---o---
In the Light Curtain's comments—
The fact that the Holy Grail was corrupted was no longer a secret. After all, with the appearance of Solomon's monstrous Clairvoyance, there was nothing about the Holy Grail War he didn't know.
But still... Angra Mainyu. The chief deity of darkness in ancient Persian mythology, originating from Zoroastrianism. The supreme god of the world of evil, the nemesis of the benevolent god Ahura Mazda, and the source of all sin and darkness, dwelling in the abyss.
Although he was branded with the title of "All the World's Evil," Angra Mainyu was, in reality, just an ordinary young man. His actual power was among the absolute weakest of all Servants; otherwise, he wouldn't have been defeated so easily in the Third Holy Grail War.
What no one expected was that the Holy Grail had become corrupted because of such an individual.
Schicksal Overseer: "Angra Mainyu, All the World's Evil. Though not powerful himself, he single-handedly corrupted the Holy Grail to such a state. This is getting more and more interesting."
Since Elysia also needed the Holy Grail and couldn't obtain one from Solomon, her only remaining choice was Irisviel.
However... the moment the Grail appeared, that woman's life would come to an end. Would Elysia choose to sacrifice Irisviel? The answer was without a doubt...
Eriri Sawamura: "This is beyond ridiculous! What happened to the omnipotent wish-granting machine? It gets corrupted this easily? The after-sales service for this Holy Grail is just the worst."
There were too many things to complain about. At first, the Holy Grail seemed like some high-level, awe-inspiring divine artifact, but it turned out to be just a defective wish machine. It couldn't even compare to Gilgamesh's treasury.
Conan: "Actually, in terms of his title, Angra Mainyu is an incredibly powerful existence, at least on the level of a chief god, being the nemesis of Ahura Mazda, after all."
It was just that his true identity was rather absurd. An ordinary person who inexplicably became a chief god in name and was labeled "All the World's Evil." His lack of strength was understandable.
---o---
[Inside the Light Curtain—
Within the ruins created by the pressure of the Outer God.
The Old Worm and Emiya Kiritsugu stared each other down. After a brief silence, the Old Worm finally spoke.
"Emiya Kiritsugu! You don't seem very interested in what I've told you. What's this... could the intelligence be wrong? Your ideal isn't for justice, but... for yourself?"
Zouken Matou was quite disappointed that he hadn't seen Emiya Kiritsugu break down. He had originally expected Kiritsugu to clutch his head and cry, letting out a scream of despair.
But now... reality was far from his expectations. Was Emiya Kiritsugu's will simply stronger than that of an ordinary person, or... had he already known this information?
The Old Worm was completely baffled.
"Rumble~~"
In the distance, Elysia's Companion Honkai Beast was still fighting the Outer God, causing the ground to tremble intermittently.
The Old Worm was jolted from his thoughts. He twisted his neck, a malicious smile covering his face as he said to Emiya Kiritsugu, "It seems we don't have much time left. This city is almost completely destroyed. We're the only living people left, aren't we, Emiya Kiritsugu..."
"So, as an Ally of Justice, it's only right that you save an old man like me, isn't it? As long as you hand your wife, the Einzbern, over to me, I... I can survive this cruel war."
The Old Worm said this with a smile, without a shred of shame. This man was rotten from head to toe.
He then turned his gaze toward the Fuyuki Grand Bridge and continued, "That woman, she's so cruel. To fight that evil god here without any restraint. Doesn't she know there are still living people in Fuyuki City?"
"No wonder she's a wanted criminal. A woman who shows no respect for her elders should be properly educated by my insects... just like that daughter of the Tohsaka family."
The Old Worm's eyes were vacant, yet his expression was utterly disgusting as he muttered to himself. His words caused the blood pressure of everyone, both inside and outside the light curtain, to soar.
Elysia was currently fighting on the Fuyuki Grand Bridge to protect the world. She was, in every sense, a world-saving hero.
