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IBHJ Chapter 492
🕑 Added 2023-09-28 04:31:14 +0000 UTCShirou glanced at the [Mortal Awakening], fully aware of this Noble Phantasm's mechanics. It gathers its karmic retribution until it reaches a tipping point. Once filled to the brim, it triggers on its own, allowing him to transform into something. Naturally, that something must be the Eternal King. And when they say 'karmic retribution,' they're really referring to magical energy.
Considering his current role as an Assassin, his mana isn't all that impressive. Nonetheless, his first move was to eliminate the Master.
But that was no big deal because his Evil Flower was back in action. In a few days, he’d have enough mana to use "Mortal Awakening" and bring himself back as a king.
Though, truth be told, summoning the Eternal King was a bit overkill. Even now, his power was nothing to scoff at.
In a standard Holy Grail War, he’d definitely be one of the big guns. Servants like Lancer Diarmuid were basically just cannon fodder to him.
But he opted for a more efficient way to recharge his mana. Without a Master, his excessive power drained his mana way too quickly and almost constantly.
Even though the Evil Flower's absorption offset some of that rapid drain, his reserves still dwindled over time.
So, he brainstormed a fix and used 'All the World's Evil' to taint his own Saint Graph.
By doing this, he essentially put himself on lockdown, deactivating his Noble Phantasm and most of his skills. The only thing he kept active was the 'Evil Flower,' which worked tirelessly to replenish his magical energy.
If a fight came up, he could simply remove the contamination 'All the World's Evil' caused in his Saint Graph and revert it to its normal state.
This was his ingenious way to speedily recover magical energy and stack up the "karmic retribution."
As for the consequences... There were none!
While what was dubbed as Saint Graph contamination and Servant reversal might spell the end for other Servants, for him, it was a walk in the park. He possessed the 'Evil's' blessing and was also the vessel of 'Evil.'
A man who could wade through the mud of "Evil." There was no way "Evil" could taint him.
He nicknamed his reversal to the Alter state as the "Mana Recharge Mode," and his normal Saint Graph state as his "Combat Mode."
From the second he got pulled in by the Holy Grail as a Servant, he developed his own unique way of fighting.
This approach, maybe he was the only one in the whole Throne of Heroes who could pull it off. Who else could use the Alter form for mana top-up and the normal Saint Graph for fighting?
Most would say that blackening triples one's strength, and reverting to a normal Servant cuts it by a third. But for him, it was the opposite.
For the rest, turning Alter might be like leveling up, but for him, it was a clear downgrade. Being in top form meant being his regular self.
When he reversed his Saint Graph using 'All the World's Evil,' his gleaming silver armor shifted to an intimidating deep black, and even his skin took on a darker hue. The flame in his eyes burned just as brightly, but it was colder and gave off a chilling sensation.
But deep down, Shirou was still Shirou. His core personality stayed the same; he still felt like his usual self. It was just that the taint from "All the World's Evil" gave off a creepy aura. But, it didn't matter.
Entering the Holy Grail War wasn't free. But money was the least of his worries.
He had a neat trick up his sleeve – a copy of Gilgamesh's "Golden Rule."
With the 'Golden Rule' in action, he strolled through the streets, and in no time, he stumbled upon a major yakuza operation. After he took care of them, he confiscated 200 million Japanese yen from a yakuza boss who was begging for his life.
Shirou kept only a couple of million for the Holy Grail War while he sent the rest to the families of the blood sacrifices' victims and paid the medical bills for the woman who made it through.
He felt it was the right thing to do. Being summoned through a blood sacrifice meant he owed it to the victims' families to make things right.
He also left a note for the woman, then hopped on a flight to Romania, ready to join the Holy Grail War.
...
Reika Rikudou lived her life as a prostitute.
Once, she had been a well-educated young lady, but life took a nasty turn after the tragic loss of her parents in an accident. A series of unfortunate events led her down a path to selling her body, living off the financial support of men.
One such man was Hyouma Sagara, the Master who summoned Shirou. He was a magus from the Yggdmillennia Clan.
Reika felt no love for Hyouma Sagara. She let him support her financially simply because she needed the money to continue living in this cold, apathetic society until the end of her life.
But in that moment, as she was being used as a blood sacrifice and her life was hanging by a thread, she realized she didn’t want to die.
When she next opened her eyes, it was to the sterile white of a hospital room.
While the relief of being alive washed over her, so did the stress of the inevitable hospital bill. But to her surprise, the doctor told her someone had already settled the bills and left something for her.
She picked up the note, and its simple message brought tears streaming down her face.
It contained just a single, short line.
—"Dear stranger, may you live happily."
It was a small, seemingly insignificant blessing from the stranger who'd saved her, but it was a moment of pure kindness that showed her that warmth still existed in the world.
...
Shirou settled into his seat on the plane, its destination being Bucharest, Romania's capital. He took a moment, eyes shut, to collect his thoughts.
Being manifested as a Servant meant the Holy Grail granted him some knowledge. A lot of what he knew about the modern world felt outdated, but he was well-informed about this particular Holy Grail War.
The Red Faction and the Black Faction.
A clash between two sets of Seven Servants.
The foundational knowledge gifted to him by the Holy Grail pointed towards Romania. And given all the specifics, was it possible he'd been pulled into the "Fate/Apocrypha" universe?
The prospect made him wonder if he'd run into familiar faces.
Based on what he knew from "F/A", the Servants called to this world included notable figures like Karna, the Lancer of Red, and Spartacus, the Berserker of Red.
If Karna was indeed around as a Servant, he might still remember their last battle against the invaders.
Spartacus... The very name brought a rush of memories to him.
He remembered being six, vulnerable and lost. It was Spartacus, the hero of the weak, who stood by his side. This champion for the weak had shown him the light, guiding him to freedom at a time when he felt the weight of the world was crushing him. Spartacus wasn't just any hero; he was a beacon of defiance against any form of tyranny.
If his hunch about being in the "F/A" universe was correct, and if the Servants remained as he remembered, he might just get the chance to reunite with the Morning Star of Rebellion.
But he wasn't that weak child who needed heroes to protect him anymore. He had transformed into a king, and to some, perhaps, he might appear as a tyrant.
So, if they were to cross paths again, what would happen?
Shirou let out a sigh.
The ways of the world, they were just so unpredictable.
A boy who once longed for a heroic savior had now grown into a king who stood against those very heroes.
However, one thing was certain.
The war between the 14 Servants was an unprecedented Holy Grail War.
But for him now, it might be nothing more than a casual game.
However...
"What on earth is that...?"
With his hand propping up his cheek, he peered out of the window, unable to contain his astonishment.
In the not-so-distant sky, an ominous black ring hovered.
At first, he considered it might be some freaky phenomenon. Yet, no matter how long the plane flew or wherever it was headed, that eerie black ring clung to his view. It was like a persistent shadow, refusing to let go.
Comments
Kimo
Now this is interesting I'm not sure what I had expected but this easily surpasses that, and please knock some sense into Mordred soon Shirou.
JeanMartin Freites
At least Reika got a good ending. Hopefully.
