"You're awake, Irisviel." Mikaela's lips were stained with crimson blood. Looking at the awakened Irisviel, he gave a slight nod. He was in terrible condition right now.
The rejection response from the heart he had just implanted was far stronger than he had imagined!!!
"Urgh—!!"
He had never lost his composure like this when facing the Sea Demon, Diarmuid, the King of Conquerors, Gilgamesh, and others. Forcing an artificial human's heart into his body as a Servant caused him unimaginable pain.
Blood splattered across the ground. Irisviel finally came fully to her senses. She hurriedly got up, disregarding the fact that her bath towel had fallen off and she was completely naked. In a highly agitated voice, she shouted, "Aila-chan!! Destroy that heart, quickly! The Holy Grail has been corrupted!! If you don't destroy that heart immediately, then 'that existence' will be summoned!!!"
"What?!" Emiya Kiritsugu stared at Irisviel in disbelief. Though his body was weak, he did not think she was joking.
Even at the very end, Irisviel had supported him, saying that everything was for that child. Even if she died, she would have no regrets.
Yet now, after being unconscious for barely ten minutes, Irisviel had suddenly changed her stance!! She was saying the Holy Grail absolutely could not descend?! What was going on?!
"Kiritsugu!! Stop Aila-chan, quickly! I'll explain later!!" Irisviel did not care that she was unclothed. Her expression was full of panic. Everything she had just "seen" was absolutely real. If King Arthur's sheath had not been protecting her—
And if Aila-chan had not briefly awakened her, she would likely have died in regret and despair. This Holy Grail! It was not an omnipotent wish-granting machine at all. It was a corrupted Holy Grail, filled with "malice" and "despair"!!
"No, it's already too late. He's coming out!"
Mikaela gritted his teeth and directly shifted into spirit form, vanishing from the spot as he ran off to who knew where.
Emiya Kiritsugu had originally intended to use a Command Seal to summon Mikaela back. Then his pupils contracted slightly as he suddenly realized that although he had used a Command Seal, Mikaela had not returned.
"The Command Seal?! It failed?!"
Life had its ups and downs. Emiya Kiritsugu had only just been grieving over the impending loss of his wife. Now, he was utterly lost and had no idea what was happening. But there was only one situation in which a Command Seal could fail.
That was when his Servant had "died"!
Boom—!!
A loud explosion suddenly rang out in the distance, and Emiya Kiritsugu hurried outside.
"Madam." Maiya Hisau remained behind to accompany Irisviel. Though she had seen countless battles, even she had no idea what was happening right now.
"Hurry, we have to stop that 'existence.' If that thing is released, everything will be over—whether it's the Holy Grail War or this city." Irisviel wrapped herself in a bath towel. She could not forget what she had just seen!
She knew very well that it was not what Kiritsugu wanted, nor was it what Einzbern sought. The Greater Holy Grail had already changed!!
Emiya Kiritsugu, who had already rushed outside, widened his eyes at a scene that could only be described as a vision of hell!!
On a mountain peak in the distance, black-red mud surged down the slopes like a mudslide. Even from afar, Emiya Kiritsugu could keenly sense that magical energy! It was filled with misfortune!!!
This was not colorless magical energy. It was a filthy substance stained with negative emotions!!!!
"Aila-chan... did he realize something, which was why he went so far away?"
Irisviel and Maiya Hisau ran outside as well. Looking at Emiya Kiritsugu's disbelieving expression, Irisviel said sorrowfully, "Kiritsugu, while I was unconscious, my 'soul' entered a strange place. If nothing unexpected happened, that should have been the interior of the Greater Holy Grail—the interior of that so-called omnipotent wish-granting machine."
"According to the knowledge recorded in my mind, the space inside the Holy Grail should originally have been pure and flawless, filled with colorless magical energy. But that place was filled with every kind of negative emotion. If you went there to make a wish, then the outcome would likely head toward the worst possible result..."
In truth, Irisviel did not even need to say it. Looking at the black-red mud endlessly flowing down the mountain, Emiya Kiritsugu could already guess what had happened.
The Holy Grail had been corrupted!
The Holy Grail he had staked everything on—his ideals, his dreams—was merely a corrupted object.
"Iris!! Inform the Tohsaka family and the Holy Church immediately!! If that thing keeps spreading, it will definitely reach the residents at the foot of the mountain!! If we don't stop it, things will only get worse. We have to notify them and use the power in their hands to stop all this!"
Despite his weakened body and the severe blow to his spirit, Emiya Kiritsugu made the most correct decision at once.
However, he looked toward the mountain peak on the other side with a complicated expression, his tone filled with regret and relief. "If Saber hadn't left in time, we probably would have been dragged into it as well."
Without question, the failure of the Command Seal practically proved that Saber—Mikaela—had already died.
His sudden disappearance just now must have been because he sensed the Holy Grail's malice. In order not to drag the rest of them down, he had hurriedly left!
"He was only fifteen years old. His wish was only to return to his original home. Why did the Holy Grail have to be corrupted?" Emiya Kiritsugu was deeply saddened, but he would not give up this chance to save even more people.
