Part 219: Enemy that must be defeated

"Ahguh."
The tension floods out of me, and I finally take notice of my condition.

"……Ha."
It's terrible.
The slashed wounds are healing, but lots of places are turning dark red.
…Archer said something about Saber's sheath, but what's that power putting priority on?
It heals the torn flesh at once, but it seems to be putting off the broken bones until later.

"…?"
Then.
I hear loud footsteps from the west side, the hallway that Lancer disappeared into.

Someone's coming.
She appears in the terrace and jumps down without hesitation.
"Ouuuu"
And she moans in pain at her landing.




Wait, Archer! What's with that wound…!?"
She follows her sudden arrival with a torrent of questions.

It seems Lancer saved Tohsaka as he promised.
ButTohsaka's energy takes the power out of me.


Does she want to check on my safety, or is she angry about Archer's wound?





"Well, the match is settled. A hero called Emiya cannot stay here now that he has approved of you.
The loser should leave right away."

""
Without saying goodbye to Tohsaka, huh?
…His wound is deep and he has no Master.
He will disappear here, and he will return to the original place as a heroic spirit











""
"Guh……!"
I'm pushed back about a meter.
In front of me…



…My broken limbs cannot support my body, and I do not have the power to get back up.





And so…
I can only look up at my self that got skewered in front of me.



She is looking at the second flooron top of the crumbled stairs.

"I have enjoyed it. Indeed, it was a pitiful battle, one befitting a pair of fakes."

Music: Whirlpool of Fate 2



"Archer……!?"
"Ten years, huh, Saber? I was going to go see you earlier, but my plans have changed. Unexpected things kept on happening, and things are going against my will."

Servant Gilgamesh. The one to defeat Berserker, and the one who killed Ilyasviel.
…He turns aside Saber's glare and looks down at me and the skewered Archer.

"Well, do you understand now? That is the strength of the real thing.
No matter how well you imitate its shape and power, it is still only an imitation. It does not even approach the radiance of the real ones."

He raises his hand.
It's as if he is ordering his soldiers.

"I cannot even stand to look at a counterfeit that a faker has created.
You piece of trash. You have nothing real within you.
An imitation made by copying people should be turned into junk."
He shoots numerous Noble Phantasms.



I couldn't dodge or block them even if I was in perfect condition.



But even in the midst of the chaos, I see it.
The red cloak flies.
Still skewered, he runs to me and pushes me once again.

""
I'm pushed away from the red figure.
His eyes are telling me…
…"You defeat him".
That as long as I defeated Archer and as long as I want to be a superhero, I must defeat him.

The clouds of dust fill my vision.
The red cloak sinks inside the rubble.
But I see it before he disappears.

His eyes are filled with confidence.
That Servant is no match for us, Emiya Shirou.
Neither Saber nor Tohsaka will be the one to defeat him.
My own self is telling me that Emiya Shirou is the natural enemy of that Servant



My vision clears up.
Dust is in the air, and the rubble is piled up high.
There is nothing else.
The knight in red disappeared underneath the rubble.

"Oh, I'm surprised, Archer. You had enough to spare to save someone else in that situation?"
His sarcastic words contain some scorn.
The man smiles in satisfaction as he looks down at the hall filled with Archer's blood.

""
Silence falls.
Gilgamesh is the most powerful being here.
Anyone that moves will follow Archer's fate.
Even Saber is silent, wondering how best to attack the enemy.
But.



With Archer's death, Tohsaka has lost her composure.









He does not even dodge it.



He isn't even scratched.
"I was going to kill that dying kid first.
But it seems the order has changed, woman."
He orders the swords behind him to carry out Tohsaka's execution.







"Please step back, Rin…! He is dangerous! He will kill you if you attack him recklessly…!

"Oh, so you are her Master now?
Fine. Then I shall overlook your rudeness. I will lose one of my pleasures if Saber disappears."


""
Saber glares at the enemy while readying her invisible sword.

"Why are you here, Archer? You were summoned in the previous Holy Grail War.
So why are you here again in this war?"
"That is wrong. I merely stayed in this world after the previous war."


"Wharidiculous. Servants should lose connection with this world once the Holy Grail disappears…! There is no way you can stay in this world for ten years…!"

"That is not true. The connection with this world is not the Holy Grail, but the Master. The Holy Grail merely opened up the passage. I can stay in this world as long as a magus provides me with magical energy."

"But then, there aren't that many Masters that can maintain a Servant without help from the Holy Grail. In that regard, my Master did not have enough magical energy."


"……? Then it should not be possible for you to stay in this world. If your Master cannot support a familiar like you, you should be dried up along with your Master."

"That depends on how one does it. Magi make up lack of a Magic Circuit with knowledge.
In that regard, my Master was exceptional."

…'Was'?
Then his Master is gone now…?
No, his Master is Shinji.
The fact that he, the man who would not obey anyone, obeyed Shinji is the proof of that.



"Yes. It is only natural to take away from others if you cannot supply it yourself.
But to be honest, I did not need to do such a thing. I am the only Servant that the Holy Grail poured on. I have already completed the incarnation ten years ago."


""
Saber stares at the man in astonishment.
Saber hangs her head at the words "ten years ago".



"Yes, all thanks to you, Saber.
I know what that thing is. I was covered in its intestines and I saw what 'existed' in it."

"Then you…"
"Yes. I understood the true identity of the Holy Grail.
I decided at that time. I will be the only one who will handle it."

Saber.
No, looking down at all of us, he declares something that is unbefitting for a Servant.



"That's right. There is no need for me to share it with a parasite like my Master. I will use the Holy Grail for my objective.
The biggest obstacle, the summoner, was eliminated.
All that's left are pathetic magi that would be completely unsuited to being the vessel.
Such failures are suited for my wish.
But thenyour flesh might make a perfect Holy Grail."

