Chapter 451

This is the alteration of the limited Order that the New Humanity have forgotten, and that only the Old Humanity can remember; it is the Reality Marble of the Magecraft Formula, known as the pinnacle of Magecraft.

"Throughout the eight directions and to the four corners of the earth, we sincerely pray for the blessings of the Great God of Fire and Thunder."

Feathers falling from the enormous wings transformed into terrifying, evil serpents crawling across the ground upon contact with it. These serpents then slithered all over Yagai Yukinobu's body. He then turned halfway to the side in mid-air, gripped the hilt of his sword with his right hand, and assumed an iaido stance.

"Cut the sky, cut the earth, cut in all eight directions."

The wind has stopped.

The instant Yagai Yukinobu swung his sword, Novia, through Erice's eyes, caught a tremor that transcended the laws of physics. The trajectory of the blade cutting through the air was not a straight line, but countless overlapping rings—the power generated by the use of the sword techniques of the Four Great Exorcist Families by a god.

The overlapping rings swallowed all the light, like a lunar eclipse.

Utsumi Erice could feel the blood vessels throbbing deep in her eardrums, something more primal awakening within her, the Wicked Spirit that haunted her all day and the phantoms of the Sanzu River flowing through the blade.

"Get out of the way."

Thanks to Novia's skillful maneuvering and reflexes, Erice's body arched backward in an almost dance-like motion, and the wind pressure generated by the Muramasa Blade as it grazed her nose tore apart the stone lantern three meters behind her.

Novia could feel the girl's ribs groaning under the strain; fighting with this still-growing body was proving difficult.

This is not to say that if Novia possessed Erice Yagai Yukinobu. After all, he had six-year-old Erice hold her Lucius at full power. The main reason is because of the Yagai's Ōkuninushi.

Ōkuninushi's other name is Yūsei-Ōkami, the Deity who rules over the land of the dead and the Underworld Realm. This is the reward he received after giving his kingdom to Amaterasu.

This actually sets a trap for Ōkuninushi, because Izanami, the adopted mother of the Three Noble Children, is located in the land of the dead, Yomi. In other words, Ōkuninushi is basically a nominal god of the underworld, since Izanami would never listen to him, and Ōkuninushi could not possibly defeat her easily.

However, regardless of the circumstances, the Ōkuninushi possesses considerable Authority. Therefore, if he were to have too much contact with Erice might be able to break free from the restrictions of the Waters of Forgetfulness and regain her past memories...

Ultimately, this was her father's choice, presumably for his daughter's sake. Therefore, Novia didn't intend to make her remember it now; she'd let nature take its course and deal with it when she was older. So for now, she'd better take matters into her own hands.

"A dragon who, though residing in the Far East, originated from the western continent— the Ōkuninushi."

Novia's voice suddenly became solemn, causing Erice's eyes to darken even more.

Yagai Yukinobu suddenly froze. His rotting right hand trembled uncontrollably, and his Divine Body shuddered instinctively. The fragments of the Okuninushi body that he had devoured were now rampaging through his blood vessels as if they had encountered their natural enemy.

"This instinctive sense of oppression... so that's why the Mount Yagiri and I have become one. Excellent..."

In Yagai Yukinobu's view, it was not uncommon for someone to be able to make Ōkuninushi like this. People like Susa-no-O or Amaterasu could also make him act like this. However, the Servant on this child was definitely not a figure from Japan mythology or legend, because the aura he exuded was completely different from the Od of the Far East.

Therefore, it must be a secret from a more distant era that the Yagai was unaware of.

That's his opinion.

Novia gently pressed her finger between Erice's lips. "It's a secret."

In fact, Magecraft are beings bound by the past.

In reality, the Age of Gods destiny, which has never been seen or heard of, binds everyone.

As the Ōkuninushi, who manifested from the Primordial Dragon Typhon, his Dragon Kind aspect was completely unable to resist Novia. If Yagai Yukinobu could understand the special nature of the Great Ōkuninushi, then he should immediately have the Okuninushi body use the Divine Power of War, which originated from Chiyou, that is, his bull-like aspect.

