This Is My Holy Grail War [178]

William saw color again—through Saber’s eyes, an endless expanse of blue stretched before him… What was that?!

The rippling water reflected Saber’s face—blurred, distorted by the waves. The perspective shifted too quickly for him to get a clear look, but he wanted so badly to study Saber’s features in detail.

Was this the sea? William saw towering buildings lining the shore—he had finally tasted the light. After a life filled with bitterness, he had at last experienced something sweet.

Sitting on a crude wooden bed, William hesitated. He wanted to get up and step outside, but he feared being a burden to Saber and dared not move.

What should I do?

Though he was blind, he could share part of Saber’s vision. It wasn’t complete, and the angle was strange, but his brain had already adapted to the sight of color. Light, like countless tiny ants, burrowed into his heart, relentlessly scratching at it.

It was an unbearable itch, urging him to make a choice. He wanted to go outside, yet he didn’t want to weigh Saber down.

Compared to other Masters, he was just a useless blind man, not even as capable as an ordinary person.

The conflicting desires—whether to stay or leave—clashed within him. He longed to be closer to Saber, knowing that the nearer he was, the clearer he could see.

"Wait here. I promise you'll get the Holy Grail and regain your sight."

Saber’s sweet voice still echoed in his mind—the most beautiful sound he had ever heard in his life. Only his father, long ago, had given him such warmth.

Every time he heard Saber’s voice, the ice in his heart melted. He had so many things he wanted to say to her, but he was afraid of disturbing her.

He feared that speaking would ruin whatever fragile bond they had. He feared that if he spoke, Saber would fall into silence.

Just hearing her voice made his heart race, its powerful thumping so loud he could hear it in his ears.

The abyss of deep, cold darkness stood between him and Saber—blinding him forever. But William’s ears were sharp, and he knew that Saber was just a young girl. Though he had never seen her, she carried a maturity far beyond her years.

This isn't how a girl her age should think. William had always regarded Saber as a heavenly messenger sent by the higher powers.

Saber’s voice was cold, but that was just a façade. William knew she was simply wary of everything around her.

Curiosity made him start to rise, but reason made him sit back down.

Sitting in the lifeless wooden barracks, he was utterly powerless. The silent workshop held no sound, no distraction. He could not entertain himself like a normal person; loneliness and solitude had been his lifelong companions.

Tap, tap, tap…

The hurried sound of footsteps reached his ears.

Is that Saber?

William immediately stood up, excitement sparking in his chest. But before his lips could curl into a smile, he quickly calmed down.

His contract with Saber, bound by the [Command Spells], allowed him to sense her general location—and right now, his Servant was still some distance away!

Even though his years of blindness had sharpened his hearing, he was still only human—his perception was bound by physical limits.

Who could it be?! His heart sank. Something wasn’t right.

The footsteps were dense and chaotic—a whole crowd, at least several dozen people!

Clack, clack, clack…!

William remembered that Saber had created a legion of [Dragon Tooth Warriors] to protect him. He had caught a glimpse of them through Saber’s eyes once—gruesome, terrifying figures, but unwaveringly loyal.

The sound of their movements was overwhelming, filling the air with an eerie clatter. A creeping unease gnawed at William’s heart.

Bang!

A gunshot shattered the rhythmic noise, like a war horn signaling battle.

The next moment, deafening war cries erupted, followed by a relentless hail of gunfire.

Bones shattered as the [Dragon Tooth Warriors] fell, their agonized wails ringing in William’s ears. The sounds grew closer and clearer, pounding against his eardrums with unbearable force.

They’re coming for me!

The thought exploded in his mind.

The [Dragon Tooth Warriors] were falling back. The approaching chaos was a warning—he had to run!

These familiars were heavily armed, yet even they couldn’t hold back the intruders.

I have to run, I have to run!

William grabbed his cane from beside the bed and bolted. Darkness engulfed him, but he knew one thing—this place was no longer safe. He had to escape as fast as possible.

Thud!

His head slammed into a solid wall. Stars burst behind his eyes as dizziness washed over him. A sharp, metallic taste filled his mouth—blood.

This place had no tactile guides, no railings. Before, he would have walked cautiously, tapping his cane ahead or clapping his hands to listen for echoes. He was blind—his world was nothing but darkness.

But this time, he had no time for caution. He had to run.

The abyss stretched endlessly around him. Frantic, he reached out to feel the wall. The rough concrete scraped his palms, sharp and jagged like a bed of nails, grinding against his fingers.

At last, his hands found the door.

But the sounds of battle were closing in.

The cold night air blew in through the opening, sending a chill deep into his bones. The scent of blood, thick and undeniable, rushed at him.

Run! I must not hold Saber back—I must not!

He couldn’t see the road ahead, couldn’t even tell which way he was facing. He had no idea where to run, where to hide. But he clenched his teeth and bolted in the opposite direction of the noise.

This was the fastest he had ever run in his life. His legs were perfectly functional, but never before had he pushed them so hard. He sprinted into the void, into nothingness.

He had to escape the darkness.

Only if he survived could he wait for Saber.

What lay ahead? He didn’t know.

But he could not—would not—become Saber’s burden!

Thud.

A dull, heavy impact.

No doubt—he had crashed into another wall.

This was a construction site, filled with unfinished buildings. He couldn't see, couldn't probe his surroundings. His only way forward was through pain—his face slamming into obstacles, his body colliding with barriers, his blood marking the path to survival.

"Ngh…"

A sharp pain shot through William’s knee—the impact had torn his flesh open. Though he couldn’t see, the agony nearly made his legs buckle beneath him.

I can’t fall… I can’t…

Clutching the wall for balance, William forced himself to determine the direction. Without pausing, he took another step forward, pushing himself to run.

Every step was torture. His teeth clenched tightly as the movement pulled at the tendons in his knee, sending waves of pain surging through him. Cold sweat streamed down his face.

The biting wind lashed at him like a cruel blade, cutting into his exposed skin. His wounds, numbed by the chill, barely registered anymore. He could only keep moving—step after step, never stopping.

Thud.

For the third time, William crashed into something.

The darkness made it impossible to know what he had hit. His body collapsed onto the freezing ground, the rough concrete scraping against his already battered form, making every inch of him ache.

Summoning what little strength he had left, he tried to push himself up, but the moment he attempted to stand, he collapsed again. His knee was useless. His hands, torn open by the unforgiving pavement, bled freely.

His sunglasses had been lost somewhere along the way. His once-respectable clothes were now nothing more than tattered rags. Even the book he had kept close to his chest had slipped from his grasp, lying abandoned on the ground.

Lifting his head, he stared blankly ahead, his empty eyes void of focus. His bloodied hands stretched forward as he struggled to crawl.

For a moment, he hesitated—should he retrieve the book his father had given him?

But he let the thought go. He didn’t have the time to search for it, nor could he afford to carry it while running for his life.

William had no way of seeing the extent of his own injuries, but he could feel his condition deteriorating. As he crawled, his body dragged against the rough ground, his tattered clothes and torn skin producing an eerie, rasping sound.

Then—light.

It was faint, just a hazy glow in the all-consuming darkness.

Through the bond of their contract, Saber had drawn near, and once again, he was granted a glimpse of the world through her eyes.

Tap, tap, tap…

But she wasn’t fast enough.

The enemies behind him were closing in.

"Leaving such a long trail of blood—are you afraid people won’t find you?"

A chilling laugh sent shivers down William’s spine. Even the icy winds of Blanche’s winter had never felt this cold.

Heavy footsteps surrounded him, echoing through the frigid air. He knew—he was completely surrounded.

Strangely, Berserker didn’t strike immediately. He stopped a short distance away.

What is he doing?

"A book?"

Berserker had picked up the book William had dropped. The sudden silence was unnerving, but William knew—the enemy was everywhere. The only reason he could sense them at all was the faint sound of their breathing.

"Is this yours?" Berserker’s voice suddenly shifted into a furious snarl. "Is this your book?!"

William couldn’t see his face, but he could easily imagine it contorted in rage.

"Yes," William answered.

"The title… ‘Out of Darkness’?"

Berserker chuckled darkly, then asked again, mockingly, "Do you want to read it?"

"Out of Darkness?!"

William had never considered that his father had left him such a book. He had always thought it was just a collection of childhood fairy tales.

"Yes," he replied, unwavering.

"Wretch! Traitor! You deserve to die!"

Berserker’s voice twisted with rage. "You want to be a scholar?!"

Bang!

The book was slammed onto the ground. The next moment, William heard the brutal sound of Berserker’s foot stomping down on it.

He’s… he’s crushing my book!

"Stop! That’s mine!"

William struggled, his body writhing in desperation. But it was futile. He had no power to resist. He could only endure.

That book’s title represented his dream. Every stomp from Berserker felt like it was being driven straight into his heart.

Beyond the burning fury, William felt something worse—guilt.

Because of his own weakness, because of the burden he placed on Saber, he was consumed by self-reproach.

"Are you all right, Master?"

Saber’s voice—gentle, warm, like an angel’s—pulled him from the abyss of despair.

Pain, exhaustion, helplessness—none of it mattered the moment he heard her.

A soft hand grasped his own, its warmth cutting through the bitter cold. Saber, his Servant, paid no mind to the enemies around them. Instead, she sat beside him, tending to his wounds.

The battle… he would leave that to her.

"I’m afraid this is the end for you, Berserker."

Saber’s voice, once kind, turned as sharp as a blade. A storm was brewing within her words.

"Wretched traitor! You sought to usurp the Emperor! A villain despised by all!"

Berserker’s furious roars filled the air. "A woman, daring to claim the title of Emperor?! Blasphemy! Treason! The true Emperor has arrived! You will all die! None of you will live!"

"Heh… Traitors and scholars, conspiring together…"

After a long silence, Berserker’s ragged breaths grew heavy with rage. "You truly want to read this book?!"

"Yes."

The answer came instinctively, without hesitation.

"Then die! Die for it!"

"Why?"

The word slipped out before William even realized it. It was as if some cursed force had compelled him to ask.

"Because [I am the Nine-Thousand-Year Duke]!"

Berserker’s voice boomed, revealing his True Name.

And in that instant, his name became a curse.

A searing agony tore through William’s body—like countless knives flaying him alive. The pain started from his feet, slowly creeping upward, slicing into his flesh, stripping him apart piece by piece.

"AAAHHHH!!"

William screamed, his body convulsing as he writhed on the ground.

The excruciating torment shredded his nerves, threatening to strip away his very sanity.

He gritted his teeth, enduring the unbearable agony. The pain drilled into his skull, his entire body drenched in blood.

This was the accursed torture of lingchi—death by a thousand cuts. A hero might have been able to endure it, but even they would suffer.

But William had already survived a lifetime of suffering. His heart had long since been tempered like steel.

For now—he could still hold on.

His body weakened, inching closer to death.

But he had no regrets.

If given the choice again—if asked whether he would still want to read that book—he would answer the same without hesitation.

To step out of the darkness—

That was his greatest wish.

That was why he sought the Holy Grail.

Even if he had to sacrifice his life, he would never regret it.

As long as he could see the light—just once—it would all be worth it.

But…

He was no longer alone.

His choices now affected his Servant as well.

"I’m sorry…"

The words carried the weight of his guilt.

"I’m sorry for dragging you into this."

He had apologized countless times before, after every collision, every mistake.

But this was the most sincere apology of his life.

And the most painful one.

"No… if anyone should apologize, it’s me."

A voice as gentle as an angel’s whispered.

At that moment—

For the first time—

William saw the endless blue sky.

He had escaped the darkness.

And in his vision, framed by the heavens above, was Saber’s face, filled with quiet remorse…

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T/N: no... William...

This is a fan translation of 这是我的圣杯之战 by 向希望祈祷. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!