A dimensional journey starting from the Dragon Clan

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Fuyuki Civic Hall——

This facility, which cost 8 billion yen in total, is a symbol of the development of Fuyuki New City, along with the Central Building in front of the station. It covers an area of ​​6,600 square meters and a building area of ​​4,700 square meters. It is a mixed structure with four floors above ground and one floor underground. The two-story music hall can accommodate more than 3,000 people. The new design of the famous architect makes this modern civic hall as magnificent as an ancient temple. From here, we can see the ambition of Fuyuki City to develop a new city.

However, only the exterior has been completed. For the opening ceremony, the interior decoration is now underway, but it is still a long way to go before it can be put into use. In addition to the minimum safety measures, even the power supply equipment has not been installed. In the middle of the night when there are no staff, this clean and magnificent building has become a space filled with quietness and a strange sense of unreality.

Of course, magic is not considered in the city's construction plan. The construction site of the Civic Hall was chosen on the newest spiritual vein in Fuyuki, which was completely accidental. From another perspective, this rare accident was caused by the special nature of the spiritual vein in this place.

Kotomine Kirei stood on the roof, calmly watching the magic signal he had sent out drifting in the night wind. To invade this building without proper security, all he had to do was break the lock. The preparations for the ceremony and the preparations for the counterattack were already done. Next, he just had to wait for the remaining enemies attracted by the signal.

The battle was approaching, but he remained calm. For agents, there was no need to get excited about the premonition of bloodshed, nor to joke to relieve tension. They had the complete conditions to be tools of God's will, and they simply rushed to their deaths with a calm mind to complete their mission. This long-term study allowed Kirei to show the calmness and indifference of a clinician.

But——

"Hmph, you still have such a cold face tonight, Kirei."

Archer teased as he walked up to the roof with a slow step, and Kirei smiled bitterly in his heart.

How would this expressionless face look to the Heroic Spirit who knows everything? Even the ups and downs of emotions that he himself cannot perceive, cannot escape the eyes of the Heroic Spirit.

Although his heart was shaken at the beginning, Kirei is now used to it. Is that so? He is so cold-hearted - he just knows himself as he does other people's business.

The King of Heroes, who had just returned from the night market, was still wearing luxurious and frivolous casual clothes. There was a lingering aftertaste of enjoyment in his deep red eyes, and there was no sense of urgency for the approaching battle. However, for this Heroic Spirit, appearance and heart cannot be separated. The decisive battle around the Holy Grail was just like playing in his eyes.

"What do you want me to do next, Kirei? Just wait here?"

Kirei, who knew clearly that one instruction could cause Archer to question the qualifications of the Master, shook his head after thinking for a while.

"If you release your power near the Holy Grail, the ritual will be in danger. If you want to have fun, take the initiative to fight."

"Well, okay. But if this place is attacked when I'm not here, how do you plan to deal with it?"

"Let Berserker hold the enemy back, and I'll take the opportunity to summon you back. At that time, I'll need to use the power of the Command Spell. You don't mind, do you?"

"Okay, but I can't guarantee the safety of the Holy Grail. I won't show mercy tonight, and this narrow little house may be completely destroyed."

"That's the worst outcome, but that's fate."

Kirei nodded bluntly, but Archer narrowed his eyes.

"Kirei, it seems that you understand the meaning of war, but you still don't have any wish to place your hopes on the Holy Grail? Even if you get a miracle, there is no hope?"

"Yes, so what?"

"Although it is not yet completed, the 'vessel' is already in your hands. Now, perhaps I will accept the 'advance' of your long-cherished wish."

"... Hum, I see. You mean, if possible, the miracle will happen immediately when the Holy Grail descends, right?"

Kirei sighed without interest and pondered for a while. In the end, he shook his head.

"I still can't think of a wish. If I have to say it - I hope that no irrelevant people will mess up the final battle. Unfortunately, there are residents nearby. If possible, I would like to win happily in a deserted place."

Hearing this completely boring answer, Gilgamesh said disdainfully.

"Alas, what you hide in your heart can only be guessed from the vicinity of the Holy Grail."

In the end, although these two people are closer to the Holy Grail than anyone else, they care less about it than anyone else. For them, it is more meaningful to drive away the people who gather for it than to obtain the Holy Grail.

"——Ah, and if Saber shows up before I come back."

Before leaving, the Hero King stopped as if on a whim.

"When the time comes, let Berserker play with her for a while. The reason why I saved that mad dog's life is for this moment."

"Understood."

Kirei still hasn't figured out why Archer is obsessed with Saber. However, as for this Berserker who clamored to destroy the King of Heroes due to the fate of the first battle, after learning his real name through the investigation of Matou Kariya, the King of Heroes instead allowed his existence and said, "Let that dog go." It's fun to bite Saber." As long as he encounters something related to her, the King of Heroes can control his anger. It seems that Gilgamesh is very concerned about the King of Knights.

"Speaking of which, Kirei. What happened to the doll that Saber risked her life to protect? I heard that something called the Holy Grail is inside it."

"Ah, you mean that."

Regarding its existence, Kirei did not want to mention it. Now, he has no interest in it, and there is no need to even think of that woman's name.

"I just killed her. There is no reason to let her continue to live."

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Irisviel opened her eyes and looked around.

It feels very strange now. The consciousness is infinitely vivid, but it is impossible to think clearly.

It seems that what is muddy and meaningless is not her own spirit, but the world in which she lives.

Many scenes flew before her eyes. Looking at these sights, one can only feel a sense of unnecessary and unbearable sadness and emptiness.

All the scenes reflected in his eyes had nothing to do with joy and happiness. What is common at this point is a kaleidoscope of chaotic scenes.

There is pain, humiliation, regretful resentment and lack.

