The Dark World Within the Holy Grail

"Hehe, it's good that you remember. I thought that after hundreds of years, your will would be gradually worn away by time, just like Marich Zolgen Makiri."

Jewel Magician smiled, and seeing that the Winter's Holy Maiden was still in good condition, his mood improved as well.

"Marich Zolgen Makiri ..."

Upon hearing this name and recalling what the other person had endured over the years, a trace of sadness welled up in Justeaze's beautiful eyes.

"I have actually been asleep all along, and I only briefly awaken when the Holy Grail War begins, so time cannot wear me down."

"I see... The person is already dead, no, or rather, relieved, so you don't need to be too sad."

Seeing the sadness on Justeaze's face after hearing the news of Marich Zolgen Makiri's death, Jewel Magician.

"Isn't this the ending he deserved?"

"Okay, I understand..."

Justeaze nodded, then asked, "Is there something important that you've come here to see me about?"

"I suppose so. Originally, I didn't really want to get involved in this World Line. I was just going to watch it as a farce. But the Queen of the Land of Shadows, the King of Heroes, and that Outsider have caused such a huge commotion that many futures have become a mess due to the butterfly effect. As a result, some changes have occurred in this World Line that I didn't want to see."

"If the commotion in Fuyuki City tonight is not dealt with, it will leave a huge hidden danger for this World Line. Missiles, Noble Phantasm, the boundary between reality and mystery has been shattered, and with many misunderstandings, it may even break out into an unprecedented third world war. Even the Grand Assassin has been dispatched by the Counter Force. Although he did not intervene, his appearance can be regarded as a warning. Therefore, before the situation becomes completely out of control, I have no choice but to deal with it personally."

"The reason I've come to see you is to talk about the magic that was drained from the Holy Grail, and that annoying being..."

Jewel Magician paused, then continued—

"Angra Mainyu (the All the World's Evil) also gives this world a way to save itself before it is considered a matter of judgment."

As he spoke, he looked at Justeaze in front of him and slowly began to speak.

"Now, use the power of the Holy Grail to save this World Line that belongs to you."

Chapter 90 The Dark World Within the Holy Grail

Angra Mainyu, the All the World's Evil.

During the Third Holy Grail War, the resentment of the Avenger summoned by the Einzbern Family corrupted the Holy Grail and its magic, turning the colorless power of the Holy Grail into Black Mud and distorting its miracles.

The distortion of the Holy Grail resulted in a reversal of its original function of Holy Grail wishes, causing wishes made using the Holy Grail to be interpreted as "evil," always fulfilled in a way that brings destruction and disaster.

The Jewel Magician, who has observed the different developments in many parallel worlds, is naturally very familiar with the existence of All the World's Evil.

The fire in Fuyuki City originated from this thing.

"As expected, such a change couldn't possibly have escaped your notice..."

After listening to the Jewel Magician's story, Justeaze's expression gradually turned silent.

As the central figure, she was naturally more aware than anyone else of the existence of All the World's Evil regarding the current state of the Holy Grail. She was also aware of the mistakes made by the Einzbern Family during the Third Holy Grail War, as well as the huge hidden danger that had been planted for the Holy Grail War.

"Yes, that's natural. After all, I'm different from you. I often travel between different worlds and observe. Since the Holy Grail War was established under my witness and my apprentice was involved, I pay more attention to it."

"I see..."

She shook her head with a wry smile. Although Justeaze still habitually displayed the expression and state she had when she was a young girl, the Jewel Magician naturally wouldn't treat her as a young girl. Her current form of existence was the Third Magic, which was also the core of the Holy Grail.

"I am very sorry for the trouble the Einzbern Family has brought to the world. I never imagined that the Einzbern Family would summon the Avenger, Angra Mainyu, during the Third Holy Grail War, leading to the current situation. It's hard to imagine what Ahad was thinking..."

The problem lies with the Einzbern Family, and the Root problem lies with Ahadon, whom Justeaze has always trusted, which makes Justeaze feel very guilty and disappointed.

"Hehe, although it was indeed Einzbern who caused the trouble, you can rest assured about one thing: the appearance of Angra Mainyu was merely a coincidence and an accident. Even the homunculus in Berlin is completely unaware of the existence of All the World's Evil. Einzbern did not intend to disrupt the Holy Grail War."

