chapter 14

The battlefield was still, the oppressive weight of the Grail's influence dissipating like mist in the morning light. Goku, his golden aura slowly fading, took a deep breath, feeling the energy settle back into his body. His muscles were sore from the fight, but the rush of victory made it all feel worth it.

Mordred, panting but victorious, lowered her sword, her eyes still scanning the remains of the creature they had just destroyed. "We did it…" she murmured, disbelief still tinging her voice. "I can't believe it."

"Yeah!" Goku grinned widely, throwing his arms behind his head. "That was a good warm-up, but we've still got more to do!"

Jeanne stepped forward, her expression thoughtful. "The creature is gone, but Kotomine's words still linger in my mind. He said this was only the beginning. If what he said is true, then we're far from finished."

Sieg nodded solemnly, his eyes meeting hers. "I fear she's right. The Grail's influence was not fully destroyed—it's just… weakened. If Kotomine was able to summon that monster once, he could try again. And we still don't know the full extent of what the Grail can do."

Mordred scowled. "That bastard isn't giving up anytime soon. We'll need to stay on our toes."

The group was silent for a moment as the weight of their situation settled over them. They had won a battle, yes, but the war was far from over. And Kotomine—his cunning and ambition were still very much in play.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted the tension.

"Such reckless abandon, and yet, a victory…" It was Kotomine, still kneeling, but his voice was now tinged with amusement, not anger. "Did you think you had truly defeated me?"

The group turned as Kotomine slowly stood, his form trembling with the remnants of the Grail's influence. But his smile, dark and calculating, never faltered.

"We haven't even begun," he said, his eyes gleaming with something far more dangerous than just hatred. "You've only delayed the inevitable."

Before anyone could react, the ground beneath them began to quake again. The sky darkened, swirling with dark clouds that spread out like ink across a canvas. A deep, guttural rumble echoed from the distance, shaking the very air.

"Not again!" Mordred shouted, gripping her sword tightly.

Goku's eyes narrowed, and his body tensed. "Looks like things are heating up again. I guess we'll have to end this sooner than I thought."

Jeanne turned to face him, her expression unyielding. "Stay focused, Goku. This isn't just about power anymore. Kotomine has something far darker in mind."

Kotomine raised his arms to the sky, his voice rising in a chant, each word dripped in malice. The Grail pulsed again, but this time, it wasn't the same. This time, something new was being summoned. A deeper, darker force—one that didn't belong in this world.

"Let the true power of the Grail be unleashed," Kotomine intoned. "Let the world be reborn in darkness."

The ground cracked open, and from the depths, something began to rise—a figure wrapped in shadows, its form monstrous, incomprehensible. It was not like the previous creature they had fought. This being was different. Its presence alone made the air grow cold, as if the very concept of light had been stripped away.

Sieg took a step forward, his hand gripping his sword tightly. "What is this? This isn't just a Servant. This… this is something else."

Goku felt the energy emanating from the creature, a force so dark and so powerful that it made his stomach turn. This was not the kind of opponent he had ever faced before. The energy felt alien, as though it didn't belong to this world. But still, Goku's grin remained unwavering. "I don't care what it is. I'll take it down, just like the last one!"

But Jeanne stepped forward, holding up her hand. "Goku, no. We cannot face this thing the same way we faced the other creature. This isn't just a physical battle. It's something far worse."

The creature fully emerged from the shadows, towering over them like a dark titan. It had no shape, no recognizable form—it was a mass of pure darkness, tendrils of shadow curling and shifting as though it had a mind of its own.

Kotomine's voice broke through the silence. "Behold the true power of the Grail. The embodiment of its desire—a force that transcends time and space. This is not merely a beast. This is the end of all things."

The creature's eyes—if they could even be called eyes—glowed with an unnatural light, and it let out a roar that seemed to reverberate through the very fabric of the world. The sky seemed to twist in response, as if reality itself were bending to the will of this being.

Sieg tightened his grip on his sword. "It's too strong. We can't defeat this with just brute strength."

"Then we'll need a different approach," Jeanne said firmly. "We need to destroy the source—the Grail. If we can sever its connection to this creature, we can stop it."

Goku's eyes flashed with understanding. "You mean, we go straight for Kotomine?" He smiled. "Now that sounds like fun."

Before anyone could stop him, Goku shot forward, moving at blinding speed. He aimed directly for Kotomine, but the moment he got close, the creature's tendrils lashed out, intercepting him with a speed that matched his own. Goku grunted as one of the tendrils wrapped around his leg, slamming him into the ground with terrifying force.

"Damn it!" he grunted, pushing against the dark force, his aura flaring to life as he broke free with a powerful burst of energy.

The creature responded with another deafening roar, its dark tendrils forming into sharp, blade-like shapes as they lunged toward Goku. But Mordred was already in motion, charging in with Clarent raised high. "Not today!" she shouted as she deflected the tendrils with a swing of her sword, her body glimmering with holy energy.

Goku glanced at her with a grin. "Nice one, Mordred!" Then, without missing a beat, he powered up again, his aura blinding as he shot forward, a fist aimed directly at the creature's mass.

But this time, the creature was ready. It twisted and contorted, absorbing the blow into its mass before retaliating with an explosion of dark energy that sent both Goku and Mordred flying.

"This is it," Kotomine said, his voice filled with cold satisfaction. "This is the world that the Grail seeks to create. A world of shadows and despair. A world where nothing can escape its grasp."

Goku slowly rose to his feet, shaking off the dust. "Well, I don't like that world at all," he said, his voice steady. "I'm gonna take it down—now."

Jeanne's voice cut through the noise, commanding. "Goku, wait! We need to focus on the Grail, not the creature! If we don't sever the connection, all our efforts will be in vain."

Goku nodded, his face hardening. "Got it. Let's do this!"

The group shifted their focus, ready to strike at the true source of this chaos—the Grail.

The final battle for the fate of the world had just begun.