Fate/Irregular Summons

Chapter 26: Encounter in the Dark Night

FATE/IRREGULAR SUMMONS

Chapter 26: Encounter in the Dark Night

"At this point, since you are the main character, you might as well summon a certain Archer wearing a Mythological Mystic Code and have the two of them fight in a mysterious space until the end of time. So, how about it?"

- Cuchulainn Alter's profile, Fate/Grand Order

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Sakura stumbled back a few steps when she saw Cuchulainn's horrific grin after he mercilessly killed Illyasviel. She then turned and ran as fast as she could. He noticed her and wielded Gae Bolg with murderous intent, preparing to throw it through the panicking girl's back.

"FATHEEE~EEER!"

His heart jolted, and the illusion Angra Mainyu showed him instantly vanished when he heard the familiar girl's voice scream at him. He whirled his head around to see where the girl was coming from, then found the real Connla leaping high above him after bouncing off a tree. She swung her spear over him. He raised Gae Bolg to fend her off, and their eyes met for a brief moment.

"I-Is that... the Lesser Grail...!?" Connla grunted when she saw Illyasviel's heart in Cuchulainn's hand.

"HAH!" he snarled and forced her off him with a single swing. She vaulted aside and landed between him and Sakura so that she could protect the teenager. Archer landed nearby, and the air bubble that allowed Caren to fly next to him dissipated once her feet touched the ground.

"Sakura!" they heard Shirou yelling from within the woods. He and Rin had not retreated very far, and only returned when they didn't hear the sounds of battle.

"Senpai!" she gasped and tightly hugged both of them while resisting the urge to cry.

Cuchulainn panned his eyes so that he glanced at the entire group, then murmured with no inflection whatsoever, "Looks like the gang's all here."

"That's enough, Lancer!" Rin demanded, pointing her hand at him in preparation for firing any necessary Gandr shots. "A Servant can't use the Grail since they need to be sacrificed to activate it!"

"Is that right...?" he glared at her with such a demonic gaze that it made her blood chill. The skin on his face creased as he heartily laughed at her.

"Feh heh... Fwah hah hah... FWAH HAH HAH HAH! BWAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!"

Rin shivered, "W-What's so funny!?"

Cuchulainn widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Little late to be saying that when the Lesser Grail is as full as it can be!"

"What!?" Archer snarled. "Even with Rider and Assassin dead, there should only be four Servants' worth of mana in it!"

"Saber and that other Archer who killed Berserker struck each other down earlier."

"Then that explosion from the Einzbern Manor was..."

"Exactly! Since there were nine of us, plus the quality of mana from the deceased Servants was so potent, it means a seventh sacrifice won't be necessary!"

"Gh-!?"

Caren muttered, "Since you were in contact with the vessel when that happened..."

"Yeah," Cuchulainn replied. "I have become the vector for granting Angra Mainyu's wish. The Grail likewise heard my wish and is granting it as we speak."

In a normal Holy Grail War, it was impossible for Servants to use the chalice to make a wish since it required the energy of all seven Servants to activate it in the first place. Even if a Servant helped their Master achieve victory, depending on the amount of magical energy stored within the Grail at the end of the War, that Servant would then have to be killed as well. The irony was that a Master could not physically handle the Grail themselves. Only Servants could do that, meaning the Heaven's Feel system was horrendously flawed right from the onset. Add to the equation how Angra Mainyu had corrupted the Grail with All the World's Evil so that no wish would ever be granted without causing great destruction, and the entire process was doomed to failure no matter what.