Creak... creak...
"....."
"Are you troubled by something?"
"Troubled? Me? Does it look that way? Seeing emotion in an expression that shows no emotion at all. You're quite the stubborn one, Medusa."
On the way back, Medusa and I stopped by a park. Sakura went to pick up Shirou, and the two are at home together, so there's no problem. Rin will suspect Sakura... but she's not even sure if she's Caster's Master or Rider's Master, and doesn't know what happened to the other Servants. Unless it's Illya, the original Lesser Grail.
Creak~ creak~
"Do you like the swing?"
"I'm just swinging. Well... it does remind me of when I was young."
Though it's about my past life. I don't even remember who I was in my past life, what my name was, what my family was like... That's no longer important. Still, I remember simple things like swinging on a swing.
"Rider. You act as Sakura's Servant from now on. My magical energy is Sakura's magical energy anyway, and even if you're by her side and far from me, there won't be a magical energy problem."
"Then, what will you do?"
"What will I do... Next operation. Not right tomorrow, but I need to see how things go for a day or two, how Sakura and Shirou will handle things... because a rat has entered the house?"
The Archer team has invaded the Matou mansion. I was watching with present sight, and it was worth deliberately disabling the barrier. I only restored the corpses of the bugs I burned before and left them in the dojo. I wonder how Rin will deal with Sakura. Even if she knows she's Rider's Master, it's Rider who was cooperating with me. If they understand what kind of situation Sakura is involved in, how will you guys turn out...
"I wonder, will they choose family? Or will they choose others?"
"Is that the question you want to ask those people?"
"Simple curiosity. In fact, whatever they choose is none of my business. My goal is the Grail. Nothing more, nothing less. Now that Saber is in my hands, Berserker is nothing. It's the worst compatibility. Archer? If I fight seriously, just my barrier alone could take him down instantly. He's essentially just a magus. And... that guy who's still observing the situation. He'll become a bite-sized snack anyway."
Taat...
I jump off the swing that went high up and slip upon landing due to the frozen ground.
"... Hehe."
"Don't laugh."
Tch... Is it because I'm weakened? It's not easy since the feeling of controlling my body is different from before. Can't even keep my balance for this. I'm still not perfectly accustomed to this weakened body.
"Go to Sakura quickly. I'm going to get some rest or something."
"Aren't you coming to the Matou house anymore?"
"Ha, Sakura will be staying at the Emiya house for a while anyway, right? Even so, I have a lot to do? So I'm going to settle down near the Grail. If you have something to talk about, try not to come and use spiritual flame communication instead."
"Understood."
Medusa looks at me with worried eyes before spiritualizing and leaving. Who's worried about whom... Seriously.
I head to Ryuudou Temple, pass through the empty temple, and enter the cave where the Greater Grail is.
"The signs aren't big yet, are they?"
The Grail that hasn't yet transformed into a monstrous creature. To think that thing is the Grail. Originally, even the true Greater Grail is only called a Grail in name, it's not a cup. I touch the Grail and try to analyze it.
".... It's giving me a headache."
It's hard to analyze... Grail connection, is this it...
Slither... slither...
"... Welcome."
The shadows sense me and approach, and soon the shadow seemed to bow to me. Ha... Are you acknowledging me because I helped you be born?
Angra Mainyu.
I don't care about your birth. Anyway, if I fulfill my wish, you're nothing but a lump of mud that will disappear.
Grrrr...!
Opening the entrance to the Grail, I enter the program that is the Greater Grail.
The inside of the Greater Grail is the abyss itself. A space stained pitch black. Forward, forward I walk.
What appears is the burning castle of Ulster. The sight of the empty Reverse Side appears.
Thump... thump...
"..... Ha. What are you showing me now? I saw it every day."
What appears before my eyes are my family members dead in miserable states. My wives and children, nephews like Conall and Cú Chulainn, and even the former king.
Going further ahead, the corpses of wives who died of old age lay on the ground.
"How absurd... Angra Mainyu. With my past sight that couldn't reach EX rank and couldn't communicate, I saw that day every single day. The happy times, everything up to that day when I truly felt my own weakness. Every day I longed for the past and lived with regret. By showing me this, do you hope I'll despair? Do you want me to be corrupted? Do you want me to go mad? I am already mad. Since the day Nessa died, since I sent each and every one of them away one by one, I have already been mad."