Bloodshed and scorched earth, betrayal and revenge, all efforts but nothing, this is a costly chain of futility.

The familiar snow scene repeats itself over and over again.

It tells the story of a family that sealed everything they had in the city of severe winter.

At this point, she finally remembered - what she was overlooking was the Einzbern family's two-thousand-year journey to search for the Holy Grail.

Originally by Stesser. And the female dolls created based on her...artificial beings, false lives.

Humanoid consumables created by the secrets of alchemy and used to realize long-cherished wishes that are far away.

Using their blood and tears as ink, their cracked bones and frozen fingertips as pens, they write the frustrated and lost history of the Einzbern clan. Their sighs and despair made Irisviel's heart tighten.

If there is a place where these scenes can be seen, it must be at the center of all strife, witnessing the interior of everything.

Irisviel finally understood. I am now looking inside the Holy Grail.

Embracing the original Yustesa, the Great Holy Grail of Mount Enzo. And all androids are standard products created based on her as the "Winter Saint". Therefore, they share the same pain.

——No, is that really the case?

"Why are you crying, Mother?"

When she came to her senses, Irisviel found herself in the child's room, protected by the warmth of the furnace.

There is cold wind and snow outside the window. The strong wind howled by, and the young hands clung to their mother's arms for protection.

"Mother, I had a nightmare. Ilia turned into a wine glass."

Despite her inner fear, Ilia's red eyes looked at her with trust. Although he has the same face as his mother and other sisters, this child is special and more lovable than anyone else——

"There are seven big pieces in Ilia's heart. When Ilia felt like it was going to burst, and she was very scared but couldn't escape, she heard the voice of Yustessadar, and there was a big black hole above her head..."

Irisviel hugged her daughter tightly, her silver-white bangs wiping her daughter's face that was wet with tears.

"It's okay, it's okay... That won't happen. You won't see that, Ilia."

Among the many sisters, only Irisviel has a tragic wish that cannot be shared with others - the love of being a "mother".

Among all the artificial beings in the past, as the first one to give birth to an heir from her own womb, she was the only one of her kind endowed with the heart to love her son. And the fate she carries is also sighing.

Illyasviel von Einzbern, who is the next Holy Grail, is also a part of the gear that has been involved in two thousand years of delusion and obsession.

This yoke will never end. Before someone wins.

The third magic, the Cup of Heaven - this achievement is the only salvation.

Many voices rushed towards Irisviel. She was singing with countless sisters.

Holy Grail——

Please give me the Holy Grail -

Deep in the forest, there is an abandoned site of used androids. The mountains of corpses of our compatriots were chanting. The rotten face covered with maggots overlapped with the face of young Ilya, making a painful sound.

"It's fine--"

The mother held her daughter tightly in her arms full of love.

"Ilia, you will definitely be liberated from the shackles of fate. I will complete everything, and your father will definitely realize this wish..."

At this time, a question suddenly flashed in her mind.

If this is the dream displayed by the Holy Grail - since the "vessel" inside can be seen so clearly taking shape - what does the shell of oneself look like?

This is like seeing the internal organs of a chick through an egg shell.

If so, this is a huge contradiction. When the chicks hatch, the shell should break.

So - who was the person I dreamed about just now?

The touch of Illyasviel's slender body felt so real as she hugged her tightly. She looked towards her hands holding her daughter.

Irisviel has disappeared. If a chick pecks away the broken eggshell...

Suddenly, the flying snow outside the window stopped. Mixed into the darkness of the night was thick swirling black mud.

She was neither scared nor surprised, just calmly understanding and watching all this, as the mud seeped in from all sides of the room, dripped from the chimney, and slowly soaked under her feet.

By the way, trivial questions about who you are.

From now on, she is no one. Even now, he is still just "someone" using the personality of the disappeared woman Irisviel as a mask.

Even so, the "Irisviel's wish" hidden in her heart is real. The mother who thought about her beloved daughter until the last moment and passed away lamenting her daughter's future has inherited her wishes.

She is the one whose wish must come true.

It is an existence that is expected, set up and enshrined in order to fulfill everyone's wishes.

"——It's okay, Illyasviel, everything will be over soon."

She whispered gently into the ear of the young girl she was hugging for the first time.

"So, let's just wait here for a while. Father will definitely come. Come and help us realize all our wishes."

The hot mud clinging to her body elegantly dyed her skirt black.

Waiting for the moment when her wish comes true, the woman wrapped in darkness smiles.

Get rid of all sighs, get rid of all worries.

Soon, she will gain the ability to grant wishes. As a universal wish machine that makes everything come true.

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2:00--

The sleeping streets were even quieter than usual. Perhaps out of fear of the frequent weird incidents, people who are accustomed to nocturnal activities have also heeded the authorities' advice not to go out at night and stayed home honestly these days. Not even a car could be seen on the street, only the asphalt road surface was pale in the cold winter night and illuminated by street lights.

The deserted streets give the illusion of being in a scaled toy scene. If places beyond ordinary people's understanding are called "other worlds", this is undoubtedly the case in Fuyuki City at night.

A horse moved through the unusual scenery as if no one else was watching. Weber was riding on that leaping back, galloping towards death. Behind him was the broad and thick mind of the Conquering King, and the distance was so close that he could almost feel the high-pitched agitation.

If he could survive tonight, Weber would never forget this tense and peaceful sense of excitement in his life. There are moments in the world called "real times." That is the moment when the soul is liberated from all deception and whitewashing, and the whole world is calmly accepted and awed by it. And that's exactly what Weber is now. There is no need to explore the various mysteries and contradictions in the world, just accept them calmly. The meaning of life and death can be understood clearly without the need for words to describe it. It was a time of supreme happiness, liberated from all the confusion and confusion of a miserable life. ()