When Gilgamesh and Mydei reappeared, everyone present wore expressions of utter shock.
Though they hadn't witnessed the battle that just took place inside the Reality Marble, they could tell this wasn't a case of the Marble dissipating because its owner voluntarily canceled it.
Rather, someone had torn it apart from the inside with brute force.
But one must understand—a Reality Marble stands as the highest form of magecraft, second only to True Magic itself.
Its stability is incredibly powerful; even attacks on the level of anti-fortress Noble Phantasms would struggle to shake it.
Yet, the moment the Reality Marble vanished, every magus present sensed an ultimate power.
It was pure destruction, as if the entire world was about to shatter into pieces.
Even the arrogant Kayneth couldn't help but widen his eyes at the sight.
As a Lord of the Clock Tower, he could be considered the one with the deepest understanding of magecraft among those present.
The instant the two figures reappeared, he saw it - two overwhelming impacts, power sufficient to shatter the world!
Is this still a Holy Grail War? How could Servants of this caliber appear in some backcountry rural event?
What's the equivalent? Imagine you're a national second-string soccer player, going to some remote village for an exhibition match, thinking you'll crush some amateurs.
Then you look up and see your opponents include not just the national first team, but also absolute champions like Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in their prime.
How do you fight that? You just surrender!
Frankly, after witnessing the battle between Mydei and the Golden King, Kayneth no longer held any hope of winning the Holy Grail War.
With these two here, the other five Servants combined would just be lining up to die.
Now he understood what Kiritsugu Emiya had meant before.
If he could just bring his wife home safely from this trip, that would be fortunate enough. Who would have thought this small city of Fuyuki would harbor such hidden dragons and crouching tigers, concealing two such mighty buddhas.
"Mongrel, I admit you've surprised me. No, you've earned the right to speak with me as an equal."
The Ea sword in his hand gradually stilled as Gilgamesh smiled faintly, returning it to his Gate of Babylon.
"The right to speak as equals? That's meaningless, isn't it?"
Mydei sneered coldly: "The Holy Grail is about to manifest, Gilgamesh. Just obediently become the nourishment for its manifestation."
"Hmph, mongrel. If you can do it, then come! This king has more than just Ea at his disposal."
Gilgamesh snorted coldly as golden ripples opened behind him. Countless Noble Phantasms emerged from the Gate of Babylon, revealing their sharp edges as if they cost nothing.
"My King, at this moment, please seize victory!"
Just as Gilgamesh finished speaking, Tokiomi Tohsaka's voice slowly sounded. His upright figure appeared behind Gilgamesh, the Command Spells on his hand gradually fading.
Simultaneously, Gilgamesh's magical energy surged to incredible levels.
That was the effect of two Command Spells being used, empowering Gilgamesh with tremendous magical energy.
Gilgamesh could feel that he could still unleash Ea one more time now, though he had no intention of doing so.
After all, Mydei also had several unused Command Spells.
Thinking of this, a faint smile couldn't help but appear on Gilgamesh's face: "Tokiomi, you've certainly taught your daughter well, to summon such a powerful Servant."
His face carried a pleased smile, and the moment he spoke these words, Tokiomi finally saw a small figure step out from behind Mydei's imposing form.
It was Sakura.
And Tokiomi Tohsaka saw the three bright red Command Spells on the back of Sakura's hand.
"S-Sakura?"
Tokiomi's eyes widened as he stared at the small figure behind Mydei.
He had been speculating for days about which magus could summon a Servant of Mydei's caliber. Only today did Tokiomi discover it was actually Sakura.
"F-Father..."
Seeing Tokiomi, Sakura's eyes reddened slightly, but she ultimately said nothing, simply looking at Tokiomi.
"So, Tokiomi Tohsaka, how do you like this surprise?" Mydei stood nearby, an involuntary mocking smile appearing on his face.
"Sir, you've certainly given me a tremendous surprise... After painstakingly planning for the Holy Grail War for years, to find my strongest opponent is my own child... What expression should I... make now?"
His face bore a bitter expression, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
"Don't. You're overlooking something. The moment you sent Sakura away, you ceased to be her father."
"Big Brother..."
