A Saiyan's Journey

The Irisviel Von Einzbern of this mission world differed from the one Zuke remembered from the original work.

The biggest difference was that she and Kiritsugu Emiya were not married, and even Illyasviel was created using homunculus technology rather than being born naturally as in the original story.

Irisviel Von Einzbern shared these details with Rin Tohsaka during a conversation shortly before her demise, and Rin later passed the information on to Zuke.

It was through this that Zuke finally understood why Kiritsugu showed no mercy when ordering Artoria to attack Irisviel .

After all, Kiritsugu's relationship with Irisviel was not as intimate as depicted in the original, so Irisviel quickly grew disillusioned with him as a result.

Regarding Irisviel Von Einzbern's death, Zuke admitted he was powerless—he neither possessed expertise in homunculus technology nor had any knowledge of the Holy Grail War's constructs. Naturally, he could not alter the fate of the Lesser Grail.

However, with the system's rewards now available, Zuke felt he might have a chance to bring this version of Irisviel Von Einzbern back to his own world.

Although Irisviel 's body was fully matured, her mind was far too innocent. Perhaps living in a mundane world would suit her better than life in the Nasuverse.

After selecting Irisviel Von Einzbern as his mission reward, Zuke turned his attention back to the Holy Grail in his hands. He placed it on the ground and summoned the "Blackbird."

"Berserker? What are you doing? Aren't you going to make a wish?"

Noticing Zuke's wary attitude toward the Grail, Rin Tohsaka curiously approached to ask.

Since Heroic Spirits were typically summoned because of their own desires, Rin naturally assumed Zuke wanted to use the Grail to make a wish.

"Me? No way. This thing's wish-granting ability has some serious flaws."

Zuke shook his head and looked at Rin.

"But what about you? Don't you want to make a wish with the Grail?"

"Um… I don't know what to wish for at the moment. Although I know the Grail is a long-cherished desire of the Tohsaka family, I'm not exactly sure what I'd use it for."

Rin frowned in frustration. At this point, she was still young and lacked extensive knowledge of magecraft. Her understanding of the Holy Grail War was rudimentary at best.

If it were the Rin from the Fifth Holy Grail War, with a deeper grasp of magecraft, she might have realized the Holy Grail War's true nature: a pursuit of the Third Magic.

But for now, she remained oblivious and merely regarded the Grail as a wish-granting device. As for her own wish...

"Do you think the Grail could bring my father back to life?"

Rin gazed at Zuke, her voice tinged with melancholy. If there was one unresolved regret in her heart, it was the death of her father, Tokiomi Tohsaka.

Hearing this, Zuke gave a peculiar smile.

"It's possible, but I doubt you'd want your father resurrected by the Grail."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Rin was startled, unable to comprehend Zuke's words.

But soon, the Grail before them underwent a dramatic change—an immense surge of murky black mud gushed forth from its empty interior.

The viscous black substance poured out in waves, radiating a scorching malevolence that startled Rin, prompting her to instinctively retreat. In her panic, she slipped and fell to the ground.

"What... what's happening!?"

Nearby, Waver Velvet, who had been spectating, was equally alarmed by the Grail's sudden eruption. The overwhelming presence of the black mud triggered a visceral discomfort in him.

As a mage, he could sense that the mud emanated a powerful magical energy—an energy he instinctively knew was dangerous to approach.

"This is the manifestation of All the World's Evil. Originally, it was pure magical energy stored within the Grail, but due to the Einzbern family's misconduct during the Third Holy Grail War, it became corrupted," Zuke explained, his gaze fixed on the seeping black mud.

"If you make a wish to it, it will likely grant it—but the outcome will be far from what you desire. For example, Rin, if you wished to resurrect your father, the result might be a mindless monster instead."

"How... how could this be? Something so many have pursued—this is what the Grail really is?"

Rin's face turned pale as she felt the malicious aura radiating from the mud. Even looking at it filled her with fear.

"This is the ultimate result of human desires run amok," Zuke sneered. Without the Einzberns' violation of the rules, the Grail would not have become such a travesty.

"Alright, Rin, Waver, you two should leave. I'll handle this."

For most people, the black mud from the Grail posed an immense threat. However, for Zuke, it was the final issue he needed to resolve in this mission world.

While repugnant, the black mud was essentially a high-density magical energy crystallization. Zuke planned to have the "Blackbird" consume it all, hoping to gain something from it.

Waver nodded quickly, understanding that he was out of his depth. Staying would only cause trouble.

As he turned to leave, he noticed Rin standing still, her gaze fixed on Zuke.

"Are you... going to leave too, Berserker?"

"Of course. I'm a Heroic Spirit. Once the Holy Grail War ends, I'll disappear."

Zuke glanced back at Rin. She had her head down, clearly upset.

"As a Master, you knew this from the start, didn't you?"

"But…"

Rin's chest tightened. With her father gone and Zuke having provided some sense of security, the thought of him leaving left her feeling suffocated.

"I've already spoken to Eulyphis of the Mage's Association about the Tohsaka family's situation. He's one of the Twelve Lords of the Clock Tower, so with his support, the Tohsaka family won't decline."

Zuke thought Rin was worried about the Tohsaka family's future and sought to reassure her.

Thanks to Zuke's threats, Eulyphis had promised to assist the Tohsaka family. Even without Tokiomi, the family would endure.

At least Rin wouldn't have to worry about the expenses of her gemstone magecraft studies.

To be continued…

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