The story about "All the World's Evils" wasn't very long. In just a few minutes, Eriri gave Irisviel and the others a clear understanding of the origins and background of the black mud.
Upon learning the details, both Artoria and Medusa became visibly wary of the mud, while Irisviel and the others didn't seem particularly bothered.
Having lived with Eriri for so long, their perspectives had long surpassed the common sense of magi or Heroic Spirits from the Type-Moon world.
While "All the World's Evils," a manifestation of the world's malice, was certainly formidable, it was nothing compared to Eriri.
Even the Swirl of the Root in this world couldn't surpass Eriri.
And since their own abilities were also quite formidable, none of them felt the need to fear the black mud.
"Well, this guy did have a pretty tragic past, but now that it's come to this, there's really no point in letting him continue to exist," Eriri said casually, looking at the black mud sphere in the air.
Everyone naturally understood who she meant by "this guy."
Angra Mainyu, the evil god from Zoroastrian mythology, wasn't the actual deity in this case. Rather, he was an unfortunate soul blamed as the embodiment of "All the World's Evils" by a village of Zoroastrian believers.
Of course, none of that had anything to do with Eriri.
She casually withdrew her right hand from Irisviel's soft embrace, raised it, and snapped her fingers with practiced ease.
The instant the snap echoed, the previously motionless sphere of black mud began to tremble irregularly. Then, it abruptly shrank to less than half its size.
The contraction continued for several more seconds until the black mud—both the portion that had emerged into the world and the part containing Angra Mainyu—completely vanished.
Not just the surface-level mud, but all the corrupted essence within the Greater Grail was thoroughly purged.
With that done, the Lesser Holy Grail Eriri had created returned to its original form.
Watching the black mud disappear without a trace, Irisviel asked curiously, "Eriri, does that mean the Greater Grail is now restored?"
Although she felt a twinge of sympathy for Angra Mainyu's fate, that feeling didn't stop her from accepting Eriri's actions without concern.
"That's right. The Greater Grail has now returned to its untainted state," Eriri said with a smile.
Her words made Artoria's eyes light up with excitement.
Before Irisviel could continue, Artoria eagerly turned to Eriri and asked, "Does that mean the Grail can now properly grant my wish?"
"That's hard to say. The Greater Grail is, after all, just a magical ritual system. Its capabilities are limited—it's still far from the realm of omnipotence."
Eriri paused for a moment.
Then, looking at Artoria, who was listening intently, she added, "Of course, if the Grail had enough magical energy, then sending you back through time to before you pulled the sword from the stone wouldn't be impossible."
"I see..." Artoria nodded thoughtfully.
Eriri's explanation didn't dampen her spirits. Having already received a personal promise from Eriri, she wasn't worried about whether her wish would come true.
Of course, for her, if the Holy Grail could fulfill her wish, she would rather not trouble Eriri.
Unlike Artoria's seriousness, Rin Tohsaka seemed completely nonchalant about this now fully functional "universal wish-granting machine."
"Why overthink it? Whether it works or not, we'll only know by trying to make a wish," Rin said carelessly.
Hearing Rin's words, Illya, standing to Eriri's left, quickly nodded. "Mhm~ Rin's right. But how exactly do we make a wish?"
"Umm... I think we have to enter the Greater Grail's core first," Sakura said softly, raising her little hand.
"That's right," Eriri said with a smile, gently patting Sakura's head.
Feeling the touch on her head, Sakura's face lit up with a sweet smile, and she affectionately rubbed her head against Eriri's palm.
After giving Sakura's soft cheeks a playful pinch, Eriri retracted her right hand and raised her fair, slender index finger, drawing gently in the air.
In an instant, everyone's vision changed. The surrounding walls and ceremonial hall seats vanished, replaced by a vast plain filled with beautiful flowers.
Gazing at the breathtaking scenery, Medusa couldn't help but remark, "A Reality Marble? So this is the inside of the Holy Grail? It's nothing like what I imagined."
Rin and Sakura both looked around the flower field, bewildered.
They had seen the memory projections in the chat group and were familiar with the original scene where Kiritsugu Emiya entered the Greater Grail's core—dark and oppressive. What they saw now was a world apart!
Seeing the sisters' confused expressions, Eriri naturally understood what they were thinking.
"This is indeed the inside of the Greater Grail. But before All the World's Evil was purged, it didn't look nearly this beautiful."
"I see."
Eriri's explanation made Rin and Sakura suddenly realize why the scenery looked so different.
After a brief stroll inside the Greater Grail, Eriri gently patted Artoria's shoulder.
"Alright, Lyria. You can go ahead and try making your wish. Just speak your wish aloud. If there's enough mana, the Grail will respond."
Artoria looked deeply at Eriri. She knew that if her wish were granted, the moment it came true, she would be separated from everyone here forever.
Although they had only been together for a few days, she still couldn't help but feel reluctant.
Irisviel and the others also knew what might happen next. All of them gazed at Artoria with visible reluctance.
