Fate Q&A: Chapter 309/382

Chapter 309/379: The King’s Luck

Short form of all that happened in the last 70 chapters: Apocrypha ending, El-Melloi II videos focusing on the Spiritual Tomb of Albion (Heartless backstory). The final video showed Jeanne and Sieg's happy ending.

[Video ends.]

[This round of quizzes is now complete. Please look forward to the next one.]

Seeing this, Chihiro immediately closed the Q&A group.

As expected, a shrill scream echoed just before the group disappeared from view.

Bluebeard: "NOOOO—"

Now, all they could hear was a persistent ringing.

It seemed the group had temporarily fallen into Bluebeard's grasp… probably best to avoid it for today.

Instead, Chihiro turned his attention to something far more important, opening his golden treasure chest.

["Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Noble Phantasm—King's Treasure!"]

"!!!"

Chihiro stared at the golden key in his hand with a complicated expression.

Checking the description, he quickly realized this wasn't a full treasury, just an empty one. He would have to fill it up himself.

A pity. He had wanted to be as rich as Gilgamesh for once.

But then again, it wasn't a total loss. An extra-large portable storage space was still useful.

His inventory had been growing, and even the storage gourd his master had given him was reaching its limit.

"Is that Goldie's key?"

Iskandar had finally recovered from the earlier auditory assault and curiously eyed the key in Chihiro's hand.

"Yeah, it's the Noble Phantasm version."

Chihiro explained its function.

"You're one lucky brat."

Iskandar smirked and picked up his own silver treasure chest.

"Let's see if I can steal some of that luck."

["Ding! Congratulations to the group member for obtaining the Magic Item—Stylish Deep Crimson? Necktie!"]

"..."

Iskandar stared at the red tie in his hands, utterly speechless.

After checking it thoroughly, he confirmed, it was just a regular tie.

What magic item?!

Chihiro burst into laughter.

"Oh no, isn't this Zhang Jiao's Valentine's Day return gift? Just a yellow tie dyed red, completely useless!"

Iskandar's luck was truly… astonishing.

To avoid the same fate, Artoria carefully opened her own chest.

["Ding! Congratulations to the group member for obtaining the Bond Gift—Crown of the Star!"]

"..."

She silently stared at the golden crown in her hands.

So, it was this.

She could feel it, wearing this crown would push her strength to its absolute peak.

But—she couldn't.

The shadow of Camlann still loomed over her.

She wasn't worthy of wearing it.

["Ding! Congratulations to the group member for obtaining the Mystic Code—Dragonkin!"]

The First Emperor held up the ceremonial robe in his hands with a look of mild disappointment.

The effect was interesting, it allowed the user to summon a mighty dragon for battle.

"Here, kid. You take it."

Without hesitation, the First Emperor tossed the Dragonkin to Chihiro.

Chihiro, equally without hesitation, accepted it.

With this… when he was short on materials in the future, could he.

Ahem. Best not to think about that right now.

Meanwhile—

Gilgamesh had finally returned from his high-speed ride outside.

His expression, however, was rather dark.

Bluebeard's sudden shriek had nearly made him crash.

Even though no one had seen, the mere possibility of looking foolish was unacceptable.

Next time they met, he was going to turn Bluebeard into dust.

"Hah! You, a mere mongrel, actually acquired a piece of my treasury?!"

Hearing that Chihiro had drawn his Noble Phantasm, Gilgamesh looked displeased but only mildly.

"Hmph! Consider yourself fortunate, mongrel. Use it well, and do not tarnish its dignity."

Chihiro: "…"

This wasn't right!

Where was the usual Gilgamesh reaction?!

Why wasn't he furious?! Had someone replaced him?!

Noticing Chihiro's suspicious gaze, a vein bulged on Gilgamesh's forehead.

Perhaps it would be better to just beat this mongrel up.

"Hey, Gilgamesh," Iskandar smirked, sensing an opportunity, "we've all opened our treasure chests. You're the only one left."

