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It wasn't over.
This is what Ushi Gozen thought as she sat and slumped her back against a tree after crawling away from the battlefield.
No, it wasn't over. She could still do this. All she needed to do was to find somewhere to hide and recover, and to rethink her strategy. She could still win this. She could still defeat all of other Servants – even that Saber who wields such a beautiful light – and obtain the Waxing Moon. And then, she would finally...
"Rider."
The oni girl heard voice of her one and only Master.
"Ah, Shousetsu..." She said with a smile. Her words were answered with a blade piercing her heart.
"I'm sorry for this, Rider. But I couldn't let you continue to endanger this world." Despite everything Ushi Gozen has done, there was tangible regret in Shousetsu's voice.
"Your heart... it truly is pure..." Servant said to her Master. She gave up. With this wound, she wouldn't be able recover, no matter how much she wants it. Her dream – Shousetsu's dream – was now out of her reach.
"Tell me, Rider, was everything you did... truly for my sake?"
"Yes. I will no longer lie to you, my most benevolent Master. I wanted... to set the word aright for your sake. To put and end to everything that made you suffer inside."
"Did you think that destruction... was the only way?" Shousetsu's voice made it clear she felt sorry for the girl. Ushi Gozen thought it was foolish, that it was wasted on a wretched creature like her... but it was this foolishness that made her Master so beautiful in her eyes.
"There was never any doubt in my mind. For all of my life, my role was to slay monsters. I'm a monster myself, after all. I couldn't live alongside humans – I could only serve them, or oppose them. There was no other way for me." Despite her ruthlessness, despite carnage she planned inflict on Edo and the rest of the world, in this moments, the oni girl sounded... profoundly sad.
"But when I looked at humans from the distance, what I saw was..."
"Just as hideous as monsters you lived to destroy?" Shousetsu said, clearly understanding position her Servant was in.
"Yes, indeed. And even, centuries later, it did not changed. The world we see before us now... is not that different from one I lived in."
"And so, you wished to bring ruin to it."
"It was all... because I admired you, Shousetsu. Just like me, you were not human. You could never live a human life. And just like me, you despaired from seeing distortions of this world. But unlike me, you heart was truly pure and beautiful. No matter how many injustices you've seen, you never gave on humanity. It pained me to see you, trying in vain to make this ugly world into a better place. I knew that if you continue, this world would ruin you."
"And because it pained you, you chose to destroy the world... to make my dream come true in the only way you thought was possible. And after, you wanted to destroy yourself. Because you saw yourself as a monster that cannot be allowed to live."
"And my answer... would never change. If you summon me again, I would just repeat what I did. I... can never permit existence of world as crooked as this one. And I can never permit existence of creature as ugly as me."
In Ushi Gozen's words, Shousetsu saw pain likes of which she rarely seen. She wanted to save her, to make her see the beauty that still exists in this world, in humanity... but she knew she couldn't do it.
"Then, Rider, I would always oppose. Regardless of your reasoning, I can never permit you endanger the world. If I was given another chance, I would still cut you down with no hesitation. But... I still want to thank you."
Ushi Gozen's face turned into an expression of surprise.
"Despite everything, you were truly loyal to me, until the end. I can appreciate that. And... I do not think you are ugly, Rider... no, Ushi Gozen. I do not know your full story, but I can see that while your heart was scarred by all the suffering you saw and endured, it still pure. And beautiful. I truly think that you could've been a great hero."
"Shousetsu... you... you shouldn't... I..."
Tears appeared in Ushi Gozen's eyes. And then, words she would be utterly embarrassed by escaped her lips.
"Shousetsu, can you... can you hold my hands? I want to feel someone... someone holding my hands."
Shousetsu obliged her request
"Shousetsu you... you truly are... beautiful..."
And she held hands of a crying oni girl until she disappeared into the golden light.