Hearing Mydei's harsh words and seeing the bitter expression on Tokiomi's face, Sakura understood that Tokiomi hadn't acted maliciously. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, she tugged at Mydei's clothes.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop. But I'm going to end this battle. You have no objections, right?"
Mydei's face showed a helpless expression. Sakura was still too gentle. If it were someone more vindictive, they'd probably hate Tokiomi, this biological father, to death by now.
After all, sometimes the cruelest thing is parents' self-righteous "what's best for you." Sakura nearly fell victim to it.
But ultimately, it came down to Tokiomi's poor judgment of character.
In the original story, Tokiomi Tohsaka was famously blind—misjudging Zouken Matou and taking that bastard priest as his student.
"Enough talk. Ready to die, Goldie?"
Mydei stopped dwelling on the matter and turned his gaze to Gilgamesh beside him.
"Mongrel, since you're so eager to die, I'll oblige you."
Gilgamesh snorted coldly. From the golden ripples behind him, countless Noble Phantasms shot toward Mydei.
An ordinary person would be turned into a pincushion in moments, but Mydei was naturally no ordinary man.
In an instant, Mydei charged forward at incredible speed.
A crimson long spear materialized in his hand. Then, Mydei's figure moved as if dancing - every weapon that sought to pierce his chest was deflected by the flower-like patterns his spear drew in the air.
Meanwhile, Mydei closed the distance to Gilgamesh step by step.
Ordinary Noble Phantasm barrages couldn't defeat Mydei.
Not that Gilgamesh expected to defeat him with such methods.
The next moment, Mydei's figure had already charged within ten meters of Gilgamesh. Yet, facing Mydei who rushed forward like a freight train, Gilgamesh showed no panic on his face. Instead, a smile appeared.
"Watch out!"
In that instant, Tokiomi couldn't help but shout in concern.
And Mydei, in that same moment, stopped moving.
It wasn't voluntary - his movements were forcibly halted.
Chains bound Mydei's limbs, shooting out from the void. The moment Mydei was about to reach the Golden King, they suddenly appeared from emptiness, firmly restraining his figure.
"You claimed to be both the king of Castrum Kremnos and its deity, correct? In this world, no god can break free from my Enkidu. The farce ends here - die, mongrel! But I will remember your name. After all, you've brought some amusement to my tedious life."
The next moment, a wild laugh appeared on Gilgamesh's face. Swords, spears, and halberds extended from the void all around Mydei, rushing toward him. Yet, Mydei's face showed no trace of panic.
"Oh? Is that so? I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Chains of this level... can't restrain a lion!"
A bold smile spread across his lips. As the strongest demigod, the Heaven-Sent Spear Nikador relied not just on his authority, but also on his formidable martial prowess!
A body tempered for millennia in the River of Souls, a body that triumphed through endless campaigns - how could mere chains like these hope to bind it?
"BREAK!"
Mydei roared, then exerted force throughout his limbs. In that moment, his body - resembling a sculpture from ancient Greek artists - appeared even more mighty and majestic.
Then came the sharp crack of Enkidu being overwhelmed - clear, crisp, almost musical. But Gilgamesh's face now showed only endless gravity.
A god breaking Enkidu? How was this possible?
Yet the evidence was right before his eyes.
With a furious roar, Mydei completely shattered his Enkidu.
"Remember—the one who kills you is the new god of Castrum Kremnos, the immortal Mydeimos! HAAAH!"
Mydei roared, his spear thrusting forward violently. The tremendous power and speed shattered any chance Gilgamesh had to react. He wanted to dodge, but this attack was simply too ferocious.
In just an instant, it pierced through Gilgamesh's heart, tearing all vitality from him.
"...Well done, mongrel. This time, you've won."
Looking at the spear that had pierced his heart, a faint smile appeared on Gilgamesh's face. The next moment, his figure turned into golden bubbles, gradually dissipating.
Retracting his spear, Mydei looked somewhat satisfied as he glanced at Tokiomi Tohsaka.
If Tokiomi had been more despicable, he could have taken advantage of their battle to attack Sakura. For a magus, trading a daughter for a chance to reach the Root would be completely worth it.
But Tokiomi still had his bottom line. Mydei could tell Tokiomi hadn't even considered that option.
Foolish, perhaps, but not evil.