One is also twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, and ten.

Even though he was hindered by the immense pressure emanating from Novia, Yagai Yukinobu pressed his body forward to the limit.

It resembles Spider or a beetle.

If the silver-haired Erice is Deity who has returned from the Yomi, then Yukinobu, who wields the demon sword Muramasa to fight, can be described as an unusual Rakshasa.

"A swift, cleaving cut!"

The blade of light transformed into a Takemikazuchi punishment blade that pierced through heaven and earth. The tip of the blade revealed the divine blood that had splattered when Takeminakata. The blade reflected eight afterimages, each of which transformed into the Takeminakata, entwined with lightning. This was the final act of resistance by the Kunitsukami, a curse from the defeated pantheon to another pantheon.

The entire space of Mount Yagiri began to collapse, and the gravitational field twisted into the sword strike that Susanoo-no-Mikoto used to slay Yamata no Orochi Great Serpent... because Yamata no Orochi Great Serpent in the Nasuverse and Ōkuninushi the same gaze.

Among the two major pantheons in Japan, the Kunitsukami pantheon is undoubtedly the complete loser, having lost its homeland and even its Supreme Being god becoming a subordinate of Kunitsu.

From a third-person perspective, Erice Se finally understood why Lucius always trained her in an almost abusive way. In the face of a truly powerful Servant, the human's reaction speed is nothing more than an ant in slow motion.

But Novia smiled, her silver hair flowing like moonlight in the Gale.

"... You who wanted to be an ordinary person are now closer to godhood than any other Servant."

At the same time, her silver hair moved without wind. Novia leaned backward, using Erice's left foot as a pivot, her right hand outstretched, aiming at the oncoming mimicry of the divine sword, while her left hand pressed against the girl's throbbing carotid artery, and she recited the poem "The Demon King"—

"The game is so much fun, I'll play with you."

The rhythm of the Narrative Poem resonated with the roar of the divine sword. Erice saw countless fireflies fly out of her palm, each firefly dragging a tattered page from Goethe's manuscript. The moment the first German poem touched the divine sword, the entire space fell into an eerie silence.

Because the snakes on Yagai Yukinobu's body were dissolving, revealing his body, which was rotting from his left armpit to his chest, with countless pustules at its center. The boundary between the rotting muscle and flesh was indistinct, making it clear that it was just a disgusting lump of flesh.

"I've been like this ever since I pierced the Spirit Core of the Ōkuninushi and, in a fit of madness, slaughtered his entire clan."

Yagai Yukinobu smiled slightly.

In this alone, he conveyed to the person in front of him the reason why he had become this way.

"Where are the Command Spell?"

In this new era, the Holy Grail grants people immortality, and aging, genetic degradation, infection, viruses, and malignant tumors are all overcome. By consuming Command Spell, one can even reset their physical age. Therefore, in this New Era, hearing about death can only lead the New Humanity to think of homicide.

"... Perhaps it's because I'm special, the Command Spell of the new Holy Grail have no effect on my body, while my old Command Spell were used up long ago when I shattered Ōkuninushi's Spirit Core."

Yagai Yukinobu gave a bitter smile, "The White Rabbit of Inaba is like that too. The white rabbit whose skin was eaten by a shark was able to recover thanks to the Wisdom of Ōkuninushi, but I killed Ōkuninushi, so I can never repair my skin. You could call it a curse."

Then, Yagai Yukinobu touched her abdomen.

"However, I don't crave such a thing. Over the years, I've tried to commit suicide many times, but the Command Spell always heal me at those moments. I attempt suicide day and night, only to be healed by the Command Spell again day and night... Heh, the Holy Grail probably can't understand why humans commit suicide."

According to Yagai Yukinobu, the reason he betrayed the Ōkuninushi was to witness the birth of New Era. In his view, everyone would Servant by then, and he would naturally become an "ordinary" person. However, this was not the case. In the New Era, he was still very "special", for example, the scars on his body.

