Chapter 282: Avicebron’s Final Gift, The Last Battle

"This whole battle has been a mess," Achilles muttered, turning to Chihiro. "Hey, kid, how about you give me back my spear now?"

Chihiro shrugged. "There's no need. Once you return to the Throne of Heroes, you'll get it back naturally."

Still, he activated Diamond Cutter and returned the Meteor Spear to Achilles.

"Haha! Now this feels right."

Gripping his weapon once more, Achilles let out a hearty laugh before his body dissolved into golden light, vanishing from the battlefield.

---

Karna, as silent as ever, simply nodded at Amakusa Shirou before following suit.

Shakespeare, on the other hand, sighed theatrically. "Ah, what a dull conclusion! Not nearly dramatic enough for my tastes!"

Chihiro rolled his eyes. If you wanted excitement, you should've just let Goetia punch you to death.

Vlad III still in his monstrous Legend of Dracula form looked at his own decaying body and let out a quiet sigh.

"At least I no longer need to maintain this wretched form…"

Dracula: Revered as a hero when needed, cursed as a monster when not.

And with that, the Lord of Wallachia faded from existence.

"Ah, I didn't even get to say goodbye to that kid…"

Astolfo pouted, crossing his arms like a sulking child.

Jeanne, ever patient, reminded him, "Even after leaving, you can still talk to Sieg in the group chat."

"Ah! That's right!"

With a bright smile, Astolfo smacked his forehead, then disappeared, his form vanishing into a burst of light.

Mordred turned to Sisigou, looking just as proud and defiant as ever.

"Tch. Sorry, Master. Looks like I couldn't help you get your wish."

Sisigou scoffed. "Doesn't matter. This was just a job. Got my payment, and I'm still breathing. That's good enough for me."

Mordred glanced at Chihiro with barely concealed annoyance. "Tch. I was hoping to spend more time with Father…"

She gave Chihiro one last glare before vanishing.

One by one, the Servants returned to the Throne of Heroes.

But not all of them left quietly.

ROOOOOAAARRR!!!

The ground rumbled.

A massive golem rose from the forest, its towering form shaking the earth.

It was Avicebron's masterpiece—"Adam," the First Human.

Avicebron had always dreamed of creating the perfect golem, and after seeing his success in the group chat's future projections, his desire had only intensified.

He had betrayed Yggdmillennia, siding with Amakusa Shirou in exchange for a high-quality magical core from the Mage's Association.

But now, the Holy Grail War was ending.

His time was up.

Yet his wish remained unfulfilled.

So, in a final act of sacrifice, Avicebron used himself as the core, activating his Noble Phantasm.

Adam was born.

And with his final masterpiece completed, Avicebron vanished, his soul returning to the Throne of Heroes in peace.

However without a master to control him, Adam stood motionless, his massive hands twitching as if unsure what to do.

But that wasn't the only problem.

The golem continued to grow, expanding in size as if adapting to its surroundings.

According to Avicebron's own calculations, if a Servant was used as the core, then when that Servant left the battlefield, the golem would collapse.

But that wasn't happening.

He had severely underestimated Adam's regenerative capabilities.

If left unchecked, Adam would reshape the very world itself, turning the land into a paradise of his own making.

Stopping him would take several high-tier Servants working together but after a night of relentless battle, everyone was exhausted.

"…Let me handle this."

Chihiro stepped forward, summoning his Classic of Mountains and Seas.

A golden glow spread across the battlefield, expanding toward Adam.

This was one of his Noble Phantasms, capable of sealing away supernatural entities, so long as they did not resist.

Adam, newly born and lacking proper intelligence, did not understand what was happening.

He did not resist.

And just like that.

Chihiro successfully sealed Adam away.

---

"…Holy shit," Chihiro muttered under his breath.

This was an insane windfall.

Before leaving, Avicebron had unknowingly left him a priceless treasure.

Avicebron… you were a good man.

A few minutes later—

Gordes and Fiore arrived, their expressions tense.

Gold stepped forward, holding out a magical container.

"For you."

He handed it to Jeanne.

"He left this behind before he disappeared. He wanted you to give it to that homunculus."

Jeanne blinked, looking down at the container.

Just from its size… she already knew what was inside.

Siegfried's heart.

Sieg had not yet undergone the heart transplant.

At this moment, he was still just an ordinary homunculus with only three years left to live.

And yet, Siegfried had prepared for this.

Gordes clicked his tongue in frustration.

"Tch. I don't get it. What's so special about that kid?"

Why would Siegfried go so far for him?

Why would he have prepared a container in advance, unless he had planned to give it to Sieg all along?

Jeanne closed her eyes, gripping the container firmly.

The answer was simple.

Sieg needed someone to protect him.

And now…

He had been given the strength to do so.

Meanwhile, Fiore looked around and frowned.

