Chapter 110: The mystery of the shadow is revealed! The situation is reversed!
The devastated Fuyuki streets, with a chilling atmosphere as cold as ice, indicated that a battle was on the verge of breaking out.
Arthur's stance lowered slightly, and a heart-palpitating scorching heat permeated the air. Invisible air currents gathered, and the wind pressure solidified layer by layer.
Seeing that he truly dared to continue, Angra Mainyu's playful smile froze, and he waved his hands in a panic, exclaiming repeatedly.
"Pause! Pause! Halftime!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the three Servants reined in their surging magical energy fluctuations and retreated behind Angra Mainyu, standing quietly.
Arthur, who was poised to strike, had his thoughts racing. He looked at Angra Mainyu, whose attitude showed no signs of tension, and spoke in a cold tone.
"Hey! You were the one who suddenly launched a sneak attack, and now what kind of trick are you trying to pull?"
Angra Mainyu dispersed his strange short blades, sat casually on the ground, and responded as if it were obvious.
"My goal is the Servants participating in the Holy Grail War. There's no benefit in continuing to fight you, so of course I'm calling a pause."
Arthur's gaze narrowed as he recalled the strange scene of Angra Mainyu devouring Berserker's soul and then controlling it in battle.
A flash of inspiration suddenly struck him, and he felt he had already touched the bottom layer of the event.
With that thought, Arthur reined in his magical energy storm, looked at the defenseless Angra Mainyu, and spoke in a deep voice.
"Angra Mainyu, the chief evil god of Zoroastrianism in ancient Persia, you meet the criteria for elevation to the Throne of Heroes."
"And combined with your previous claim of responding to the Holy Grail's principles and polluting its power, can I interpret it this way—"
Arthur observed Angra Mainyu's frozen fake smile and added with a relaxed expression.
"You are one of the Servants who manifested in a previous Holy Grail War, and your legend was imbued with the concept of 'All the World's Evil'."
"And after your defeat, your soul merged into the greater grail, thoroughly polluting the Holy Grail's principles with malice."
"..."
Angra Mainyu suddenly stood up, spat on the ground without any grace, and loudly shouted with a reckless attitude.
"Absolutely correct!"
"I am the filth left over from the Third Holy Grail War, the avenger who most desires the Holy Grail to descend upon the world!"
"But so what? You still can't do anything to me!"
Arthur sneered. At this moment, the way he looked at Angra Mainyu was like looking at a mischievous child who only knew how to throw tantrums.
"You're getting ahead of yourself, aren't you?"
"It's one thing not to understand your true nature before, but now that I know the source of your immortality comes from the Holy Grail, do you still think I can't kill you?"
Angra Mainyu: (╬｀beneficial´)ｺ
"Try it if you can!"
The exasperated Angra Mainyu raised his hand and angrily pounded his chest. Two Spirit Cores appeared from his body, and their soul fluctuations were of the same lineage as the three Servants behind him.
Arthur sensed these two familiar soul fluctuations, and his expression became subtle.
"Those are…"
Angra Mainyu, confident, held up the Spirit Cores and continued to shout.
"I admit you are indeed very strong, even enough to overwhelm three Servants, but what about five!"
"Conqueror King Iskandar! Hero King Gilgamesh! Both of you, come out!"
Accompanied by Angra Mainyu's frenzied shouts, a massive amount of black mud surged and churned from underground.
The black mud of evil engulfed the two Spirit Cores, and a muffled chewing sound came from within, rapidly proliferating!
Arthur's eyes were filled with vigilance. He lightly tapped his foot and retreated a distance, secretly transmitting a message through the Command Seal contract.
'Have you still not found where the enemy has anchored the Holy Grail? If you stall any longer, I'll have to get serious!'
[…Master, the area beneath Ryudou Temple is also full of black mud. I can't even see the Great Holy Grail Formation's Veins.]
Listening to Merlin's helpless tone, Arthur cautiously observed the two dark magical shadows gradually taking human form opposite him, his eyes growing colder.
Although he had absolute confidence in his own strength, facing six Servants simultaneously might be beyond his capabilities.
'I will use a Command Seal to support you now. Once the battle begins here, I won't be able to look after you.'
[Master, have you thought it through? To use the last Command Seal here?]
Arthur suddenly clenched his fist, and the last crimson Command Seal on the back of his hand glowed, exercising the remaining mystery.
'In the name of the Command Seal, Merlin, uncover the truth!'
...
Bang!
The black mud suddenly exploded, scattering in all directions!
Just as Arthur and Merlin were communicating through their contract, an unexpected change occurred in Angra Mainyu's camp.
The reversed Iskandar tore open his black mud shell, stood with his arms crossed, and a sinister, cunning smile.
The black mud that was supposed to reconstruct Gilgamesh's body was completely ineffective, and the Avenger's plan to control the arrogant ancient king failed.
Angra Mainyu pouted with disappointment, put away Gilgamesh's Spirit Core, and his arrogant demeanor had diminished slightly compared to before.
"Alright, four Servants plus me, do you want to try it?"
At the same time, Arthur received a crucial message from Merlin, and a playful smile curved his lips.
"There's no need for that. The next time we meet, I will chop you and the Holy Grail into smithereens!"
Angra Mainyu: "…"
Black mud, laden with malice, surged from the ground, enveloped Angra Mainyu and his Servants, and they vanished in an instant.
Arthur gazed at the empty space where the enemy had left, and with a thought, he dispersed his holy sword and steel armor, letting out a long sigh.
In any case, the 'lure the snake out of its hole' strategy had worked.
Next, as long as he destroyed the Holy Grail and Angra Mainyu together, and then dismantled the Great Holy Grail Formation, this mission would be successfully resolved.
However!
Arthur turned, his gaze sweeping over the ruined streets, strewn with rubble and intertwined with smoke and fire, looking into the distance with a searching glint in his eyes.
"There's still one more thing that needs to be clarified first."
...
In a sturdy air-raid shelter deep underground, a dim yellow oil lamp cast two long shadows on the wall.
Kiritsugu Emiya's face was dejected, his pupils unfocused. He sat withered at the steel table, silent and gaunt.
Irisviel dispersed her silver-grey familiar that had been monitoring the battlefield, carefully looked up at him, and asked softly.
"Kirisugu, we can only… give up on the Holy Grail, right?"
His wife, worried that such words would touch her beloved's sensitive nerves, quickly added.
"Illya! That child is still waiting for us! So you…"
The name of his closest relative slightly brought Kiritsugu Emiya back to consciousness. He raised his unshaven, weathered face and opened his mouth.
Bang!
The heavy iron door was violently kicked open, crashing against the thick wall with a deafening clang that echoed through the underground space.
Arthur walked down the stairs against the light, raising his hand to greet the wary couple.
"Relax, both of you. This Holy Grail War has already lost its meaning, and we have no reason to be enemies, don't we?"
Kiritsugu Emiya shielded Irisviel, raised his gun, aimed it at Arthur, and said sternly.
"But I don't think there's anything to discuss with you. What is your purpose, you who impersonated a Servant to participate in the war?"
Arthur's lips curved slightly, and his tone was nonchalant.
"I also have no obligation to answer your questions, Mrs. Irisviel, shall we talk?"