Even if someone wanted to commit suicide, they would be cured by the Command Spell granted by the Holy Grail. After all, the New Era is so wonderful, who would think of suicide? It can only be that he killed someone else. That's how the Holy Grail defines it. It can only be said that the logic of the Holy Grail is completely unable to explain the completely autonomous act of 'suicide'.

It's important to know that in the Fr World, the old world's Command Spell were limited to only three strokes, with each stroke allowing for one use of Magecraft. In contrast, the New World's Command Spell have no limit on the number of strokes. Although they appear to have only three strokes, they are actually composed of very delicate lines, and the degree to which the Command Spell disappears is adjusted based on the Od consumed by the Magecraft used.

In the entire Marseille City of Japan, only the heroine Erice and her Grandmother Manazuru Chitose do not possess the New World Command Spell. However, Manazuru Chitose has the Old World Command Spell, perhaps because she is the founder of the New Era or because her Holy Grail War has not ended. Therefore, in general, only Eri is completely without Command Spell.

"But thank you anyway, you unknown Servant with ties to Ōkuninushi. My Command Spell were used up while fighting you."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Yagai Yukinobu pointed the tip of Muramasa's sword at his own abdomen and, without hesitation, sliced open his side with the blade.

Immediately, as pus dripped and stained his fingers, he grabbed a snake from under his feet and tossed it to Alexander VI, who was standing nearby.

"Here you go, Borgia. Before the Holy Grail returns to your throne due to my death, hurry up and find someone else to be your Master, otherwise you won't have so many years of memories next time you manifest."

In the New Era, when Master loses Servant, it is called 'Servant Loss'. In the City, the Servant will be summoned again by the power of the Holy Grail. The time of resummoning varies from person to person, some as soon as the next day, and some as a year later. Due to the special nature of the Servant, the same Servant will be summoned again.

However, the summoned Servant with the same name will not possess any memories of other Master.

"Master."

Alexander VI took a breath. "Why didn't you say you wanted to die sooner?"

"To whom? To you?"

Yagai Yukinobu said very happily, "Borgia, you should also understand that in the New Era established by Chizuru Misasagi, no Servant can violate the rules of the Holy Grail. Your Spirit Origin will shatter the moment you attack me, and even if you ask others for help, you will only be rejected. The New Humanity are even more self-centered than the Magecraft of the past, not to mention that there are very few people who can defeat me."

Upon hearing this, Alexander VI nodded in agreement.

A world where everyone has Servant sounds wonderful, but given the Great Holy Grail War that sweeps the globe and Overturning the old order, everything must follow the rules of the Holy Grail, including standardized treatment procedures for Servant and Master marked with mental illnesses.

That's why Yagai Yukinobu was so excited when he saw Erice, who could move the body of Okuninushi, so many years later. He was hoping that she could break the Command Spell granted by the Holy Grail to heal him, so that he could commit suicide now.

"Also, Master, Erice doesn't have Servant. She's the only human in the entire City without Servant."

"Really... I actually lost to a little kid...?"

Erice, or rather Novia, quietly gazed at the Yagai Yukinobu.

He was pondering why the Fr Holy Grail prevented people from committing suicide. The traditional Holy Grail War reclaimed Od through the battles of Heroic Spirit, but where would the energy supply for the Holy Grail era come from? Was it from emotions? After all, the new Holy Grail would anticipate the latent desires of citizens and pair them with Servant of better compatibility as much as possible.

In other words, is it about ensuring that humanity as a whole continues as much as possible in a state of 'happiness'?

Gradually, blood began to flow from the inside of the man's mask, and then, along with the dripping blood, the man's knees touched the ground.

The mask fell to the ground, and his skin instantly turned white, just like his name, becoming the color of snowflakes.

At that moment, the Okuninushi on his right arm emitted a jet-black glow, and time suddenly sank into a viscous amber.

Novia understood that this was the Authority of the Ōkuninushi as the God of the Underworld being activated at this moment, and everyone present saw the scene from fifteen years ago flash before their eyes:

The Forest of Yagiri Mountain collapsed in the Torrential Rain. A young child huddled in a corner of a house, her pupils reflecting the figure of her father, Yagai Yukinobu, walking towards her with Muramasa Blade in his hand.

