Does a Doll Deserve to Live a Happy Life? (Patreon)

Chapter 47: The Man Behind It All

“Senpai!!”

“M-Master!!”

“Sieg!!”

Three worried voices echoed throughout the cavern as the blast of Excalibur Morgan swallowed everything in its path. The sheer magical energy behind the attack made it impossible for anyone to intervene in time.

As the light began to fade, only dust remained, obscuring the aftermath and making it impossible to tell if anyone had survived. The silence that followed only made the girls’ worry grow.

Just as Mash and Fran were about to rush forward, they froze when a golden glow caught their attention, shining from the spot where Sieg had been standing.

Hope stirred in their chests as they waited, hearts pounding, while the smoke slowly cleared.

And when it did—

Relief spread instantly across their faces.

“Senpai, you’re alive! I’m so glad!” Mash cried out, tears slipping down her cheeks before she quickly wiped the,.

“M-Master… f-fine,” Fran added, clearly relieved as the faint sparks around her body faded away.

Alter, however, remained still.

Her wide eyes were locked onto Sieg, disbelief written plainly across her face.

“…T-That scabbard…” she muttered, her voice filled with shock as she stared at what had blocked her attack. There was something else in her gaze now, a faint trace of something softer.

Standing at the center of the destruction was Sieg, completely unharmed, with not a single hair out of place or even dirt in his clothes. Floating before him was a beautiful sheath of blue and gold, glowing with divine light, its surface etched with words not meant for human understanding.

“I was planning to save this for an emergency, but your stubbornness forced my hand,” I muttered with a small sigh as Avalon’s golden glow began to dim. Reaching out, I held it gently against my chest.

“…Who gave that to you?”

Her voice pulled my attention back to her. This time, it lacked the cold hostility from before, sounding quieter, closer to the voice I knew by heart now.

“Someone very dear to me,” I answered honestly, looking down at Avalon with a fond expression as I thought about my Artoria back home. “Someone extremely stubborn, but just as kind and loyal, the kind of person who carries everyone else’s burdens, even while struggling with her own.”

Seeing that Alter was listening intently, I continued.

“A big softie at heart with a massive appetite despite her figure… and a sore loser, too. Someone who finally managed to move on from her past after I knocked some sense into her, with a little help.”

As I finished speaking, Avalon dissolved into light and flowed back into my body.

Alter remained silent for a few moments, staring at me with an unreadable expression before finally speaking.

“…That person you’re describing isn’t me. The Grail corrupted all of that and left a Tyrant, nothing more,” she said coldly, meeting my gaze.

“That doesn’t make what I said a lie,” I replied with a small smile, which only widened when I saw her eyebrow twitch.

“Enough of this foolishness,” Alter said with a dismissive wave of her hand, as if putting an end to the conversation. “Now speak what you have to say. I owe you that much for keeping your word. Also, for your information, I have a normal appetite.”

Sighing at her continued stubbornness, I still couldn’t help but smile at that last comment. It told me that the Artoria I knew was still in there somewhere.

Shaking my head, I let the smile fade and met her yellow eyes with a serious expression.

“Join us. I wasn’t lying earlier; we could use your strength for the fights ahead.” I declared while extending my hand toward her making her blink.

“I refuse. I have no reason to join you.” She answered immediately with hard eyes.

“It seems I’ll have to beat some sense into you again. That really is the only way to get through to you,” I said as I raised my sword once more.

“Hah. I’d like to see you try,” Alter replied immediately, a challenging look settling on her face as she brought her sword forward. “I’ve been going easy on you so far… but that ends now.”

“Mash, do your best to cover me. Fran, you’re with me,” I ordered without taking my eyes off Artoria, who raised an eyebrow at that. “I trust you won’t have a problem with this being a three-on-one?”

I had already shown as much of my strength as I was willing to reveal. Anything more would be risky, especially with Lev possibly watching.

“Understood!” Mash replied immediately, sounding almost excited as she moved into position in front of me, shield raised.

“Mmn.” Fran looked just as eager, gripping her massive mace as electricity began to crackle around it.

“None whatsoever,” Alter answered calmly. “I was the one who defeated most of the Servants in the first place, with the exception of Caster. Doing it again won’t be a problem.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want you using it as an excuse later when we beat you,” I said lightly, earning a sharp narrowing of her eyes.

“Let’s go.”

With that, the fight resumed.

This time, we fought together, me at the front, Fran supporting from the side, and Mash holding the line behind us.

Using my speed, I closed the distance instantly and brought Balmung down, only for Alter to meet it with the flat of Excalibur Morgan as we struggled for dominance.

That’s when Fran moved.