But the Old Worm's words sounded as if he were blaming her—blaming her for the battle breaking out in the city center, blaming her for not having finished the fight yet.
Although the audience believed they already understood the Old Worm's vile nature, these words still made them snap.
How was this any different from those contemptible people in the modern day who enjoy the peace bought by the sacrifices of their ancestors, only to mock and sneer at them?
What right did the Old Worm have to speak of Elysia like that? Did he have a death wish?
If Elysia weren't preoccupied, a piece of trash like the Old Worm would be annihilated in minutes.
At that moment, the audience outside the light curtain exploded with anger, flooding the comment section with their rage towards the Old Worm.
Inside the projection, Emiya Kiritsugu was no exception. His face darkened as he stared silently at the Old Worm's withered body, looking as if he could attack at any moment.
However... more than his comments about Elysia, he was concerned about the latter part... the daughter of the Tohsaka family. Could he be referring to... Sakura Tohsaka?
As a competent Magus Killer, Emiya Kiritsugu had long ago investigated everyone connected to Tokiomi Tohsaka. That naturally included his daughter who was adopted into the Matou family, Sakura Tohsaka.
"Zouken Matou, you bastard, did you do something to that girl..."
Zouken Matou: "Hehehe~~ This old one made a few modifications to her body. That was a precious material I managed to save from the last Holy Grail War, a small fragment of the Grail itself. Little Sakura... she has perfectly assimilated that fragment by now."
"Hahaha~~ This old one spent a whole year cultivating her. That child struggled in agony in my worm pit for a full year, and not only did she not die, but she successfully endured a modification that even an adult could not withstand, ultimately becoming an excellent tool."
"As long as I have her, it doesn't matter if the magical energy from the defeated Servants was stolen by that Caster. Because as long as she is here, as long as that fragment is inside her, victory in this Holy Grail War belongs to the Matou family."
As one of the founders of the Fuyuki Holy Grail system, Zouken Matou knew all the rules of its operation. He had gone to great lengths to cultivate Sakura Matou precisely to prepare for unexpected circumstances.
This was originally a preparation for the next Holy Grail War, but now... the sudden appearance of the Outer God had disrupted his plans, forcing him to bring Sakura to the stage early. In any case... with Sakura's outstanding aptitude, she had already completely fused with the Grail fragment.
He only needed to bring Sakura Matou into contact with the Grail. The stimulated vengeful spirit within, the Avenger Angra Mainyu, would awaken and devour Sakura. Then, with his identity as All the World's Evil, combined with the completed Grail, he could absorb the world's malice and convert it into a limitless supply of magical energy.
Thus, the glory of the Holy Grail would be restored. This way, even without the support of Servants' magical energy, the Grail could still grant wishes. It's just that... the wishes granted by a Grail filled with malice... no matter what they were, would surely lead the world to ruin.
And he could control Sakura's soul to save his own life. By then, everything in the world except for him would be destroyed, and that evil god would lose its target and leave this world.
At the thought of this plan coming to fruition, a smile crept onto the Old Worm's lips. Indeed... taking that fragment of the Grail during the Third Holy Grail War was the most correct choice he had ever made.
"Hehehe~~ Actually, stopping this old one is very 'simple'. You just have to kill little Sakura. Kill that little girl. For you, that shouldn't be an unacceptable choice, right?"
Although he was certain of his victory, the Old Worm continued to verbally provoke the Ally of Justice within Emiya Kiritsugu.
Yes, Emiya Kiritsugu would act, and without hesitation. If Angra Mainyu could truly manifest by devouring Sakura, then it had to be stopped. The current situation could not be allowed to become even more chaotic.
However, despite this resolve, Emiya Kiritsugu's heart was anything but calm. He felt an unparalleled killing intent towards Zouken Matou—especially after hearing that the Old Worm had thrown Sakura into a worm pit for a year. His killing intent was becoming difficult to suppress.
