They've already fought their way through the Holy Grail War, and you still call them dragons?

Eri pursed her lips and shook her head. She didn't say anything, but instead took a written page from her notebook and handed it to Emiya.

Then, she bent down and picked up a battered katana, reeking of rust, from among the scattered Shadow Servants' armor. The blade was etched with the marks of time, as if it would break at the slightest touch. However, Eri's steps were calm and determined. She walked straight to the front of the group, facing the vast army of Shadow Servants.

And the even deeper darkness behind the Shadow Servants.

Emiya took the note from Eri and quickly scanned the writing on it. The short, messy sentence read: "The black shadow is coming..."

Dark shadow? What does dark shadow mean?

Emiya frowned, his mind racing with information about the Holy Grail War. Could the shadow that appeared during the Holy Grail War be "all the evil in this world"?

“This girl…!”

Hearing Charlotte's exclamation, Emiya looked up and was also surprised.

Eri was already wielding the battered ancient sword with a light gesture. Though it was a low-quality katana that looked like it would break at any moment, in her hands, it seemed to become the medium for unleashing a divinely-sentenced death sentence.

She opened her mouth slightly, as if softly singing an ancient ballad. Her voice flowed like a clear spring, yet was as cold and solemn as death, carrying an indescribable rhythm.

She simply stepped forward, swung her blade, and easily killed a Shadow Servant that attacked first. The sharp blade and armor carried by the Shadow Servant was like fragile glass, shattering in an instant, turning into fragments that flew in all directions.

These exploding fragments and flying powder seemed insignificant, but in fact they turned into an incredible deadly torrent, spreading rapidly into the dense army of Shadow Servants in front in an instant.

The death sentence has been handed down.

Every piece of debris carries the power of destruction. Wherever it goes, shadow servants fall down and turn into horrific powder, like a domino effect, triggering a new round of death frenzy.

Emiya and Charlotte stared at the scene in stunned silence, their hearts pounding with shock, as if they were witnessing a death sentence handed down by the Red and White Shrine Maidens on behalf of the Supreme Gods. Eri's figure seemed exceptionally frail in the darkness, yet she exuded a force that could not be ignored. Every swing of her blade seemed to declare some unbreakable law.

Could this be... the divine authority that Eri gained as a vessel?

This thought flashed through Emiya's mind in shock. However, before he could think it through, a greater crisis appeared before everyone.

That’s right, what Eri is wary of and even afraid of is not the endless stream of Shadow Servants, but the “Dark Shadow” that controls these Shadow Servants.

Emiya gripped the Dragon Severing Platform tightly and quickly stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Eri, protecting Charlotte behind him. At this moment, he finally saw clearly what the girl had been so nervous about—

It was a black mass wriggling on the ground, as if it had gained substance from the flat nothingness of the plane, expanding at an incredible rate. After being struck down by Emiya and his men, the Shadow Servants did not completely disintegrate into dust and pulverize. Instead, they were drawn in by an invisible force, swallowed up by the immense, boundless black shadow.

So, every minute and every second, the black shadow was expanding rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Emiya was startled, and a horrifying guess suddenly flashed through his mind: their practice of eliminating the Shadow Servants not only failed to weaken the mastermind behind the scenes, but instead caused its power to continue to grow!

The terrifying black shadow that continues to grow by devouring Servants... Could it really be "all the evil in this world"?

If that's the case, does it manipulate the Servant's mind by polluting the soul?

“Aaaaaa——!”

The crawling black shadow finally seemed to have eaten its fill. After receiving a huge amount of souls, its body became towering and huge. It climbed steadily and rapidly from the ground, turning into a black shadow giant as big as a skyscraper.

The shadowy giant roared and raged, a chaotic cacophony of voices. The sound was like the laughter, weeping, and roaring of countless people, a disjointed, chaotic, and piercing sound. Its "face" turned toward Emiya and the other two, revealing an insatiable desire to devour.

However, what the latter fed it was a torrent of ice and fire that could be described as a catastrophic disaster.

"Noble Phantasm is released! God Yu controls floods and tames waters, slays evil and destroys the Dragon Terrace!"

Emiya took advantage of the shadow giant's howl to wield his bronze giant sword. He chanted the word of liberation, unleashing the radiance of his mythical Noble Phantasm.

In an instant, like the deathly cry of the Nine Infants from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the empty desert highway transformed into a sea of ​​pale blue fire, while a pale glacier of ice formed. Ice and fire merged together, mercilessly freezing and burning the expanding black shadow giant.