The so-called Angra Mainyu symbolizes an ancient and evil demon god, originating from Roa in ancient Poland. In ancient Persia in the sixth century BC, Angra Mainyu was considered the chief of evil gods in Roa. They believed that all evil deeds in the human world were the work of Angra Mainyu, and thus, legends about this evil god and his true nature gradually emerged.

Angra Mainyu is indeed a demon, a demon representing evil—this is absolutely true. He is not a naturally born god, but rather created by human malice and a particular form of prophecy. However, demons cannot be summoned by the Holy Grail War, and Angra Mainyu has no interest in responding to human calls. Therefore, the summoned being was never a demon representing malice, nor a demon from the abyss, but rather an innocent child who died in the past. His identity was merely an ordinary boy in a village in the past, a symbol and sacrifice of Angra Mainyu within the Roa sect.

He has no legends or original texts to back him up, nor does he possess the proper qualifications to become Heroic Spirit. He is just an innocent person who was forcibly given the name Angra Mainyu to bear the sins of humanity. He is an ordinary existence, a special Heroic Spirit created by others.

He was just a child, lacking power, vision, or life ideals. He was merely a special being, a concept forcibly imposed upon him by the surrounding humans—an impossible creature. He had no gender, no life of his own; he existed solely because of a desire, the embodiment of human desire.

"However, although it wasn't intentional, I have to admit that the Einzbern were incredibly audacious and incredibly resourceful. They actually found the original texts of Roa that had been lost long ago and tried to bring down the gods to appear. However, they didn't expect that evil gods couldn't be summoned in the Holy Grail War at all. All they got in return was a lamb to be sacrificed."

"And this also led to the creation of the Avenger class, turning an innocent child into the anti-hero Angra Mainyu. What they didn't expect was that the Avenger they illegally summoned was incredibly weak. Not to mention comparing its combat power with the three upper classes, it was far inferior even to the Assassin, so it was quickly killed by other Servant, and its soul was absorbed by the Greater Grail."

Jewel Magician stroked his beard, then continued speaking thoughtfully.

"And this is also a major point of divergence in your World Line. It is because of the soul of this young man who inherited the evil god Angra Mainyu that the Holy Grail has become what it is today."

"You're right, that's exactly right."

After listening to the Jewel Magician's story, Justeaze let out a helpless sigh.

"Originally, when Heroic Spirit dies, their personality and magical power are absorbed by the Holy Grail. However, Angra Mainyu is an evil god created by humans, and he himself symbolizes a certain accusation and malice. In essence, he is a collective wish made by Evils of Humanity and slander. Therefore, when he entered the Holy Grail, it was equivalent to making a wish to me and the Holy Grail."

"Therefore, the Holy Grail during the Third Holy Grail War was already close to perfection, possessing the function of granting wishes. However, when Angra Mainyu entered it, that wish-granting function had already been used, and Angra Mainyu's wish was granted. The final result was that Angra Mainyu, as the All the World's Evil, not only was not erased from his personality by the mechanism within the Holy Grail, but he also survived, successfully Incarnation, and transforming into an existence within the Heaven's Feel. It is also a successful example of the Third Magic, the Heaven's Feel."

Looking at Justeaze in front of him, the Jewel Magician continued thoughtfully,

"The colorless magic of the Holy Grail has been stained black, transformed into evil malice, and everything has been distorted. However, this time, due to a certain thief, most of the magic in the Greater Grail was forcibly extracted and filtered out to complete his very interesting wand, which delayed the outbreak of All the World's Evil and made it much smaller in scale."

"Angra Mainyu himself probably never imagined that one day he would be discovered and exploited by Magus outside, right?"

Shrugging, Jewel Magician still found the interesting changes that had occurred in this Holy Grail War quite novel, so he recounted the whole story to Justeaze.

"... You know so much. The Outsider's actions are indeed those of a thief, but because his methods can suppress the All the World's Evil, although I sensed it within the Greater Grail, I did not stop him. I only hoped that the disaster he unleashed would be lessened."

Justeaze shook his head slightly.

