When Shinji saw the blue crystal, he finally understood the whole situation.
Why familiar faces from parallel worlds kept appearing one after another, and why each of them seemed so strange—it was all because of that troublemaker Amakusa Shirou stirring things up again.
In hindsight, it made sense. That person could grant him access to Mooncell, so it wasn't surprising to leave a presence in the parallel world. Besides, no matter how you looked at it, this whole situation only benefitted Shinji, so there was nothing to complain about. At worst, the scale of the moon world would expand again, but as the saying goes: "When you owe a lot, you stop worrying."
Whether it's 17 parts or 18 parts, there's no essential difference.
The last spiritual energy flow that only he could see also confirmed that none of them had died; they had merely entered Mooncell. As long as they were still alive, there would always be a chance to meet again.
But for now, there were more important matters to attend to.
Shinji, having collected his thoughts, returned his soul to his body in a flash of light, then waved to Caules.
"Your sister fell unconscious due to spirit possession being released. Just carry her over to rest for a while."
"Ah, alright."
Once Caules had carried Fiore away, Shinji rose into the air again, confirmed that the Black Sun had been completely purified, and then addressed everyone below:
"This is the true Holy Grail, a treasure that transcends magecraft, a wish-granting machine capable of fulfilling any wish—unless it's something outrageous like destroying the world or reversing time, which exceeds the domain of the Third Magic."
"However, only one pair of Master and Servant can make a wish. After all, in a normal Holy Grail War, there are only seven pairs of participants. But since someone interfered earlier, the number of participants this time has far exceeded that. So, remaining Masters and Servants, what do you think should be done?"
"Should we continue fighting until the last one remains? Or should we decide another way who gets to make the wish? Whatever the case, please decide quickly. The longer this drags on, the more magical energy the Grail consumes, and the smaller the scale of the wish that can be granted."
"So, have you all made up your minds?"
The first to respond was Sakura, who looked up and asked, "Brother, aren't you going to use it?"
"Of course, saying I have no desire would be a lie, but my wish isn't particularly urgent, and I've already caused everyone enough trouble. I'll sit this one out. However, if none of you want it, I'll make a wish."
Although he said that, Shinji knew there wouldn't be a chance. He was fully aware that among the remaining Masters and Servants, several had urgent desires, and even those without a pressing wish wouldn't easily back down.
His guess was spot on.
Roman desired a simple, ordinary life. Olga Marie, aware of her father's plan, wanted to help him by wishing for a vast sum of money (an astronomical amount) from the Grail to Chaldea.
Faker and Gray didn't have a wish at first, but after Iskandar's death, they did.
Sakura had a wish, but she didn't plan to use the Grail for it. She intended to obtain the Grail and give it to Shinji.
Lorelei, Altera, Luvia, and Karna had no wishes from the start. They simply didn't want to lose, and they had previously allied with two other groups. Lorelei also had the responsibility of a Lord from the Department of Policies.
Illyasviel and Artoria had similar reasons—they didn't formally form an alliance, but Illya had been close to Sakura since childhood and wouldn't let her fight alone.
In the end, aside from Jack, who was content to stay beside Touko and watch, everyone else decided to fight.
The format was a free-for-all, with the participants divided into three factions.
Luvia paired with Olga Marie, Lorelei paired with Gray, and Sakura paired with Illya—it just so happened that each group had two members.
In terms of numbers, Sakura's side had the advantage, as she had two Greek beauties—Medea on her left, and Medusa on her right. But Lorelei and Gray, wielding the Holy Spear, weren't to be underestimated; they could easily go toe-to-toe with Servants.
Luvia's side seemed the weakest, but only Shinji knew that it only seemed that way. If Roman tore off his disguise, he would be one of the strongest figures in human history, and the outcome would be anyone's guess.
But Shinji wasn't particularly worried.
With himself, Touko, Justeaze, Caren, Reisbyfe, etc in the sideline, they could forcibly control the situation if necessary, ensuring no one lost their life.
The final battle began.
Servants against Servants.
Masters against Masters.
Servants against Masters.
Skills, Noble Phantasms, magecraft, secret treasures, and unique abilities.
Whether it was one-on-one duels or chaotic brawls, light and shadow intertwined, creating a spectacle too dazzling to take in all at once.
Due to the earlier group battle against Angra Mainyu, both Masters and Servants had already consumed a significant amount of magical energy, so this chaotic battle couldn't last long.
After about half an hour, participants started withdrawing one after another, and this intense but not brutal battle was nearing its end.
"At this rate, it'll be over in ten minutes at most. If nothing unexpected happens, it should end with Roman's victory. Although Lorelei seems to have the upper hand right now, Roman hasn't even torn off his disguise yet, nor has he used his full strength. Once he makes his move at the critical moment, the outcome will be clear. Lorelei is strong, but she's no match for the King of Magecraft, even if he isn't in his Grand Servant form—looks like my decision not to get involved was the right one."
Shinji still remembered the parting words of Scathach and Gilgamesh.
"The road ahead may be bumpy, and something beyond your imagination may happen. When that time comes, stay calm and don't let your emotions cloud your judgment."
There had been bumps, and something unimaginable had indeed happened. He had forced himself to stay calm.
The closer you are to success, the more cautious you must be. The more impossible something seems, the more likely it is to happen. Don't be deceived by appearances, swayed by great temptations, and don't forget what's most important to you—The Grail's purification had succeeded, theoretically placing it in his hands. This could be the "appearance" and the "temptation." If he lost his cool now, he might end up failing at the peak of his success.
"Still, there are a few things I don't quite understand. Why did Shishou emphasize mental fortitude? And why did Gilgamesh mention what's most important? Was it to remind me that if I die, I lose everything? I don't get it. I don't get it. Whatever, I'll think about it later. I should prepare to clean up the aftermath, deal with Lorelei, and figure out what to do with the Holy Grail. Once all that's done, I can take my time to figure it out. Maybe they weren't even talking about the same thing."
Just as Shinji thought the situation was under control and was about to wrap things up, a sudden change occurred.
A strong suction force appeared silently behind him. Caught off guard, his body tilted backward instantly.
"Whoa!"
He let out a startled cry.