"... I'm sorry, Akira, Ume, Mother."

Yagai Yukinobu said.

"I've always wanted to do this."

This doesn't sound like a confession.

It's simply stating one's position and confirming the facts.

"I don't want to kill you, but to be honest, it wouldn't really matter if I did."

Countless fragments of memory floated in the void, each reflecting different periods of Yagai Yukinobu's memories.

Finally, he stopped in front of everyone.

That was the final stage of the Holy Grail War in the Izumo region, the Future vision reflected in the eyes of Yagai Yukinobu as he plunged the Muramasa Blade into Ōkuninushi's chest:

Tens of thousands of Holy Grail pulsate in the chests of countless humans. Servant and human walk under the neon lights of Shinjuku. The sky is woven into an iron-gray net by uncontrolled Drone. The ocean is submerged in ruins by Drone wreckage. And at the end of all these scenes, there is a peaceful 'ordinary' world.

"You want to give up everything. Whether it's being seen as the successor to Yagiri, being called a genius and burdened with numerous expectations and responsibilities, or being the victor of the Holy Grail War, you want to give it all up, don't you think so, Yagai Yukinobu?"

I don't understand.

How should I put it? I don't understand.

With a tense Erice asked the Demon King Novia, who was possessing her.

It's contradictory. In order to become ordinary, one marries and has children, and then sacrifices everything for the sake of being ordinary. This goes against common sense.

Magecraft of the old era might have been able to accept this particularly twisted motive, but it is utterly baffling to people of the New Era.

"I can't necessarily blame you. In some ways, you're a good father. In fact, in your memory, the period you spent with your children can only be described as happy. Even if your feelings and reasons were a little unique, no one can deny that."

The little girl's figure slowly appeared in Yagai Yukinobu's pupils as she lay on the ground.

He was just a child, yet he inexplicably saw a tall, silver-haired figure among them. If Alexander VI hadn't made it clear that she had no Servant, he probably would have thought that this figure was Servant.

"But you deceived us, you deceived the Ōkuninushi, you deceived your family, and you even killed them, all for your own sake."

"I can only deceive; that's all I can do. Otherwise, I can't become ordinary."

Yagai Yukinobu admitted it.

He wore an extremely vulnerable expression, as if he were a completely different person from someone who had fought before.

That's wrong.

Novia said softly, "The reason your wife is ordinary, so fatally ordinary in your eyes, is because she wouldn't hurt anyone without reason, nor would she deceive anyone without cause."

"..."

Yagai Yukinobu fell silent again, the wrinkles and scars between his brows blending together, appearing even more profound than usual.

Then he let out a heavy, painful, and clear sigh.

His face looked like that of a child who had just solved a problem they couldn't answer on an exam for the first time.

So this is what they mean by "ordinary".

As if entering a dream, the last survivor of the Holy Grail War in the Izumo region closed his eyes.

The next day, inside the Borgia store.

"The old man passed his psychological assessment and can leave the treatment room now."

Lucrezia smiled broadly, "As expected of the silver-haired, oh no, now it's black-haired Erice- chan~"

The news that Yagai Yukinobu died yesterday surprised the City AI, who couldn't understand how he had managed to do it.

Alexander VI, with the help of the Borgia siblings, found a Master and passed the observation period, thus successfully escaping the City's Identification Mark.

"Since even Dad thinks you're capable, then I have nothing more to say."

Cesare, standing nearby, handed the Seleucid Astrolabe to Erice, "I wish you become the star of the show in the Holy Grail Elimination Tournament."

In fact, Cesare had already explained to Alexander VI that Erice might participate in the Holy Grail Elimination Tournament, and was practically telling his father to stay in the therapy room to avoid anything happening to the child. However, Alexander VI said that he would go all out on betting on Erice.

Erice gripped the Astrolabe tightly, feeling the dormant death within her merging with the mist of Novia. She looked towards the Food Street, where a giant holographic screen was playing a video of Karna and Arjuna's Noble Phantasm clash.

"Oh, of course."