Hello, before we begin, I want to say something.
It seems only Chinese immigrants think about killing the protagonists of the stories they invade so they can steal their female companions, whether they're partners or not.
And also, those same protagonists are the most lifeless, the most spineless, or the most passive; it makes me angry.
If you like fanfiction, and I'm talking about Chinese fanfiction, I think you should get your head examined, but I say this with all the best intentions and good vibes in the world. Everyone's taste and opinion is respected, even if they're garbage.
With nothing more to add, let's begin the chapter.
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Akane ran straight to where Assassin had pointed, only to see a badly damaged puppet lying on a piece of rubble.
It stared at Akane, its face half-destroyed.
"Damn it," the puppet said, grabbing the piece of rubble and throwing it at her. In response, Akane quickly fired a magic bullet to destroy the attack, only to see that her target had escaped.
Looking away, she saw the puppet already running into the forest.
"You won't get away," she exclaimed, giving chase.
...
Berserker leaped to the ground, forced to use his staff to block Assassin's attack. This allowed Archer to strike him directly in the face with his chakram.
To their surprise, Berserker didn't flinch; the attack shattered a large portion of his face, only for him to twist his staff.
Assassin managed to dodge, but Archer couldn't, sending him flying.
Archer fell to the ground and lay motionless for a moment. He was already weary, his mana was dwindling, and he didn't know where his master was.
But after so much fighting and so many attempts, he wouldn't give up now. He rose, engulfed his fists in flames with his remaining mana, and charged at Berserker once more.
He would defeat that monkey, even if it meant dying in the attempt.
...
Akane followed the puppet's movements, finding it increasingly difficult, but being a kind of automaton, it didn't tire, its mana practically full thanks to using up all the available human mana batteries. It was brimming with energy and felt no pain; nothing could stop it so easily.
Out of sheer frustration, Akane began launching several magic bullets at the puppet, which continued to move.
In the midst of all this, a large piece of rubble from what had once been a house fell between them, obstructing Akane's view of her enemy.
She could only click her tongue at this; she glanced to the side to take in the chaos of the fight between the two Servants. Several minutes had passed, and Akane was tired of running, both here and in the tunnels.
Without wasting any more time, she ran around the rubble to get a glimpse of the truck, only for another piece of debris to fly out from where she stood, this time thrown by her enemy.
The impact sent her flying backward, trapping her in a pile of debris.
"It's about time you stayed put. You're the only one standing between me and my desire," the puppet said, pointing its three remaining hands at Akane.
She sensed something bad was about to happen, but at the same time, she realized something else.
"Assassin, he's completely still," Akane thought to herself as she watched the puppet preparing its attack to eliminate its enemy.
On the other side of the fight, Assassin froze for a second, allowing a direct blow to Archer's jaw to land, knocking him to the ground for a few moments.
Assassin realized this, but it wasn't time to hesitate.
Creating a spectral spear, he coated his hand in Haki and with all his might hurled the weapon, only to be struck by a direct Berserker attack to his chest and torso, knocking him to the ground and leaving a trail of destruction.
"Argh!!" Assassin groaned, vomiting blood as his transformation dissipated. "I think the rest is up to you, Archer," he said, and with that, Archer could no longer move. Breathing was difficult due to nearly all his ribs being broken, which were damaging both his lungs and heart; any further movement would most likely worsen the internal damage, potentially even killing him.
...
The Berserker Master had his attack ready to eliminate Akane once and for all.
"Before the light of..." he couldn't finish his chant as a spear struck him directly, destroying his entire surface, halting the attack, and piercing its very core.
(Note: He no longer has the circles and runes on his body that allowed him to launch attacks instantly; for now, he has to use the chants.)
As parts of the truck flew everywhere, a blue substance slowly oozed from the core with the spear in its center, disappearing into thin air.
It moved as if trying to run or grasp the soul that oozed from its core until it stopped moving and the core ceased to glow, becoming colorless, finally bringing about the Berserker Master's death.
Upon seeing this, Akane could only sigh and thank Assassin for fulfilling his promise to leave her buried there under the rubble, waiting for someone to pull her out or to remain there for the rest of her life.
...
Berserker, after striking Assassin, looked where he had aimed and felt the connection with his master vanish instantly, draining his mana supply.
"Oh, well done, but that won't make him disappear, at least not immediately." This was because his mana reserve was at its limit, so if they wanted him to disappear, they would have to deplete his mana first.
Thinking of his slain master, he thought of avenging him by killing the assassin who lay motionless on the ground, alive.
The moment he took a step, something grabbed his foot.
"I'm your opponent, you crazy monkey," Archer announced from the ground, rising without letting go of Berserker and slamming him to the ground, sending him flying.
Berserker got up to see a somewhat battered and exhausted Archer.
He said nothing, simply walking slowly toward his opponent, thinking of killing him quickly and then going after Assassin.
"Command Spell," a voice called from a distance.
The two turned to see a dying man, half his face destroyed, missing a leg, and with tubes piercing his stomach and chest.
