Did the Heroic Spirit I conquered become a reality?

"An old acquaintance?" Irisviel was somewhat surprised, but Merlin clearly had no intention of explaining further.

He turned to Irisviel, his tone tinged with concern: "Master, it seems you're troubled by something. Or perhaps Caster and you talked about something that's making you so unsettled?"

Irisviel paused for a moment, her fingertips unconsciously clenching the hem of her dress.

She hesitated.

Will telling Merlin the truth about the corruption of the Greater Grail lead to even greater trouble? But if she doesn't speak up, to whom can she confide this heavy burden in her heart? Yu Tohsaka must be hoping that she can do something by telling her such important information.

Just like the question he asked back then: Do you want to always be a 'tool' or to be the real Irisviel?

Finally, Irisviel took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and slowly explained everything that Tohsaka Yu had told her—about the corruption of the Greater Grail, about her own fate as a vessel, and about the budding confusion about "self" deep within her heart.

Merlin listened quietly, his smile gradually fading, replaced by a subtle and complex expression.

A barely perceptible glint flashed in his deep eyes, seemingly indicating that he did not object to Tohsaka Yu's actions in stirring up this mess, and could even be said to be quite pleased—after all, this meant that he would be able to see more interesting "scenes".

At the same time, he also keenly sensed that his Master seemed to be extremely concerned about Tohsaka Yu's words.

"I see... So this is Tohsaka Yu's purpose?"

Merlin sighed softly: "To be honest, I really can't offer any decent advice on how to be a 'person,' Master."

After all, he himself wasn't exactly 'human'.

Merlin paused for a moment, then continued, "However, I support whatever decision you make..."

As he finished speaking, Merlin looked up and smiled at Irisviel: "Whether you intend to leave the corrupted Holy Grail alone or make other decisions is up to you."

Irisviel raised her head almost without hesitation, her gentle tone filled with determination and resolve: "I want to purify the Greater Grail."

"Saber, will you help me?"

“Of course, after all, I am your Servant.” Merlin’s smile was gentle and confident, as if he had already anticipated her answer.

Then, he changed the subject, reminding him, "However, Master, purifying the Greater Grail is no easy task, and we don't need to rush. You see, Ruler was summoned by the Greater Grail. If we want to do anything to the Greater Grail, we'll first have to get past Morgan, and given Morgan's personality..."

Irisviel quickly calmed down and hesitated before saying, "You mean..."

"Getting Princess Morgan to accept the proposal to purify the Greater Grail might be much more difficult than you imagine, Master."

Merlin's tone carried a profound meaning.

“I think even Caster…would have a hard time convincing her.”

……

The night breeze carried a chill, scattering Aika Sajou's soft, slightly teasing words into the air.

As Yu Tohsaka looked into her emerald green eyes that seemed to see through everything, and felt the soft touch of the girl's delicate body, his body stiffened involuntarily.

After a moment, he slowly exhaled.

"Okay... Aiko."

He silently changed his form of address: "So, regarding the purification of the Greater Grail..."

"Well, since Yu-kun has said so, then I'll leave it to you."

Sajou Aika's smile grew even brighter. With a light leap, her bare, snow-white feet landed gracefully on the balcony railing, like a moonlit fairy, her skirt swaying gently in the night breeze.

“Ryudong Temple, right? I can sense that it is the convergence point of the city’s spiritual veins, and also the place where the ‘Greater Grail’ lies dormant.”

She tilted her head, her emerald green eyes gazing towards the mountains of Fuyuki City. "I'll go check the exact location now. You just wait here for my message."

“Wait,” Tohsaka Yu quickly said, “The situation at Ryudouji Temple is unclear right now, it’s too dangerous for you to go alone.”

Although Ayaka Sajou's strength is unfathomable, she is ultimately just a human being, and is still too fragile.

In the Holy Grail War, anything can happen.

Upon hearing this, Aika Sajou turned to look at him, a barely perceptible warmth flashing in her emerald green eyes, and the corners of her mouth slightly turned up: "Is Yu-kun worried about me?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Tohsaka Yu nodded silently.

