Maybe You Should Find Another Savior

Morgan did not look at Artoria beside her, her gaze still fixed ahead.

"At the end of the day, you had the reason wrong from the very beginning. The fall of your Britain was not the result of any one person falling short. It was an inevitable fact long since decided. You merely forcibly altered that outcome and allowed the Britain under your rule to endure a little longer."

Then, in a casual tone, Morgan revealed the true nature of Britain's fall, leaving Artoria silent.

Of course she knew Britain would ultimately perish. Before she became king, Merlin had already told Artoria so. That was why she had hoped Britain could at least meet its end in a more peaceful manner.

"...I know that, of course. But what does it have to do with the King of Heroes over there?"

"The fall of Britain was merely part of the Age of Gods receding from the surface of the world." Morgan spoke as she looked at the King of Heroes.

Gilgamesh, who had been enraged moments ago, gradually calmed at those words, leaving only his usual displeasure on his face.

"Originally, the Age of Gods should have come to an end around 1000 BC. Britain was the place on this planet closest to the Inner Sea of the Planet, which was why the process was delayed by fifteen hundred years." At this point, Morgan mockingly told Artoria, "If you wished to change that fact and save Britain from destruction, you would need to rely on the Holy Grail's power to alter the fact that the Age of Gods retreated from the surface."

"...I..." Artoria fell silent.

Britain's fall had stemmed from the decline of the Age of Gods. Clearly, it had never been destined to end peacefully.

"Then what does this decline of the Age of Gods have to do with this golden show-off?" the King of Conquerors asked Morgan.

Morgan pursed her lips in a smile. "Simple. The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, was one of the reasons the Age of Gods declined. From the moment he decided to lead humanity in defiance of the gods, the Age of Gods began to recede. The Magus King's act of returning heaven-given miracles to the heavens merely accelerated the process. That was why land once lush and abundant gradually became barren, unable to support the people living upon it. Artoria, it was hardly surprising that your Britain perished."

Having said that, she looked to Gilgamesh again and asked with slight satisfaction:

"Well? Was there any flaw in what I said? From this perspective, should the responsibility for Britain's destruction not, in essence, be attributed to your act of rebelling against the gods, King of Heroes?"

Everyone turned their eyes toward him.

Gilgamesh had no intention of denying that responsibility. He merely let out a disdainful chuckle.

"Boring. Even if it is true, that does not change its boring nature."

Golden Show-Off's Lesson on the Age of Gods

His attitude remained lofty, yet he did not deny Morgan's statement.

"So what Berserker said was true?" Iskandar could not help but show some interest. His era had been more than three hundred years before the Common Era, and more than seven hundred years had already passed since the Magus King returned the miracles.

The Age of Gods was still something rather distant to Iskandar.

"Fools. You do not understand the Age of Gods at all, much less the nature of things called gods." Gilgamesh snorted disdainfully.

The King of Heroes was a king born from the union of humanity's king and a goddess. Two-thirds god and one-third human, he naturally understood the existence of gods better than anyone present.

Gilgamesh slightly raised his chin and arrogantly looked over the crowd. "The Age of Gods has long since receded, and this planet has already stabilized under the physical laws known to humanity. To the likes of you, gods are merely a system used to support religion. It is only natural that you cannot understand the Age of Gods, do not know gods, and cannot comprehend the significance of what I have done."

Morgan's earlier words had touched upon the heart of the matter, and Gilgamesh suddenly took an interest in discussing things related to "gods" with those before him.

"There are two kinds of gods. Those formed when things that originally existed transform into gods, and gods born as 'gods.' In Mesopotamia, where I lived, the gods were natural phenomena endowed with consciousness and personality—the so-called Ancient Gods. I was created by Ancient Gods and a human king, an existence between Ancient Gods and Modern Gods."

Gilgamesh drank the wine in his cup with a savage grin. "Sounds strange? Good. Even I find it strange, but that is indeed the truth. I am something created through the will of the gods."

A king who had been "created" could also be said to have been manufactured.

He had not been naturally born, but born for a certain purpose.

In this respect, Artoria Pendragon was the same. Through the scheme of her father, King Uther, and Merlin, she had been born as a nonhuman king with the bloodline of the Red Dragon.