This was Albus, who had just emerged from the destroyed tunnels. Unlike Akane, he didn't have his Command Seals to summon Archer; otherwise, he might not be on the brink of death right now. But before leaving, he managed to grab his severed hand with his Command Seal and surface.
"Archer, I restore you to your full power. Don't stop fighting until you defeat Berserker." With that command, the last Command Seal vanished, causing Albus to collapse to the ground, coughing up blood.
Archer's body healed, and he regained his mana, just as Akane had done before.
"Yes, sir, Master!" Archer exclaimed, swiftly elbowing Berserk, who went flying. With equal speed, Archer pursued him.
Upon hearing this, Albus smiled, and with faith that Archer would win, he closed his eyes, and his soul left his body. With that, Albus Wright died, satisfied and without remorse for all he had done.
...
The fight between the two raged on relentlessly throughout the night; Archer fought with agility and skill, expending minimal mana while inflicting maximum damage on his opponent.
Both fighters' mana dwindled more and more, but Berserker's was the most affected, as he used it to avoid disappearing.
Archer, possessing independent control, didn't need this, as he could survive three days in the world without a master to sustain his mana.
Both were nearing their end, and dawn was breaking.
Archer, his fist ablaze with power and fire, unleashed a punch that obliterated Berserker's head, yet he didn't die.
He began to regenerate, though his healing process slowed. Archer, panting, attempted another blow, but exhaustion overwhelmed him, and he stumbled, falling to the ground.
Berserker, who was already regenerating, realized he likely wouldn't last much longer, and if he didn't kill him, Assassin would.
One of Berserker's abilities was his immortality, which came with incredibly fast regeneration. However, based on his original body, he still possessed something he once had: a Saint Graph.
Berserker's Saint Graph was nearing its end, as each time he pushed his body to its limits in every fight, it gradually damaged it.
Seeing this, with his mana almost depleted and the sun rising and the Command spells still taking effect, he remained still and voluntarily stopped regenerating.
Archer quickly got up; he thought Berserker would attack but was surprised to find him standing still, doing nothing.
Berserker's fist was ready to strike, but it was slower than usual. Archer, taking advantage of this, didn't hesitate and, with the last of his mana, attacked Berserker's chest, destroying it.
Berserker felt this and also how his Saint Graph was destroyed, but he wasn't bothered since, after everything that had happened and all these battles, he could say he was satisfied.
Thus, Berserker began to fade away until he disappeared, giving Archer the victory.
Seeing this, he let out a long sigh and sat down on the ground.
"Thank you for not interfering," Archer said, glancing to the side, seeing Assassin sitting on some tall rubble, watching everything.
"I wouldn't miss the end of your fight for anything; I'm just sorry I can't keep the promise I made you when we met," Assassin said sadly.
"It's okay, we'll just do it next time we see each other," he said matter-of-factly, as if he knew they would meet again, as if he could see destiny.
"Heh, next time," Assassin repeated.
Archer watched his hands as they turned transparent.
"I think in the end you and your master won the Holy Grail War; anyway, I didn't have any real wish, so it doesn't affect me."
"I just hope my master will consider me and grant my wish too," Assassin complained, knowing what Akane's wish was.
"Well, that was fun; see you next time," Archer said with a gesture to Assassin.
"Yes, see you next time," Assassin replied, staring into space. He was alone now, with no one around.
...
Akane was already bored among the rubble, counting the stones around her, only to hear someone start moving debris.
This frightened her, as it could be an enemy, but she calmed down since technically there was only one enemy left, and if it was that one, they wouldn't just move the rubble; they would destroy it.
Luckily for Akane, she saw Assassin accompanied by Chiaki as he lifted the rubble, finally freeing her.
"Wow, I didn't know you're a hermit now, living beneath Baria Master," Assassin mocked.
"Shut up, insolent servant," she simply said, as she truly didn't have the energy to fight Assassin.
He noticed this and helped her up.
"So what happened?" she asked her servant.
"We won, sadly; Albus died, and Archer disappeared after using all his mana to defeat Berserker," he explained.
"I see. In the end, of all the participants, only we survived," the master said sadly.
"That... that's not entirely true," Chiaki replied; "Those people from that mansion are still here."
"Ah, they don't count. They're trash," Assassin explained, which made the girl feel uneasy.
"Hey, don't teach her to treat people like that," Akane complained.
"Japanese people and their shitty customs and rules," she heard Assassin mutter.
The place fell into a somewhat dry silence.
"Well, what now?" Akane asked.
"Don't you know what to do?" Assassin questioned, seeing Akane's ignorance. "You really are a blockhead."
"You brought it on yourself," Akane said, launching herself into a fight with Assassin.
Seeing this, Chiaki could only wait for her to finish with a bead of sweat on her forehead.
"I don't think this is the right time to do that kind of thing," the girl concluded.
...
After a long hike, the three reached the edge of the mountain where the main temple stood, the place where the Holy Grail was kept.
"There should be an entrance to the mountain's secret caves to find the Holy Grail; in theory, it should be up in the temple, but since it was destroyed, this is the only way," Assassin explained. With that, the three walked through the forest until they found the entrance to the caves.
