"In the name of the First Command Seal—Caster, slay Saber!
In the name of the Second—Caster, hand the Holy Grail to me!
And with the Third—Caster, take your own life!"
The orders tore from Zouken in a single ragged breath. He staggered, exhaling, eyes closing in grim anticipation.
Silence fell.
Seconds dragged by.
When nothing happened, Zouken's eyes snapped open.
Arthur stood before him, calm, unbothered.
Only the faint burn on the back of his hand told Zouken that the Seals had been spent.
But the Servant before him had not moved.
If Arthur hadn't stilled them, Skadi and Artoria would already have torn him apart.
"You—Your Majesty…" Zouken's words faltered, terror blooming in his chest.
The Command Seals had been his creation—his family's crowning achievement, built upon the Grail system itself. They were meant to be absolute, shackling Servants with iron certainty.
And yet here, they had failed utterly.
Only one explanation remained.
Arthur had foreseen this long ago—and rewritten the contract at its foundation.
Arthur's smile was gentle, but the air around him chilled. "I must admit, Zouken, I didn't expect you to be so ruthless. A year together, and yet you burned all three Seals without hesitation. Still, I confess… your naïveté is almost endearing. This is the first time I've found you the slightest bit 'cute.'"
Mockery, pure and cold.
Zouken had forgotten—Arthur was not simply a Servant. He was a king from another world, a true Magus of the Age of Gods. To imagine that mere Command Seals could bind him—what folly.
"Relax," Arthur said smoothly. "It was just a joke. I did promise you the Grail, and I'll honor that promise. If I said it was yours, then it is yours."
He extended the Grail.
So close. All Zouken needed to do was reach out.
But his hands trembled, drenched with sweat. His instincts screamed.
"What's wrong? Shall I place it directly into your hands?"
"N-no… I wouldn't dare." Forcing his legs to move, Zouken stepped forward at last.
The Grail's weight settled into his arms.
At once, black mud erupted from the vessel, engulfing his frail body.
"Aa—aaAAHHH!"
The mansion shook with his screams.
The curses of all humanity, the evil of the world itself, poured into him—twisting, devouring, consuming.
But in Arthur's presence, those curses could not remain.
They burned.
Zouken's soul was purified in holy fire, his centuries of obsession undone in an instant.
Arthur removed his hood, lips curling into a serene smile.
"Zouken… five hundred years of struggle, and at last, your dream is fulfilled. Now, let your wretched soul return to the flames—without regret."
-End Chapter-
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