The man looks at Tohsaka.
"Oh……"
Tohsaka must feel the danger, as she grows pale and steps back.

…His red eyes are ominous.
One would feel uncomfortable under the weight of that gaze.
His eyes are so aberrant that even Tohsaka is frightened of them.


"Ridiculous. The Holy Grail is what the Master obtains.
We Servants cooperate with our Masters because we cannot obtain it ourselves…!"

"That is strange.
The Servants are the only ones who can touch the Holy Grail, but Masters are the only ones who can obtain it?"



"…Heh. It's all ridiculous nonsense.
The fight for the Holy Grail by Seven Masters? A ritual where the last Master obtains the Holy Grail?
That is only an excuse made for outsiders.
The summoning of the Holy Grail is already completed. They always call for the seven Servants after the Holy Grail is prepared.
Do you understand, king of knights? They do not want the Holy Grail, but what goes in it."

"Masters are just circuits to summon us. Magi made the Holy Grail, but they could not prepare its contents."

"I told you earlier, right? They are ones that take away from others if they cannot supply it themselves.
The purest magical energy to fill the Holy Grail.
The 'greatest souls of humanity', the guardians, are what they sought. The seven Servants are sacrifices they prepared."


"What?"
Saber looks up at the man in astonishment.
Her eyes are desperately trying to deny his words.
…That it isn't possible.
She is trying to deny it saying that what she wished for, the Holy Grail, cannot be such a thing.

"You should not be surprised. The Holy Grail is a filtration device that turns the soul into pure magical energy.
Yes, it should let you grant any wish. It contains more magical energy than a magus could ever use within his lifetime.
That is why it is better with more sacrifices. It should be omnipotent with six Servants as sacrifices.
Five Servants have filled the Holy Grail. Only one more is needed for the omnipotent grail they sought."


"Then… Then only the Masters can handle the Holy Grail. If it is a repository of pure magical energy, only magi can use it.


…Yes. If the Master is an excellent magus, it"

"It will grant him any wish?
You idiot. Such miracles are not given to mere humans. Humans only destroy themselves, no matter how much power they are given.
Butdo not worry, Saber.
This Holy Grail is real. If you insert seven Servants in it, it will reach the origin."



"I do not know who it was, but the one who made this rule is a genius.
But it does not concern me. I have no interest in such a thing. All I am interested in is the Holy Grail's ability to serve as the 'gate'."


"Whathe Holy Grail is a gate?"
"……Heh.
It happened ten years ago. You opposed me right when I was about to obtain the Holy Grail.
The Holy Grail was cut by the holy sword and what poured out burned the town.
As I was right underneath the Holy Grail, I was showered with it."

"I understood the true identity of the Holy Grail at that time.
It is worthless. It is worthless, but it does have its uses.
Not many weapons are as specialized in murder as that. The Holy Grail is fine as is. There is no need to turn it into an omnipotent vessel."



"We are weapons to begin with. That thing has only perfected that. The Holy Grail is a gate to hell. 5.6 billion curses will flow out from it once it is opened.



Kotomine did not tell you about it?
The Holy Grail is named 'Angra Manyu', or 'all evils of the world'.
It is mud that will consume every human being, like the name states."



I think that's the name of the devil in Zoroastrianism.
The leader of evil that opposes God for many thousands of years.
It is an embodiment of the evil in all human, and it is depicted as a reflected image of all humanity's good will.
But why is the Holy Grail named after the ancient Persian devil?

"Then your intention is to…"

"Yes, to sweep the humans away. I have no intention of admiring humanity like Kotomine. I only admire beautiful things.
This world is enjoyable, but it is incorrigible at the same time.
It is an insult to the king for so many wretches to be enjoying life.
I do not want to rule over such a world."



"I do not care if they die out. There is no point to their lives if they end them through their own crimes.
I do not want lowlifes. The only ones worth ruling over are those that can survive even the flames of hell.
In that respect, they were an utter failure ten years ago. If such a pitiful blaze will wipe them out, humans truly have become weak."

He grins.
For the first time…
He looks at me, who he said is a failure.

"I do not know what this 'all evils of the world' is.
But it is convenient. It is a reaper that strikes down all humans equally.
An endless darkness that is born from humans and kills them.
It is an appropriate hound to entrust with the work I should be doing."



"Then let us continue the battle from ten years ago. A boring lowlife got involved last time, but there will be no such interruptions this time.
But thenit seems a worse faker is here…!"

The swords are all pointed at me.
"……!"
I will my broken legs to stand, but they do not move.

…Damn, I can't even manage to block one of those.
So whywhy did Archer leave behind that message…!?

Music: Stop





"Hm?"




The swords disappear.
The golden Servant suddenly lowers his arm.
After looking up at the ceiling in discomfort, he brushes away the dust on his shoulder.



…The castle is burning.
I don't know who set the fire, but it must be huge.
The third floor is burning down and the second floor has caught as well.

…No, that's not the surprising thing.
He really stopped the battle just because he was going to get dirty from the ashes.


"Are you running away, Archer?"



"I am only changing the location. I have the Holy Grail.
It is my policy to finish matters quickly. I shall quickly construct the Holy Grail and open up the gate to hell."

His golden hair flutters.
Gilgamesh walks to the terrace that isn't yet burning.

"You should hurry up if you want to recover it.
The Holy Grail this time is a hurriedly-constructed defect. All the contents will spill out if you do not hurry…!"


His stifled laughter echoes through the room.
And he leaves the burning castle like that.
Sparks are dancing through the room, and the ceiling is tinted red.