Artoria knew some of this herself, so her expression became extremely grave after hearing Gilgamesh's words.

Even if they had nothing to do with one another, if Britain's destruction was related to the decline of the Age of Gods, why had the King of Heroes, who had initiated that decline, done such a thing?

"To guide humanity? He was not that kind-hearted, was he?" Xi Jianxi asked.

"Good instinct. The gods did not create me to aid humanity. They did so because they feared humanity and needed a mediator who possessed the perspectives of both gods and humans." There was a trace of approval in Gilgamesh's arrogant tone. "The Ancient Gods feared humanity's ability to survive by transforming nature, because no matter how much natural energy those gods possessed, in the end, they were merely things that could only remain fixed in one place."

There was not the slightest reverence for gods in his words, despite two-thirds of him coming from them.

Gilgamesh bared his teeth as if he were speaking of something amusing. "Humans, however, are the exact opposite. Individual capability varies, and a single person is as insignificant as a grain of sand, but if enough of them gather, their average value becomes remarkably high."

The topic was becoming more abstruse, but it was also tied to Gilgamesh's answer.

"Though those gods were powerful natural phenomena, the 'originality' and 'cognitive ability' they could acquire were roughly the same as an ordinary person's. Even with omniscient knowledge, they could only reach one conclusion and form one personality. In that regard alone, humanity had already surpassed the gods. The gap in cognitive ability and capacity for change was simply too great."

Gilgamesh's smile deepened. His contempt for the gods was plain to see, yet there was not the slightest dissatisfaction with himself.

"Human desire had no end. It never stopped, and humans never hesitated to display it. The gods realized that the world would eventually change because of human desire. One day, humanity might even alter the laws governing the stars in the heavens. When that happened, there would no longer be any room for the Ancient Gods, beings of natural phenomena, to intervene.

"Fearing such a future, the gods wanted a ruler who was human yet belonged to the gods' camp. That was the true purpose behind the foolish act of combining a human king with a goddess to give birth to me. It was merely an act of survival in an age nearing its twilight, but for gods, it was truly pathetic."

Gilgamesh rejected the will of the gods with an arrogant attitude.

"The gods merely wanted to use me as a 'wedge' driven from the heavens into the earth, stopping the gap between humans and gods from widening further. Once I saw through that feeble act of the gods, I concluded that the coming age had no need for gods. Those who should govern this planet were the humans I would lead."

Thus, humanity parted ways with the gods and headed toward a future where it would carve out the world alone.

But Gilgamesh's actions had merely raised the curtain. The gods still attempted to preserve their relationship with humanity, until the era of the Magus King fifteen hundred years later, when even the blessings bestowed by the gods were returned to heaven—

"That is why I said it was boring, Fairy of Paradise." Gilgamesh drained his cup but did not refill it. "You do know quite a few truths, but you do not understand what those truths mean."

Xi Jianxi could not help leaning close to Morgan's ear. "Looks like shifting the blame failed... Even if the Age of Gods declined because of him, the King of Heroes clearly did not intend to take responsibility for Britain's destruction."

"If he would take responsibility for it, he would not be the King of Heroes." Morgan naturally whispered back to Xi Jianxi.

Iskandar let out a thoughtful sound. "Even though you were created by the gods, you did not intend to obey their will. You chose to act as king according to your own desires, whether it was ruling the earth or parting ways with the gods."

"Correct. That is my kingly path. Mere mortals who crave miracles from the heavens will never understand."

Having finished recounting his own exploits, Gilgamesh's words revealed a streak of narcissism that suited his supremely self-centered temperament perfectly.

"Then here is the question, Saber. Now that you know why I brought the Age of Gods to an end, will you still come to collect a debt from me, as your sister said?" Gilgamesh teased with a face full of delight.

Artoria's brows furrowed tightly, then she firmly denied it.

"Even if the Age of Gods truly came to an end because of you and ultimately affected Britain, my country's destruction was my responsibility. It had nothing to do with you! King of Heroes!"

Giving Up Halfway

A quiet sigh sounded after Artoria finished speaking.

The one who sighed was Morgan.

