The contract with Sakura is still in effect. However, she no longer has Command Spells over me. She has nothing to force a command upon me.
The fact she gives me magical energy without issue is probably due to our personal connection. It means she still wants to give me a chance...
Perhaps Sakura knew she would become like this and used a Command Spell on me.
"Haa... haa..."
"Thank you, Emiya-kun. Thanks to you, the preparations are now complete."
Shirou made a weapon called the Jeweled Sword for Rin. Archer's right arm, as I suspected, it was indeed a future possibility.
"I will kill Sakura."
"... I will fight to protect Sakura."
"Me too..."
"Haa, even if our goals are slightly different, the path is the same. If you want to stop me, first you have to defeat those guys, right?"
Rin's words are true, but I can feel she is still hesitating. And that she's hiding something... Since she's still hesitating, I won't harm her, but it's a bit unsettling.
No matter how much Shirou can produce power on the level of a heroic spirit, his limits are clear. With his help, we can barely defeat Saber. Even so, a way to defeat Fergus...
"But, are you really okay with this? That you would do it..."
"There's no one but me. It's impossible for you."
Tohsaka Rin. She says she will fight Sakura, subdue her, and then fight Fergus. I wonder, can she win? Having seen Fergus's power, she probably isn't bluffing. But, how? That Jeweled Sword certainly looks impressive, but it's impossible with just that.
Even so... I have no choice but to believe in her now.
"Well then, off you go."
The overseer, Kotomine Kirei. He takes charge of the safety of the Lesser Grail, Illyasviel, and we head towards the cave where the Grail is. And... what awaited us in that cave was a certain puppet. A crude golem made of unidentifiable, shapeless mud. How unenthusiastic were you, Fergus...
[Welcome. Sakura is waiting. The only one who can proceed past this point is you, Rin. The rest are not allowed entry.]
"What?"
[If you don't like it, want to fight me here? Even if Fuyuki City gets blown away? I am a Servant too, you know, just fulfilling my Master's request? Be grateful, Rin. Your little sister says she wants to personally turn you into a mess like a bug? When I said I'd cut off your limbs and give you just the body and head, she said she'd do it herself... Maybe she'll even have you taxidermied?]
"Ugh... fine. I'll go alone."
[Confident because you have the Jeweled Sword? Even so... you can't defeat Sakura, Tohsaka Rin. The rest of you, please go to the original entrance. She is waiting for you.]
'She' must mean Saber. Isn't she going to summon other Servants like Berserker?
"■■■■──!!!"
I wondered why she didn't summon them...
[Now, a boy who abandoned his convictions for one person. Prove your power. If you don't even have that much strength, you have no right to come to where Sakura is. What are you doing? Not going...]
"... Go ahead first, Rider. I'll handle that one. Since he was Illya's Servant..."
"I'll leave it to you."
We each scatter and head towards our respective opponents. Shirou, please defeat him quickly. As much as I believe in you, I will also do my best.
Entering deeper into the cave, I see a black knight waiting for me. Not the pristine blue knight I saw before, but the black King of Knights who changed recently. And... King Arthur, whose strong affection for him is obvious to anyone who sees...
"You've come."
"I don't understand. Not yearning for the Grail, but only wanting that person. Wasn't your relationship with him not like that?"
"Ha, so that's what you're talking about. As expected of a snake goddess, good intuition... It's a story from another world. It probably doesn't reach him here, but the essence of the person who gave me the answer is unchanged. That's why I fight for him."
"You won't stop him?"
"The role I sensed is still present. That is not my role. If it were the Fergus I knew, perhaps, but for the Fergus of this place, it's impossible for me."
Not her role...? She's not talking about me. Who is she talking about? Not Shirou. Sakura? Or the absent Illyasviel? Or maybe Kotomine Kirei? Or...
"Are you talking about Rin?"
"I think at least only she can. To be precise, it's her, but also not..."
"?"
"Is more conversation necessary? When Servants meet, there is only one answer. Come, monster of myth. It is a battle between a dragon and a fallen god."
The fighting spirit is completely different. I knew it, but even as a different person, the scale of power is as different as night and day compared to before. To have this much of the dragon's power... Shirou, if I make even a slight mistake, I... might die even before reaching Sakura and Fergus.
Kwaaaaa!!!
"So you came here, Lesser Grail."
In a corner of the cave, Illya who sneaked in through a back path. This is really something, the Lesser Grail is no longer needed and is something that should be erased. Incarnation and such, unnecessary.
"Aren't you supposed to protect Sakura? Taking your eyes off her in a place like this."
"Do you think Sakura will lose? I see your level, Illya."
"... I think I know what your wish is. That's why I think it must not be fulfilled even more."
"Haa?"
You think you know...?
"You, what are you planning to do about the aftermath?"
"What aftermath? Even if that thing is born, I can handle the cleanup. I won't destroy the world. Just many people in Fuyuki will die, and Fuyuki itself will be somewhat intact, right?"
"No, I mean you."
"What about me?"
"You.. do you really think your wives want such a thing?"
"...... What do you know─"
"That's why I'm saying it. I think I can understand such things a little."
Does the Lesser Grail have such power...? It shouldn't. And...
"Don't you judge such things, doll. Where does a doll born merely as a sacrifice for the Third Magic dare to spout such nonsense."
