"The Holy Grail is an omnipotent wish-granting device capable of eradicating all sorrow from the world, dispelling every hardship, and granting humanity the power to realize any wish."
Irisviel looked around at the landscape inside the Grail as she absentmindedly recited the legend of its power.
Elle calmly continued the explanation Leon had shared with her.
"However, during the previous Holy Grail War, the Einzbern Family made a fatal mistake."
"They summoned the Avenger-class Servant, Angra Mainyu."
"His true strength was extremely weak, and he was quickly defeated and killed."
"But after his soul—bearing All the World's Evil—returned to the Greater Grail, the Grail's vast magical energy was completely corrupted."
"What you see now..."
"...this endless sea of black mud..."
"...is the result."
"From that moment onward, the Holy Grail War ceased to be the legitimate ritual it was meant to be."
"How could this be..."
Irisviel's face turned pale with disbelief.
The Holy Grail—the salvation she had always believed to be an omnipotent wish-granting miracle—
Had long since become nothing more than an empty vessel filled with sin.
The conviction she had carried for so long—
That her sacrifice alone could bring peace to the world—
Collapsed completely.
She stared blankly at her trembling hands.
Her lips parted, yet no words came.
For the first time, Irisviel truly felt the malice hidden within fate itself.
Had everything proceeded according to its original course...
She would already have been corrupted by All the World's Evil, transformed into a spirit of vengeance, stripped of her own consciousness.
Not only her body...
Even her soul would have become nothing more than a puppet manipulated by another's will.
The thought alone was enough to make her collapse helplessly onto the frozen surface covering the black mire.
Sitting there with her legs folded beneath her, she wore the expression of someone whose entire worldview had shattered.
"It's alright, Iris."
Elle walked over and quietly sat beside her.
"Leon likes beautiful older women the most."
"The kind who are soft and easy to cuddle, fair-skinned, graceful, long-legged..."
"...and blessed with an ample figure."
"You meet every one of those requirements."
"So Leon will definitely come to save you."
"...Huh?"
Irisviel, who had been quietly crying over the unfairness of fate, froze completely.
The sheer absurdity of Elle's attempt at comforting her left her neither able to laugh nor continue crying.
All the fear and anxiety that had consumed her moments earlier...
Simply vanished.
After a long silence—
"Pfft..."
She finally burst into laughter.
Wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, she smiled helplessly.
"Honestly, Elle..."
"Who comforts people like that?"
"Leon taught me."
Elle answered immediately.
"He said that if I told you this..."
"...you wouldn't be afraid anymore."
As she spoke, the expressionless girl crouched down in front of Irisviel, hugging her own knees.
Tilting her head adorably, she asked,
"So..."
"Did Leon's method work?"
"Are you less afraid now?"
"...Mm!"
Smiling through tears, Irisviel nodded firmly.
Meeting you...
Meeting Leon...
Really was the greatest blessing of my life.
...
Ryūdō Temple, Mount Enzō
Night had fully descended.
Leon and Kiritsugu had completed all of their preparations.
Even beneath the darkness, the golden Holy Grail formed from Irisviel's body continued to radiate a brilliant light.
Beneath it floated Aegis Sigma.
The magnificent shield, shimmering with intertwined crimson and sapphire hues, silently supported the Grail while radiating an aura that was at once sacred, icy, and blazing.
It isolated the Grail from every visible and invisible form of corruption.
Kiritsugu's eyes lingered on the scene.
Leon had willingly sacrificed one of his greatest assets merely to preserve Irisviel's final form.
He offered no comment.
To him...
It was both foolish...
...and arrogant.
Yet beneath that judgment lay a trace of admiration.
And gratitude.
Because it was exactly what Kiritsugu himself had always wanted to do...
But never possessed the strength to accomplish.
Such luxury belonged only to the strong.
All he had ever possessed...
...was endless struggle.
After a long silence, Kiritsugu looked toward Leon.
Leon simply nodded.
Kiritsugu reached into his coat and drew a signal pistol.
He fired eleven flares into the night sky.
Seven green.
Four red.
Each flare carried Kiritsugu's magical energy...
Along with the message he intended for the remaining two Masters.
Almost simultaneously—
Kirei Kotomine at Fuyuki Church...
And Waver Velvet at the Hyatt Hotel...
Both noticed the signal.
