Kaguya had always assumed that her task, as assigned by the system, was to eliminate every Heroic Spirit and then summon the Greater Grail with the Lesser Grail to fulfill her mission. Now, however, she realized her objective was the opposite: not to summon the Greater Grail, but to destroy it. The difference couldn't have been more stark.
Her first reaction was, "What a scam," and her second was, "So Gilgamesh died for nothing."
But with this revelation, her mission seemed significantly easier. Had she known her objective from the start, she could have headed straight to Ryuudou Temple and destroyed the system powering the Greater Grail.
The issue, however, was that Kaguya didn't know where Ryuudou Temple was—though it sounded like it should be some kind of monastery.
Turning toward the mansion's entrance, Kaguya left, knowing she had no reason to linger there any longer. Far from returning any time soon, it was likely that Rin and the others would avoid the place entirely.
Strolling through the bustling streets filled with people, Kaguya felt a sense of disconnect. With the third world she'd visited nearly complete, she wondered how many more she'd have to go through before she could return to her original life. Staying home all day, binging anime—it wasn't such a bad existence, really.
But Kaguya shook off these thoughts, refocusing on her immediate task. She still had a lot to accomplish, but her current issue was finding this mysterious temple.
After asking around, she discovered that Ryuudou Temple seemed to be quite obscure; despite questioning numerous people, no one could tell her its location.
How strange. In the original story, it seemed like a well-known place, not particularly far from town. Why was it that no one seemed to know of it here?
Just then, a group of delinquents swaggered down the street toward her. Their hair was dyed in various colors, tattoos snaked up their arms, and studded chains hung around their necks like dog leashes. Their clothes were torn in places, looking deliberately shabby.
Kaguya's brows knitted, and she ignored them. She had no interest in these try-hards and found their pretentious behavior distasteful.
"Hey, hey, look at that! This chick is hot!" one of the delinquents called out.
"Where?" another asked.
"Are you blind? Right there!"
"Damn, she's a real knockout."
"Looks like it's our lucky day, boys," one said, chuckling.
"Heh heh heh."
The group approached her, blocking her path. A bald-headed thug with tattoos sneered at her, saying, "Hey there, sweetheart. Why don't you come have a little fun with us? I promise it'll be a good time."
Expressionless, Kaguya glanced at him and spat out a single word: "Scram."
The bald man blinked, surprised that such a pretty girl would use such language. Then he laughed, snickering, "Oh, this little lady's got some spirit. Let's see if she's still got it in a while."
"Yeah, hahaha," the others jeered, their faces lewd. Some even made suggestive gestures, their eyes roving over Kaguya's body with shameless lust.
"Come on, let's go hang out at a nearby club," said a skinny thug. "We can have some drinks—don't worry, we'll pay. All you have to do is join us."
"Don't worry; we're not bad guys," said a plump thug with a smirk, signaling the others to egg him on.
"Do you all have a death wish?" Kaguya's patience was wearing thin. These punks were revolting, daring to proposition her like this—it was as if they were courting their own deaths.
"Ooh, looks like we got a feisty one," sneered the bald man.
"I wonder if she's this fierce in bed," laughed the skinny one lecherously.
"I like 'em fierce, especially when they step on my face," grinned the plump one, exposing his crooked, blackened teeth.
"Wow, what a freak, Fatty," the bald thug slapped him on the back. "But hey, knock yourself out. You'll get your chance."
Watching their antics with a look of disgust, Kaguya raised her arm and waved it in a swift, almost lazy motion.
Blood sprayed through the air.
A severed head flew up, and warm blood splattered over the faces of the remaining thugs.
The delinquents froze, their pupils shrinking as they stared, unable to believe what had just happened. They wanted to run, but their legs felt heavy as lead, refusing to move.
With a loud thud, the severed head hit the ground and rolled, coming to a stop near their feet. Its eyes stared up, still wide with shock, as though it hadn't yet understood what had transpired.
"Aaaaaah! Help!"
"She's a monster!"
The remaining thugs snapped out of their stupor and bolted, running in a wild panic down the street. Terror gripped them, their only thought to flee from the beautiful woman who had turned into a bloodthirsty demon before their eyes.
"Think you can get away after offending me?" Kaguya's voice was as cold as her gaze as she flicked her wrist, sending out several beams of deadly light.
Schlunk! Schlunk! Schlunk!
With a series of sickening sounds, several of the fleeing delinquents collapsed, legs impaled by swords that pinned them to the ground.
"AAAAAH!"
Their agonized screams filled the air as they clutched at their bleeding legs. Crimson quickly soaked their clothes, staining them deep red.
Kaguya walked toward them, wrinkling her nose at the smell of blood as she fanned her hand dismissively. "Be quiet," she said. Her sword flashed as she swept it forward, and a lethal arc of energy sliced through the air.
The cries ceased abruptly, and heads rolled to the roadside, severed cleanly from their bodies.
Now only two remained, clutching their mouths in terror, hoping that any sound they made would not draw her attention.
