given, but at a price none of them could repay.

Edward smiled faintly, his body trembling as he fell to his knees. His voice, though quiet, carried across the world, entering the hearts of all who lived.

"Let me tell you a story, my children. A story of a hopeless fool who loved you despite everything. Who gave up paradise so you could be free. Let me tell you… a story with a happy ending."

His voice softened, barely above a whisper, yet it reached the ears of all.

"Let there be light."

"Noble Phantasm: The Sealed Garden: Eden."

The earth convulsed, then bloomed.

The Garden of Eden—the paradise lost to humanity's original sin—manifested upon the scorched earth. Trees of impossible size and beauty erupted from the soil, branches spiraling with blossoms unseen in any age of history. Flowers carpeted ruined cities, their petals glowing faintly, healing wounds and cleansing air thick with death. The garden spread endlessly, vines weaving across continents, wrapping the planet in divine rebirth.

The trees glowed with droplets of radiant light that descended like rain. Wherever they touched, reality itself was rewritten. Ruined cities reconstructed themselves, stones reassembling, glass reforming, steel rising anew. The broken landscapes healed as if centuries of devastation had been erased in moments.

And then—life returned.

Across the world, the fallen stirred. Parents gasped as children they thought lost opened their eyes again. Lovers embraced one another through tears as partners slain in despair reappeared in their arms. Even animals whimpered and cried as their companions licked them back to life.

For that fleeting moment, across every nation, there was no sorrow. Only paradise.

Edward's body was glowing now, his form becoming faint and translucent. He could feel himself unraveling, his existence exchanged for the miracle he had forced upon reality. Solomon's lingering blessing had granted him just enough power to make it possible. The world was safe. The horrors, the despair, the endless monsters—it would be as though they had never been.

His final words rang out, steady and solemn: "The world has been saved. It seems my work here is done. My final wish… is to restore it to its original flow, be it for better or good."

The timeline began to bend.

The scars and anomalies that should never have existed were erased. The chaotic branches of possibility were pruned as the flow of history reasserted itself. People blinked, their memories slipping like sand through their fingers. The world forgot the nightmare as the timeline stitched itself back together.

And Edward, the hopeless fool who bore it all, watched it with a smile.

*****

Edward saw Ritsuka appearing from the Garden of Avalon, her figure stumbling forward as though the weight of the entire world was pressing on her shoulders. Her eyes, still red from exhaustion and grief, widened when they found him standing there. She broke into a desperate sprint, rushing toward him as if afraid he would vanish before she could reach him.

Edward smiled faintly. His hand rose as though in greeting, but instead the Holy Grail shimmered into existence in his palm, its radiance pulsating like a heartbeat. The vessel, heavy with the essence of all the servants who had perished, gleamed with an otherworldly brilliance. With a simple flick, he tossed it toward her.

"Farewell, Ritsuka-chan," Edward said, his voice calm but carrying the solemn weight of finality. "I wish I could have helped you more, but this is where my journey ends. Raise your head and walk proudly, your journey isn't over unlike mine. It will be filled with hope and despair, happiness and sorrow. But always forge on ahead, and never give up. I pray the stars guide you through the darkness into the light."

Ritsuka caught the Holy Grail, staggering under its weight—not physical, but emotional. She clutched it to her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks, her voice breaking as she forced the words out.

"Thank you, Adam-san," she whispered tearfully, her tone carrying both reverence and sorrow. "You are truly kind. You have put your faith in a failure like me, so I will not falter no matter what. I shall carve a future for humanity, no matter what it takes."

Her words trembled, but behind them was a resolve forged by every loss she had endured, every ally she had seen fall.

Merlin, who had been watching quietly, finally spoke. His ever-playful tone softened into something more measured, though amusement still lingered beneath. He stroked his chin with a mock-gravity.

"Although you did a near wipe out of the planet," he remarked, smiling wryly, "I guess it ended perfectly. I approve. But…" His voice dipped with a hint of curiosity. "I truly hoped to see the ultimate Noble Phantasm you possess. That would have been a sight to see."

Edward chuckled lightly, a tired sound, almost as though laughter was alien to him now. His expression turned solemn, and his words were laced with regret.

"Sorry I couldn't show you that end," he said, shaking his head. "That sin is mine alone to bear. But…" His gaze shifted toward Merlin, piercing through the illusion of joviality the magus wore like armor. He took a pause. "You should be honest with yourself more, Merlin. It's not healthy to hide it behind a smile and shenanigans."

For the first time, Merlin's composure cracked. His trademark grin faltered, his eyes flickering with something unguarded. He sighed, exasperated, almost like a child caught misbehaving.

"Oh, come on!" he groaned, throwing up his hands. "I'm just a little Magus of Flowers. Who would even listen to my boring story!"

Edward laughed again, but this time it was genuine, carrying the warmth of a man who, despite everything, found amusement in life's fleeting truths.

"Maybe next time," he said softly. "Farewell, Ritsuka-chan, Merlin. I hope your stories have a happy ending, unlike mine."

