Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Arrival of the Great Sage's Chalice

In the dark paradise, Angra Mainyu opened his massive mouth and let out a joyous laugh.

At this moment, the Greater Holy Grail had completely transformed into a gigantic, pulsating mass of flesh, with its core and power enveloped in black mud, resembling a living monstrous beast.

The slime-like flesh gradually grew into strange and twisted forms, and even the mere movement of its body caused intense tremors due to its enormous size.

Unexpectedly, this iteration of Master was so astute that the Greater Holy Grail activated upon the death of the fourth servant. Though it was not yet fully formed, to Angra Mainyu, this was the most ideal situation.

Though he functioned as a wish-granting machine, he never truly desired to fulfill others’ wishes, nor could he seal this capability. After all, he was merely the malice incarnate inside the Holy Grail, powerless to interfere with the system itself.

But now, everything was different.

“The souls of four heroic spirits have been returned, and the rift to the world beyond has been pierced open. Now, my magical power is boundless!”

Angra Mainyu roared with excitement, gazing upon the ten talismans floating within.

His method mirrored that of Zouken Matou’s activation technique. Not seeking the truth, he did not obsess over unleashing divine power like mages do, but instead took a different path.

Since true divine power was unattainable, the superficial aspect sufficed; by using infinite magical energy to expand the range of use, a satisfactory effect could still be achieved.

The fully awakened Greater Holy Grail before him was the best proof. Now, nine of the talismans formed a circle around the central one, with most of the power from beyond the world being used to gradually diffuse his potency.

“The Rat Talisman... granting even inanimate objects motion. Now, I am invincible!”

Though he didn’t understand how Roland had discovered his observation, Angra Mainyu was in no rush. With his body forged from black mud and the Greater Holy Grail as the womb, a life named “The Evil of This World” was born, and knowledge from beyond the world continued to pour in.

Angra Mainyu did not know if this was the ultimate realm sought by magi, but the third magic at the core indeed shimmered brilliantly. The knowledge itself, merely by being absorbed, corrupted his body and altered his internal factors, making him more like a living being.

“Foolish humans,” Angra Mainyu smiled, “just keep waiting. Allowing me to grow faster will only bring about the world’s destruction. So-called human order is insignificant. When this vessel is fully saturated, when I have mastered the power of these talismans completely, the Black Holy Grail will reign over this world...”

“Hm?”

Angra Mainyu instinctively looked back.

It seemed like a replay of the previous scene with Roland, but in the abyssal darkness, only the flowing black mud was visible.

“An illusion... right, this is a place only I can reach.”

Angra Mainyu carefully inspected his surroundings but found no abnormalities. Just as he was about to continue expanding his body with magic, a dazzling light pierced the darkness like a sharp sword.

In the next moment, the Yuzurazaka Mountain, both a seal and protection, slowly cracked open like a broken eggshell, completely exposing Angra Mainyu beneath the night sky.

——

Ishtar’s figure gradually rose into the air. She was still reflecting on the scene of Gilgamesh dissolving into countless points of light and sighed with some melancholy.

“I never expected those two to end up the same way again. But now, doesn’t that make me look like the villain? Honestly, isn’t that guy who’s always ready to destroy the world more strange? And using the End of the World sword, does he think he’s a god?”

Ishtar complained about Gilgamesh while rubbing her reddened eyes.

These marks were not hers but Rin Tohsaka’s.

This morning, she had officially learned of Tokiomi Tohsaka’s death. Though mentally prepared, when it truly happened, she could not remain indifferent.

If it were another peer, they might still be weeping uncontrollably, but not Rin Tohsaka.

Except for the moment she saw her father’s corpse and could not hold back, she silently wiped away her tears alone without anyone’s comfort.

Always maintain elegance—this was her father’s countless admonitions.

Her father died without regrets, perishing honorably in a magical duel against Matou Kariya.

Even dying at a servant’s hand did not breed resentment in Rin; how much less so in this case?

Therefore, she could not falter, could not expose her inner pain and bitterness, nor show weakness.

Moreover, this was far from a dead end. Her father’s magical crest was preserved by his close friend Father Kotomine, and before dying, Tokiomi had appointed Kirei as her guardian.

Although she had never gotten along with that man, Rin had to admit he was somewhat reliable.

The recent act of betraying Gilgamesh secretly pleased Rin; though she had no proof, she felt her father’s death was inseparable from that willful and selfish heroic spirit.

In short, compared to her sister who had nothing, Rin already possessed so much. With that in mind, she should hold tightly to all she had now.

Her mother, her sister, the Tohsaka name—after wiping away her tears and preparing to fulfill her promise to Roland, the truth of the Holy Grail ignited an endless fury in Rin’s eyes.

The corrupted Black Holy Grail, harboring the evil of this world—did her father risk everything for such a thing?

Unacceptable, incomprehensible, intolerable.

—— “If we’re going to pierce through this mountain, let’s do it properly.”

