Fate Q&A: Chapter 104: Burning Fuyuki City

["You, are you trying to steal the Holy Grail from me just to spout this nonsense?"]

[Artoria was furious at Gilgamesh's audacious and humiliating remarks.]

[Before she could recover, another two weapons from his Gate of Babylon pierced her.]

["I didn't ask for your opinion."]

[Gilgamesh smirked faintly, his tone filled with arrogance.]

["This is my decision. Now, let me hear your response."]

[Artoria, her resolve unshaken, replied firmly: "I refuse!"]

[In an instant, another blade struck her, forcing her further down.]

["You're quite stubborn for someone who looks so shy."]

[Gilgamesh taunted, his tone filled with mockery. "But no matter, no matter how many times you make mistakes, I'll forgive you."]

["Answer me again."]

Tohsaka Rin: "I said it before, this guy is a complete scumbag!"

Tohsaka Rin: "What marriage? This is just an excuse to abuse someone weaker than him!"

Ishtar: "What's new? This guy used to pull stunts like this back when he was younger."

Iskandar: "Gilgamesh, I had started to think there was some merit to you, but clearly, I was wrong."

Gilgamesh: "Hmph, the opinions of a mongrel mean nothing to me."

The First Emperor: "No matter how vast your treasury or how strong your power, it cannot compensate for the pettiness of your character."

Gilgamesh: "What did you say, you insignificant ant?"

The First Emperor: "Only a barbarian would find satisfaction in such base acts of cruelty."

Gilgamesh: "Very well. It seems someone has forgotten their place."

Gilgamesh: "I'll take great pleasure in showing you how insignificant your so-called empire is before my might."

The First Emperor: "Come and try. I'll be waiting."

Gilgamesh: "Hmph!"

[As Gilgamesh prepared to strike Artoria again, Emiya Kiritsugu appeared on the nearby stands.]

["Kiritsugu!"]

[Artoria's eyes lit up. Despite her pain, she immediately signaled for Kiritsugu to use the Command Seal.]

[If she could receive an order through the Command Seal, she could regain the strength to fight against Gilgamesh.]

[Kiritsugu did indeed begin to use a Command Seal, but the order he gave left Artoria in complete shock.]

["By the power of the Command Seal, Saber, destroy the Holy Grail!"]

["What did you say?!"]

[Artoria's voice was filled with disbelief and anger. She had no idea what was happening.]

[Her body, however, could no longer resist the command. She stood up abruptly, the treasures embedded in her body ejecting themselves as her wounds healed.]

[Excalibur appeared in her hands, and the Holy Sword began to glow with radiant power as it aimed at the Lesser Grail.]

["Why… why is it you, Kiritsugu?!!!"]

[Artoria roared in rage, her voice echoing across the battlefield.]

[The events of the Holy Grail War had already left her devastated. The Holy Grail was her last shred of hope.]

[But now, Kiritsugu had ordered her to destroy it with her own hands.]

["Foolish mongrel, do you intend to ruin my wedding? You idiot!"]

[Gilgamesh, equally enraged, turned his attention to Kiritsugu, prepared to attack him directly.]

["By the power of the third Command Seal, Saber, destroy the Holy Grail!"]

[Kiritsugu used his final Command Seal, reinforcing his initial order.]

[The repeated command doubled the power coursing through Artoria's body, forcing her to obey.]

["Stoppp!!!"]

[Artoria, unable to resist, let out a furious, anguished cry as she raised Excalibur high and swung it down toward the Grail.]

[The overwhelming light of the Holy Sword enveloped the entire stage in an instant.]

[Even Gilgamesh, with all his arrogance, was unable to withstand its might and was blown back by the radiant power.]

[At the very last moment, a single tear fell from Artoria's eye.]

["Our bond was limited to three Command Seals. How could I possibly understand his heart?"]

["I couldn't even grasp the intentions of the person closest to me."]

["Perhaps this is the punishment I deserve as a king who 'does not understand human nature.'"]

[The blinding light of Excalibur illuminated the darkness completely, and with it, King Arthur's form disappeared into nothingness.]

[King Arthur, exit.]

[The correct answer is D.]

[Congratulations to Waver, Chihiro, Artoria, Iskandar, Lancelot, Hassan of the Hundred Faces, Emiya Kiritsugu, Irisviel, Zhang Jiao, Red Hare, El-Melloi II, the First Emperor, and Sigurd for earning 3 Saint Quartz and advancing to the next round.]

[The rest of the participants who answered incorrectly will lose 1 Saint Quartz.]

Kayneth: "Well, Emiya Kiritsugu… though I detest you, I have to admit, I respect you for this decision."

It wasn't something everyone could do, rejecting the ultimate wish-granting device.

Kayneth: "If it were me, I doubt I could turn down the Grail so easily. I'd probably try my luck, thinking it would work out somehow."

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "I feel the same. I'm not sure I could have made such a choice."

Iskandar: "This man is truly decisive."

The First Emperor: "Such decisions are the mark of someone with real ambition."

Gilgamesh: "Hmph. What a pathetic and empty conclusion."

Artoria: "..."

Waver: "I didn't expect all of this arguing and fighting to end like this…"

Chihiro: "Doesn't it make all the battles we saw feel a little… pointless?"

Waver: "...Yeah. So many people lost their lives, all for this. It's not worth it."

[The video resumed.]

["That… that's!"]

[As the smoke cleared, Kiritsugu looked at the destroyed Lesser Grail. Relief began to show on his face, until he saw it.]

[A massive, gaping hole appeared where the Lesser Grail once stood, but the destruction of the Grail had done nothing to stop the phenomenon.]

["No way!"]

[Even Gilgamesh, who had been thrown into the rubble by Excalibur's blast, stared in stunned disbelief.]

[Black mud began surging from the hole, an ominous torrent that rapidly spread throughout the stage.]

[Gilgamesh's body was caught by the mud, and it began to pull him in.]

["This… this is impossible!"]

[Kiritsugu, utterly shocked, watched as the black mud began to spread beyond the stage, surging toward Fuyuki City.]

[Within minutes, half of the city was engulfed in flames and devastation, reduced to a sea of fire and ash.]

[Kiritsugu staggered forward, his mind blank as he stumbled into the burning city, desperate to save anyone he could.]

[But no one could be saved. Not a single civilian survived the disaster.]

["Ahhhh!!!"]

[As Kiritsugu knelt among the bodies, his scream echoed through the burning ruins, filled with despair and anguish.]

[The video paused.]

[Question: What is Gilgamesh's ultimate fate?]

[A: Exit, returning to the Throne of Heroes if defeated.]
[B: Be corrupted by the mud and turned into a dark servant.]
[C: Take on physical form and remain in the world permanently.]
[D: Counterattack, successfully defeating Angra Mainyu.]

[Please answer within five minutes. Exceeding the time limit will count as forfeiting.]

Kayneth: "So this is the truth behind the burning of Fuyuki."

Waver: "Damn it… how could something like this happen?!"

Artoria: "So, all we fought for was… this?"

Her voice trembled as she stared at the screen, her heart heavy with the weight of countless lives lost.

Kiritsugu: "..."

Irisviel: "Kiritsugu…"

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Such terrifying destruction… This is the true nature of the 'Evil of the World.'"

Kayneth: "It's undeniable that this thing has the power to wipe out humanity."

Chihiro: "Director, that's a bit of an exaggeration."

Chihiro: "There are still plenty of powerful figures—mages, spirits, and entities who could stop it if they chose to. The problem is, would they care enough to act?"

Kayneth: "True… but most of those figures would probably stand back and do nothing, even if this caused irreparable damage."

Chihiro: "Exactly. That apathy is the real danger."

The First Emperor: "Hmph. This is why I despise such so-called 'mages.'"

Waver: "But didn't you gather many 'mages' to create elixirs during your reign?"

The First Emperor: "That was a necessary compromise to pursue immortality."

The First Emperor: "In the end, those people took advantage of me, treating me like a fool. Especially Xu Fu."

The First Emperor: "If history taught me one thing, it's that you can only rely on yourself."

Chihiro: "There's an old rumor about Xu Fu settling in Japan, isn't there?"

The First Emperor: "I'm well aware, and I've already found the remnants of their work."

Chihiro: "Wait, what?"

The First Emperor: "Yes, just recently."

Zhang Jiao: "Are you saying Xu Fu left successors behind?"

The First Emperor: "No, Xu Fu died long ago, but I've discovered someone continuing their research."

The First Emperor: "What disgusts me is that instead of pursuing the elixir of immortality as I commanded, this successor dared to research methods to kill immortals."

Zhang Jiao: "Kill immortals? Do immortals actually exist?"

The First Emperor: "The records left behind are fragmented, but they do include references to encounters with so-called immortals."

Kayneth: "Immortals, you say? I didn't think such beings truly existed."

El-Melloi II: "The world is vast. It's not impossible, though such claims are rare."

Tohsaka Rin: "You're all going off-topic! Shouldn't we be focusing on the question instead?"

Waver: "Oh, right. The video was so overwhelming I forgot about the question."

Tohsaka Rin: "Half the time has already passed. Hurry up and make your choices!"