I Create the Holy Grail War, Shocking the World Chapter 41

"My hand..."

"My king's power..."

"What in the world is going on? Why aren't you dead? Why did the Command Spells fail?!"

"Oh?"

Medea tilted her head adorably, then pursed her lips into a captivating smile.

"Such a foolish Master. You knew I was the witch of betrayal."

"My Noble Phantasm, formed from the legends of my life, naturally possesses the power to kill its Master."

"Rule Breaker...?!"

Akihito Tomoya was utterly horrified. To think that a Servant could use a Noble Phantasm to break the Holy Grail's contract.

This was practically impossible, an event that defied the laws of causality...

Furthermore, after breaking the contract, a Servant without magical energy supply would soon disappear. This was akin to suicide for a Servant.

How could this happen...

"Heh~ Hahahahaha...!"

The witch of betrayal cackled, her unrestrained laughter echoing through heaven and earth.

It was filled with the exhilaration of venting hatred, mixed with wisps of desolate pain.

No one in this world knows me, Nor does anyone believe me. My past is like a dream, yesterday is no more. A lonely, forlorn soul drifts in a foreign land, rootless like duckweed. Only sorrow is the most troubling, and it clings to me.

Suddenly, a sorrowful BGM ballad began to play, spreading across the entire world.

She grieved, she hummed softly... Singing a song that no one knew.

"The pain that resides in my heart makes me accept surrender~" "The cycle of the name 'betrayal' blooms black flowers within~" "Sin, falling silently into the deep and sweet~" "My heart is branded with flickering flames~" "The chains that lure the darkness~" "I am bound tightly by the same fate~" "In the place watched by deceitful eyes~" "Falling into sadness, saved by tenderness~" "Tearing the tangled threads, manipulated by me~" "Punishing the smile of red lips~" "A prayer-like wish cries out on the horizon~" "The pact that lures the darkness~" "I am tightly bound by endless suffering~" "From finding the truth until now~" "The chains that lure the darkness~" "I am bound tightly by the same fate~" "In the place watched by deceitful eyes~"

The entire world fell silent, under this incredibly moving and sorrowful melody, their lips parted.

They wanted to speak but stopped, hearing thunder in the silence.

The beautiful notes were almost tangible, as if played by an unknown ancient instrument, filled with the unique ancient charm of Ancient Greek mythology. It seemed to depict delicate flowers weeping pearls and a witch shedding tears, weaving a song of despair.

Listening closely, it actually described the tragic life of the princess of Colchis.

In the Sky Screen, the witch of betrayal appeared to be smiling brightly, but her heart was weeping in despair, covering her face.

People covered their faces, unable to bear watching, their hearts trembling violently no matter how many times they looked.

"Sister Medea's life... is truly so sad."

A white-haired little girl, whose eyes were as if filled with lead by her mother, looked despondent and sighed.

"The past cannot be painted, the future cannot be seen, only a curtain of lingering dreams wounds the heart."

The great writer Dazai Osamu sighed endlessly.

"Akihito Tomoya should just die!!"

The superstar Saito Asuka also pouted, her small, delicate feet stomping furiously on the ground.

Under everyone's shared condemnation, Akihito Tomoya had become the enemy of the world.

The scene continued...

A man's extremely unwilling roar echoed from the Sky Screen.

["No, I absolutely cannot die here. My grand ambitions are far from complete!"]

[Akihito Tomoya, with a vicious expression, pulled out a button that could detonate the entire magic formation.]

["Rumble!!"]

[Like a nuclear explosion's roar, the soaring flames illuminated the heavens and earth.]

[Smoke billowed, rocks flew through the air, and the magnificent, grand park collapsed with a crash.]

[The magic formation, which could once contend with the three Knight Classes, instantly ceased to exist.]

[Taking advantage of the chaos, he gritted his teeth, clutched his blood-soaked, torn sleeve, and applied reinforcement magic to himself before his legs swiftly carried him towards the cellar.]

[As long as I live, there is hope...]

[He is Akihito Tomoya, a Mage from the ancient Aki family.]

[Although it has fallen into decline, the accumulated foundation is still substantial.]

