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...
Leaning on her sword, which was plunged into the ground, Artoria hung her head, her face hidden in the shadows.
"Sir Lancelot!"
Whispering Lancelot's name, Artoria appeared incredibly vulnerable.
Opposite her, the holy sword, Arondight, gleamed under the moonlight, its blade radiating a sharp brilliance.
Whoosh!
With the sound of a sword being drawn, the white-haired incubus, clad in mage robes, pulled the holy sword from the ground and held it before his face, admiring its sharpness.
It was Merlin.
Having witnessed the conclusion of the battle between Artoria and Lancelot, Merlin, who only appeared before her at the end of their story, couldn't help but sigh.
"Artoria, can you still not accept the past?"
"I cannot accept it!"
Slightly raising her head, Artoria's eyes shone with unwavering determination.
"Such stubbornness..." Merlin muttered, a troubled expression on his face.
Just who instilled such a stubborn personality in her?
Oh, it was me?
Never mind then.
Merlin threw his hands up in exasperation. He had no way to deal with Artoria's stubbornness.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed her to wallow in the pain of the past for so long.
Just as Merlin was about to continue his persuasion, a sharp gasp escaped Artoria's lips.
"What's happening?!"
A shiver ran through her body as her eyes widened in disbelief.
Her Master had just been changed.
"Oh, I didn't expect Mika to do that. It's quite surprising," Merlin chuckled, instantly understanding Artoria's situation. "I thought he would simply remain a spectator."
He grasped Mika's intentions.
In truth, he had considered doing the same, but such an act required the other party's willingness, not a hidden agenda.
Otherwise, it would be meaningless.
"It seems my journey in reality will be longer than I anticipated," Merlin mused, gazing towards the distant altar, a smile playing on his lips.
"Mika...?"
Hearing Merlin's words, Artoria realized the identity of her new Master.
Fury flashed in her eyes as she dashed towards the altar, where a powerful magical energy was emanating.
"Is she angry?"
Watching Artoria vanish swiftly, propelled by her Invisible Air boundary field, Merlin paused for a moment before comprehending her thoughts.
"Does she think Mika killed her Master?"
"Hold on, that's a misunderstanding!"
Merlin hurriedly chased after her.
...
As Merlin had suspected, Artoria believed her Master was in danger.
Based on her understanding of Kiritsugu Emiya, a typical threat wouldn't compel him to relinquish his Command Spells.
Something must have happened to Irisviel von Einzbern.
That was why Artoria was so frantic.
Artoria was unaware that if the Holy Grail hadn't been tainted in this particular Holy Grail War, Kiritsugu wouldn't have prioritized Irisviel's safety.
If Merlin hadn't brought Irisviel to the Ryuudou Temple, the designated location for the final battle, Kiritsugu might have abandoned her.
After all, Kiritsugu had already sacrificed too much in pursuit of his twisted sense of "justice."
Kiritsugu wasn't a cold-hearted person.
On the contrary, he harbored a passionate heart.
However, he buried his emotions deep within, never expressing them outwardly.
"Irisviel!"
Shouting Irisviel's name, Artoria arrived at the altar, where Mika and the others were gathered.
She quickly assessed the situation.
Mika and Waver stood on one side of the altar.
Kiritsugu Emiya, Irisviel von Einzbern, and Maiya Hisau stood on the other.
And there was a young girl floating near the Holy Grail?
Despite the confusing scene, Artoria rushed to Irisviel's side, shielding her protectively.
"Hold on, Artoria, you're on the wrong side," Mika chuckled, raising his hand to reveal the Command Spells on his back.
"I'm your Master now."
"I do not recognize this bond!"
As the King of Knights, Artoria adhered to her own code of chivalry.
Therefore, simply seizing the Command Spells wouldn't be enough to change her allegiance.
"What despicable means did you use to steal my contract from my Master?"
"I didn't use any despicable means."
"Impossible!"
"Saber!"
Irisviel's voice called out from behind Artoria.
"Irisviel, I will protect you," Artoria vowed.
Irisviel gently shook her head and pointed towards the nearby Lesser Grail.
"Look over there, Saber."
Following Irisviel's gaze, Artoria finally noticed the manifestation of the Holy Grail.
The next moment, she was horrified by the black mud oozing from the Grail.
"What is that?!"
"As Merlin mentioned earlier, the Holy Grail has been tainted."
"Therefore, our Holy Grail War... is over," Irisviel said sadly.
Her sorrow wasn't for herself but for the young girl before her.
"The Holy Grail War... is over?"
Indeed, if the Holy Grail, the object of their fierce competition, no longer possessed the power to grant wishes, then their war was effectively over.
"So, Kiritsugu relinquished his contract with me?" Artoria asked, disbelief evident in her voice.
"That's correct," Kiritsugu replied calmly.
"This is the best outcome for both you and us."
"What do you mean?"
"By becoming his Servant, he can help you achieve your wish."
If Artoria's wish had any chance of being fulfilled, Merlin would have granted it long ago.
For a magus of Merlin's caliber, "omnipotence" wasn't an exaggeration.
With enough magical energy, he could achieve anything the Holy Grail could, and perhaps even more.
As for where to obtain such vast amounts of magical energy?
He could gradually accumulate it.
After all, the Holy Grail's power was merely sixty years' worth of magical energy gathered from the leylines.
Given Merlin's millennia of experience, he could achieve it if he truly desired it.
But Artoria's wish was inherently impossible to fulfill.
---
Sensing Artoria's gaze, Merlin quickly adopted a calm and composed expression.
Wishes and such can wait. First, let's reel in this stubborn little Artoria.
