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"My own body is better. No matter how abundant the magic power of a Servant's body is, it can't compare to this one."

After sensing his body, Kain sighed inwardly, then secretly cursed the damn system—it was too unreliable, directly sending his soul or consciousness to another world without any safeguards.

Although the trading system had helped him a great deal, that didn't stop Kain from disliking its imperfections.

"The next step is to confirm the Holy Grail beyond the world, and then 'make a wish' to the Root... but let's head to that world first."

Kain checked the time. Not much had passed since he left. With Eric staying behind to care for his body, nothing should have gone wrong.

As for the Marvel world, the Kain Group had already become a giant on Earth. Unless several major cosmic civilizations launched a full-scale assault, there would be no real danger.

Opening the system panel, Kain directly selected the Fate world linked through the world coordinates. Once he confirmed the transfer, he instantly vanished from the Marvel Universe.

Mount Enzō, Japan —

Tohsaka Rin and Illya had been waiting outside the magic circle for over five hours.

Those five hours had been extremely fruitful.

Illya had directly absorbed the 'Root' matter spilling into this world. She gained control over both the Second and Third Magics, and even developed a partial understanding of the First Magic.

However, she couldn't describe the First Magic, nor could she use it—it was simply beyond her. Her magical foundation only allowed her to grasp so much. This was also thanks to the magic circle Kain had modified; otherwise, an ordinary human body wouldn't have been able to withstand the influx.

The 'Root'—a force that exists beyond the world.

Even Kain's Holy Grail body had reverted to its original form in an instant due to its proximity.

Tohsaka Rin's grasp of magical theory was superior to Illya's. After encountering the Root and realizing its essence, she had surpassed Illya in magical proficiency and even gained deeper insights into the First Magic.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Tohsaka Rin the most powerful magician in the world now.

"No wonder magicians spend their lives chasing the Root... this is where it all begins. I... I feel like I can do anything now, like I can see countless futures."

After awakening her magical potential, Rin's perception of the world had changed completely. Like her ancestor's teacher, she could now see parallel timelines and alternate futures—though that wasn't her focus at the moment.

"What about that guy? It's been so long. Isn't he coming back yet?"

Several more hours had passed. The magic power within the underground leyline was rapidly fading, and the passage between worlds was on the verge of collapse.

According to what that guy—Kain—had said, if everything went smoothly, he would return quickly. But now, the magi from the Clock Tower were beginning to stir again.

Tohsaka Rin could now sense the activity of the distant Clock Tower via magic. Just as they could detect the appearance of the Root through the spiritual veins in Japan, Rin could observe their movements in return.

But those people meant nothing to the Rin of today. She could become the world's greatest magician at will, and with that same power, invalidate all the Clock Tower's magical achievements—reducing their magi to mere commoners.

"I don't know. I can't see anything beyond the passage—even with magic."

Illya shook her head. Though the 'Root' flowed into this world and became magic, it couldn't be used to explore what lay outside of it. Kain's current status was completely unknown.

Tohsaka Rin turned to Matou Sakura.

"Sakura, can you sense anything from him?"

Matou Sakura shook her head as well.

"Nothing. It's like all connection has been cut off completely."

"Tch... that guy's really unreliable!"

Rin bit her finger in frustration. Despite how confidently Kain had spoken, she couldn't help but feel as if she'd been tricked.

He had sounded so sure of himself—and now, maybe he wasn't even coming back.

Swish.

Rin Tohsaka suddenly sensed the presence of someone behind her. Her heart skipped a beat in surprise as she turned around. She had been maintaining magical awareness of her surroundings the entire time—yet someone had appeared without her noticing.

When she saw that it was Kain, her expression immediately shifted.

"Fortunately, I prepared some underground spiritual veins. Otherwise, forcing my way through would've destroyed Fuyuki City. That face of yours is hilarious. Were you worried about me, you tsundere Tohsaka?"

"Worried about you? Don't flatter yourself!" Rin snorted. "I was just concerned no one would be left to clean up Mount Enzō. Hmph!"

Even as she turned away with a huff, she couldn't help sneaking a glance back at Kain. He felt... different. There was something about his temperament now—something more intense, more otherworldly—and she found herself curious despite herself.

