Gotham Singularity (23): The Last Servant to Fight...

Finally, Fujimaru Ritsuka still hoped to persuade the woman in front of her, "I don't know what the bartender said to you, but you were deceived by him."

“He’s using you to satisfy his own curiosity. The troubles in your family after you got the Holy Grail were all his schemes,” Fujimaru Ritsuka said earnestly. “Stop it. Your life shouldn’t be wasted on something like this.”

Mary was not at all surprised that Fujimaru Ritsuka had obtained this information.

Seeing the orange-haired girl frowning as she tried to persuade her to save her life, she couldn't help but smile. It was worth it to be cared for like this at the end of her life.

"But this is also what I want to do. If I didn't have this idea, he couldn't have persuaded me out of thin air." That person destroyed everything she had, but also gave her a new belief.

She gazed at Ritsuka, her gentle tone tinged with nostalgia and sorrow, “My husband was a brave man. Even knowing that the evidence was of dubious origin, he handed over the evidence of Black Mask’s crimes to the Gotham Police Department after careful consideration.”

Batman lowered his eyes. He knew there were corrupt cops in the police department who had been bribed, but there was nothing he could do about it. There would always be people who would be tempted by profit.

A person who believed in police justice and fairness was killed by someone blinded by greed...

Jason wanted to let out a sneer, to mock his family from the past, but he didn't, because the woman in front of him was sad enough.

“His fate was defined as an accidental fall into the water after drinking, but I dare not refute that, because I have two children.” Mary chuckled softly, a bitter cough forcing her to bend over and clutch her clothes tightly.

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, shimmering silver in the moonlight.

Everyone knows that's not the case. The masked henchmen didn't care at all that her husband never actually drank.

“Little girl.” Mary regained her composure and looked at the young Fujimaru Ritsuka with gentle eyes, as if she were looking at her own child. “Do you think I did something wrong?”

It was as if she were asking an outsider from outside Gotham, or perhaps those bright and clear eyes reminded her of a god.

“Your husband is a noble and courageous man, and you are not a coward either,” Fujimaru Ritsuka said, her bright and sincere eyes looking directly at Mary.

“You must be very brave and love your husband very much. So even knowing the huge risks, you agreed to let him not destroy the evidence and even hand it over to the police.”

Mary paused, then instinctively took two steps forward and reached out to touch Ritsuka's cheek, but Batman's gloomy figure suddenly loomed over her, and the wary gaze beneath his mask made her hand flinch.

Yes, she is no longer the ordinary, unsuspecting teacher she once was; she is now the villain who slaughtered everyone in Arkham. Therefore, it's perfectly reasonable for Batman to be wary of her approach and worried that she might harm the little girl.

She should have known.

Just as she was about to put her hand down, a warm sensation suddenly touched the back of her cold hand, and calloused fingers grasped her wrist, guiding her to stroke the girl's cheek.

Their eyes met, and the girl's noble gaze made her pupils shrink slightly. The physical pain paled in comparison to the tremor in her heart. Such fervent kindness was like a long-lost light, almost making her change her mind.

"Batman, please make a decision." But there was no turning back now. "You are a hero of Gotham, and I don't want to make things difficult for you."

“…I’m sorry.” Batman was silent for a moment, and facing those gentle eyes, he could only utter such dry and meaningless words.

"Why should I apologize? This has nothing to do with you."

You are lying.

"...Yes, I lied just now. I hated you." She smiled, tears welling in her eyes. "You were so powerful. You could have killed all those criminals. There shouldn't have been another victim!"

So she originally wanted to take revenge on this person, but leaving Two-Face alive was a safety measure, so that Batman and his old friend would die together in Arkham, in the Old World.

But Ritsuka's appearance made her rethink her hatred, and she finally realized, "Actually, I hate myself more."

She hated herself for being too cowardly, for failing to carry on her husband's legacy and continue to uncover the crimes of the Black Mask; she hated herself for being too weak, for being unable to protect her two children as they grew up safely; and she hated herself even more for not being selfish enough to save only her own children.

In fact, she knew from the beginning that the two children resurrected by the Holy Grail were fake. Her own children became timid and shy because of their father's death, while the resurrected children were as lively and cheerful as ever.

“My resentment towards you is just a way for me to keep living. It shouldn’t be your responsibility; you’ve already done enough for Gotham.”

"And I, too, chose to do something for my hometown."

“But you shouldn’t kill,” Batman said. “When you choose to defy the law and arbitrarily sentence them to death, you become a criminal along with those you hate!”

Using killing to stop killing will only take everyone back to the dark Middle Ages. No one, including Batman, can claim that he never misjudges a crime.

So he chose to change the police department, using gentle methods to change the entire Gotham, so that no more Joker would emerge from this abyss.

“I am prepared to offer my soul,” the dark-haired woman said calmly. The stubborn, unwavering fire in her eyes seemed to suggest that she was ready to be the first bundle of kindling.

If nothing is done, her children, her children's friends, and her children's children will be trapped in this dark quagmire forever... but they deserve the right to enjoy the sunshine.

If sacrificing herself could save more people, she would gladly accept death and reunite with her loved ones in the underworld.

"I'm just one of the lucky ones favored by God. I have the ability to do what is right, but not what is just."