[Life is bold; at worst, I'll start all over again!!]

(Note: Aki Province (あきのくに, AKINOKUNI) was one of the ancient provinces of Japan, belonging to the San'yo Circuit, also known as Geishū; the territory of Aki Province roughly corresponds to the western part of Hiroshima Prefecture.)

"Yo~ So he's from a noble family."

Yan Shuangying stroked his chin in thought.

If the Aki family hadn't fallen into decline, would Akihito Tomoya still have persecuted others for money?

But after a long pause, he shook his head.

How could someone like Akihito Tomoya ever change?

Only death!

[Medea watched the receding figure with a faint smile.]

[She was calm and composed.]

[There is an insurmountable gap between humans and Heroic Spirits, a difference as vast as heaven and earth.]

[No matter how many life-saving methods the other party possessed, they couldn't escape her grasp.]

["Crack—."]

[Akihito Ando darted into the dark, gloomy underground temple, took out a lighter, and lit it. His expression was still somewhat fearful, and he ran with rapid breaths.]

[This was a confined space, like a secret chamber, with countless hollow passages.]

[Under the firelight, ancient murals appeared on the surrounding rock walls.]

[They seemed to sing the stories of ancient Greek heroes, exuding an ancient, vast, and primitive aura that was chilling and unnerving.]

["Damn it..."]

["The Holy Grail War hasn't even started yet, and I haven't experienced a single battle..."]

["How can I be so unlucky to summon such a treacherous subordinate." ]

[Inside the cave, Akihito Ando ran frantically, cursing without remorse.]

[He deeply regretted summoning Caster.]

[If he had gone to the Holy Church earlier and formed a contract with that noble King of Heroes, he would probably be ruling the world by now!]

[It's all Medea's fault. If she had obediently accepted death, he wouldn't be in such an embarrassing situation.]

[Suddenly, a gentle breeze stirred.]

[—The flame illuminating the path ahead was extinguished, and the cave plunged back into darkness.]

[Akihito Ando, still shaken, gasped for air, leaning against the mural.]

["Crack... Crack-crack..."]

[Accompanied by panicked clicking sounds, the flame reignited, revealing a horrifying sight: the ancient Greek mural depicted a witch holding a blood-stained dagger, her expression sinister as she gazed down.]

[The scene was too lifelike, conveying a suffocating sense of confusion, as if trapped in a cycle.]

[It felt as though, across millennia, an ancient witch was conducting a trial of sins in later ages.]

["Fate" seemed to be the ultimate, cold, and silent conclusion.]

[The corner of a purple robe stepped forward, approaching gracefully, elegance that never faded.]

[But the man was utterly terrified, as if he had seen Death itself raising a scythe.]

["No... Don't!!"]

["My life shouldn't end here...!!"]

["Medea... Spare me, Medea..."]

[Akihito Tomoya shouted fiercely, letting out a despairing whimper, pitiful even.]

["This should be the most fitting end for you."]

[Medea's posture was elegant, her clear and beautiful face adorned with a breathtaking smile.]

[Amidst Akihito Tomoya's terrified expression, she slowly placed her fair palm on his head. The chilling touch felt as if it were about to pry open the man's skull.]

[Then...]

["—Ahhhhhhh!!"]

[The underground temple instantly echoed with the man's piercing scream, and endless blood gushed forth.]

[The terrifying smell of blood permeated the air, sending shivers down one's spine.]

[Akihito Tomoya's head was severed from his body, pulled out alive by Medea along with his spine. His still-living eyes darted around in terror, his face contorted in pain lifelike... He could even think briefly.]

["You... wicked witch..."]

[He was utterly desperate, struggling to part his lips, mumbling with a trembling voice.]

[As surging magical power converged, and with Caster's cold sneer, a beautiful, ethereal glow bloomed, ultimately combining Akihito Tomoya's severed head with magical circuits to forge a powerful Mystic Code.]

[Medea, though somewhat weakened, looked with satisfaction at the staff she held.]

[It was a rare "Imaginary Number Attribute."]

[Let's call it 'Akihito's Skull and Spine Staff' for now...]

People all over the world were shocked, their hearts filled with joy, yet also a sense of fear.