บท 474: Mission Accomplished
Descending into the area beneath the main hall, it seemed far larger than the hall itself—akin to a football field in size. As they walked down the stairs, they were enveloped in pitch darkness, with only the faintest glimmers of light barely visible.
Kaguya raised her hand and snapped her fingers, summoning several orbs of flame to hover in the air, illuminating the vast space.
"What is this…?" Kiritsugu looked around, stunned by the massive magical circuit before him. Even as a member of one of the Three Great Families, he had rarely seen a magic circuit of this magnitude.
He could feel the intense, intricate magical energy emanating from the structure—far beyond anything he'd encountered, even at the Einzbern Castle.
"Could this really be… the Grail's power system?" he murmured, gazing at the massive circuit in the distance.
His family had once participated in the Grail's creation and experienced the Holy Grail War firsthand, so he understood this system, though he'd never witnessed its structure before.
"That's right," Kaguya smiled slightly. "This is where the Grail's power comes from. All that's left now is to summon the Greater Grail."
With that, Kaguya extended her hand, and a golden chalice materialized, emitting a tangible aura of magic. Its intricate, ornate patterns glowed with an eerie light.
Suddenly, Kaguya's expression shifted as she sensed something.
The materials required to summon the Greater Grail were still insufficient. While summoning didn't always require the souls of seven Heroic Spirits—as in the Fourth Holy Grail War, it had opened with only six, and the Fifth with just five—the number and quality of Heroic Spirits affected the Grail's summoning conditions.
But now, they were clearly still one short.
Could it be…
"I have a small errand to run," Kaguya said as she turned and started back up the stairs. "Wait here; I'll be right back."
Kiritsugu stood there, slightly baffled by Kaguya's sudden departure. He doubted she would be pulling any tricks; after all, if she'd wanted him dead, he would already be gone. There was no need for such roundabout theatrics.
Yet he couldn't shake the slight unease in his heart, fearing some unforeseen change. He had waited too long for this moment and had sacrificed countless lives and acted incomprehensibly to most. This might well be his last chance to fulfill his dream, and he couldn't afford to fail now.
Just as he grew impatient enough to consider stepping out, the silver-haired girl finally returned—and her appearance shocked him.
Approaching him, the beautiful girl's face was speckled with blood, enhancing her allure with a strange, macabre beauty, and in her hand was a blood-stained sword, droplets of blood still dripping from its edge.
"What… what did you…" Kiritsugu asked in astonishment.
"Nothing. Let's begin." Kaguya's eyes gleamed with a faint purple glow.
"Did you… kill Saber?" Kiritsugu's face was filled with shock. He understood that to fully summon the Greater Grail, one needed to sacrifice the Heroic Spirits, ensuring enough souls were gathered for the ritual. Could she have gone out just to kill Saber?
"What nonsense," Kaguya frowned, giving him a sidelong glance, clearly displeased. "What, did you take some bad medicine? Why would I kill Saber?"
"But then… the blood…" Kiritsugu stammered, still confused.
"What exactly are you trying to ask?" Kaguya turned away, her patience waning.
"No, nothing," Kiritsugu replied, regaining his composure.
"Good." Kaguya nodded, placing the small grail on a nearby pedestal.
Suddenly, the Grail began to emit a soft, golden glow, lighting up the dark chamber and casting the stone walls in a warm hue.
"All right, now you can—" Kaguya began, but before she could finish, a black portal materialized behind her. Startled, she turned to find it had an overwhelming pull, like a black hole, slowly drawing her in.
What is this thing? A void from the Grail? She recalled that, at the end of Fate/stay night, Gilgamesh had been pulled into a similar void. Could this be the same phenomenon?
But it didn't seem quite the same.
Whatever it was, this black portal seemed determined to claim Kaguya, releasing an intense pull to draw her inside. But there was no way she would go without a fight. To her, this suction force was little more than a nuisance.
Scoffing, Kaguya raised her hand and spread her fingers, unleashing a powerful repelling force.
As expected, the black hole shrank under Kaguya's power, seeming to retreat from the impact of her counterattack.
However, just as Kaguya thought she had it under control, a powerful surge of energy erupted from the black hole like a flood, crashing down on her in a single overwhelming wave.
What is this?
Shocked, Kaguya instinctively tried to use her Almighty Push (Shinra Tensei) to deflect the energy. But at that moment, she found herself unable to move—her body rigid, almost like wood. Even her energy felt cut off, leaving her unable to channel it.
In that fleeting moment, the dark energy enveloped her, layering around her body as if wrapping her in a shroud.
Was she really about to fail so spectacularly?
For some reason, Kaguya couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. She shouldn't have indulged herself by leaving the magic circuit intact; she should've just destroyed it. Now she'd truly gotten herself in trouble.
Just as despair began to set in, Kaguya's body suddenly flared with a brilliant violet light, bright as the sun, illuminating the chamber almost to daylight. At the same time, a powerful wave of energy surged out, engulfing the dark power that had wrapped around her. The surrounding energy seemed drawn to her, merging with the expanding force.
Staring at the scene unfolding around her, Kaguya felt a flicker of confusion, unable to fully understand what was happening.
In that instant, a colossal rush of energy surged into her body, almost to the point of bursting, filling her with a pain so intense that she nearly blacked out. She had never felt such agony, like being torn apart by a thousand blades, every inch of her body searing with pain.
