Einzbern Castle.
In the coastal city of Fuyuki, there was a territory belonging to the Einzbern family, surrounded by an impenetrable forest filled with magical barriers.
If an outsider intruded, the barriers would immediately sound an alarm.
On the first night of the Holy Grail War, as the Servants clashed in Fuyuki's old city district, all the Masters noticed one thing.
—Saber was strong, and his Master was equally formidable, capable of providing him with an almost uninterrupted supply of magical energy.
To defeat Saber, one had to first get past his Master... This was the shared understanding among all the Masters participating in the Holy Grail War.
The Einzbern family had specifically hired the "Mage Killer," Kiritsugu Emiya, for the Holy Grail War, with the explicit purpose of bypassing Servants and directly eliminating enemy Masters.
Their first target was Saber's Master, Manaka Sajyou.
A specially crafted bullet fired from a sniper rifle had pierced Manaka Sajyou's heart... By all accounts, this plan should have succeeded.
But now... this girl had appeared at the Einzbern Castle like a specter crawling out of the underworld?
At this moment, an inexplicable chill ran through Kiritsugu Emiya, and he instinctively gripped his phone tighter.
"Saber's Master... why are you still alive?"
"The Origin Bullet causes irreversible damage to its target.
Even if the wound appears to heal on the surface, the nerves and capillaries cannot regenerate. Most importantly... it destroys a mage's magical circuits."
Manaka Sajyou's cheerful laughter rang in the man's ears.
"It can shatter a mage's magical circuits and destroy their magical energy... No wonder you're called the Mage Killer."
"But... even if the Origin Bullet destroys magical circuits, it won't harm me in the slightest. After all, I don't even have what you'd call magical circuits."
The Origin Bullet destroys a person's magical energy upon hitting a mage...
However, Manaka Sajyou was born connected to the Root.
For her, magical energy was an inexhaustible resource.
The Origin Bullet, which had always been unfailingly effective against mages in Kiritsugu's past battles, had 'betrayed' him in this critical moment tonight.
The body lying in the snow was indeed Manaka Sajyou's, and the Origin Bullet had indeed pierced her heart... But for Manaka, who had already become a 'Beast,' she wouldn't die unless her magical energy was completely eradicated.
Manaka Sajyou's [omniscience and omnipotence] had already foreseen the future even before she killed Matou Zouken.
Her subsequent 'death' was merely a ruse to deceive others.
"...What exactly do you want?" Kiritsugu asked in a low voice.
Even when facing the most formidable enemies, this man could remain calm, even confronting life and death with composure.
But even someone like him had his weaknesses... Illya and Irisviel.
"I'm not planning to do anything, just intending to return what you've done to me in another way."
Manaka Sajyou stood at the entrance to the forest, looking up at the ancient castle ahead, smiling softly.
"Those who wield a gun must be prepared to be shot... I believe from the first day you joined the Holy Grail War, you were ready for that, weren't you?"
Kiritsugu struggled to maintain his calm: "Why involve others in the Holy Grail War—"
"Others?"
Manaka tilted her head, looking at the silver-haired beauty in front of her, panting faintly and struggling to stay conscious.
"Berserker's Master shouldn't count as 'others,' right?"
The moment Manaka Sajyou's clear, melodious voice rang out, not only Kiritsugu but also Irisviel, who was facing her, widened her eyes in disbelief, staring at the girl.
"You... how do you know—"
"I can perceive everything in this world that I wish to know, except for Saber."
Manaka Sajyou closed her eyes as if in rapture, clasping her hands to her chest like a devout believer in prayer.
"I never imagined Saber would choose me... So, even if it's for him, I want to be with him forever."
"To that end, I need the Holy Grail War to continue forever and ever."
"Because once the Holy Grail War ends, he'll leave my side."
This girl possessed godlike power, but her emotions were too barren.
Though she had the ability to change the world, her inner world was so very small.
So small it could only hold one person.
Thus, when Alvin chose her over Morgan le Fay, the girl made her final decision.
To be with him forever...
However, to do that, she needed the 'Holy Grail.'
The girl's pure, ethereal face was filled with longing and a yearning for love.
Her elegant, beautiful Gothic dress perfectly accentuated her aura, with her cherry lips, delicate skin, and a sweet smile gracing her face.
Yet in Irisviel's eyes, there was nothing but wariness and fear as she instinctively shielded her daughter in her arms.
From the moment this girl calling herself Manaka Sajyou arrived at the Einzbern Castle and broke through all the magical barriers, it had taken her less than two minutes.
In just two minutes, she silently dismantled every magical barrier, infiltrated the Einzbern Castle, and brought Irisviel and Illya into the forest.
Was this something a mage could even accomplish?
Even an Assassin couldn't do that, could they?
"It's not just about being a Master, is it?"
At that moment, Manaka Sajyou's voice continued as she gazed softly at Irisviel before her, saying gently: "Irisviel... she's not only a Master in the Holy Grail War, but also the 'core' of this Holy Grail War."
"Am I right, Miss Irisviel?"
The snow fell heavier, the sky growing ever darker, casting Manaka Sajyou's deep blue eyes into an even more profound shade.
The forest was eerily silent, and Irisviel instinctively opened her mouth to speak, but it felt as though something was stuck in her throat, leaving her unable to utter a word.
"Since the Einzbern family never intended to properly follow the rules of the Holy Grail War from the start... it shouldn't be a problem if I cheat a little, right?"
The magical energy behind Manaka Sajyou surged like a rising tide, golden flames coalescing in her hand, illuminating her pure and stunning profile.
"Saber's Master, you—"
Just as Kiritsugu tried to buy time, Manaka interrupted with a hint of impatience. "Even if I don't act, by the end of the Holy Grail War, you would still sacrifice your own wife."
