Chapter 364: MacArthur Said

It wasn't even a battle; these beings ignored the principles of mystery and brought miracles down upon the entire planet.

The Greater Grail…

Whether it's belief or will, the chasm created by absolute power cannot be bridged.

All Servants who participated in the Red-Black Holy Grail War could only silently watch as the Greater Grail was absorbed into the abruptly appearing Jade Void Palace—some rejoiced, others grieved.

"The Jewel Elder has already fled; his figure wasn't seen inside the London Clock Tower," Kleine said, materializing from thin air with an antique telephone in hand.

Tohsaka Rin sighed: "Can't you just leave the Master alone?"

At these words, Kleine lifted the antique receiver and handed it to Tohsaka Rin; a strong, resonant voice came through:

I'm old, and some things are bad for my heart, so if anything comes up, go to my disciple Tohsaka Rin. Please leave this old man in peace. Though I never formally took a student, from today onward she is the Magus of the Second Magic.

A ruby was thrown, shattering the telephone into fragments.

"Choose your words carefully—we are not villains. We only asked the elder to help save the world, not to harm him," Su Lin tapped the Greater Grail with his finger, producing a crisp sound:

"It seems that whenever we appear, the Holy Grail System immediately fails; the souls of the Servants within are rejected and cannot return to their seats."

"This worldline has been blacklisted. Let's go. Call it a day."

Meng Qi stored the Greater Grail within his Sleeve of Heaven and Earth, then guided the Jade Void Palace to detach from this worldline:

"Then let's collect enough Greater Grails to accumulate sufficient quantity, and mimic the Orte invasion of the Human Order Preservation System—we can forcibly open the Throne of Heroes."

"Of course, doing so would require us to intrude into this world's Realm Record Band."

The Throne of Heroes has no direct relation to Gaia or Alaya; it transcends time, location, even worlds—it's entirely possible to summon Heroes from Parallel Worlds, Anomalies, the Future, or other such places as Servants.

"Hey, weren't you supposed to explain properly?" Song Shuhang complained: "Are you guys roleplaying as movie characters?"

Su Lin shrugged, tossed the healed Caster's Master, Roger, outside the Jade Void Palace, and simultaneously cast a Featherweight Spell:

"These two Inhibitors have already labeled us as the greatest threat. If that's the case, we might as well use special methods."

"What are you going to do about Universe Rin?" Ye Fan asked: "If she ascends to her peak again, and you open another one, won't you two fight until the Dao is worn to dust?"

"You're right—I should prepare in advance. It's an exceptional situation," Su Lin said to Weigong Shilang:

"Before I return, collect as many Greater Grails as you can—more is better. Of course, you and Dada Liya can also try directly activating the Grail in a Parallel World, since you're natives while we're evil outsiders."

"Maybe it'll work?"

Provided Weigong Shilang can muster the resolve to kill the Servants participating in the Grail War within the Parallel World.

Though they are merely deceased bodies, if there's no personal grudge or unavoidable conflict, Weigong Shilang probably wouldn't do such a thing—especially since some Grail Wars still feature faces he knows.

"Where are you going?" Lu Mingfei asked suspiciously as Su Lin prepared to leave: "You're not planning to run away, are you?"

Su Lin waved his hand, expressionless, twisted his neck, and clicked 【Exit】 on his personal backend control panel:

"Going to the dock to stage a deus ex machina."

Next, the weather forecast. The low-pressure system over western Las Vegas is currently—

The television displayed the usual weather forecast.

Citizens of Snowfield City, after viewing the upcoming climate information, turned off their TVs and lights with mixed feelings of hope and dread, preparing to fall asleep.

Terrorist attacks had occurred one after another in recent days; their beloved opera house had been reduced to ruins.

Snowfield City had not yet descended into chaos or panic—perhaps because in this land of freedom, occasional attacks were not unusual, or perhaps because no one had directly suffered an attack.

In any case, none of these events were enough to shatter their unbroken daily lives—not even last night's gas explosion.

"Alright, yes, I understand," Hansa hung up the phone and set out with thirty supporting magicians toward the cliff outside the lone chapel in the valley; industrial zones in Snowfield City had already begun to change.

The town had now reached its most chaotic moment; the magicians of the El-Melloi Classroom had joined the chaos with the goal of dismantling this Holy Grail War.

The starry sky was gradually obscured by dark clouds; thunderheads and low-pressure systems began to spread.

"Doris Lusendra is an excellent magician," Luvia Jelitav Atiphelt said: "But unfortunately, she is also the most suitable target. We have won the duel, wagering everything as magicians."

Yvette Reiman smiled: "After all, only the two of you have perfect scores in modern magical combat."

