I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [234]

The decisive battle unfolded in the same location as in the original story—Semiramis's Hanging Gardens.

Because the Greater Grail resided in the Gardens, the Black Faction had no choice but to enter, even under unfavorable conditions, to reclaim it.

The Black Faction's Servants included Vlad III, Siegfried, Chiron, and Frankenstein.

On Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's side were Semiramis, Karna, Shakespeare, and Atalanta.

Amakusa Shirou Tokisada himself likely couldn't join the fight as a combatant. At the moment, he was probably fully occupied elsewhere.

Artoria knew well of Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's Noble Phantasms:

Twin Arm - Big Crunch

Dual Arm - Zero-Order Convergence

According to legend, the saint Amakusa Shirou performed miracles through his hands, which became his Noble Phantasms upon becoming a Servant.

With these hands, Amakusa could connect to any magical foundation, allowing him to use magecraft that didn't originally belong to him. This made his Noble Phantasms akin to a universal key targeting all magecraft systems.

In battle, these two Noble Phantasms granted him simultaneous access to the skills Eye of the Mind (True) and Eye of the Mind (False) as support. This was why, despite his lackluster combat abilities, he could contend with powerful Servants.

Currently, Amakusa was likely using his Noble Phantasms to link with the Greater Grail's magical foundation.

In other words, victory in the Holy Grail War was unnecessary for Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. As long as he fully controlled the Greater Grail, even if the Black Faction reclaimed it, it would be meaningless.

During the day, Amakusa must have been working on this process, given that Artoria had forbidden Servant combat.

Ironically, Artoria's actions gave Amakusa the opportunity he needed. With her warning, the Black Faction dared not invade Semiramis's Gardens during the day, granting Amakusa a solid half-day advantage.

Though Artoria had struck down the Hanging Gardens with her holy spear, Rhongomyniad, reducing it to two-thirds of its original size, it still retained some functions—such as nullifying Vlad III's territorial enhancements.

Vlad III, normally a first-rate Servant, had his power amplified to near-top-tier levels in Romania thanks to his fame bonus and the Protection of the Homeland (EX) skill. He could even hold his ground against Karna in battle.

However, within Semiramis's Gardens, these boosts were nullified, drastically weakening Vlad III to the point where his strength fell below Siegfried's.

As a result, despite having Vlad III and Siegfried, two Servants of the Black Faction, Karna managed to suppress them single-handedly.

Contrary to Vlad's weakening, Karna grew stronger.

Previously, Karna had been unable to fight at full strength due to his abilities' immense magical energy consumption. Now, however, Amakusa could draw directly from the Greater Grail's vast reserves to support Karna's full combat potential.

Upon entering the Gardens, the Black Faction members were separated by Semiramis's spatial magecraft.

Atalanta was assigned to face off against Frankenstein.

Meanwhile, Chiron was teleported to the main hall's entrance, where Semiramis herself awaited him.

Moreover, Semiramis possessed a trump card perfectly countering Chiron.

Perhaps due to her confidence, she not only brought Chiron but also Mordred—and another figure—the Jack the Ripper who had killed the Black Faction's Rider and her Master.

The Assassin-exclusive skill Presence Concealment posed a challenge, but as both an Assassin and the Gardens' master, Semiramis detected Jack the moment she entered.

Unable to accept defeat, Vlad III's Master, Darnic, used three Command Spells to transform Vlad into the vampire Dracula, embedding his obsession with the Greater Grail into Vlad's Saint Graph.

---

Drawing her gaze from several battlefields, Artoria pursued the vampiric Vlad III.

She arrived just in time to witness Amakusa Shirou Tokisada slaying the vampire.

Afterward, Amakusa turned his gaze toward Artoria, who hovered in midair, his expression grave.

"That attire... I see now," Artoria observed calmly. "The clothes you wore during the Shimabara Rebellion. It seems you've already made your wish to the Greater Grail."

Before her stood Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, clad not in his usual black suit but in a traditional Japanese robe.

"Ruler... You won't stop me, will you?"

"I told you—that is beyond my duty."

Though Amakusa remained highly vigilant, Artoria brushed off his tension as though it were no more than a breeze.

"Using the Third Magic to transmute all human souls into a physical form, achieving immortality for all humanity... Even in the eyes of the gods, it's a mad idea."

"So you already knew, Ruler," Amakusa replied. "And yet, your response is neither approval nor intervention?"

Artoria nodded.

"...That is enough. Thank you."

Amakusa exhaled, his shoulders relaxing.

He knew that if Artoria chose to act, he stood no chance against her.

But the Greater Grail lay within arm's reach. Humanity's salvation was within sight. He had no choice but to press forward.

Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's plan was to use the Third Magic to achieve universal immortality.

By doing so, he believed humanity would be freed from the pains of death and suffering, yet retain love and compassion.

"If this doesn't count as salvation, then what does?"

However, the Third Magic required an enormous amount of energy. For individual cases, the magic accumulated over sixty years in the Greater Grail was more than sufficient. But to transmute the souls of all humanity was impossible with the current reserves.

Thus, Amakusa planned to carry the Greater Grail across the globe, draining the Earth's magical ley lines to complete his dream.

