On the Light Curtain—
The bell chimed. Though it was a joyous occasion, all banquets must eventually come to an end.
However, the grander the banquet, the more it requires a climactic performance to elevate it before the conclusion.
The stage went dark as all the lights suddenly vanished. In the center of the church, where the priest would normally stand, a single spotlight shone down.
Then, Vill-V, having changed back into her spiral-themed attire by some unknown means, appeared under the light, using her hat as a magician's top hat.
"Hey, my lovely audience! The banquet is drawing to a close, so it's time for Vill-V to present a wonderfully splendid performance!"
Her voice rang out, theatrical and grand, as she began her magic show.
"First, let us welcome today's special guest, a mass of... black shadow that calls itself the Holy Grail's consciousness?" Vill-V frowned, seemingly troubled by what to call it.
"Oh well, that's not important! As today's most special guest, it shall be the one to fire a salute for the star of our banquet, Elysia!"
Suddenly, a large cannon appeared on the stage, seemingly from nowhere. Its color scheme matched Vill-V's own, but it was adorned with numerous decorations and flowers to suit the festive atmosphere.
The Grail's consciousness, its ability to speak stripped away by Aponia, could only watch in horror as it was loaded into the cannon like a cannonball.
"Wow, Vill-V is full of energy today. Is this some amazing new magic trick she's prepared?" Elysia's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Were they about to execute the Grail's consciousness in public? Being Vill-V's magic assistant was no easy task.
Even a Fusion Warrior like Kosma, with his incredible defense and self-healing, couldn't withstand Vill-V's antics. What chance did a mere Grail consciousness have?
"Oh~ My dear audience, this isn't a magic show I prepared for you all by myself." A smug smile played on Vill-V's lips as she said, "Tonight, you will witness the birth of a miracle!"
After she spoke, she turned around.
"Ooh~ Is it starting so soon!" Elysia's face was filled with anticipation. Vill-V, sitting before her, simply smiled.
BOOM!
The sound of the cannon blast made the entire church tremble.
Vill-V's "physical magic" blew a large hole in the church ceiling. Everyone instinctively looked up at the sky, and then... countless fireworks bloomed in the air.
Against the quiet night sky, the fireworks display lasted for a long time. Perhaps due to a special composition, the blooming fireworks gradually took on the color of crystal flowers.
It was an exceptionally beautiful and vibrant sight, instantly filling the monotonous night sky with a dazzling array of colors.
From the perspective of a normal magic show, the performance was already spectacular enough to conclude. However... this was merely Vill-V's art of deception.
A "surprise" of this level might be enough for other magicians, but for Vill-V, it was far from sufficient.
Sure enough, in the sky adorned with brilliant fireworks, a surge of magical energy was slowly released. A vast black fog enveloped the entire sky.
That's right. This was the immense power generated by the Grail's consciousness that Vill-V had launched into the sky. All the World's Evil... was now unleashing its true power.
"Wh-what is that?" Pardofelis's voice trembled slightly. This couldn't be something Sister Vill-V cooked up, could it?
Though she was filled with doubt and fear, her senses, which were always extremely sensitive to danger, did not detect any threat from the dense fog that filled the sky.
Nearby, Eden and Elysia were also quite puzzled by the scene before them. However, since Vill-V herself showed no reaction, their immense trust in her prevented them from having any serious doubts.
Similarly, Kevin just stood by, silently watching the scene unfold.
"Quite the spectacle. Very much in Vill-V's style. It seems Aponia's [Discipline] is absolute, no matter what being it is applied to."
Thinking to himself, Kevin took a step forward. If they were to break out of this space, he would be the main force.
Ever since the Grail's consciousness had been dissected by Mobius, its entire composition, including the malice it contained, had been thoroughly analyzed by her.
After the end of the previous Holy Grail War, the Grail was completely corrupted, absorbing decades of humanity's malice.
Under the influence of this malice, although it had appeared to be a pathetic cup before, its abilities were fundamentally top-tier.
As an omnipotent wish-granting machine, it might not be truly omnipotent, but it did possess the authority and power to change the world. The combined malice of all humanity, guided by Aponia's [Discipline]...
Now, the true power of the Holy Grail had been unleashed by Aponia.
This couldn't be seen clearly from within the memory space, but... if one were to look at the Holy Grail in the outside world, they would notice its current transformation.
In reality, a black miasma was gradually enveloping the Holy Grail. King Arthur, who was helping Elysia tank the damage, wore a look of astonishment.
Such an unnatural change couldn't be a good thing. Could it be that Elysia's 'love' for humanity had been defeated by humanity's own malice?
"No, if even Elysia falls..."
Saber's eyes showed a hint of confusion. If that were truly the case, the world really would have no escape from its fate of destruction. No matter how strong King Arthur was, even with the protection of Avalon, would she still be unable to protect the world she wished to save?
"Wwwaaa!!!" The eerie cry still echoed over Fuyuki City, snapping Saber out of her daze.
Avalon's invincible defense once again met a fierce shockwave.
Unharmed, she did not retaliate. She was growing tired.
It wasn't physical exhaustion; with Avalon, she could not tire. Nor was it mental fatigue or spiritual pollution; that was also impossible under Avalon's protection.
This was an abstract sort of weariness, born from the helplessness of facing her enemy. Although her opponent was equally helpless against her, the Outer God had no concept of time.
To the Outer God, fighting Saber for any length of time was irrelevant. But Saber could not remain locked in this stalemate forever.
She was not a Heroic Spirit in the traditional sense. Unlike those who had already 'died', Saber was, in a way, participating in this Holy Grail War as a living person.