After all, Emiya Kiritsugu had always made choices—sacrifice the few to save the many!
In his heart, sacrificing Mikaela alone to save most of the civilians was worth it.
"Understood."
Though Irisviel had only just returned from that space and was still shaken, she forced herself to hold on, intending to help her husband stop all this!
The Fourth Holy Grail War Ends
"No, it's already too late. He's coming out!"
Mikaela gritted his teeth and directly shifted into spirit form, vanishing from the spot. Moving at his fastest speed, he arrived outside the castle and crushed the card he had prepared beforehand.
"Rule Breaker!"
Holding Rule Breaker in his hand, Mikaela stabbed himself! He severed the contract between himself and Emiya Kiritsugu!
"I have Kayneth to thank for this too." Blood trickled from the corner of Mikaela's mouth. He wiped it away and revealed a faint smile. If not for what Kayneth had researched, he would not have been able to use Rule Breaker so smoothly to dissolve his contract with Emiya Kiritsugu.
Mikaela still had a contract with Irisviel, because he still needed her magical energy to sustain his existence in this world. The magical energy connection could not be cut. But the Command Seal contract used to enslave him! Mikaela had to sever it.
After cutting off his connection to Emiya Kiritsugu, Mikaela maintained his spirit form and ran toward the distant mountaintop. Once he finally arrived there, he let out a breath.
The Lesser Holy Grail... had appeared.
Rather, the Lesser Holy Grail had appeared within Mikaela's body. After absorbing the souls of six Servants, the Lesser Holy Grail should have appeared already.
But under the suppression of Avalon—the distant utopia—Irisviel had not turned into the Lesser Holy Grail.
After Mikaela removed Irisviel's heart, the Lesser Holy Grail, and forcibly placed it in his own body, Avalon no longer suppressed it. The Lesser Holy Grail naturally manifested in the world.
However, this body was not a vessel made for her. She was firmly trapped inside Mikaela's body and could not come out at all.
"You want to come out? Don't even think about it!!! I'll still need your power in the future to find my way home!"
Mikaela crouched on the ground in pain, refusing to let the Lesser Holy Grail emerge into the outside world. He had thought it through clearly. He had gained flesh, and although he could now survive in this world—
Surviving was not Mikaela's original goal. He wanted to go home, back to his real family!
For that, he needed power—immense power! Only then could he have hope of finding his way home. For that, he needed a high-density magical energy crystal like the Lesser Holy Grail!
For some Heroic Spirits, gaining flesh was a good thing. Gilgamesh, for example... after gaining flesh, his strength did not weaken in the slightest!
But Mikaela was different. The reason he could slaughter Gilgamesh was entirely because he had used the enormous magical energy from Irisviel's connection to the Greater Holy Grail to become King Hassan, the Grand Assassin.
If he gained flesh and no longer had a Master providing magical energy, he might be somewhat stronger than in his previous life, but at most he would be a low-to-mid-tier Servant. If he faced Diarmuid and the King of Conquerors again, he would definitely die horribly.
Magical energy had already become Mikaela's primary source of power. Without it, relying solely on the energy stored in his body... he could not smoothly activate stronger weapons or transform into more powerful characters.
"Urgh—!!"
A mouthful of black-red bloody mud spewed from Mikaela's mouth. Forcing the Lesser Holy Grail to remain inside him naturally meant forcibly keeping the black mud in his body as well. Soon... black mud filled with all manner of negative emotions erupted from his body, centered around him.
Mikaela's body was torn apart. Since he was not a Holy Grail vessel, forcibly keeping the Lesser Holy Grail inside naturally caused him to be rejected.
This body of his was not made of flesh and blood. It was a body formed from magical energy.
After the Lesser Holy Grail emerged from Mikaela's body, it emitted a sacred golden radiance. But unfortunately... what flowed from the Lesser Holy Grail was filled with filth.
Mikaela was swallowed by the black mud, and he lost consciousness.
"..."
In the darkness, Mikaela slowly opened his eyes.
"Aila~ Are you awake?"
A familiar voice, a familiar place, and familiar people...
Mikaluya—Mikaela's mother—looked gently at her child. Though she was a married woman, her bust was disappointingly small. With a soft smile, she said, "Why did you get up so late? Your father is getting impatient waiting."
"Mm..." Mikaela's nose stung, and tears welled up in his eyes. He did not say much, merely following behind his mother as they returned to the "familiar" home from his memories.
"You're so slow." The black-haired beauty sitting in the living room and watching television turned around. Looking at his son helplessly, she said, "Aila, why did you wake up so late today?"
Though it sounded strange, this black-haired beauty was Mikaela's father, Mikalot.
Because every generation of the Mika family was born with the face of a beautiful young girl. Simply put, they were naturally beautiful. Put them in women's clothes, and they would look exactly like beautiful girls. Unless you stripped them naked, you basically could not tell.
"Because I had a dream." Mikaela sat naturally on the sofa while Mikaluya went into the kitchen to cook.
