Waver's Resolve

"What... what on earth have I done?! AAAAAAAAAH!!!" The handsome man hysterically slammed his head against the ground, though it was futile.

His frenzied wails seemed to be the only way to vent the agony of feeling as though his head were about to explode after being struck by such overwhelming despair and contrast.

The enormous contrast and pain between his initial beautiful wish and the evil deeds he committed after straying from his true heart—after giving everything he had, he had gained nothing but tainting himself with evil and falling into demonic depravity.

Was there anything more despairing than that?

Li Zihan did not know, but when he saw the utterly despairing expression on Matou Zouken—no, Makiri Zolgen's—face, he understood that it truly was something terrifying.

I must take this as a warning. Li Zihan remembered Makiri Zolgen's miserable state.

"Senior Makiri Zolgen." The boy crouched down and seriously said to the wailing man, "Do you want to die?"

Makiri Zolgen did not answer. He truly did not want to live anymore. Again and again, he had extended his lifespan, only to reap despair and depravity.

"Have you ever thought about the future?" Li Zihan grabbed Makiri Zolgen by the hair and forced him to raise his head. This man, who had once roamed across Northern Europe, now did not even dare meet anyone's eyes. "First, the Holy Grail you built with your own hands is not an omnipotent wish-granting machine. Second, it has now been contaminated. It has accumulated humanity's evil within it. Once that leaks out, this city will be plunged into despair."

"You want to die and escape after committing such a sin? That's letting you off far too easily." Li Zihan's pupils reflected a bedraggled man fleeing from reality. Makiri Zolgen stared blankly at that unfamiliar reflection, unable to respond.

"The appearance of the Holy Grail was the mistake you made. It has never helped anyone fulfill their dreams. It merely gave people hope again and again, only to bring them despair. Shouldn't you personally bring this evil to an end?"

"The origin that resolves all sorrowful wishes..." Makiri Zolgen murmured softly, and light gradually returned to his eyes. "I... I will end this meaningless cycle."

"In this matter, we are still allies." The boy softly said to Makiri Zolgen as the color gradually returned to his face. "After all, I intend to consume the Holy Grail directly as a source of magical energy. Isn't the Holy Grail essentially a high-purity magical energy crystal? As long as that magical energy is used up, the remnant shell of the Third Magic will lose its foundation and become ineffective, won't it?"

"Please live on, for the sake of ending the sorrowful wishes brought by the Holy Grail."

P.S. This is a 4k-word chapter. I really had no idea how to split this part into two chapters.

Please vote, tip, and leave comments.

I heard PC recommendations do not count as trial recommendations. If I keep updating steadily with 4k chapters and show a bit more progress, I think there is still hope. I can still struggle a little longer.

Weber's Resolve

"Rider, are we just leaving like this?" Weber sat in the chariot and asked Rider, who was driving it. A trace of unease still lingered on his face.

They had left before Li Zihan announced the end of the banquet, offering only a hurried farewell before departing.

"Yes. After all, what comes next will no longer be a child's game." Rider held the reins and turned to explain to Weber. "Though it is somewhat discourteous, we do not have much time left."

The ancient king from Uruk had bared his fangs. He was a powerful man far beyond Darius III. Archer, armed with tens of thousands of Noble Phantasms, was practically a monster without flaws. Yet Berserker, who possessed twelve lives, could unleash Anti-Army Noble Phantasm attacks, and had astonishingly high parameters, was likewise a nightmare-class enemy to any opponent. Then there was the Master who possessed Future Sight and knew the Holy Grail's secrets.

This would be an exceedingly dangerous battle. Compared to the war that lay ahead, the dangers he had faced in life were hardly worth mentioning.

This is truly unsettling. Iskandar sighed inwardly. Personally taking the field and killing enemies was far more dangerous than commanding from the central ranks.

But he had long grown accustomed to such things. The scent of blood on the battlefield only made his fighting spirit surge.

His hot blood was boiling, much like the roar of ocean waves. Rider closed his eyes and listened to the voice of Oceanos.

Perhaps he would never again have the chance to seek the Endless Sea. At that thought, Rider could not help but laugh.

The decisive battle was approaching.

No intuition or Future Sight was needed. For Archer, who was the enemy that had to be eliminated most urgently?