[FGO]: 163

After the fusion, [Reversal War God] became explosively powerful.

[State 1: Passive Mode]

The conversion and enhancement efficiency of magical energy increased severalfold. Ryou typically used this state to boost his attributes. To use a gaming analogy, this state was like increasing experience gain.

The efficiency multiplier?

If [Crying Warmonger] was a 1, and [Reversal War God] was a 3, then [Reversal War God: True] was a 10!

[State 2: Active Mode]

Both the amount of mana and life force restored after taking damage and the damage reflected upon receiving the same type of attack were tripled compared to the pre-fusion state.

[State 3: Berserker Revenge Mode]

The most significant change occurred in State 3—[Berserker Revenge Mode]. The efficiency of gathering revenge power, as well as the revenge power limit, was also tripled.

To illustrate: if Ryou were to fight Heracles again, he wouldn't need to endure the effects of [Nine Lives]. Taking just one-third of the damage he had previously suffered would yield the same result.

If the [Revenge Power] reached its maximum, the damage output could reach up to 3,000 times the original!

[New Ability: Desperate Counterattack]

Before the fusion, the major weakness was that if Ryou were hit with a one-hit-kill attack, everything would be over. However, after fusing with [Twelve Labors], State 3 gained an auxiliary state called [Desperate Counterattack].

[Desperate Counterattack]: If an enemy's attack is fatal, this state completely nullifies the attack, instantly restoring all health and mana while doubling all attributes (except luck). Even after recovery, the accumulated [Revenge Power] would not be cleared.

In other words, he would revive at full strength on the spot!

Additionally, the buff enhancement made this ability a god-tier skill for duels. This meant that if any enemy managed to land a killing blow on him, he would immediately revive with full health, his attributes doubled, and he could still unleash State 3's effects for a devastating counterattack.

[Desperate Counterattack usage limit: 3 times.]

[Recovery rate: 1 use per day.]

While this ability didn't give him 13 lives like Heracles, one thing was clear: if you couldn't defeat your opponent, even 120 lives wouldn't save you.

Look no further than a certain route in the original story, where Gilgamesh toyed with Heracles—sometimes, having more lives just gives your opponent more chances to play with you.

...

While Ryou was busy drawing prizes and absorbing his newfound luck, strange noises echoed from the Matou mansion, just a few streets away from the Tohsaka residence in Fuyuki City.

At first, the sounds resembled a woman moaning in pain, but upon closer listening, they sounded more like the suggestive noises of someone engaged in... harmonious activities.

In the basement of the Matou mansion—once a den of revolting magical worms under the rule of the old head of the household—things had changed dramatically since Matou Sakura took over. All traces of the worms had been purged.

Now, the renovated basement exuded a twisted, solemn darkness, as if it belonged in a gothic novel. The space resembled the resting place of a vampire noble, with black and red tones creating a luxurious yet eerie atmosphere.

Above, a medieval-style circular chandelier adorned with candles cast a faint light across the dim room.

Everything exuded a sense of heaviness... but...

"Ah~~~!"

A soft moan—almost a mix between a sob and a gasp of joy—added a pink-tinted suggestiveness to the atmosphere.

In the center of the room, a blue-haired figure was suspended, naked, by chains. Most of her delicate face was covered by a black blindfold.

Shadows shaped like tentacles slithered around the girl's youthful body, violating her in unspeakable ways.

On the marble floor beneath her, a suspicious puddle of transparent liquid exuded the heavy scent of female pheromones.

As the girl's body writhed, the air filled with the fragrance of her body, mingling with the sweet scent of someone reaching their peak.

Opposite the bound girl was a stone throne.

Reclining on it was a silver-haired girl in an elegant black gown with blood-red patterns. She rested her chin on one hand, watching the blue-haired girl's performance with great interest, her lips curling into a mysterious smile.

Behind her stood a platinum-blonde girl in a black dress, her eyes glowing a golden hue, reminiscent of a dragon's. Her expression was cold and emotionless, and most notably, she had no ahoge.