"I dreamed that Father was lying in a hospital and still hadn't awakened. Mother had just been released from prison. I became a so-called hero and worked as a teacher's assistant at U.A. High School."
"It was rather strange. I hated heroes so much when I was little, but because life forced me to, and because Mother had just gotten out of prison at the time, I needed to earn more money. Later, All Might gave me the hero license you applied for back then. With that, and after some evaluations, I eventually became a hero. I attracted a lot of attention and took on many advertisements to earn even more money..."
Mikaela spoke of all the hardships he had endured along the way, while Mikalot listened quietly without interrupting.
"Then you must have had it very hard." After Mikaela finished, Mikalot revealed a gentle smile. Like a Yamato Nadeshiko, she said softly, "But you don't need to keep suffering anymore. You've already come home."
"No, Father." Mikaela raised his head and stared directly at his "father," his voice choking slightly. "I haven't made it home yet. I still have to keep going."
"The 'World' has reclaimed the spiritual foundation that made you a Servant. As an ordinary person, there is nothing you can do." "Mikalot" kept her gentle smile as she continued, "Having lost your spiritual foundation, even if you have gained flesh, you only possess an ordinary human body. Though you are not a Heroic Spirit from legend, your soul is indeed extremely powerful. If you leave this place—"
"You are not an idiot. You naturally know what kind of conflict will occur between an ordinary body and a powerful soul, and what outcome it will bring."
"Why not stay? Our family can live happily together." "Mikalot" smiled gently.
"Stay." Mikaluya also walked out of the kitchen, looking tenderly at her "child" and hoping he would remain here.
"My journey has only just begun. I have to return to the family that truly belongs to me."
Mikaela crushed a card. Blazing flames burned in his eyes as he looked seriously at his "father" and "mother." "I'm sorry, but I can't stay in this world built from my memories."
"I'm going home!"
A small, jade-white hand suddenly stretched out from the black mud. Mikaela forcibly grabbed the Lesser Holy Grail and dragged it into the black mud.
Squelch—!!
Within the black mud, Mikaela was completely naked as he forcibly installed the Lesser Holy Grail where his heart should have been.
This time! It could not escape. He wanted the Lesser Holy Grail! He wanted the core of the Greater Holy Grail too!!! But first, he had to deal with the "hole" in the sky!
"Get lost!" Mikaela shut his eyes tightly and crushed a card. A Holy Sword radiating golden light appeared in his hand.
"Excalibur—!!!"
Though a great deal of black mud had flowed out, Mikaela had already escaped the Holy Grail illusion. Although he could not see anything, he instinctively swung the Holy Sword and unleashed an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm toward the "hole."
Boom—!!!
A pillar of light shot straight into the sky. Emiya Kiritsugu, Tohno Shiro, and Father Risei in the distance were all stunned.
"Was that Saber's final strike?!" Emiya Kiritsugu watched the sacred pillar of light, his eyes filled with sorrow. He could sense that Saber was launching his final attack to save humanity.
"After this, you'd better explain everything to me! You filthy Mage Killer!!!" Tohno Shiro's expression was extremely unpleasant. That morning, he had been full of excitement, believing he could win the Holy Grail War.
But before even a day had passed, all five remaining Heroic Spirits were gone?!! The Holy Grail War was over?!! He was about to fall apart!!!
My wife!.jpg
Aftermath and the Mysterious Woman
Even though Mikaela had blown apart the "hole," the disaster continued to spread. With the help of Emiya Kiritsugu, Tohno Shiro, and Risei Kotomine, some people had been evacuated. But before they could act, some people had already been caught up in it.
No one knew how the aftermath was handled. According to the media, someone had tossed a cigarette butt onto the mountain, causing a forest fire. The forest fire then ignited a natural gas pipeline, causing an explosion! That was what had triggered the entire disaster.
The people affected by the fire had all their medical expenses covered by an unknown church and a local "rich man."
"Has it all finally ended?"
Waver carried his bag as he found a vehicle in the middle of the night and left Fuyuki City. Logically speaking... he should have gone to the Holy Church to seek protection.
But his teacher had been killed by Assassin, who had been protected by the Holy Church. How could he walk into a trap? To avoid implicating that elderly couple, Waver had also moved out of their home.
Though the old man had tried to persuade him to stay, Waver knew that if he remained there, they might also be killed by Assassin.
Kayneth's death was still vivid in his mind. Waver did not want to drag anyone else down.
"He entered the Holy Grail War full of confidence, only to leave empty-handed?"
Waver could not forget the final battle: Saber transforming into a skeletal swordsman, and Gilgamesh going all out...
At that time, if not for the Magic Crest his teacher had given him, the aftermath of Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasm explosion might have severely injured his body.
Waver had been closest to Gilgamesh and Mikaela at the time. To him, the aftermath of their battle had been no different from a natural disaster crashing down on his head.
If Kayneth had not handed all his useful Magic Crests to Waver before dying, then Waver would either be hospitalized now or have been blasted into scraps by the aftermath of that battle.
"Teacher, you saved my life twice."
Before you continue