Chapter 259: The Final Battle (Conclusion)
"If I hadn't agreed, would this barrier in front of me not exist?"
Hikigaya Hachiman thought, gazing at the barrier which seemed fragile but was actually quite solid.
He turned and looked towards where Sakura and Irisviel were. Sure enough, just like him, two silver 'cocoons' were bobbing in the black mud.
'I wonder how long it will take to purify this much black mud...'
Looking at the black mud surrounding him, a sense of helplessness flashed through Hikigaya Hachiman's mind.
However, the priority now was to get Sakura and Irisviel to a safe place.
After calming down and observing carefully, Hikigaya Hachiman realized that they were not stationary.
On the contrary, the black mud seemed to possess the properties of a fluid and was sliding down the mountainside...
After waiting patiently for a while, the star-filled sky that briefly flashed into view confirmed Hikigaya Hachiman's guess was correct.
As the black mud continuously flowed downwards, the three people originally encased inside gradually floated to the surface.
Hikigaya Hachiman seized the moment, jumped onto a huge rock that jutted out of the black mud, and then used chains woven from divinity to pull the other two from the black mud onto the rock with him.
"Have they already passed out?"
As if on cue, the two people in the 'cocoons' had conveniently fallen unconscious.
This spared Hikigaya Hachiman the trouble of explaining things, so he wouldn't complain.
"So, how am I supposed to purify this thing next?"
Temporarily placing Sakura and Irisviel on the rock, Hikigaya Hachiman fell into contemplation as he looked at the black mud before him.
Alaya hadn't told him how to purify it before kicking him out, so he had to figure out the method himself.
"Can divinity purify it?"
In Japanese mythology, divinity usually comes with a purification effect, and for a deity like Inari Ōkami, the purification effect is particularly powerful.
Hikigaya Hachiman attempted to channel a portion of his divinity into the black mud. The Inari Divinity entering the black mud was like a pebble dropped into a deep pool; it merely created a ripple and then yielded no further result.
However, the Inari Divinity wasn't completely ineffective. In Hikigaya Hachiman's line of sight, at least half a foot of black mud instantly vanished before the divinity completely disappeared...
"Heh, purely using divinity, it's impossible to complete the purification..."
After quickly calculating how much divinity he would need to clear all the black mud, Hikigaya Hachiman decisively abandoned the idea of purifying it with sheer divine power.
"I remember Alaya saying that the Holy Grail was contaminated because there was a source of pollution within it..."
The idea of clearing the contamination from the outside failed, so Hikigaya Hachiman decided to solve the problem at its root.
"As long as I deal with the source of contamination, there shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Thinking this, Hikigaya Hachiman looked up at the pillar of light on the mountaintop.
He glanced back at the two unconscious individuals. Uneasy about their safety, Hikigaya Hachiman called out the Head Miko, who was attached to him for healing, and asked her to look after them. Only then did he rush toward Ryūdō Temple, using the rocks protruding from the black mud as leverage.
On the way up the slope, Hikigaya Hachiman unexpectedly encountered the two who should have been fighting Gilgamesh.
"Lancer, Saber, why are you here?"
Hikigaya Hachiman raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, looking at the two Servants, who were also heading toward the mountaintop and looked thoroughly disheveled.
Could it be that they had already defeated Archer and were returning to claim the Holy Grail?
If so, they would probably be disappointed.
After all, the Holy Grail currently couldn't be used at all...
"During the exchange, Archer was suddenly summoned away by his Master using a Command Spell."
Karna briefly explained why they were there, and then looked at the black mud beside them and asked Hikigaya Hachiman:
"Master, do you know what this is?"
"Black mud. To use a chuunibyou term, you could call it the Evil of the World. Anyway, just try your best not to touch it. It brings misfortune."
"The Evil of the World?"
Ignoring the rather bland name 'black mud,' Karna frowned as he looked at the constantly flowing mud, lost in thought.
Artoria, however, did not have the patience to wait around.
The Holy Grail had manifested in the world and was in an ownerless state.
Archer's whereabouts were unknown, and he was likely rushing to the top of the mountain just like them. She didn't have the luxury of time to stop and ponder what the black substance was.
"Alright, since we've met, let's all go up and retrieve the Holy Grail first."
Hikigaya Hachiman noticed Artoria's anxiety. He roused the contemplating Karna and, along with the two Servants, rushed toward the temple on the mountaintop.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, inside Ryūdō Temple, Archer was looking displeasedly at Kotomine Kirei, who had summoned him.
Although he, too, looked somewhat disheveled fighting two Servants, he didn't believe he would lose that battle.
Yet, before the three of them could determine a victor, he was forcibly transferred away by Kotomine Kirei. Didn't that make it look like he ran away?
"Please calm your anger. The reason I forcibly summoned you back is truly because this Holy Grail is strange..."
Saying this, Kotomine Kirei raised his finger and pointed at the Holy Grail, which was still constantly overflowing with black mud in the pillar of light.
"Oh?"
Hearing Kotomine Kirei's words, the anger on Gilgamesh's face subsided slightly. He turned his head and focused his gaze on the so-called Holy Grail.
With just one look, the black mud filled with various negative curses made him frown.
"When did my possession get tainted with such disgusting stuff?"
Gilgamesh spoke with a tone of distaste and moved closer, attempting to discern the nature of the black mud on the Holy Grail's surface.
However, even the oldest King in the world, upon seeing the black mud, could only recognize that it was permeated with powerful curses but could not discern its true essence.
"If it's stained, there's absolutely no need to retrieve it..."
Looking at the completely contaminated Holy Grail, Gilgamesh lost all interest.
His reason for participating was merely to punish the one who dared to use his treasury without permission.
Now that the Holy Grail was so dirty, it had completely lost its value as a collector's item. He would absolutely not allow such a filthy thing to enter his treasury and defile his other treasures!
"Archer!"
Just as Gilgamesh was preparing to leave, Saber arrived at the mountaintop first.
Seeing Gilgamesh beside the Holy Grail, Artoria, who mistakenly believed he was about to seize it, rushed forward with her sword without hesitation.
"Interesting... Do you covet even such filth, Saber?"
Seeing Artoria treat the item he disdained as a supreme treasure, Gilgamesh suddenly saw the only remaining purpose of the Holy Grail.
Several Noble Phantasms instantly shot out from behind Gilgamesh, forcing back the charging Artoria.
He then reached out and picked up the Holy Grail, whose surface was covered in black mud.
The moment his hand touched the black mud, countless curses swarmed, attempting to crawl all over Gilgamesh's body.
However, in the face of this curse capable of corrupting everything, Gilgamesh merely frowned, and then acted as if nothing had happened.
"Saber, do you want this?"
Holding up the cup, Gilgamesh looked at Artoria with an expression of anticipating a good show.
"...."
Artoria looked at the Holy Grail in Gilgamesh's hand, her eyes filled with longing.
However, she clearly hadn't lost her mind yet and maintained her vigilance.
"Well now, let me think..."
Cupping his chin with his free hand, Gilgamesh pondered.
'Should I use the Holy Grail to make Saber and Lancer kill each other?'
But they both seem to follow that brat's orders. Even if Saber temporarily rebelled, that brat could simply eliminate her.
"In any case, how about you put down your weapon first?"
Carefully observing Artoria's face, Gilgamesh spread his hand.
"That's probably impossible for her to do!"
Before Artoria could answer, Hikigaya Hachiman's voice came from behind her.
Walking to Artoria's side, Hikigaya Hachiman cast a helpless glance at the prematurely arriving Artoria, then directed his gaze at the extremely obnoxious Servant opposite him.
"You picked up the Holy Grail?"
Hikigaya Hachiman's attention was quickly drawn to the Holy Grail in Gilgamesh's hand.
Hikigaya Hachiman looked at the completely unharmed Gilgamesh as if he had seen a ghost, not understanding why he was fine despite directly touching the black mud.
"This thing originally belonged to me. Is there a problem with the owner holding his own possession?"
Gilgamesh looked at Hikigaya Hachiman, who was ruining his fun, and countered arrogantly.
"That thing is already contaminated and cannot be used."
Hikigaya Hachiman kindly reminded him.
"So what?"
Gilgamesh asked, looking utterly unconcerned.
He certainly knew the Holy Grail was contaminated, but what did that have to do with him?
"Please wait, Master! What does 'contaminated' mean?"
Artoria, hearing the conversation between Hikigaya Hachiman and Gilgamesh, instantly became frantic.
"It means it's useless, Saber. Don't you understand such a simple concept?"
Seeing Artoria's panicked expression, Gilgamesh maliciously egged her on.
"Is that true?"
Ignoring Gilgamesh's comment, Artoria looked at Hikigaya Hachiman sternly and demanded.
"Yes. It seems to be due to an incident in the last Holy Grail War. In short, the Holy Grail cannot function normally until the filth is cleared away..."
Artoria's unwavering gaze made it impossible for Hikigaya Hachiman to lie.
He nodded, admitting the fact that the Holy Grail was unusable.
"How can this be?"
Hearing Hikigaya Hachiman's confirmation, Artoria staggered back.
She had persevered for so long, paid such a high price...
Only to be told, just as she was about to obtain the Holy Grail, that it was unusable...
"But it can be used again after purification!"
Seeing that Artoria's mental state was becoming unstable, Hikigaya Hachiman quickly added.
"Purification?"
That was true.
If the Holy Grail couldn't be used because it was contaminated, wouldn't it be fine once it was purified?
Thinking this, Artoria's almost shattered belief immediately re-coalesced. She looked up at the Holy Grail in Gilgamesh's hand, and fighting spirit instantly ignited in her heart.
"Tch..."
Watching the almost lost Artoria be recalled by Hikigaya Hachiman's few words, the disappointed Gilgamesh clicked his tongue and summoned Noble Phantasms again.
"Archer, how about settling it with one blow?"
Just then, Karna, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
After the previous battle, he had a thorough understanding of Gilgamesh's strength, and Gilgamesh likely knew his and Saber's strength equally well.
Rather than continuing a war of attrition, it would be better to gather their strongest strike and decide the victor in the shortest amount of time, incidentally determining the ultimate ownership of the Holy Grail.
"One blow? What an arrogant statement. But fine, given the strength you've displayed, this King will reluctantly grant your request!"
Gilgamesh, who was supremely confident in his strongest Noble Phantasm, scoffed but nodded upon hearing Karna's proposal.
Immediately, all the Noble Phantasms in the sky were withdrawn, replaced by an ancient gate appearing behind him...
"What recklessness..."
Hikigaya Hachiman, who also heard Karna's proposal, couldn't help but sigh.
Fortunately, he still had two Command Spells left, which was just enough to allow Karna and Artoria to unleash their Noble Phantasms...
"I will consume two Command Spells to command you: Lancer, Saber, unleash your Noble Phantasms and deliver your strongest strike to defeat the Archer before you!"
As his words fell, the Command Spell pattern on the back of Hikigaya Hachiman's right hand completely disappeared.
At the same time, beside him, the fighting aura surrounding Karna and Artoria began to rapidly surge!
"A strike intending guaranteed victory? While the courage to challenge me is commendable, your fate of failure is already sealed."
Feeling the imposing aura emanating from the two, Gilgamesh dropped his playful expression and gazed at them indifferently.
In his hand, a huge golden key slowly rose.
As it twisted in mid-air, the gate behind Gilgamesh seemed to open. Countless lines emerged above his head, finally transforming into a golden sphere suspended over his right hand.
"If you ask why, it is because I am the King who rules the world, the first King of all! Come, E.A.!"
An 'iron rod' covered in dark red runes slowly descended from the golden sphere, finally landing in Gilgamesh's hand.
