Angra Mainyu was no ordinary Servant. Despite his frail existence, he embodied pure evil, the collective malice of humanity itself. Every dark emotion, every wicked impulse, every hateful desire rested within him. Once the Holy Grail absorbed his corrupted essence, the artifact became tainted, transforming into the Blackened Grail. From that point onward, every wish granted would be twisted, manifesting only through destruction and calamity. The black mud flowing from the Grail represented the evils of the world, carrying ruin, disasters, slaughter, and curses. Anyone contaminated by it would face only two possibilities: either be swallowed entirely or become corrupted and blackened. Only individuals with overwhelming willpower or invincible conviction could resist the corruption.
Gilgamesh had once been contaminated during the Fourth Holy Grail War, yet he emerged in the physical world with his body intact. His arrogance and absolute pride had allowed him to treat the evil as nothing, overpowering it completely. That unyielding pride was also what made Gilgamesh terrifyingly strong. Even when Artoria and Heracles joined forces earlier, they had barely managed to keep up with him.
Lucien floated silently in the air, staring at the Holy Grail devouring more of the black mud. But the moment he approached— The scenery shifted. Lucien suddenly found himself by the sea. A soft drizzle fell gently, yet the night sky glittered with countless stars. The rhythmic crashing of waves filled his ears as a salty breeze brushed past, tugging at his T-shirt. Above the sea spun a vast black vortex. And before Lucien, a figure slowly materialized.
Recognizing her, Lucien conjured a cigar between his fingers, lighting it with a casual flick. With the Golden Finger system still active, he felt more than confident. "Yo, Artoria. I knew that outfit suits you." Standing before him, Artoria now had long golden hair and wore a white body-hugging dress, black suspender stockings, heels, and subtle makeup. She smiled brightly, her hair dancing with the sea breeze. "Congratulations on obtaining the Holy Grail," she said gently. "You may now make your wish."
Lucien pulled out a long paper filled edge to edge with densely written wishes. He handed it over without hesitation. "Please grant everything written here." Artoria blinked, stunned. She instinctively accepted the paper and began skimming the outrageous list. Her lips twitched uncontrollably. This man was nothing like Kiritsugu Emiya. "…Even if the world perishes because of it?" she asked with a cold expression, feeling strangely frustrated as Lucien exhaled smoke like he owned the place. "It doesn't matter if the entire Milky Way collapses. Just grant them already." Lucien waved dismissively, looking almost bored.
But this Artoria was not the real King of Knights. She was merely a manifestation created from the Grail's corrupted will, its desire shaped into her image. "Impossible." She rejected him outright. There was no way she could grant everything on that paper. There were well over a hundred wishes written in small handwriting. If she were capable of cursing someone, she would have cursed Lucien Graves a hundred times over.
"What?" Lucien's voice rose sharply as he looked at her. Instead of answering, Artoria stepped closer, touching his cheek gently. Her voice lowered into a seductive whisper. "If those wishes cannot be granted, why not consider having me instead…" "Slap." Lucien struck her across the face instantly, sending her crashing to the ground. Artoria held her cheek, stunned in disbelief. Was she not attractive enough? "Aren't you supposed to be a universal wish machine?" Lucien said, annoyed.
A heavy Gatling cannon materialized in his hands, pressing against her forehead. "I'm asking you clearly. Can you grant the wishes on that paper?" "That's impossible, these requests…" "Tat tat tat tat tat!" The Gatling roared without waiting for her explanation. Sand and stone exploded across the beach. When the firing finally stopped, Artoria was reduced to scattered meat before reassembling herself again, staring at him with shock and disbelief. Lucien puffed his cigar and sighed. "Fine. New wish. Grant me a magic lamp that gives me three wishes." "Impossible." Another cold refusal. "Tat tat tat tat tat!" The beach erupted again under the cannon fire.
Artoria reformed with shaking shoulders, barely restraining her fury. She couldn't fight back, no matter how badly she wanted to. According to the Grail's rules, she belonged to him as the Grail's chosen owner. "What about Dragon Balls that grant three wishes?" Lucien asked, voice darkening. Artoria shook her head silently. "Tat tat tat tat tat!" Again, the cannon sang. Artoria reformed. She was losing her mind. Lucien tried another wish. She shook her head. More gunfire. Every thirty seconds, the sound echoed across the sea. Even the crashing waves couldn't drown out the thunderous roaring of the Gatling.
Eventually Lucien's patience snapped. He stopped asking for wishes entirely and simply fired at her again and again. "Enough!" Artoria slammed her left hand onto the ground to support herself, panting heavily. Her right arm trembled as she raised it in surrender. Lucien lowered the smoking Gatling, watching her coldly. "Speak," he said. "Don't waste my time." "Why did you shoot this time without even making a wish?" "I've made dozens and you couldn't grant a single one. What use are you to me?" Lucien spat to the side, annoyance etched across his face.
"You claim wishes can only be granted through destruction and disaster. Fine. Destroy the world then. By that logic, you should be able to grant everything I want. So why can't you do even one? Are you doing this on purpose?" He circled her slowly. "Because you want to be born into this world?"
Artoria lay there on the ground, naked, trembling with silent fury. Every time she reformed, her body changed—sometimes mature, sometimes youthful, sometimes seductive, sometimes cold. She tried everything. But Lucien Graves blasted her repeatedly with the same expressionless calm.
Just as he prepared to request another simple wish, a translucent light screen appeared before him. "Detectable update energy." "Update?" Lucien tapped the ash off his cigar, narrowing his amethyst eyes. The last system update had turned monthly rewards into yearly ones. The rewards became stronger but appeared less often, making the change both beneficial and irritating. Detectable update energy? Did the system require not only his lifespan but also external power? Lucien glanced toward the swirling black vortex above the sea.
After thinking it over carefully, he decided to give up on making a wish and instead chose the update option. Even though the Golden Finger system annoyed him, it was still his greatest advantage. Maybe it was simply outdated. An update might drastically improve its usefulness. "Please absorb the target." Lucien blinked. Then realization struck.
Eight black thorns burst from his lower back, glistening as they Hardened into crystal. They shot forward, piercing Artoria's body. "What… what are you doing to me?!" she gasped, struggling as her energy drained rapidly. Outside, the black mud pouring from the vortex accelerated, rushing into the Grail. Lucien became the transfer point for that immense power. His face twisted in agony, his teeth clenched tightly from the overwhelming pain.
But amidst the torment, he felt something astonishing. His Ki grew stronger. His ghost body strengthened. His will sharpened. Everything within him evolved rapidly. If he endured long enough… The gains would be unimaginable. The thought filled Lucien Graves with excitement.