"If Irisviel isn't killed... the world will perish?"
Shirou frowned.
To be honest, he wanted to snap back immediately, but when he saw the grave sincerity on the man's face, he held himself back.
Shirou narrowed his eyes.
This man... probably isn't lying.
"I don't believe you."
Even though he had already decided the man was telling the truth, Shirou could not afford to lose momentum, so he fired back anyway.
"What's that claim based on? Did the 'World' that summoned you to this era... the Counter Force, tell you that?"
Kiritsugu Emiya shook his head.
"No. I was never given an order like that.
It's just that... destroying the Einzbern Homunculus is the simplest way to avoid the destruction of the world."
Shirou let out a breath of relief.
"So in the end, this is just your own personal judgment."
For a moment, he had actually worried that Irisviel's true wish deep down might be "to destroy the world," and that he had to stop her from obtaining the Holy Grail.
At least now he knew it was not a problem with Irisviel herself, and that was enough to ease his mind a little.
Kiritsugu Emiya continued.
"This Holy Grail War is essentially a fraud.
This chaotic struggle over a wish-granting device is nothing more than a grand deception meant to lure others into participating.
This battle is a disguised trap. As the Servants taking part in it are defeated and removed one by one, the countdown to a great catastrophe steadily advances.
Once the number of sacrificed Servants reaches a certain point, some mechanism hidden inside the Greater Grail will activate."
Shirou frowned suspiciously.
"...Some mechanism?"
That explanation was far too vague. Was he trying to conceal something?
Kiritsugu Emiya said, "There's no need to know exactly what form it takes. Just think of it as something like a bomb that can destroy the Earth. An existence powerful enough to wipe out the entirety of human history.
On the side of Mystery, Magi refer to something like that as an 'apocalypse device.'
Within a mythological system, it would be the kind of existence, a god, that leads the world to its end.
For example, something like Surtr, the king of the fire giants from Norse mythology."
Shirou fell silent.
Sorry, but I'm still just an eight-year-old kid. If you suddenly start talking about Norse mythology, I'm not going to know what that means.
"The fire giant of Norse mythology inherited the destructive nature of the primordial giant Ymir."
Lady Avalon chose that moment to cut in with an explanation.
"In the final war of Norse mythology, Ragnarök, it is the one who wields the 'Flame Sword' and burns the world to ashes.
In other words, a super terrifying final boss. Scary, scary~"
Shirou's heart stirred.
"Big sis Avalon, tell me about it in detail when we get back."
Lady Avalon sounded surprised.
"Oh? Master is interested in myths and legends? That's unexpected..."
"No, tell me about that 'Flame Sword' that burns the world to ashes."
"That's what you're focusing on?!"
Shirou turned back to Assassin.
"If everything you're saying is true, then why set up such an outrageous trap? Who did it?"
He was getting angry. Using the Holy Grail for evil had already crossed Shirou's line.
"That was not the ritual's original purpose. It was twisted by an absurd man-made disaster."
Kiritsugu Emiya said, "The Greater Grail, which should originally have been pure in nature, was polluted. Cursed."
"The Third Holy Grail War?" Shirou asked at once.
Kiritsugu Emiya froze for a moment, then nodded.
This boy really is incredibly sharp...
Shirou continued his analysis.
"So the reason you were summoned here is to prevent the Greater Grail from manifesting.
Because once the Holy Grail fully manifests, something capable of destroying the world will descend.
And in your judgment, the simplest way to prevent that is to destroy the Lesser Grail."
That was right. Kiritsugu Emiya gave a solemn nod.
"All right... I understand now. In the end, this Holy Grail War is a pointless struggle. There won't be any winner.
Maybe everything you said is true.
But I still won't allow you to kill Irisviel."
Kiritsugu Emiya seemed to have known from the beginning that Shirou would say that.
"Even if the Homunculus is not killed, she will still die when the Holy Grail War ends."
Shirou rolled his eyes.
"You think I don't know that?"
"!"
A look of surprise crossed Kiritsugu Emiya's face.
Shirou lowered his gaze slightly.
"Irisviel's designed lifespan was only meant to last until the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War.
In a few days, once she absorbs the souls of six Servants, she will completely lose all biological function.
Even taking a step back, even if the Holy Grail War were forcibly interrupted, Irisviel would only have another month or two to live at most.
To make sure they could win, the Einzbern Family performed absurd Magecraft modifications on her.
An unimaginable number of Magic Circuits were implanted into her body. At the cost of her lifespan."
"Since you already know..."
Shirou looked at him seriously.
"Even if Irisviel only has a few days left to live, I'll make sure she lives all the way to the very last moment.
That is the alliance I made with Irisviel, and the promise I made with Saber."
In the end, Shirou still had not found a wish of his own.
Without a wish, he had once decided to help Irisviel and Saber obtain the Holy Grail.
Part of it was because if they obtained the Holy Grail, it would not lead to anything terrible.
But more importantly...
Shirou had been deeply moved by the trust between them, and by the understanding they shared without words.
Irisviel and Saber. They were just like me and Morgan... Shirou completely projected himself onto them.
"Old man, I suggest you give up on the idea of killing Irisviel.
Of course, if you insist on doing it, then try killing me first. If you can."
As he said that, an utterly certain and resolute look appeared in Shirou's amber eyes.
"Hmm... I figured that's what you'd say."
Kiritsugu Emiya spoke calmly.
"Since you value that Homunculus so highly, Shirou Amamiya, let me tell you the truth about the Holy Grail War that you still don't know."
Shirou blinked.
"...?"
Kiritsugu Emiya began his explanation.
"The miracles that occur on the 'inside' of this world do not affect the 'outside.'
This struggle over the wish-granting device is nothing more than a farce. The true objective of the 'Three Founding Families' in seeking the Holy Grail lies elsewhere.
The Fuyuki Holy Grail War was originally a ritual meant to gather the souls of seven Heroic Spirits as sacrifices and open a path to the 'Root.'
The promise of 'granting miracles' was nothing more than bait used to summon Heroic Spirits.
Because only rumors about that 'bait' spread far and wide, all that remained in circulation was the Holy Grail War in its present form.
This is a truth known only to the Matou, Tohsaka, and Einzbern families. It was never disclosed to outside Magus or to the seven Servants.
The ultimate purpose of the Einzbern Homunculus, Irisviel, is to kill all seven Servants and activate the [Greater Grail].
Seven Servants. Do you understand now? That is why the Einzberns modified their Homunculus Master into someone covered from head to toe in Command Spells.
So that in the end, they could guarantee that Saber, who possesses the highest rank of Magic Resistance, would be ordered to commit suicide."
Although Shirou's face remained expressionless, he was shaken deep down.
"Then Irisviel and Saber..."
Noticing the shift in the red-haired boy, Kiritsugu Emiya's lips curved into a faintly mocking smile.
"It was all a lie.
Everything that Homunculus showed you and Saber was just a disguise. An act.
A pure and innocent doll?
That's nothing but your own wishful thinking. That Homunculus has always harbored selfish motives.
The bond between that Homunculus and Saber?
That thing you regard as precious was a complete lie from the very beginning.
You understand now, don't you? There is nothing regrettable about killing Irisviel..."
"I see. So Irisviel has been struggling with this all along."
After hearing everything, Shirou nodded, as if he had finally understood.
"No wonder she's been showing such sad expressions lately whenever Saber and I weren't looking.
I thought she was grieving over how little time she had left, but that wasn't it...
She's been agonizing this whole time over what choice she should make...
Honestly, she could have just told me."
Shirou's expression brightened.
"Thanks, old man. Thanks for telling me all this super important, useful information."
Kiritsugu Emiya stared at him.
"What are you planning to do?"
"When I get back, I'm going to talk it over with Irisviel. We'll figure out a way to forcibly stop this Holy Grail War."
With a crafty look, Shirou continued,
"It's actually pretty simple, isn't it? Why stay fixated on destroying the Lesser Grail?
If you want to stop the Holy Grail from manifesting, then destroying the still-incomplete Greater Grail would do the same thing, wouldn't it?"
Kiritsugu Emiya replied, "If it were really that simple, I would not have spent all this time chasing you and the Homunculus."
Shirou Amamiya frowned.
"What do you mean by that?"
"...The Greater Grail has been active from the very beginning."
"Huh?"
Kiritsugu Emiya said,
"The Einzberns' achievement was simply too perfect.
Other than being unable to perform True Magic, her capabilities come close to the 'Saintess of Winter.'
To the point that the Homunculus herself is a pseudo-Holy Grail possessing the functions of the Greater Grail.
Even if the Greater Grail beneath Mount Enzou were destroyed, that Homunculus would take its place and become a new Greater Grail, the 'Saintess of Winter.' Calling them twins would not be an exaggeration.
In other words, the Greater Grail of Fuyuki City...has possessed self-awareness since eight years before Irisviel was born."
...
...
"I wonder how Shirou's talk with that Assassin is going."
Standing by the castle window, Irisviel gazed into the distance with obvious concern.
Saber smiled.
"You really do worry too much, Irisviel. Shirou is strong. I'm sure he'll be fine.
Besides, he isn't alone. His Servant is with him, isn't she?"
"That's exactly why I'm worried!"
Saber gave a strained smile.
"Uh..."
Irisviel puffed out her cheeks.
"That suspicious Servant who won't even show her face, I have no idea what her background is...
Ugh, and Shirou trusts her so much too. It's so frustrating!"
"There must be some bond between them that we don't know about."
The silver-haired Homunculus looked displeased.
"Saber, are you taking that Servant's side too?"
Saber lightly shook her head.
"I simply trust Shirou's judgment."
Irisviel frowned.
"Hmph... even if her personality might be a little trustworthy, her strength is nothing to look forward to at all.
When all is said and done, aren't Extra Class Servants just a bunch of second-rate Servants?
They only get shoved into that category because they can't qualify for one of the seven standard classes. Yes, that has to be it.
After all, this is a lesson written in the blood and tears of the Einzbern Family."
Saber tilted her head with interest.
"Come to think of it, in the previous Holy Grail War, the Einzbern Family summoned a Heroic Spirit of an Extra Class... was that Servant really so weak?"
Irisviel let out a sigh.
"I've only read a few records in the library myself.
But... even without using Saber as the standard, that Servant was unbelievably weak. Calling them the weakest Servant would hardly be an exaggeration."
That only made Saber more curious.
"The Servant the Einzbern Family summoned sixty years ago... what was their True Name?"
"Mm."
Irisviel knit her brows.
"What was it again? The name was especially hard to pronounce.
Back then, great-grandfather was trying to summon a Servant on the level of a chief god, but he messed it up.
I remember that Servant's name was... right!"
Irisviel excitedly spoke the name of the Avenger from sixty years ago.
...
...
"How can this be..."
Kirei Kotomine stared at the scene before him in utter disbelief.
He was currently standing in the vast cavern beneath Mount Enzou, on the western side of Miyama Town.
Ever since the Command Spell, which should have vanished yesterday, reappeared on the back of his hand, it had been throbbing with inexplicable pain.
That pain, which could not be removed even with Magecraft, seemed to be trying to tell him something. Guided by the Command Spell, Kirei Kotomine wandered aimlessly through the city.
In the end, he entered Mount Enzou, the place where the Greater Grail lay dormant.
And what he saw there left him speechless.
The Greater Grail was like a living volcano, spewing out overwhelming evil Mana.
As an Executor, Kirei Kotomine had fought and killed countless evil beings and enemies of humanity, but he had never witnessed such an immense and surging wave of malice.
What in the world had the Greater Grail, formed from the flesh and blood of the sacrificed saint, turned into?
Just looking directly at the Greater Grail with his own eyes caused Kirei Kotomine to hallucinate. Before him, it was as if a city engulfed in flames had appeared.
On a peaceful and quiet night, a "hole" suddenly opened in the sky above the city.
Its sheer density made that "hole" look like a black sun.
And then black sludge began to pour out of it.
"This is... a curse?"
Kirei Kotomine could not help drawing in a sharp breath.
Cursed Mana enough to cover the whole world... a true device of world destruction.
Something like this was hidden beneath Fuyuki?
Right now it was only a dormant young beast, but once the time was right, it would break out of its cocoon. And what poured from within would swallow the surface without question, until all humanity was wiped out.
Just as Kirei Kotomine was still reeling in shock, a hazy figure appeared in the empty air above the living volcano.
"Who goes there?!"
Kirei Kotomine drew his Black Keys, staying on guard as he shouted his question.
No... was that thing really human?
Wrapped in the overwhelming atmosphere of curses all around it, that thing seemed utterly unaffected.
The figure that had emerged from the Greater Grail looked down at Kirei Kotomine from above, then spoke in a frivolous female voice.
"You're asking who I am? Me, I'm a champion of justice, you know?"
Kirei Kotomine went blank on the spot.
"...Huh?"
"Why are you making a face like you actually believed that?
Of course I was joking! Hahahahahaha! How gross!"
The woman clutched her stomach and laughed in midair, leaving Kirei Kotomine completely at a loss.
"Ahh, I've laughed enough. So stupid...
Honestly, I don't get it. Why would the Holy Grail choose an idiot like you? Then again, I guess the Holy Grail itself is a hopeless idiot too.
Whatever. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll be merciful and tell you.
I'm the one behind it all, the final boss who kept cursing and cursing and cursing... until the Greater Grail turned into this complete mess."
The red-haired fairy revealed a beautiful and wicked smile as she gave her name.
"The Avenger summoned into this boring world by the Homunculi in the previous Holy Grail War...
My True Name is the 'Calamity of Curses,' Cernunnos~"
...
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