A torrent of fire and ice flew straight out along the road, sweeping away everything, like a bright and dazzling river in the sky washing away dirt. The black shadow giant that bore the brunt of the attack let out an increasingly shrill roar, as if countless souls were struggling in pain.

Emiya stared intently at the shadow wailing amidst the intertwining ice and fire, watching it melt and disintegrate. Only after confirming that it was powerless to resist the explosion of the Noble Phantasm did he finally relax his tense nerves a little. He turned sideways, facing Eri beside him, and spoke with a hint of relief:

"Eri, it should be okay—!"

However, before he could finish his words, a sense of foreboding suddenly flashed back to his body through his "mind's eye." Emiya's pupils constricted, and he jumped almost instinctively. He reached out and grabbed Eri, quickly leading her away from the spot.

boom!

The shadow hadn't vanished! It simply ignored the physical barriers and emerged from beneath the ground without warning, like a giant hand reaching out from the depths of hell, carrying with it an all-consuming dark aura.

"Whoa whoa whoa—help!"

Emiya took a quick look, his heart sinking. Charlotte had no time to dodge, and was being forced back by the black, slimy shadow. She quickly collected the scattered mercury, attempting to form a shield to block the approaching black mud. However, due to her previous reconnaissance, the mercury was too dispersed, and she had no time to fully collect it.

Oops, I missed her!

A strong sense of crisis suddenly surged in Emiya's heart. He knew that Charlotte possessed the power of a pseudo-Servant. If she were contaminated by the black mud, the consequences would be disastrous! Her consciousness could be eroded, and she could even become a puppet of the shadow.

However, while Emiya's Dragon Severing Platform was unmatched in attacking and killing enemies, its sheer power made it inadequate for saving lives. If he wielded it from this close range, the torrent of sword energy would undoubtedly engulf both Charlotte and the shadow, with equally disastrous consequences.

At this moment, the shadow's speed was astonishing, and its tentacles, like black mud, were already approaching Charlotte's ankles. The girl's face was full of fear, and she had obviously realized the danger lurking in the black mud.

The mercury liquid was struggling under her control, but the black mud rushed out from the ground and penetrated every hole, like a giant hand reaching out from the depths of hell, carrying a dark breath that swallowed everything.

"Charlotte!"

Emiya yelled, about to charge towards Charlotte, but was blocked by a surge of dark shadows. These shadows rose like a continuously expanding fountain of mud, forming an insurmountable barrier. With time running out, Emiya's heart was filled with anxiety.

He immediately began to project a new Noble Phantasm, but he sighed inwardly, thinking it was too late...

Chapter 177 What! I am not a descendant of Genji?

At this critical moment, Eiry, who was not far away, suddenly swung the ancient sword and stabbed it into the black mud.

Her movements were crisp and decisive, as if she had already witnessed the arrival of this "Black Mud Underground Attack." The moment the ancient blade pierced the black mud, all the wriggling dark shadows before her suddenly collapsed, disintegrating and scattering, as if crushed by some irresistible force.

Charlotte's danger was thus averted.

But what almost made Emiya suffer a cardiac arrest was that Eri's body was covered with a large area of ​​horrible black mud!

"Eri!?"

He had never expected Eri to intervene in the fight today, let alone that she would be stained by the black mud. His eyes were fixed on Eri, wondering if he had any way to deal with the black mud, but all his methods seemed inadequate.

"I'm fine."

Eri brushed the black mud away like ordinary debris and wrote the following sentence in her notebook. It turned out that the black mud had long since lost its vitality, and the terrifying dark aura had long since dissipated.

Her eyes were still as clear as water, bright and innocent, as if everything that had just happened was just an insignificant episode, without any sign of being tainted by the shadow.

"...You almost scared me to death."

Emiya recalled Eri's divinely-powered display today, and a lingering fear remained in his heart. If this child, manipulated by the black mud, were to run amok, all of Tokyo would be in danger of destruction.

He went forward to check on Charlotte. The girl seemed unharmed, but she was trembling violently, obviously frightened by the desperate scene of the shadow that had just come over her.

After all, Sister Xiao is Sister Xiao. You think she looks brave, but in fact she is very cowardly inside.

Eri also came over and pulled out a deformed crepe from her miko's undergarment. She handed it to Charlotte, who was still in a daze, along with a written note. The words on the note were as gentle and comforting as an older sister's:

"I'll give you a piece. It's a little cold, don't mind."

Charlotte took the crepe in a daze, a mixture of emotions welling up in her. She had initially looked down on Eri, dismissing her as a naive and ignorant girl. But now, she had to admit that she had seemingly earned the humiliation of being treated with pity—and she had to accept this favor with all her heart.

"Thank you...!" Charlotte whispered, with a hint of unnatural stiffness in her voice.

Emiya ignored the child's thoughts and quietly asked the red-haired girl beside him, "Eri, why did you... want to personally participate in the battle today? Can you tell me what you think?"

Eiry's originally relaxed posture suddenly shrank, as if she had instantly returned from a pleasant social interaction to the cage-like intensive care unit.

She lowered her head, her nervous attitude as if she was being questioned by her family - in the past, whenever she overused her abilities, her brother Gen Chisheng or other members of the family would ask her questions in the same serious tone.

"It's okay, relax. I just want to understand Eri's inner thoughts."

Eri secretly raised her eyes and took in Emiya's non-serious expression. Her lips pursed slightly, and she wrote a sentence in her notebook:

"...Emiya-nii said, even if you're born a monster, you can still become a hero."

This was indeed what Emiya said. If other children used his words so casually, they would be considered clever, but Eri was not like that. She never played tricks. She listened carefully to every word Emiya said and tried to really put it into action.

Eri may still be a naive, inexperienced girl, but she is quietly gaining knowledge and transforming herself day by day. She is like a cherry blossom about to bloom or a butterfly about to emerge from its cocoon.

Emiya looked at the words on the notebook and was slightly shocked. He had never expected that his casual words would be remembered so seriously by Eri, and even become the guiding principle of her actions.

"That's great, Eri."

Emiya reached out and stroked her head gently, "That's right, keep walking along the path you believe in. One day you will grow into a hero."

"Yeah." The tension on Eri's face disappeared, replaced by a bright smile. She felt greatly encouraged. For the first time in her life, she realized that she was using her ability correctly.

In the past, family members always asked her to use "Judgment" from afar, and they would bow and kneel as if they were paying homage to their ancestors. Afterwards, they would at most say, "You are worthy of being our Tsukuyomi." If it was her brother Gen Chisheng, the attitude might be different, but at most he would say, "Please, I will play a game with you after I'm done with this."

It was as if her sole purpose was to serve as a weapon of divine retribution, wielded against her enemies. No one had ever told her to consider what other, more worthy values ​​in life she might pursue.

...After all, the Snake Eight Clan didn't dare to let Eri think. A weapon that can think is no longer a pure weapon.

At this moment, Charlotte couldn't help but open her mouth and speak out - she really couldn't stand the fact that she had become a light bulb in the pink atmosphere between the two people in front of her.

"By the way, it seems we have left that damn place just now?"

"Huh? Really?"

Emiya turned his head and looked out. In the distance, Tokyo was once again ablaze with lights. Beneath the bright crescent moon, the thick aroma of fireworks filled the night sky, making even the stars seem to retreat. It seemed that all he had to do was defeat the dark shadow that was distorting the earth's veins, and everything would return to normal?

Eri blinked, the warm yellow of the distant streetlights dispelling the gloom. Subconsciously, she quietly reached out her hand, the cuff of her white miko's robe sliding down her arm. The warm light revealed her jade-white skin, and the tiny black veins that had been hidden within it spreading again.

A barely perceptible look of sadness flashed across the girl's eyes.

----

Genji Heavy Industries Headquarters.

Unbeknownst to Minamoto, his younger sister, Eri, had already gone on an incredibly thrilling adventure with Emiya in the countryside. If he'd known the details, he'd have jumped up and down, his jaw dropping in shock, and he might even have rushed out with his sword and hacked Emiya into three pieces.

...Of course, according to the last option, the more likely consequence is that he himself will be divided into three parts.

At this moment, Yuan Zhisheng was lost in his own thoughts, feeling slightly excited. He was about to embark on a major event in his life—the summoning of heroic spirits.

Putting aside the conspiracy behind the magical Holy Grail's wish-granting function, the mere fact that he could summon the ancestor of the Genji clan from a thousand years ago to fight alongside the current Shadow King and slay demons was enough to be a major gimmick. Boosting morale and raising people's spirits was a piece of cake.

This matter was of grave importance, so on this night of the summons, all eight heads of the Snake Family were present. The heads of the five outer families sat at the outermost edge, with the two elders, Fuma Kotaro and Inuyama Kazuo, casting obscure glances as they shifted between the head patriarch, Tachibana Masamune, and Minamoto no Nakasuke.

