Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Summoning Cthulhu
Caster's patience had finally reached its limit.
Two consecutive attempts, each one more meticulous and earnest than the last, but the results were increasingly disastrous.
The first time, he encountered the "Holy Maiden" and almost captured her, only to be thwarted by Lancer at the last moment.
The second time, he assembled an unprecedentedly powerful army and successfully advanced to the castle where Saber was located. However, before they could even launch an attack, they were ruthlessly crushed by Rider, who appeared out of nowhere with an overwhelming advantage, leaving them in ruins.
What made him even more unnerved was the sight he witnessed before his army was decimated.
Through the shared vision of one of the monsters, he saw Archer, Saber, and Assassin sitting on the ground behind Rider. Including the previous encounter with Lancer, there were now five Servants standing against him.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!!!"
Caster, who had cautiously hidden in the deep mountains and refrained from entering the Einzbern domain, vigorously pounded the trees beside him. With the strength of a human pushed to the limits of D-rank, his continuous strikes caused a decades-old or even centuries-old tree to come crashing down.
"Why does everyone come to obstruct me? Why? Why? Why?"
Caster's hysterical roar echoed through the empty forest, sending chills down one's spine. Suddenly, he widened his bloodshot eyes, eyes that were twice the size of an ordinary person's, and stared fixedly at the sky, resembling a proud frog.
"Could it be... Is this your punishment? O God, is this my punishment for all the sacrilegious acts I've committed, killing thousands of children over the past eight years? If that's the case, why not descend directly upon me? Why torment the pure, devout Holy Maiden? No, this isn't a punishment at all!"
Caster forcefully tore at his hair, causing his scalp to bleed profusely.
"Hypocritical, despicable God, you're just toying with humanity—what Ryunosuke said was right. You treat our wicked deeds as a farce, and me as a mere clown. Very well, since that's the case, I shall adorn your courtyard with an even more dazzling display of despair and lamentation. Amongst it all, the suffering of your lapdogs shall surely be the most pleasing to you."
Caster, covered in blood from head to toe, unleashed his one and only Noble Phantasm, the item he relied on and trusted the most. The blood-soaked offering in his hand seeped into the surface of a human skin book, quickly absorbed by the pages. An unprecedented aura of evil spread outward from the book's surface.
"With this even more ancient evil, I present to you my Labyrinth of Cursed Blood."
...
"Ryunosuke, let us tear off the hypocritical mask of the gods and hold a unique and extraordinary banquet."
These were the first words Caster spoke to his Master, Ryunosuke Uryu, upon returning to their temporary base.
"Oh, oh, oh, let us create even greater works together."
Ryunosuke's response perfectly matched Caster's rhythm.
"As night falls, the banquet begins."
...
When the sun was swallowed by the horizon, a chant could be heard by the riverside in Fuyuki.
It was an ancient incantation, accompanied by a hoarse and somber voice, summoning evil that did not belong to this Earth, but rather originated from the depths of the universe.
"Arise! Nameless existence, your time has come."
"We, chosen by you through your incantations, your magic, your dreams, your allure, we have foreseen your arrival."
"We have come to serve and offer everything to our beloved master."
"That Knight of Cthulhu, sleeping deep beneath the emerald waters, Azathoth..."
This was the only chant that Caster knew, and it was the only ritual listed in the Prelati's Spellbook, which required chanting.
Through the multiple verses and the maximum power of the Prelati's Spellbook, Caster achieved the highest level of summoning magecraft that modern magus could never hope to attain. It called upon the ancient evil in the universe, the avatar of the Cthulhu Mythos.
As the chant continued, the entire river transformed into a different realm, and the dense mist formed by the power of evil spread through the air, obscuring the moon, the stars, and the vision of the people.
Under his feet, countless grotesque shadows gathered. Although they appeared similar to the monsters he had summoned, the magical fluctuations they emitted far surpassed those of the cannon fodder, and the mist covering the surface of the river was merely the aftermath of these grotesque shadows.
The mist gathered on the river's surface, while the fluctuations of magic had already spread throughout the air, encompassing the entire Fuyuki City.
Every magus and every Servant in Fuyuki City simultaneously felt an unexpected and piercing pain.
The air around them was filled with chaotic magical energy, causing disturbances in the leylines that resonated with the surrounding air.
Without the need for investigation, Shinji knew that the event he had foreseen was unfolding.
Throughout the day, Fuyuki City was unusually calm. There were no battles between Servants, no secret conflicts between Masters, and even Caster had ceased to deploy monsters in the underground sewers. It felt as if it were the calm before a storm.
From that moment, Shinji knew that Caster was about to embark on his final madness.
The entire Matou family mobilized, patrolling along the sections of the Fuyuki River.
Kariya and Berserker went south, responsible for the upper stream of the Fuyuki section of the river. Shinji was in Mount Enzou, deep in the mountains, responsible for the middle stream. Scathach, stationed at the Fuyuki Bridge, was responsible for the lower stream leading to the mouth of the river.
At the moment Caster initiated the ritual spell, all three of them began rushing towards the source of magical energy.
However, the first to arrive was neither Assassin, who was the fastest, nor Shinji, who was closest to Caster, but Saber and Irisviel.
Why did Saber's group, who resided in the suburban castle, arrive so quickly?
The answer is simple: they had moved.
By this time, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, and Assassin had all visited Einzbern Forest, and the barrier of the forest had been mostly destroyed. The secluded and fortified defense system of the castle outside the city was no longer suitable as a stronghold. Furthermore, Saber was injured, and considering the caution of Kiritsugu Emiya, it was reasonable for them to decide to move.
Even before the Holy Grail War began, Kiritsugu had made various preparations, one of which involved having Maiya Hisau secretly purchase a traditional Japanese house in Miyama Town. This house was originally owned by Fujimura Raiga, a prominent figure in the Fuyuki underworld, and it took Maiya quite some time to acquire the property through her underground connections.
The old house was located in a prime location in Miyama Town, close enough to the Tohsaka and Matou families that one could walk there at any time. In Kiritsugu's eyes, it was a blind spot called the "darkness under the lamp." Neither the Tohsaka family nor the Matou family would suspect that their enemy would nest right under their noses. It was a surprise attack waiting to happen.
Indeed, this later became known as the famous Emiya residence, and it rightfully stood as the core of the Fifth Holy Grail War, giving birth to the "Nuclear Sword Saint" and the "In-and-Out Tongs" of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Emiya family.
Of course, at the moment, it was nothing more than an old Japanese haunted house in a state of disrepair, with drafts coming from all directions.
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