Kain looked at her, nodded in satisfaction, and smiled.

"Things seem fine here. Good. Because I have something big to do next. Hm... fortunately, you've learned the First and Second Magics. You might even be able to help—barely."

"I never agreed to help you."

But barely two seconds later, Rin asked, "What are you planning?"

"I'm going to eat the world."

"What?!"

"You heard me. I'm going to consume this world. You wouldn't understand the detailed explanation, so just know this—I'm using it to perfect my Kamui space."

Rin stared at him blankly, trying to comprehend what he'd just said. She clearly didn't understand his words—but Kain didn't mind. He had what he needed: the Holy Grail body at the Root, the Grail fragment inside Sakura, and a connection to the outside world. At any time, he could open the passage again and execute his plan.

Before proceeding, Kain had sealed off the entire magical system of the Great Holy Grail. Doing so had nearly drained all the underground spiritual veins across Japan, and it would take at least sixty years for them to fully recover.

Once they were back together, Kain broke things down in simpler terms so Rin could understand:

He would use the Root to merge the Kamui space with this world. This would allow Kamui to surpass its current growth limits and transform its ocular power into an independent world he fully controlled. Originally, Kain had planned to achieve this after collecting all six Infinity Stones—but now, with access to the Root, he could do it ahead of schedule.

The Root, being the origin of all things, was not unlike the Infinity Stones in function. Most magi couldn't comprehend the Root's true nature, so they perceived only five manifestations—what they called the Five Magics. But those five Magics essentially encapsulated the entirety of existence.

Kain was different. He had already transformed his Servant body into a Holy Grail, and that body now resided outside the world, within the Root itself. With that, he was ninety percent confident he could merge the two world spaces.

Rin looked troubled. "Are you sure this won't cause problems? Merging worlds... that's something I've never even heard of before."

"Didn't you hear it earlier? The higher you stand, the more you see. After seeing the Root, what do you think of the Tohsaka family's magic now?" Kain replied nonchalantly. "I'm confident. So don't worry."

Rin couldn't think of a good argument against it. After a moment, her fascination got the better of her. She quickly snapped herself out of it and shook her head, cheeks slightly red. The divine aura around Kain had a magnetic pull, and with his otherworldly looks, it was hard for any woman to reject him outright.

"Fine, fine! I'll help. But if anything goes wrong—anything you can't fix—we stop immediately. I won't allow this world to be harmed."

Rin turned away again and snorted.

Kain stepped closer and gently patted her head, smiling.

"If you want to watch, just watch. No one's stopping you."

"W-watch?! I wasn't watching you!"

She flustered, but the truth was plain on her face.

Rin didn't fully grasp the concept of world-space fusion, but with Kain's face, tone, and calm confidence, it was hard to say no.

If the world were to be merged, the process would begin at Mount Enzō. As long as Rin ensured the integration of this part of the Earth went smoothly, Kain would be free to carry out the rest of the plan.

"It's really a pain dealing with the space beyond the world," Kain muttered. "Even Heroic Spirits can't stay there for long. If I didn't have Kamui, I wouldn't last either."

Kain shook his head. In truth, he was currently in a Hollow state—his real body resided in Kamui space. The Root's realm could assimilate anything, turning it into part of itself.

"The Holy Grail serves as a doorway. First, we'll reconnect Kamui space to this world. Once Kamui begins eroding the world, the fusion will be complete. Kamui!"

His eyes shifted into the Mangekyō Sharingan pattern. A distorted portal appeared before them, leading toward Mount Enzō. The entrance flickered between the warped scenery of this world and the ever-shifting void of Kamui.

When the fusion process began, a powerful repulsive force erupted—an instinctual resistance from the world itself. However, Kain used the Holy Grail to channel the Root, forcing the merger between Kamui space and the world where Rin Tohsaka resided.

For now, everything was progressing smoothly, but the effort was draining. Keeping the Kamui ocular technique active constantly—while it didn't blind him—still consumed an immense amount of energy from his body.

'As long as assimilation reaches one-third, it can proceed on its own,' Kain calculated. The initial phase required his direct intervention, but afterward, as long as Kamui space remained stable, the process would sustain itself.

Mount Enzō.

