Chapter 78

After setting the agreement to battle the King of Heroes on the sixth night after the Holy Grail War began, Emiya Kiritsugu and the others returned to their respective bases. Of course, to avoid being detected by Tohsaka Tokiomi, who had no Assassin to conduct reconnaissance, Xunxin did a lot of work to conceal and disguise himself. After all, with Tohsaka Tokiomi's character, he would never allow the situation where other Servants join forces to attack him. Once discovered, even if it means using a Command Spell, Tohsaka Tokiomi would send Gilgamesh to eliminate them one by one. If this situation were to occur, Xunxin's plan would immediately fall apart, and the situation would drastically worsen. Xunxin absolutely did not want to face Gilgamesh's full power alone.

After sending the unconscious Sola-Ui Nuada-Re and the wheelchair-bound Kirei back, Xunxin finally breathed a sigh of relief. Too many things happened on the fourth night: first, he fought a massive tentacle sea monster from another world (though it was one-sided), then he rode Rider's divine chariot to the outskirts of Fuyuki City to prevent Saber and Lancer from forming an alliance, and finally, he had to negotiate with the other four Masters. Xunxin felt mentally exhausted for the first time since coming to the Unlimited Blade Works. After checking that the magic and sorcery of this world and the other world were still effective in the tofu shop, Xunxin wobbled back to his room.

"Hey, why is everyone in my room?" Yaezuki, Akuren, Waver, Kirei, Kenshin, and the Conqueror were all gathered in Xunxin's room, making the already small bedroom even more crowded.

"Actually..." Yaezuki's face turned slightly pink, "the magical energy fluctuations when the thing made from Assassin's clones was completed were detected by Rider. I thought it wouldn't be a problem to tell Rider about it. So, Xunxin, I brought Rider and the others here. After all, you know more about magic than any of us, right?"

"Uh..." Xunxin held his forehead, feeling betrayed by his own weapon, his own (censored)...

"Alright, where is that thing now?" Recovering from the feeling of being betrayed, Xunxin immediately became concerned about the object made from Assassin's corpse.

"Don't worry, it's right here." Yaezuki took out four small transparent cultivation tanks from the dimensional space, each containing a white sphere about the size of a baby's fist, emitting a faint white light. The moment Rider saw the spheres, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"Is, is this a Spirit Core? No, it feels different. What is this thing...?"

"If we use the terminology of magic, this should be a pseudo-Spirit Core. It's made by extracting one-eightieth of a Spirit Core from Assassin's clones and supplementing the missing parts to create an artificial Spirit Core. In the Holy Grail War, the Spirit Cores of dead Servants are absorbed into the Lesser Grail. When the Lesser Grail collects the Spirit Cores of the seven Servants participating in the Holy Grail War, it will release all seven Spirit Cores back to the Throne of Heroes and use the magic power accumulated in the Greater Grail over sixty years to open the gate to the Root. In other words, the seven Servants are sacrifices to open a gate large enough for a Magician to pass through, and the magic power in the Greater Grail can maintain the passage until the Magician reaches the Root. As for fulfilling wishes... the magic power controlled by the Lesser Grail connected to the Greater Grail is extremely powerful. Creating a physical body, like the Conqueror, should be possible. However, a wish like conquering the world is absolutely impossible, even if it drains the ley lines of this country."

"So, in this Holy Grail War, it means that seven Servants are required..." Even Waver, a Fourth-Class Magician, understood that the Holy Grail War required seven Servants as sacrifices to reach the Root.

"Usually, that's the case. So, the pseudo-Spirit Cores I created from Assassin's clones can serve as true Spirit Cores to summon the Lesser Grail. Currently, the Lesser Grail has the Spirit Cores of the original Assassin's seventy-six clones and Caster. Adding the four pseudo-Spirit Cores to the Lesser Grail, we only need one more Servant's Spirit Core to complete the ritual."

"So, the reason you united the other Servants to deal with Archer is because that guy will definitely interfere, right?"