Having suffered the worst luck today, Iskandar was eager to find someone else to take the fall.

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes, he sensed bad intentions.

But so what?

Did this fool actually believe his luck could be any worse?

With absolute confidence, he opened his chest.

["Ding! Congratulations to the group member for obtaining the Heroic Spirit Formal Dress—Gilgamesh!"]

Iskandar: "…"

WHY?!

Gilgamesh got an entire set of clothes, while he only got a tie?!

(To be continued.)

Chapter 380: Sieg's Crisis

A Heroic Spirit's formal attire is essentially a Mystic Code that alters their appearance, and in this case, it featured Gilgamesh wearing a golden kimono.

By using this Mystic Code, Gilgamesh could instantly change into the outfit depicted on the card.

Though it had no special effects, it was certainly better than Iskandar's tie.

Iskandar, suffering from terrible luck, withdrew into himself, while Chihiro used the opportunity as an excuse to return to his room.

He still had an extra golden chest and a special reward to open.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the 'Mystic Gift—Mini Tametomo with Smartphone-Transformation Feature'!"

Oh? Now this was interesting.

The name was quite long, but in simple terms, it was a smartphone that could transform—its transformed form being none other than Minamoto no Tametomo.

After all, this Mystic Code was a Valentine's Day gift from Tametomo himself.

Minamoto no Tametomo, also known as Chinzei Hachirō, was a general of the Minamoto clan in the 12th century. Legends spoke of him sinking an enemy ship with a single arrow. Yet, upon becoming a Heroic Spirit, he somehow turned into a robot.

According to him, he had always been a machine—originally a combat construct created by the Genji clan using "Settsu-style Oguzoku" technology, specifically designed to exterminate demons and monsters.

This smartphone, crafted by Tametomo, retained all the functionality of a normal smartphone, but when transformed, Mini Tametomo wasn't just a decorative figure.

Not only could it replicate Tametomo's attack patterns, but it could also unleash Noble Phantasms while maintaining a lower output. A single strike could scorch everything within a three-meter radius.

Good grief—this was basically a killer smartphone.

However, after releasing its Noble Phantasm, the device would overheat to the point where it couldn't be touched for several hours and would be unable to fight.

I wonder if I could use this as a catalyst to summon Minamoto no Tametomo himself...

Chihiro took out the Mystic Gift and examined the sleek, high-end touchscreen phone in his hand. A wave of nostalgia suddenly washed over him.

After all these years, he finally had a touchscreen phone again. He had thought he'd have to wait another twenty years.

"Ka-ka-ka—"

At that moment, the touchscreen phone transformed like a miniature Transformer, turning into a palm-sized, chibi-style Minamoto no Tametomo.

"Ding-ding! Anti-military combat warrior unit... Created by Minamoto no Tametomo... Smartphone, activated! Currently on standby, awaiting commands."

"Ohhh!"

Chihiro's eyes lit up. What boy wouldn't want a smartphone that could transform, fight, and double as a collectible figure?

After playing around with Mini Tametomo for a while, he had it revert to its phone form and moved on to drawing his special reward.

Feeling lucky today, he decided to ride the wave of success.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the 'Secret Intelligence Manual'!"

"Wait... what? The Secret Intelligence Manual?"

Chihiro was momentarily stunned before finally recalling what it was.

It was a miraculous skill that allowed the user to transform their energy into physical matter. Mastering it would make the concept of "killing someone with a glance" no longer just a metaphor.

To put it simply, it was the materialization of mental energy.

And wasn't mental energy his strongest suit?

If he mastered the Secret Intelligence Manual, his psychic abilities would surely soar to an entirely new level.

---

Meanwhile, in the world of Fate/Apocrypha...

At Yggdmillennia's castle, Sieg had returned and was discussing the liberation of the homunculi with Fiore and Gordes.

"I mean, wait a little longer."

Gordes pulled up the data on the homunculi and spoke sternly. "You were created solely to supply mana. Your bodies are of the lowest quality, and you won't survive more than three years after being released."

"If you want, I can find a way to optimize them, at least enough to extend their lifespan."

Fiore chuckled. "Haha, Uncle Gordes really has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He complains a lot, but he does care."

"Stop spouting nonsense! It was just a momentary impulse, don't read too much into it," Gordes coughed lightly, avoiding eye contact. Then, looking at Turer and the other homunculi standing guard, he said, "Let's start with them first. They're already at their limit."

"Yes! Thank you so much!"

Sieg bowed his head, expressing his sincere gratitude.

"Alright, you all continue your discussion—I have work to do."

Fiore signaled for Caules to push her wheelchair back to the office. She truly had her hands full right now.

With Darnic's death, Yggdmillennia was on the verge of collapse and could fall apart at any moment.

After all, which family head would be willing to follow the leadership of a young girl?

Darnic is dead. Now, their only concern was maximizing their own gains before defecting to the Clock Tower.

As she looked at the letters sent by those people, Fiore felt exhausted.

Fine. If they wanted to leave, let them. But if they intended to take a piece of Yggdmillennia with them before they left, she wouldn't hesitate to be ruthless.

"Caules, how about—"

"I don't want to!"

Before Fiore could finish, Caules cut her off.

He knew exactly what she meant, she wanted to pass the family's Magic Crest onto him and give up being a magus.

Caules refused to let that happen. He didn't want his talented sister to fade into obscurity.

As for Fiore's inability to walk, now that they had access to the mystical resources of the Q&A group, he was sure they would eventually find a cure.

Seeing her brother's determination, Fiore smiled in relief and set the matter aside for now.

Time passed quickly, and as evening fell, Sieg returned to the guest room Fiore had arranged for him.

However, the moment he stepped inside, a surge of killing intent came from behind. He instinctively tried to dodge, but his body suddenly froze, as if paralyzed.

Before he could react, a powerful kick sent him sprawling to the ground.

"You damned homunculus! I'll make you regret everything!"

A furious female voice rang out, and Sieg felt his hair being grabbed as he was dragged across the floor like a ragdoll.

There was no need to guess, the attacker was Celenike.

Her expression was twisted with rage. She had endured long enough, watching this detestable artificial being steal away what she loved most.

Sieg struggled to move, but his body refused to obey him.

Celenike had set a magic trap at the entrance, and he had fallen into it the moment he entered.

She intended to drag Sieg to her torture chamber and make him suffer.

Astolfo had been in that chamber before but only for her amusement. Sieg, however, was brought there purely for torment.

"Should I ask for help in the group…?"

The thought crossed Sieg's mind, but he hesitated.

Even if he was rescued this time, there was no guarantee something like this wouldn't happen again. He couldn't always rely on others to protect him.

He had to learn to protect himself.

He thought back to the image of himself in that video. If he could do it, then so could I.

Even though he and Siegfried had no direct connection this time, the Hero still chose to give him his heart. He couldn't let that gift go to waste.

There were no fragments of Frankenstein present—but he refused to believe that was an absolute requirement.

Clearing his mind, Sieg tried to communicate with the power inside his heart.

But there was no response.

"Do I really have to die once?"

No—he couldn't give up. He had to keep trying.

Dragged across the floor by Celenike, Sieg kept desperately reaching for the dormant magic within him.

Soon, they arrived at Celenike's torture chamber.

She shackled Sieg to the wall with iron chains, picked up a whip from the table, dipped it in cold water, and swung it down on him.

A sharp, searing pain spread across his back.

It hurt. It hurt so much.

Since being rescued by Jeanne, Sieg had never experienced true pain.

Even during the heart transplants, Jeanne had always ensured he was unconscious before the procedure.

Still, there was no response from within him. Maybe the Sieg in that video was just a coincidence, something that couldn't be replicated.

"...So you think you're tough?"

Seeing Sieg remain silent despite the repeated lashes, Celenike's face flushed with excitement.

She lived for this—the pleasure of making someone break.

