The "invitation" of the Reality Marble was compulsory. Iori would be pulled inside without any power to resist.
Sure enough, the instant the Reality Marble unfolded, Circe and Iori both entered it. The surrounding space was replaced by a luxurious and magnificent banquet scene.
All kinds of delicacies and honey wine could be seen everywhere. It was truly a forest of meat and a pool of wine.
'Won!'
Just as Circe curled her lips, celebrating the victory that was about to arrive...
"Release!"
Iori's pupils suddenly burst with golden divine light. A phantom of surging waves gathered behind him.
A gigantic serpent with eight heads and eight tails slowly stretched its body. Its enormous size almost seemed about to tear apart this Reality Marble.
"Boundary Sword · Ame-no-Murakumo, Calamity Manifestation!"
Vast divine energy enveloped everything, completely locking the space in place. Even the owner, Circe, was locked down by the aura, her body feeling as if it were trapped inside steel.
"That's a Anti-World… impossible!" Circe's pupils shrank sharply. "You already burned your Spirit Origin in the battle against Yamata no Orochi, so how could you..."
"Disappear!"
Iori swung his arm down. The divine sword shed its original color and form, turning into a silver-white blade of light.
The power of lightning and the force of the waves fused together. As the sword fell, endless silver radiance extended outward.
Whether it was matter or space, even the foundational framework that formed this "domain" was cut apart in one strike.
As the aura of destruction continued to expand, Circe's Reality Marble shattered into countless fragments, then dispersed like grains of sand.
The witch of eagle wings activated a transfer magecraft. She escaped the space storm that shredded everything at almost the final moment. Even so, she lost her tin staff and one arm.
"Damn it, Berserker you..."
Whoosh!
A light figure swept past the witch's side. Circe turned her head in shock, catching a glimpse of a piece of clothing from the corner of her eye. Iori could have easily killed her, but he chose to ignore her.
Naturally, she did not know that it was because Sella in Iori's arms could no longer bear any more Servant souls. She only thought she had been looked down upon.
A deep sense of humiliation surged in her heart, but in her current state she likely had no strength to pursue him.
"So it turned out like this…"
Medea sensed Circe's defeat. It truly came as a surprise.
In her view, something like a Reality Marble could not be escaped in a short time without special means. She should have had plenty of time to finish everything. But now…
'What to do?'
'Fight?'
'That Berserker was clearly hiding his true strength!'
'You want me to fight Susanoo?'
In any case, she first prepared her Command Seals, ready to activate multiple "miracles" at any moment. Whether it was spatial transfer or divine-level magecraft, at the very least she could stall for time.
However, who could have expected that the Greater Grail she had been connected to and controlling all along would suddenly "riot"!
A massive amount of magical energy broke away from its original circuits and began flowing along pathways Medea had already sealed shut.
At the same time, tiny circuits that had never appeared before began to form. They connected and fused with each other, cycling repeatedly.
In an instant they formed an extremely complex core array, like a "Magic Crest" magnified hundreds or thousands of times.
"This is?!"
As a magus from the Age of Gods, Medea originally could have observed and understood it while incorporating the new magic circuits into her own control.
But she never expected that when she tried to do so, she would feel another consciousness.
A control authority over the Greater Grail even higher than hers.
The witch of betrayal froze, suddenly understanding something, she had underestimated the magi of later generations.
Although this Greater Grail lacked refinement, deep within it was an ultimate firewall. That was an incomparably stubborn ideological imprint, something that could not be overcome by "technique" alone.
"You awakened the founder's consciousness?"
Under normal circumstances, Medea would only need a short time to reconstruct the core array and erase that stubborn founder consciousness. But clearly, she would not get that opportunity.
Because in just that instant of interference, Iori seized the opening and swung the divine sword at the witch...
"Ah!!!"
Half of Medea's cloak was cut away. Like a bird with broken wings, she fell from the platform. Iori controlled his strength with precision, seriously wounding her without killing her.
"Alright… now there's only the final step left."
Iori placed Sella on the ground. The silver-haired girl almost failed to stand, weakly supporting herself against Iori's arm.
Her beautiful red eyes looked toward the golden vessel filled with sacred presence, and she could not help but press her lips together.
So she had still arrived here in the end…
Sella had deceived Ritsuka. She had not risked herself solely to stop Medea. She had also come to seize control of the Holy Grail and use it to fulfill the long-cherished wish of the Einzbern family.
Relying on the power of Chaldea and the Servants of the Red faction, she arrived before the Greater Grail and successfully awakened the consciousness within that belonged to the "Winter Saintess."
Now, as long as she entered its interior and sacrificed herself to become the Lesser Grail, she could open the hole leading to the Root.
With infinite magical energy as support, the core circuit left behind by the "Winter Saintess" could activate the true Third Magic · Heaven's Feel, and expand its scale without end until the salvation of all humanity was completed.
To create a world where everyone could obtain eternal life. And in this process, no one would be harmed.
The only thing that needed to be sacrificed was merely a "tool." A mere homunculus did not even have the qualification to call herself a "lamb."
No one would feel sorrow or dissatisfaction because of this, because this was the best choice.
Cough!
Blood poured from her mouth. Sella had already lost her sense of pain. She only felt breathing becoming more and more difficult… perhaps her lungs had begun collapsing.
It was no good. Time was up…
"Thank you, Berserker… and also, sorry… I probably can only go this far. The Holy Grail War will also end forever. I won't be able to let you obtain victory."
The pale girl, even with blood on her, still spoke as gently as she could, "But I still have a bit of authority, so no matter what wish you have… say it. As long as you speak, all my authority belongs to you."
"…No interest." Iori's face was expressionless as he calmly looked at Sella. It was impossible to tell whether he felt sadness or indifference.
"I am a Servant. I only followed your orders and brought you here."
Sella felt somewhat disappointed. She seemed to want to hear certain words from Iori, even wanting to ask something, but after hesitating she ultimately chose to give up.
"Berserker, you are the most outstanding Servant in the world."
The silver-haired girl revealed a smile.
"Being with you… was my happiest time. Even if my consciousness turns into nothingness, I definitely won't forget you… then this is it."
"Farewell, Ber… Aizen Iori-kun."
Sella no longer hesitated. She turned and walked toward the Greater Grail.
Rumble!
The main body of the Greater Grail split open with a crack, expanding into a golden gate filled with light. The girl took a deep breath and walked inside calmly and with relief.
A dazzling golden flash passed. Sella slowly opened her eyes. Inside the Greater Grail was an extremely vast space.
A boundless world covered by a beautiful sea of flowers. A silver-haired woman who looked extremely similar to Sella, dressed in a gorgeous mage robe, stood within the flowers, quietly watching her.
...The Winter Saintess.
The technological miracle of the Einzbern family. The unique homunculus who engraved the [Heaven's Feel] onto magic circuits.
Because of her own constitution, she could only use the Third Magic at a limited scale. Moreover, it was expensive and delicate, with no possibility of widespread use. So even though it reached the realm of "Magic," it was still regarded as a failure.
To change her own limitations, the Winter Saintess sacrificed herself, using her magic circuits as the core of the Greater Grail, constructing everything of the Holy Grail War…
This was already something from two hundred years ago. And the consciousness of the Winter Saintess, or rather the obsession condensed from generations of homunculi of the Einzbern family, countless "failures" advancing one after another through the years... Had actually stubbornly been preserved until now.
"You have come."
The Winter Saintess's voice had no fluctuation, like an artificial intelligence that had long been programmed. But Sella knew that was not the case.
"Begin, descendant of Einzbern. The Third Magic circuit has already started. I will hold the Holy Grail and complete the salvation of all humanity."
"Yes… that's right."
This was the moment the Saintess had been waiting for. Sella as well. That long-inherited wish spanning hundreds of years would finally today...
BOOM!!!
A shock struck the entire Greater Grail. A violent wind blew from behind, lifting Sella's silver hair. The red-eyed girl turned around in astonishment...
"Berserker?!"
"Don't call me Berserker!"
The Ame-no-Murakumo sword rested on his shoulder as Iori strode into the interior of the Grail.
"As your Servant, my mission is already complete. Now I stand here by the will of 'Aizen Iori.'"
"Why?"
Sella murmured.
"You actually…"
"I came to save you. Isn't that obvious at a glance?" Iori smiled coolly. "Come back with me, Sella."
"Iori… no!"
The girl's eyes reflected the boy's smiling face. Her vision blurred as mist gathered in her eyes. With sparkling tears, she showed a joyful smile.
"Thank you, Iori, but this isn't allowed… and it has no meaning."
"Now only one step remains to save all humanity. From ancient times until now, all pain and sorrow will disappear. No one will be hurt again."
"Compared to that, the so-called 'price' is insignificant. No one will remember a homunculus, so no one will be sad."
"Even if I survive, it has no meaning. No one would expect that kind of ending… this is enough. Being able to see you at the end of my life, for me this already..."
"I didn't come here to argue this nonsense with you!"
Firm and impossible to refuse, Sella's hand was forcefully grabbed by Iori.
"Insignificant? Who said that? Who approved that?"
"I remember. That woman named Sella von Einzbern who was once my Master!"
"I'm also waiting for a different ending!"
"Listen. No one in this world can decide the value of a life. Don't say such ridiculous things again!"
"Sella, I didn't ask what kind of person you are. I asked what kind of future you choose!"
"A future… can I also have a future?" Sella's lips trembled as her teeth lightly bit down.
"Give me an order, Iori!"
"You have that authority. Give me an order. As long as you say it, no matter what kind of future it is, I'll have the courage to accept it!"
"No!", Iori refused coldly.
"It must be said by your own mouth. No one can make that decision for you!"
"I…"
"Choose. Will you submit to your destined death, or betray the entire world?"
"Betray…"
Sella murmured.
"For the sake of personal desire, betray the wish to save all humanity?"
"Hah, that's right!" Iori laughed with delight.
In her red eyes was reflected the familiar face of the boy. In her hand she felt his warmth. Suddenly, she felt that nothing else mattered.
As long as this hand did not let go… no, even if it did, she could still live on relying on the bond of this single moment.
Not just for her own desire, but also for another person's expectation, so...
"Okay!"
A crystal tear slid from the corner of Sella's eye. On her face appeared a relaxed and bright smile she had never shown before.
"I will… betray all humanity!"
...Buzz!!!
Inside the witch's temple, a thick golden pillar of light rose from the Greater Grail. Complex magic arrays spread through the air, rapidly covering the entire temple.
"That is?!"
Inside the temple, whether it was the Master Fujimaru Ritsuka or the many Heroic Spirit Servants fighting with all their strength, all raised their heads to look at this brilliant and grand scene. Even the evil dragon Ladon's movements slowed, as if affected by something.
Medea had originally been expelling the lightning divinity attached to her wound. At this moment she also focused on observing the pillar of light and the magic formation. But her brows slightly furrowed, as if she had discovered something unexpected.
"The Greater Grail… why is this happening?" Mash's face was full of disbelief. "Could it be Miss Sella and Berserker deceived us?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka remained silent, his face stern as he clenched his fist.
This was the end point of the Holy Grail War...
[Third Magic · Heaven's Feel], activated.