She was aware of Rovey's actions within the Greater Grail and could have controlled the Holy Grail Core to stop him. However, knowing the terrifying nature of Angra Mainyu and recognizing that extracting magical energy could indeed weaken him, and to prevent dangerous figures like Emiya Kiritsugu Kirei Kotomine from ultimately winning the Holy Grail and making some unstoppable wish, she tacitly approved of Rovey's actions, essentially acting as a biased referee.

However, Kirei Kotomine's self-awareness has now transcended his confusion and desires, so even if he obtains the Holy Grail, he won't do anything irreversible. On the contrary, it 'Emiya Kiritsugu...

Having lost so much, he had completely lost his way. When he saw the Einzbern Family descendant, the Winter's Holy Maiden Irisviel, who had given everything for the Holy Grail just like he had back then, a trace of pity flashed in Justeaze's eyes.

Perhaps this is fate...

"Your idea is indeed correct. That kid's actions have already begun to show results. I also know that you actually want that outsider to win the Holy Grail, because he is clearly prepared to deal with the All the World's Evil. The Holy Grail will only be purified and this disaster will be eliminated when it falls into his hands."

"Yes, but now..."

"By now, that kid has already won a lot. The Holy Grail is far superior to the special Mana Reactor in El-Melloi's room. He has no desire for it; what he's verified is merely a possibility. I will personally go to him later, tell him the possible outcome, offer him some compensation, and persuade him to give up the Holy Grail."

The Jewel Magician said with a solemn expression, "And as for this Holy Grail, after excluding that whimsical madman Emiya Kiritsugu and that little fox Crowley, I don't need to say more about who is currently the most suitable to obtain it, do I?"

"Tokiomi Tohsaka?"

Justeaze tilted her head.

"Hehe, so many years have passed... you're still as mischievous as ever."

Upon hearing Justeaze's answer, Jewel Magician smiled helplessly. Finally, the two looked at each other and gave the same answer.

"Kirei Kotomine".

"That's right, it's him. A clergyman who should have fallen into depravity, but instead gained enlightenment by crossing the line between life and death. His experience is not like that of those single-minded clergymen, but rather somewhat similar to that of the enlightened one under the Bodhi tree."

"In short, his change has surprised me greatly. If it were him now, he would definitely make the right choice."

Jewel Magician put his hands behind his back and then revealed his entire plan.

"Because the Holy Grail lacks magical power, Angra Mainyu (the All the World's Evil) can no longer unleash the terrifying destruction expected. However, the Holy Grail's functional magical power is also insufficient. Logically speaking, it should be fine to pretend that nothing has happened. But the outside world is in chaos, the boundary between the mysterious and the real has been broken, and with the involvement of outsiders, the entire World Line has become a thorn in the side of the Counter Force. Therefore, you need to save yourselves."

"No matter what, we must suppress the impact of this Holy Grail War before the Mage's Association, the Church, the Spiral Manor, and other mysterious organizations and mythical Heroic Spirit are fully exposed to the public eye. We must prevent World War III, this point of divergence that should never have occurred, otherwise your entire World Line will be judged and denied by the world."

"That's why you said you'd use the miracle of the Holy Grail to end all of this."

Now that things had come to this, Justeaze was fully aware of the seriousness of the situation and the purpose of the Jewel Magician. The smile that had been on her beautiful face was gone, replaced by a serious and solemn expression.

"That's right."

"However, the Holy Grail's magic has already..."

"Contaminated? Too much magic has been extracted? Don't worry, I can handle this little thing."

Hearing Justeaze's concerns, Jewel Magician raised his hand to reassure her, then slowly spoke,

"Once Emiya Kiritsugu and Kirei Kotomine make their choices amidst the All the World's Evil, and different outcomes emerge, the outcome on the King of Heroes' side will be decided. At that time, I will personally intervene and have that kid help purify the Holy Grail and relinquish Holy Grail. As for magical power, don't forget that my Second Magic is in no way inferior to the so-called Third Magic."

"You mean... he's definitely going to defeat the King of Heroes?"

"Yes, I can be certain of that."

Jewel Magician nodded slightly and said with a confident expression.

"He was able to complete Merlin's request so well. With all that planning and scheming, even the King of Heroes couldn't escape failure this time. Not to mention, there was also the huge unexpected event of Kirei Kotomine."

