Carrying the hopes of countless people, Justeaze became the vessel of the Greater Grail.
She never considered rebelling.
Because even the thought of rebellion was never instilled in her.
Only after sinking into this darkness, witnessing the shadowed facets of humanity, did Justeaze gain clarity.
"A tragic life..."
Damien's assessment of Justeaze was simple: tragic.
She was confined within the Einzbern family.
Their so-called head was merely a scapegoat for the magus.
Einzbern homunculi were, in essence, blank slates.
But those slates were easily stained by the world's filth.
Thus, homunculi were forbidden from leaving, lest the outside world alter them.
Irisviel, through Kiritsugu's influence, had developed humanity.
"You also seek to create the Grail, to reach the Root?"
Justeaze was a homunculus, but her magical prowess was extraordinary.
With a single glance, she sensed Damien's strength.
This was only natural.
His presence here already marked him as exceptional.
"I'm not interested in the Grail."
Damien was blunt, "I'm more interested in you."
"Me?"
"Yes."
Damien smiled and extended his hand, "Will you come with me? Leave this place."
"Can I?"
Justeaze looked up, her eyes flickering as she gazed at Damien.
She didn't suspect ulterior motives.
Here, under the witness of All the World's Evil, she could see his sincerity.
He genuinely wanted to take her away.
"Of course!"
Damien conjured another memory orb.
Justeaze accepted it without hesitation and began absorbing it.
It contained glimpses of the worlds Damien had visited and details of the Cardinal World.
As she processed the memories, her eyes grew brighter.
Finally, she grasped Damien's hand, "Please take me with you, Mr. Damien!"
Done!
Damien snapped his fingers, marking another successful recruitment!
"Don't resist."
Indeed, Damien intended to make Justeaze a familliar.
In this Fourth Holy Grail War, only Artoria had initially caught his eye as worthy of familliarhood.
As the heroine of the Nasuverse universe, Saber's value needed no explanation.
But Justeaze's appearance was an unexpected delight.
The Saintess of Winter, the miracle of the Third Magic, the vessel of the Greater Grail, an immortal homunculus who had lived nearly a millennium.
Her appearance, aura, and potential all met Damien's criteria for a familliar.
Most importantly, her attitude pleased him greatly.
"Now then..."
After successfully making Justeaze a familliar, Damien took her hand and walked forward, "Let's go. I'll take you out of here."
They moved through the mountains of homunculi bodies.
Ahead, a faint light grew brighter, illuminating this dead, terrifying world.
Justeaze glanced back.
Countless homunculi, identical to her, stared with eyes filled with resentment, jealousy, unwillingness, envy, and pleas for salvation.
Except for Irisviel.
Damien had promised Artoria to save her.
So, Violet had already extracted her soul.
If all went as planned, Irisviel should be awake in the real world.
"Poor children..."
Justeaze turned back, following closely behind Damien.
She had no intention of abandoning these homunculi, created in her image.
In a sense, they were her daughters.
"Just wait a little longer."
"I'll definitely save you all!"
Bearing the pain and sorrow of countless daughters, Justeaze opened her eyes again.
She saw Damien.
And the black mud of All the World's Evil enveloping Fuyuki City.
"What happened here?"
Justeaze was no longer a spiritual entity.
The familliar contract's power superseded Nasuverse's rules.
Especially now, with Violet's near-complete analysis, the moment Damien succeeded in capturing Justeaze, she ceased to belong to the Nasuverse.
Thus, she regained a physical body.
Further power would require Damien to bring her to the Cardinal World for the Voice of the World to complete.
"Iris? Iris?!"
On the other side, Artoria held Irisviel in her arms.
"You're awake, Iris! Thank goodness!"
Irisviel slowly opened her eyes, her red gaze clearing from confusion as she realized her situation.
She had escaped that horrific world!
"Saber!!"
Irisviel clung tightly to Saber's hand, her heart filled with lingering fear of the Grail's world.
Countless bodies, identical to her, with hollow, empty eyes...
It was a nightmare.
And what she saw afterward... Kiritsugu's choices...
"It's alright, Iris. You're safe now..."
Artoria comforted her while eyeing the All the World's Evil looming in the sky.
Thanks to Shuna's barriers, the black mud hadn't descended, merely hovering above.
The malice-filled mud writhed like twisted tentacles, clawing at the barriers, eager to break through and consume Fuyuki's inhabitants.
"This is the Grail?"
Seeing the black mud pour from the Grail, Artoria abandoned all desire for the wish-granting machine, "To think I was drawn to such a thing."
"I truly am unfit, whether as a king or a knight."
Damien was right.
The Grail was a deception.
She had been obsessed, like a fool, chasing it.
Looking back, her past self seemed laughable.
"It's been corrupted to this extent."
Justeaze's appearance immediately drew the attention of both women.
"Huh?"
Artoria looked between them, shocked, "You... how does she look like you, Iris?"
"..."
Irisviel paused briefly before understanding, "No, it's more accurate to say I look like her."
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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