What If You Changed The Savior

"Not at all," Artoria's confusion lasted only a moment.

It was true that she hadn't been able to forge the same life-and-death bonds with the Knights of the Round Table as the King of Conquerors had. However, the Holy Sword entrusted to her was the very embodiment of her radiance as a king.

Watching the two converse, Iskandar couldn't help but laugh. He reached out, lifted Waver from the ground, and placed him in his chariot to ride with him.

"But I only have one warhorse. Xi Jianxi and Saber, will you share a horse?"

Even at the brink of battle, the King of Conquerors never forgot to tease his companions to ease the tension.

"There's no need for that," Xi Jianxi waved his hand, and his whole body gently floated up. "I have flight magic to assist me; I don't need a mount."

Artoria nodded vigorously in agreement. Before the charging King of Conquerors' black steed had even come to a halt, she skillfully mounted it.

"Quite a fine horse, King of Conquerors," Artoria complimented.

Iskandar proudly rubbed beneath his nose. "Heh heh, if it weren't for the current situation, I'd be riding Bucephalus to fight you myself."

After the jest, Iskandar drew the sword at his waist and raised it high.

"Our enemy is the peerless King of Heroes! A most excellent opponent!" he roared, commanding his vast army. "But fear not! My men! We have the renowned King of Knights and a mighty warrior of this era to aid us! Now, let us show the Primal Hero our dominance!"

"Oooohhh—!!!"

The assembled army responded to their king's roar with earth-shattering shouts.

Listening to the war cries, Gilgamesh, alone, remained unfazed. He calmly observed the imposing army arrayed before him.

He smiled coldly, tilting his chin up to gaze at the distant formation.

As if echoing his attitude, Xi Jianxi powerfully swung the spear in his hand and shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.

"I'll take the vanguard!"

Unlike the magic most Magus used to float or lighten their bodies, this was genuine flight.

More agile than a falcon, swifter than a hummingbird.

The dozens of meters separating them, created by the Reality Marble, were closed in the blink of an eye, reduced to just a few breaths.

Responding to this courage that courted death, the space behind Gilgamesh opened, revealing dozens, even hundreds, of treasury gates. Noble Phantasms of all kinds rained down, aimed at Xi Jianxi's body.

But Xi Jianxi's speed today was even greater than usual. He had already gauged the firing speed of those Noble Phantasms, and by exceeding it with his own swiftness, he could break through this net.

Like a nimble swallow, Xi Jianxi wielded his spear, deflecting the Noble Phantasms that were about to hit his body. He moved with uncanny speed through the dense barrage of Noble Phantasms, his body enveloped in the dust kicked up by the explosions.

"Hmph..."

Accompanied by Gilgamesh's cold sneer, Xi Jianxi, completely unharmed, had already closed the distance. His Red Spear struck first, aiming directly for the King of Heroes' throat.

Then, a sudden premonition of danger caused Xi Jianxi to roll backward violently.

More Noble Phantasms suddenly accelerated their descent, leaving Xi Jianxi, within the attack's range, with almost no footing.

Gilgamesh, also within the blast radius, slowly lifted off the ground, ascending into the sky, which greatly surprised Xi Jianxi.

It was different from what he had seen during the battle at Miyuen River. Gilgamesh wasn't riding the ship-shaped Noble Phantasm made of gold and emerald, but was simply floating dozens of meters into the air.

That must have been a power granted by another Noble Phantasm.

"Well done. It was worth this King's while to waste time in this era with Kirei," Gilgamesh's figure receded, but his voice still reached Xi Jianxi clearly. "If you wish to save the world, then surpass this! Endure the greatest trial this King shall bestow upon you!"

Following closely behind Xi Jianxi, Artoria and Iskandar, who had charged forth on their mounts, were also shocked by the sudden turn of events. They charged forward, brandishing their weapons and deflecting incoming Noble Phantasms, while trying to observe the situation in the sky.