Unlike Iskandar's disapproving expression, or Gilgamesh's mockery after making his position clear.

A trace of melancholy appeared on the witch's snow-cold face.

No one knew why she had sighed.

"Even after learning the truth and seeing the outcome, you still insist on holding onto your dream of saving Britain." Morgan's eyes revealed a measure of reluctance and helplessness. "No matter how much I want to distinguish myself from you, in the end... in some ways, you and I truly are the same kind of person."

Artoria was speechless. She sat back down. "...Perhaps."

She and Morgan were incompatible beings, capable only of denying one another... but Artoria knew—even though she had never mentioned it to anyone—that Morgan loved Britain more deeply than anyone, even Artoria herself.

"But—" Morgan continued, this time addressing everyone. "Whether it is to conquer the world after gaining a body, punish the thief who stole your treasure, or... save your ruined homeland. Your premises and goals can only proceed by revolving around the omnipotent wish-granting device known as the Holy Grail."

Iskandar fixed Morgan with a sharp gaze. "What are you saying now? At this point, are you going to persuade everyone else to give up the Holy Grail instead?"

"There is no need." Morgan played with the exquisite golden wine cup in her hand. "If you want the Holy Grail, then fight for it. After all, was that not why you all entered the Holy Grail War? Of course... that is assuming the Fuyuki Holy Grail can truly fulfill your wishes."

Irisviel, who had remained silent and had no intention of participating in the heroes' debate, could no longer listen quietly.

"What are you saying, Berserker? The Holy Grail War is a system jointly created by the Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Matou families. Its ultimate purpose is to bring forth the Holy Grail and obtain an omnipotent wish-granting device." Irisviel could not understand the meaning behind Morgan's words. "Even if it is not a treasure like Uruk's great cup, there is no doubt that it is an omnipotent wish-granting device!"

Nine years ago, Kiritsugu Emiya accepted the Einzbern family's invitation and met Irisviel there.

Irisviel believed that her husband's wish could be realized through the Holy Grail, and she understood Kiritsugu's wish from the bottom of her heart. That was why, even knowing that as the Lesser Holy Grail, she would never leave this Holy Grail War alive, she still willingly chose to offer everything she had for the one she loved.

"Hey, Berserker, what exactly are you talking about?" Waver found it impossible to understand as well.

He wondered whether this Servant's mind had already broken because of Madness Enhancement. Perhaps, despite seeming capable of coherent conversation, she had been spouting nonsense from the very beginning? Otherwise, why would she say something so strange?

"Have you not noticed yet? The Fuyuki Holy Grail War system was designed from the very beginning to summon Heroic Spirits from different eras as Servants to fight. But this time is different. The Servant of the Caster class cannot be called a Heroic Spirit at all." Morgan looked at everyone with a faint smile. "A Servant of that type would more accurately be called an evil spirit or a vengeful spirit."

The point she raised shocked everyone.

Indeed, aside from Caster, every other Servant had truly left behind a great name in history and legend. But Gilles de Rais was different.

That Servant had once been a hero of the Hundred Years' War, that was true. But after that, everything he did was recorded in human history and spread as all manner of horror stories, eventually twisting him into an evil spirit.

"Please explain more clearly..." Irisviel was already frail, and cold sweat now seeped from her forehead.

Since Lancer's departure, her body, as the Lesser Holy Grail, had absorbed the soul of the first Servant. The functions of every part of her body had gradually begun to deteriorate, and being able to sit here and converse was already her limit.

Yet Berserker had just said something that struck Irisviel like a bolt from the blue.

"As far as the conclusion is concerned, the answer is simple. The Holy Grail has already gone mad." In an exceedingly calm voice, Morgan dropped a bombshell into the quiet courtyard.

Gilgamesh showed a subtle expression. Compared to ordinary treasures, something that had "gone mad" was more worthy of his attention.

Iskandar and Artoria were even more shocked.

"What does it mean, gone mad?" Iskandar had no desire to entrust his wish to a defective wish-granting device. "You do not look like you are deliberately trying to scare us."

"Impossible... How could such a thing happen..." Artoria still could not accept it.