This was why she couldn't dematerialize. Avalon shielded her from all external threats and harm. If the Outer God were to truly destroy this world, Saber would be powerless to stop it and might even be exiled along with the Outer God to the void beyond the world after its destruction.
---o---
Light Curtain Danmaku—
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Vill-V's magic is beautiful, but... King Arthur isn't dead!"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Those two points have no logical connection. But it's strange, why would King Arthur become a Heroic Spirit if she isn't dead?"
Otto Apocalypse: "Indeed. All the Servants we've seen so far can dematerialize, but King Arthur has never once used that ability. From this, we can deduce that she is indeed different from other Heroic Spirits."
Hachiman Hikigaya: "Then how did Saber become a Heroic Spirit?"
Saber: "...It's not really a secret. I did become a Heroic Spirit before my death, but it was by making a deal with the Counter Force on the verge of dying."
Conan Edogawa: "A deal? Could you be more specific?"
Vill-V: "Hmph, if she said that much, she's obviously not going to tell you! Instead of prying... you'd be better off widening your eyes to behold Vill-V's amazing magic!"
At Vill-V's reminder, the audience refocused their attention on the light curtain.
---o---
On the Light Curtain—
The camera now panned to the interior of the Holy Grail. The dense malice enveloped the memory space created by Elysia.
A scene like the end of the world appeared before the Flame-Chasers. The Grail's own ability to grant wishes clashed with Elysia's Authority of the Herrscher of Origin.
Perhaps due to the enhancement from [Discipline], or perhaps because Elysia had guessed what was happening and offered no resistance, the Grail's power briefly suppressed the Authority of Origin.
The space constructed from memory was crumbling, and the surrounding objects were dissipating into light.
"So... everyone knew this was all fake?" By now, Elysia understood what Vill-V's so-called magic really was.
Were they destroying the memory space to help her? But... as memory constructs, unless Dr. Mobius could create twelve physical bodies for them in a short time, they would dissipate along with the space.
Wait... physical bodies? As if realizing something, Elysia looked up at the black fog in the sky, her face a mask of surprise and astonishment.
"Elysia, I told you, you would witness the greatest magician of the Dusk Era, Vill-V, perform the most amazing magic show in history!"
Seeing Elysia's astonished expression, Vill-V smiled. Having seen so many of Vill-V's schemes, the Flame-Chasers had developed an ability to adapt perfectly to any unexpected move she made.
This was especially true for Elysia. Although she was always the most enthusiastic member of the audience, truly surprising her was no easy feat.
Walking up to Elysia, Vill-V grinned. "Well... are you shocked or what!"
"Ah, Vill-V... this is truly the most astonishing magic I have ever seen!" Elysia smiled, a glimmer of light, her tears, shining at the corners of her eyes.
The Flame-Chasers... even as mere memories, they would help her until the very end? Elysia's heart was filled with emotion.
"Hmph. Elysia, in the past, you were always the one to bring everyone along until the end. But now... it's our turn to carry you."
Mobius said with a smile, as if seeing Elysia's expression was a source of great joy.
"Aunty Mobius, is little sister Elysia... crying?" Griseo asked, confused, upon seeing the tears in Elysia's eyes.
"No, she's just a little emotional." Kosma pulled her over to his side. This was no longer a banquet; it was better to keep Griseo away from Mobius now.
"The Thirteen Flame-Chasers fighting side by side... this is a scene never before seen in history," Sakura said with a sigh. Although, aside from Elysia, most of them couldn't use their full power.
"I hope that what we do can open up a new future for them," Su's gentle voice sounded, a single leaf having appeared in his hand from nowhere.
"Are you ready, Elysia?"
Kevin's voice rang out beside her. The greatsword, Judgment of Shamash, was already in his hand. He would act as the vanguard, to cleave through the pitch-black clouds for the one 'loved' by the Flame-Chasers.
Rubbing her eyes, Elysia composed herself and said confidently, "Mm, of course!"
As her voice fell, Judgment of Shamash was unsheathed!
In the apocalyptic darkness, Kevin's Skyfire was like the brightest star, streaking across the pitch-black night.
Every time Judgment of Shamash was drawn, it was for the sake of his loved ones. This time was no exception, because... Elysia was beloved by all the Flame-Chasers!
The dark sky was engulfed in flames. The powerful impact shattered the space constructed from memory, but the fire did not die.
He burst through the Holy Grail—a transient existence created from memory—with the power of [Salvation], showing everyone, both inside and outside the screen, what true strength was!
Following close behind were the other Flame-Chasers. Under Aponia's control, the decades of magical energy the Grail had accumulated, along with its very substance, were consumed, becoming fuel that granted the Flame-Chasers the chance to manifest in the real world.
---o---
Meanwhile, in the outside world, Saber was contemplating her next move in the event of Elysia's failure.
Just then, a faint light shone through the black miasma surrounding the Holy Grail.
That was...
Not only was Saber drawn to the light, but even the Outer God shifted its gaze to the Holy Grail. In those rays of light, it sensed danger.
It was not just a single light, but a kaleidoscope of colors, bursting forth from the Holy Grail and shooting straight into the heavens.
In an instant, the black miasma around the Grail was swept away. The body of the cup cracked, unable to withstand the immense power.
The multi-colored lights shot into the clouds, broke through the dark sky, and even reached the far reaches of space. Looking down from orbit, it was as if the entire planet had been illuminated.
If the light curtain audience were to look closely, they would see that there were thirteen pillars of light, each corresponding to the color of a Flame-Chaser.
The confrontation between the Thirteen Flame-Chasers and the Outer God... had begun!