"Also, I'm worried about the true names of the majority of the treasures in the King's Treasury, which Gilgamesh cannot release. However, this doesn't mean he has no treasures he can release. The treasure symbolizing the ancient king is undoubtedly of the EX class, which is immeasurable. Even your trump card, Rider, might not stand a chance against it..."

"That guy Tohsaka Tokiomi really drew a good card." Kirei cursed under his breath, but Xunxin shook his head.

"Not necessarily. A Servant being too powerful is not good for Tohsaka Tokiomi to control. Moreover, it's clear that Tohsaka Tokiomi underestimated Gilgamesh's power. In the warehouse district, even if Gilgamesh continued to expose the King's Treasury, it wouldn't have been a problem, but Tohsaka Tokiomi used a Command Spell to force Gilgamesh to return. Knowing that Gilgamesh's treasury should have ways to counter Command Spells, he must be very annoyed. If Gilgamesh discovers the truth of the Holy Grail War, which is to eliminate the seven Servants, including himself, what will happen to Tohsaka Tokiomi, who knew but didn't report it, is obvious."

Thinking of Tohsaka Tokiomi being reduced to ashes by a barrage of treasures, Kirei felt a dark satisfaction, but thinking of what would happen to Kiri, Rin, and Sakura after Tohsaka Tokiomi's death, his heart softened.

"Xunxin, can't you think of a way? After Tokiomi's death, Kiri and the others..."

"Sorry, Kirei." Xunxin immediately rejected Kirei's request. "After all, Tohsaka Tokiomi is a very traditional Magician. Reaching the Root is his dream, and he doesn't have the chance to wait another sixty years for the next Holy Grail War. Moreover, even if I go all out, I don't have much of a chance against that King of Heroes. I'm not omnipotent."

Hearing Xunxin's response, Kirei fell silent.

"By the way, we still don't know your wish for participating in the Holy Grail War, Xunxin." The Conqueror slapped his forehead, looking at Xunxin with curiosity.

"Me? I'm here because of a mission. The content of the mission... is to destroy the contents inside the Holy Grail."

"Huh? What's inside the Holy Grail that's worth you doing it personally? Is there something wrong with the Holy Grail?" Waver stood up, staring at Xunxin with a panicked look. Xunxin waved his hand, signaling Waver to sit down, and continued, "It's because of those Einzbern idiots. In the previous Holy Grail War, they summoned an eighth Servant, Avenger, Angra Mainyu. Although he was just a young man tortured as a symbol of Angra Mainyu in a Zoroastrian village, he was burdened with the sins of the world to prove the goodness of all people. He was blinded in one eye, had his hands and feet cut off, and was continuously tortured as the absolute evil. In the end, he became a demon representing all the evil in the world, a Counter Guardian. As a human, Angra Mainyu was killed on the fourth day of the Third Holy Grail War. He should have returned to the Throne of Heroes, but the Holy Grail, which has the ability to grant wishes, reformed his body using the Third Magic. After absorbing magic power for sixty years in the Greater Grail, Angra Mainyu, representing all the evil in the world, has gained terrifying power. Therefore, destroying the contents of the Holy Grail is necessary. Otherwise, if the evil in the Holy Grail is fully released, controlling that power will be extremely difficult."

"That's a tough situation. But I remember you said you have a way to fulfill my wish, right?" Rider nodded in approval and then asked about the possibility of fulfilling his wish.

"Actually, most of the magic power for a Servant's existence is provided by the Holy Grail itself. The Master only needs to pay the magic power to maintain the Servant's existence. The amount of magic power a Servant uses in battle and to release treasures is something even Waver couldn't gather in a lifetime. However, when a Servant performs actions that consume a lot of magic power, the Master's magic power to maintain the Servant's existence also increases. So, the way to keep Rider in the world is simple: just give him enough magic power to replace the Holy Grail's support." Xunxin reached into the laboratory connected to the tofu shop's internal dimensional space and pulled out a bright silver heart emitting a magic power fluctuation equivalent to dozens of magic furnaces.

