This Is My Holy Grail War [195]

Standing before Saber was Assassin, sword in hand. Yet in her emerald-green eyes, there was only the reflection of the river—a river of swords, flowing straight and unbroken.

The surface of this river remained utterly still, just like Saber’s expression.

The face of Artoria was strikingly beautiful, but the air she exuded was chilling to the bone.

Saber controlled her dragon-tooth warriors, now transformed into skeletal fish, to monitor the ley lines beneath the water. Though she herself never stepped into the river, not a single inch of the riverbed could escape her sight.

[Pure Eyes]—it was not merely a matter of seeing with one’s eyes. It was the power to comprehend, to analyze. Even without direct vision, she could understand.

The information from her familiars flowed into her mind through their contract. And then, the knowledge she had once learned from the underworld goddess Hecate allowed her to instantly parse through all magic at play.

Finally, [Pure Eyes] projected the entire composition of the Greater Grail into her consciousness.

Saber’s eyes shimmered with a radiant glow, shifting from their natural emerald to the deep luster of sapphire.

She could see it—the future of this Holy Grail.

In this submerged world, even a magus from the Age of Gods would struggle to grasp the Grail’s full mechanism.

And yet, despite never having set foot in the water, Saber saw everything.

The blue luminescence in her eyes flickered, resembling a brilliant gemstone.

She did not yet know the best moment to forcibly activate the Greater Grail.

After all, if the souls within the Grail were insufficient, then no amount of force could bring it to life.

The Grail in Fuyuki had a Lesser Grail system, a temporary vessel designed to store the souls of defeated Servants. Strictly speaking, the devoured souls were not fed directly to the Greater Grail but were first contained within the Lesser Grail—only through this system could the flow of energy into the Greater Grail be regulated.

Saber could tell that the Grail here had once possessed a similar system.

But it had been destroyed by human hands.

The Servant who had cleaved this river of swords in two had not completely destroyed the Grail, but they had left an unpatchable wound upon it.

To be precise, the Greater Grail had been pierced through.

Though not entirely shattered.

The Einzbern family, in their efforts to repair the Grail and ensure its continued function, had made some… modifications.

They had removed the complex Lesser Grail system and replaced it with an intricate external ritual, allowing the Grail to sustain itself.

This was why Saber had never seen any homunculi in this Holy Grail War—this war did not require a Lesser Grail.

Until now, only Berserker’s soul had been absorbed.

But at this moment, Saber sensed the presence of another.

She recalled that Rider had challenged Archer not long ago.

Perhaps… this soul belonged to Rider.

Saber silently deduced the conclusion in her heart—Rider must have died.

And now, the Grail held two souls.

"...Seems like that's enough."

Saber suddenly turned, shifting her gaze back toward Assassin.

She murmured softly, causing the assassin to furrow his brows in confusion.

"Enough for what?" he asked.

"Someone has died. That means the Grail can be activated now."

Whether she explained it or not didn’t matter.

The moment the Grail activated, every Master and Servant would see it for themselves.

There was no concealing it.

Without waiting, Saber parted her lips.

With a divine incantation, she forced the Grail within the sword river to activate.

The once-fluid current of the river came to a sudden halt.

The still waters split apart as an immense vortex formed at the center of the river.

Surging mana erupted from within the Grail, as though invisible hands were tearing through the water to reveal the riverbed below.

"...This can’t be real…"

Victoria’s hands flew to her mouth, eyes wide with disbelief.

"This was simple," Saber replied casually, shrugging at the frail magus.

"The Grail is full of holes."

To her, it was effortless.

If given time, she could dismantle the entire Grail and rebuild it from scratch.

"I had originally planned to kill Assassin first before activating the Grail, but it seems someone beat me to it."

"Is… is that the Holy Grail?!"

Victoria's voice trembled as she gazed at the river of swords, her eyes alight with fervor.

She looked as though she might throw herself into it at any moment, like a devout believer standing before the divine.

Even though she had already reached the answer in her heart, she still had to ask.

Perhaps the question wasn’t meant for Saber, but for herself.

"The greatest function of the Grail isn’t granting wishes."

Saber never hesitated to speak the truth about the Grail’s mysteries.

She simply wanted this girl to understand one thing.

"To me, a Grail overflowing with mana is no different from a wish-granting device."

"But in truth, the Grail is a ritual—a gateway to the Root."

Saber offered a polite smile before continuing,

"The so-called wish-granting Grail is nothing more than a massive mana reservoir."

"Miracles require a process. The Grail only provides the energy needed for that process."

Then, her tone turned sharp.

"Resurrection is something even True Magic cannot achieve."

"Don’t delude yourself into thinking the Grail can perform such an impossible miracle."

"No matter how much mana you pour into it—what’s impossible will remain impossible."

Saber was not particularly skilled at persuasion.

But she still chose to try.

If she succeeded, bloodshed could be avoided.

She had no love for battle.

Others might find exhilaration in standing at the precipice of life and death, but Saber only found it tiresome.

“…I have to try.”

Victoria’s voice was resolute.

"The Grail is right in front of me."

"Not now."

"Experiments can wait for another time."

"But I will not allow anyone to touch this Grail."

Saber had always known that magi were stubborn to the point of absurdity.

Even after explaining the truth, this girl still refused to listen.

"I won’t back down."

Victoria’s unwavering stance mirrored that of Assassin.

"This is my bottom line."

Saber had no intention of continuing this conversation.

For now, only she and Assassin stood before the Greater Grail.

But if they stalled for too long, more Servants would arrive.

Saber knew—once the Greater Grail activated, every Servant would come rushing toward it.

"Why?"

"This is my bottom line."

Saber repeated herself, finding this magus increasingly irritating.

She was beginning to feel a hint of disgust.

"Then let’s settle this with our Noble Phantasms. Just one strike."

Victoria declared her challenge without hesitation.

"If Assassin wins, you will hand over the Grail to me."

"And if you lose?"

Saber showed no fear of a clash between Noble Phantasms.

With [Avalon] in her possession, she was already standing in a place beyond defeat.

"I… will bless you on your path to claiming the Grail."

Victoria forced a smile.

She was serious.

She knew there was little time left.

Saber saw that Assassin had already taken his stance.

Behind him, a powerful melody began to play.

Saber couldn't determine the source of the music—it was as if it had manifested directly in her mind.

There was a shift in Assassin’s presence.

A subtle, yet unmistakable change.

For a moment, Saber thought she was facing not an assassin, but a berserker.

"Then let’s begin!"

With those words, Saber drew [Durandal], raising the holy sword and aiming it at Assassin.

Her swordsmanship was absolute.

"White Rainbow Piercing the Sun."

No hesitation.

No probing for weaknesses.

The very first strike was a killing blow.

Assassin's figure blurred into a streak of light—

A dazzling white comet, his sword like a radiant arc slashing through the air.

Fast. Fast. Fast!

Even Saber, with her sharpened senses, couldn’t fully capture his movement.

All she saw was a faint afterimage flickering before her eyes.

His speed was terrifying—

But Saber, a veteran of countless battles, reacted instantly.

She knew there was no avoiding it.

So, the moment Assassin unleashed his Noble Phantasm, she countered with her own.

Her decision was swift, born from instinct and experience.

There was no time for hesitation.

"Hiken—"

Saber refused to be outdone.

If it came down to exchanging blows, then she would meet his strike with her own.

"[Tsubame Gaesh]i!"

Three azure arcs cut through the air in graceful curves, each moving in a different direction—

Only to converge at a single point in an instant.

Assassin was nothing but a flickering shadow in Saber’s eyes.

Her vision could not track his body, but her intuition guided her blade.

She aimed precisely at his most vital spot—his spirit core.

Sparks exploded as metal clashed against metal.

The flash of impact illuminated the battlefield.

Assassin's sword struck Saber’s chest plate.

For a fleeting second, her armor held—

But then, it shattered.

Pain shot through her body as the blade pierced her flesh.

At the same time, her three razor-sharp strikes found their mark.

Assassin wore no armor.

No defenses shielded him.

And so, where her sword fell, it cut straight through—

Leaving behind exposed bone and crimson streaks of blood.

Neither of them could avoid the other’s attack.

Both had aimed for the spirit core—

The very essence of a Servant.

Drip—

Blood trickled from their blades, splattering onto the rough concrete.

Two crimson pools, spreading across the ground.

"You wanted to win that badly?"

Assassin was the first to speak.

He pulled his sword from Saber’s chest, planting it into the ground to steady himself.

He was wavering, barely able to stand.

Leaning against his sword, he held himself upright.

Saber did not answer.

She clutched her wound and staggered back several steps.

"Same goes for you."

She let out a breathless, almost delirious laugh.

Pain was dulling her senses, making her voice tremble.

"You could have retreated."

[Tsubame Gaeshi] had a limited range.

If Assassin had simply stopped his charge, he could have avoided the strike.

One decisive exchange.

That was all it had taken.

No prolonged clash of blades.

No drawn-out spectacle.

In less than a second, the duel had ended.

Both swords had found their mark.

And in the end, the outcome would not be determined by skill alone—

But by endurance.

Saber had suffered damage to her spirit core before.

This kind of searing agony was something she could withstand.

And with [Avalon], her regenerative abilities were nothing short of miraculous—

Perhaps even bordering on immortality.

"Yeah… it’s ironic."

Assassin’s voice was laced with bitter amusement.

"We both fought so desperately for victory… and yet, in the end, there’s no winner."

His wounds were fatal.

Death was imminent.

And he assumed Saber’s fate would be the same.

Without a spirit core, no Servant could survive.

If they both perished, then neither of them would be able to claim the Grail.

"No."

Saber shook her head.

She was smiling.

Not out of madness—

But out of triumph.

"I won."

Assassin frowned.

"You were struck through the spirit core. How much longer do you think you can last?"

"Around… ten days, maybe?"

Saber sounded uncertain.

She had survived in this state before.

She had once fought Gilgamesh with a shattered core.

"Resting for a bit won’t make much of a difference in the battles to come."

She was confident in her resilience.

And even more so in [Avalon]’s power.

"It just… hurts a little, that’s all."

She was still smiling.

Assassin had lost the ability to fight.

His body was beginning to fade.

Not all Servants were granted the luxury of a regenerative Noble Phantasm.

Saber knew—he didn’t have much time left.

Turning away, she leaned against the railing by the sword river.

The pain was real.

Her thoughts were hazy.

But one thing was certain—

In pure swordsmanship, she and Assassin had been evenly matched.

But in endurance?

She had far surpassed him.

"You win."

Victoria bit her lip in frustration.

Defeat was bitter, but she had no choice but to accept it.

She stepped away, slumping into a secluded corner, silently watching the distance.

Not Saber.

But the Holy Grail.

The river of swords, flowing endlessly before her.

The [Command Spells] still burned on the back of her hand.

Yet she had never once issued an order to Assassin.

And now, he stood motionless, leaning against his sword.

He did not fight back.

Perhaps he had been convinced by Victoria.

Perhaps he simply lacked the strength.

Either way, he made no further attempts to attack—

And as his form dissolved into golden dust,

He vanished from the world without another word.

Victoria sat motionless.

Saber could see the shimmer of tears in her eyes.

But she did not cry.

Instead, she smiled.

And with that smile, she offered her blessing.

"If you were willing to go this far… then you must have a truly, truly important wish you’re fighting to fulfill."

Even as her voice trembled, even as she quietly wept—

She still kept her promise.

---

T/N: sigh

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!