Unfortunately, Artoria's destruction of the Gardens disrupted this plan, forcing Amakusa to seek alternative solutions.

Still, he didn't mind. He had endured sixty years of hardship and overcome greater obstacles.

Now, with hope in sight, Amakusa didn't fear taking more time.

And yet...

Precisely because his dream was so close, Amakusa found himself filled with doubt.

So, he turned earnestly to a higher power and asked:

"Will my wish succeed in the future?"

Artoria paused, surprised that Amakusa would ask her such a question.

"What kind of answer are you looking for?" she asked serenely. "If I confirm your success, will you grow arrogant? If I deny it, will you give up?"

Artoria didn't directly answer, leaving Amakusa momentarily stunned. He soon regained his usual gentle smile.

"No... You're right. No matter what future your eyes see, my path won't change."

Clenching his right hand over his heart, Amakusa's gaze sharpened with resolve.

"If my future is destined to fail, I'll destroy that future with my own hands."

"Thank you, Ruler. Perhaps because my dream is so near, I've become somewhat weak."

"This time, having you as the Ruler is truly a blessing. You're far more suited to this role than I am."

Amakusa sincerely praised Artoria.

"My eyes see more than just the future," Artoria suddenly said. "I've seen a world where death remains inevitable, yet no one falls ill or suffers. Everyone is kind, filled with hope for the future."

Her words drew Amakusa's full attention.

It was the very vision he sought.

"No war, no conflict. People trust one another, believing in each other's goodness and honesty, striving for a better tomorrow together... A true utopia."

"In that world, currency doesn't exist. If someone asks, they receive; if someone needs help, they're always answered."

"This was all thanks to a pure white king. Though he wielded absolute power, he refused to rule. He was the embodiment of virtue, even earning the gods' willing surrender of their authority to him."

"This pure white king didn't choose to sit on the throne. Yet, the people followed him of their own will, creating a world filled with those as virtuous as he."

When Artoria finished, Amakusa's face was filled with disbelief.

"That sounds like... a world of fantasy."

"But what if it wasn't?" Artoria countered. "What if that world was real? Even the king's name was Utopia itself—Cidica Utopia."

"I even saw you there, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada."

"Me?"

Amakusa blinked, confused.

"Someone sought to destroy that world, to kill the pure white king. To do so, they summoned Servants. One of them was you—along with Semiramis, I believe." Artoria thought aloud. "In the end, however, the other you switched sides immediately upon learning of the world's nature."

"Ahaha, wouldn't that be natural?"

Though it was a betrayal, Amakusa saw no issue with it.

"If such a perfect world and king truly existed, I would protect them with everything I have. That is the destination of my dream, the pinnacle of my wish. Even if it burns my soul to ashes, I would safeguard it all!"

"Cidica Utopia, the pure white king... I'd love to meet him someday... though the other me already has."

Amakusa laughed—a carefree, joyous laugh he had never shown before.

Artoria's story had proven his ideal world was not mere fantasy. It truly existed, giving him boundless motivation.

He felt as if the clouds in his heart had lifted.

At that moment, Artoria's gaze shifted as she sensed something.

She raised her hand, watching as particles of light began to rise from her body.

"Ah... It seems my time here is up."

As the Ruler of this Holy Grail War, Artoria's presence was tied to the conflict. Once it ended, she would no longer remain in this world.

The War's conclusion required only one outcome—Servants fighting until only one remained.

Though Amakusa had used unconventional means to wish upon the Greater Grail, the War's victor still retained the right to make a wish.

"I wonder who the last victor will be... Mordred, perhaps?"

"Seems like it'll be tough for her..."

Fragments of stone fell from above, evidence of the Gardens' instability. Total collapse was imminent.

"Did Assassin... lose?"

Amakusa murmured thoughtfully.

He had treated Semiramis as a tool to be used, and he believed she saw him the same way.

Yet, upon learning of her defeat...

The emotions surging within him now—what were they?

Unlike other Servants, Amakusa wouldn't disappear due to his previous Holy Grail War victory granting him a physical body.

Artoria, however, had grown nearly transparent, the particles of light drifting from her becoming more numerous.

"This is my first time leaving the world as a Servant... It feels strange." Artoria spoke softly to herself. "It seems every Servant says something profound upon departure. Self-reflection or advice for the living... but I don't have much to say."

"Hmm... feels kind of underwhelming."

The rejection force around her intensified, signaling the approach of her departure.

Suddenly...

"Father!"

A familiar voice called out, its owner trying to sound strong but unable to conceal their exhaustion.

Artoria turned in surprise and saw two figures standing by the blackened gate.

One of them, though covered in blood, wore a brilliant smile and waved excitedly toward her.

"...Heh."

A smile spread across Artoria's face despite herself.

"So, it's like that... Mordred, you really did it."

"I'm proud of you."

Leaving these words behind, Artoria vanished.

She dissolved into countless particles of light, disappearing before Mordred's eyes.

Yet, that gentle smile was forever etched into Mordred's eyes, her heart, and her very soul.

---

T/N: UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH im gremnant