Chapter 242: Infinite Holy Grail System, Living Human History
In this world line, the Divine Land was an existence unlike any other, both on the surface and in the Reverse Side.
On the surface, it was a vast civilization that stood in the east like a monument. Even after disasters, it had never truly collapsed. Thousands of years passed, dynasties rose and fell, and yet the shape of that civilization remained, stubborn and continuous.
And in the Reverse Side, it was stranger still.
Mystery there was so dense it felt as if the Age of Gods had never fully faded. Yet the traces of human order were equally pronounced, layered and reinforced as though civilization itself had been hammered into the land.
To a certain extent, the reason the Mage's Association could not fully control the Reverse Side in East Asia was precisely because the Divine Land existed.
No. To be precise, the reason the Mage's Association had been able to develop into its modern form at all was also because the Divine Land never showed any intention of outward expansion.
It resembled the ancient deities and sages spoken of in old records. They rarely cared for the outside. Their gaze remained turned inward, toward their own continuity.
The Divine Land had always focused on itself.
It would sharpen its sword.
It would also hide its sword even deeper.
And now, on this day, with the blade drawn, it was only natural that the world would feel awe.
The top floor of the Clock Tower sank into a long, eerie silence.
Seated there were the figures who managed the heart of the Mage's Association, the finest among those who dealt in Mystery. The Clock Tower was, on paper, an academy tasked with preserving Mystery. In practice, these were department heads and Lords who commanded entire factions of students and faculty, each department a territory, each Lord a monarch.
"Hoo…"
The Lord at the head of the table, a petite girl with a black ponytail and a trace of sharp heroism in her bearing, exhaled.
"Regardless, I ask that all of you proceed with utmost caution in your affairs from now on."
Her gaze swept across the room, clean and cold.
"There will be major changes in the isolation of Mystery. As the Vice Director authorized by the Director to manage the Clock Tower, I, Lord Bartomel of the Administrative Department, have the duty, and the authority, to exercise maximum power in the coming changes."
A warning.
And, in its own way, a threat.
"Judgment, hm. What an extraordinary young person," an elderly Lord muttered, tone faintly amused.
A burly Lord answered with open defiance.
"Bartomel certainly has authority, but not necessarily the strength."
Different voices rose.
But no one opposed the directive itself.
Be careful.
Be cautious.
No one wanted to be the first to test the blade.
"Then I will respond to the Divine Land's Spiral Hall with the words, welcome."
Bartomel lifted her chin slightly.
"The meeting is adjourned."
She was about to end it.
Then her voice stopped.
The black haired girl, head of the Administrative Department, turned her head and looked toward the window.
The other Lords also looked out, almost in unison.
The Clock Tower bells rang, echoing over the wild outskirts of London. The sound was magnificent, solemn, the sort of chime that was meant to dominate any landscape.
It failed.
It could not drown out the roaring sea wind of the British Isles.
More importantly, it could not drown out what every Lord felt in that moment.
The leylines were moving.
Not drifting.
Not wavering.
Flowing.
As if a hundred rivers were converging toward a single point.
At that point, light appeared.
That was…
"Fuyuki's Holy Grail, no. Is this a brand new Holy Grail?" The man named Marisbury suddenly opened his eyes.
Just like Tokyo.
A brand new Holy Grail appeared in London.
Beams of light broke through the night.
Curves of radiance wove together, like a ritual being written in the air.
Far away, above East Asia, night remained vast.
The shadow of a dragon encircled the sky.
The Great Wall satellite orbit had appeared before the eyes of the world.
A powerful repulsion radiated outward from Rowe, spreading in waves that blocked every Servant who tried to approach him.
"To go to such lengths…" Rowe looked at his hands, then at the Servants whose faces were filled with unwillingness, reluctance, solemnity, and shock.
Artoria reached forward with her finger, then stopped. It was as if she had touched an invisible wall.
"What is this?"
"Bad guy." Altera tightened her grip on the Sword of the War God.
Artemis lifted her hand, and the sniper type interstellar fleet above her activated in unison. Red aiming reticles descended.
"No one can stop me from getting my Rowe."
"Umu umu." Nero Claudius's emerald eyes gleamed.
She smiled as if she had discovered a new ornament for her crown.
"My Adjutant… is he the Heaven of the Divine Land?"
The message transmitted by the Great Wall orbit had reached them all.
But Nero looked proud, as if she shared in that glory.
"The Divine Land is also Rome."
Rome belonged to Rowe.
The Divine Land belonged to Rowe.
Therefore, the Divine Land was equivalent to Rome.
"That is not how it works, King of the World of Rome."
Nero's words were cut off as three fluffy tails swayed, tracing golden arcs across the night.
Tamamo no Mae, fully recovered, stepped forward.