If Ryou were present, he would have instantly recognized this girl—radiating an aura of cold, ruthless tyranny—as Artoria Pendragon [Alter], the darkened version of the legendary King Arthur, also known as Salter.

And the queenly figure she stood before? None other than Matou Sakura, one of the soft-spoken heroines from the original storyline.

From Salter's position, it was clear she was Sakura's Servant.

"Rider, after ten long years, the Holy Grail War has finally begun again."

Perhaps due to her excitement, Sakura—usually as cold and expressionless as an ice queen—had a noticeable trace of thrill in her voice.

It was evident: the Servant standing behind her—Artoria Pendragon [Alter]—was in the rare Rider class.

"It doesn't matter to me. I just need to kill that man."

Artoria's voice was icy, and killing intent surged from her small frame without restraint.

Her golden, dragon-like eyes fixated on a black sphere floating in midair, the size of a human head. Reflected within it was the scene of Ryou battling Heracles on a hill.

Artoria's gaze was locked onto him, unblinking.

"I've waited ten years. This time, I will avenge you, Irisviel!"

Artoria swore silently to herself.

"Of course. It's because our goals align so perfectly that we've become allies, isn't it? I, too, have a score to settle with that man," Sakura said coldly, her tone as frigid as ice.

Ryou had been right all along—almost everyone participating in this Holy Grail War had a grudge against him.

Truly, it was a tragic tale.

Sakura's voice suddenly shifted.

"However, you and I both know that man won't be easy to kill. Back then, he... So if we want to finish him off, we'll need a carefully crafted plan."

"So, this is your plan? Summon some terrifying being from the Abyss and sacrifice every life in Fuyuki City to deliver a fatal blow?"

Artoria snorted coldly.

"What's wrong? Are you getting soft-hearted?"

"I don't care about the process. I just need that man to be completely killed."

The cold, ruthless words spilled from the mouth of the black tyrant.

"Very well, it seems we've reached an agreement."

Matou Sakura chuckled softly.

Her gaze then shifted to the girl suspended in the center of the room, being toyed with. A sadistic glint flashed in Sakura's eyes.

She raised a finger, and immediately, a thin tentacle emerged from the shadows and lashed harshly across the girl's exposed buttocks.

Slap!

A crisp sound echoed, and a bright red mark quickly appeared on the girl's pale skin.

The force was perfectly calculated—it was enough to cause the girl pain, or perhaps something else, but not enough to harm her body.

The girl's reaction was proof of that.

"Mmph!!"

Her mouth was filled with shadowy tentacles, muffling her voice. The only sounds that escaped were muffled, yet filled with a mix of anguish and strange pleasure.

Her delicate body suddenly shook violently, trembling like a leaf in the wind before collapsing entirely, hanging limply from the chains.

Sakura slowly approached the girl, hooking a finger under her smooth chin and whispering into her ear.

"Give me more pleasure, dear sister~"

The flickering candlelight stretched Sakura's shadow long across the wall. In the dim glow, her shadow loomed like a massive demon.

Cold laughter, mingled with the girl's cries—whether from pain or excitement—continued to echo in the vast, empty basement.

...

The next day, Ryou, in high spirits, decided to reward his goddess of luck properly.

The wild animals on the mountain behind Ryuudou Temple weren't so fortunate.

He charged into the forest behind Ryuudou and went on a hunting spree. His spoils included a wild boar, a pheasant, some wild mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and various wild vegetables.

While he was busy gathering his bounty, Medea wasn't idle either.

She meticulously completed all the nodes in the Temple and, in the process, discovered a major secret about the Holy Grail.

When Ryou returned to Ryuudou Temple with his wild game, he ran into Medea, who was looking for him.

"What's up, Medea-chan?"

Seeing Medea hurrying toward him, his curiosity was piqued.

"Master! You'd better come take a look."

Medea's expression was deadly serious.