Zouken Matou was very pleased with Kiritsugu's reaction. However, the Old Worm had more to say.
He opened his mouth again. "Indeed, for you, killing a little girl you don't know and who doesn't matter to you won't cause you any psychological stress."
"A cold-hearted Ally of Justice never cares about the lives of others. All that matters is whether the act is just."
"Well then, Emiya Kiritsugu, do you know that for the modified Sakura, even her corpse will suffice? As long as the goal of her being devoured by the vengeful spirit in the Grail is achieved, All the World's Evil will fully manifest. Knowing this, Emiya Kiritsugu... you know, don't you? You should make the more prudent choice..."
"—Emiya Kiritsugu, are you prepared to kill your wife to save more people?"
Emiya Kiritsugu: "!!?"
Zouken Matou: "Hehehe~ No need to be surprised. Because no matter what, Sakura won't lose her function even in death. Even if her heart is pierced, her body burned, the remaining ashes can still be absorbed by the Grail's vengeful spirit."
"But the Einzbern is different. As the vessel of the Grail, as long as you kill her and destroy her heart, which serves as the core of the Lesser Grail, the Grail itself will be destroyed. Even the vengeful spirit Angra Mainyu within it will die as a result. Naturally, it will be impossible for it to devour Sakura."
"Emiya Kiritsugu, this is All the World's Evil, the flower of malice that blooms from infinite desire. The danger it poses... is not one bit less than that of the evil god in the distance..."
"To avert another world-ending disaster, this is undoubtedly the simplest, most direct, and most effective method."
"So, Emiya Kiritsugu, choose! Will you sacrifice your wife to save the majority and erase the possibility of All the World's Evil manifesting?"
"Or... will you choose to protect your wife and sacrifice the majority?"
Zouken Matou's words were filled with a joyful cadence. But Emiya Kiritsugu, that cold man, saw his expression completely change. Cold sweat dripped down his face as Zouken's final words echoed in his mind.
Sacrifice his wife to save the majority.
Or sacrifice the majority to protect his wife?
As if that wasn't enough, Zouken continued his verbal assault, relishing every word. "I think sacrificing the Einzbern would be an excellent choice, don't you? After all, based on your past experiences, the 'correct' course of action you've always followed is to sacrifice the few to save the many."
"Your wife would surely be content to die at the hands of the one she loves, right? After all, she's little more than a living doll at this point."
Rat-tat-tat-tat~~~
The sound of a submachine gun firing in rapid succession.
It was Emiya Kiritsugu. With wide eyes, he pulled out his submachine gun and unleashed a full clip into Zouken Matou, shredding his body with bullets.
When the magazine was empty, Kiritsugu was panting, as if he had expended an immense amount of energy.
However, Zouken Matou was still alive. The parts of his body that had been shot apart dissolved into a swarm of insects. He now remained as half a human face, surrounded by a cloud of insects that produced a skin-crawling buzz.
Emiya Kiritsugu didn't doubt the Old Worm's words. The man had no reason to lie to him. Elysia could hold back the Outer God, but what if All the World's Evil was added to the mix? The simultaneous manifestation of two world-destroying powers would be a disaster far greater than the sum of its parts.
Damn it... What should he do? Should he kill Irisviel? But how could he possibly do that?
Isn't this exactly what that Old Worm wanted to see? To see him break? To see the world shatter...?
"Ally of Justice... Old Man, you should give up on that stuff! Before you do something you'll truly regret."
Just as Emiya Kiritsugu was trapped in torment, even contemplating suicide after killing Irisviel, a voice rang out.
The voice wasn't unfamiliar, but... Old Man? Emiya Kiritsugu was sure he only had a young daughter. Since when did he have a son?
The sudden voice caused both Emiya Kiritsugu and the Old Worm to look towards its source. A tall, handsome figure appeared before them. That's right... it was the red Archer—Heroic Spirit, Emiya Shirou!