His eyes fluttered shut. Around him, the earth stirred. Vines erupted from the ground, twisting and coiling like serpents. They wound themselves around Edward's form, layer upon layer, as though nature itself sought to claim him. His body glowed faintly, the outline of his existence growing dimmer with each passing second. The vines tightened, enclosing him completely until no trace of the man remained.

And then, in his place, a towering tree emerged. Its trunk shimmered with hues not of this world, and its branches stretched into the sky. Leaves of radiant color swayed gently, glowing faintly like stars suspended in daylight. It was a monument to mystery and sacrifice, to beginnings and endings.

Ritsuka stood frozen, staring up at it with wide eyes. Her lips trembled as she spoke in a whisper, her voice barely audible over the faint rustle of the tree's leaves.

"From dust we come, to dust we will return. This is our fate."

Her hand clenched tighter around the Grail.

Merlin, ever the observer of human emotions, placed a gentle hand on her head. The touch was oddly comforting, fatherly even, though his own form was beginning to blur. His voice softened with rare sincerity.

"Cheer up, Ritsuka-chan," he said, his smile gentle rather than playful. "Although it didn't end the way you hoped for, you have got your wish. Don't wallow in grief, Master of Chaldea. Move on and fight for what you believe in, and never look back. Although your story will be full of blessings and curses, it's a great story to be told."

Ritsuka sniffled, trying to force the tears down. "Why can't it just be full of blessings!" she grumbled, her voice breaking halfway through.

Merlin's laughter rang out, light and genuine. His body was unraveling into countless petals—soft, delicate, white and violet flowers drifting apart with the breeze.

"Now where's the fun in that!" he teased, his voice echoing faintly as more of him turned to petals.

Ritsuka reached out as if to hold him there, but her fingers grasped nothing but the drifting blossoms. She clenched her fist, biting down on her lip hard enough to taste blood, but said nothing more.

The last of Merlin's form scattered, carried off by a gust of wind. The petals spiraled into the sky, catching the first hints of dawn's light.

Ritsuka was left standing alone, save for the tree that had once been Edward. She raised her gaze toward the heavens. The sun was just beginning to rise on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold. The world seemed strangely still, as though holding its breath for what would come next.

She whispered softly, her voice carried away by the wind. "Thank you, everyone. I will not fail this time."

Her fingers tightened around the Holy Grail, its surface glowing faintly in response. She held it close, drawing strength from its warmth.

Taking a deep breath, she whispered again, her tone steady despite the tears still clinging to her cheeks.

"I wish for…"

Her words trailed off, but the determination in her eyes was unmistakable.

The future was uncertain. The path ahead promised sorrow as much as hope, loss as much as triumph. But in that moment, Ritsuka no longer faltered. She was ready to step forward.

And the world, silent and waiting, braced itself for her wish.

*****

I planned to extend it further, but meh. This is good enough. Like Type Moon would have a happy ending !

Thus the first fate arc comes to an end. Next chapter will give it a finishing. I truly hope you guys who haven't watched the Fate series to watch it. It's pretty good. You'll love it.

DC arc will begin with the next servant reveal, Assasin. None have guessed it so far .

Also, since many of you guys said there has been no changes in the DC timeline, I'll say this- I have literally time skipped cz you guys wouldn't like reading 60+ chapters of stuff happening before modern time. So all those things would have to show up as flashbacks.

Even then, many of it was hinted. I'll list a few that changed before 1400's.

- Dark Age of Greece never happened, as well as peneloposian wars between Athens and Sparta. Also the Greek Persian wars ended before it began truly.

- The birth of new countries.

Vonarland , or Vinland in others tongue. Located in Greenland and Canada's Northern territories. The weather and terrain have been altered as well.

Moskva , Located in Russia's North Eastern part. Same case.

African continent, renamed Eternia, divided into two parts. The lands blessed by Edward in the most parts. And the outermost area where the criminals were banished. I'll explain more later.

- Japan still have Samurai stuff and violence, but nowhere near the original timeline. So no rape of Nanking and other war crimes.

- Existence of magic and mythological stuff is almost open knowledge. People won't lose their shit suddenly when they see magic.

- The Crusade stuff. Only one happened in this timeline. That was around 1190 I think, have to recheck timeline drafts

- Mongol invasion. That was limited to China northern borders before MC stopped them. There will be flashback covering the conversation between Edward and Genghis Khan.

- Even the 100 year war had changed somewhat. But MC didn't participate much until later on cz he wasn't there. Give him a break lol, he isn't omnipresent

- Plus Two more changes that will happen after the new arc starts.

I forgot the rest. I don't like to write every little thing as that would just increase word count. Plus it ruins the mystery vibe.

And the world doesn't magically become happy and peaceful just cz mc exists. Humans , no matter what, will create mistakes and crave what belongs to others. Envy gave birth to hatred, and hatred turned into war.

Although some things might change for the better, you can't expect humanity to be free of sins and pure. That's why Edward is a tragic yet admirable character, because he accepted those flaws, and still tries his best to help them, even if it is just delaying the inevitable.

Who knows, maybe they will change. Maybe there is a happy ending. Keep reading to find out.