At that time, if Roy wanted to force the Greater Grail to purge itself, he would have had to endure the curses and forcibly restart it, allowing it to absorb the leylines' mana to cleanse itself. With Roy's Mystic Eyes, achieving this was entirely possible.
However, Angra Mainyu was inside the Grail at that point. If Roy had attempted it, Angra Mainyu would have undoubtedly drowned him in an ocean of curses.
And now, with the reboot already underway, he could no longer control the Greater Grail.
Ultimately, the problem lay in the sheer volume of curses accumulated within the Greater Grail.
"Still, it's not all bad news."
Roy pointed at the corrupted Greater Grail nearby.
"I altered the activation conditions of the Greater Grail—now it requires both mana and a Servant's soul to fulfill a wish. Both conditions must be met simultaneously for the Grail to grant a wish. Right now, the only remaining Servant should be Taigong Wang… With no Servant souls left to consume, the Greater Grail has temporarily stalled."
The remaining Servants—Red Archer had already been absorbed, and Okita-san was likely absorbed as well—leaving only Taigong Wang.
However, earlier, when Alter Saber revealed the Lesser Grail, the number of Servant souls she mentioned didn't match what Roy knew. That discrepancy still bothered him.
There might still be a hidden Servant lurking in the shadows.
Moreover, among the corrupted Servants from the Fourth War, the corrupted Iskandar had yet to appear. His whereabouts remained unknown.
That King of Conquerors, though not as formidable as Gilgamesh, was still a force to be reckoned with. Who knew if his blackened self would still adhere to his usual straightforward tactics?
The good news was that, for now, the Greater Grail lacked the necessary Servant souls to fulfill Kirei Kotomine's wish. The indiscriminate slaughter had been temporarily halted due to unmet conditions.
Yet, the sheer density of the curses surrounding the Greater Grail had reached a level where even a magus like Roy felt an inexplicable surge of malevolence just from glancing at it. For an ordinary human—or even a magus—approaching it was impossible.
"So, in the end, purification is still out of the question."
Rin glanced at the Greater Grail shrouded in thick curses. The gem she had swallowed earlier was still helping her resist the corruption.
"Then, the only option left… is to destroy the Greater Grail!"
To prevent another catastrophe like the one ten years ago, destroying the Greater Grail was the only permanent solution.
Under normal circumstances, destroying the Greater Grail would be no easy feat, but fortunately, they had Taigong Wang on their side.
"Indeed, we must decide quickly."
Taigong Wang's expression was uncharacteristically solemn.
"I can sense the Greater Grail fixating on me, doing everything in its power to absorb my soul. While I have confidence in my mystic arts, the Greater Grail continuously absorbs mana. Once it accumulates enough, even I won't be able to resist."
No matter how refined a spell was, overwhelming force could still break it.
They had to make a decision before the Greater Grail amassed enough mana to forcibly take Taigong Wang's soul.
"Can it be sealed?"
Roy pondered for a moment before asking.
"It's possible, but not foolproof. The safest course of action is still to destroy it."
Taigong Wang nodded.
Sealing the Greater Grail, cutting off all its mana absorption channels—he was capable of that much.
If the Greater Grail could no longer absorb mana, it would naturally cease to be a threat. But seals were meant to be broken. If the seal were ever compromised in the future, there would be no recourse.
Both Taigong Wang and Rin turned their gazes to Roy.
Without a doubt, Roy was the one who would make the final decision. Whether to destroy the Greater Grail or not rested on his shoulders. Yet, both Taigong Wang and Rin believed that destroying it now was the best choice.
Under their expectant stares, Roy remained silent, his eyes fixed on the Greater Grail below.
He lowered his head, visibly deep in thought.
No one knew what was going through his mind. Then, he raised his head again, looking up at the void in the sky.
The hole torn open by the return of eight Servant souls to the Throne of Heroes still hung in the air, sustained by the Greater Grail's mana. It showed no signs of disappearing yet, and black mud continued to drip from it.
"...Rider, I have an idea."
After a long silence, Roy finally exhaled slowly, his expression grave.
"What is it?"
Taigong Wang stared intently at Roy.
His instincts told him that his Master was about to propose something outrageous.
"Throw both me and the Greater Grail into that hole!"
Roy pointed at the black void in the sky.
"What?!"
"Are you out of your mind?!"
Taigong Wang and Rin both recoiled in shock, their voices overlapping in disbelief.
Taigong Wang studied Roy with a mix of suspicion and concern.
"Master, are you serious?"
"Roy, don't tell me you've been secretly researching the Sixth Magic?"
Rin also looked at him as if he had lost his senses.
That void might appear to be a mere hole in the world, but in truth, it was a passage to the Outside of the World—the end of that path led to the Root, the ultimate goal sought by all magi.
"No, of course not. Five Magics are the limit—there is no Sixth in theory."
Roy smiled wryly, as if acknowledging how absurd his idea sounded. Yet, his expression remained resolute.
"It's just… I have a feeling that if I enter that place, I'll find the answers I seek."
"Answers?"
"To what?"
"...To everything, I suppose."
Roy pressed his lips together and let out a quiet sigh.
"Why this world became like this, what the being manipulating all of this truly wants, why it's fixated on me…"
And—
The answer to why people like Kasumigaoka Utaha, Hayasaka Ai, the Nakano sisters, and even that artificial island in the Pacific—none of whom belonged in this world—had appeared in this version of the Type-Moon world.
No.
Truthfully, Roy already had his suspicions.
"Master, you haven't gone mad, have you?"
Seeing Roy's unwavering expression, Taigong Wang asked with utmost seriousness.
"Of course not. I'm perfectly lucid."
Roy nodded without hesitation.
"And you're not trying to kill yourself?"
"Of course not. I told you—I've stopped seeking death."
"...Understood."
Taigong Wang scrutinized Roy for a long moment before finally sighing in resignation.
"I'll help you. I'll send both you and the Greater Grail into that void."
"Rider, have you lost your mind too?!"
Rin glared at Taigong Wang, feeling like she was the only sane one left between the two of them.
"But I have one condition."
Ignoring her, Taigong Wang fixed Roy with a stern look.
If Roy refused this condition, he would not assist. His expression made that clear.
"What is it?"
"I'm going with you!"
"Well, I certainly… wouldn't object."
Roy blinked in surprise before chuckling and shrugging.
Hearing this, Taigong Wang finally relaxed.
According to their pact, he would assist Roy until his Servant body reached its limit—not just in this Holy Grail War, but also in Roy's future endeavors to reconstruct the magical system.
Given Roy's stubbornness, if he were to enter that void with a death wish, Taigong Wang accompanying him would only result in both of them perishing inside. That would render their agreement meaningless. Roy would never allow Taigong Wang to follow him under such circumstances.
***
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