[Mass Update: 1/8]
After Roland's figure disappeared, Darnic's consciousness finally gave out. With the last of his strength, he issued an order to deactivate the workshop's alienation, then collapsed into unconsciousness.
As the workshop returned to its original state, light gradually returned to the dim chamber. Lancer let out a quiet sigh, turning his gaze to the eleven cylindrical tanks positioned at the center of the workshop.
"Master," he called gently, "what are your orders now?"
The workshop, once eerily silent, flickered to life under the soft illumination. Within each of the glowing tanks stood a figure, and each one radiated a distinct, heavy magical pressure, unmistakably an Homunculus. Though their bodies bore faint traces of transformation, what stood out most was that every single one of them… had Darnic's face.
Each shared a magical contract with Lancer.
This was the reason Enkidu had remained unfazed even after witnessing Danic's apparent destruction. Because his true Master was not a single man, but a collective consciousness of 'Darnic', along with these eleven artificial homunculi, together formed the entity known as Yggdmillennia.
As Lancer spoke, the tanks lit up one by one, emitting a low, humming resonance. The sound echoed through the chamber, stirring a faint unease within Enkidu's serene expression.
Even if it's survival instinct... one didn't have to go this far.
But he kept that thought to himself. Enkidu would never interfere with the will to survive, not even when it took such forms.
He silently approached the unconscious Danic, gently parting the bloodied clothing at his chest.
There, embedded deep in the flesh, was a glowing disc. Its surface pulsed faintly, and in the center was a rune stone etched with the image of a sheep.
Enkidu grasped the disc and carefully twisted it free. Then, without hesitation, he opened a fresh tank and affixed the disc to the chest of one of the androids.
[T/N: Darnic: I.....am...Iron man]
The moment the disc made contact with living flesh, the spiritual patterns on its surface lit up, racing outward in a branching glow. They converged on the rune at the center, and then, slowly, the entire talisman sank into the artificial body.
The android's eyes snapped open.
Confusion gave way instantly to clarity. He blinked once, grabbed a folded robe nearby, and swiftly dressed.
"Lancer. That guy's gone, right?"
"Yes, They've already left."
"Good." Darnic now reborn in a new body nodded, turning his gaze to the other ten dormant tanks behind him. "Didn't expect to waste a body this early. Still... that temporary covenant was worth it. Hmph. Even those snobs at the Clock Tower couldn't imagine I'd replicate the achievements of a Grand."
Looking at the ten remaining bodies, Darnic gave a satisfied smile.
"You transformed your original body into pure flesh, then created artificial humans using that same flesh. You split your soul into fragments and distributed them among the cluster. Finally, you embedded the core obsession, and most of your soul into the talisman, controlling it all through that artifact."
Lancer calmly recited the process, his voice neutral, but his eyes carried a glimmer of quiet pity.
When the summoning circle was activated, Danic wasn't alone. The artificial humans in this workshop, survivors of the previous ritual, had offered their desperate, collective will to live. That powerful yearning had replaced the intended catalyst and summoned Lancer instead.
His true Master was not the soul fragment in the talisman, but the collective consciousness of Yggdmillennia.
And yet, this cluster had instinctively chosen to obey its strongest self, the version of Darnic housed in the talisman, believing that survival was more likely under his control.
"What's that look for, Lancer?" Darnic sneered. "I thought you, of all people, would understand me."
"When I obtained this amulet, I realized something… Flesh is just a cage. The soul is life's true form."
"I merely accelerated the inevitable. In two hundred years, I'd become a collective consciousness anyway. So I extracted my obsession early, and now I coexist with Yggdmillennia."
He spread his arms confidently. "That's why these artificial humans accept me as their true self. They're just tools without souls."
"Tools..." Enkidu murmured softly. "And yet...I still feel that human souls....human lives, they shine. Reducing them to tools, living through them... turning yourself into a weapon... isn't that... sad?"
"It might not be what you consider 'living,'" Darnic said coldly, "but it's how I'll live better, longer."
This transformation hadn't been sudden. Decades ago, frustrated by his inability to activate the Sheep Talisman, Darnic devised a radical solution.
If he couldn't wield the talisman, why not become the vessel wielded by the Talisman itself?
He sacrificed his original body, transmuting its excess into raw material. Using the talisman's power, he stabilized his soul and ensured the continuity of his identity. The result was a hybrid: the skills of a magus, the circuits of an artificial lifeform, and an immortal, interchangeable cluster of selves.
If one died, another could take over seamlessly.
True, creating simultaneous selves was unheard of, even Grand Puppeteers couldn't do it without causing mental collapse or harm to the soul. But Darnic, using the Sheep Talisman, managed to override his other fragments, keeping them dormant while one "self" remained in control.
Now, he stared at Lancer, eyes gleaming.
"If you have any objections, Lancer, now's the time to speak."
"I am a weapon. If this is the Master's will... I will obey."
Lancer lowered his head slightly. His presence, gentle as nature, accepted Darnic's choices without resistance. The ten androids behind him pulsed softly in acknowledgment, silent, watchful backup.
"Good. Now, the earlier battle was interrupted by that interloper. What's the current situation, Lancer? Have any Servants been defeated?"
Enkidu turned his gaze outward.
With one of the highest-ranked sensory abilities among all Heroic Spirits, he could detect distant presences with remarkable accuracy. Even Assassin class servants, experts in concealment, couldn't hide from him completely at a close distance.
After a long moment, Enkidu spoke.
"Rider and Saber have ceased fighting. Another Servant with a dark aura is clashing with someone... it feels like Archer."
His voice faltered at the mention of Archer. That aura, it was so familiar. So deeply nostalgic. Lancer didn't need confirmation.
"It's you... isn't it?"
Emotions surged through him, doubt, anxiety, but joy quickly drowned them out.
Yes. This was fate. Twisted, cruel, and inescapable.
In the Holy Grail War, destiny often laughed in irony.
Victory didn't matter. Whether he took the enemy's head, or had his heart ripped out, it made no difference.
The connection between them had already been forged. Even if they fought a thousand times, it would never be severed.
A quiet, content smile spread across Lancer's face. His usual serenity softened with joy.
How wonderful, he thought.
That he, too, had come to this Holy Grail War.