...
Hyatt Hotel
After Kayneth and Sola-Ui departed, the hotel suddenly felt empty.
In truth, it always had been.
Kayneth had extravagantly rented out the entire upper floor to establish his Magecraft Workshop.
Although all of the workshop's equipment had already been dismantled, the lease remained active until Waver checked out.
Now...
Only Waver and Iskandar occupied one floor together.
The silence was broken only by the soft rustling of turning pages.
Wearing a military-themed T-shirt he'd bought during this era, Iskandar sat beneath the bedside lamp reading a book he had already read countless times in life.
The Iliad.
Homer's great epic.
One of the cornerstones of Western civilization.
When he had still been Alexander the Great, Iskandar had treasured the work more than almost any other.
He had even modeled his own life after its heroes.
Looking back through history...
One could say he had succeeded.
He became an immortal hero in his own right.
A conqueror whose name would forever be written across history.
The Iliad had been the spiritual source that drove his endless conquests and ultimately the creation of his vast empire.
Now...
On the eve of the final battle...
He read it once again.
Seeking to recapture the passion of those days.
The burning blood.
The kingly path.
Conquest.
Dominion.
Until he once more reached the final chapter of a life called destiny.
His second life had lasted only seven short days.
Yet he had gained much from it.
He had learned how later generations viewed him.
He had witnessed the vastness of the modern world.
He had glimpsed the truth beyond the endless sea.
He had encountered enemies worthy of respect.
And...
He had found a young man who, though still inexperienced, would one day shine brilliantly.
Whether Waver accepted it or not...
In Iskandar's heart...
Waver Velvet was already one of his subjects.
Thinking that, Iskandar looked over from his own bed toward the young man sleeping peacefully nearby.
A smile of quiet satisfaction spread across his face.
Tonight...
Will likely mark the end of my life once again.
But at the same time...
It will become the beginning of yours.
"Mmm..."
As though sensing Iskandar's gaze, Waver suddenly sat bolt upright in bed, still half asleep.
The blanket slid from his shoulders.
"You're awake, boy."
Iskandar greeted him with a grin.
"Rider..."
"What time is it...?"
Waver mumbled sleepily.
His loose pajamas slipped from one shoulder, exposing a collarbone so slender it could easily be mistaken for a girl's.
Before he grew into the imposing figure who would become Lord El-Melloi II, Waver's youthful appearance was undeniably delicate.
No wonder future generations produced so much artwork pairing him with the King of Conquerors.
"...Huh?"
"It's already nine?!"
The moment his eyes focused on the clock across the room, Waver sprang out of bed like a startled cat.
"I told you to wake me as soon as it got dark!"
As he hurriedly changed clothes, he shot Iskandar an exasperated glare.
"My bad, my bad."
Iskandar closed The Iliad and leisurely stood.
"But I don't think there's any need to rush like we did the past few days."
"We should prepare ourselves calmly."
"Why?"
Waver asked.
"Hmm..."
Walking to the floor-to-ceiling window, Iskandar pulled back the curtains and gazed over the lights of Fuyuki City.
"I just have a feeling..."
"Tonight will decide everything."
"...You're probably right."
Now dressed, Waver joined him at the window.
The cool night breeze made him unconsciously edge a little closer to the giant king.
"It feels unusually quiet tonight."
"Maybe because there are only a few participants left."
"Which means..."
"The only opponents remaining..."
"...are the truly powerful ones."
There wasn't the slightest hint of fear in Iskandar's eyes.
Only burning anticipation.
"Still..."
"We don't even know who Berserker's Master is."
Waver sighed.
Just then—
Seven green lights...
And four red ones...
Reflected in his brown eyes.
"That's..."
"A strange magical signature."
"I think I've felt something similar before..."
"When we dealt with Caster."
Iskandar frowned, trying to recall it.
After all, he had never actually met Kiritsugu face-to-face.
Remembering his magical energy alone was impressive enough.
Waver narrowed his eyes.
"This arrangement..."
"What is it?"
"A code?"
Iskandar asked.
Waver rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Four and seven..."
"Different colors..."
"Seven-Four..."
"In military signal code..."
"'74' represents Victory Achieved."
His eyes widened.
"If someone is sending a signal like this..."
"...does that mean..."
"...the outcome of the Holy Grail War has already been decided?"
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