Chapter 67: The Rule

Bazett had seen humans feasting on another human’s blood; distorted experiments that pushed the word ‘extreme’; and Chimera, the hideous creature strewn together from multiple life forms. She could confidently say she had seen the worst things in her life. Yet, the ‘thing’ before her shook her nerves.

Four grotesque eyes blinked and moved within a giant cocooned mass of flesh. The hideous manifestation of the legendary Holy Grail left her with dread. She couldn’t believe the mages were going to spill blood and die for this demonic wish-granting machine. Worst of all, she was one of those mages before she was betrayed.

As if not fearing the grotesque structure, a woman with long, flowing white hair caressed the Grail as if she was a mother consoling her child.

“You’ll be perfect soon,” she whispered.

Gilgamesh was standing behind Bazett, feeling amused at fate. First mother and now daughter, both lost their lives just to let the All World’s Evil blossom into the world. “This world is full of surprises.”

The woman, formerly known as Illyasviel, approached Bazett. Her pristine, naked form was covered in crimson lines resembling magic circuits. Angra Mainyu molded Illyasviel’s body into its most beloved form—Irisviel Von Einzbern.

“Put some clothes on…” Bazett whispered. Even as a woman, she was strangely attracted to Angra Mainyu’s feminine grace.

Angra Mainyu heard Bazett and tilted her head. “Clothes?” (A/N:- Angra Mainyu will be referred to as female from now on.)

The markings on her body glowed intensely. The Grail manifestation oozed dark mud as a small black hole swirled above it. The phenomenon ended instantaneously.

“Another failure. I can’t contain the mana from the root.”

Illyasviel had superior specs than Sakura, yet Angra Mainyu felt Sakura’s Hollow Element would help her in this conundrum. A vessel with no limits. Angra Mainyu needed that to connect with the Grail and bring its darkness into the world.

For the time being, she sucked the mana from the leylines. Two red butterfly wings sprouted behind her and enveloped her in a cocoon. The shell cracked and dispersed into ashes. Angra Mainyu appeared in a long, black dress which she wore during her interactions with Illyasviel. Her glowing scarlet eyes were blank, yet her face carried a grin. “Clothes.”

Gilgamesh looked at Angra Mainyu. “You are still weak.”

The incarnation of All World’s Evil could barely compete with a servant.

Angra Mainyu nodded her head. “I need the purple girl. But… the old man is dead.”

She couldn’t save her precious pawn due to her limitations. Gilgamesh refused to intervene for a magus as creepy as Zouken.

“Purple girl? The Second Lesser Grail?” Gilgamesh asked.

“There is just one problem. The girl is protected by that boy… he has six servants on his side.”

“Six servants?” Gilgamesh mused and glanced behind. Heracles was tied up within the Chains of Heaven. “Everyone besides Heracles have allied… hey, you there. Go fetch the Lesser Grail.”

Bazett stared at him blankly. “How will I fight against six servants?”

She could take on one servant under optimal conditions. Six servants would be doom for everyone.

Gilgamesh wanted to fight, but he needed time to recover from his fight with Heracles.

Angra Mainyu walked up to Berserker. “Basaka, I’m temporarily ending our contract. Hang in there, okay?”

She unknowingly acted like Illyasviel without finding it strange.

“What are you going to do?” Gilgamesh asked as he saw Angra Mainyu severing her connection with Berserker.

“I’m invoking a rule.”

Angra Mainyu approached Bazett and touched her chest. An unknown force pulled Bezett, which she couldn’t resist and got dragged into the Grail’s manifestation. The dark mud filled with curses swallowed her.

Angra Mainyu sat down and scribbled a magic circle on the floor.

A magic circle that initiated the ritual to summon the Heroic Spirits.

There was a rule under Fuyuki’s Grail System. A rule the overseer could use should the Masters allies with each other. It simply granted the authority to summon seven additional Servants to fight the allied Masters and Servants.

The branched ley lines under Fuyuki shriveled as Angra Mainyu used them to summon the servants of her choice.

Gilgamesh watched everything unfold with a grin. After all, the utterly boring war was going to become the greatest Holy Grail War. A small city like Fuyuki would not survive the wrath of thirteen Servants.

“Shall I act as the Ruler?”

He didn’t want to participate in this chaos and end everything. So he simply chose to be the overseer and rulemaker between the two factions.

With Bazett as the physical anchor, the first servant manifested into the world. At the center of it all, stood a fully armored knight whose sword dug into the muddy ground. The two demonic horns on the knight’s helm made it far from the chivalric knights like King Arthur. The helm covering the knight’s face split and merged with the armor, revealing a youthful face with emerald green eyes.

Gilgamesh couldn’t close his opened mouth. “Saber.”

He mistook her for his archnemesis, the King of Knights. The only servant whose beauty was worthy of acknowledgment in this world. However, he felt something off about her. Saber wouldn’t wear armor with crimson marking, and she always kept her sword concealed from the eyes.

Gilgamesh released the seal on Sha Naqba Imuru. All the secrets were revealed in that instant.

“You’re Mordred,” Gilgamesh said, disappointment written all over his face. “The Treacherous Knight of the Round Table.”

To think Angra Mainyu summoned the Knight who was responsible for King Arthur’s downfall in the legends.

“I take it you’re my Master?” Mordred asked, staring at the Grail’s manifestation. “Truth be told, it’s not the place I want to be summoned in.”