After seeing changes in the Root's gateway to the outer world, Rin Tohsaka quickly used her magic to stabilize it. Now that she had mastered three of the five True Magics, Rin could observe the underlying fabric of the world—she could even destroy or repair it.

From time to time, collision points appeared where Kamui space overlapped with the real world. In those moments, it was Rin's job to mend them.

Although Illya had also mastered the Second and Third Magics, she had yet to grasp the First Magic and thus couldn't participate in the merger process.

As for Matou Sakura, the fragment of the Lesser Grail inside her body made it impossible for her to use magic at all.

Clock Tower.

Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg was the first to sense something was wrong. As the magician who controlled the Second Magic—parallel world traversal—he felt something disturbing: his ability was no longer functioning.

The moment Kamui space began overlapping with this world, he had lost access to his magic.

"What's going on?" he muttered. Though still an extraordinarily powerful magus, this sudden change confused and unsettled him.

"Could it be related to the Root that appeared before? Did the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City succeed after all?"

After all, the Holy Grail War had been founded under his supervision. Kischur had never been optimistic about using the Grail to reach the Root, and after witnessing its deviation during the Fourth War, he lost interest entirely.

But now, only the Root could interfere with his Magic on such a fundamental level. That alone was enough to convince him he should've paid more attention earlier.

Unfortunately, it was likely too late. Whoever had reached the Root certainly wouldn't tolerate interference.

Kischur, at least, was rational enough to stay back—but the same couldn't be said for the others at the Clock Tower.

A phenomenon that defied all magical understanding had appeared in Fuyuki, and now the Tower's elite were eager to investigate.

But they would fail.

Even if Rin Tohsaka didn't take action, Illya would.

She hadn't mastered the First Magic, but she understood parts of it, and she retained full control over the Second and Third. Combined with her virtually unlimited magical energy and devastating combat capabilities, she could easily defend Mount Enzō from any outsider interference.

Time passed. Over a year slipped by.

In that time, Japan was plagued by disaster—an average of 40 to 50 natural catastrophes a month. Though these events would vanish quickly afterward, the sheer frequency left the public in a constant state of fear.

By the third or fourth month, these supernatural disasters had spread across the entire globe.

The phenomenon continued for over half a year before it gradually subsided. When it finally did, Rin Tohsaka exhaled deeply, relieved.

After half a year of running around solving magical calamities, even she—armed with powerful magic—was completely exhausted.

Kain, for his part, was also feeling the strain. But the good news was: the plan had gone exceedingly well. The merger was nearly complete.

"Where are we?" Rin Tohsaka asked, following Kain into a desolate plain.

The area was covered in complex magical formations. In the center stood a magic wand embedded in a ritual circle, beside it—the Holy Grail.

Farther off in the distance were various mysterious objects, the most eye-catching of which was a crystalline insect egg. Inside, a towering, beautiful woman slumbered, surrounded by dozens of bizarre, insectoid creatures.

The Holy Grail now connected the Root, Kamui space, and even the Throne of Heroes.

"This was originally part of my Kamui domain," Kain explained with a smile. "But now it's anchored to a normal planet. I've made adjustments so even regular humans can survive here."

He snapped his fingers, and a universe map materialized in front of them—transformed by magic into a holographic, three-dimensional display.

Kain swiped through the stars until the Milky Way appeared, followed by the solar system... and Earth.

"We'll leave it like this for now. I'll check on my people later."

"Your people?" Rin raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you get so arrogant?"

Kain chuckled. "You're in my domain now too, Tohsaka. If you want, I could make you the lord's wife. But you're still too young—you'd need to learn a lot before managing so many subjects."

Rin's face turned crimson. She pointed at him furiously, her voice cracking like a flustered kitten.

"Wh-Who wants to be your wife?! You—you jerk! Don't just say weird stuff like that without permission!"

"Then maybe I'll ask Matou Sakura instead. After all, she was my Master. Or perhaps Medea? Or Medusa?"

"WHAT?!" Rin exploded. "You bastard!! Don't you dare touch Sakura!"

Red-faced and fuming, Rin suddenly grabbed Kain's sleeve. Then, voice dropping to a mutter, she added quietly:

"...Wait a little while. I'll... I'll try."

…

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