Artoria. "Why should I believe you?"
"I have no reason to lie to you! Join me, and you'll see for yourself! I'll find a way to summon the Grail without your death! Sure, it won't be full-powered, but if we team up—it should be enough for us to wish the demon destroyed!" Artoria kept silent. "Come on, listen! I won this war alone! Become mine, and I'll find a way to keep you in this world until the next Grail War! And there, with a purified Grail, you can make your wish! And live a long, perfectly happy life here until then! I promise you that! Come on!"
"On sacrifices?" Artoria.
"What?" What's she on about? Oh, Gil. "No, we'll find another way! The Grail itself is an artifact—it should be enough for you to live in this world! Or the scabbard, yeah, I found the scabbard for your sword—it might be enough too!"
"Avalon?" Artoria.
"Uh... the mythical island of the elves?" That's all that came to mind.
"That's the scabbard's name." Artoria.
Epic, nothing to say. "So, you in?"
After a brief silence, Artoria asked, "Are you sure you can summon the Grail?"
"Yeah, I'll find a way. The Tohsaka or Matou libraries surely have the knowledge!" Probably, after thinking a bit more, I decided to add, "And even if not, we can drag this war out for years! You can always die later, but you can't live later!"
"I see, I believe you." Artoria.
It worked?! I actually did it!? Yes! I get off her and pull out the spear, only to take a hit to the chest and fly back. Bitch... I get up, and what I see freezes me. "No, no, no!"
Artoria had reached the sword and run herself through with it. "Idiot! Stubborn stupid idiot!"
I toss the spear and run to her; she's already slumped on her side. "No, this wasn't supposed to happen! Hear me, it wasn't!"
"Kill the demon." Artoria.
"YOU?! You're giving me conditions? Ordering me?!" I start shaking her. "Hey, don't die."
I see her lose consciousness completely and start fading away bit by bit. Fuck, and I really believed for once it'd end well! I calm down and think about how all the girls I liked in this war—died. Mostly by my hand. Maybe I shouldn't have told her anything? And my appearance—I'm the spitting image of an Assassin! She must've known I wasn't telling her everything; I'm not just a Master, but a Servant too. Well, this body I'm in now.
Though to be honest with myself, I barely believed it'd work myself. It was all on the edge of foul play, like rolling a D&D die for luck and getting a 1.
As they say—worth a shot. Well, to business: I pull the sword out of her, shove my hand into the wound, find the heart, and rip it out, then thoughtfully twirl it in my hand. "Eh, time to end this war."
I swallow the heart and take her sword. Before recalling the swordsman clone—now that's his official codename. I think about the scabbard, why not? I summon to the clone guarding it, punch through the earth layer with reinforcement, feel it out, and pull it from the ground.
I look at "Avalon" a bit more and slide the sword into it, then recall the clone with the thought that—a full set is always better and should give a better bonus! And I can always implant a dubious artifact into myself later.
I open my eyes in the main body, and though my mood's completely ruined by the finale, I need to finish. So, question—where's this damn Grail?
I switch between clones searching for a source of massive magical power, but find nothing in the city—even checked the temple on the mountain and the ruined church! Fuck, what the hell is this?! Where's this damn Grail?!
Two theories pop into my head about what's going on—or the Grail really needs to be summoned some other way, which is totally unfair to a magus not from the founding families of this war! How the hell's he supposed to know how to summon it! Luckily those families are all dead, and I can try digging for the knowledge in Matou and Tohsaka.
Or, worse, some other Servant is still alive! And that thought doesn't thrill me! Options are limited! I didn't see Gilgamesh or Archer (Shirou) die! That weird black sphere that swallowed them—apparently not proof of death! Especially from hearsay!
Pacing circles in the ruined church trying to figure out what to do if one's alive, my gaze stops at the broken cross—oh yeah, gotta find Kirei's body too! Fuck, what if he survived! Though after getting chopped in half, usually no. But this is Fate!
