Chapter 400: Kirei's Joy
Rin, relying on Gudako's reminder, had dodged the Assassin's sneak attack by pure coincidence.
The girl, Gudako, seemed ordinary; her aptitude as a magus wasn't particularly high. But thinking carefully, there were astonishing things about her everywhere. She was immune to all sorts of poisons—even after eating meals laced with lethal toxins, she acted like nothing happened—and she could travel to Lostbelts to help the new Director find antidotes.
She had resistance to negative status effects that even magi couldn't withstand, possessed seemingly bottomless stamina, and had an incredible stroke of luck that allowed her to turn disasters into blessings whenever she encountered danger.
Her compatibility with Heroic Spirits was perfect, and she possessed a strange affinity; she got along with almost everyone—gods, saints, arrogant kings, avengers, aliens—they were all willing to lend her a hand. She was practically a protagonist template. Having Gudako in the same camp meant she seemed to have gained a "luck" bonus, too. Perhaps now was the time for her to go buy a lottery ticket.
"This won't work! Shirou, think of something! Otherwise, project the Gem Sword for me!" Rin shouted.
"Rin, Gudako! Buy me one minute! I'm going to cut off their source of magical energy!" Shirou projected four Caladbolg arrows, modified them, nocked them, and fired all four simultaneously before leaping away, exiting the battlefield.
"I got it! I'll provide support!" Gudako said readily.
"Eh! Wait! Eh?" Rin felt the space beside her empty as she was left behind. Turning her head, she saw four gloomy Servants emitting massive black magical energy; she felt a bit lonely.
Of course, Shirou didn't leave her to fend for herself. Utilizing the homing properties of the Caladbolg arrows, the four shots, flickering with bloodthirsty red light, tracked down each of the Servants respectively.
"Don't worry~! Daijoubu! I'll protect Rin-senpai!" Gudako gave a thumbs-up and said cheerily.
"You stay far away and just protect yourself!" Rin said irritably.
Fortunately, this Holy Grail War was highly abnormal. These encircling Servants didn't have high intelligence; they were more like machines obeying orders. They ignored Gudako, the magus, and locked their targets onto Rin, who looked like a Servant given her current state.
That was to be expected. Otherwise, she couldn't imagine what kind of existence could simultaneously manipulate multiple Servants without them resorting to infighting. Even with Gudako, she only received the help of numerous Servants on the premise of the shared goal of saving Human Order. She was treated more like a companion and a junior by the Servants.
Servants who responded to the summons of a Holy Grail War did so to fulfill their own wishes or to rectify regrets. The Master was their collaborator in achieving their purpose. As contractors, they used the title "Master" out of respect for the rules of the game. Masters who thought of Servants as mere familiars or tools basically all died out. Heroic Spirits—the dreams and glory of all humanity—were incredibly proud existences, even in a small projection.
Whether good or evil, tyrant, devil, or saint, they all had their own persistence and pride. Even with three Command Spells, those could only force them to commit suicide. Having died once already, they basically didn't value their lives too heavily, so how could anyone truly enslave them like slaves and drive them as they pleased?
But now it was clearly different. Seemingly to strengthen them, these Servants had most of their intelligence sealed. It was likely because their Master had only ordered them to prioritize attacking her that the situation was like this.
However... if that's the case? Then what about that Cú Chulainn? Rin wondered to herself.
At that moment, the alchemist in white broke free from the pursuit of the Caladbolg arrows, gripped his magic sword of the Five Great Elements, aimed at the girl, and prepared to unleash another light beam.
"Seriously! Caster isn't the Age of Gods magus Medea, but this guy is just as insanely strong. The elementals of the Five Great Elements surround him as protection. Even if I want to win through close-quarters combat this time, it's very difficult." Rin held three gems in each hand; she had no choice but to use the Five Great Elements to counter the Five Great Elements!
The thrown gems turned into six meteors, intertwining and then separating, spiraling forward to form a colorful vortex of light that flew toward the alchemist.
Paracelsus showed a look of surprise; the elementals around him reacted automatically to meet them. However, Rin's gem magecraft exploded first, engulfing him in smoke and dust.
"And this guy whose style is a bit like Cú Chulainn... he keeps swinging two swords while constantly using charms—what a sinister guy!"
Gudako clenched her fists to cheer for Rin while providing commentary: "Maybe he's trying to say that besides sword skill, he can just use his face to kill you with handsomeness!"
"Flirting everywhere—this guy was definitely a scumbag in his life! I feel like he's a bit like someone I know. Go to hell!" Rin changed her previous hit-and-run tactics, rushed toward the dual-wielder, and unleashed 120% of her power, striking blow after blow.
Crouching down, she dodged a slash, stomped her front foot to shake the ground, and launched a punch like a thunderbolt, her body like a taut bow!
Baji Quan fully unleashed—fists like meteors, eyes like lightning, waist like a snake, feet like drills—Explosive Support Punch!!!