"This is a conceptual Noble Phantasm I created based on Saber's Magic Circuit. It can combine with the user, allowing them to produce a large amount of magic power with each breath. If Waver's magic power is ten, one breath from you can produce fifty. This should be enough to sustain your existence, Rider. A Servant's body is much better than a human's, at least it won't be hindered by diseases."

"Wow! That's a great thing. I'm relieved."

"Conqueror, I think it's better to install the Magic Circuit in your body now. With the Magic Circuit's support, your parameters will increase, and the final battle of the Holy Grail War will require your full strength..."

At the Tohsaka residence.

"You are a reliable person. I want my daughter to learn from you. After this Holy Grail War, Kirei, you will be Rin's mentor and guide her." Tohsaka Tokiomi, sitting on a luxurious sofa, handed a will to Kirei, who was sitting opposite him.

"In case, although the probability is low, if something happens to me. I have written here that the head of the Tohsaka family will be inherited by Rin, and you will be her guardian until she comes of age. Just hand this letter to the Clock Tower, and the Association will take care of the rest."

"Please leave it to me. Even if my abilities are limited, I will do my best to take care of your daughter." Hearing Kirei's promise, Tohsaka Tokiomi felt relieved and looked at his disciple with a sincere smile.

"Thank you, Kirei." After thanking Kirei, Tohsaka Tokiomi handed a black brocade box to him. "Open it. It's a personal gift from me."

Inside the box was a finely crafted black short sword with gemstone fluid pathways that could store magic power to increase the sword's power or serve as a magic recovery item.

"The Sword of Azoth. Made from ancestral gems, it can be used as a Noble Phantasm after being charged with magic power. Use this as proof of your graduation from the Tohsaka family's magic training."

After carefully examining the mercury sword, Kirei felt an unusual sensation, as if the snake in the Garden of Eden was tempting him, making what he wanted to do now so simple.

"My esteemed teacher, your care and expectations are truly beyond repayment."

"You are the best return for me, Kirei. This way, I can participate in the final battle without any worries."

Unaware of his disciple's thoughts, Tohsaka Tokiomi stood up, turned his back to Kirei, and looked at the already dark night. In his mind, he envisioned himself leading Archer to eliminate the other Servants, completely unaware that Kirei had stood up and was approaching him with the mercury sword.

"I'm sorry for keeping you so long. Will you still make your flight?" Tohsaka Tokiomi's face was filled with a smile of victory, but then his eyes suddenly bulged out, and a sword blade appeared in the red suit at the heart position.

"No, you don't need to worry, teacher." Kirei pulled out the mercury sword, and Tohsaka Tokiomi fell to the ground with a look of confusion, pain, and incomprehension. After a few convulsions, he lost his life. To the end, Tohsaka Tokiomi stubbornly believed that his understanding was correct and refused to accept the true facts. Then, countless golden lights gathered around Kirei, and Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, looked at the completely dead Tohsaka Tokiomi with disinterest.

"I was hoping for a last-minute counterattack. Look at his blank expression. He never realized his foolishness until the end." Kirei kicked the body on the ground with his gold-booted foot, and Gilgamesh's face was filled with disgust.

"Kirei, if you bore me, the next one to lie down will be you."

Kirei revealed the Command Spell on his wrist and recited with authority, "Your body is mine to use, my fate is your sword. In the name of the Holy Grail, obey my will."

"I swear. Your offerings are my flesh and blood. Kirei, I am your new Master."

"Next, it's my father, who always believed in me. Killing him might bring me more pleasure, and his Command Spell will be quite helpful during the main course."

The red Command Spell shone ominously as the contract was completed, and the snake-like eyes intertwined with a pair of black eyes. The most malicious and simple pair in the Holy Grail War was formed, but they were so immersed in the contract that they didn't notice a red dragon-scale detector outside the Tohsaka residence, recording their every move...

PS: I'll list the specialized terms in the book in a few days. Also, please leave reviews, recommendations, and favorites.