A dimensional journey starting from the Dragon Clan

Chapter 1230 Holy Grail War

"!!"

... Emiya Shirou stepped back unconsciously.

...It’s not because I feel any fear.

...It wasn't because he sensed any hostility in the man named Kotomine.

Even so, the air on his shoulders seemed to become heavier and heavier,

This priest has such a sense of oppression.

"I am the one who was entrusted to this church. My name is Kotomine Kirei. What should I call you, the seventh master?"

"...Shirou Emiya. However, I don't remember that I became a Master."

Breathing air into his dantian, Emiya Shirou stared at the priest in order not to lose to this oppressive feeling.

"Emiya…Shirou"

"Huh!?"

When the priest in front of him was chanting his name, for some reason, Emiya Shirou felt the pressure on his body turn into a chill.

The priest smiled quietly, as if he had seen something worthy of joy.

That smile gave Emiya Shirou an indescribable weird feeling.

"Thank you, Emiya. Thank you for bringing Rin. Without you, I'm afraid she wouldn't have come here in the end, right?"

The priest approached the altar.

Tohsaka left the altar with a bored expression and retreated to Emiya Shirou.

"Then let's get started. Emiya Shirou, you are the master of Saber, right?"

"No. I did make a contract with Saber. But I don't understand things like the Master or the Holy Grail War or something like that. If the Master is to be a top-notch magician, I think it's better It would be better to choose again.”

"I see, this is a serious case. Does he really know nothing, Rin?"

"So didn't I just say that he is a layman? You should start training from the basics... you should be good at this kind of tricky type, right?"

Tohsaka urged the priest with an unyielding attitude.

"...? Let's see what's going on. Okay, this is the first time you will ask me for anything. It seems that just expressing gratitude to Emiya Shirou is not enough~"

Father Kotomine smiled happily.

How should I put it? It feels like a conversation that will make people listening more and more uneasy.

"First of all, let me correct your misunderstanding. Listen carefully, Shirou Emiya. The identity of a master is not something that can be transferred to others, nor is it something that can be dismissed after becoming one. The command spell is engraved on his hand. No matter who you are, you must first accept this fact.”

"...You said you can't fire me. Why?"

"The Command Seal is also a stigmata. Listen carefully, the so-called Master is a test given. You can't give up just because you don't want to. The Master will not be freed from the pain until he obtains the Holy Grail."

"If you say you don't want to be a Master, then there is no other way but to obtain the Holy Grail and realize your wish. In this way, everything will return to the beginning, Emiya Shirou. Your wishes are accumulated deep in your heart. The gloom can be swept away—yes, it is possible to start over.”

"So just make a wish. When that time comes, you will be grateful for your luck in being chosen as your Master. If you want to remove the invisible burn scars, just accept the stigmata."

“What─────”

Emiya Shirou felt dizzy.

What the priest said was completely out of his grasp.

The more he listened, the more confused he became.

...Never mind that, what this guy said forcefully penetrated into his heart,

It dripped on as thickly as blood──

"Kirei, don't play tricks in circles. I asked you to explain the rules to him. No one asked you to uncover other people's wounds."

A voice interrupted the priest.

"...T-Tohsaka?"

Her voice cleared up Shirou Emiya's chaotic mind.

"That's it. It's all in vain to say anything to this kind of people, so I originally wanted to at least let him continue to have wrong intentions and get rid of his moral sense... Huh, it is often said in the world that good things come to you. I Are you addicted to it without even realizing it? "

"What. Is it good for you to help him?"

"Of course. Because if you help others, you will be redeemed sooner or later... However, it is useless to tell you this now. Then let's return to the topic, Emiya Shirou. The war you are involved in is There is something called the 'Holy Grail War'. The repeated battles between seven masters and seven servants──Have you ever heard of these things from Rin?"

"...I heard about it. Don't you think that the seven masters are killing each other is crazy talk?"