"Merlin, will you leave after the Holy Grail War?"
"Of course not. You know my true self resides in Avalon. As long as I wish, I can stay here indefinitely."
"As long as you wish, you can stay indefinitely...?"
Repeating Merlin's words, Artoria's eyes narrowed.
She would never forget the pain she felt when Merlin disappeared from her life.
Shaking her head, she pushed her anger aside and turned to Kiritsugu and Irisviel behind her.
"What are your plans now, Irisviel?"
"We'll probably return to the Einzbern estate and bring Illya back," Irisviel replied, a happy smile gracing her face as she envisioned a brighter future. "We might need your help then, Saber."
Looking at Irisviel's smile, Artoria nodded slightly.
After learning about Irisviel's past, Artoria had developed a deep sense of protectiveness towards her. Now, seeing her finally able to pursue happiness, Artoria offered her heartfelt blessings.
"Don't worry, I'll help if I can."
With a nod, Artoria approached Mika.
Since Mika hadn't used any underhanded tactics to gain ownership of her contract, Artoria felt no resistance towards him.
"Servant Saber, Artoria, pledges her loyalty to you. Are you my Master?"
"Indeed," Mika replied with a gentle smile.
"Then the contract is established."
With Artoria's acceptance, their magical energy circuits connected, solidifying their bond.
Witnessing the formation of their contract, Kiritsugu turned to Irisviel and said, "Let's go home, Iris."
"Yes, I'll follow you, Kiritsugu."
They exchanged a knowing glance and nodded in agreement.
"Mika, we'll be waiting for you at the mansion where we took Irisviel," Kiritsugu said, turning back to address Mika with a serious expression.
"Don't worry, I won't go back on my word."
"Good."
With that, Kiritsugu and Irisviel departed, heading down Mount Enzou.
Kiritsugu, Irisviel, and Maiya walked in silence, their minds still reeling from the events at the altar.
The Holy Grail... it was nothing like they had imagined.
As they descended the mountain and prepared to return to Fuyuki City, Kiritsugu suddenly tensed.
"Who's there?!"
"Kiritsugu Emiya, I've finally found you."
Emerging from the surrounding forest, Kirei Kotomine blocked their path, his expression impassive.
"It's him, Kirei Kotomine."
Irisviel and Maiya tensed at the sight of him.
During Diarmuid's attack on the Einzbern castle, Kirei had suddenly appeared, searching for Kiritsugu's whereabouts.
They had fought him then, suffering a devastating defeat.
"I had a feeling we would cross paths again."
"Stay back, Iris, Maiya!"
Kiritsugu drew his pistol, his face betraying no emotion.
Now that his dream of being a hero of justice had been shattered, he was determined to protect his family.
He would settle things with Kirei here and now.
"Excellent timing!"
Six black keys materialized in Kirei's hands. Both men locked eyes, ready to strike.
The next moment, they charged towards each other.
...
"Now, it's just us," Mika mused, gazing at the Holy Grail in the sky after Kiritsugu's departure.
"Gabriel, how's the collection going?"
"It's still early. At this rate, it will probably take another day."
"No worries, we'll wait patiently."
Due to its corruption, the magical energy within the Holy Grail had been transformed into black mud.
With only two participants remaining in the Holy Grail War, the Grail had finally opened a gateway to the physical world, and the black mud was pouring out relentlessly.
Therefore, Mika and his companions' task was to seal this gateway and bring an end to the Holy Grail War.
Once the war concluded, Merlin and Gabriel would have ample time to purify the Grail completely, revealing its true form.
As for why they were using the Vessel of Heaven to continuously collect the black mud, it was not only to prevent it from contaminating the surrounding area but also to drain the Grail's internal magical energy reserves.
Only then could the Holy Grail War truly end.
Furthermore, Mika had another idea: creating a portable magical energy source.
Similar to the Tailed Beasts within Naruto Uzumaki in the Naruto series, the black mud collected by the Vessel of Heaven could be stored within Gabriel's body for Mika to utilize.
This would effectively compensate for Mika's limited magical capacity.
"Perhaps we could create numerous devices similar to the Holy Grail, bury them in the leylines of other worlds to accumulate magical energy, and use them as natural batteries," Mika suggested, a spark of inspiration in his eyes.
Gabriel pondered his words for a moment before replying, "If we combine it with your abilities, Mika, it could be a viable option."
Mika possessed the ability to manipulate the flow of time between his world and other worlds.
He frequently used this ability to slow down the passage of time in other worlds, effectively freezing them in a specific moment until his next visit.
This was an incredibly convenient ability.
However, by reversing its application, they could achieve the effect Mika had described.
For instance, they could create a device similar to the Holy Grail, bury it within the leylines of another world, and then return to their own world, manipulating the flow of time.
This way, while only a few minutes or even seconds passed for Mika, sixty years would have elapsed in the other world.
The device buried within the leylines would be fully charged with magical energy.
This would ensure that Mika never lacked energy again.
"Let's make a note of it. We can research it further when we have more time," Mika said, gazing at the Holy Grail with a smile.
"The Holy Grail War is finally over."
This particular Holy Grail War had felt remarkably easy for Mika.
This wasn't an illusion.
His greatest adversary in this war had been Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes.
Once Gilgamesh was eliminated, Mika, with his superior intelligence and knowledge, had effectively secured victory.
"The Holy Grail War was essentially over after the second night!"
Recalling his confrontation with Gilgamesh, Mika's face filled with pride.
Although Gilgamesh might not have fought seriously until the very end, Mika's victory was undeniable.
"Now, all that's left is to clean up the loose ends," Mika said with satisfaction.
...
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