Chapter 194

【After a long while, led by Brother Luo Shu, Yukino and the pink-haired homunculus from the castle arrived at a long-inherited underground secret chamber. The surrounding candlesticks were lit with faint firelight, and a mysterious magic circle was inscribed on the ground.】

【From a dust-covered box, Brother Luo Shu took out the Mercury Sword from a red cloth and handed it over.】

【"This was made by imitating the Gem Sword; it can be used to assist your projection."】

【"Mm."】

【Yukino nodded and calmly accepted it.】

【Brother Luo Shu had long since told her the detailed process; she only needed to discard distracting thoughts and do it.】

【"Miss Yukino, it is time to begin."】

【The pink-haired maid looked somewhat solemn as she placed her hand on Yukino's shoulder.】

【As Yukino closed her eyes, the flow of magical energy from the void continuously gathered in her mind.】

【Her field of vision gradually turned black.】

The stirring background music carried a sense of antiquity and heaviness.

Waves crashed against the beach, and the sand grains were particularly beautiful under the sunlight, making people unable to help but immerse themselves in the scene.

Ancient memories, days of the past, the figures of three mages... finally appeared before everyone's eyes.

That was five hundred years ago.

A story worth singing and weeping over.

It was the story of the ancestors of the Matou, Einzbern, and Shijo families—two men and one woman who, in order to pursue a shared, great ideal, endured countless hardships, and under the witness of the Wizard Marshal Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg,

created the Holy Grail in the bunker.

The image of the Wizard Marshal appeared in the eyes of people from all nations for the first time.

Looking at the white-haired old man standing high in the bunker, wearing a brownish-red cloak with a calm expression.

Many people felt a sense of awe.

Damn it, this fit the image of a serious, wise elder in their imagination perfectly.

【Yukishita Yukino was also staring at him seriously; to be precise, at the sword inside his chest.】

【——Gem Sword (Zelretch)!】

【"I believe in your philosophy. To reach the Root... the Shijo, Einzbern, and Matou families will join hands to open the path!"】

【The Wizard Marshal watched the three of them, his expression calm, "State what you can provide."】

【"The Shijo family will provide the spiritual land used to set up the Holy Grail."】

【A young man with long, cascading hair stepped forward, his eyes firm, revealing the unique passion of a warrior.】

【"The Matou family will provide the Command Spells used to bind the Heroic Spirit serving as the sacrifice."】

【A blue-haired young man with a hairstyle like seaweed walked up, his tone flat and light, yet it carried a sense of resonance and power.】

【That determination and persistence seemed no less than Yukino's desire to become an ally of justice.】

"Heroic Spirits are sacrifices."

In Beika City, Officer Megure frowned, chewing on this incredibly terrifying piece of information.

So that means... the Holy Grail actually made a false promise to the Throne of Heroes, tricked these Heroic Spirits into coming, and used their souls or something else as energy to grant wishes, is that it?

【"The Einzbern family will provide the magic circle used to reach the Third Magic."】

【Like a saint, a white-haired woman in pure, noble white stepped forward.】

【"Good... I, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, shall witness and preside over this."】

【The Wizard Marshal's expression grew a bit more serious; he stood at the front, his eyes sharper than a hawk's.】

【Immediately, the white-haired woman walked to the dark, deep stone platform and lay down with a calm face. Accompanied by a deafening roar, as if a crane were pressing down, a massive stone pillar suddenly fell.】

【Watching the giant object crash down, the white-haired woman smiled, as if excited to have fulfilled her long-cherished wish.】

【This was the ending a sacrifice should have.】

【"Thump!"】

【Under the sorrow of the blue-haired seaweed-headed youth, a crisp crushing sound exploded.】

【On the stone platform, dripping blood slid down, merging into the magic circle underground.】

【Countless orange lights rose within the magic patterns, shocking and grand!】

【The Wizard Marshal, calm, took out a blade with multi-faceted gems, beautiful as a rainbow, and gently touched the profound stone pillar.】

【"Hoo..."】

【In an instant, Yukino's pupils shrank, and she couldn't help but breathe faster.】

【The origin of the sword, sealed by the Shroud of Martin and delayed in its awakening, was awakening.】

【She saw it...】

【That sword.】

Clatter!

Flashing white light suddenly filled the sky.

【The next day, Brother Luo Shu silently put away the Gem Sword and placed it in the pocket on his back.】

【In the kitchen, Yukishita Yukino, wearing an apron like a cook, smiled gently and brought out a steaming, nourishing soup.】

【The atmosphere was surprisingly cheerful and peaceful.】

【It seemed to be because they had obtained a secret weapon to deal with Kaguya.】

【Although it was a low-quality product barely projected.】

【It could only borrow the power of oneself from a parallel world, rather than the Great Source of magical energy from the entire parallel world...】

【But... it was enough!】

【Afterward.】

【As if to make up for the regrets of childhood, two figures shuttled through the ruins of the city.】

【Riding a carousel in the park, drifting in the great river, swimming in a crater that had struck groundwater...】

【Until dusk, sitting on a tilted skyscraper, the two quietly watched the sunset.】

【Suddenly.】

【"Rumble...!!"】

【The air vibrated and exploded for over ten kilometers, and the ground sank.】

【The mountains originally surrounding the Yuanzang Mountain slowly sank, forming a deep abyss.】

【An incredibly terrifying aura spread, carrying a sinister taste.】

【Before they could react, a pagoda seemingly constructed of infinite pitch-black branches slowly rose, as if containing all the murderous intent, evil thoughts, and greed in pan-human history... thick shadows covered everything.】

【As if its existence were exposing the sins committed by primates from ancient times to the present.】

【Black as jade, with a texture like blood, it surged toward the moon like a tide.】

【Then, it inserted itself upside down into the firmament...!】

Holy crap?!

The next moment, people gasped in shock.

【The clouds were pierced through, opening a hole dozens of kilometers wide!】

【As if half the sky had been torn apart, countless brilliant starlight fell, and the entire Fuyuki City was illuminated, incredibly shocking.】

【"That is..."】

【Brother Luo Shu's gaze was solemn.】

【Looking at the holy, perfectly round white sphere in the center of the pagoda.】

【That is the true form of the Fuyuki Greater Grail!】

【Sure enough...】

【Kaguya.】

【Your goal was never the Holy Grail.】

【This is also a matter of course; with your intelligence, how could you not know that the Holy Grail also has its limits.】

【If this is the case, it's no wonder that arrogant King would stand on Kaguya's side.】

【For that aloof King.】

【All of this is nothing more than a trial bestowed upon humanity.】