Shirou wasn't sure how he'd entered this bizarre dream, or how to leave it. But going along with it might give him some clues. So he followed the plan in this strange dreamscape.
In the setting of this dream, Shirou had used the police to ambush and kill Artoria and Kiritsugu. But that wasn't the end. The Command Spells had been revealed to the public through a TV broadcast, causing huge uproar.
This led Tokiomi, Fuyuki's second owner, to intervene to contain the incident.
With the Command Spells exposed, magecraft was also in danger of exposure. Most importantly, Shirou had blown up Risei and Kirei, the Church's agents, with an RPG. So the Church sent investigators as well.
Right on schedule, in broad daylight, Shirou had Scathach launch a sneak attack on Gilgamesh while he was strolling the streets.
The intense battle instantly exposed magecraft to the public!
People panicked as fearless reporters and TV stations frantically broadcasted the scene.
The Church, Tokiomi, and even the Mage's Association overseas were alarmed, sending urgent inquiries. Shirou used his contract with Waver to hide himself while contacting the Church, insisting firmly that Tokiomi was responsible for exposing magecraft.
The Church immediately pressured Tokiomi, demanding he stop the Holy Grail War at once and conceal magecraft, or else they would act against his family.
With magecraft exposed and under pressure from the Church and Mage's Association, Tokiomi compromised for his family's sake. Using his last Command Spell, he ordered Gilgamesh to commit suicide.
"Mongrels, mongrels, you damned mongrels...!"
Gilgamesh was Gilgamesh after all. He took out a Noble Phantasm to resist the Command Spell, briefly blocking its suicide effect. But Scathach seized the chance and stabbed him through the heart.
In his final moments before death, the enraged Gilgamesh unleashed Noble Phantasms at Shirou. But the vigilant Scathach flicked them all away.
Seeing Gilgamesh's furious expression, Shirou smiled and said, "See you later, mongrel."
Shirou no longer hated Gilgamesh, feeling a sense of friendship with the fellow internet troll instead. But the script of this dream went this way, so he played his part.
Gilgamesh disappeared unwillingly with rage.
"It's finally over, Shirou," said the wounded Scathach, turning with a smile.
"Not yet," he shook his head.
"Why isn't it over? Gilgamesh is gone," she laughed, reaching to flick his nose.
However, halfway there, he grabbed her hand.
He looked at her helplessly. "Can you stop flicking my nose all the time, shisho?"
"Oh my, the war's over and you don't need my help anymore. Cutting ties after using me - how heartless," she teased.
His mouth twitched.
In the end, she happily flicked his nose and forcibly hugged him tight.
He struggled, but unfortunately in this dream, his only ability was [Mortal Awakening]. Facing Scathach like this was as useless as facing Arcueid!
She carried him like a bandit Queen abducting a maiden - utterly humiliating!
"Well, Shirou, the war's over. As victor you'll get the Grail. What will you wish for?"
"No wishes, just living each day in peace."
This had always been his desire - whether the 4th Holy Grail War, Camelot, or now... This wish hadn't changed.
So if this bizarre dream was based on him by someone, his wish would definitely be this. Not seeking adventure, only wishing to live each day peacefully.
Of course, this wish had always been just a beautiful dream for him - something he knew would be forever beyond his grasp. And naturally, in this dreamworld, the Holy Grail would remain out of his reach as well.
Besides the fact that this was all merely a strange dream, most importantly, the Grail from the 4th Holy Grail War had long been tainted and could no longer grant wishes. Now, it harbored only disaster and destruction in the form of the black mud.
But this dream definitely wouldn't recreate that nightmarish situation of Fuyuki being swallowed up by the mud, as Shirou had experienced. After all, Irisviel as the Lesser Grail had long been confined in the Einzbern castle.
With 6 Servants eliminated, the Grail would have started unleashing the mud through Irisviel. But with her being tied in the castle, at worst only its grounds would likely have succumbed to the black mud - sparing Fuyuki City from destruction.
By all accounts, things should have ended by now. Yet Shirou still had no idea how to escape this vivid dream.
Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a powerful bullet tore through the air aimed straight for him. Reacting quickly, Scathach swung her spear and deflected the shot.
"Not bad, as expected from the Queen of Shadow Land."
An alluring laugh then rang in his ears. Looking up with surprise, he saw Irisviel leisurely strolling towards them from down the street. Garbed in a black dress, her snow-white hair appeared almost ghostly. Behind her sprawled a disturbing scene of endless black mud cascading from the torn sky in the distance.
Scathach eyed Irisviel warily as she slowly approached, softly warning: "That woman has a terrifyingly immense mana. Be careful, Shirou."
He nodded. Even without her pointing it out, he could clearly sense it - Irisviel was enshrouded in a terrifying dark aura, billowing and raging. Its intensity was inhuman, more similar to the land's ley lines than to that of a mortal!
He recognized this sheer excess of mana. It was what he had inherited during the 4th Holy Grail War from [All the World's Evil] - the accumulated mana stockpiled within the Grail over 240 years!
Yet unlike reality, in this dream, it was Irisviel who had somehow absorbed that power...
Gazing intently at the black-clad Irisviel, Shirou murmured with a complex expression: "Angra Mainyu..."
He had seen through the true identity of Irisviel even without relying on [All the World's Evil] or Eternal King's Noble Phantasm. That wasn't actually Irisviel - it was Angra Mainyu, hiding inside the Grail and using her body to set foot on this land again!
Facing Angra Mainyu left him with complicated feelings. After all, he had only managed to resolve the 4th Holy Grail War by acknowledging [All the World's Evil] and accepting it. So before fading away, Angra Mainyu had entrusted both that evil and the Grail's mana to him.
It's fair to say Shirou wouldn't have made it to where he was today without Angra Mainyu's help.
Still, while Shirou had entertained the possibility of crossing paths with him again someday, he never imagined it happening in this strange dream.
"Oh? You actually know that name...but no matter. I'm Irisviel now," said Angra Mainyu with a smile. "As the victor, what do you want as your reward?"
"You're not here to grant my wish - you want to kill me, right?" Shirou replied evenly.
His six-year-old self would have panicked at this unbelievable situation. But after everything he had endured, a small surprise like this was nothing.
"So smart! You killed this body's beloved, so of course I, Irisviel, will have my revenge!" With an icy laugh, she lunged at him.
Wielded by Angra Mainyu, [All the World's Evil] was even more threatening than when Shirou had held it. Its destructive might against Servants and Heroic Spirits was unparalleled. And that was without even considering the 240 years of accumulated energy Angra Mainyu now possessed!
According to Valkyrie's readings, that terrifying magical power totaled at least 120 million - many times what the Eternal King currently commanded.
Sensing the danger, Scathach's first move was to shove Shirou away before using her Primordial Rune to whisk him somewhere safe.
"Go!" she ordered. "I'll handle this."
Steeling herself, she turned to face Angra Mainyu.
"He's just a pathetic mortal. Why go so far to protect him, Queen of the Shadow Lands?" Angra Mainyu was curious.
"I'm Shirou's Servant. I won't let you hurt him," she said firmly. "And you have no right to judge him when you know nothing about him."
"Then let's play a game. I'll show you his true nature," Angra Mainyu replied with a laugh. "It's a waste of time, I know, but no matter. Once I descend into this world, the outcome is already decided. And with that annoying Saver gone as well... Hmm, this is truly wonderful."
Scathach attacked, but like how Shirou had previously suppressed Gilgamesh by using the black mud's vast reserves of mana, Angra Mainyu now relied on that same power to overwhelm Scathach, swallowing her in black mud.
...
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