And precisely at that moment, the Holy Grail finally revealed its true form.
"So this... is the Holy Grail?"
A flash of greed appeared in Tokiomi's eyes. No magus could maintain composure before the Third Magic so close at hand. Not just him - even Kayneth wore an expression of intense craving.
However, with Mydei present, none dared make any rash moves.
Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Mydei slowly stepped forward and grasped the Holy Grail.
Instantly, illusions flashed through Mydei's mind.
His mother, Gorgo, was calling to him...
But after just a moment, Mydei destroyed the illusions that sought to distract him.
"Petty tricks to confuse the mind? Useless against me. As the god of Castrum Kremnos, my will has long been unshakable."
Holding the Holy Grail in his hand, Mydei raised it high for all to witness.
If he simply wanted to destroy the Holy Grail, it would be easy - just take it to an uninhabited area. The spilled black mud posed little threat if it didn't appear in densely populated cities.
But Mydei chose another method.
If there was a way to dissolve All the World's Evils, the Holy Grail would restore its original function. And Mydei already had an idea.
"The ancient Titans withstood the Black Tide's corruption for millennia. This mere black mud? I will bear it!"
As he spoke, endless magical energy manifested around him.
Suddenly, fierce winds whipped up above Ryuudou Temple. Everyone was forced back by this tremendous power, all retreating from the area.
And in that moment, endless black mud flowed forth from the Holy Grail, slowly spreading in all directions.
However, after expanding to a certain size, the mud was confined within a specific boundary.
The Holy Grail's mud had a corrupting effect on Servants. But with sufficient willpower, one could maintain self-awareness despite the corruption.
In the original story, Gilgamesh achieved this—even managing to incarnate through the mud, allowing him to remain in the world permanently.
If Gilgamesh could do it, naturally Mydei could as well.
If he could withstand the Black Tide, how could this mere All the World's Evils trouble him?
Infinite black mud enveloped Mydei while negative emotions slowly emerged from the depths of his heart.
Yet, beneath Mydei's rock-solid will, these negative emotions caused not even a ripple.
Under the vast magical energy, no one could approach. They could only watch as the endless black mud swallowed Mydei.
"Big Brother..." Sakura clenched her hands, watching the temple with concern.
Saber also looked shocked that such an ominous thing existed within the Holy Grail.
"This fellow... truly worthy of being a god. To think he'd choose to bear this malice himself—how surprising."
At some point, a somewhat aged figure appeared near the group, yet none had noticed his arrival.
"You are... Ancestor Zelretch!"
The first to react was Tokiomi Tohsaka.
The Tohsaka family's ancestor, Nagato Tohsaka, had been the Wizard Marshall's apprentice. Thus, portraits of the Wizard Marshall had been passed down through the Tohsaka line.
"Wizard Marshall of the Mage's Association? To think a legendary being like yourself would appear here! Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, one of the Clock Tower's twelve Lords, pays his respects."
Kayneth also reacted, setting aside his noble pride to bow to Zelretch.
For magi, those who possessed Magic were absolute VIPs.
Moreover, Zelretch had long been a legendary figure at the Clock Tower.
The Marshal's legends could fill a thick book.
"Could it be, sir, that you're also interested in the Holy Grail?" Kayneth probed cautiously.
"Don't misunderstand. I have no interest in that thing. Even if you gave me the Third Magic, I couldn't use it. Magic chooses its own masters. I simply had an agreement with Mydei. Now that he's resolved the Holy Grail issue for me, I must honor our bargain and take Sakura as my apprentice."
"...What!?"
Hearing Zelretch's words, Tokiomi exclaimed in surprise. His daughter was to become the apprentice of a legendary figure like Zelretch?
For a moment, Tokiomi even felt a twinge of jealousy toward his own daughter.
A Magician- a legendary VIP. He never imagined Sakura would receive such an honor.
Meanwhile, the black mud stopped expanding after reaching a certain size.
Everyone waited patiently outside. With Zelretch overseeing things, none dared make any unnecessary moves.
Watching the slowly receding black mud, they all widened their eyes in anticipation.
A full fifteen minutes passed before Mydei's figure gradually emerged.