The Holy Grail having a problem was, so far, only Morgan's claim. Even though she had used Caster as an example, it could still be explained as coincidence. One could even say that because Caster's Master was a serial killer, he had summoned such a Servant.

But soon, no one had the time to think about that issue.

A strange chill swept over them. Passing through the Xi family's barrier, which filtered magical information, that sense of dread became especially clear.

Waver's magic circuits, which had been completely dormant, began to ache sharply as though they were spasming.

"This ominous magical energy fluctuation..." Xi Jianxi turned his head.

The King of Conquerors and the King of Knights looked in that direction as well.

Apparently, tonight's banquet was about to end without a conclusion.

Someone had already ignited tonight's battle near the Miyuen River.

There were four Servants seated here. Though word of Lancer's defeat had not yet spread, the Saber faction already knew.

Assassin could not produce such immense magical energy, so that left—

"Caster." Morgan spoke calmly. "That magical energy fluctuation is a multi-stage chant registered as a ritual spell. It is drawing upon the magical energy of dozens of people."

In an instant, Morgan determined the scale of the magecraft generating that magical energy.

"Hmph— It seems certain mongrels have no intention of spending the night quietly." Golden light glimmered around Gilgamesh as he gradually transformed into spirit form and vanished from the Xi family's courtyard, leaving only his echoing voice behind. "Fight with all your strength. Exterminate the likes of Caster, and let me properly appraise your worth, hahaha—"

As his laughter faded, Iskandar rose from the blanket and grabbed a sandwich, swallowing it in one bite.

"Since he dared interrupt the banquet, let us settle Caster tonight along with the unfinished business from this evening!"

Feast of Blasphemy

Xi Jianxi's sedan sped through the streets toward the banks of the Miyuen River.

The two members of the Saber faction fastened their seat belts and moved with Xi Jianxi and Morgan.

They had not chosen to ride the King of Conquerors' vehicle again. Irisviel's body clearly could no longer withstand such jolting, so they chose a more reliable means of transportation.

But they had not expected Xi Jianxi to drive so aggressively either.

It was understandable. A large-scale magical energy source equivalent to dozens of people was being activated at the Miyuen River. Whether they intended to eliminate Caster or prevent the Holy Grail War's effects from spreading to ordinary people, they needed to get there quickly.

The streets of Miyama Town were old and crisscrossed in a complicated maze, but Xi Jianxi had lived here for more than two years and knew the layout like the back of his hand.

After all, his home was a workshop, a stronghold. He had to thoroughly understand the terrain and roads around it.

A journey that should have taken around half an hour took only a few minutes. The four of them reached the embankment along the Miyuen River.

Though the Miyuen River was shrouded in thick fog tonight, it did not obstruct the Servants' vision at all. Magi like Xi Jianxi and Irisviel could also strengthen their sight with magical energy, seeing through the fog and clearly observing the source of magical energy in the middle of the river.

Caster stood alone in the middle of the Miyuen River's channel. Beneath his feet was a group of distorted black shadows gathered under the water's surface, the very reason he could stand upon the water.

"Judging by the situation, this magecraft has been prepared for at least two hours. Otherwise, even with Caster's abilities, even possessing a Noble Phantasm that could serve as a Mana Reactor and write special formulas, he could not have completed it in just a few minutes." As always, Morgan calmly assessed the situation.

Caster was indeed as Morgan had said. He was not even chanting. He merely stood there, waiting for the Grimoire Noble Phantasm in his hand to complete the immense formula.

Yet something was strange. Caster noticed the people on the riverbank, but showed no intention of paying them any attention. After merely confirming their presence, he continued waiting intently for the magecraft to activate.

"Villain! What are you planning to do tonight?!" Artoria demanded furiously.

"How unfortunate, Saint. I have no time to receive you at present." Caster's expression was unusually serious, revealing neither joy nor anger. "Right now, for my Master's sake, I am holding this unprecedented Feast of Blasphemy. If you would honor us with your presence, that would naturally be most wonderful, hehehehe~~"

Caster burst into laughter. The dark surface of the water around his feet suddenly began to churn, and the countless monsters gathered beneath it slowly extended their hands together, ultimately swallowing even the black-robed caster.

"This is bad."