"That's right. But we don't do such inhumane things just because we are happy. All of this is a ceremony to select the most suitable person to get the Holy Grail. After all, the rules are the rules, and it is necessary that there are some tests for the selection of the owner. of."

...What kind of test is this?

Emiya Shirou didn't think that the 'Holy Grail War' thing that the priest was talking about was a test at all.

"Wait a minute. You have been in the Holy Grail since just now. What on earth is that? You don't want to say that it is really the Holy Grail, do you?"

Holy Grail.

A cup containing the blood of a saint.

It is regarded as the highest among many holy relics, and it is said to be able to cause various miracles.

The most widely circulated among them is that whoever possesses the Holy Grail holds the world.

Such a statement.

...However, this statement is simply not credible.

After all, the very existence of the Holy Grail is almost as if it exists and seems not.

Indeed, the holy cup that can grant wishes has appeared in legends and biographies spread around the world.

But that's all.

Because it is a utopian technology that does not care whether it actually exists or whether it can be reproduced successfully.

That's the Holy Grail.

"Is that so? Father Kotomine. Is the Holy Grail you are talking about really the Holy Grail?"

"Of course. The Holy Grail that appeared in this city is genuine. One of the proofs is that unreasonable miracles like the Servant happened, right?"

"Summon the heroic spirits of the past and use them. No, this miracle of reviving the dead can be called magic. Since it is the Holy Grail with such power, it can give the owner unlimited power. The truth of things Falsity is worthless in the face of its facts.”

"..."

That is to say.

Even if it's a fake, as long as it has more power than the real thing, it doesn't matter what the authenticity is.

"...Okay. Let's just pretend that there is a Holy Grail. However, in that case, why do we need to hold a Holy Grail War? If there is a Holy Grail, why bother killing each other. Since it is such a powerful thing, can't we all share it together? "

?????55.?????

"It's a normal opinion, but we don't have that kind of freedom. Only one person can obtain the Holy Grail. That is not decided by us, but by the Holy Grail itself."

"Whether it's choosing seven Masters or summoning seven Servants, it's all done by the Holy Grail itself. Didn't I say it's a ritual? The Holy Grail chooses the people who are suitable for it, lets them compete with each other, and selects There is only one holder. This is the Holy Grail War───The spirit ceremony in which those chosen by the Holy Grail kill each other in order to obtain it!”

The priest said calmly.

"..." Emiya Shirou had nothing to say in reply and turned his attention to his left hand.

This is what they call the seal of the Command Seal.

In other words, does the priest mean that as long as you have the seal, you cannot give up your qualifications as a master?

"...I can't accept it. Because only one person can be selected, the rest of the masters must be killed. This is really uncomfortable."

"? Just wait a moment. You said you must kill other masters. That was your misunderstanding, Emiya-san. Because there is no need to kill the master."

Tohsaka patted him on the shoulder and made an unexpected comment to him.

"What? But didn't they say they would kill each other? Father Kotomine said so too."

"They are killing each other." Kotomine Kirei smiled.

"Shut up, Kotomine. Listen, the Holy Grail that has been transmitted to this city is a spirit. Therefore, it does not exist in the form of an object, but must be summoned through a special ritual—that is, only a spirit seance can do it."

Tohsaka Rin glared at him like a priest, and then explained to Emiya Shirou.

"Then, if we want to summon it, we magicians can do it, but as long as it is a spirit body, we cannot contact it. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand. Only spiritual bodies can contact spiritual bodies - ah~, that's why we need Servants!"

"That's it. To put it bluntly, the so-called Holy Grail War is to repel all the Servants except one's own Servants. So it is not necessary to kill the Master."

"what!"

What, wouldn’t it be great if you said it so early?

I can't stand it, both Tohsaka and the priest love to tease people.

...Anyway, this is it. Emiya Shirou felt relieved.

Because in this case, even if he participated in the Holy Grail War, there would be no possibility of Tohsaka dying.