Rin declared with a resolute voice.

“Ishtar, do we have enough gems in reserve?”

“Rin...” The Venus goddess uttered in disbelief. The usually rational Rin had just spoken such a reckless phrase.

But soon, she revealed a crazed smile.

“Of course! Since the last fortune, there hasn’t been a worthy target!”

“Then use it all at once. I want to split this mountain in two and expose that evil of this world hiding in the shadows!”

“As you wish, Master!”

Ishtar scattered countless gems beside her, shattering them all. The crystalline powder reflected layered brilliance as the aetheric magic solidified, surging like tides and radiating outward like splashes.

“Using up all the stock in one go. If there’s no replenishment afterward, it’ll be a huge loss. But now, it’s too late for regrets!”

“No matter. Even if I don’t get the promised fortune from Roland, piercing this mountain alone will be worth it. Plus, I’m now the Tohsaka heir. Though Kirei still holds management rights, the family’s reserves will last me a long time.”

“That’s the best!”

Ishtar raised her index finger, making a shooting gesture; her pupils gleamed a dazzling golden hue.

In a moment of silence, the void descended from the sky!

Without warning, the heavens above Ishtar slowly unfolded, revealing a cluster of stars. A colossal planet fell, its radiance streaking swiftly and turning the night sky around it blazing white.

The Mana circling Ishtar fully unfurled, and the enormous star was transformed into a concept and loaded into the chamber.

Ishtar aimed at Yuzurazaka Mountain and fired without hesitation.

“—Mountain-Shaking Star’s Spark!”

A fierce purple light descended from the heavens, centered on Ryudoji Temple, slicing through the entire mountain. The purple beam split the solid mountain in two, atmosphere billowing like waves, forming a pure white corridor extending endlessly along the horizon.

Among many Noble Phantasms, those targeting cities, countries, or realms describe both power and attributes. But Ishtar’s artifact had a unique reputation.

A mountain-targeting Noble Phantasm.

As a reenactment of her past atrocities, this weapon unleashed astonishing destructive power when attacking mountains.

Rather than saying Yuzurazaka Mountain was shattered, it was more accurate to say it was leveled.

“Master, watch out!”

At the moment Yuzurazaka Mountain was cleaved, Saber clearly felt a prickling sensation crawling across his skin, as if needles were being pressed in.

Seemingly confirming his intuition, a black tidal wave overwhelmed everything, spreading with scorching heat in all directions.

Yet, instead of looking at the black wave so close by, he lifted his gaze to the sky.

In the pitch-black night sky shone an incredible crimson glow—a black sun slowly rotating high above.

This was the sight caused by the gathering of a massive magical vortex, with the rift in the sky as its source.

“This is... the Holy Grail?”

Saber murmured. Usually unshaken in crises, he was now shaken by the truth of the Grail. The vast, deep, and pure malice, like an ocean, completely overwhelmed the servant’s spirit foundation. If tainted by that ominous black mud, even if one maintained their self, they would likely be drastically affected.

“Humans are truly capable…”

The colossal flesh mass continued to multiply, sprouting countless mouths that emitted eerie screams.

The cries transformed into waves of magic that corroded space, instantly repelling the servants attempting to charge forward. Though their plan was disrupted, no panic was visible on Angra Mainyu’s face. As he moved casually, scorching black mud continuously oozed forth.

At first, only small wisps of black mud emerged, eventually becoming a silent black tide, cascading like a waterfall from the floating head formed by the Holy Grail.

It tainted the earth itself with a foul color, rapidly filling every patch of ground nearby, becoming the most venomous curse.

“I was imprisoned for sixty years, then shattered my own bonds. Now you dare to launch futile resistance—

You are courting death!”

“But before that, you must first grant my wish.”

Roland stepped boldly into the filthy black mud, interrupting Angra Mainyu’s imposing voice with a cold tone.

This slight action caused the creeping black mud to suddenly surge violently, raising a filthy tidal wave, emitting a strangely alluring force.

The Holy Grail’s system spontaneously activated, seeking to grant Roland the authority to make a wish.

But in the next moment, the unrest of the black mud ceased.

“Hahaha!” Angra Mainyu laughed arrogantly, staring at the man who had voluntarily come to him.

“So that’s why you always looked so confident—because of this wish? Foolish. Now that I have life, do you think I’ll blindly obey your commands? I’m alive now! I can freely choose who to grant wishes to. You think just because you order me, I must obey?”

“Annoying—” Roland shot a highly impatient glance at Angra Mainyu. “I’m not speaking to you. The target I demand is the magical power in the Holy Grail that hasn’t yet been corrupted by you.”

Roland looked at Angra Mainyu’s massive form, his gaze piercing through the flesh mass and fixing on one of the talismans.

As if responding to his words, a black-and-white talisman slowly began to rotate, and faint light shone from the pupils of the two tiger heads on it.

(End of chapter)