With Gilgamesh's shout, it began to spin rapidly, simultaneously emitting an aura of destruction.
"Lancer, Saber, behold this majestic power!"
The moment Gilgamesh summoned the Enuma Elish, the previously surging auras of the two instantly became like fireflies before the sun.
But even so, Artoria and Karna had no trace of fear in their hearts.
"For Britain, I must obtain the Holy Grail!"
Artoria placed her left hand on her chest.
A scabbard adorned with blue and gold slowly materialized from her body. That was the scabbard, Avalon (The Everdistant Utopia), which Irisviel had returned through Hikigaya Hachiman.
The scabbard emerged from Artoria's body, instantly dispersing into countless fragments that spread around Hikigaya Hachiman, herself, and Karna, forming an unbreakable barrier.
After the barrier appeared, the auras of the two, which had been shaken by the appearance of Enuma Elish, recovered and surged once more!
"Indra, behold."
Unlike the magnificent build-up of Gilgamesh and Artoria,
Karna's side looked relatively 'calm.'
He quietly looked at Gilgamesh standing not far away, but his eyes seemed to see another figure through him.
A storm began to gather above his head, forming a massive prana vortex.
Karna then leaped into the center of the vortex. In less than half a second, the colossal prana contained within the vortex was completely absorbed by him.
Exhaling, Karna closed his eyes.
Simultaneously, an eye composed entirely of golden-red flames silently appeared behind him...
"Enuma Elish!"
"Ex....calibur!"
"Vasavi Shakti!!!"
The three launched their attacks almost simultaneously.
A distortion of space appeared from the tip of Enuma Elish, and the power of destruction followed the path, rushing towards the two Servants in front, determined to engulf them.
The eye behind Karna suddenly opened, and a light spear capable of destroying the world condensed in his hand, rushing forward with world-ending might to meet the attack.
Below, the column of light transformed from the light of hope similarly shot directly towards Gilgamesh.
After a brief, chilling silence in the air, the three Servants' strongest strikes collided. The energy that spilled out instantly shaved off the entire mountaintop!
Under the protection of Avalon, Hikigaya Hachiman luckily avoided the impact of the energy.
However, Kotomine Kirei, who was standing behind Gilgamesh, did not have such good fortune.
Even though he exhausted all his Command Spells to construct a defense in front of him, the energy storm, determined to destroy everything, instantly breached the defense upon contact and tore Kotomine Kirei into shreds!
"Ugh..."
Gilgamesh had no remaining strength to care about Kotomine Kirei's life or death.
He tightly gripped Ea in his right hand, and the power of destruction was released from the sword tip once more.
However, Karna and Artoria were equally unwilling to back down.
They furiously squeezed every last bit of energy from Hikigaya Hachiman's body, and the beams of light emanating from their hands grew larger...
Finally, the intersecting centers of energy crossed paths.
A portion of Artoria and Karna's attacks bypassed the destructive power and rushed directly toward Gilgamesh.
At the same time, a portion of the destructive power also rushed towards the two of them.
The barrier constructed by Avalon trembled when struck by the destructive power, but it barely held up.
On the other side, facing the incoming attacks, Gilgamesh calmly released various defensive Noble Phantasms from his treasury to block them.
However, one shield after another lined up in front of him was destroyed by the colossal energy, until the last one first piercied the Holy Grail in his left hand and then striking his heart...
With a fwoomp sound, the Holy Grail dropped from his hand and shattered.
Following that, Gilgamesh only felt golden and red lights ignite simultaneously before he could see nothing more...
.
.
.
New Fanfiction!
Hachiman please tone down your Inner Thoughts
While waiting for Yukinoshita in the clubroom, he unexpectedly travels to the world of Classroom of the Elite and becomes the representative of Class B.
Initially, he only intended to keep a low profile while helping Class B escape its tragic fate from the original story, and incidentally saving Ichinose Honami.
However, why these girls seems to know what am I Thinking?
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting