IBHJ 1010

"You can't kill me, and I can't kill you," Arash smiled.

"You think I don't have a Noble Phantasm capable of destroying 'immortality'?" Gilgamesh's face was grim. "Your arrogance knows no bounds!"

"I'm sure you do. But I bet you also know I won't give you the chance to use it. Stella——!!"

Arash activated [Stella] once more, obliterating Gilgamesh. Both revived, only for Arash to continue the cycle, perishing alongside Gilgamesh repeatedly.

Just as Arash predicted, Gilgamesh's treasury indeed held Noble Phantasms capable of nullifying immortality. But he had no opportunity to use them, trapped in an endless loop of death by Arash's infinite [Stella].

Gilgamesh never imagined that Manaka had such a trump card that could counter his abilities.

Arash's "Ultimate Shot" could pierce anything, traditionally at the cost of his life. Now, with immortality, Arash had completely transcended the limits of a Heroic Spirit. He had become the ultimate weapon, enough to make even Grand Servants and Beasts flee. Nothing could withstand infinite [Stella].

On the surface, it appeared Arash was restraining Gilgamesh with [Stella], but in reality, Gilgamesh was restraining Arash with his immortality.

But this would come to an end soon.

While Gilgamesh's immortality was flawless, allowing him to outlast any Heroic Spirit, he would still vanish if his Master were killed.

Now, as Arash suppressed Gilgamesh, Brynhildr advanced on the young man and his companions.

"Don't even think about it——" Mordred shouted, raising her sword.

Brynhildr thrust her spear, which passed through Mordred's body, while Mordred's sword sank into Brynhildr's abdomen.

Yet Brynhildr didn't fall. She merely glanced at Mordred before turning her attention to Fujimaru and Misaya.

"Immortality, immortality... always with the immortality!" Mordred gritted her teeth. This was the worst possible enemy for her to face.

"Don't run, Lancer! Your opponent is me!" she shouted, charging at Brynhildr.

With one slash, she tore open Brynhildr's abdomen. But Brynhildr just glanced at her dismissively and kept walking towards Fujimaru and Misaya.

In some ways, Mordred was even more troublesome than Gilgamesh. When dealing with such a troublesome character, the best strategy was to ignore them and target their Master instead.

Fujimaru's eyes widened in alarm as Brynhildr charged towards them.

"Move it, nerd!" Misaya yelled, yanking the young man behind her. She flung a handful of black sand at Brynhildr.

In an instant, black magic flared to life. The sand morphed into a storm of steel-hard black feathers, bombarding Brynhildr and shredding her skin. But moments later, her body returned to its original state.

"Damn immortality!" Misaya hissed through clenched teeth.

Brynhildr turned, her divine spear transforming into a beam of moonlight. It swept horizontally towards Misaya and Fujimaru.

Just as it was about to strike Misaya, a sword flashed into its path. With a resounding clang, it blocked the spear.

"Mordred!"

Teeth gritted, Mordred channeled her dragon-kind power and Moon Cell enhancement. With one powerful sword strike, she repelled Brynhildr, then shoved Misaya and Fujimaru behind her.

Mordred's eyes flashed. The patterns across her body began to emit an eerie glow, morphing into new glyphs. Simultaneously, her magical energy gushed like a geyser.

"So you've given up your defense and channeled all your mana into attacks?" Brynhildr recognized Mordred's strategy.

And she was right. Brynhildr wouldn't focus on Mordred when she was intangible, and Mordred's Grail couldn't control Brynhildr's mind, corrupted as it was by Manaka.

Left with no choice, Mordred abandoned her intangible form and redirected all the Grail's power into pure offense. This decision vastly increased her strength, but at the cost of her invulnerability.

Mordred's body blazed with mana like a living flame. With a fierce battle cry, she brought her sword down on Brynhildr. The blade whistled through the air, aiming for Brynhildr's shoulder.

Confronted by Mordred's overwhelming aura, even Brynhildr couldn't ignore the threat. She quickly raised her spear to defend herself. The weapons met with a resounding clang. Brynhildr deflected the blow, sliding her spear along Mordred's sword to push it aside.

Each of Mordred's blows landed with increasing force. She followed up with a rapid series of strikes - a horizontal slash, a diagonal cut, a thrust aimed at Brynhildr's midsection. Empowered by the Grail, her strength now rivaled that of a dragon. Mana surged from her like a rushing river. She pressed her advantage, not giving Brynhildr a moment to counterattack.

Even Brynhildr, enhanced by Manaka's power, had to stay alert. She parried and dodged, her spear a blur of motion as she fended off Mordred's endless attacks. She sidestepped a particularly powerful overhead strike, the earth splintering beneath Mordred's blade.

However, Brynhildr's immortality granted her limitless stamina and mana, along with formidable combat prowess. She chose to play the long game, weathering Mordred's relentless attacks.

While Mordred's Grail-enhanced state was formidable, she remained, at her core, a normal Heroic Spirit. The influx of mana boosted her combat ability but rapidly depleted her endurance.

The tide of battle shifted. What began as Mordred's complete domination soon turned in Brynhildr's favor. Mordred's breathing grew labored, her mana fluctuations erratic, and her aura unstable.

"It's pointless. You can't kill me," Brynhildr said, her voice eerily calm as she revived once again. "Though I take no pleasure in winning this way, my Master's orders are absolute."

