Fate: But This Is Not Solomon I Know!

Province of Maine-et-Loire – Refugee Zone

Tension crackled like a drawn bowstring between the two sides. On one were the Servants deployed to aid Chaldea in suppressing this Singularity. On the other stood forces dispatched by Holy Sovereign Solomon, with one singular goal: wipe out Ritsuka's entire group and complete the plan to rewrite the world.

Ritsuka crouched behind Mash, cold sweat running down his face. His brows furrowed, eyes locked on Vlad and Frankenstein—two nightmare-like figures standing silently across the field.

He raised his hand in signal:

"Mash! Jalter! Prepare to engage!"

"Understood, Master!" Mash replied curtly, shield already raised in front of her.

"Stop barking orders at me, damn it!" Jeanne Alter scowled, but her grip on the Black Standard tightened.

"I'm going in first!"

Mordred roared like thunder, then launched forward like a lightning bolt. She raised Clarent high, slashing down at Frankenstein without mercy.

Frankenstein reacted instantly. She raised Gekido to block, teeth clenched against the force, then countered with a sweeping horizontal strike, knocking Mordred back.

The two clashed in fierce close combat. Blade struck blade, sparks exploded in broad daylight like fireworks. One side wielded the monstrous power of the reinforced Gekido; the other, an unyielding battle spirit blessed by the Phantasmal Crimson Dragon. The battle—at least for now—was evenly matched.

Elsewhere, Vlad raised a single hand toward the camp. At once, the Megid and Fang Knights roared and surged forward like a tidal wave.

"Rome does not permit this!"

Romulus bellowed, the golden wings on his back spreading wide. He conjured a sword of energy and swept it across the battlefield, obliterating a swath of enemies.

The other Heroic Spirits swiftly drew their weapons and charged into the fray.

The battlefield became a storm of steel.

Explosions.

The screech of clashing metal.

Shouts and screams.

Chaos engulfed the entire refugee zone.

"This way, everyone! Hurry!" Jeanne shouted, waving her banner to lead the way.

Gilles rushed to assist—shielding civilians while helping with the evacuation.

"You bastard! If you've got guts, come fight me one-on-one!"

Mordred yelled, face red with fury. But Frankenstein remained silent, focused solely on defense, each movement coldly precise—like a machine.

Vlad's words still echoed in her mind:

"Don't reveal too much information."

"Tch... how obedient can you get?"

Vlad exhaled, shaking his head.

"Frank. Use the Sacred Sword. Our last ambush on Chaldea already exposed it anyway."

"...Oh...!"

Frankenstein let out a soft groan, then solemnly pulled out her Wonder Ride Book and scanned it twice across Gekido.

[Genbu Shinwa!]

[Dogodogon! Gekido Randoku Geki! Dogodogon!]

She plunged her blade into the earth. The ground rumbled. Shards of stone gathered, encasing the blade and stretching out like gnarled roots.

With a mighty swing, Frankenstein tore into the earth—sending Mordred flying once again.

"Kh—! Damn you! If I don't break you in half today, I'm no true Mordred Pendragon!"

Mordred twisted her sword's hilt.

Clarent unlocked, surging with infernal red mana like hellfire itself.

"Let me show you the might of the rebel knight!

Clarent Blood Arthur!!!"

She roared, raising her sword high and slashing downward—launching a blazing red beam of energy straight ahead.

Frankenstein responded immediately. She pressed the Ride Book, summoning a giant turtle and a coiling snake to wrap around her:

[Genbu Shinwa!]

A massive, ash-brown turtle materialized.

A towering stone wall rose from the ground, standing firm against the Clarent beam.

The destructive strike slammed into the defense line.

A deafening boom exploded across the battlefield.

But Frankenstein's barrier stood tall—without a single crack.

In the distance, Vlad stood with arms crossed, silently observing the battlefield. A faint smile curved his lips, a glimmer of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"I didn't expect these Sacred Swords to possess such overwhelming power..."

— Suddenly, a deep, sharp voice rang out from behind him:

"To lose focus in the middle of battle...

How arrogant of you, Vlad."

Charlemagne came in like a whirlwind, sword raised high, slashing straight for Vlad's head. But at that very instant—

[Kaiji Masshou!]

Space distorted like shattered glass.

All motion slowed — time twisted unnaturally.

