33 Ozymandias

Masato sat idly on a high-rise building, enjoying the gentle breeze blowing across his face.

He looked down and saw the entire Fuyuki City, which appeared as normal as it could, just like any other city except for the fact that there was a war going on—and if the Grail was perfect, without any corruption, the winner of this war could affect the entire world with his decision.

"Hmm. I suppose ignorance is sometimes bliss." Masato stated.

"I wonder what reaction these mortals would have if they knew they could die at any time."

A young black-haired girl sat on his lap. She had a pale complexion, long lustrous black hair that reached her waist, and dust-colored eyes that seemed to draw the soul into them.

"Certainly not a pleasant one..." Masato laughed as he placed his hand on the black-haired girl and gently rubbed it.

If you looked at them, you would never guess that the male had only met the girl face to face an hour or so ago. They appear to be very familiar with one another.

Resita, too, smiled. She raised her eyes to him, a playful glint in her eyes.

"So, what is the Master going to do now?"

"Wait, I suppose. Once night falls, it will be the start of the final battle of the current war," he said, looking up from her gaze and out at the busy city, " We only have to wait until then, but first..."

He turned to face the house where Irsiviel and Saber were staying.

Kiritsugu does not appear to have changed their base after fleeing him. To be honest, it's understandable when you know your 'enemy' has <<Clairvoyance>>, which allows him to see the past, present, and future.

Where could they possibly hide from such a person? Maybe if they knew how to stop it.

"I need to get her first. Her body has already stopped working, and she is unable to move away from the magical circle. It's the ideal time to steal her soul and wait for the right opportunity."

Hearing him, Restia smirked. "You're terrible, Master. Taking another person's wife."

"You're mistaken, Restia. I am giving her a new life," Masato smirked before hugging her small body, " A new one, more colorful and exciting than the one she is currently living in."

"And once she dies, she is no longer the wife of anyone. But just another woman."

"Hmm. Are you certain you want to be intimate with me? That steel-sword will definitely get angry," Resita said with a teasing grin and a small blush.

"... That she will..." After remembering that his silver-haired loli can see everything through his eyes, the silver-black haired 'teenager' could only groan.

'Blade Dance spirits are extremely strange...'

---

"This will suffice."

Masato began walking in the direction of the house where Irisviel is staying after purchasing a large number of candies and sweets for his silver-haired sword, who had been pouting like a cute cat for the past half hour in his inner world.

He was dressed casually once more, this time with a golden necklace around his neck. He was perplexed as to why he adored this necklace so much, but he didn't know, so he just wore it all the time.

'Must be some kind of kingy thingy...'

After a short walk, he returned to the same location as the previous day—a Japanese mansion/house/whatever it was called, he didn't care.

Knowing that Maiya would be guarding the warehouse while Saber searched for other Masters' clues, he used <<Clairvoyance>> to see inside and teleported directly there.

A blood-colored magic circle shone with a light on the ground. Irisviel was lying on it, her skin paler than usual and her breathing heavier than usual.

She appeared to be having difficulty breathing.

She opened her eyes and looked in the direction of Masato, sensing the presence of another person in the room.

Her eyes flashed open in surprise for a fraction of a second before returning to normal. She asked, "So you've come?" with a gentle smile.

"… Are you prepared?" Masato inquired. When he saw her condition, he could only sigh. He wished he could heal her right away, but he didn't. The time was not yet right.

"I've already met with Kiritsugu and given him Avalon," Irisviel said with a smile and a nod," There is nothing left for me to do now except wait for my death. So, please continue."

Masato nodded before waving his hand, and the same body as Irisviel appeared beside her.

The fact that she was laying next to the same person as before seemed to astound her.

'Is it a Homunculus?'

She was aware that the Einzbern Family possessed a Homunculus that was identical to her. She assumed he had obtained one from Einzbern, but her mind was blown away by Masato's next sentence.

"This is not Einzbern's Homunculus, but rather a fully functioning human body."

"But—" "Is that possible?" Masato shook his head, saying, "In this world, anything is possible. You simply need to find the right path to take."

"Let's set that aside and get started." As he spoke, a red and blue glove appeared on his hand.

It was the glove in Bleach that had a seal on it, and it was used to yank someone's soul out of their body.

He looked at her one last time and asked, "Ready?"

When he saw her nod, he bent down and grabbed her head. But his fist pierced her skull and seemed to grasp something entirely different—her soul!

With an ethereal figure, he drew his hand out. Without wasting a single second, he extracted her soul and implanted it in the human body laying beside her.

Because the body was a carbon copy of her Homunculus body, the adaptation would be quick and the body would not be rejected.

He waited with bated breath after injecting her soul into the body he created. Even though he had seen the future, he was still nervous because it was his first time doing something like this.

She opened her eyes suddenly, just as he was about to use <<The Almighty>> to figure out why she wasn't breathing.

She appeared to be lost for a second or two, staring at the ceiling with a hazy expression.