Mordred clenched her jaw. "I hate immortality!"

Fujimaru watched the battle unfold, his concern growing. "This isn't good. Immortality is the perfect counter to Mordred's abilities. If this keeps up, she won't make it."

"And Archer is pinned down by Arash," Misaya added, her usual negativity replaced by genuine worry. For once, she found herself concerned for Mordred's well-being.

But did their worry make a difference?

Did Mordred even want their concern?

"I don't need anyone's pity!"

Mordred's shout rang out as mana blazed around her blade. She lunged forward, feet digging into the ground for maximum power. With a single, fierce stroke, she swung her sword in a wide arc. The mana-infused blade met Brynhildr's neck and sliced through cleanly, severing her head in a single strike.

She breathed heavily, muscles relaxing as she lowered her blade. But without warning, Brynhildr's headless body suddenly moved. A spear thrust out from the decapitated form. Mordred, caught off guard by the sneak attack, couldn't shift her stance in time to evade. The weapon pierced her right shoulder blade, driving deep into the muscle.

Brynhildr, still moving despite her apparent death, used the spear stuck in Mordred to turn. She planted her feet and, with inhuman strength, hurled Mordred through the air. Mordred's body flew backward, spinning from the force of the throw. She slammed into a massive tree with devastating impact. The collision shattered the trunk, sending splinters and shards of wood flying everywhere. The tree broke apart around her, leaving nothing but a shower of debris and a splintered stump. Mordred fell among the broken pieces, the air knocked from her lungs as she coughed up blood.

Crimson stained her lips and seeped from her shoulder, soaking her clothes.

"Drip, drip."

Bright droplets of blood trickled down the spear's tip, coating Brynhildr's newly regenerated hand. Her fresh face emerged, and she extended her tongue, lightly tasting the red liquid. Her eyes, glowing with an otherworldly light, betrayed a perverse pleasure. "Ah, the flavor of humanity. Exquisite."

With a casual flick of her wrist, she scattered the remaining blood across the ground. Then, moving with an unnatural grace, she advanced towards Mordred.

The repeated deaths at Mordred's hands had twisted Brynhildr's corrupted mind, breeding a deep-seated hatred. This new, dark emotion was a stark contrast to her true nature, now serving as the primary force behind her actions. Hate, love's antithesis, consumed her. She hated the gods, the world, humanity, and anyone who had ever caused her pain...

"Mordred!" Fujimaru cried out, instinctively moving to help. Misaya's hand shot out, holding him back.

He was Fujimaru Shirou, yet not Fujimaru Shirou. He had no special powers his future self had.

"Shut it! As if I could ever lose!"

Mordred's voice rang out, defiant despite her injuries. She gripped her wounded shoulder, her eyes never leaving Brynhildr's approaching form.

Immortality was the perfect counter to her abilities. Under normal circumstances, she could have used the Grail to control immortal beings, but Manaka's black mud had sealed away that power. To overcome Brynhildr in direct combat, Mordred realized she had only one option left - to unleash the Grail's true, sealed power.

But then she remembered Tethys' warning that the Grail's sealed power was unique, and it was best not to use it.

She knew the Grail was her greatest achievement, yet she had never truly possessed it.

The Grail waited, yearning for the moment Mordred would fully embrace its power. But she understood that doing so would cross a line she could never return from.

Once that boundary was crossed, "she" would cease to exist.

And yet—

"If I don't love myself, who will? If I don't protect myself, who will?"

Born from revenge, devoid of blessings, showered only in curses. Even the hard-earned gains of her later years, she had destroyed with her own hands, tears streaming down her face.

Dreams crumbled in a flash, leaving only shadows behind. No one left to love or hate her, memories fading to emptiness. Like a road with no return, all happiness seemed lost forever.

So, if she didn't love herself, who would?

Mordred's Grail emitted an eerie light, its third eye slowly opening for the first time. Mordred's skin became transparent, revealing countless stars within.

She was on the verge of crossing that boundary.

"Just what I expected from Mordred-chan." On a far-off tree branch, Demonic Bodhisattva watched Mordred with a smile as she was about to fully use the Grail. "Giving you back your intellect was the right move. Yes, you and I are the same. Father, mother, love, friendship... we don't need any of that. No one loves us, we only have ourselves."

Her eyes were empty, filled only with cold madness. "Welcome to the world of Beast. And yet, I should be happier now. In my lonely world, there's finally someone I can call a friend... Hm?"

All of a sudden, a light appeared, shining on Fujimaru and Gilgamesh.

A reddish-black light.

"What's that?" she murmured.

The reddish-black light flowed from Fujimaru and Gilgamesh, rising into the sky. It turned into a cloud of stardust, then came together in a cluster.

The black divine spear spun, aiming straight for Mordred. Just as she was about to activate her Grail and cross the boundary, a hand appeared from behind her, gently touching her shoulder.

Mordred froze. She turned to see a figure made of reddish-black mud stepping out from behind her, reaching for the black spear.

Fujimaru pushed up his glasses, his eyes wide. "The mud he left on us... its true purpose wasn't a backup plan, but to protect Mordred?"

He was shocked!

Mordred stared at the mud figure's back. She knew who it was without a doubt. The figure's back belonged to the man she'd thought about her whole life, longed for, yet also resented.

It was the back of the father she'd dreamed of all her life, but never seen.