"Hehe," Aika Sajou let out a light, bell-like laugh, but her figure disappeared silently from the balcony like a phantom blending into the moonlight. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

Yu Tohsaka glanced in the direction she had disappeared, and unconsciously frowned.

Although Ayaka Sajou spoke lightly, he still felt somewhat uneasy.

After a moment's thought, he quietly activated his spirit form ability, and his figure also blended into the night. Like the most cautious shadow, he followed Sajō Ayaka's aura from afar, stealthily heading towards Ryūdōji Temple.

Ryudong Temple is located on the summit of Mount Enjang. Its steep and long stone steps resemble a secret path leading to the underworld in the night.

Sajō Aika's figure was like a forest fairy, leaping lightly across the stone steps, seemingly oblivious to the potential dangers around her.

Yuu Tohsaka concealed himself in the shadows of the trees further away, carefully concealing his presence and vigilantly observing the movements around him.

He could sense that the space surrounding Ryudou Temple was filled with a powerful barrier, and just as Sajou Aika was about to step onto the last stone step leading to the temple gate—

A very faint yet clearly audible sound of footsteps suddenly came from below the stone steps.

The footsteps were neither hurried nor slow, but carried a unique rhythm, each step seemingly touching the heartstrings of Tohsaka Yu.

Yu Tohsaka's heart skipped a beat, and almost instantly she shifted her attention away from Ayaka Sajou, turning her head sharply to look at the darkness shrouded in the shadows of the trees below the stone steps!

who is it? !

Moonlight filtered through the sparse branches and leaves, dappling the stone steps.

A tall and graceful figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

She was dressed in a gorgeous and elaborate dark witch's gown, the hem of which swayed in the night wind like waves in the darkness.

A thin, mysteriously patterned black veil covered her face, revealing only a pair of deep, cold eyes, like ice-blue gemstones.

Her platinum blonde hair cascaded down like moonlight, exuding an undeniable sense of holiness and majesty even on the dimly lit mountain path.

Simply standing there, he seemed to become the sole arbiter of this space, radiating a suffocatingly powerful aura.

Yu Tohsaka's heart began to pound uncontrollably. He instinctively wanted to warn Ayaka Sajō, but he found that the fairy queen's gaze did not seem to be directed at Ayaka Sajō. Instead, it pierced through the layers of shadows and landed precisely on him!

"We meet again, Caster."

The woman's cold yet magnetic voice, like a whisper of sympathy, carried a hint of danger, clearly reaching Tohsaka Yu's ears.

"I really didn't expect that in this Holy Grail War, someone would actually set their sights on the Greater Grail..."

...Morgan Lefève?!

Almost at the same moment, Sajo Aika, who was almost at the mountain gate, also stopped.

This princess, who was born connected to the roots, showed no sign of tension or awe.

She turned her delicate face slightly to the side, her emerald green eyes filled with pure curiosity as she looked the uninvited guest up and down.

"Oh, so it's Miss Ruler?"

Sajō Aika's voice was soft and pleasant: "It seems that this 'game' is really more interesting than I imagined."

Her words remained remarkably calm throughout, as if she didn't take Ruler seriously at all.

Morgan Lefebvre raised an eyebrow. She could clearly sense the unique magic emanating from the blonde girl before her, and at the same time, she could feel the undisguised arrogance hidden deep within her.

“Interesting.” Morgan’s tone was unreadable. “So, you are Caster’s Master? You don’t seem to be very welcoming to me, the ‘uninvited’ Ruler?”

“Whether you’re welcome or not depends on whether Ms. Ruler will interfere with what we’re doing.” Sajou Aika smiled, her tone still nonchalant. “If you’re just passing by to enjoy the scenery, then of course it’s fine. But if you want to get involved… well, then we’ll have to see if Ms. Ruler has the ‘qualification’.”

qualifications……?