Her eyes blinked once or twice before returning to their former luster. She sat up slowly, feeling her body with her hands.

She began to tremble before tears began to fall from her eyes slowly.

"So this is how it feels to be a human... so this is how it feels to be free..." She had never felt free because her entire life had been dedicated to being a container for the Grail.

She had the impression that she was restricted in some way and that she was just a tool that would be discarded sooner or later.

She may not have shown it on her face, but she was clearly envious of normal people.

Why are they so content? Why are they able to have a happy family? Why are they happy?

Why can't I be content? Why is it so difficult for me to have a happy family? Why can't I smile completely free of all restrictions?

Such thoughts were natural for someone like Irisviel, who was born as a tool and would die as a tool.

Masato rubbed her head and said, "Let's go."

"Um." Irisviel nodded before the space around them shifted and they vanished.

Just as they left, a blast ripped through the warehouse, destroying everything in its path. Making it impossible to learn about the situation of the two people who were present.

---

"So she's the Lesser Grail?" Kirei expressed his displeasure with an unimpressed expression.

Irisviel's previous body lay in front of him. He could tell she was dead just by looking at her.

"Strangely, she is already dead. Never thought you'd kidnap her," Kirei said as he looked at the golden figure standing some distance away from him.

"Don't misunderstand me, Kirei. I take what I require," Gilgamesh said, opening his mouth and looking at Irisviel. " I do not kidnap, but rather take. She is nothing more than a tool for the manifestation of the Greater Grail."

"What are you going to do now?" Gilgamesh chuckled and asked, "Do you want me to wait here?"

"If your abilities were unleashed at close range, they could endanger the ceremony. Go out and meet them if you want to fight at full strength."

"Very well. But what if this place is attacked while I'm away?"

"To save myself, I'll cast a Command Spell. Is that allowed?" With a smile, he inquired.

"I shall allow it." Gilgamesh replied with a smile.

"However, I cannot guarantee the safety of the Grail. Tonight, I'm not going to hold back."

"That would be the worst-case scenario, but if it ensures, it would be fate."

"Kirei. You appear to have found your reason to fight," He asked, "but do you still have no prayer to offer to the Grail?"

Kirei shook his head after a brief pause, saying, "I can't think of anything I'd want. If I had to answer, it would be that nothing will get in the way of the upcoming fight."

Gilgamesh paused his smile and began to walk outside, saying, "Well, well. As I suspected, the only option is to let the Grail reveal what you've been keeping hidden within your heart."

"Oh!" He came to a halt and looked back over his shoulder, saying, "If Saber appears here before I return, summon me."

"Understood."

---

"I met a traveler from an antique land,

Who said—"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look at my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Thud*

"Don't you think it's a fascinating poem, King of Conquerors?" Masato inquired as he sat on the Fuyuki City Bridge, looking down at Rider.

"What intrigues you about this poem, Masato?" He inquired as he exited his war chariot.

"His demise." Masato said, looking at him, "Isn't it fascinating that no matter what you gain, what you become, the only thing that awaits you in the end is death? Nothing will matter there—your glorious past, wealth, and accomplishments in the past; all of this will be insignificant."

"What are your thoughts? Isn't it amazing? We humans strive for wealth, success, and glory, but none of these things will help you when you are faced with death. Nothing lasts forever."

"What, then, is eternal in your eyes?"

"Nothing. Nothing is both eternal and omnipotent. Those who claim to be are not." Masato stated, "They may have gotten very, very, very close to it and, perhaps, they can be called one. However, this is not the case."

"The only thing I consider eternal... hmm... let's say something incomprehensible. If there is an eternal and omnipotent being, we will never be able to grasp or comprehend him."

"Your point of view is intriguing. Then why do you require the Grail when you believe it is not an omnipotent wishing machine?" Rider asked again.

"I've never stated that I desired the Grail, King of Conqueror. That thing is far too small and frail to turn my ambition into a reality. If that tool could provide what I require, this world would have long been overrun with beings capable of destroying it with a single glance."

"Hm? So you need power above all else?"

"Maybe? Perhaps not? What I need is peace," Masato rubbed his chin, " A safe haven where no one can harm me or my family, but my heart yearns for adventure. to explore places I've never been."

"In that sense, you could say that I require power above all else."

"Doesn't that then contradict your previous statement? After all, you stated that there can only be one omnipotent being and that no one can reach him."

"That's the fun! You pursue it despite knowing you can't get it. Isn't that how humans progress? Following something that shouldn't be possible and gaining something entirely different? Did humans ever imagine that they would be able to reach the moon one day?"

"Indeed. You make sense," he said as he looked at Masato, "but then I'd have to defeat you if I want to conquer the entire world. After all, if I can't defeat the most powerful being, how can I hope to conquer everything?"

Masato smirked as his clothes vanished and a dark aura rose from him. His appearance shifted to that of a Servant.

"It's great that you understand. Don't hold anything back, Iskandar. As I will not!" Masato exclaimed as thunder and lightning began to dance around him.

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