She came in from the side, swinging her electrified mace with a sharp cry, forcing Alter to disengage and leap back to avoid the blow.

“Let’s see how you handle a taste of your own medicine,” I said as blue mana surged around Balmung.

“Balmung!”

I brought the blade down, releasing a torrent of blue energy, a beam that mirrored Alter’s, only a radiant blue instead of a corrupted black.

Alter’s eyes widened for a split second before she reacted, raising her sword and pouring mana into it at the last moment to meet my attack head-on.

Neither of us used the full incantation of our Noble Phantasms, but even so, the clash shook the cavern. The beams collided violently, mine just barely pushing hers back due to her rushed response.

When the light faded, Alter lowered her blade slightly, her gaze shifting from Balmung… to me.

There was recognition there now, and slight curiosity.

“Balmung… I know that name. Why do you possess the sword of the Dragon-Blooded Knight, and how can you wield it as if it were your own?” she asked seriously, her gaze lingering on me as she studied my figure more closely.

“Are you… Siegfried himself perhaps? Your names do match.”

Her question drew gasps from Mash and Olga, who had been watching the fight with worried expressions.

“No, I’m not Siegfried. I can promise you that,” I replied calmly, shaking my head. “If you want answers, though, you’ll have to ask them back at Chaldea… after we’ve defeated you.”

“Tch. You’re rather confident you can defeat me,” Alter said, a faint edge of mockery in her voice. “But with Avalon out of mana… can you block another strike from my Excalibur?”

As she spoke, massive amounts of mana began gathering around her blade once more.

“…Damn, I might have pissed her off,” I muttered under my breath.

“Don’t worry, Senpai! I’ll protect you this time!” Mash declared as she stepped forward, planting her shield firmly into the ground.

“Good. I wanted to test that shield of yours anyway, strange girl,” Alter said, seemingly pleased as she raised her sword once more. Fran and I moved behind Mash as she took the front.

“Remember, Mash—trust your instincts. And know that your friends are right behind you,” I said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder as she prepared her Noble Phantasm.

“…Thank you, Senpai. Hearing that… I don’t feel as nervous anymore,” Mash replied softly as her shield began to glow with a brilliant blue light.

“Show me the strength of your resolve, strange girl! Excalibur… Morgan!” Alter declared, unleashing another massive wave of dark energy.

“I will protect everyone so we can go back home together! Lord… Camelot!” Mash shouted, her voice filled with determination as she slammed her shield into the ground.

A radiant white fortress manifested before us—

Camelot itself.

‘Good…’ I thought with quiet satisfaction. ‘I was worried something might have gone wrong when Galahad made a contract with her, but it seems she just needed the right push.’

For a brief moment, the two forces clashed evenly—

Light against darkness.

Then Mash stepped forward with a cry.

“I won’t give up! Senpai is counting on me!”

The balance broke.

Alter’s attack was forced back—

—and then reflected.

Her eyes widened just before the blast engulfed her in a massive explosion.

Mash panted as her Noble Phantasm faded, using her shield to keep herself upright, mentally exhausted after manifesting it fully for the first time.

“Great job, Mash. I knew you could do it,” I said with a smile, gently patting her head.

“T-Thank you… for believing in me, Senpai,” she replied shyly, a faint blush on her cheeks as she leaned into the gesture.

“Aaargh!” Fran suddenly stepped forward, growling toward where Alter had been, and we immediately tensed as the smoke began to clear.

Alter was still standing.

Injured, and bleeding from several places but far from defeated.

“I see…” she muttered, blood trailing down from her lips as she looked at us with a strange mix of nostalgia and longing. “It seems it’s my fate to always lose when I fight alone.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” I said, stepping forward despite the cautious looks from Mash and Fran as they kept their guard up. “You can come with us. My offer still stands.”

I extended my hand once more.

This time, she didn’t reject it immediately.

Her gaze lingered on my hand.

Then—

Her fingers twitched.

She took a step forward.

A smile began to form on my face.

And then—

Everything went to hell.

A blue meteor crashed down between us.

The impact forced us all to jump back, weapons raised as dust and debris filled the air.

“What was that!?” Olga shouted from behind us.

The answer came moments later.

As the dust settled, a battered figure was revealed at the center of the crater.

“…Caster.”

“Caster!” I rushed forward, kneeling beside him as I took in his condition, his left arm gone, his body covered in deep wounds.

He was barely holding on.

Hearing my voice, he cracked open one eye and gave me a bloodied grin.

“Heh… hey, kid… sorry to crash the party,” he rasped before coughing violently. “But… you’ve got trouble heading your way.”

“What happened!?” I asked sharply, already extending my senses—

—and then my eyes widened.