"…Where's Darnic?"

Chihiro didn't hesitate.

He told them everything.

"…So that was his plan."

Sisigou smirked.

"He tried to steal your body and ended up accidentally summoning a Grand Servant instead."

He let out a low chuckle.

"Guess that's the first good thing he's done."

Fiore and Gordes fell silent.

Darnic had been their leader.

And yet…

This was how his story ended.

Now, they had a bigger problem.

What would happen to Yggdmillennia now?

With Darnic gone, the entire clan's future was uncertain.

Chihiro exhaled, turning to Fiore.

"There should be ways to fix your legs in the group chat. Look through the store when you get back. You'll find something."

Fiore, looking visibly exhausted, let out a sigh.

Chihiro, noticing her expression, tried to comfort her.

Fiore managed a tired smile. "Thanks for the reminder."

Now that the Holy Grail was no longer an option, her only hope lay in the group chat's store.

"Speaking of the Holy Grail…"

Artoria suddenly remembered something and turned to Amakusa Shirou.

"If I recall correctly, Solomon also manifested a Holy Grail earlier, and you picked it up at the time, didn't you?"

"What? Seriously?!" Chihiro's expression darkened.

So Goetia had left behind yet another hidden threat?

Artoria nodded. "Yes, if I remember correctly."

Chihiro turned to Amakusa Shirou. "Hand it over Amakusa Shirou. The Holy Grail can't be used."

"…So this is how it ends after all?"

Amakusa Shirou let out a heavy sigh before retrieving the Holy Grail. His grip tightened as he looked at it, sorrow flashing across his face.

"Why? Why must you push me to this point? Why must you stop me?!"

Chihiro's voice was firm. "Because what you're doing will only bring ruin to humanity's future. The Holy Grail you're holding is nothing but a disaster, it must never be used."

"…Is that so?" Amakusa Shirou murmured. Then, his expression hardened.

"In that case… let us see this Holy Grail War to its true conclusion."

Without hesitation, he pressed the Grail against his body, infusing himself with its magical energy.

A surge of power erupted around him. His attire changed, his loose hair lengthened, and he was now clad in a red haori embroidered with a cross.

This was how Amakusa Shirou Tokisada had appeared in life.

"This is the final battle," he declared, drawing Miike Tenta Mitsuyo. His gaze swept across the battlefield.

"If you wish to stop me, then kill me."

"But if not… then do not stand in my way!"

"…For someone as stubborn as you, words are meaningless."

Chihiro took a step forward.

"In that case… let's finish this. The last battle of the Holy Grail War!"

Artoria prepared to step in. "Master, allow me."

Chihiro raised a hand, stopping her.

"You've already been fighting all night. You're exhausted. Leave this battle to me."

Artoria hesitated, then nodded. "I understand."

Indeed, she was already at her limit. If she forced herself to keep fighting, her combat effectiveness would plummet.

The same went for both Iskandar and Qin Shi Huang, they had been heavily injured by Goetia's final attack and hadn't fully recovered.

Gilgamesh, on the other hand, was watching the scene unfold with an amused expression. Clearly, he had no intention of stepping in.

"Come!"

Summoning the God Force, Chihiro charged forward, swinging his halberd at Amakusa Shirou.

Amakusa Shirou reacted instantly, raising his sword to block but the impact sent him skidding backward several meters. His eyes narrowed in surprise.

Chihiro hadn't even activated his Job Card. He wasn't using any extra reinforcements.

Yet his speed was overwhelming.

Before Amakusa Shirou could regain his footing, Chihiro pressed the attack. A relentless storm of strikes followed, forcing Amakusa Shirou onto the defensive.

"Diamond Cutter—Retrieve!"

Mid-battle, Chihiro suddenly switched tactics. His Noble Phantasm activated, wrenching Miike Tenta Mitsuyo from Amakusa Shirou's grip.

Caught off guard, Amakusa Shirou tried to retreat, but in that moment of hesitation, Chihiro's halberd slashed across his torso, leaving a deep, bloody wound.

However, within moments, the wound began to mend. The Holy Grail's power coursed through his body, healing him instantly.

"…You're a tricky one."

Still shaken from Chihiro's sudden assault, Amakusa Shirou exhaled deeply. His expression turned cold.

"But you won't take me down so easily."

With a wave of his hand, two glowing rings, one red, one blue manifested in the air.

"Evil Eater". "Xanadu Matrix."

These were his Noble Phantasms, created from the arms that had once worked miracles to guide believers on the path of faith.

They granted him an unparalleled connection to all magic, allowing him to wield any spell at will.

At the same time, they enhanced his perception, bestowing him with Mind's Eye (True) and Mind's Eye (False).

It was classified as a Noble Phantasm, but in truth…

It was more akin to an amplification magecraft.

***

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