Ryou immediately set aside his carefree attitude, placing the wild game in the kitchen before following her to the entrance of the Great Grail's altar.

Centuries ago, the Three Founding Families—Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Matou (Makiri)—had buried the Greater Grail deep within Mount Enzou.

Once the Grail's magical energy was fully accumulated, it would manifest near Ryuudou Temple.

The exact location, Ryou remembered, was a small lake.

He had passed by it earlier while hunting.

But no matter how he looked at it, the lake seemed perfectly ordinary.

Well, almost. Perhaps due to the Grail's magical contamination, there were few fish in the lake, and only sparse patches of aquatic plants grew near its edges.

The water was crystal clear but devoid of any signs of life, almost like a gateway to a dead realm.

The altar to the Greater Grail was hidden beneath the lake, with the entrance located midway up the mountain.

To firmly establish his role as the final boss, Ryou had Medea implement a ruthless strategy.

Medea altered some of the Greater Grail's functions, siphoning off the accumulated magical energy to fuel the Temple at Ryuudou Temple.

In other words, even if all the Servants were defeated, the Greater Grail would never reach full capacity.

To undo Medea's setup, there were only two options: either a more powerful and skilled magus from the Age of Gods—someone on Solomon's level—would need to intervene, or the Temple's core at Ryuudou Temple would need to be destroyed.

Attempting to tamper with it would only destroy the Greater Grail as well.

As for finding a more skilled magus than Medea...

Ever since Ryou entered this world, a Command Seal had appeared on the back of his hand, with Medea automatically becoming his Servant, occupying the Caster class.

There were very few magus whose mastery of magecraft exceeded that of the infamous Witch Medea from legend.

In other words, he had blocked off all possible avenues.

Anyone who wanted to claim the Holy Grail would have to face him head-on at a location of his choosing.

Time, place, and people.

Time was uncontrollable, but Ryou had secured the advantage of the place. Even though he had put himself at odds with all the other participants, losing the support of people, it was still the best strategy.

Especially since most of the participants already had grudges against him.

Rather than wandering around outside and getting attacked one by one, or even ganged up on, it was better to set up a battlefield in a location that favored him and crush his enemies head-on.

Ryou had been a bit nervous about Angra Mainyu potentially emerging from the Greater Grail.

But after some thought, he realized that Angra Mainyu was only a major threat when the Grail's magical energy was nearly full. Until then, it was nothing more than a half-starved weakling.

Ryou's plan to cut off the magical energy supply had, by sheer luck, also prevented Angra Mainyu from being fed.

It was a fortunate turn of events.

Ryou had already warned Medea about Angra Mainyu.

Unexpectedly, when she was modifying the permissions at the Grail's altar, she discovered something unusual.

The Greater Grail wasn't contaminated!?

When Ryou first heard this, he refused to believe it.

If even this fundamental aspect was different, what kind of world was he actually in?

At that moment, memories of the strange incident when he first entered this world flashed through his mind.

Perhaps... that wasn't an accident at all, but rather the work of someone behind the scenes...

Ryou didn't think any further because he was still too weak.

And for someone capable of interfering with the system's near-omnipotent transfer mechanism, the power behind them must be terrifying.

At the very least, it was not something he could contend with at his current level.

The only way forward was to take steady steps, grow continuously stronger, and become powerful enough that no one could control his fate.

With these complicated thoughts swirling in his mind, Ryou and Medea entered the altar of the Greater Grail.

However, the moment he stepped into the altar, the unidentified [Root Gem] that he had stored in his inventory suddenly flew out and began emitting a dazzling golden light.

At the same time, in the center of the vast altar stood a massive hexagonal platform, upon which a giant crystal pillar towered.

From the center of the crystal pillar, a silvery-white light shone, faintly illuminating a gem embedded within, one that closely resembled the [Root] Gem in his hand.

Crack!

To Ryou and Medea's astonishment, the crystal pillar suddenly shattered.

The gem, radiating a silver glow, flew directly toward him.