Yet, no one tried to stop her or persuade her to stay. They all knew that changing Britain's fate was her long-held wish—and not something easily given up.
Besides, they trusted Eriri. Even if Artoria returned to the past, they believed Eriri could easily bring her back from the altered timeline.
Artoria took a deep breath and withdrew her gaze from Eriri. She slowly stepped forward.
When she stopped, the reluctance on her face had completely vanished, replaced by unwavering determination.
"O' Holy Grail, grant my wish—take me back to the day of Britain's king selection."
Lifting her head slightly, Artoria's cool, clear voice echoed through the interior of the Grail.
After her words fell, the scenery inside the Grail did not visibly change. However, Eriri, Irisviel, and the others could all feel the magical energy within the Grail beginning to surge.
Immediately, the Grail's magic began to converge toward Artoria, forming a violent storm within the Holy Grail's interior.
The flowers on the ground were swept up by the wind, scattering across the entire space.
Within seconds, Artoria's body, enveloped by the Grail's energy, began to fade. A holy white light surrounded her as the Grail poured all its remaining magic into creating a miracle—sending her back to the moment of her contract with Alaya.
Time was then pulled further back, ultimately returning to the day she drew the Sword of Selection, perfectly merging her present self with the young Artoria of that timeline.
Thus, Artoria, now bearing memories and power from the future, arrived at the moment of her selection as king.
Looking at the knight's gear her brother had just brought her, Artoria wore a complicated expression.
She shifted her gaze in one direction and soon saw the Sword of Selection, embedded in stone with no one around it.
She slowly walked toward the sword and stood before it for a long time.
Finally, recalling her purpose for returning to this moment, she turned firmly and walked away from the sword.
...
"She's gone..."
"She really left."
"I still feel a bit reluctant. It would've been great if Sister Artoria could've stayed."
"I wonder if Artoria will truly realize her wish."
Inside the Greater Grail at Fuyuki Central Park, Irisviel and the others sighed deeply as they watched Artoria vanish.
With her wish fulfilled, the Holy Grail's magic was completely drained. It would now enter a dormant state, awaiting the next sixty years to refill and begin another Holy Grail War.
Sensing this, Eriri immediately brought Irisviel and the others back to the ceremonial hall.
Though injecting just a trace of cosmic energy into the Grail would allow Eriri to instantly recharge it to full capacity, ready for a new war—
—she had no interest in doing so, nor had she ever considered it.
Their purpose for coming had been to witness the Holy Grail, and now that was accomplished. Along the way, Artoria had also returned to the past.
A few seconds later, the Grail fully entered its dormant state.
"The Greater Grail's reaction has completely stopped. Eriri, aren't you interested in using it to reach the Root?" Medusa asked curiously.
"I'm not interested in the Root," Eriri replied without enthusiasm. "Besides, would I even need the Grail's help to get there?"
Hearing that, Medusa dropped the topic.
Although the Greater Grail had gone dormant, the small golden Grail that stored Servant souls still floated above the stage.
Now that the war was over, the Lesser Holy Grail no longer served any purpose for Eriri.
With a casual wave of her hand, the small golden Grail vanished instantly.
The souls stored within it were returned to the Throne of Heroes and reintegrated with their true Heroic Spirits. All their memories of this Holy Grail War were erased.
All but one—Gilgamesh, who had been tormented dozens of times by Eirlettia and the others.
His miserable experiences would forever remain within the mind of his true spirit, becoming a permanent psychological scar.
After Eriri lifted the warding barrier around Fuyuki Central Park, Tokiomi Tohsaka finally arrived, accompanied by Kirei Kotomine in a delayed arrival by car.
The moment they stepped out, Tokiomi eagerly asked, "Lady Sawamura, has the Holy Grail descended?"
Eriri responded nonchalantly, "It already has."
Before Tokiomi Tohsaka could press further, Rin—already at his side—spoke up first.
"Father, this Holy Grail War has already ended. The Greater Grail has exhausted its magic and fallen into dormancy."
At this point, Tokiomi clearly understood he had arrived too late. He hadn't witnessed the Grail's descent firsthand, which left him deeply regretful.
However, upon learning from Rin that the Grail's corruption had been thoroughly purified by Eriri, and that the next Holy Grail War would proceed normally, his mood quickly shifted to excitement.
Even though the next war was estimated to be about sixty years away, he was confident that he could live long enough to see it.
To Tokiomi Tohsaka, so long as he could reach the Root, any effort or sacrifice would be worthwhile.
Time passed slowly, and before long, another ten minutes had gone by.
During that time, Eriri and the others didn't do anything particularly special—they simply wandered around Central Park for a while.
As for Tokiomi and Kirei, the moment they learned about the Grail's situation, they had already returned to the Tohsaka estate.
By then, it was already past 9 p.m., and Eriri decided not to continue strolling.
She gathered everyone together and began leading them back to the hotel where they were staying.
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