Morgan narrowed her eyes. As the Queen of Avalon and now the Ruler of this Holy Grail War, when had she ever been so looked down upon? The girl in front of her seemed innocent, but in fact, she had been incredibly arrogant from the very beginning.

But precisely because of this, Morgan's own witch-like desire to toy with her prey was stirred up.

In particular… her gaze shifted to Tohsaka Yu, who had been standing silently beside Sajou Aika, looking wary.

The magic emanating from this Caster was clearly different from that of the other Servants, which piqued her interest.

Thinking of this, Morgan's coldness seemed to melt away a bit, replaced by a meaningful, slightly mocking smile.

“Caster, I can pretend I saw and heard nothing tonight.” Her voice carried a languid magnetism, like the most alluring spell. “I can even… turn a blind eye to your possible ‘purification’ actions.”

“But the condition is…” she paused, a cunning glint in her icy blue eyes, “you must agree to one condition.”

"What are the conditions?" Yu Tohsaka asked instinctively.

For some reason, he had a vague sense of unease.

Morgan was supposed to be the ruler of this Holy Grail War, but for some reason, he always felt that she didn't seem like a proper referee... more like a woman following her own desires.

Seeing the doubtful look on Tohsaka Yuna's face, Morgan Lefebvre's smile beneath his veil seemed to become even more captivating.

She slowly raised her slender, fair fingers and gently brushed aside a strand of platinum blonde hair that had fallen across her forehead. Every movement was full of ultimate elegance and allure.

"It's very simple..."

Her voice was as soft as a lover's whisper, yet it carried an undeniable authority as she spoke, word by word: "Caster, I need you... to be mine."

"...?"

Yu Tohsaka was stunned for a moment, and then felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her brain, leaving her completely dazed.

He stared wide-eyed at the fairy queen before him, who had uttered such startling words, wondering if he was hallucinating from the overwhelming excitement he had experienced that night.

To become Morgan Lefève's...person?!

What the hell is this plot twist?!

Upon hearing this, Aika Sajou's smile finally vanished completely.

Volume 1: Chapter 53 Aika Sajou - Darkened Version (6K)

The night was desolate, with only the rustling of the wind through the forest and... the silent yet turbulent confrontation between the three figures in the entire Ryudong Temple.

"Become mine, Caster."

Morgan Lefebvre's gentle yet undeniably powerful words were like a depth charge thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating a tidal wave in Aika Sajou's heart.

The innocent smile that always graced the face of the princess, who seemed to have everything under control, vanished completely at this moment.

Her body stiffened slightly, and her emerald green eyes, which were connected to the source and should have seen through all things, now showed a rare... look of bewilderment and disbelief.

This woman...

What was Ruler saying...?

To make Yu...her person?

What about me…?

What does she want to do?

Right... he must want to die, right?

That's right, a guy like that shouldn't exist... It would be better if he were dead.

Kill her! Kill her! Kill her! Kill her! Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!

An indescribable, unfamiliar negative emotion surged into Ayaka Sajou's heart almost instantly.

It was a mixture of confusion, displeasure, and... a hint of jealousy called "possessiveness" that she herself had not even noticed.

Tohsaka Yu has always been her Servant, her most important "companion" and "possession" in this "fun game".

She loved his gentleness, his companionship, and the unique look in his eyes when he looked at her.

She thought this relationship would continue until the game ended.

However, now, this suddenly appearing Ruler, this equally powerful and beautiful woman, actually... wants to take Yu away from her?

Why?

A melancholy seemed to flow deep within Sajo Aika's emerald green eyes.

A faint yet chilling aura began to permeate the air, and the space around her seemed to be subtly distorted by her intense emotional fluctuations.

A pure, primal impulse, devoid of any rationality, arose spontaneously, wanting only to completely "erasure" everything that hindered him.

Morgan keenly noticed this subtle yet extremely dangerous change in Ayaka Sajou.

Beneath her veil, a more delighted and playful smile curved her lips, and her icy blue eyes gleamed with amusement.

But in reality, she wasn't joking.