This single drop of black mud made everyone present tremble in fear. Even Gilgamesh, upon seeing it, quickly grabbed Shinji Matou's collar and retreated.
The aura of the Holy Grail was mixed with the power of the True Ancestor Akatsuki, further combined with the power of Imaginary Numbers Magecraft. Even Gilgamesh was forced to back away.
"Did that mongrel cultivate this?!"
A pitch-black figure surged out from that drop of black mud, standing quietly between Berserker and Gilgamesh. Its black tentacles seemed to possess a life of their own.
"The black grail?"
Akatsuki frowned. She looked at the black shadow, only a few meters away from Gilgamesh, with some uncertainty. Logically speaking, this shadow should not have appeared at this moment.
"Did something go wrong with Sakura? Or is it because of me?"
Akatsuki had lacked empathy since she was a child. She couldn't quite grasp the internal changes in others. Combined with her previous lack of interest in the opposite sex, she had missed out on many good girls.
"I should go back and have a good talk with Sakura..."
Akatsuki thought to herself. She understood that the appearance of the black grail had drastically altered the course of this world. Originally, she had intended to guide this world toward an ending similar to UBW, but now, it was already on a point of no return toward the HF ending.
"No, maybe there's another way."
Thinking of Caster's Noble Phantasm, Akatsuki suddenly felt that things weren't that bad yet.
"Things haven't reached the worst-case scenario. I'll overcome the current predicament first, then find a way to resolve Sakura's corruption."
Having made up her mind, the Black Keys in Akatsuki's hands gradually disintegrated, replaced by a pitch-black sniper rifle.
"I didn't expect to see you again in this form."
Stroking the barrel, Akatsuki set up the sniper rifle.
At that moment, the black shadow that had been stationary between Gilgamesh and Berserker moved. Ribbon-like tentacles wrapped around Berserker, who was restrained by the Chains of Heaven, as if to devour him.
"Oh? What a bold mongrel, to dare touch my Chains of Heaven with your filthy things!!"
With a cold gaze fixed on the black shadow, Noble Phantasms from the Gate of Babylon shot toward it.
The Noble Phantasms hit the shadow but failed to cause even a sliver of damage. Instead, they slowly sank into it, and the blackish-red patterns on the shadow's body gradually stripped the Noble Phantasms of their golden light.
The Noble Phantasms gradually rusted, turning into a pile of scrap metal before being pulled into the shadow's Imaginary Number Space.
Berserker struggled desperately, but the glowing Chains of Heaven bound him tightly. Seeing his attacks were ineffective, Gilgamesh immediately retracted the Chains of Heaven and left with Shinji Matou.
"Is communication no longer possible? Just like a mad dog that has lost its mind."
However, as Archer was about to walk out of the castle gates, ribbon-like tentacles blocked his path.
"mongrel, who gave you the courage to block this King?"
The Gate of Babylon opened once more. This time, Gilgamesh directly severed the tentacles, and countless Noble Phantasms instantly shredded them. "I really don't understand why Kirei insisted on keeping a beast like you that plagues my garden."
Gilgamesh left unscathed, and the black shadow seemed satisfied after completely devouring Berserker.
Just as Akatsuki breathed a sigh of relief, the shadow seemed to sense something and drifted straight toward her position.
Akatsuki frowned and turned to leave, only to find Assassin standing not far away. Those eyes beneath the skull mask were quietly watching her.
In an instant, alarm bells rang in Akatsuki's mind. She didn't know how long Assassin had been watching, but she was certain this Assassin was no ordinary Servant—at least Top-tier or higher!
"Although I've heard much about Assassin's Presence Concealment, isn't this a bit too exaggerated?"
The sniper rifle disintegrated into six Black Keys. Akatsuki kept a wary eye on the approaching black shadow behind her while staring intently at the Assassin carrying a greatsword.
"Vampire, show your true strength, or you will die here."
The greatsword, shrouded in the aura of death, was drawn from its scabbard by Assassin. The gaze hidden beneath the skull mask remained fixed on Akatsuki.
"To be honest, I don't want to kill."
Akatsuki's eyes turned crimson, and her tone became serious. "In the midst of endless slaughter, I realized that while killing is convenient, killing too much makes one forget oneself."
"I am the exact opposite of you. Never-ending slaughter is my destiny!"
Assassin brandished the greatsword and charged at Akatsuki.
Akatsuki met the charge head-on with the Black Keys in her hands.
From beginning to end, Akatsuki never wanted to kill anyone, whether in this world or her original one. Yet, fate seemed to mock her.
If she didn't kill others, others would come to kill her.
When others besieged her alone, no one spoke a word for her.
When she killed too many, the high-and-mighty hypocrites would say things like "Enough."
"When they wanted to kill me, why didn't you say enough? When they took swords to cut out my tongue, why didn't you say enough? When they forced me to kneel and kowtow, why didn't you say enough?"
Facing Assassin's fierce assault, Akatsuki recalled memories of her youth.
Facing long-term bullying from peers within the family, the bias of elders, and the disgust and assassination attempts from her father, she had raised her blade and wiped out everyone in her family except herself.
Akatsuki looked at these memories calmly. Her heart remained without a ripple, so calm it made one wonder if she was truly human.
In the past, Akatsuki would have smiled and said "Of course," but now she would say "Of course not."
Her crimson pupils watched Assassin, and the speed at which she swung the Black Keys grew faster and faster.
"It seems the one being suppressed isn't me!"
The pitch-black tentacles bypassed Akatsuki and rushed toward Assassin. Seeing this, a flash of surprise crossed Assassin's eyes, and he immediately retreated.
Coordinating with the black shadow's attacks, Akatsuki launched a continuous offensive against Assassin. She knew exactly which parts to strike to make a Servant die quickly without a chance to counterattack!
In an instant, the tide of the battle turned.
Her sword, devoid of any killing intent, was like a Reaper carrying out a task, driving Assassin into a corner while avoiding contact with the black shadow.
"Meow?! What are you doing, meow?!"
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