After kicking the cross a bit and calming down, I remember Rin, or rather her body—need to freeze it so it doesn't spoil. Yeah, that's next, right in this empty clone. I summon to Illya's coffin and... see a cup floating in the air in its place.
No coffin, no Illya's body, no chunk of earth where it was. Makes me eye the possible Grail suspiciously. And my head's pounding with—what if I'd ignored Illya's body, what then?
No, I got that her body turned into the Grail the moment I saw it, but why—that's the question. I circle the Grail, spot Rin's body, remember why I came—start freezing it, glancing suspiciously at the Grail now and then.
Anyway, now thoughts race: what exactly to wish for? No, as a Servant—freedom! But freedom comes in flavors! Won't that trigger the apocalypse right away? Probably not... but when I grab the Grail as Master—that's when shit might hit.
Back to freedom: say I live freely—freedom of movement, not bound by the ritual and able to exist in this world calmly. That might work, but the Grail itself—doubt it'll vanish after all the tampering.
Likely it'll stay as a material object, but can the Grail leave the ritual zone? Would suck if it can't leave Fuyuki and hits an invisible wall! Don't wanna abandon such an artifact! Even if I hide it in this city—Church and Mage's Association will come after this mess and find it no matter what!
Greed clashes again with... dunno what feeling, but something. Hm, back to the Grail—what if I wish to become its bearer? Wish to move it around the world and exist freely while holding it?
Mmm, differs a bit from my previous wish—sure, I'd be limited to the Grail's range, but no desire to let go of such an artifact—it's basically a massive magical nuclear power plant! Near-limitless magical energy source!
Speaking of—checked with enhanced perception, and surprisingly, no magic radiation. Unlike the scabbard, which is Avalon.
And Servants themselves aren't meant to exist outside the ritual! So, probably best option: make it so I can take it with me!
Decision made, empty clone approaches the Grail and grabs it. Wait a minute—nothing. Fine. "As the victorious Servant bearing the name Hassan, I wish—to become the Grail's bearer, able to move it through the world and freely exist in this world while possessing it!"
And... where's everything? Like, at least some heavenly voice? Or sign it's granted? Did I fuck up again? Check the clone, twirl the cup—feel nothing. Fine, assume it's done and solemnly appoint this clone—Grail-bearer!
Okay, now the hard part—summon to camp and shift to main body. Get up, exit tent, approach frozen clone holding Grail. Moment of truth—touch the Grail. And the world flickers black for an instant.
*In an unknown place.*
Look around—still in my forest camp, but no clones. And beyond camp, void instead of forest. Gloomy overall. "Where am I?"
"Here your wish may come true. You are inside the Grail you so desired." Some voice.
Turn and see Illya. "Illya?"
Black droplets start raining, I tilt my head to see a round hole in the sky pouring it.
"No, I am the Grail's will. But using the real personality of the one fated to become the Grail as a cover, I can communicate with you." The Grail's will. "Come on, make your wish, let me fully be born into this world!"
"What, just say it out loud? That's it?" As someone who's lied so much, I don't buy it.
"Yes, that simple!" The Grail's will in Illya's form starts joyfully spinning in the rain.
Chance to clarify one thing. "What about my Servant's wish? Was it granted?"
"You mean your wish?" The Grail's will stops, smirks slyly, then smiles. "Clever, but yes—granted, you can carry me through the world freely."
"Got it, and you don't know my wish?" Seemed like it messed with Kiritsugu's.
"No! That's why I want to grant it! Come on! You've come so far and so persistently for me!" The Grail's will.
Not sure all my memories and theories are right—maybe wrong reality—but gloomy vibe says I'm on track. Anyway, whatever I want, I can do myself! Won't lose anything by what I say now. "Yeah, you're right. Well then, my wish. I wish that the one called All the World's Evil! The demon in the Grail pretending to be its will, or whatever it is—dies and vanishes forever!"
"WHAT? No...
*The world shattered.*
"Hahaha." Laughter overtakes me; I'm sitting on the ground staring at the cup in my hand. That's it.
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan