When the King of Conquest fell, and Webb ended his career as a teenager-

Will win - both sides are sure.

will be killed - both sides understand at the same time.

With the belief of killing the fist and the gun, the final interplay was finally completed.

The fierce battle between Emiya Kiritsugu and Yan Feng Qili failed to notice the abnormality above their heads.

Just above the large prop warehouse where they were, on the table in the music auditorium, was lying Alice Phil's already cold body.

As a "Guardian", she has lost signs of life, and her internal organs have long since reverted to the form of a chalice container, waiting to recover the remaining Servant's soul.

After Archer's victory, this vessel finally absorbed the soul of the fourth Servant.

The sealing technique was gone, and thanks to the powerful magic power gathered, the aftermath brought scorching heat to the surroundings.

The corpses of the beautiful androids were burned up in an instant, turning into ashes, and not only that, but the golden cup that came into contact with the outside air scorched the floor, and the curtain, and the raging flames swept the empty stage.

On the stage, where the flames intensified, the golden cup floated in the air as if it had been picked up by an invisible hand.

The Holy Grail Advent Ceremony, which the "Founding Imperial Three Families" had dreamed of, quietly began when there were no priests.

Then, the "door", which was still closed, appeared as thin as a hair's hair, and through the small gap, something on the side of the door crept into the chalice.

It looked very similar to "dirt", black, just black, like a dirt-like "object".

The object that had seeped into the chalice suddenly dripped out, and then another, turning into a thin black line, like a crack in the, and in a moment the earthy black waves overflowed the container and flowed to the floor of the stage.

The stage floor was simply not strong enough to hold the pitch-black thing, and the earth seeped into the new building materials, eroding, and flowing deeper into the earth like melting snow.

At the moment when the trigger of the magic gun was pulled-

At the moment when the ground groaned from the heavy step-

There is only Qili in the eyes of Kiritsu, and there is only Kiritsu in the eyes of Kiritsu.

Until the end, neither of them noticed the thing dripping through the ceiling.

At the moment of life and death, the two men's whole bodies were sprinkled with black dirt falling from the top of their heads.

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

The killing continues.

Bullets, daggers, poisons, bombs.

Penetrating, tearing, burning, submerged, overwhelming.

The meaning of it was never doubted, and after carefully weighing its value, the balance was chosen in favor of the side.

The other side should be left empty, so kill.

Killing, killing, continuous killing.

Yes, that's right.

Someone must sacrifice in order to save the majority, and if there are more happy people who are guarded than the unfortunate side, then the world is closer to being saved.

Even if there are countless corpses under your feet.

If there are lives that are saved because of this, then the most important thing is the lives that are guarded.

"-yes, Kiritsu, you're right."

Turning his head, he saw his wife standing beside him, approaching Kiritsugu with a gentle and loving smile, standing side by side with him on the mountain of corpses.

"I knew you would come to accompany me, and I'm sure if it were you, I'd be able to get here."

"Ellie—"

A nostalgic and kind face, but there was something else that made him feel a little wrong, perhaps because she was wearing a black dress that he had never seen before, and although this was one of the reasons, Kiritsugu still had a feeling that he had overlooked something important.

By the way, how is Saber? What happened to the remaining three groups of enemies? What about Yan Feng Qili? There are so many questions, what exactly should I ask?

Kiritsugu had no choice but to say the question he wanted to ask at the beginning.

"Where—is this?"

"This is the place where your wishes will be granted, the inner side of the Holy Grail you seek." Alice Phil replied with a smile.

Kirishiro paused, turning his head to look around.

The black earth that rolls like the sea and the waves.

Everywhere there were mountains of dried corpses, which were sinking into the sea.

The sky was red, red as blood, and in the black mud rain, the pitch-black sun dominated the sky.

The wind is a curse and a complaint.

If there are any words to use as a metaphor, what is this, not hell?

"You say...... Is this the Holy Grail? ”

"yes, but don't be afraid, it's just something like an unformed dream, and it's still waiting to be born."

Look there - Alice Phil points to the sky.

The black whirlpool in the sky was mistaken for the sun by Kiritsu at first, and it was the center of the world, a "hole" in the sky, and the unfathomable darkness and density seemed to be able to crush everything.

"That is the Holy Grail, although it has no form yet, but the container has been filled, and then it is enough to pray, according to the entrusted wishes, it can change into the corresponding form, and then it can acquire the posture and shape of the world, and then it can appear in the 'outside world'."

“……”

"Alright, hurry up and pray, hurry up and give it a 'gesture', only you are the one worthy to define its form, Kiritsugu, pray to the Holy Grail."

Kiritsugu didn't say a word, just stared at the terrible "hole".

As long as a human being is in their right senses, they don't think that "hole" is a good thing, but even so, why can Alice Phil still smile so indifferently.

By the way, her smile is the most abnormal part.

If you want to say why?

“…… Who are you? Kiritsugu suppressed the fear in his heart with anger and asked his wife in front of him, "If the preparation of the Holy Grail is complete, it means that Alice Phil is dead, then who are you?" ”

"I'm Alice Phil, you can think so."

Kiritsugu raised the magic spear in his right hand - aimed the muzzle of the Contender, which had been held in his hand during the battle with Kirei, at the person in front of him.

"Don't fool me, answer quickly!"

Facing the murderous muzzle, the woman in the black dress smiled a little lonely, as if to show pity to Kiritsugu, who was forcing him to ask the truth.

“…… Yes, I don't deny that this is just a mask, if I don't borrow some "shell" that already has a personality, I can't communicate with others, I just pretend to be what I am now to convey my wishes, but the personality I have is the real thing, and the last person she came into contact with before she disappeared was me, so I inherited Alice Fair's last wish, she wanted me to appear as she was "as I was". ”

Hearing this, Kiritsugu understood through his intuition.

This place is called "the inner side of the Holy Grail", so the person in front of you who claims to be "someone who is nothing" should be-

"--Are you the consciousness of the Holy Grail?"

"Well, that's right."

Through Alice Phil's body, it nodded in agreement.

But now, Kiritsugu frowned suspiciously.

"No way, the Holy Grail is just pure 'power', it can't have any consciousness at all."

"It used to be like this, but now it's different, I have consciousness and a desire, and my desire is 'I want to be born in this world.'"

"How could it be ......"

It's weird, it's unbelievable.

If this is true, then it is not the "wish machine" that Kiritsugu pursues that can be manipulated as he pleases.

"- Since you say conscious, then I ask you, how will the Holy Grail fulfill my wishes?"

As if in a difficult situation, Alice Phil tilted her head slightly.

"That's a question—Kiritsugu, you know better than anyone else, do you?"

“…… You say, what? ”

"Your human existence itself is infinitely close to the Holy Grail, so even if you communicate with me like you do now, you can remain rational, and if you were an ordinary human, you would have a mental breakdown while being touched by that mud." Alice Phil spat out words cheerfully and happily.

Her smile somehow made Kiritsugu's heart stir.

"Didn't you already know how to save the world, so I'll inherit your approach and fulfill your wishes as you have always done."

"What are you talking about?"

Kiritsugu didn't understand, because he didn't want to do that anyway.

"Answer me, what is the Holy Grail for? What would happen if that thing came into the world!? ”

Alice Phil sighed helplessly and nodded at each other's answers.

"--No way, then the only thing left is for you to ask your own heart."

The white and soft palm covered Kiritsugu's eyes.

Then the world went dark.