A massive presence.

No—

Several, with one being much stronger than the others.

Mash and Fran reacted at the same time, moving into defensive positions around me.

“I see you felt it…” Caster muttered weakly. “Berserker jumped me after I finished my battle with Archer… but somehow… Lancer, Rider, and Assassin came back from the dead.”

He coughed again.

“They’re now all working together…”

My expression darkened.

So that’s how it was going to be.

Caster lifted his remaining hand, offering me the spear I had lent him.

“Take it… I’d hate to think what our mentor would do… if you lost it,” he added with a faint grin.

I frowned, but nodded, taking the spear and storing it away without hesitation.

Then I stood.

“Can you still fight?” I asked calmly, already knowing the answer as he smirked and slowly pulled himself back to his feet despite his injuries.

“Even if I’m not in my preferred Lancer form, I’m still a Hero, kid. Don’t worry about me, I’ve still got a trick or two up my sleeve,” he replied before glancing at Alter from the corner of his eye. “How’s the situation with the little miss?”

“It was going well… I think, until you interrupted,” I said before turning toward Olga, missing the small frown that crossed Alter’s face.

“Director! Get over here and stay behind us, then contact Dr. Roman and tell him to prepare to Rayshift us out as soon as I give the signal!” I called out, raising my voice so she could hear me clearly.

She nodded and quickly ran over, taking position behind us.

I turned back to Artoria, who still hadn’t moved.

“What’s your answer, Artoria? I’m sorry to rush you, but we’re out of time,” I said seriously, deliberately using her real name.

Her frown deepened.

For a moment, she ignored the approaching enemies entirely before finally speaking.

“It seems that person has betrayed me… so I have no reason to keep this Grail War going any longer,” she said calmly, pulling a golden cup from behind her.

“The Holy Grail!” Mash exclaimed in surprise, a relieved smile forming on her face.

“Kehehe… you really are something else, kid, managing to win over that little miss,” Caster cut in, turning to me with a grin.

“Mind giving me a boost? Now that this Grail business is wrapping up, my job here is done. I may not have won it… but at least I didn’t lose either, and that’s good enough for someone with my kind of luck,” he said as he summoned his staff.

I frowned slightly at what he was implying, but after a brief pause, I sighed. There wasn’t time to argue.

Raising my right hand, I revealed my Command Spells.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Caster. I hope we meet again,” I said, a note of respect in my voice.

Then I focused.

“Caster! By the power of my Command Spell, defeat the enemies approaching us!”

One Command Spell faded from my hand.

But I wasn’t done.

“By the power of my second Command Spell… win.”

Another Command Spell vanished.

Caster was immediately engulfed in magical energy, his body surging with power as the spells took effect. He turned back to me with a wide grin.

“See you around, kid. Next time, make sure you summon me as a Lancer,” he said before glancing at the girls behind me.

“And as for the rest of you… it was a pleasure meeting such beautiful ladies~”

With that, he disappeared.

A moment later, the distant sounds of battle echoed through the cavern.

And we were alone once more.

Taking the Grail from Alter’s hand, I quickly stored it in my inventory for safekeeping before turning my full attention back to her.

“If you’re going to come with us, would you mind if I empower you with my Mystery? As it stands, only myself, Mash, and the Director can Rayshift back to Chaldea. With my Mystery, though, both you and Fran will be able to come with us,” I explained, my tone slightly hurried.

Alter raised an eyebrow at my words, clearly intrigued, but before she could respond, Mash stepped forward.

“There’s nothing to worry about, Saber-san. Senpai already used his Mystery on both me and the Director, and I can promise you he’s telling the truth. He already saved us, after all,” Mash said earnestly.

Alter frowned for a moment before giving a single nod. “Very well. Do what you must.”

“Thank you,” I replied.

My Shroud manifested behind me, unfurling in golden tendrils before quickly cocooning her. With her consent already given, the process only took a moment before the binding was complete, and I dismissed it just as quickly.

Alter blinked a few times as it ended, glancing down at her hands with a look of quiet wonder before lifting her gaze back to me, questions clearly forming—

Only for me to raise a hand.

“Please, save your questions for later. We need to get out of here first,” I said gently.

She hesitated for a second before nodding.

Turning to Olga, I spoke again, urgency creeping into my voice.

“Director, is the Rayshift ready?”

Of course—

Things didn’t go as planned.

A slow clap echoed through the cavern, cutting her off before she could answer.

My blood ran cold.

We all turned toward the sound.

And there he was.

Lev Lainur Flauros.

“My, my… I never expected you all to make it this far,” his mocking voice echoed.

…Fuck. Of course it couldn’t be that simple.