Chapter 268: R'lyeh and the Great Old One
Mysterious magic circle covered the high sky, their twisted forms entirely unlike any known magecraft. It seemed as if they originated not from this planet but from a far-off universe.
"R'lyeh..." Kayneth stared grimly at the pitch-black book in Tokiomi's hands that emitted an ominous aura. "Is that the 'R'lyeh Text' you're holding?"
"Hahaha, to think a Lord of the Clock Tower has such broad knowledge..." Tokiomi chuckled, but his smile held no warmth, only otherworldly malice and darkness.
The 'R'lyeh Text' was a legendary book supposedly written by an unknown author around 3000 years ago. The original text was said to be inscribed on clay tablets, and to this day, there was no conclusive evidence about its existence or destruction. Various rumors circulated regarding its whereabouts.
One prevalent rumor suggested that someone had actually copied the original text in book form. This copy allegedly existed since 300 BCE and was said to be hidden in some desolate coastal area of the ancient Eastern country.
Apart from the Chinese translation, there were also English, German, and Italian translations. The Italian version was the legendary translation by Francois Prelati, based on the R'lyeh Text brought back from the East by the explorer Marco Polo. It was also the prototype for Caster Gilles de Rais's Noble Phantasm—Prelati's Spellbook.
For centuries, countless mages sought this forbidden book containing taboo knowledge. However, no one had ever claimed to possess it, and mages without hope could only reluctantly abandon the pursuit.
The legend of the 'R'lyeh Text' gradually faded into history, becoming a dream-like illusion.
Yet, no one anticipated that, after over five centuries, this forbidden book would appear on this distant island nation of Japan. Even Kayneth couldn't distinguish whether it was the cycle of destiny or a cruel joke of fate.
At this moment, a lightning bolt seemed to strike through Kayneth's mind as he began to blurt out his speculation.
"Did you intentionally arrange for Uryuu Ryuunoske to summon Caster to obtain it?"
"Oh? You actually know that?" Tokiomi's eyes flashed with surprise, then grinned wickedly. "Well, never mind. All the necessary preparations are done. Even if you know now, it's too late."
Hearing Tokiomi's nonsense, Kiritsugu furrowed his brow. Wasn't Tokiomi's Servant Archer? How did Caster become involved?
He suddenly realized that this Holy Grail War likely harbored many secrets he was unaware of, and everything seemed connected to Tokiomi, who had suddenly become very abnormal.
"So, you're the mastermind behind all this..." Kayneth said with an unpleasant expression.
"Hahaha, Yes, Exactly! Everything is my plan!"
Tokiomi laughed manically akin to a lunatic.
"I brought Caster into this world, killed him, and then used his Prelati's Spellbook to restore the 'R'lyeh Text'."
"Sending Prelati's Spellbook to the Matou family? That was me. Using Paracelsus von Hohenheim's name to make Matou Zouken lower his guard."
"Allowing Prelati's Spellbook to corrupt him? That was also me. Every single thing was done by me alone!"
Hearing Tokiomi admitting his deeds, Kayneth furrowed his brows slightly. He could comprehend Tokiomi's earlier actions, but now...
"Why did you use Prelati's Spellbook to Matou Zouken?"
"Why?" Tokiomi's mouth suddenly curved with a mysterious arc. "Of course, it's to leave behind a 'coordinate'."
"Coordinate...? What coordinate?" Kayneth raised an eyebrow slightly in confusion, but before he could continue his questioning, a thunderous roar echoed from above.
He lifted his head and saw that in the center of that mysterious magic circle, the sky suddenly collapsed. A black hole emerged, radiating a strong sense of ominous energy as if all the evil in the world had gathered.
Kiritsugu also witnessed the colossal black hole. Somehow, from within it, he sensed a vaguely familiar aura.
'No, it can't be. How can that thing possibly be...' Kiritsugu's body trembled slightly, and abruptly turned to Tokiomi, his eyes ablaze. "Tell me, what is that thing?!"
"What is that thing?" Tohsaka smirked at Kiritsugu with a mocking look in his eyes. "Isn't that the Holy Grail you've been pursuing all along? Can't recognize it?"
"How... is it possible..." Kiritsugu staggered backward. He couldn't believe that the miracle he had been relentlessly chasing was something grotesque like that.
He soon recalled what Irisviel had said to him before.
—The Holy Grail has been... contaminated...
'Yes, I knew it all along... The truth is right in front of me... But why, why did I still...'
Kiritsugu clenched his palm and had a hard time accepting reality. He knelt on the ground, hot tears streaming down his face.
"AHHHHHHH—!!!"
He clutched his hair tightly, emitting a beast-like, heart-wrenching scream.
Watching Kiritsugu's despair, Tokiomi nodded in satisfaction. He turned to Kayneth, only to find this Lord still displaying a calm demeanor as if he had anticipated this all along.
Seeing this, Tokiomi squinted his eyes slightly.
"You've known the truth of the Holy Grail for quite some time, haven't you?"
"Hmph, isn't this the kind of thing you could figure out with just a glance? Why ask if you knew?" Kayneth scoffed disdainfully. "But I am curious about one thing. Even with the Holy Grail summoned and all, there's no way to open the path to the Root with four Servants still on the field. What's the point of doing this?"
"It seems you really know quite a bit about the Holy Grail War..." Tokiomi's expression darkened slightly. "But you're right. If we don't eliminate all seven Servants, there's no way to reach the Root through the Holy Grail. So—"
A crazed smile slowly spread across his lips.
"Just eliminate them all, simple as that."
Hearing Tokiomi's nonsense, Kayneth frowned slightly. Without a Servant, where did this man get the confidence to say such things?
As Kayneth pondered the connection between the 'Holy Grail', 'R'lyeh Text', and the so-called 'coordinate', a wild idea suddenly flashed through his mind, causing his eyes to widen abruptly.
"Are you planning to—!"
"Hahaha! Bingo, that's exactly what I'm thinking! Hahahaha—!"
As if sensing Kayneth's thoughts and what he wanted to say, Tokiomi burst into another fit of manic laughter, his eyes filled with palpable malice and madness.
"Using Prelati's Spellbook as the coordinate, offering 'All the World's Evil' as a sacrifice, now, the time has come. It's time to reveal your unparalleled beauty to the world and descend upon us—"
"The Great Old One—Cthylla!"
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