Vlad smoothly turned his body. The Kaiji sword in his hand morphed into a trident.

One clean slash across Charlemagne's shoulder.

Vlad vanished like an illusion—

Then reappeared instantly behind his enemy.

[Sai Kaiji!]

Time snapped back to normal.

A gush of deep crimson sprayed from Charlemagne's shoulder.

He staggered back, eyes wide in shock, clutching at the deep gash.

"That... what was that?" Charlemagne muttered, cold sweat pouring down like a waterfall.

"Curious?"

Vlad answered coolly, driving the trident Kaiji into the ground like a divine spear of judgment.

"What you just experienced...

was time itself being erased."

(King Crimson moment™ 😈)

"Erased... time?"

Charlemagne's face went pale. He couldn't fathom a Sacred Sword wielding such bizarre, terrifying power.

"Not bad, right?" Vlad smirked. "This Sacred Sword allows me to manipulate time as I please.

Ah... Master Logos truly had exquisite taste — every piece is envy-worthy."

He tightened his grip on the trident, voice dipping into a somber tone:

"If I had this in Wallachia...

perhaps history wouldn't have ended in tragedy."

Without another word, Vlad lunged — the shadow of his spear surged forward like a storm, engulfing Charlemagne in a flurry of stabs.

"Not so fast!"

Astolfo dove from above on his Hippogriff:

"Trap of Argalia!"

[Ittoki Issen!]

Vlad reversed his trident grip, slashing three times in rapid succession — three sharp arcs of water burst forth from Kaiji, slicing across the sky.

Astolfo was flung away like a dead leaf caught in a hurricane.

"Astolfo!" Bradamante shouted, charging in.

She raised her spear and shield, activating her Noble Phantasm:

"Bouclier d'Atlantis!"

"Don't even dream of it."

[Tsurugi Koku!]

Kaiji shifted into a sword.

Vlad unleashed three decisive strikes:

[Ocean Ikkoku Giri!]

[Kaiji Issatsu Giri!]

His blade, sharp as divine judgment, pierced through Bradamante's defenses — launching her across the field, her chest torn open by a savage wound.

"Vlad! You've let your guard down again!"

Taigong Wang charged in atop his Pixiu, lashing a radiant whip straight into Vlad's torso — the impact sent him skidding back, carving a deep trench through the earth.

Vlad drove his blade down to steady himself, calm expression giving way to a clenched grimace.

"You're out of time, Vlad!"

Romulus raised his hand high —

a barrage of golden spears rained down like divine meteors.

[BOOM—!]

The battlefield exploded into chaos.

On Frankenstein's side, things were crumbling fast — the Shimi and Fang Knights had been wiped out.

The Servants now closed in from all directions, surrounding her completely.

Vlad and Frankenstein were being cornered.

The pressure surged from every side like a collapsing mountain.

No openings. No time. No way out.

"Take this! Gods-Smiting Whip!"

"Noah's Ark!"

"Per Aspera Ad Astra!"

"First Sun Xibalba!"

— A chorus of Noble Phantasms ignited at once.

Each one a cosmic-class strike, descending together in a deadly symphony of destruction.

Romulus's golden spears rained like falling stars.

Tezcatlipoca's black sun devoured the sky.

Noah's galactic tsunami surged like an extinction flood.

Taigong Wang's divine whip crashed down like fate manifest.

All merged into one.

A radiant storm of annihilation swallowed Vlad and Frankenstein whole—

a blazing sea of light, dazzling in its lethal finality.

But at that very moment—

A mechanical sound echoed through the air — cold, ominous, and full of malice:

[Omnimus Loading…]

[Solomon Break!!]

From the sky, a white-and-gold armored figure crashed down like a meteor from the heavens.

He raised his left arm — and absorbed all the incoming attacks in an instant.

Then, with a single swing of his golden Caladbolg — he countered with a devastating strike.

[BOOOOM—!!]

An entire quadrant of the refugee camp was obliterated.

Smoke billowed.

The battlefield vanished into a haze of deadly fog.

Time itself seemed to freeze.

Everyone stood still. No one understood—

What the hell just happened?

From within the dust-choked mist, a deep, arrogant voice resounded across the war-torn field:

"Tch... I really underestimated you lot —

the so-called Grand Servants."

A silhouette emerged from the smoke.

