Lightning streaked across the sky, seeming to pierce through time and space.
Gilgamesh's figure was bathed in the lightning, his eyes filled with fear and horror.
His entire body began to visibly dissipate, eventually turning into specks of light and disappearing completely.
The golden lightning continued its course, still seeming poised to destroy the world, but just as it was about to hit the city, it came to an abrupt halt and vanished without a trace.
"So this... is victory."
Artoria stared blankly at all this.
The Holy Grail War she had dreamed of was won just like that.
It felt unreal, like a dream.
In the end,
It seemed Ayato had done most of the fighting.
She only needed to be a cheerleader shouting 'Master, you're awesome'.
Thinking this, her mood became complicated instantly.
This Master had perfectly fulfilled his promise to her.
Thus, she could only become his servant.
Unconsciously, a faint blush had appeared on Artoria's cheeks.
If that was the case, it didn't seem so bad.
"Hmm?"
Having dealt with Gilgamesh, Ayato frowned slightly and looked toward the still-unhealed spatial cracks.
Death... slaughter... sin...
Countless negative emotions surged out continuously, sending chills down one's spine.
At this moment, the spatial cracks seemed to have turned into a demonic cave leading to hell, filled with the evil of this place.
The next moment,
Extremely filthy black mud slowly flowed out.
"This is... a problem with the Great Holy Grail?"
Irisviel's eyes widened. She exclaimed, "The battle just now affected the Great Holy Grail, letting things inside out?"
Though she didn't know what the black mud was, as the key to the Great Holy Grail,
Through that unseen connection, she was absolutely certain.
"Wh-What did you say?"
Artoria's voice trembled.
The joy of her recent victory was gone.
This thing, which looked chilling to the bone and seemed to contain all the evil in the world, came from the Holy Grail they sought.
'Could something like this really grant my wish?'
"It seems this so-called Holy Grail has long become a filthy object."
Medusa's gaze behind her blindfold was complicated. "Rather than a Holy Grail, it's more like a collection of all the negative emotions in the world."
"In principle, the Holy Grail should be without attributes. It seems something unexpected happened to the Holy Grail in previous wars."
Hearing this, Artoria fell into complete despair.
This thing certainly could not grant her wish.
[Origin +101]
[Origin +120]
[Origin +320]
Unlike the others, Ayato's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
'A great harvest!'
'A truly great harvest.'
'Indeed!'
'My guess had been correct.'
"Master, are you alright?"
Medusa looked at Ayato strangely. "Why do you seem so happy?"
"Is that so?"
"Definitely."
Not just Medusa, the others nodded emphatically.
"Is it that obvious?"
Rubbing his nose, Ayato said to everyone, "Try to keep the black mud from spreading. I'll handle the rest."
With that, Ayato turned into a bolt of lightning and plunged into the mud.
"This Master really does give difficult tasks."
Artoria sighed, but her expression became determined. "But since Master has given an order, I must do my best."
At this moment, a brilliant light radiated from her.
It was as if her very existence represented the separation of the world.
"Avalon."
Watching this, Irisviel murmured softly. "With this Noble Phantasm, perhaps it is possible."
When their family had used a catalyst to summon Artoria, this Noble Phantasm had also returned to its master's hand.
Now,
It had finally come in useful.
[Origin +350]
[Origin +370]
[Origin +410]
Watching the numbers jump on the system panel, Ayato felt the black mud assailing him from all sides grow warmer.
He went deeper.
When the black mud became too much, Ayato casually waved his hand, and golden lightning turned the black mud into nothingness.
But as time passed, the Origin Points gained gradually grew sparse.
"In that case, I'll have to go see the Great Holy Grail itself. That's the core of everything."
Ayato murmured, his pace quickening.
Before long,
The Great Holy Grail appeared faintly before him.
The black mud flowing from it was even more evil and ominous, as if coming from the deepest parts of the world.
[Origin +550]
[Origin +660]
[Origin +710]
Watching the increasing Origin Points, Ayato did not hesitate and began frantically adding points.
As the level of Origin Lightning Magic jumped,
Ayato felt as if he were swimming in an ocean of lightning.
Surrounded by a dreamlike scene, there was nothing but lightning.
Before long, he seemed to have broken through some boundary, stepping into a brand new domain.
[Mori Ayato]
[Class: Origin Magician]
[Magic: Origin Lightning Magic LV71 (+)]
[Origin: 732 points]
"My current power... is enough to easily kill the previous version of myself."
"Even facing Ea, I no longer need to use Origin Magic."
Clenching his fist, Ayato felt everything around him was fragile.
As if with a mere gesture, he could destroy everything.
Then,
He looked at the Great Holy Grail.
Since it was no longer providing Origin Points, there was no need to indulge it.
The next moment,
Ayato flicked his finger gently. A vast golden lightning bolt pierced through the endless black mud, as if even space was completely torn apart, leaving a visible massive abyss.
Boom!
With an earth-shattering roar, the Holy Grail shook violently, eventually shattering completely, disappearing along with the mud.