She had to make him scream, force him to cry, to truly satisfy the burning rage in her heart.

But before that, she needed to vent her frustrations to indulge in her sadistic desires.

The whip lashed down again and again.

Sieg clenched his teeth, enduring the pain.

Gradually, his body began to grow numb.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 381: Chihiro: I Am a Gentleman

"Bang!!!"

Just as Celenike was whipping Sieg, the door to the torture room was suddenly and violently thrown open.

The intruders were Gordes and Caules.

Earlier, when Caules happened to pass by Sieg's room, he noticed that the door was left open, with distinct drag marks on the ground. Sensing something was wrong, he followed the traces of lingering magic left by Celenike and confirmed his suspicion.

However, Caules knew he wasn't strong enough to handle the situation alone, so he immediately sought out Gordes, who was still awake.

Gordes already had a poor relationship with Celenike, and upon hearing that she was causing trouble again, he didn't hesitate, he stormed in without a second thought.

Gordes: "Celenike, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Musik, mind your own business!"

Celenike's face twisted into a sinister scowl. "But you—when did you start caring so much about this traitor?"

"Hmph, stay out of my affairs."

Gordes had no desire to explain himself to this lunatic. This was his agreement with Siegfried.

Without another word, Gordes stepped forward to untie Sieg, but before he could reach him, Celenike cracked her whip at him without hesitation, narrowly missing his face.

"Celenike! Are you completely insane, woman?!"

"That's right! I'm insane! And today, I'm going to kill this brat!"

Celenike no longer intended to simply torture, she was now preparing to cast black magic to kill Sieg on the spot.

"Stop!"

Reacting quickly, Caules fired a bolt of lightning at Celenike, shocking her body and disrupting her spellcasting.

"Double Strengthening—Fists!"

Gordes enhanced his fists and took the opportunity to knock Celenike out with a single punch, sending her crashing hard against the wall.

"Gordes, you fat pig...!"

Writhing on the ground in pain, Celenike couldn't get up for a long time.

"Calm down for a while."

Gordes scowled darkly. He hadn't expected this lunatic to be so utterly obsessed with Astolfo.

"Are you alright?"

Caules quickly untied Sieg, frowning at the whip marks covering his body.

"Ahem..."

It took Sieg a moment to recover before he weakly responded, "I'm fine. I can still hold on."

Gordes frowned. "Why didn't you just ask for help in the group?"

Sieg: "I've already troubled you all so much... I didn't want to cause any more trouble..."

"Idiot!"

Gordes clicked his tongue in frustration.

How the hell did Jeanne raise this kid?!

…Wait, no.

Jeanne was only with Sieg for three days. Most of that time was spent running around, she probably hadn't even had the chance to teach him much.

So this kid learned to be like this just from watching videos? What exactly did he learn?!

It seemed Gordes now had another responsibility—teaching this kid how to properly function in society.

At that moment, Celenike slowly got up and, while no one was paying attention, moved to block the door. Consumed by rage, she no longer cared about restraint—she was determined to get rid of Gordes and the others along with Sieg.

She prepared to unleash her strongest curse.

But just as she was about to act—

A sudden chill crept up her neck.

The next instant, the world spun around her, and she plunged into endless darkness.

"Hey! Toole! What are you doing?!"

Seeing the headless corpse collapse at the door, Gordes and Caules' faces changed drastically.

"She was about to attack you."

Calmly retracting her axe, the homunculus Toole stated this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

She had arrived with Gordes and had been waiting outside, but Celenike—so fixated on Sieg—had failed to notice her presence.

Thus, she was ambushed and beheaded, suffering the exact same fate as in the original timeline.

"This... ah..."

Gordes and Caules exchanged looks, unsure how to feel about the situation.

In the end, all they could do was sigh helplessly.

This outcome... might have been for the best.


---

...Fate Zero World...

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

Chihiro frowned, staring at the Holy Grail left behind by Goetia.

Keeping it felt like sitting on a ticking time bomb, but using it...

Could he somehow feed it to Servants like in the game?