"Little girl, tell me, did I do something wrong?" Mary asked Fujimaru Ritsuka again. She was confessing everything to the gods, questioning them in her final moments.

Looking at Mary's red-rimmed eyes, Fujimaru Ritsuka felt a sudden pang of sadness well up in her heart. She spoke slowly, word by word, "You haven't done anything wrong."

Those positive, warm, and sincere eyes remained fixed on Mary.

“…That’s great.” As if the huge weight on her heart had melted away under the orange-haired girl’s gaze, Mary felt tears welling up in her eyes.

Tears soon streamed down her face, and through her blurred vision, the girl bathed in silver moonlight looked like an angel granting forgiveness.

Was this being there to pull at her soul? She wondered, when she suddenly heard the girl's gasp, and even Batman's gaze was fixed on her arm.

Mary sluggishly raised her arm; her left hand was numb and gradually becoming transparent, signifying that her soul had reached its limit. "Haha, this is the end."

So, Mary looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka, the only person she had never expected to appear, but who ultimately redeemed her soul. What could she do for her in the time she had left?

The Holy Grail couldn't be given to her, so what else did she have...? The bartender's vague words popped into Mary's mind, and she suddenly understood what the only thing she could do for the little girl in front of her was.

“Finally, I wish you well, my child,” Mary said sincerely. “May your future be peaceful and healthy.”

O God, this insincere believer prays to you once more. Please grant happiness to all children.

At this moment, the bartender, who was tied up inside the bat cave, closed his eyes and recalled a conversation with his husband that took place on the day they made their promise.

"You mean, to have the person chosen by the Holy Grail to change Gotham's fate sincerely bless your daughter?"

Joseph stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "You know what kind of person I would choose. That kind of person would never have any goodwill towards someone who ruins their achievements, let alone offer their blessings!"

Moriarty maintained his enigmatic, polite smile. He showed no emotional reaction to Joseph's skepticism, simply asking, "Do you believe me?"

"Of course I trust you! But...!"

"You should give her the same trust."

Now, he had done everything he could; it was up to her to win his blessing. But then he shook his head, thinking he probably didn't need to worry—who could possibly refuse her?

After offering her blessings, Mary's body gradually became transparent, and the two Command Seals on her hands disappeared. She smiled calmly.

"Berserker, make your move."

Before anyone could react, a violent roar echoed across Gotham.

The collapsed Arkham buried the bloodstains of the massacre and the breath of the only living person.

Everyone except Holmes then realized that Mary had no intention of letting Arkham's last sinner go. But she ultimately spared Batman's life.

The sound of the explosion still echoed in his ears, and Batman asked dryly, "Why?"

Mary simply smiled and shook her head; her selfish desire for revenge against Batman had now transformed into a blessing for Gotham's rebirth.

She looked one last time at the Servant who had been by her side, "The deal is done, and the Holy Grail is of no use to me now." Under the Servant's tense gaze, she smiled with relief, "Atalanta, you are free."

I am free.

"This Holy Grail should sustain you for a while—go see the world, it's actually quite nice."

Soon, the magic of the Holy Grail eroded the last vestiges of her flesh, turning all her happy and painful past into nothingness. Mary Colson vanished peacefully into the night sky, the Holy Grail clattering to the ground.

The servant left behind bent down to pick up the Holy Grail, feeling the magic power that sustained him. "...Although she acted so presumptuously," Atalanta smiled bitterly, "you won't let me leave, will you?"

"Feel sorry."

Fujimaru Ritsuka closed her eyes and then opened them again, her eyes filled with unwavering determination. "I must retrieve the Holy Grail to end this singularity. This is my responsibility and my choice."

Despite how touching the story was, and despite a part of her heart wishing she could keep the Holy Grail, Fujimaru Ritsuka made the same choice as before.

“I understand,” Atalanta said. She also understood that without her Master, and with only the nearly depleted Holy Grail, she probably couldn’t defeat the superior numbers of Fujimaru Ritsuka, but she did not back down.

This was the last thing Mary left her.

"Then let's each rely on our own abilities!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka glanced back at Holmes, and saw encouragement in his eyes, which gave her the courage to do whatever she wanted.

“Mr. Holmes, dear Xu Fu,” she said resolutely. “Protect the others and take them away from the battlefield.”

The two remaining ordinary people knew very well that if they stayed, they would only be a hindrance to Ritsuka, but they didn't need the protection of the two Servants, so they wanted to leave them with Ritsuka.

But the moment he heard the instruction, Holmes understood and respected Ritsuka's wishes. He led Jason back three steps, bringing them to a distance where they would not be affected.

But Xu Fu was still grumbling and protesting: "I won't—!"

"Lord Xu Fu."

"…!" Xu Fu swallowed all his complaints like a duck whose neck had been choked. The girl had spoken his words seriously, and he knew in his heart that there was no room for negotiation.

"Hey, remember not to get hurt!" Xu Fu twisted Batman and forcibly dragged him backward.

Now, a large open space has been cleared in front of the ruins of Arkham. Atalanta did not flee, but quietly awaited Fujimaru Ritsuka's next move.

"—Edmund, are you there?"

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Author's Note: * This singularity is almost over! Thank you all for your comments and support! An extra chapter will be added tomorrow!

* The next singularity is in Beika Town, an atypical Holy Grail War! Stay tuned!