"They love me, so it'll be fine. They'll surely forgive me... that's what you're thinking, right? But, in that situation, the one who suffers the most is... you yourself, isn't it? Fergus."
"Shut up."
"Remember. You weren't such a person. Even so, your guilt won't disappear."
"Shut up..."
"Fergus... You don't want to spend happy days with your wives once more and die together. It's just that you can't forgive yourself for making your wives sad."
"Shut up!!!!!"
Kugugugugu!
The moment I change my staff into a spear and try to throw it.
Kwajik!!!
"Did you think I wouldn't know, Kotomine! Your heart belongs to the Grail! As the Grail's master, did you think I wouldn't know of your existence!"
"..."
I pierce the chest of Kotomine, who was ambushing me. Kotomine spits blood from his mouth and stabs me with a Black Key. However, I melt the Black Key with magecraft. With just these trivial little tricks, you try to stop me...?
Warak!
"!? What!"
But then, that Kotomine grabs both my hands, and Illya hugs me. What is she thinking.... Wait. These guys, don't tell me──!
"I'll give you a miracle. The Third Magic, Materialization of the Soul. It's a half-made thing, so bear with the discomfort...!"
Damn it, the Third Magic is no good...! If Illya sacrifices her life, I'll gain infinite lifespan...! That would be putting the cart before the horse! It's not easy to time a suicide...! And if I use the Lesser Grail's power here, the Grail will become incomplete...!
"You damn bastards!!!!!"
"... The puzzle of victory has already been solved, great hero."
Pwoom!!!!
I destroy Kotomine's body and quickly escape with teleportation.
"I... ran away...?"
Damn, damn it... It's too late to kill Illya. Even if I killed her, I couldn't have stopped the activation... Damn it, I... ran away.
"... Ha."
I teleported to the nearest place... In the end, this is how it is. So Saber lost too.
"Fergus... You're in quite a state. It's the first time I've seen you run away."
"Ha... Are you mocking me?"
"No, not at all. Just... I'm relieved that you too are not a perfect human."
"What are you saying..."
Because of the Grail, perhaps, Saber, whose chest was pierced by Azoth, was still clinging to life. In about a minute, it will be over.
"Are you going?"
"... I'll at least keep you company at the end."
Now that it's the end... I'm becoming sentimental too.
"You did well, Saber. Thank you for following me. So... rest in peace now."
"... Ah, thank you. Fergus..."
Saaaaa...
She smiles faintly and disappears. Really... as the end approaches, I'm really...
I quickly teleport to Sakura. Emiya Shirou, I like you, but... you can't ruin this.
Chang!!!!
I knock away Shirou's blade as he tries to stab Sakura, who is standing having given up on everything, with Rule Breaker.
"Caster!?"
"Caster...?"
"You can't do that. What are you giving up for, Sakura."
Kwaaaa!!!
I blow Shirou far away with a magic bullet, and Shirou, with his body made of swords, endures and doesn't die. But this much should be enough. Now to prepare the ritual...
"I want to stop."
"..."
"I didn't... want to beat my sister... I just wanted to be told... you did well... you tried hard... I wanted to keep being acknowledged."
"... So what? Is it sisterly love, or have you repented because of the words of your loved one? You know? The people you've eaten number in the thousands. No, even more than that?"
"........."
"It's too late to back out, Sakura... And, you have no choices... Your Command Spells don't work on me. You are already my Grail. Nothing more than a tool for my wish. From the beginning, all along... you were nothing but a Grail for my wish."
"Ah, aah..."
I grab her neck and bring my eyes right up to her face.
"Sakura... I tried to give you a chance in my own way, but it seems it's no good. Sleep for a while. By the time you wake, everything will be over."
First, I don't need the brain, right...? It's right before perfect awakening, so things like ego are unnecessary.
"Stop...!"
"... What."
Rin, bleeding and staggering, stands up and shouts at me. Even though she no longer has the Jeweled Sword, what is it? No... why did I hesitate at her words?
"Get away from my sister."
"... Hmph."
Just words... I try to erase Sakura's ego right away, but at that moment... seeing what she took out, I hesitate.
"That thing... where did you get it? No, why is that out?"
"... A hunch."
What Rin took out was the Kaleidostick. It's surprising, but... what, will you become a magical girl and try to beat me? Ha, the Kaleidostick is essentially the same as the Jeweled Sword in ability, but the output difference is huge. And, it's barely at a level to defeat a Servant. You'll challenge me, the Grail's master, with infinite power? The difference in output per use is worlds apart...
"Foolish stick... let's use some power."
[Okay~! But only one chance!]
"It's fine... anyway, I'm not the one doing it."
What does she mean...?
I must kill. Right now, I must kill. I don't know why, but my Mind's Eye is telling me. I must kill right now, or else.
Keeeeeng!!!
"{Curtana Bolg}(The Spear of Slaying and Piercing Extermination)!!!!"
Kwaaaaaa!!!!
My thrown spear with all my might. A crimson thorned demonic spear flies, and from Rin, a pillar of crimson light soars. And... a shooting star breaking through that light cancels out my spear, the spear of causality reversal.
"..... Why."
"Are you still regretting? Still unable to forgive yourself? Why have you regressed to a child?"
"Why..."
"Surely... we had many sparring matches, but the only time we fought seriously, risking our lives, was during our first meeting... That time, I lost."
"Why are you stopping me.... Scáthach!!!!!"
"Today, I will win. My husband."