Finally, when Kaguya could bear it no longer, her head tilted to the side, and she slipped into unconsciousness. Just before the darkness took her, she thought she heard the system's voice:
"Congratulations on completing the mission. Returning to the Main Space."
When Kaguya awoke, she found herself in a familiar place—a vast, empty space devoid of any decoration, furniture, or seating: the Main System Space she had visited several times before.
"What's going on here?"
Kaguya got up, dusting herself off, feeling puzzled. If it hadn't been for that intense pain, the kind that forces a person to grit their teeth and writhe, she might have thought it was all a figment of her imagination.
Just before she'd lost consciousness, she vaguely recalled the system notification announcing her mission's completion. But was that real?
With that thought, Kaguya hurried toward the glowing orb in the Main System Space and anxiously asked, "Hey, did I finish my Fate/Zero mission?"
"Congratulations. You have indeed completed your mission in Fate/Zero. You've earned 100 achievement points and may now use them to purchase items, abilities, or bloodlines." The system's distinct metallic voice responded.
"Good." Kaguya sighed in relief, but then another thought struck her, prompting her to speak again. "System, what exactly happened to me in Fate/Zero? Where did that energy come from? Was it from the Holy Grail? And what about the purple energy in me—will it cause any issues?"
"Is this an official inquiry?" the system replied.
"Yes! Can you tell me?" Kaguya quickly said.
"There will be a consultation fee of 300 achievement points. Your balance is currently insufficient, so please recharge as needed," the system answered.
"What?" Kaguya blinked, dumbfounded. "You charge for consultations?"
"Naturally," the system replied, "Consulting firms charge fees, don't they? It's only logical."
"Wait, you actually know about consulting firms?" Kaguya's eyes widened. She had assumed it was just a program but was now surprised at its apparent level of intelligence.
"Of course I do," the system replied, now speaking in a rapid-fire tone, "Why would that be surprising? It's like asking whether you'd be startled by encountering an imbecile."
But there was an edge to the system's words that didn't sit well with her. Was it mocking her, calling her an imbecile in some roundabout way?
"Are you insulting me?" Kaguya stepped closer, glaring at the system's orb with a hostile expression.
"I made no such remark," the system responded calmly. "However, I would like to assure you that, thanks to modern technology, there are indeed treatments available for imbeciles. There's no need to worry."
Kaguya's eye twitched, realizing it was indeed throwing shade. Already frustrated from everything she'd gone through, this only made her mood worse, leaving her simmering with anger.
With an exasperated expression, Kaguya strode forward and swung her leg into the orb, landing a swift kick. The system orb flew through the air like a soccer ball, crashing against the wall with a loud thunk.
Surprisingly, it seemed the orb could be kicked around. Wasn't it supposed to have some sort of protective mechanism?
But what happened next stunned her even more.
"Ow!"
A delicate voice cried out as the orb wobbled, and a tiny figure climbed out of it. She wobbled to her feet, clutching her head and swaying as though dizzy.
More surprisingly, the tiny figure was incredibly beautiful, with long, flowing hair, delicate features, and bright, expressive eyes. With a tiny pair of wings on her back, she looked like a miniature anime-style fairy. She was adorably expressive, especially with her scrunched-up face, but was barely the size of Kaguya's hand—a tiny being, much like a small bird.
"How dare you!" The tiny fairy pointed a finger at Kaguya, puffing up with anger. "To treat Lord System in this way! Are you seeking punishment in the Abyss Dungeon?"
Kaguya reached over, grabbed the little fairy's wings, and held her up, blinking as she inspected her closely. "So, does this space include sparrows?"
The tiny fairy struggled in Kaguya's grip, pounding her small fists against Kaguya's fingers, though the effort felt no stronger than a tickle. Upon hearing Kaguya's words, the fairy grew even more indignant.
"How dare you call me a sparrow!" the little fairy shouted, fuming, "I'm going to destroy you! Let me go! Let me go!"
With a smirk, Kaguya ran her finger over the fairy's tiny face, teasing her, "Quite the attitude for such a little sparrow. Who would've guessed the great Lord System was just a tiny bird. Surprising, really."
"I'm not a sparrow! You're a sparrow! Your whole family's sparrows!" the little fairy yelled, furiously pushing Kaguya's fingers away. "One more insult, and I'm going to punish you!"
"Punish me?" Kaguya chuckled, finding the whole situation highly amusing. "Just you, little sparrow? If a sparrow can act so tough, I suppose a frog could—"
"I really mean it this time!" the little fairy shouted, cheeks puffed with rage.
Kaguya couldn't resist teasing her further, but as she reached out again, the tiny fairy released a massive burst of energy, an intimidating aura that swept across the space like a tidal wave.
Simultaneously, the little fairy raised a tiny, glowing hand and launched a palm strike straight at Kaguya's chest.
A second passed.
Then five seconds.
Then ten.
"Uh…" The little fairy's beautiful eyes widened with disbelief, staring at her tiny hand as though trying to figure out what had happened.
"What's wrong, dear?" Kaguya's grin widened, her expression resembling that of a wolf eying a helpless rabbit. With a tone dripping with "kindness," she asked, "Need a hand with that?"
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