"I see, that idea is also feasible. Then Emiya Shirou, I want to ask you, do you think you can defeat your own servant?" Kotomine Kirei asked with a smile.

"?"

Defeat Saber?

Of course that kind of thing can't be done.

Besides, magic is useless against that guy, and his swordsmanship is also ridiculously strong.

"Then let me ask you again. Although it is a boring question, do you think you are better than your own servants?"

"??"

What is this guy talking about?

Since he couldn't defeat Saber, how could he be better than Saber?

No matter which question I asked just now, the answer is that as a Master, he is weaker than his servants──

"ah!!"

As if he thought of something crucial, Emiya Shirou's expression became solemn again.

"That's right. Servants are still not easy to defeat even if they are dealt with by Servants. So how about this. You see, this is actually a very simple statement, right? Servants cannot exist without their Master. No matter how powerful the Servants are, , once the master falls, the followers will also be destroyed."

Yes, that's natural behavior.

No one chooses to take the hard road.

If you really want to win and survive, you have to kill not the servant but the Master. This is the most efficient way to win!

"...Well, I understand that it is faster to defeat the Master in order to destroy the Servants. However, if the Servants are defeated first, wouldn't the Master become no longer the Master? Only the one who can touch the Holy Grail Servant, right? In this case, the Master will be worthless if he loses the Servant."

"No, as long as there are Command Seals, the Master's rights will still be retained. The Master refers to a magician who can make a contract with a Servant. As long as the Command Seals are still there, a contract can be made with a Servant."

"Servants who have lost their Masters will not disappear immediately. They will remain in the world until the magic power in their bodies is exhausted. If there are such Servants who have lost their Masters, they may be able to make a contract with the Master who lost the Servant again. It means that they can return to the front line. That's why the Master will kill the Master. Because if he is left alive, he may become a new obstacle."

"...What if the Command Seals are used up? In this case, he will not be able to make a contract with other Servants, and the free Servants will also join forces with other Masters, right?"

"Wait, that's────" Toosaka Rin seemed to realize Emiya Shirou's thoughts and wanted to persuade him.

But Kotomine Kirei was one step faster than her.

"Well, that's right. As long as you use up all the Command Seals, you will be freed from the duties of the Master... However, I don't think there is such a magician who would use the Command Seals that can use powerful magic meaninglessly. Even if there is, that guy is probably not even half-hearted, just an idiot, right?"

As if he saw through Shirou Emiya's thoughts, the priest laughed.

"Hmm..."

It's really uncomfortable.

This priest has always made people feel that he is just provoking him and treating people as little fools.

"Do you understand? Then the explanation of the rules ends here. Well, let's get back to basics, Shirou Emiya. You said you didn't want to be a Master, are you still determined now?"

"If you want to give up the qualification of Master, that's fine. Just use up all the Command Seals as you just thought and break the contract with Saber. At that time, I will guarantee your safety until the end of the Holy Grail War."

"......? Wait a minute. Why do I have to ask you to guarantee my safety? I can protect my own safety."

"I don't have the time to pay attention to you. But this is also the rule. I was sent here to supervise the Holy Grail War that is repeated. Therefore, the sacrifices in the Holy Grail War must be suppressed to the minimum. Protecting the magician who is no longer the Master is the primary job of the supervisor."

"--Repeating Holy Grail Wars...?"

Wait a minute.

He said repeated, does that mean that wars like this have happened many times so far...?

"What do you mean by that? Didn't the Holy Grail War just start now?"

"Of course. Otherwise, do you think someone like the Overseer would be sent here? The church here is responsible for recovering the holy relics, and is the hand and foot of the Secret Service. Originally, it was centered on investigating and recovering the True Cross, but here it is responsible for the task of approving the Holy Grail. Investigate the 726th Holy Grail observed in the Far East, and if it is the correct thing, recover it, and if it is not, deny it, that's it."