Although she wasn't at the level of the master Li Shuwen, Rin, who had been training hard since her rebirth, exerted immense power with the support of Reinforcement Magecraft. The wind of her strikes was intense, and the power of her ultimate techniques was already no less than A-rank offensive magecraft.
The dual-wielder hurriedly braced his weapons against his chest, blocking the girl's strike. Although he prevented a direct hit to his body, a hidden force lingered and didn't dissipate, blowing him away with a massive impact.
He was forced to retreat, temporarily avoiding the sharp edge.
Just then, with a bang, the already dilapidated Holy Church was breached again, a giant shadow charging out. It leaped from the elephant chariot, pouncing on the girl like Mount Tai. Rin felt the sky darken.
"GRAAAAHHHH ROOOOAAAR!!!" The black giant raised his twin axes and cleaved down toward Rin's head.
"A black man riding an elephant chariot—just which tribe chief from Africa is he?!" Veins bulged on Rin's hands as she used all her strength to prop up the giant's wrists, pushing upward to prevent the axes from landing. She shouted with extreme annoyance.
"That's Darius III," Gudako introduced.
"Eh? The Emperor of the Persian Empire? A black one?" The black-haired girl retorted in surprise.
"ROOOOAAAR!!! ISKANDAR!!!" Darius roared the name of his mortal enemy, raised his axe, and cleaved at Rin again.
"Where do I look like a man?!" Rin shrieked in a frenzy, bending her body to shoulder-check Darius, dodging the axe, and landing a palm strike on his abdomen. The black giant was knocked back several meters, his feet sliding two trenches into the ground.
"Whoa..." Gudako watched, dumbfounded.
However, these attacks didn't stop the four Servants for long. This level of damage wasn't enough to render them immobile, and that eerie black aura continued to heal their injuries.
The silent Assassin lurked in the shadows, ready to unleash his demon arm at any moment, intending to strike at her chest and gouge out the girl's heart.
Paracelsus's beam cannon struck again, scouring a long hole through the buildings surrounding the church. Darius summoned his giant elephant chariot, crashing through the concrete floor and walls, leaving the church in ruins.
Facing such pressing attacks, Rin could only jump around within a limited range, not daring to leave the church grounds for fear that running away would endanger the homes of ordinary people.
At that moment, the dual-wielder thrust his blade. Rin parried, feeling the bones in her arm groan; she was kicked away and smashed into the ruined church.
"You guys! Do you really think I'm easy to bully!!! How much longer are you going to keep destroying things? This is the Tohsaka family territory!!!" The girl crawled out of the ruins, screaming in a frenzy, and charged back at the four Servants.
"Gudako, give me protection!" Rin shouted.
"I got it! Sand of Osiris!" Gudako replied.
Minutes earlier, Shirou had used his sensitivity to magical energy to locate the source providing the infinite supply of mana to the Servants—a golden cup placed there.
"Is it here?" Shirou scanned his surroundings; he found no traps.
To think they would just leave the Grail here? It's something people would compete for even at the cost of their lives. Shirou thought, puzzled. But there was no time to hesitate; Rin and Gudako were still in danger of being besieged outside, so the problem had to be solved quickly.
Shirou projected the 妖刀 村正 (Cursed Sword Muramasa)—a masterpiece blade forged by him and used by the Sword Saint Miyamoto Musashi. This sharp sword, capable of cutting through divine objects, was perfect for shattering this corrupted Grail.
With a flash of steel, the Grail was smashed to pieces in one strike.
But this Grail was merely a channel connecting the Greater Grail in the inner world to the outside. As the surface shattered, its true face was revealed—a small, circular opening that looked like a vortex.
If the mana accumulated by the Holy Grail War had already filled it, the black mud known as the "All the World's Evil" would spew out, polluting and burning everything it touched.
In an instant, a white light flashed in Shirou's eyes. Within a mere moment, the opening was filled and sealed shut.
"Rin! Gudako, I'm back!" Shirou returned to the church to find the scene in utter disarray.
"ROOOOAAAR!!!" The four Servants here had their movements slowed by the black aura clinging to them, save for Darius, who sounded more like a Berserker than a Rider and continued to let out restless roars.
Rin, head bowed and face gloomy, silently pulled Gudako behind her and climbed onto the Sky Ship Maanna, rising into the air.
"Eh? Rin? Why are you flying up? I destroyed the Grail and cut off their mana source, so it's fine now," Shirou said, looking doubtfully at the black-haired girl. He had a bad feeling.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!!! Who allowed you guys to run wild on Tohsaka territory!!!" Rin had fallen into a state of anxious rampage. She summoned the Sky Ship, and ten gems shattered at once. Her Gem Magecraft was fully unleashed, raising her magical energy to an unprecedented intensity.
"Wait? Calm down, Rin?" Shirou sensed disaster and hurriedly retreated.
The girl, now high in the sky, was cupping the radiance of a celestial body from the cosmos, gathering it onto the bow-and-arrow-shaped Sky Ship. It could no longer be called a bow; it looked like a turret dismantled from a warship.
"—An Gal Tā Kigal Shē (Mountain-Shaking Star of Fire)!!!"
A massive pillar of light descended from above; there was no path of escape for the Servants on the ground.
After the intense light dispersed, the entire land of the Holy Church had become a deeply sunken, large crater. The previously collapsed church and the surrounding buildings were no more—everything had been razed to the ground.
Shirou and Gudako stood in silence. That day, the greatest destroyer in Fuyuki City was born.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Applause came from outside. A man in clerical vestments, a tall, black-haired middle-aged man, appeared. His lips held a smile, but his eyes were as dead as cold stone.
Tap. Tap.
The priest's leather shoes pressed irregular sounds onto the ruined ground. He walked in, step by step, and spoke:
"Heh heh, a truly wonderful battle. It has been a long time. You have grown, Rin. And you, Shirou Emiya!"
"So you really are still alive, Kirei," Rin said, not hiding her disgust.
Kirei Kotomine denied it: "No, Rin, as you well know, Kirei Kotomine the human has indeed died. I am now merely a spirit summoned from the black mud by the Grail. Normally, I could not appear here; it is only because of this world's mutation that I returned. Seeing you is truly delightful. In honor of our reunion, let me give you a gift."
A new Grail materialized, falling into Kirei's hand. He revealed a joyful smile and snapped his fingers.
"Doesn't this just go on forever... Shirou-senpai! Think of something!" Gudako said, covering her face.
"Heh heh, ROOOOAAAR!!!" From afar came a violent, wild roar. Cú Chulainn, who had been in the basement, had his Spirit Origin forcibly altered; black dragon spikes and claws sprouted
from his body, and a long tail covered in thorny spikes dragged behind him. The black dragon monster, its body covered in scales, opened its mouth full of fangs, and fire flickered in its throat.
The villa on the hillside where Rin lived was instantly swallowed by a pillar of flame.
"A Grail? It appeared again?" "There's a second Grail?"
Shirou and Gudako showed looks of confusion, but a cry of collapse from behind them interrupted their thoughts.
"WAAAAAAH!!! That's my house!!!" Rin grabbed her head with both hands, screaming in despair.
"Heh heh heh heh." Seeing the girl's expression of despair, Kirei revealed a smile of pure pleasure.
"Ugh..." Rin had suffered too much of a blow; her entire body turned pale gray, and she muttered to herself, seemingly reciting the list of losses she had incurred...
"Senpai... Rin-senpai, now isn't the time to be depressed. The Servants with black aura! They're charging over!!!" Gudako patted the black-haired girl's back, watching the clusters of masked Assassins approaching.
But the dejected girl remained unable to pull herself together.
"Don't worry, Rin, I'll use my powers to restore it for you later," Shirou said helplessly to the girl.
"Really?" the black-haired girl asked in a small voice.
"Really," Shirou promised with a nod. As long as he used the god-like power of creation, it was no problem for any material that had once existed.
"It's a promise," the girl said.
"Yeah, it's a promise," Shirou agreed.
"Assholes! Assholes! You assholes, I'll definitely beat you into a pulp!" Tears in her eyes, Rin charged into the ranks of the Assassins, wanting to kill them to vent her anger, then settle the final score with Kirei Kotomine.
"Kirei Kotomine! Since you dared to appear here, where is the King of Heroes?" Shirou asked, glaring at the man of pure evil.
The priest smiled and spoke in his deep voice: "Ahahahaha, Shirou Emiya, it is truly a regret. While he is indeed the strongest trump card, that arrogant King is destined not to obey the Grail's commands. He might even turn toward your side, so I did not summon him from the start.
The Heroic Spirits here are beings summoned from successive Holy Grail Wars, coming to this world to take revenge. This is the black aura emitted by 'All the World's Evil.' Any Servant who
has been tainted by 'evil' will turn into a berserk Berserker, unable to defy the Grail's commands."
"What exactly is your objective?" Shirou asked, his brow furrowing.
Kirei spread his arms wide and shouted: "Everything is for the Holy Grail. This world needs the Grail. Only in a Holy Grail War, amidst the battle between justice and evil, can I feel the greatest joy. But the God who created this world denied all of this.
However, the magi in this world and some in the Holy Church do not feel the same. I myself deeply regret the disappearance of the Holy Grail, so the Greater Grail sent me to this anomalous world."
"I found them and decided to help them... and so, the Holy Grail responded to everyone's expectations and was reconstructed once more. This time, with the humans of all Fuyuki as fuel for its mana, the Grail will never disappear again, and the Holy Grail War will not end—it will continue on and on, forever." Kirei's eyes revealed a crazed, insane madness.
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