Clap... clap...
"A noble hero with a strong spirit? I am not that. What entered you is nothing but a mad human who has lost everything. I am waste that can't be broken down any further... So, your master is me. Before I abort you who haven't even been born yet... Acknowledge me, won't you? Or, let's see how long you last. You ill-mannered brat."
I deploy the formula of high-level divine magecraft learned through the wisdom of the Reverse Side. Corrupted so what...? I sufficiently purified Medea to a level she could use herself. I who learned everything from my wife, Scáthach, can't possibly fail...!
"Shall we try? I'll lend you a day or two."
About a day passes... A door of black light opens in front of the Grail, and Fergus walks out shambling, covered in black mud.
"I'm exhausted... But now you're mine. Grail. Even if you're corrupted, there's no way I can't do the modification that that guy Amakusa accomplished too."
Soon, his strength leaves him and Fergus slumps down.
"You can't even show a form. Well, I heard Kiritsugu erased Irisviel's form? How laughable..."
Fergus, slumping down, lets out a sigh. He smiles faintly, having come one step closer to his wish.
"Now, soon... Now soon..."
Staff, Curtana Bolg... Fergus hugs the precious gifts his wife gave him tightly and feels relieved.
Soon, the shadows slither closer. The shadows recognize Fergus, recognized as the Grail's master, as their master. In front of Fergus, they swell~ up, then bloom wide like flower petals, and she reveals her form.
"... Ha. How does it feel to be reborn? Saber. Child of the failed Merlin."
".... It's a refreshing feeling. Having shaken off the obsession, I feel clear-headed."
Saber Alter.
The reversed version of her appeared, smiling and looking satisfied.
"Ha, is that so? Having shaken off the obsession... Does that mean you're no longer interested in a wish?"
"A wish... That doesn't matter anymore."
Alter picks up her sword and sits next to Fergus. Fergus looks at her as if she's a strange person.
"What."
"Are you saying you like me? After getting beaten up before? After calling me heresy and such, it's ridiculous."
"... Is that so. In modern times, that's called a black history. Forget it."
"Ha, not bad for a disciple of Merlin, you're quite shameless, Saber. Go ahead and act up all you want... Is it because I'm the Grail's master that you're trying to look good?"
"As I said earlier, I no longer have a wish."
"Suddenly you don't have one? Was your obsession the type to disappear so easily?"
"Precisely... I've already achieved it, so it doesn't matter."
"You're saying something incomprehensible... Just like Uther's daughter."
Fergus finds it bothersome, thinking the Alter version has the exact same tendencies as her predecessor Uther. Still, I'll leave her be since she's a Servant who can overwhelmingly sweep away Berserker. Now that I'm the Grail's master and can use the Grail's magical energy, I can even rapid-fire Noble Phantasm-level bombardments, but I want to save even a little magical energy, and I don't want to bother fighting Berserker myself if I don't have to.
"..."
"...."
"..... Ah, damn it. Want to go get something to eat?"
"Food? Aren't you going to make it yourself?"
"Should I make it for you? Just eat a hamburger or something."
"Hamburger... Well, if we eat together, I don't mind."
"Acting up. Together my ass... Tch, follow me."
Fergus feels a strange emotion and mood from Alter, is extremely displeased by it, and curses at her much more irritably than usual. But Alter doesn't seem to mind, walking beside him out of the cave, using perception interference, and buying hamburgers at a fast-food restaurant.
"Eat as much as you want and use some strength tomorrow. We have to go take down Berserker tomorrow."
"Ahh, leave it to me. I'll do my best for you."
"Acting up. Saying things you don't mean. Are all knights like that? I have a junior who NTR'd the king's wife and ran away, that idiot would probably say something like that."
"Lancer... Well, he's pathetic, but don't compare me to him."
"Hmph, in my eyes, all knights are at that guy's level. Ah, there's someone worse on your side, right? That purple-flavored lower-half Berserker."
"That guy isn't a knight, he's just a pig bastard."
"That's harsh to pigs~"
"That's right... He's worse than Merlin, so call him a fairy."
"If it's fairy-level... No, why am I having this conversation? Just hurry up and eat."
"Hehe..."
"What are you laughing at?"
"No, it's nothing."
Fergus couldn't understand why Alter was smiling.