"I owe you thanks, Miss Gorilla Tohsaka," Luvia glanced sideways at the woman in red: "Your tasteless performance was quite splendid."

"What's that, Crane?" Tohsaka Rin retorted without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Rider Hippolyta and her ally Saber Richard I followed behind the group, gazing toward the distant temple they would eventually reach.

In the industrial zone, the surging torrent of power continued devouring the overflowing divine energy, nearing the brink of Noble Phantasm activation; storms and heavy rain fell, growing stronger and fiercer.

Golden chains rose from one end of the horizon, like a tsunami.

The El-Melloi Classroom magicians reached the cliff's edge, monitoring battlefield developments through their familiars.

"It is precisely because souls flowed into the Lesser Grail that this awakening occurred," Luvia said: "So our plan is simple—we attack that temple."

Saber Richard I laughed: "Didn't you just say charging in head-on is stupid?"

"Charging in head-on is stupid!" Tohsaka Rin's gaze was resolute: "I don't know what kind of god she is, but we'll strike her squarely from behind—honorably."

This reckless plan was unanimously accepted by all present magicians.

All eyes turned to the temple caught between the golden ocean and the black flood, where the ancient goddess, about to reclaim her divine seat, radiated divine authority.

"That's very much like you, Rin," a voice broke the silence: "In your tendency to challenge the powerful beyond your means."

"Huh?!" Tohsaka Rin spun around sharply: "Then do you have a better idea?"

Her aggressive retort suddenly halted, as if a playback machine had been paused.

Richard I and Hippolyta's pupils shrank; they drew their weapons instantly and swung them toward the massive figure behind the crowd.

"Give them a lesson, Berserker."

Before anyone could react, even with a snow-haired girl perched on his shoulder, the giant's body moved with absurd speed and force, sending both Rider and Saber flying backward, tumbling off the cliff.

Heracles had no intention of letting them go—he leapt down after them.

"How rude," Dada Liya appeared beside Tohsaka Rin via spatial teleportation, ignoring the stunned stares of El-Melloi Classroom students:

"I just came to say hello, and you attack a lady?"

"Illyasviel von Einzbern," Tohsaka Rin instinctively stepped back: "Why are you here? You were already… and Berserker?!"

"So, in this worldline, I'm dead?" Illya mused, then said deliberately:

"It's quite normal—judging by your appearance, this is a sequel similar to the UBW line, isn't it?"

In this worldline, Rin Tohsaka had no idea why the Berserker pair, who had died during the Fifth Holy Grail War, had suddenly appeared here.

And as the Master, Illya's body emitted a terrifying magical power rivaling that of any Servant.

"By the way, do you know where Master Gilgamesh is?" Illya smiled.

"Shirou and I have been searching everywhere for the Greater Grail, so busy we haven't even had time to hold a wedding—partly because of him."

"Even in a Parallel World, at least give us the Ea and the King's Treasure as compensation."

The magi of the El-Melloi classroom, watching Illya casually reveal their confidential information, fell into confusion.

Ethical doubts were secondary; the key issue was her claim about collecting the Grail?

"I don't know Gilgamesh's whereabouts," Rin quickly recovered, her eyelid twitching as she watched Heracles drag Saber and Rider up from beneath the cliff:

"The Holy Grail War here only has fragments of the Winterthur Grail—you've come to the wrong place."

"You say you're collecting the Grail with Shirou… what do you mean? Are you Illyasviel from a Parallel World?"

"I mean it literally—it's been clear enough," Illya said to Heracles: "Berserker, go stop your own Avenger-class self."

"Understood." Heracles was teleported by Illya through spatial transfer to the industrial zone.

"Even as a Master, you're far too dismissive of us," Luviagelita clenched her fists, gems lodged between her fingers:

"I've seen your file—you're an artificial human from the Einzbern family, yet you let your Servant leave you here?"

"As a magus, Gilgamesh must show at least basic respect to a Mage," Illya's fiery red eyes narrowed slightly; she snapped her fingers, a teasing smile on her lips:

"I don't like being called an artificial human."

As if opening a gate to the Sea of Mana, a pure magical power far more soul-shaking than any goddess's or Servant's Noble Phantasm surged from the girl's body—not aimed at Luviagelita, but directed toward the red-haired figure who had just arrived.

"The Greater Grail of Winterthur has been fully recovered; gathering the fragments is enough. I delayed the cleanup a bit—sorry," Weigong Shirou lifted Illya's feather-light body with one hand.

"Weigong?!"

"Emiya?!"

"Shirou?!"