She wore a dark blue robe that veiled her figure, making her look both enchanting and sacred. Her presence carried an old authority, the kind that did not need volume.
Beside her, Xu Fu stood in silence. Under her square hat, the gaze she turned on the scene was unusually serious.
Tamamo no Mae looked at Nero, then at the other Servants.
"The Divine Land is the Divine Land. It is not synonymous with Rome."
She raised one hand, palm outward.
"This object is the Divine Land's warning to the world."
"And it is also a declaration that the territories under the Divine Land belong to it."
Under the Great Wall's shadow, Tamamo no Mae slowly spread her hands wider.
"I am Amaterasu Omikami of the East, the Heavenly Lord of the East."
Xu Fu inhaled sharply.
Then the girl who had seemed so small and timid erupted with a sudden, terrifying aura.
"I am Emperor Jinmu of the East, the first King."
The Heavenly Lord, and the Human King.
Behind Tamamo no Mae, a sun wheel bloomed beneath the vast night sky.
Xu Fu clutched the shapeless doll in her arms. Her eyes reflected the myriad beings of the eastern lands.
They represented the East.
But their roots were not the East.
Both originated from the Divine Land.
And under their rule, the East had always been subordinate to the Divine Land.
This was their stance.
Xu Fu could not help thinking Tamamo no Mae was taking advantage of the moment to flatter Consort Yu, trying to claim a share of the spoils.
To be honest, Xu Fu wanted the same.
She was simply shy, and had never dared to say it out loud.
"That is right. This is a declaration."
A voice descended from the sky.
Along the Great Wall's orbital path, glorious light poured down, weaving into a ladder that looked like a road to heaven.
A figure stepped down, slowly, calmly.
Consort Yu.
This time it was not a Servant.
It was her true body.
Inside the world covered by the Great Wall's shadow, she appeared without resistance, without obstacles, as if the world itself had lowered its head.
"Rowe is the Heaven of the Divine Land. No one can take what belongs to me, what belongs to our Heaven."
Her gaze turned cold.
"Your actions will be regarded as a declaration of war by the Divine Land."
A declaration of war against a nation.
Reckless. Absurdly reckless.
At the very center of the Great Wall's power, at the core of that repulsive field, Rowe rubbed his brow.
To threaten Servants with the power of a nation, no, with the power of a civilization, was far too excessive.
But Consort Yu was not the only one who was excessive.
"Only in the matter of Rowe's ownership, we of Camelot will never concede."
What of a great nation?
Camelot, in old Europa, had also been a sacred country that swept aside all opposition.
Artoria raised her Holy Lance.
Behind her and beside her, the Knights of the Round Table stepped forward together.
Melusine raised her hands, armor massive and radiant. Behind her, a brilliant silver dragon silhouette unfurled.
Barghest swung her greatsword, intricate plate armor covering her entire body like a declaration.
Baobhan Sith lifted her skirt slightly, and an invisible signal seemed to pass through the group.
Retreat.
Fear.
Those words did not belong here.
How could heroes, whose names were carved into history, ever retreat?
"The bad guy is mine. It is Altera's." Altera swung the Sword of the War God.
Artemis did not even look at Consort Yu or Tamamo no Mae.
Her gaze remained fixed on Rowe.
Nero only smiled and shook her head.
Did she care?
Why should she care?
"My Rome will not fear any army."
"There is no helping it." Boudica sighed, rubbing her hair back. "When you meet a willful emperor, this is what happens."
Then her tone sharpened.
"Besides, I also do not want to lose such an excellent commander."
"The glory of my Lord shall surely entwine around me." Martha tightened her grip on her cross shaped spear.
Willful.
Reckless.
Capable of what ordinary people could not accomplish, daring to do what ordinary people would never dare.
Facing a powerful enemy without stepping back.
Even if the disparity was overwhelming, they would still draw their swords.
Those who manifested in the Holy Grail War were, without exception, heroes.
Names etched into the record of the world.
How could they abandon the person they pursued?
"Haha. What a rare and lively scene. Even this old man rarely sees something like this."
"Hmph. They are just mongrels coveting my friend."
"What? Does the Hero King also want to go down and snatch a share?"
"Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to this King, and so does this King's friend. Why would I need to snatch?"
High above, Gilgamesh stood with arms crossed, wind tugging at his hair and cloak. He stared down at the standoff below with lazy contempt.
Behind him, city lights glittered.
On the streets of Tokyo, countless people looked up at the spectacle and raised their phones to record it. The images they captured were nothing but blur and glare.
In the city squares, giant screens broadcast the same message again and again.
The Divine Land demonstrates powerful weapons to protect the East Asia region.
This night was destined to be turbulent.
Gilgamesh, who had followed the movement of many Heroic Spirits and Servants into Tokyo, showed a disdainful smile.