Countless golden points of light gradually spread across the azure curtain. The vast Reality Marble would never light up with starlight during the day.

Those were the gate-like Noble Phantasms of Gilgamesh.

Continuing to count them had become meaningless. At a glance, it was clear their number had surpassed a hundred, even a thousand.

Such a quantity was precisely the "trial" Gilgamesh had spoken of.

Xi Jianxi frowned deeply, realizing that Gilgamesh did not seem to be underestimating them as much as he had expected. Instead, he was approaching the situation with a degree of seriousness for this "game."

He was deeply perplexed by Gilgamesh's words, but Xi Jianxi had no time for hesitation. On the battlefield, extraneous thoughts would only lead him to a dead end.

Lowering his body, Xi Jianxi activated his magic circuits to their maximum.

It was hard to say how long the King of Conquerors' army could hold out. That army, which had conquered countless lands, was currently doing its best to defend against the rain of Noble Phantasms.

"King of Knights! Be ready to unleash your Noble Phantasm at any time! I will keep Gilgamesh occupied!"

After loudly conveying their tactical direction, Xi Jianxi vanished from his spot with a whoosh, leaving behind only a whirlwind that scattered the dust, revealing an empty patch of sand.

Chapter Eighty-Two: The Curse

In the backyard of Ryuudou Temple, there was a crystal-clear pond. Legend had it that a dragon god once resided there.

But that was a scene from the past.

What appeared before Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel was a lake of tar, a mixture of red phosphorescence and black matter.

And in the center of the lake, a grotesque thing, like a mountain of rotting flesh, that was utterly nauseating.

"What is that..." Seeing this, Kiritsugu couldn't help but feel a chill.

Irisviel's heart suddenly felt as if it were being clutched. She frowned deeply, looking at the gaping hole in the sky.

Black matter was overflowing from within the 'hole,' threatening to pour out at any moment.

"The Holy Grail... is truly corrupted."

Although she had already believed what Morgan and Xi Jianxi had said, some things could only be truly given up on after seeing them with her own eyes.

"We need to stop the Holy Grail's forced activation quickly. If this continues... a grave mistake will be made."

Irisviel hurriedly told her husband.

It was no longer a colorless wish-granting machine meant to fulfill desires, but a murder weapon that could transform at any moment.

Irisviel, unable to resonate with the Holy Grail any longer, could also feel this extremely ominous magical power.

"You've come at the perfect time, Kiritsugu Emiya." Kirei stood by the lake, his back to the two of them. "It's most fitting that you should witness the completion of my Holy Grail."

He wore a strange smile, his eyes filled with mockery for Kiritsugu.

Just as Xi Jianxi and Morgan had discussed in the castle last night, Kirei, without being deeply trapped in the "Lost Will," had not only escaped in an unconventional manner but had also seen the dreams of others.

Before the illusion disappeared, he had seen Kiritsugu Emiya's dream.

Repeatedly abandoning.

Kiritsugu's life could be summed up in a single sentence.

That man had given up on much joy and happiness up until now. In Kirei's eyes, even the most trivial fragments of it were worth protecting, worth dedicating one's life to.

For Kirei, who couldn't even find such a fragment, Kiritsugu's life had long surpassed mere admiration and hope.

Yet, such a man was crushed by what he himself had abandoned, his very heart almost worn away.

It was utterly uninteresting.

Kiritsugu Emiya's emptiness was merely a consequence of holding a wish that surpassed human capabilities.

So Kirei no longer dwelled on it. He knew what he had to do.

To understand and accept his own nature by personally killing his wife.

If the Holy Grail truly contained "All the World's Evil," then he would bring it out and ask why it had chosen him as its Master.

As for how much wailing and screaming would follow the completion of this Holy Grail, Kirei didn't care. He would only savor it.

"Stop the Holy Grail immediately, Kirei!" Kiritsugu raised the rifle in his hand, aiming at the man with decisive killing intent.