Reality is not a game.

Just as he was lost in thought, a message came from the Holy Grail within his own body.

It could consume this Grail to replenish its magical energy.

Wait... it can do that?!

Chihiro hesitated. But at the moment, there really wasn't a better solution.

Fine. Let's do it.

A powerless Holy Grail was useless to him anyway, it was better to recharge the one he already had.

However, he couldn't do it in his room. If the process was too loud and ended up blowing up his house, that would be a disaster.

Activating "Classic of Mountains and Seas," Chihiro flipped to a blank page.

No matter how much noise it made in there, he wouldn't have to worry about it.

Summoning the Greater Holy Grail from within himself, Chihiro threw Goetia's Holy Grail into it.

In an instant, the Grail was engulfed in golden light and devoured by the Greater Holy Grail. A surge of tremendous magical energy filled the air.

The noise level was... tolerable.

At least, as long as no battles broke out, it wouldn't cause a problem—though the dazzling light was a bit much for the eyes.

With this, the magic power expended in summoning the Grand Servant was fully replenished.

Not bad.

At the very least, this Holy Grail War had not been fought in vain.


---

The Next Morning...

Chihiro excitedly shared the good news with Iskandar and the others.

"I can help you all take on physical bodies. It won't consume much magic power, so no need to worry."

Although they had been summoned through cards, they should be able to stay in the present era after being incarnated.

"Hahaha! In that case, I won't be polite!"

Among them, Iskandar was the first to agree. After all, regaining a physical body had always been his dream.

"Hmph, is this supposed to be charity?"

As expected, Gilgamesh refused.

Though, for some reason, his attitude toward Chihiro wasn't as openly hostile as before. Still, it was clear things were tense, and living under the same roof only made things more awkward.

"I don't need it either. Or rather, I don't want to keep an old body like Berserker's in this world."

The First Emperor had a practical reason for refusing, he didn't want an old man's body.

If he were to incarnate, it would have to be in peak condition, like Ruler or Rider's body.

"As for me..."

Artoria hesitated, unsure whether she should accept or not.

"If you're feeling conflicted, just agree to it."

Chihiro advised her, "Instead of returning to the Throne of Heroes and being alone, why not stay in the modern world and take it easy? Let go of those burdens and see things from the perspective of an ordinary person."

"...Really? ...Alright."

After considering it, Artoria agreed.

Chihiro was right.

Rather than return to the Throne of Heroes and stare at the endless battlefield of Camlann, it was better to stay here.


---

Incarnation Begins...

"Alright, let's begin."

Chihiro immediately channeled the Holy Grail's magic power to incarnate them.

Since the Grail was uncontaminated, there was no black mud—only waves of golden light engulfing the two of them.

However, midway through the process, Chihiro suddenly noticed something.

Alarmed, he quickly transported Artoria into "Classic of Mountains and Seas."

When the light faded...

A muscular Iskandar stood before them.

Yes. A very robust, very honest, very straightforward kind of muscular.

Chihiro hadn't expected this outcome, fortunately, he reacted quickly.

"Oh! So this is what it feels like to have a body again?"

Completely unaware of his current state, Iskandar was still basking in the joy of reincarnation.

"Stop talking and put something on already!"

At that moment, Chihiro finally understood what Waver had gone through.

He rushed upstairs, grabbed the biggest-sized clothes he had, and tossed them to Iskandar.

"Hahaha! Much appreciated!"

Iskandar grinned as he dressed—though it was still a bit tight.

"Looks like I'll need to take you shopping later."

"By the way, where's Artoria?"

Only now did Iskandar realize she was missing.

"Ahem, I moved her somewhere else."

Quickly changing the subject, Chihiro asked, "How do you feel now?"

Iskandar: "How do I feel? Fantastic!"

Chihiro: "..."


---

After conducting a few tests, Chihiro confirmed several things:

1. After incarnation, Heroic Spirits lose their ability to turn into spirit form.


2. They can no longer summon their original armor or clothing at will.

(This explained why Gilgamesh never wore armor in the Fifth Holy Grail War.)