Gleaming white-gold armor.

A sharp helm shaped like a crown of war,

with a single horn rising like a blade to the heavens.

He spread his arms like an actor on stage, laughing madly:

"Welcome to the Academy of Despair.

I am the Sovereign Solomon—

and your target for extermination."

He bowed slightly, as though receiving honored guests…

within the grand hall of death.

"What did you just do?!" Noah roared —

his Noble Phantasm had vanished without a trace.

"Me? What did I do?

Who knows~"

Zoth shrugged, indifferent —

as if none of this mattered in the slightest.

His tone was lazy, dismissive — like the entire battlefield was just a stage to kill time.

The Heroic Spirits clenched their teeth. Fury boiled in their veins.

They wanted nothing more than to rip him apart.

But over on Chaldea's side —

Ritsuka, Mash, and Jalter stood frozen.

That figure…

It was too familiar. Too terrifyingly familiar.

A strangled voice finally broke the silence—

All three spoke in unison:

"Zoth?!"

Zoth tilted his head toward Chaldea's group.

Scratching his helm casually, he asked:

"You people… know me?"

Ritsuka nodded firmly, gaze sharp but shaken:

"Of course we know you…

You're Senpai Zoth."

"Is that so?"

Zoth narrowed his eyes. Behind the visor, a glint of cold obsidian-orange flickered.

Then, he laughed.

With a sweeping hand gesture, he cast away all former ties:

"Tch~ Don't mistake me for that guy.

Because I'm not him."

His voice dropped, smile fading for a heartbeat:

"I am Sovereign Solomon.

Not that lazy bum who wasted his life gaming —

'Zoth'."

"SHUT UP, YOU BASTARD!! TAKE THIS!!"

Mordred snapped — rage exploding.

She charged forward with Clarent raised, like a thunderclap given form.

"Haha… such a feisty little thing."

Zoth closed the Omni Force on his Driver, then slammed his palm down:

[Omnimus Loading…]

[Solomon Break!!]

He caught the incoming slash —

Clarent's red lightning mana was instantly drained, vanishing into the void.

"WHAT?!!"

Mordred gasped, horrified.

"Here, have it back."

Zoth channeled all the absorbed energy into Caladbolg —

and swung upward.

[BOOOM!!]

The ground was torn in two — obliterated.

Mordred vanished into the impact, gone without a trace.

"MORDRED!!"

"Your Highness!!"

Ritsuka and Mash screamed, eyes wide with disbelief.

They looked up at Zoth —

No longer an ally.

Now a nightmare in human form.

"Meh~ One dead Servant, big deal."

Zoth laughed it off, tone as light as if he were talking about a broken toy.

"The game's only just begun.

Enjoy your final days…

Ciao~"

He raised his hand — and a black mist enveloped him, Vlad, and Frankenstein, preparing to withdraw.

"ZOTH!! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?!"

Jeanne cried out, hand gripping her sacred flag tightly.

She trembled —

Her heart stung from every word he spoke.

From those eyes… behind that helmet.

Unchanged eyes — the ones she had once trusted…

even fallen for.

Zoth turned back, flashing a radiant smile beneath the cold steel helm:

"Oi ya~, Jeannette~ Long time no see.

Anyone bullying you lately?

Still doing okay?"

He gave her a playful little wave, then tilted his head:

"Oh, and…

Don't call me like you used to.

I'm Sovereign Solomon now —

no longer your 'Zoth'."

"Zoth…

Why…"

Jeanne clutched her chest, her voice breaking.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto the flag like blood.

"I never wanted you to become like this…"

Zoth paused.

His voice dropped —

suddenly soft, almost gentle.

Like a whisper from a world long gone.

"Haah… Jeannette…"

He slowly backed away, eyes behind the visor still burning —

like a shooting star lost in the abyss.

"Soon…

I'll rewrite this world.

A world that rejected your sacrifice —

But I…

I'll create a place where you can smile again.

Without war. Without sorrow.

Just wait for me, Jeannette.

I'll make it real…

no matter the cost."

He turned away.

The black mist consumed him and the others.

Jeanne tried to run —

But it was too late.

She was left alone amidst the battlefield and her shaken comrades —

tears falling on the hilt of the flag that had once been her vow of hope.

"Zoth…

Why did you become the very thing…

you once despised?"