Ushiwakamaru ultimately lost.
This was within Morpheus's expectations. After all, Ushiwakamaru's strength was no match for Scathach's, especially with Morpheus as Scathach's Master.
And Ushiwakamaru's Master? Gin.
Gin was fine for taking out ordinary people, but as a Master, he was sorely lacking.
Most critically, he wasn't a mage and had no magical energy. How he became Ushiwakamaru's Master was anyone's guess.
As an ordinary human, he couldn't provide Ushiwakamaru with any significant support.
Thus, it was only natural that Ushiwakamaru lost to Scathach.
Emiya Shirou wasn't much different from Gin.
Though he had summoned Saber Artoria using the sword sheath within his body, like Gin, he had little magical energy, severely holding Saber Artoria back.
Saber Artoria couldn't unleash her full potential and was thoroughly suppressed by Lancer Artoria.
In the end, she lost.
"I'm sorry, Master."
Unlike Ushiwakamaru, who vanished without a final word, Lancer Artoria, though victorious, didn't deal a killing blow. Instead, she gave Saber Artoria time to bid farewell to Emiya Shirou.
"I lost this battle."
And she lost spectacularly, dominated by Lancer Artoria throughout. At that moment, Saber Artoria began to doubt herself.
Worse still, she had only just been summoned.
Not even a single night had passed, and she was already forced to exit. The frustration was indescribable.
Though Emiya Shirou understood little about the Holy Grail War—practically nothing—he knew his summoned Saber was about to depart.
But having been Master and Servant, he bore no ill will toward her.
Nor was he that kind of person.
After a heartfelt farewell, Saber Artoria dissolved into motes of light, vanishing before everyone's eyes.
With that, the Holy Grail War concluded.
There was only one victor: Morpheus.
Morpheus dispelled the domain, paying no heed to Emiya Shirou or Gin, and returned to Ryuudou Temple with Scathach and Lancer Artoria.
As the Holy Grail War ended, the Holy Grail began to manifest.
By the time Morpheus arrived, a rift had appeared above Ryuudou Temple. Black mud poured from it like a torrential downpour, flooding the temple grounds.
This black mud was Angra Mainyu, the embodiment of all the world's evils, laden with humanity's curses and negative emotions.
Any human who touched it would be corrupted, driven to madness.
Even Servants, upon contact, would fall, becoming blackened, emotionless killing machines.
In this world, Angra Mainyu seemed even more terrifying.
Beyond human curses and negative emotions, it carried the curses of yokai and evil spirits, making it more fearsome than the Shikon Jewel. Even a slight touch could vastly increase a yokai's power.
If a portion were consumed, even an ordinary yokai could become a great demon.
The price? Becoming a mindless killer consumed by slaughter.
Morpheus could sense that Fuyuki City's evil spirits and impurities were drawn to this power, converging on Ryuudou Temple.
If these entities consumed the black mud, Fuyuki City would become a stage for a Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.
The city would suffer catastrophic losses.
So, Morpheus raised his hand, casting a barrier that enveloped Ryuudou Temple, preventing external spirits from entering and the black mud from spilling out.
As the black mud spread in all directions, Morpheus's right hand unleashed a powerful suction.
The sky full of black mud was drawn toward his palm.
Like rivers converging, the mud rushed forward, pouring into his hand. Morpheus compressed it, again and again, until it formed a palm-sized black orb.
The process took nearly half an hour.
It continued until no more black mud flowed from the rift above Ryuudou Temple.
The orb of black mud contained the world's most potent curses and negative emotions. A single glance could make an ordinary person nauseous or drive them insane.
It was a supremely terrifying weapon.
Yet Morpheus remained unfazed. His palm emitted a white light that swept over the black mud.
This was purification magic, capable of cleansing all impurities.
Amplified by Morpheus's radiant power, the purification magic's potency increased several—perhaps dozens of—times.
The white light enveloped the black orb, gradually purifying the curses and negative emotions within.
When it was done, the black orb became a translucent white sphere.
The curses and negative emotions were completely eradicated.
Yet the pure magical energy remained.
Under Morpheus's manipulation, it transformed into a mana crystal, brimming with unimaginable power. If detonated, it could level all of Fuyuki City.
Quite a valuable treasure.
Morpheus casually stored the mana crystal and looked to the sky.
A golden cup appeared above, slowly descending before him.
This was the Holy Grail.
With Angra Mainyu purified, the Grail had returned to its original form.
Morpheus turned to Scathach and Lancer Artoria. "Either of you want to make a wish?"
Scathach raised an eyebrow, glancing at the Grail with indifference. "I'm not interested in wishes. I just want to fight you, Master."
Morpheus ignored the battle-hungry Queen of the Land of Shadows and looked to Lancer Artoria.
Lancer Artoria said, "My wish has already been fulfilled by you, Master."
Morpheus recalled that Lancer Artoria had agreed to serve him because Britannia needed food, and food was something he had in abundance.
"Since neither of you has a wish, I'll keep the Grail."
Both womEnnodded.
Morpheus decisively stored the Grail as a collectible, as he had no wishes of his own.
Rather than wishing, he preferred to achieve his goals with his own hands.
Hard work brings its own rewards, after all.
After stowing the Grail, Morpheus planned to send Scathach back, but she refused. "I'd like to stay in this world a bit longer, see what it's like. Is that unwelcome, Master?"
"Of course you're welcome. Stay as long as you like—I have no objections."
Lancer Artoria, however, planned to return. Her era had people waiting for her to bring back food.
Morpheus naturally didn't refuse, providing her with a vast amount of food.
In exchange, he formed a contract with Lancer Artoria, making her his devotee.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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