After another short hike, they arrived at the spot where the three Holy Grail Initiator families had begun their ritual. Before them stood a rock shaped like a woman, filled with mana and ready to be used.
"I think it's here," Assassin declared upon seeing it.
"Yes, I think so too," Akane replied, astonished.
"Well, that was fun, Master," Assassin said to Akane.
"Huh?" she responded, her eyes widening as she watched Assassin create a spectral blade and plunge it into her heart. "What are you doing, idiot?"
"Do you think I didn't know that the mana of all seven servants is needed to make the Holy Grail function properly?" he replied. "It's possible that with just six, I have enough mana for you to go to the Root and back; that's why I did this."
Akane watched as Assassin stood still and began to disappear.
"But what about your dream?" he asked.
"Someday it will come true, and I will return to life, but I know it won't be this one." Akane felt anger and rage upon hearing Assassin's words.
She had spent these days with him, learned from him, and thought with him; she had helped him, and he had saved her several times. To her, Assassin wasn't her servant; he was her friend, and she wasn't going to let him die before her eyes.
"I see; it was all your plan," Akane retorted angrily, looking at him as a tear fell from her eye.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said with a smile.
"You won't die. I'll fulfill your dream, but in return, you'll come with me to fulfill mine. After all, you told me you could travel to the root, didn't you?" With that, Akane ran and entered the glowing rock.
"Hey, wait," Assassin tried to stop her, but it was too late, as Akane had already entered the Holy Grail.
...
Akane felt as if her body were passing through several dimensions, only to end up in a field of flowers. She was awestruck by the beauty of the place.
"Welcome, victor of the Second Holy Grail War. I sense that your Servant has not yet been placed in the Grail, but I still have enough mana to grant your wish; however, it will be somewhat limited," a voice spoke from behind Akane.
Turning around, she saw a woman with platinum blonde hair, pale skin, and red eyes. She had seen something like this before—a homunculus—but something inside her told her it wasn't a homunculus.
Ignoring all of that, Akane stood firmly before her.
"I already have my wish," she announced.
"I see that. I hope you enjoy it and don't regret it. With that, I still have some mana left, something else I wish for; however, it will have to be something small, as there is very little left," the woman said.
Akane was lost in thought upon hearing that.
...
Outside the Grail, Assassin was about to vanish before Chiaki's eyes, but out of nowhere, his body began to glow, blinding the little girl.
After a few seconds, it felt as if the place had changed.
Suddenly, the three of them were outside the temple, the entrance to the caves sealed shut, preventing anyone from entering; they wouldn't be accessible again for another 60 years.
Chiaki rubbed her eye and began to blink, hoping it would cure her temporary blindness.
"We're outside," Akane said in surprise, looking around, her gaze settling on Assassin, whose body was moving—100% real.
He was no longer a Servant, but a "human," with many quotation marks.
"Heh," he could only manage a small laugh at the sight of his body.
"Assassin?" she asked, seeing him since she wasn't sure if her wish would be granted as she intended.
"Assassin? The Servant is gone. Now only I remain, a mere remnant of flesh, energy, and mana," he declared, looking at Akane and bowing. "My name is Dante Manmayer, or, knowing we're in Japan, perhaps it would be better to call me Dante Kurozumi."
Akane was surprised, having forgotten Assassin's true name, but upon hearing it, she could only smile.
"Nice to meet you, Kurozumi," she replied.
"After all this talking from such a distance, call me by my name, Akane, and thank you so much for reviving me and Kiss-Shot," Dante retorted.
The sorceress stared at him for a few moments and smiled.
"It's no big deal, Dante. I just hope you'll help me fulfill mine."
"Yes, speaking of which"—those words shattered the pleasant atmosphere. "I arrived without my scythe, which gave me the ability to travel between dimensions.
"..." Akane remained silent for a few seconds. "And where is it?" referring to the scythe.
Dante shrugged, indicating he had no idea where it was, "hopefully on Earth."
"...", the place fell silent.
...
*A few weeks later*
At the Aozaki estate, everything was peaceful. The head of the household was in his workshop working on his magical research; his wife was tidying the house, sighing over their rebellious daughter, who had gone off to perform some ritual and stolen an ancient relic. Their youngest son was playing with some scrolls and magic circles, supervised by some hired instructors.
Suddenly, the bell outside the gate rang. Akane's mother got up and walked to the entrance of the estate, trying to figure out what it could be.
When she opened the door, she was shocked to see who was there.
"Hello, Mother, it's been a while," Akane said, a little embarrassed.
"Hello, Mother-in-law, nice to see you..." he couldn't finish his sentence, as Akane elbowed him in the diaphragm.
Akane's mother stared at the four new people standing before her: a man, a girl, a radiant woman with a noble air, and her daughter.
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This concludes the Second Holy Grail War arc. There are still a few details I'll cover in the next chapter, but for now, it's officially over.
We'll have a short break before the Fifth Holy Grail War begins. As you might suspect, Dante will act as a master, not a servant, since he won't kill him again just to force him to serve.
Well, that's all for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you next time.