3. They require external magic power to sustain themselves.

(If they have a Master, the Master provides it. Otherwise, they must find an alternative source.)

With that settled, Chihiro hurried back inside.

He hadn't forgotten—Artoria was still inside his book.

Finding some proper clothes, he tossed them into the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Though he could have gone in himself, that would be inappropriate—after all, he was a gentleman.

After waiting five minutes, Chihiro finally let Artoria out.

Her face was flushed red—clearly, the shock had been too much.

And the clothes he picked... seemed a little small.

Chihiro glanced at her, and—

"Where are you looking?!"

Noticing his gaze, Artoria's face turned crimson as she whipped around in embarrassment.

Chihiro also quickly looked away, his expression equally awkward.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 382: Next Time

Time flew by, and before he knew it, two days had passed.

"Time's up."

In the living room of Chihiro's house, the First Emperor waved his hand, and suddenly, Chihiro reappeared, his clothes disheveled, his hair a mess, and his entire being looking like he had just crawled out of a battlefield.

He hadn't actually fought anyone, though.

Rather, he had just spent two days inside the First Emperor's Reality Marble—The Mausoleum of the First Emperor: Underground Heavenly Palace.

It all started with Albion's appearance in the last video.

That moment had made Chihiro curious, if Albion existed, then surely, other remnants from the Age of Gods must still be around, too?

And who better to ask than the First Emperor himself?

After all, the man had spent his entire life searching for the secrets of immortality, plundering everything left behind from the Age of Gods before the Qin Dynasty, including the Heavenly Palace itself.

So, during their two-day trip around nearby cities, Chihiro had casually brought up the topic, hoping to get some answers.

To his surprise, the First Emperor actually had records of ancient magic from before the Age of Gods, all of which he had sealed away inside his own tomb.

At that moment, Chihiro couldn't help himself.

"…So, uh… how's the Mausoleum of the First Emperor looking these days?"

The First Emperor froze.

Then, after a long silence, he narrowed his eyes and let out a low chuckle.

"You've got some nerve," he said, folding his arms. "First, you decide you want to rob my tomb and then you have the audacity to ask me, the tomb's owner, what's inside?"

Chihiro blinked.

"…Uh. When you put it like that—"

"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give you a chance," the First Emperor interrupted, smirking.

And with that, he tossed Chihiro straight into the Underground Heavenly Palace.

It wasn't a punishment, far from it.

This was a real opportunity.


---

The Mausoleum of the First Emperor: Underground Heavenly Palace was modeled directly after the First Emperor's real mausoleum.

In other words, everything inside it was identical to what was buried in reality.

For Chihiro, this wasn't just some training exercise.

Of course, there was one key difference between the Reality Marble and the real thing.

The real Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor probably didn't have golden beasts that could move and mercury weapons that could fly.

…At least, Chihiro hoped it didn't.


---

"Heh. Thanks for the experience," Chihiro said, grinning despite his exhausted state.

The First Emperor merely smirked. "I was feeling generous, so I granted you permission to set foot in my underground palace. Try not to mess it up."

"Alright!" Chihiro said.

The words had barely left his mouth before both Gilgamesh and the First Emperor began to glow with white light.

The moment had arrived.

Iskandar grinned, raising his cup one last time. "Gilgamesh, First Emperor—let's drink together next time."

Gilgamesh scoffed. "Hmph. Foolish mongrel, you always drink my wine."

Iskandar laughed heartily. "Can't help it. Yours tastes good."

With a flash of light, both Gilgamesh and the First Emperor vanished, returning to the Throne of Heroes.

Now that the two kings had departed, Chihiro could finally return to his daily life.

That said, he had a long list of plans to tackle, one step at a time.

Meanwhile, Iskandar and Artoria had no particular plans.

As long as one had wine and the other had food, they would be just fine.

(To be continued.)

T/N: And that's the end, 5th HGW next.