"... Then, everything from now on will be done according to your plan?"

"Sure, if anything goes wrong, I'll personally step in and cover for you!"

Jewel Magician nodded, speaking with an air of nonchalance and domineering confidence, before turning around and disappearing into the Holy Grail.

"..."

After a long while, only Justeaze's sigh remained in the vast Holy Grail.

Meanwhile, in another Holy Grail.

Compared to the pure white magical space where Justeaze and the Jewel Magician were, the environment and colors here were noticeably darker.

At this moment, a man is walking along the dimly lit coastline, clutching a cross tightly in his hand.

"You really want to fulfill Emiya Kiritsugu's wish? Or is it..."

Ignoring the tempting voice from Satan in his ear, Kirei Kotomine continued walking until he saw Irisviel standing quietly at the end of the dark line, smiling at him.

"... Do you really want to drive him to the brink of despair? Do you so desperately want to see him break down?"

Kirei Kotomine asked expressionlessly.

When he and Emiya Kiritsugu fell into this dark world, he already knew the answer in his heart, and the sudden appearance of Irisviel now only confirmed his thoughts.

"You're really strange... You were the most confused, the most lost, and the most eager for desires at the beginning, but what's wrong with you now? Even if I made you relive the scenes of regretting not killing your wife, killing your teacher, and trying to kill your father, why is your heart still unmoved? Haven't you ever had the thought of changing that past, of denying that past?"

Seeing Emiya Kiritsugu, who was completely different from Kirei Kotomine Emiya and did not dwell on his past experiences but instead moved forward step by step, even Irisviel couldn't help but feel surprised and confused.

"Have you transcended your desires?"

"... Transcendence? That kind of word belongs to Buddha and the holy son. I, a former fallen person, am not qualified to claim it. I have only come to understand some things and realized what it means to live and what is right. I also know that the past cannot be changed. If I were to arbitrarily change or deny it, what difference would that make from denying my present self?"

When faced with Irisviel's question, Kirei Kotomine calmly replied, "That is not only my past, but also my sins, and the path I came from. Therefore, I will not attempt to deny or change it, or deceive myself into becoming a perfect person."

"No one is perfect, but people can strive to become closer to perfection. Perfection is achieved when everyone can accept everything about themselves, whether good or bad. If they can correct the bad and maintain the good, then everyone can be a perfect person."

"You bastard..."

A flicker of surprise crossed Irisviel's eyes. "Isn't this complete enlightenment and transcendence? Honestly, I was planning to include you along with Emiya Kiritsugu, but it seems impossible now. Your heart is as hard as a rock, completely unyielding..."

"Distortion?"

"..."

Irisviel: "Kirei Kotomine, you're so smart it's disgusting."

"Perhaps, it's just that I've figured out a lot of things, but compared to me right now."

Kirei Kotomine countered, "Why are you so fixated on Emiya Kiritsugu?"

"Why... does this question need any special reason?"

Irisviel smiled slightly, then opened her arms. It was a familiar figure and face that Kirei Kotomine had seen not long ago, but at this moment, compared to that flawless lady, the one in front of her made him feel ominous.

"Of course it's because... I'm also Irisviel, aren't I?"

No, you are not.

"Oh? Why deny my existence outright? Father, I cannot communicate with people without adopting someone else's persona, and now I have completely assimilated Irisviel, so I am Irisviel."

"I see..."

Kirei Kotomine nodded, roughly understanding what she meant.

"However, what I just said was not to deny your existence, because you were born from the assimilation of the Holy Grail with it. Even if you possess all of Irisviel's memories and everything, you are still not her. Because..."

"The real Irisviel would never bring Emiya Kiritsugu to a place like this; she would only want him to stay away from here," Kirei Kotomine with utmost seriousness.

"So even if you look alike, you can't understand the emotions in it; you are not Irisviel."

"Your clear logic is really disgusting... Father, how about quitting your job and becoming a psychologist or detective?" Irisviel smiled. "I'm starting to hate you."

"Is that so..."

Kirei Kotomine shook his head, ignoring what the other man said. He continued to stare blankly at the vast sea, then asked, "Where did you take Emiya Kiritsugu? Didn't he come out?"