The perspective shifts to Soichiro Kuzuki.
Four Steve Rogers, wearing square-rimmed glasses, were playing cards.
Their rule was to play four rounds, taking turns being the 'landlord' once. Winning as the landlord earned three points, while winning as a commoner earned one point. Cheating was allowed throughout... This method was devised to unify their opinions.
For example, who would dig a grave for themselves.
"I say, with you three ganging up on me like this, I might as well just surrender."
One of the Steve Rogers helplessly threw his unplayable cards onto the table.
"The procedure still needs to be followed."
"Why don't you just play one against three?"
"Need help? Actually, burying yourself is not a bad experience."
Under the gleeful gazes of the three Steve Rogers, the loser began to dig a grave for himself. When a pit dozens of meters deep was formed, a golden coffin was lowered into it.
Steve Rogers lay in the golden coffin, waiting for his outer selves to seal it, when he suddenly asked, "Can we be sure that guy hasn't seen a Starving Ghost?"
The three Steve Rogers outside exchanged glances, then simultaneously pushed up their square-rimmed glasses.
They said:
"Relax, that's a top-secret world. Not many people even in White Jade Capital know about it, let alone a little guy from Neon."
"The Starving Ghost's main body has fully developed. Once the ghost domain descends, he won't have time to react."
"Heh... that little boy is a pity, I actually quite liked him."
Through [Tail-Devourer], which has the flaw that if it fails to devour, the user will be replaced by the devoured, Soichiro Kuzuki allowed Steve Rogers to devour him, then in turn took everything from him.
Because his own abilities were sealed before being devoured by Hydra Captain, even though he already understood the essence of this Skill, Soichiro Kuzuki was still inevitably influenced by Steve Rogers' soul.
However, it was just a minor influence.
Using Steve Rogers' body, Soichiro Kuzuki smiled.
Eerie green flames abruptly ignited on the golden coffin, completely sealing its seams.
Because the Starving Ghost has no consciousness and will attack everyone within the ghost domain, they needed to leave one of themselves lying in the golden coffin, isolated, to prevent accidents.
"Sealing, restricting, tsk."
Looking at the sky, a shadow of Hydra simultaneously spread out behind the three Steve Rogers, expanding its body wantonly on the ground.
So what if the Paradise seals abilities? So what if it restricts the types of Skill Equipment that Command Seals can unseal?
No matter how invincible you are at Lv3 among your peers, can you compare to my accumulated foundation, step by step?
Both [Tail-Devourer] and [Starving Ghost] are powers with significant flaws for the user.
Especially [Starving Ghost]; let alone controlling it, merely having it inside the body will continuously drain the host's life force to accelerate the malevolent ghost's revival.
And once the Starving Ghost revives, the first person to die will be the host.
Paradise did not restrict Soichiro Kuzuki from unsealing these powers with major flaws, and Soichiro Kuzuki likewise did not mind using such powers.
When he first arrived in this world, he had already released the [Starving Ghost].
If the pursuit mission could be completed before the Starving Ghost fully developed, he would simply retrieve it.
If it remained uncompleted... the power of the Starving Ghost could also be put to use.
When the ghost domain covers Fuyuki City, everyone except for himself, isolated inside the golden coffin, will be hunted down by this undying, unkillable Starving Ghost.
As for harming these ordinary people?
When enemies cannot be resolved through conventional means, Soichiro Kuzuki does not mind breaking free from restraints.
His primary mission in this world is to complete the pursuit; his secondary mission is to consider how to deal with Paradise's next punishment mode.
With the restrictions of the pursuit Item, he cannot be kicked out of this world by Paradise before completing the pursuit.
"Then, let's begin."
The three Steve Rogers exchanged smiles.
The false sky of Fuyuki City suddenly changed.
When people looked up, the originally clear blue sky had suddenly turned bluish-black.
—
The perspective shifts to Emiya Shirou.
Escaping the moment Gilgamesh tore open the Reality Marble, Emiya Shirou and Archer had just appeared in Fuyuki City when the former fell out of his wheelchair.
"Can you still hold on?"
Archer asked indifferently.
Under the influence of the Corrupted Holy Grail, he was indeed no longer a normal Heroic Spirit.
Seeing Emiya Shirou in pain, trembling and unable to speak, Archer had no intention of waiting. He picked him up and prepared to leave.
Matou Shinji and Fujimura Taiga in the space might pursue them at any moment, so they needed to find a place to rest.
Not long after, they arrived at the Emiya Residence.
Looking at this familiar yet strange place, Archer pondered what to do.
That guy's strength was too great; even at full power earlier, he couldn't be defeated, let alone now.
Moreover, Archer currently had an even more urgent problem to deal with.
That is, what was the situation with the Corrupted Holy Grail?
"How much longer can you last?" Archer asked Emiya Shirou, who had recovered slightly.
"I..."
Emiya Shirou's lips moved slightly, but he didn't know how to answer the question.
Having lost three Heroic Spirits, the Corrupted Holy Grail within him had largely regained its activity.
He reached to touch his graying hair, but just as he touched it, a large clump tore off.
This indicated that the Corrupted Holy Grail's power was once again eroding his body.
When his body completely decayed, the Corrupted Holy Grail would once again return to this world, fulfilling the wish that was left uncompleted ten years ago.
Emiya Shirou answered with a hint of suffocation, "Perhaps today, perhaps tomorrow."
Just then, Kisaragi Rin on the other side carried Kiritsugu Emiya out of the Workshop and executed him.
The Corrupted Holy Grail's activity expanded once more, making Emiya Shirou almost dizzy.
Listening to Emiya Shirou's screams, Archer also clenched his fingers.
"Me, Gilgamesh, Lancelot."
"How exactly should we deal with the opponent?"
"Gilgamesh's Sword of Rupture? But Arthur is on the other side; once a battle to protect the planet is triggered, her Holy Sword of the Stars will also be unsealed."
"Should we look for other players?"
"He has such power, other players shouldn't be much worse. In Emiya Shirou's current state, if we can't secure an alliance, it's equivalent to delivering ourselves to them."
Just then, Archer suddenly sensed something.
Walking into the courtyard and looking up at the sky, the false sky he had created with the Corrupted Holy Grail had actually changed.
No longer the warm sunshine of a beautiful day, but a bluish-black sky instead!
Pure malice condensed above, and this new firmament was slowly descending!
"There isn't even one day left now."
Emiya Shirou said from behind him.