Kaguya approached, her delicate face breaking into a sly smile. "Now then," she began, "I'll give you both a chance to live. Whoever tells me the location of Ryuudou Temple gets to go free. Of course, only the first to speak will survive. How's that? Fair, right?"
In a bloody flash, two severed heads flew up into the air and landed heavily on the ground with a dull thud. Crimson blood flowed from their necks, staining the ground as their wide-open eyes seemed to express a refusal to rest in peace.
"Oh, sorry. I did say only the first to answer would live, but, well… you both answered at the same time, so I guess that's not on me." Kaguya's eyes narrowed in a mischievous smile, her tone shamelessly nonchalant.
If those thugs could still hear, they might very well die of sheer indignation. But it was obvious that the dead couldn't hear anything now.
Despite the distasteful encounter, Kaguya had at least learned something useful from them: the location of Ryuudou Temple. As it turned out, this remote temple lay far from the city, hidden deep in a forest where few ever ventured.
Upon arriving at Ryuudou Temple, Kaguya noted the emptiness inside—silent and eerie, almost haunting. Perhaps all who once resided here had been driven away to hide something significant.
Suddenly, a few figures emerged before her: a young girl clad in golden armor with flowing blonde hair, and a man dressed in a sleek black suit under a dark trench coat. They were none other than Saber and Kiritsugu Emiya.
"What are you doing here?" Kaguya asked, frowning.
"That's my question to you," Saber responded, gripping her sword and glaring at Kaguya.
"You're here to destroy the Grail, aren't you?" Kiritsugu's hand slipped inside his coat, ready to draw a weapon at a moment's notice.
"Oh?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"
Saber couldn't have known about the Grail's power source lying beneath Ryuudou Temple—after all, she had been deceived into believing in the Grail's power. Kiritsugu, despite his time with the Einzberns, might not have known its exact location either. After all, if he had known, he likely would have tried to destroy the power source itself, not just the Lesser Grail.
"You really are here to destroy the Grail," Saber said angrily. "Do you intend to crush the hopes of those who have fought so hard, those who have placed their dreams in the Grail? You fiend!"
The more Saber spoke, the angrier she became. Driven by her desire to save Britain, she had endured countless battles and witnessed countless deaths. Yet here Kaguya stood, threatening to destroy everything Saber hoped for—unforgivable.
Seeing Saber's furious face flush, Kaguya was momentarily taken aback before she burst into laughter. "I didn't realize you were so obsessed with Britain. Is it really that important to you?"
"You mock me, even now?" Saber bit her lip, gripping her sword so tightly that her whole body trembled, as if on the verge of lashing out.
"Mock you?" Kaguya said with amusement. "If you think that's all this is, then maybe you're easier to 'mock' than I thought."
"You insolent…!" Saber's face flushed deeper, her grip on her sword shaking as her rage boiled over.
Kaguya took a moment, realizing her previous words could be misinterpreted. But seeing Saber so flustered, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of satisfaction.
A sudden click broke the tension. Kaguya turned to see Kiritsugu, who had loaded his gun and was aiming it squarely at her head, his stance tense and ready for a fight.
"Before things get serious, let me be clear: I'm absolutely going to destroy this Grail," Kaguya said, unfazed by Kiritsugu's threat.
"I knew it," Saber said through gritted teeth. "For a moment, I almost held hope for you. But I see now that you're truly evil."
"So, you did have hope for me once?" Kaguya said in mock surprise.
"Shut up!" Saber barked angrily. "For the sake of Britain's people, I won't let your scheme succeed today!"
"Before you say that, let me ask you something," Kaguya interrupted. "Have you ever considered that the so-called Holy Grail isn't actually a miracle-granting artifact? Or that it may be incapable of granting any wish at all?"
Saber paused, her expression unreadable. "Impossible! I was told before I came here that the Grail could fulfill any wish."
"Someone told you?" Kaguya's voice trailed off in thought.
It made sense, though. Before being summoned to this world, someone must have convinced these Heroic Spirits of the Grail's promise of wish-granting powers.
"Don't think you can sway me with these petty tricks," Saber replied coldly.
"It looks like a fight is inevitable," Kaguya said, shrugging. "I honestly don't want to fight either of you, but if you insist, I'll oblige." Her lips curled into a challenging smile. "But are you two sure you're capable of defeating me?"
Saber bit her lip and stayed silent. The girl before her, with silver hair and an enigmatic smile, radiated a power she couldn't measure—facing her was like facing the unfathomable depths.
Kiritsugu, too, was solemn, tightening his grip on the gun in his hand, his finger poised over the trigger. Though he knew the odds of victory were slim, he had to fight for the world, for its six billion souls, and for a world where no one had to bleed or suffer.
Just then, a deafening noise echoed from the sky, like a thunderclap out of nowhere. Accompanied by a blinding flash of lightning and the mooing of oxen, a chariot hurtled down from the heavens at breakneck speed.
"Then how about if I join the fight?"
Kaguya's eyes narrowed. On the chariot stood a man she recognized instantly—Rider, the Conqueror King, who by all accounts had been defeated by Gilgamesh.
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