Within an abandoned warehouse in Trifas, a writhing mass of worms surged relentlessly across the floor. Countless hearts lay scattered upon this sea of vermin, slowly being consumed as time passed.
Whoosh—!
A shadow silently appeared at the doorway.
Its face was concealed behind a skeletal mask.
In response, the wriggling worms rapidly coalesced into the form of an elderly man.
"Did you bring it?"
The old man's hoarse voice rasped, his tone brooking no argument, as he addressed the figure cloaked entirely in black.
"Mission accomplished, Master."
In the masked man's palm rested an enormous, bloated worm, its back densely etched with six [Command Spells].
At the same moment, fierce flames erupted violently from the forest beside Yggdmillennia Castle.
"As my Master predicted, you're no ordinary magus."
The silver-haired girl wielded her blade with extraordinary swiftness, striking repeatedly at Shirou Kotomine through the swirling mist. Yet no matter how skillfully she concealed herself or attacked from unexpected angles—
Shirou Kotomine effortlessly deflected every blow, as if he could foresee precisely where Jack the Ripper would strike each time she vanished.
He was like a man who could glimpse the future, leaving Jack utterly unable to land a decisive strike.
[Revelation]
Rank: A
A skill akin to [Instinct].
While Instinct grants a sixth sense specifically for battle, [Revelation] covers any situation related to achieving one's goals—such as choosing the best path on a journey.
Remarkably, this Master named Shirou Kotomine possessed the very same skill as the Ruler summoned to this Grail War.
Even more startling, Shirou Kotomine was clearly a magus, yet he wielded a skill that belonged exclusively to Heroic Spirits.
"In the end, you've chosen the Black Faction, have you?"
In truth, Shirou Kotomine's current strength wasn't enough to casually contend with Jack the Ripper. His ability to hold his ground owed entirely to [Revelation], allowing him to predict her moves and remain unharmed.
But if their battle dragged on, Shirou Kotomine could never match a tireless Servant.
The crux of his predicament was that, for all his defensive prowess, Shirou had no effective means of wounding Jack. In a prolonged battle, he would inevitably lose first.
"Eh—!"
"Master!"
A sharp, severe voice suddenly echoed from Shirou Kotomine's [Command Spells].
Having thoroughly mastered the use of [Command Spells], Shirou Kotomine had even devised a way to alter their function, enabling direct communication with his Servant.
Jack the Ripper, seemingly disinterested in lingering, quickly dispersed the mist the moment the message arrived.
Meanwhile, beneath a nearby tree, the Holy Grail and a bag full of hearts had originally been placed. Now, however, the Grail lay alone, abandoned carelessly in the grass.
Shirou Kotomine frowned slightly in confusion.
Wasn't Assassin's Master after the Grail?
"Master only said she needed the homunculi's hearts. She never mentioned the Holy Grail. I'll just bring back the hearts, then."
Hidden deep in the shadows, Jack whispered to herself. As a child, she had little grasp of how important something like the Holy Grail might be.
Her thoughts were simple: finish the task Master gave her, so she could finally see her "Mama."
---
Because Archer and Berserker of Red had already perished, their Masters had begun transferring mana directly to Karna. Including his own Master and Shirou Kotomine, who didn't need to supply Assassin, a total of four Masters were fueling him now.
With such abundant mana at his disposal, Karna was finally able to unleash his true strength, a rare chance he seized without hesitation.
Yet precisely because he was operating at full power, the four Masters' mana reserves rapidly diminished.
After only a few fierce clashes, their supply of mana was nearly exhausted. Further fighting would soon require Karna to conserve his strength.
However, the Black Faction had also encountered a critical problem.
"Has the homunculi's mana supply been compromised?"
Darnic glanced toward his castle, quickly deducing the cause. The Black Faction's main mana source had been utterly destroyed. From now on, their Servants would need to rely solely upon their individual Masters for magical energy.
Thus, the Black Servants, too, could no longer casually release their Noble Phantasms.
For the moment, the intensity of combat subsided significantly, with both sides forced to hold back.
But soon, the situation changed drastically once again.
After the Black Faction had lost their mana supply for a short while, Karna suddenly felt an incredible surge of limitless mana rushing through him—as though endless strength had become available.
And more unsettling still, he felt his contract shift. His arm moved of its own accord, raising his divine spear, pointing it toward the three Servants standing before him.
Elsewhere, the battle between Chiron and Achilles continued fiercely, though unlike the third night, neither was rushing toward a quick conclusion. Suddenly, however, Achilles' hand trembled against his will, his cross-shaped spear aiming directly at Chiron.
He, too, sensed a change in his contract and an extraordinary flood of mana coursing through his body.
---
The scene returned once more to the abandoned warehouse.
After the elderly man had transferred the [Command Spells] and contracts to himself, space rippled next to the masked figure. The silver-haired girl reappeared, holding a large bag of hearts, which she immediately tossed into the writhing sea of worms.
Instantly, the mana-rich hearts were greedily devoured by the worms.
"Can I see Mama now?"
Jack the Ripper's voice quietly pleaded with the old man.
At his gesture, the worms parted obediently, forming a path leading Jack deeper into the dark warehouse.
At the far end, previously concealed beneath a dense swarm of worms, was a woman suspended against the wall. She had chestnut hair, an elegant figure clad in a green dress and long black boots.
Overflowing with joy, Jack rushed forward and hugged the woman tightly around her waist. Tears silently streamed down the woman's face as she returned Jack's embrace.
Surrounded by endless vermin, the two held each other in a tight, desperate embrace.
Then, from within the warehouse, an ancient, decrepit voice rasped loudly:
"By my [Command Spell]—Lancer, Rider—unleash your Noble Phantasms!"
---
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