In his eyes, no matter how much they struggled, it was still a futile play.
Because everything in heaven and on earth belonged to the King.
Because the world was the King's garden.
"Self centered, confident. You are the same."
Across from him, Ziusudra let out a low chuckle.
Was he any different?
Heroes were like this. Those engraved into history were supposed to be like this.
Then Ziusudra's tone turned faintly amused, faintly grim.
"But that one is worse. More willful, more self centered, and more insane than any of us."
Gilgamesh glanced at him.
For once, he did not retort.
Because it was true.
Rowe had always been like that.
He was like that then.
He was like that now.
"Long time no see, Rowe."
A clear voice drifted down with the wind.
High above, Atalanta, always prepared to support Artemis, suddenly turned her head. Her eyes widened as she looked at the figure who had appeared beside her without warning.
Green hair flowed.
White robes wrapped her.
"Lady Enkidu?" Atalanta's expression was not surprise.
It was astonishment, and beneath it, a flicker of fear.
Enkidu glanced at her with a small smile.
"Do not worry. I am not here to settle the score about you and Artemis teaming up and getting me lost."
Atalanta choked, unable to answer.
"I also will not stop you from approaching Rowe."
Enkidu lifted her head, looking toward the Great Wall's arc across the sky.
She smiled, soft and intent.
"I am here to witness it again."
"That primal wisdom."
"That primal madness."
Atalanta did not understand.
Then she felt it.
The earth trembled.
The world vibrated.
Something had shifted.
What was that?
Artoria turned her head westward, toward Britannia, her origin, her homeland.
She felt it.
"The Holy Grail."
Nero closed her eyes slightly.
"I feel it too."
"Rome."
"Greece." Artemis tilted her head.
Attila's expression did not change.
"Has the Hunnic Empire arrived?"
Yes.
It was not only the Holy Grail in Tokyo.
And it was not only the London Holy Grail that had appeared and been sensed by the Clock Tower Lords.
From Britannia, to Rome, to Greece.
Spreading into Gaul, Germania.
Holy Grails manifested across many regions.
Even the Divine Land had a Holy Grail appear.
Consort Yu's steps halted.
Leylines flowed.
Magical energy converged.
A message echoed through the Great Wall system.
"Great Wall, receiving command. Command source code. Heavenly Emperor."
The Heavenly Emperor controlled the Great Wall.
Rowe controlled the Great Wall.
And through the Great Wall, he manipulated the world's leylines.
He gathered their magical energy.
He condensed it into countless Holy Grails.
The original concept of the Holy Grail was a cup that held the blood of the Holy Son.
So for Rowe, replicating the Fuyuki Holy Grail was easier, and far less restricted, than it had been for Nero.
Even the Holy Grail in Tokyo had been created this way.
As a Caster, as a manifestation on the level of a Magician, he should possess such power by nature.
Territory Creation, from rank E to EX.
"This farce should be ending." Rowe stood at the center, surrounded by everyone, his eyes reflecting city lights, modern scenery, and the familiar faces that refused to yield.
He looked at Artoria.
Then Altera.
Then Artemis, Atalanta, Nero, Melusine, Boudica, Martha, and the others.
He smiled.
He had already grasped the true method to break the stalemate.
"I once walked through Uruk."
Above Mesopotamia, a Holy Grail shone.
"I once passed through Greece."
The Aegean churned, water vapor rising in layers, shaping itself into a golden vehicle.
"I once overthrew the Divine Tree in the north."
Across Norway, Sweden, Finland, the snowstorm broke apart. In the clear expanse, leyline magical energy solidified into a physical form amid the mountains.
"In endless reincarnation, I forged friendship with Ramses the Second in Egypt. I made a covenant with the Israelites. I once rebuked King Solomon."
"I traveled to Great Qin, shaping heaven and earth."
"And I left my mark in Rome."
Each sentence landed, and the world answered.
Each region trembled.
Across the globe, the Holy Grails that had manifested shook and overflowed with light.
His words were not mere boasting.
They were records.
The record of the world.
Rowe was performing a Servant summoning on the scale of a Holy Grail War.
But he was not summoning a single Servant.
He was using himself as the medium.
Every Servant connected to him.
Every era those Servants belonged to.
Countless ages merged.
Countless records intertwined.
Rowe was living human history.
Therefore, what he summoned, with himself as the medium and as the Holy Relic, was the record of all humanity.
It was the totality of the Throne of Heroes.
"No matter what I tried, I could not get up there."
"If that is the case…"
"Then I will drag the Throne down."
Rowe spread his hands.
These infinite Holy Grails.
This entire world.
This was what he had prepared for the Throne of Heroes.
The most perfect Spirit Origin.