Illya's Multiverse Odyssey

"By the way, this is Mount Enzou—"

"Damn it!"

"Saber! Use your Noble Phantasm to blast that Medea—"

Mordred had already used her Noble Phantasm twice; unless she used a Command Spell, she couldn't activate it again, so she could only let Artoria take the lead.

"Gather the breath of the stars in the heavens, the surging flow of glorious life—take this! Excalibur!"

The dazzling golden light blade instantly severed the great dark hand reaching for Medea, then continued without pause, tearing through the sky and splitting the entire heavens in two.

"Is that Excalibur? How has it grown so much stronger than the last Holy Grail War..."

Those who had personally experienced the previous Holy Grail War, like Zouken Matou and Kirei Kotomine, were secretly shocked, while Rin Tohsaka and the others, seeing it for the first time, couldn't help but be captivated by the sight.

Only Illya had no time to admire the brilliant radiance.

Taking advantage of the moment the black hand was severed, she successfully absorbed Medea's Heroic Spirit Soul into the Dress of Heaven, then immediately turned all her suction force toward Medusa.

"Adults make choices, but children take everything—"

Even though letting Medusa go to Sakura Matou wouldn't have been a big problem, Illya wasn't willing to simply let it slide.

However, the black shadow reformed quickly, and the two sides once again entered a stalemate.

"Should I use a Command Spell?"

Illya thought rapidly. Thanks to Shirou Emiya's idiotic behavior, only two of Artoria's Command Spells remained when they were transferred to her.

"I'll almost certainly need one against Golden Flash, and later against Sakura Matou and All the World's Evil... Little Black's too..."

After a prolonged struggle, Illya, running low on magical energy, reluctantly gave up on the idea of competing for Medusa's Heroic Spirit Soul.

"Pull back!"

Illya sent a telepathic message to Heracles and Artoria, then abruptly released her hold on Medusa.

The black hand successfully caught and devoured Medusa's soul, while Illya and her group quickly withdrew from Ryuudou Temple.

"This operation went according to plan—I got Medea and Sasaki Kojiro's Heroic Spirit Souls, and even killed Medusa—but I also burned through two Command Spells and exposed my ability to use Heroic Spirit Noble Phantasms. I don't know if that's a win or a loss..."

"Either way, I need to find more trump cards..."

The Tohsaka residence, though the master of Fuyuki City's ley lines, had gradually taken on a dilapidated air since Tokiomi Tohsaka's death. Even the genius Rin Tohsaka couldn't change that atmosphere, and it was nowhere near the Einzbern Castle in the suburbs.

"Golden Flash himself is a Grand Class Heroic Spirit. When serious, even if Artoria and the others join forces, winning won't be easy. Artoria participated in the last Holy Grail War—you can ask her about that."

"Beyond that, Kirei Kotomine's own strength can't be underestimated. As a Church expert, he's no less formidable than Kiritsugu Emiya, once known as the Magus Killer."

"On top of that, he still has dozens of Command Spells accumulated from past Holy Grail Wars. Each one is equivalent to a Rank A Grand Magic, can be activated instantly, and carries no burden. Even if they can't be used to replenish Golden Flash's mana, they're still a considerable nuisance."

"So, I need the blueprints and all the materials for the Jewel Sword!"

Rin hesitated only a moment before nodding in agreement.

After the battles of the past two days, she had completely shed her contempt for Heroic Spirits and finally understood her own weakness. Relying on just her and Red A to avenge Tokiomi Tohsaka was nearly impossible. To take revenge, she had to borrow Illya's strength.

As for the final outcome of the Holy Grail War, she didn't really care. She hadn't entered the war hoping to make a wish on the Grail—she just wanted to win, to prove herself.