"Such an impatient one~"
Circe spread her hands helplessly, while Medea covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh. "As expected."
Unlike the island witch Circe, Medea had taken part in the quest for the Golden Fleece and had boarded the Argo. She understood heroes far better than ordinary Casters.
That was also why, even with Command Spells in hand, she never tried to completely dominate these people, showing quite a bit of magnanimity.
"It's much quieter now."
Circe turned to look at the former Masters of the Black faction, the members of the Yggdmillennia family who were waiting here respectfully.
"You're free to go. Run if you want, hide if you want."
They had only been kept around to avoid provoking Chiron and the others. Now that the final battle had arrived, they no longer had any value as hostages… but Circe wasn't some bloodthirsty maniac either.
She had no intention of dealing with them and instead honored the agreement, setting them free.
Fiore and the others exchanged glances. After respectfully taking their leave, they hurried back to their rooms and workshops to prepare for the coming upheaval.
No one truly intended to run. For one, Yggdmillennia was their foundation. Leaving here would make them nothing more than a group of fallen magi.
Secondly, in the current situation, the outside world might not even be safer than the castle…
At the very least, Fiore had been told by Chiron that as long as they didn't do anything unnecessary, even if the Red faction broke into the castle, they wouldn't slaughter magi out of spite.
At the same time, the homunculi also began to move. Their command authority had long since been taken by Medea, and the Witch of Betrayal made excellent use of these loyal servants. In her eyes, homunculi were far more useful than dragon tooth soldiers and golems.
Like worker ants, they kept this massive war fortress running.
"Then we should return to the labyrinth as well."
Circe chuckled, "Sitting in a danger-filled palace, waiting for foolish challengers to come and throw their lives away, this feeling really takes me back~"
"…That's not a good thing to say."
Medea shot her aunt a glance. "In myths, characters like that always end up being defeated. Careful, or it might come true."
"What's there to be afraid of!"
Circe showed no restraint. "Asterios has already completed the ritual of total corruption. Ordinary Servants are nothing before him."
"That 'dragon' can also be summoned at any time. In this Holy Grail War, no one can take the Greater Grail under its watch."
"Besides, our labyrinth is impregnable. They can't get in!"
Somehow, it feels like my luck is dropping… Medea frowned deeply.
She herself was the type to grow careless once victory seemed certain, but Circe seemed even more frivolous than her.
"You're too serious. Smile a little, Medea~"
The winged island witch curled her lips into a grin. "After all, this is just a game for us, isn't it?"
"A game that drags the fate of the world into it?"
"Since when did you start caring about that?" Circe circled around Medea, constantly sizing her up.
Though she was older, her appearance was more youthful, and the action made her seem lively and mischievous.
"Don't tell me… you actually really want to win?"
"…"
Medea smiled faintly. "Isn't that only natural?"
"That's what you say, and I want to win too, but I'm just doing it for fun. I wouldn't mind even if I lost. But you, Medea… you give me the feeling that you're obsessed with something."
Circe clasped her hands behind her back, holding her tin staff, and said thoughtfully with a cute expression, "Come to think of it, even though I was the one who approached you first, our relationship isn't really close enough for you to agree without hesitation."
"You're my dearest aunt. Helping one's own family is only natural, isn't it?"
"Helping me? Like you did your younger brother?"
"..."
The air in the hall froze. The hawk-winged witch clearly felt the shift in atmosphere. Not only did she not stop, the corners of her lips lifted instead.
"Oh my, sorry, did I bring up something painful?"
"No."
The Witch of Betrayal said coldly, "I don't care!"
"So strong, my lovely niece Medea~"
Circe turned around and walked lightly, but started talking about something completely unrelated.
"That little Master of yours, what was his name, Roche? Seems like you've been keeping him protected in the labyrinth all this time. With your usual style, to take such care of your former Master… how surprising."
"..."
"But it's not hard to understand. After all, he… resembles him, doesn't he?"
At some point, Circe had moved right beside Medea. Standing on tiptoe, she leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Absyrtus."
Buzz!
The deep purple light turned into particles and scattered. Circe spread her wings and leapt backward into the air, looking down at Medea with interest.
At this moment, the Witch of Betrayal revealed her true form that she had always concealed. Her pointed elf-like ears showed the noble bloodline flowing within her, while her glass-like beautiful eyes were filled with killing intent.
"Yes, yes, this is the Medea that people fear."
Circe let out a soft laugh, completely unafraid. "Did that child remind you of the younger brother you dismembered? Or perhaps your two children?"
"If word got out, people would be quite surprised. That Witch of Betrayal would actually..."
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
A vast amount of magical energy compressed into dazzling spheres of light, each comparable to an A-rank great spell, completed instantly by Medea and ready to be released at any moment.
But she didn't attack. Instead, she said coldly, "Aunt, our cooperation has always been pleasant. Since it has nothing to do with you, why ask so many questions?"
"I'm just curious about your real objective."
Circe landed on the ground, folded her wings, and said with a giggle, "Now I more or less understand. You regret it, don't you?"
"..."
"Indeed, for someone who has already lived through their entire life, the feeling of 'regret' is far too embarrassing. It's the same as denying the past."
"Of course, for some people, their lives weren't exactly pleasant experiences… there are regrets and remorse that one would overturn even their own existence to fix."
At this point, the hawk-winged witch actually put away her smile, unconsciously brushing the short hair by her ear with her fingers.
"To truly change the past, the power of a single wish isn't enough. That would mean altering history, even creating a new world line… I understand now why you've been so proactive in modifying the Greater Grail."