Tachibana Masamune was sitting at the front of the stands, and sitting next to him was Nono, who was pretending to be "Eri". She was a little bored and wanted to yawn, and secretly complained in her heart: It's just a Heroic Spirit Summoning, it's not like I haven't seen it before, why are you guys acting so seriously? Are you really making a fuss about it?

Yuan Zhisheng stood in front of the summoning circle, staring at the light of mercury and blood flowing in the circle. There was both anticipation and a hint of uneasiness in his heart.

After all, this entire set of rituals was promoted by an unknown person on the Hunter website. If the Heroic Servant had not been proven to be real by Emiya in the battle in Shinjuku, Gennochi might not have personally tried this strange ritual with unpredictable consequences.

Feeling uneasy, Minamoto no Chisei first confirmed that the holy relics were complete and in order - including Minamoto no Raikou's three famous swords, the "Star Armor" helmet, and the Tate no Armor.

Then, facing the alchemy array, he began to pray silently, as if speaking to the heroic spirit of the Genji from a thousand years ago, calling out to the long river of history: "Ancestor, will you truly answer my call? Please lend me a hand and end the tragic, endless struggle between demon slayers and demons in this country!"

Finally, he took a deep breath and slowly raised his hand, "Let it be full, let it be full, let it be full..."

As the incantation was chanted, the light within the summoning circle grew increasingly dazzling, and the lines of mercury and blood seemed to come alive, slowly flowing. Several pairs of eyes turned towards him, as if unwilling to miss this moment of witnessing the grand entrance of a legendary figure from history.

Yuan Zhisheng's heartbeat gradually quickened, his gaze fixed on the center of the summoning circle as he uttered the final words of the summoning: "...cross the Wheel of Suppression and appear! Guardian of the Scales!"

A vast expanse of white light, accompanied by a faint golden glow, surged forth at a rapid pace. Intense magical energy formed into bursts of white mist that diffused outward. A tall figure gradually solidified within the light, as if stepping out from the dust of history, carrying with it the ancient aura of a thousand years past.

Minamoto no Chisei observed carefully, and he saw that this male spirit was clearly dressed as a military officer from the Heian period. He wore a tasseled crown and a hunting robe, and at his left waist hung a katana, its scabbard engraved with ancient patterns...

He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was probably correct. It must be his ancestor.

At that moment, the man in the summoning circle spoke. His voice was deep and powerful, tinged with a hint of emotion: "...Have I actually arrived in this era? Well, there's nothing much to say. If I'm going to slay demons, I should be a good fit."

"Of course!" Minamoto no Chisei was excited, his tone filled with undisguised pride. Speaking of demon-slaying heroes, his ancestor Minamoto no Yorimitsu was unrivalled in this kingdom.

"Are you my Master?" The man nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping over Genjisei before glancing at the crowd in the stands. "The next steps should be to announce your true name and establish a contract... Is it okay for the people in the stands to know?"

"It doesn't matter." Yuan Zhisheng waved his hand, secretly satisfied in his heart: Your true name, ancestor, is known to everyone in this land...

"Well then," the man nodded, "I am Saber, Watanabe Tsuna. This contract is hereby established."

"Varied……!?"

Minamoto no Chisei's enthusiastically extended hand froze in mid-air, the smile on his face instantly frozen. He had never imagined that the person he summoned wasn't his ancestor Minamoto no Raikou, but someone he hadn't anticipated at all.

Watanabe Tsuna was a little confused about what the master was thinking, and there was a hint of doubt in his tone: "My name is Watanabe Tsuna. It seems that my reputation does not seem to be well-known in the future. I am one of Lord Raikou's subordinates. I once used Onikiri to cut off Ibaraki Douji's arm..."

"Wait a minute!" Minamoto no Chisei interrupted him, his voice filled with anxiety. He certainly knew Watanabe Tsuna, one of Minamoto no Raikou's Four Heavenly Kings, but the problem was:

"I am the current head of the Yuan family, Yuan Zhisheng. I have prepared sufficient holy relics, why can't I summon them—"

Watanabe Tsuna glanced at the familiar object before him and instantly understood why the Master had reacted in that way. A flash of understanding flashed across his eyes, and his tone remained calm and composed:

"Well, this is quite curious. But as far as I know, Lord Yorimitsu generally does not refuse the call of his descendants, unless you are not a descendant of the Genji clan."

Chapter 178 Herzog: Sweating

As soon as Watanabe Tsuna said this, the whole audience fell silent.