--+--
[Congratulations, Master, for obtaining the hidden achievement!: The King Shall Acknowledge it! The King Shall Permit It! The King Will Bear the Burden of the World!]
[You have successfully resolved All the World's Evils. Obtained points: 300,000.]
--+--
Mydei paid little attention to the hidden achievement notification, instead weighing the Holy Grail in his hand.
This object countless magi dreamed of obtaining was treated by Mydei like some cheap toy from a market—completely ignored. He even tossed it casually in the air and caught it again.
This action made everyone watching nervous—this was the Third Magic, the Heaven's Feel, yet Mydei treated it so carelessly...
"This Grail is useless to me. You can have it." Mydei casually tossed the Holy Grail to Kiritsugu Emiya.
"Kiritsugu..." Irisviel immediately looked at her husband.
However, Kiritsugu simply shook his head.
"I've abandoned my dream... It's impossible to achieve... Time to walk away from this foolish delusion." Kiritsugu's eyes were complex as he looked at the Holy Grail in his hands.
Once, he had desperately desired the Grail. But now that it was in his hands, his feelings had completely changed.
"Oh, this is for you." Mydei suddenly remembered something and tossed a golden dagger to Irisviel.
"This is..."
Irisviel looked puzzled at the golden dagger.
"The prototype of Rule Breaker. I spotted it in Goldie's treasury earlier and helped myself. This can easily break through the Einzbern bounded fields. I don't need to explain what to do after that, right?"
Mydei grinned, his face full of sunny smile.
"Oh, and I've reinforced it with magecraft, but it won't last long since it's Goldie's property. Use it quickly—it only has about a month before it expires."
"You... you're utterly shameless!" Zelretch looked at Mydei in amazement.
You, with your honest-looking face, pulling a stunt like this?
But Mydei paid no mind.
"Thank you... I will." Kiritsugu nodded beside them. Having achieved enlightenment, his heart felt lighter.
"Go on, don't keep the child waiting. I absolutely despise useless fathers." Mydei said meaningfully.
Tokiomi nearby couldn't help but look embarrassed.
"Saber, since the Grail is useless to us now, it's yours. You have a wish you must fulfill, right?" Irisviel handed the Holy Grail to Saber, smiling gently as she looked at the knight.
"You're giving it to me?" Saber stared in disbelief.
"Of course. Kiritsugu and I have no wishes left to fulfill. Do your best, Saber. This time, make sure you have no regrets, alright?"
"...Yes, I will." A smile appeared on Saber's face as she looked at Mydei: "Thank you, Berserker."
She knew that without Mydei, she would never have obtained the Holy Grail.
Given her understanding of Kiritsugu Emiya, even if they reached the end as victors, Kiritsugu would undoubtedly destroy the Grail.
Without Mydei, no matter what, she couldn't have obtained the Holy Grail.
The next moment, she took a deep breath: "Holy Grail, please return me to Britain, to the time just before I was born."
Golden light gradually enveloped Artoria's body. Amid the vast flow of magical energy, she and the Holy Grail vanished from everyone's sight.
At the final moment, Saber turned to look at Mydei.
Though no sound came out, Mydei understood what she said: "Thank you. If there's a chance, I will definitely repay you."
--+--
"Today is the day to choose the king. Prepare yourself—it's time to pull that sword from the stone, my king."
Merlin's voice echoed in Artoria's ears. She nodded in response.
Then she returned to her room, changing into pure white robes, tying her golden hair into a youthful ponytail.
"You're..."
Merlin looked surprised at Artoria.
"As king, I shouldn't hide anything from my subjects. Even if I'm a woman, does that mean I'm not king after pulling the sword from the stone?"
A beautiful smile graced Artoria's face as she slowly walked forward.
Then, under the astonished gazes of the crowd, she slowly drew the sword from the stone.
Amid the confused and shocked looks around her, Artoria raised the sword high: "Britain has a new king!"
Then, endless cheers overwhelmed Artoria.
This time, Artoria didn't let the tragedy of before repeat itself. As a woman, she became the legendary King Arthur.
And under her rule, Britain entered an era of unprecedented prosperity.
Throughout Britain, there were only two kinds of people: those who adored their king, and those who were twisted versions of the same!