"You're the kind of person who would sacrifice yourself, even your loved ones, for the sake of justice, aren't you?"
"Partner of justice, Mr. Kiritsugu Emiya?"
Manaka hung up the phone.
As she looked up at Irisviel, the snow on the ground began to rapidly melt, flowing as water before evaporating into white steam.
The space seemed to tremble faintly.
Before Irisviel, silver threads wove and crisscrossed, forming a complex web to block Manaka's approach.
However, the golden flames grew ever brighter.
At this moment, Manaka seemed to exist between illusion and reality.
She didn't physically approach Irisviel, but her magical energy, carrying a divine majesty, slowly advanced, like a mountain pressing down.
Irisviel glanced at her daughter in her arms, gritting her teeth.
Raising her right hand, the silver threads transformed into countless 'giant eagles,' shooting toward Manaka like bullets.
But those threads disintegrated before even reaching her.
Irisviel had hoped to buy time, but no matter how she struggled, it seemed futile.
Her legs even began to weaken.
Logically, no matter how powerful a mage was, she shouldn't feel this powerless.
Yet, in the presence of this girl, just sensing her seemingly boundless magical energy made Irisviel's mind conjure a single thought.
'Is this really the kind of magical energy a mage should have?'
The magical energy behind Manaka grew even stronger, its light slowly rising until it coalesced into a vortex, like a sun ascending.
Irisviel stared in awe at the dazzling scene, as if a myth were unfolding before her.
Her thoughts raced, then her gaze froze as she murmured.
"The Calamity of the Root...?"
...
Meanwhile, on the rooftop.
When Alvin drew the Sword of the Stars, golden magical energy burst forth, as if piercing through layers of dark clouds.
The divine light illuminated the dim rooftop as bright as day, casting Vortigern's shocked, pale face into sharp relief.
He instinctively stepped back, staring intently at the weapon in Alvin's hand.
The Holy Sword—a blade of salvation equal in power to the holy lance.
By all accounts, only King Arthur, the Red Dragon, could fully wield the might of both the holy lance and the holy sword.
Vortigern had been fearless earlier because he knew Alvin didn't possess the true holy lance, and with his Master dead, his mana supply was cut off.
In a prolonged battle, Vortigern was certain he would emerge victorious.
But now...
Alvin, with [Independent Manifestation] and wielding the Holy Sword...
Vortigern's heart was already leaning toward retreat, but he managed to maintain a semblance of calm.
He knew full well that the moment he made any move to withdraw, the magical energy of the Sword would erupt toward him in an instant.
"I never expected we'd meet like this in the Holy Grail War... Logically, Berserkers are supposed to be Servants stripped of their 'rationality.' It seems you've cheated, haven't you?"
Alvin silently stared at the mythical, fairy-like man before him, saying slowly, "Your Master... it's Irisviel, isn't it?"
A flash of shock passed through Maiya Hisau's beautiful eyes.
Since the start of the Holy Grail War, they hadn't revealed anything about Irisviel...
Hiring Kiritsugu Emiya to participate in this Holy Grail War and making everyone believe he was one of the seven Masters... In reality, Berserker's true Master was Irisviel.
Maiya had believed their deception was flawless, yet Saber had already known this secret.
Vortigern froze for a moment before laughing. "You're right. My Master isn't Kiritsugu Emiya... But give it up. My Master is beyond your perception range."
"Alvin, I'm not like you. The moment I was summoned, I made sure my Master was hidden."
"After all, once a Master dies, a Servant without a mana supply quickly becomes weaker than even a familiar, until they're reduced to fuel for the Holy Grail."
"If I were you, I'd conserve my mana now and hurry to find the next Master, hoping she'd form a contract with me..."
Vortigern scrutinized Alvin, casting a wary glance at the Sword of the Stars in his hand.
He slowly circled Alvin, saying, "Although we were enemies in the past, since we're both already dead, there's no need to settle a score, is there?"
"If this drags on, the one who dies will definitely be you."
"Are you stalling for time?"
As if seeing through him, Alvin's golden eyes beneath the mask quietly fixed on Vortigern.
He was the White Dragon, but so was Vortigern.
In the game's CG, they had completed the transfer of power between the old and new White Kings.
Now, the new King and the old King had appeared in the same Holy Grail War.
This should have been an earth-shattering battle, but Vortigern was the first to 'back down.'
Or rather, he was already somewhat afraid upon seeing the Sword of the Stars.
No one would willingly fight a desperate beast, especially when Alvin held the world-saving Excalibur.
"Are you thinking that, since I've lost my Master's mana supply, there's no need to fight me to the death?"
Alvin's voice echoed softly across the silent rooftop: "You're thinking that, in my Servant state, I can't unleash the full power of the Sword of the Stars... right?"
Vortigern's eyes flickered slightly.
For some reason, he suddenly felt something was wrong.
Logically, with Manaka Sajyou's mana supply gone, Alvin's magical energy should be constantly draining.
Yet, from the start, not only was his mana not depleting, but it seemed as though something was supplying him with power from the shadows.
"Your mana shows no signs of depleting... Is someone supplying you with mana?" Vortigern finally noticed something unusual.
Alvin didn't respond, only gazing at Vortigern through the eyes of his white mask.
"The Sword of the Stars is a Noble Phantasm beyond EX rank. Normally, a Servant can only use it once before their mana is nearly exhausted."
"Now, here's a question—"
"How many times do you think I can use the Sword's Noble Phantasm in my current state?"
For some reason, Vortigern's heart suddenly pounded violently.
Under his uncertain and fearful gaze, Alvin slowly raised the Sword.
The mana of the Root surged wildly into his body, and the golden magical energy of the Sword shot into the sky, completely illuminating the night!
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