Angra Mainyu was not a true deity. He was merely an ordinary human labeled as the dark god, possessing none of the mythic might attributed to the supposed source of all darkness and sin. His only power was the concept of "human malice," manifesting as a specialized attack against humanity.
Against non-human Servants, this ability was arguably the weakest. Legendary heroes often bore the blood of phantasmal beasts or gods, with pure humans being rare. The outcome of his summoning in the Holy Grail War was predictable.
Morpheus mulled over the information he held about Angra Mainyu, then smiled. "Your current situation is due to your own uniqueness. The Einzbern family, in a way, sabotaged their own goals."
Hearing this, Angra Mainyu paused, puzzled. "I'm not fond of that family, and hearing you say they brought this on themselves is amusing, but what do you mean by my uniqueness?"
"It ties to the Holy Grail's nature. If wishes could be granted by sheer mana alone, there'd be no need for the Grail... just gather vast mana.
"The Grail's mana is merely fuel, currency, or material for forging. It's the simplest part. The true challenge lies in its foundation: human hearts."
"Human hearts?" Angra Mainyu scoffed. "That makes me want to laugh. Hearts are deeply wicked."
"But you can't deny they also hold positive emotions. That duality is the very foundation of your existence."
"I never deny human kindness, nor their evil. As you said, it's the basis of my being." Angra Mainyu smiled, picking up a teacup that had appeared beside him, filled with fragrant tea.
This place was entirely illusory, and Angra Mainyu had long forgotten the taste of food or drink from his past life.
Now, savoring the sweet tea conjured by the man before him, he felt an inexplicable sense of ease.
He waited for Morpheus to elaborate on his uniqueness.
"What I mean is, the Holy Grail is fundamentally built from human prayers, using wishes to open a path to the outside. A being forged from human prayers, like you, aligns perfectly with it."
Morpheus observed the Angra Mainyu disguised as Irisviel. Though once a young man, it could only be called "it" now, its gender and humanity indistinguishable.
"I am Angra Mainyu, yet I am not. I'm just an ordinary person burdened with humanity's evil against my will." Angra Mainyu smiled, following Morpheus's words, grasping why it remained trapped here.
"You're right. My compatibility with the Grail is too high, which led to the Einzberns' tragedy. They tried to cheat, but their actions caused every subsequent Holy Grail War to fail."
Its smile was strikingly beautiful, mirroring Irisviel's. "The Einzberns reaped what they sowed. This time, too, they won't achieve their goal. I can tell you have no intention of following their script."
It stood, hands behind its back, spinning lightly, its skirt fluttering. Tilting its head like a maiden, it winked at Morpheus. "The man before you saw through the truth of the Grail's wish-granting and chose to destroy it. What about you? Will you destroy it again?"
"I don't plan to destroy the Grail. I intend to make it manifest," Morpheus said, looking at Angra Mainyu. "It's time you left this place. Being trapped here isn't good. The Throne of Heroes might be dull, but it's better than this cage."
Angra Mainyu froze, then laughed brightly. "Are you pitying me?"
"Yes, I am. You were unjustly branded a dark god and summoned without cause. If I'd been in the Third Holy Grail War, I might've summoned the real Angra Mainyu to show the Einzberns."
"That would've destroyed the world."
Morpheus grinned. "Then I'd summon Ahura Mazda to balance it."
In ancient dualism, good and evil gods opposed each other, but their coexistence formed a complete world.
Morpheus wanted to free the youth called Angra Mainyu from this prison, even if that freedom meant returning to the Throne of Heroes.
At least, from the Throne, there'd be a chance to truly escape and enter the human world.
"You could try breaking free from the Throne. The timing of your escape is uncertain, but it's inevitable if you keep trying."
"Are you lecturing me on math?"
"The odds are slim... like a human passing through a wall. But with infinite time, you can try infinitely. In near-infinite attempts, you'll succeed eventually." Morpheus shrugged. "It sounds despairing, but that sliver of possibility is hope."
"Uncertain timing, minuscule odds, unknown destination, and unpredictable era. Propose that plan, and you'd get punched."
Morpheus grinned. "Want to take a swing?"
"Can't win." Angra Mainyu shook its head. "I see your uniqueness. I'm so entwined with the Grail, I'm practically it. You're human, yet you possess divinity, even godlike Authority. Without divinity, your uniqueness still renders me powerless against you."
Morpheus didn't respond, and Angra Mainyu continued. "You bear a god's blessing... a powerful one. If you hadn't lowered your defenses, I couldn't have pulled you here. Even Gilgamesh, the strongest Servant I've seen, couldn't do that."
Morpheus initially thought it referred to divine protection, but realized it meant the magical wards in his clothing, powered by angelic forces. Calling it a god's blessing wasn't wrong.
Unless facing something like Imagine Breaker, which could instantly negate high-tier magic, a skilled magus's defenses could withstand a nuclear blast.
For top-tier magus with ample preparation, Morpheus suspected even galaxy- or world-destroying attacks could be endured.
"What's your wish? I'll tell you how to achieve it. I don't lie."
"Like making me a Third Magic user from an ordinary person?"
"Is that your wish?"
"No."
Morpheus thought for a moment. "What if my wish is to cross the Abyss, reaching the 8=3 state?"
Angra Mainyu fell silent, unable to comprehend.
"At the start, there was nothing... not even the concept of a world. Then, a mysterious force descended from the void, extending through ten domains. When it reached the lowest, the world we know was born."
Angra Mainyu looked at Morpheus, stunned by this depiction.
"The scene of creation…"
Morpheus smiled. "The 8=3 I mentioned refers to the third of those ten domains."
"The Grail can't achieve that, not even by twisting it…" Angra Mainyu murmured. "The only way is to grant you eternal soul life... the Third Magic."
"Are you saying the Third Magic could approach my goal?"
"Not quite. It just gives you enough time to try reaching that level." Angra Mainyu shook its head, eyeing Morpheus with pity. "Even with infinite time, success isn't guaranteed. And even with the Third Magic, your time isn't truly infinite."
Morpheus wasn't disheartened; he laughed. "So the Third Magic ties the self to the universe. When the universe ends, the Third Magic user perishes too?"
Without needing the Grail's wish, Angra Mainyu's candor gave him enough to deduce.
Angra Mainyu looked annoyed. "You tricked me into spilling that."
***
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