Weigong Shirou had also attended classes at El-Melloi II's, and most people remembered him as 【Rin Tohsaka's disciple】, a survivor of the Holy Grail War, a magus suited for combat.

His presence here meant that Illyasviel's earlier words…

"The Bull of Heaven? What a reckless goddess—but I have no right to criticize her."

"Don't worry—I arranged protective measures in advance."

Weigong Shirou chuckled bitterly at the giant typhoon, 800 kilometers in diameter, and raised his free hand toward the sky:

"Projection—begin."

Countless blades emerged alongside a downpour condensed from concepts; rain struck cold iron, lightning split the sky, fleeting light illuminating the city below.

"Loading—complete."

No need to consider Weigong Shirou's limits, no need to conserve magical energy—even exceeding his capacity, the Third Law's salvation would arrive the next instant.

In essence, as long as Illyasviel willed it, an endless, perpetual source of magical energy would open for Weigong Shirou.

Controlled forcibly by the Soldier's Secret.

The divine beasts guarding the temple sensed the threat; as they breathed, they charged toward the cliff with their massive bodies as weapons, their speed rivaling the gales raging in Jupiter's stratosphere.

"Full Armament—Release."

This was an experiment.

The Soldier's Secret created by Wu Liang Yuanshi Tianzun, combined with the Third Law's perpetual magical energy, served as the medium for Projection Magic.

Like a whale swallowing, space first twisted and swelled; the next instant, countless rules surged in torrents, tearing through the sky's gales, severing the Bull of Heaven, and swallowing the mountain range stretching for dozens of kilometers, along with the town below.

Yet even so, the flood of destruction did not cease—it had not yet reached its decline phase, spreading toward the desert and ocean.

Blades rang without end.

Poison mists, storms, barriers—shattered? No—vanished completely.

"Have you calmed down now, Goddess over there, and all you Servants and magi?" Weigong Shirou stepped through empty air, walking from the cliff toward Snowfield City, his voice booming across every corner:

"I'll say it only once."

"Your Holy Grail War is over."

"Too shy, that's the problem," Su Lin turned off the livestream and sighed: "Why not learn some flair from Red A?"

Before him sat a Bai Zunzhe figurine, a merchandise item from the cultivator after the simulated universe movie ended; though the six-winged… White… White Crane vendor had looked at him with strange, wary eyes.

Carefully wiping it, Su Lin placed it alongside many other items with buff enhancements.

"Though I don't necessarily need to gamble," Su Lin washed his face with spiritual spring water and dried it with Mao Jin.

The counterfeit Taiyi Card's duration aside, the Red Dust Immortal Trial Card is expensive—once used, you must spend a few minutes finding a soft target in a Dark Zone to recoup your investment.

The original alarm clock was cheap and most effective, but unfortunately, it was inhumane, and Kleine refused this card as a gift.

Su Lin's gaze hardened as he muttered: "Rest easy, Weigong—I'll protect your world."

Manifestation Points: After all, the Type-Moon World is truly a great place—just manifest and it's done.

As for whether this might trigger a crisis beyond the system's resolution, honestly, since Meng Qi severed the connection, Su Lin had mustered the courage to send a clone to his world once.

Seeing the first item in the limited shop named Dao Guo—that image was unforgettable.

One must consider whether this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He had always wondered why his points exploded after one night's sleep—turns out, "Zone: Seal Broken" had been released.

As the saying goes, take from Type-Moon, use for Type-Moon—though he'd forgotten who said it; if all else fails, it was MacArthur.

"Bai Zunzhe, if anything fun happens, I'll notify Shuhang right away," Su Lin thought, gazing at the figurine.

"Ye Ge, someone is slandering you as fallen," Su Lin, facing the hundreds-of-meters-tall pure white cross, made the sign of the cross on his chest.

"Will, next time I'll bring you three buckets of Häagen-Dazs chocolate to make up for it." Su Lin placed the last vial of the Blood of the Serpent of Fate on the ground.

Wu Liang Yuanshi Tianzun.

Amitabha Buddha.

Invest.

Invest.

The remaining points are kept as reserve, for unforeseen needs.

The gray space rippled with waves, and two meteors shot out from the vortex.

Fragment of the Great Will: Karosso (Light):

Effect: Aggregate the authority fragments of the Creator God Karosso from a parallel dimension, lasting until the Great Will recalls them or you cannot bear it. In eternal time, the Great Will descends—you are both the vessel and the creator of a new epoch.

(He lifted his head, and his power illuminated with it—this was the beginning.)

Random Concept Card (2/2): Randomly obtain a concept, lasting 10 minutes. (Concept Gods have no weak gods! — Concept God Reemployment Committee)

This chapter is from October 1st.

(End of Chapter)