Finally, surrounded by the Twelve Knights of the Round Table, she held the sword and smiled: "My era has ended. If this continues, human history will change. This world would become a Lostbelt."
"So... I will become a Servant, watching over you from the end of time, my loyal knights. Eventually, you will all gather around me once more."
At Camlann, the legendary site of King Arthur's final battle.
Artoria scanned the crowd, finally resting her gaze on Mordred's face.
Mordred had already removed her helmet, revealing features identical to Artoria's.
"Mordred, you are a child who makes me proud. Don't grieve for me. Continue walking the path I've laid. Britain's fate rests in your hands now, whether it endures or falls..."
With these words, amid a golden light, King Arthur, Artoria, returned to the Throne of Heroes.
In the decades after her departure, her knights gradually ascended as Heroic Spirits too, eventually gathering around her once more. Her Round Table had returned!
--+--
With the Holy Grail War concluded, Mydei had no reason to remain in this world.
After tying up loose ends, he departed this world.
Naturally, before leaving, he handled a few matters.
For instance, persuading Zelretch to take Rin as his apprentice too.
The old mage readily agreed.
Then, having a talk with Kayneth - slapping some sense into him, then spending a night completely curing him of his... submissive tendencies.
Kayneth's family background was excellent to begin with, and his fiancée was essentially just a political tool used by her family to secure an alliance with the Archibald house.
It's just that Sola-Ui, dizzy with Kayneth's doting affection, failed to recognize this and became spoiled.
However, after Kayneth changed his attitude and she encountered setbacks from her own family, Sola-Ui quickly faced reality and dutifully married Kayneth. Then she discovered... Kayneth was actually quite exceptional...
As for Waver, after returning to the Clock Tower, he became Kayneth's apprentice. Though he suffered considerably, he also gained substantial knowledge.
During his studies, he gradually lost his prejudice against Kayneth, realizing Kayneth was far more capable than he'd imagined. In his heart, he genuinely came to acknowledge Kayneth as his teacher.
The unluckiest were undoubtedly the Einzbern family—they truly lost the lady and the army.
Kiritsugu could have brought the Holy Grail home, but without a second thought, he gave it to Saber. The Einzberns were so furious they nearly had aneurysms.
When Kiritsugu tried to return to retrieve Illyasviel, the Einzberns activated their bounded field, refusing him entry.
But Kiritsugu had the Rule Breaker prototype Mydei gave him. He simply shattered the barrier and gracefully took Illyasviel away.
Eventually, Kiritsugu returned to Fuyuki City, where he lived peacefully with his wife and child. Though after some time, he did adopt an orphan, naming him Shirou Emiya.
Everything seemed perfect, except for one person—Kirei Kotomine.
Kirei was deeply confused. For some reason, his old man had gone crazy recently, dragging him to practice Bajiquan every day.
Though his Bajiquan was skilled, he couldn't withstand his father's relentless training, getting beaten black and blue daily.
He racked his brains but couldn't figure out why his father had suddenly become so violent.
Only Risei Kotomine knew what Mydei had told him during their conversation that night.
Every time Risei saw Kirei's expressionless face, he grew angry and would start pummeling his son.
This series of beatings actually managed to make Kirei—who hadn't experienced emotional fluctuations in years—show a hint of grievance on his face.
Seriously, what did I even do? Just tell me! What kind of father beats his son like this? Treating your own son like a punching bag?
Besides dealing with his son, Risei also brought his beloved granddaughter over, keeping her close to ensure she wouldn't be negatively influenced.
Mydei, the instigator of all this, couldn't help but smile knowingly. Seeing the rarely-grieving expression on the face of the bastard priest, Mydei wore the same "pleasantly surprised" expression Gilgamesh often had.
After all, making Kirei show grievance was incredibly rare. If people found out, they'd probably laugh themselves to death.
The moment Mydei left this world, the system sent a notification:
--+--
[In recognition of the Master's outstanding performance, the system has reached an agreement with this world's Alaya.]
[From today onward, the host can freely summon this world's Heroic Spirits for assistance in other worlds. Heroic Spirits will labor for the Master. Each world grants three summoning opportunities!]
--+--
Mydei: ?
Alaya: I need to tightly cling to this powerful thigh!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.