Kirei, however, was unconcerned. "With all the Servants held back by Archer, you're no match for me."

As he spoke, Kiritsugu pulled the trigger.

But the bullets were all blocked.

An Assassin with peculiar movements emerged from the darkness.

They were all covered in a strange color, their bodies writhing in terrifying postures as if controlled by something.

"You made your Servants swallow those things?" Irisviel gasped, covering her mouth.

The aura emanating from the Assassins was almost identical to the lake water mixed with thick, black magical energy.

"These guys are too weak individually, so they needed something to bolster them." Kirei raised his empty left hand. "However, for the Assassins to willingly drink these things without being consumed, I used up all my Command Spells."

But even so, the Assassins were unable to betray Kirei.

Having been stripped of their free will, they had now transformed into Kirei's most capable killing machines.

"Iris, fall back... Leave this to me." Kiritsugu broke out in a cold sweat.

Although Maiya was also nearby, preparing to snipe from the shadows.

With the Assassins protecting him, there was no way to kill Kirei using conventional means.

"Kiritsugu, I—"

Just as Irisviel was about to say she would fight alongside her husband, a cold whistling sound came from behind them.

Kiritsugu, unable to react in time, turned in alarm to pull Iris away, but the black dagger was deflected by a sudden flash of light just before impact.

"If you don't have a Servant, you can't stop me."

A clear, noble voice rang out as Morgan slowly descended beside the Emiya couple.

"Lady Morgan!" Irisviel was overjoyed.

Logically, the Servants who were all held back should have included Morgan. But in the current situation, it was likely Xi Jianxi had used a Command Spell to send Morgan here while the battle was fierce.

"Oh, I didn't expect Gilgamesh to let you through." Kirei wasn't panicked at all. "But if you still see the Assassins as you did before, you'll be in trouble, witch who doesn't exist in human history."

His address made Morgan frown. At that moment...

Boom—

A massive roar echoed from the lake.

The hole in the sky began to pour down black-red "filth."

This was the materialized magical energy of the corrupted Holy Grail. Its current scale was not yet enough to grant wishes, but it was already sufficient to devour anything it touched.

At this moment, Kirei merely waved his hand casually. The Assassins lurking around twisted and roared as they appeared, charging towards the three people surrounded.

"Hold the defense. I'll deal with the Servants."

Morgan waved her hand, and defensive and strengthening magic was cast upon the two of them.

Originally, Morgan only needed to resolve the situation smoothly and ensure her own safety.

But out of reflex, she still provided protection for these two.

She still couldn't abandon her innate innocence.

Morgan sighed inwardly, then fiercely swung her Demon Spear, killing the first Assassin that approached.

The slain Assassin fell to the ground but did not disappear. Its body gradually collapsed, turning into a pool of thick sludge that slowly flowed towards them.

"Be careful! That black mud can easily contaminate a Servant's Spirit Core. Even a little contact can be troublesome!" Irisviel quickly warned Morgan.

Morgan lightly stomped the ground, and the area where the three stood slowly rose, becoming a commanding Dodai.

"Well then, let's slightly adjust the numerical disparity between us and the enemy," she said, raising her hand. The light in her palm was dispersed, flying in all directions before exploding.

When the blinding light dissipated, five clones identical to Morgan were floating in mid-air.

Upon seeing this, Kirei couldn't help but draw his prepared Black Keys to prepare for the attack.

If only they could buy a little more time—

Chapter 83: Joint Counterattack

In the vast, boundless desert, Xi Jianxi's figure was no longer visible.

Gilgamesh's brow twitched slightly. Sensing this change, he slowly raised his eyes and looked towards the sky above and to his right.

Several times higher than his current position, Xi Jianxi was slowly adjusting his posture, preparing to dive down.

Using the acceleration of gravity to supplement his speed, he intended to charge at Gilgamesh with even greater velocity and perform a decapitation.

Within the King of Conquerors's Reality Marble, the sky was devoid of clouds.