Chapter 190: The Corrupted Grail
"H-Hand slipped?!" Rin Tohsaka was dumbfounded. "You call that a hand slip?!"
"He was too noisy," SAM said self-righteously. "And he didn't look like a good person, so I couldn't help but…"
"Well done!" Shirou, however, gave a thumbs up. "I've wanted to hit him for a long time!"
You walked towards the string of holes with a wry smile. Through the openings, you could see Kotomine Kirei lying sprawled in the rubble, completely unconscious. "The mastermind is just this?" You shook your head and turned to Shirou. "I'll leave him to you. Your grievances should be settled by you."
Shirou nodded and walked towards Kirei.
With all obstacles removed, you finally arrived before the ominous Holy Grail, which was constantly overflowing with black mud. On the surface, it looked like a golden chalice, but inside, malice and curses continuously overflowed.
"This is… the Holy Grail?" Rin's body trembled slightly. "…So, everything you said was true. How could something like this grant wishes… It will only bring destruction."
Saber also fell silent. She felt the 'All the World's Evil' contained within it. She finally understood that her wish to change Britannia's fate could never be realized through this corrupted device. Perhaps, accepting the past was the true salvation. A look of relief flashed in her golden eyes as she turned to you. "Orion, retrieve it. Our Holy Grail War is over."
"I'll do it," Firefly said, taking out a device and walking towards the Grail. But just as she got close, "Ugh…!" she suddenly clutched her chest, her face turning pale. Strange patterns appeared on her cheeks.
"Firefly!" You immediately stepped forward to support her.
Cold sweat seeped from her forehead. "Entropic Loss Syndrome… Why at this time…"
"Are you alright?" Rin asked worriedly.
"I'm fine…" Firefly struggled to continue, but as soon as she took a step, the patterns deepened.
"Let me do it instead," you said decisively.
"No!" she immediately refused. "You're new. This dangerous Stellaron can't be handled by you…" Before she could finish, another wave of sharp pain struck her.
"But you can't retrieve it like this," you looked at her seriously. "Trust me, I can handle it."
In the end, she could only compromise, handing you the device. "Be careful. The pollution level of this Stellaron is very high."
You took the silver cylindrical device. "I understand."
You walked towards the Stellaron. The black mud churned violently… Make a wish… a tempting voice echoed in your mind. I can help you resurrect them.
Boom—! A flood of memories surged forth, clearer and more painful than ever! You saw Feixiao fighting, saw Neergul's battlecruiser crash, and also… Jiang Li! You saw her tear-streaked face crying out "Brother" before she was swallowed by white light!
"Jiang Li—!!!" The intense pain made you clutch your head, collapsing to your knees.
"Orion!" Firefly and Saber both ran towards you worriedly.
Kill them, the voice became more seductive. Kill these two women. Then, you will obtain me. Then, you will… resurrect your beloved younger sister!
The voice seemed to possess an irresistible magic. You suddenly lifted your head! In your vision, black threads representing death appeared on Firefly and Saber. Go, kill them! Your hand unconsciously gripped the hilt of your sword.
"Orion! What's wrong with you?!" Firefly stopped in surprise. She had never seen such a look in your eyes.
No… I can't do this… They are Firefly, Saber… companions… But, Jiang Li… my sister… Kill them… and Jiang Li can be resurrected… No!!! Jiang Li wouldn't want me to do this!
You desperately suppressed the urge, veins bulging on your face. Two forces tore wildly within you—the Stellaron's temptation and your remaining rationality.
The fierce light in your eyes gradually dissipated. You collapsed heavily, gasping for breath.
"…Orion?" Disregarding the danger, Firefly quickly ran to your side, grabbing your shoulders. "Are you alright? What happened just now?"
"I… I'm fine." You shook your head and stood up. You opened your palm; in the transparent container of the silver device, a golden sphere was rotating. "The Stellaron, successfully retrieved."
Seeing this, Firefly and the others breathed a sigh of relief. "That's great…" The patterns on Firefly's face had already receded.
However, no one noticed… the moment you lowered your head, your entire eyeball was consumed by blackness. It only lasted for less than a second before returning to normal, a strange smile appearing at the corner of your lips. The Stellaron's pollution had already permeated your body. It whispered within you, and those cruel past events you had forgotten… transformed into an irresistible echo, completely occupying your world.
[Contaminated by the Stellaron, Villain Value +1000!]
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