"For magi like you and me, as long as there's enough magical energy, there's nothing we can't do!"
"…Are you trying to stop me?"
"Stop you? Don't be ridiculous. What reason would I have to do that?"
Circe smiled faintly, waved her tin staff, and turned to leave the hall.
"Now I have no more doubts. I've got nothing better to do anyway, so I might as well give you a hand~"
"Whether it's guilt toward your brother, longing for your two sons, or simply wanting to return to your homeland, back to before everything happened…"
"There's nothing to hide. If you have the power to change a tragedy but choose to let it continue, that's what truly goes against human nature!"
"You've done well. Give this world that betrayed us a little surprise, my dear niece~"
"Alright then, I'll be the one to witness this fated showdown!"
Facing the rust-scented night wind, the orange-haired girl spoke firmly. "No matter what the outcome is!"
On the wasteland, the black Rider sat proudly atop her warhorse. Opposite her stood the group led by Fujimaru Ritsuka.
Among them, Mordred stepped forward, a fearless and wild grin on her face as she stared provocatively at her opponent.
King Arthur VS the Knight of Rebellion.
Even the out-of-control Holy Grail War couldn't affect this battle between the two. Compared to the deep and complex karma between them, everything else had to be set aside.
From Sisigou's standpoint, he should have stopped this fight. No matter the outcome, the chances of Mordred surviving were extremely low.
Once he lost his Servant, he would be out of the Holy Grail War, not only failing the Association's mission but possibly even negatively affecting the course of the world's fate.
But he chose to respect Saber's decision, allowing her to launch her rebellion against her noble father king.
"Thank you, Master."
Mordred grinned at Sisigou, and the fierce-looking man nodded in understanding.
"This is probably the end of my journey in the Holy Grail War…"
A red light flashed. The three Command Spells he had carefully preserved were used without hesitation at this moment, streams of powerful and pure magical energy pouring into Mordred's body.
"First command: Saber, you must achieve final victory!"
"Second command: No matter what, you must survive!"
"Uooooh!"
Mordred responded boldly, striding forward toward her end, or perhaps the starting point to break fate.
"The final command!"
Sisigou watched Mordred's gradually receding figure. In his mind, he recalled the days they had spent together. Though she was a bit noisy, how long had it been since he had laughed that happily?
"You must become the King of Britain!"
"Run wild to your heart's content, Saber!"
"I'm going!"
Crimson lightning surged. The rebellious girl was clad in steel armor, and driven by surging magical energy, she shot forward like a cannonball toward the King of the Wild Hunt.
"Is that so… when it comes to Masters, yours is superior."
A barely noticeable curve appeared at the corner of the blackened King Arthur's lips, before it was hidden beneath a cold steel mask.
"In that case, a traitor who dares challenge the king's authority has only one end... being trampled to death under iron hooves!"
Black-red magical energy wrapped around the spear. Rider spurred her horse forward, thrusting the divine weapon that could pierce all things with brutal force.
Clang!!!
The crimson lightning sword collided fiercely, and the surging magical energy stirred up a violent gale that blew everything around them away.
"Senpai, be careful!"
Mash raised her Round Table shield in front of Ritsuka, blocking the intense pressure of the wind, then widened her eyes as she looked ahead.
As the successor of "Galahad," she believed she also had the duty to witness the outcome of this battle.
At the same time, on another side of the battlefield, Achilles once again met Chiron. The teacher and student held nothing back despite their past bond, engaging in a fierce battle.
Meanwhile, with no one to stop them, Atalanta and Karna arrived at Yggdmillennia's base. Though a barrier against spiritual bodies surrounded it, defenses without guards would inevitably have flaws.
"That won't do~"
Just as Karna was about to forcibly break the barrier, a lazy voice sounded, making the son of the sun shift his gaze slightly.
"So it's you… why stand in our way?"
"If I let you enter the labyrinth, things will get troublesome."
The one who arrived was Iori. Dressed in a black shihakusho, he calmly faced the scrutiny of the son of the sun.
"Even though Medea made many preparations, she's still just a magus and can't understand the essence of heroes... those who carve out a path in desperate situations and create possibility from the impossible are the true heroes!"
"No matter how many traps are prepared, someone like you can't be allowed into the stronghold."
Karna asked calmly, "Have you joined hands with Black's Caster?"
"No, just balancing the strength on both sides, and slowing the pace a bit."
"What?" The son of the sun was slightly puzzled.
Iori looked toward another corner of the battlefield from afar. After a long moment, he turned back to Karna and said, "Could you wait here for a while and let the real 'protagonist' make her entrance?"
"The protagonist… the girl from a parallel world?"
Without any further hints, Karna somehow understood Iori's meaning. "You want Fujimaru Ritsuka to enter the labyrinth and have her seize the Greater Grail?"
"After all, this is her 'story'." Iori said seriously, "I came to this battlefield to make sure her story can proceed smoothly."
Ritsuka would, as the Master of humanity, witness the battle between Mordred and King Arthur.
Then she would encounter the victor between Achilles and Chiron, receive a blessing or item, and come to Yggdmillennia Castle, personally witnessing the clash between the Hanging Gardens and the Fortress of Spikes.
Amid the chaos, she would enter the great labyrinth along with many Servants and embark on a thrilling adventure.
In the final stage, they would join forces to challenge the guardians of the labyrinth, perhaps even facing the witch's hidden trump cards.
And in the epilogue, Amakusa might appear, demonstrating what it means to "seek yet not obtain" before the Holy Grail.