"What are you spacing out for! Don't get hit by his bullets!" Rin Tohsaka snapped, noticing Jiang You frozen in place as he watched the corrupted Archer. Medusa's mount had already been struck by one of Archer's bullets; the projectile had deployed Unlimited Blade Works within its body, causing the mythical creature to explode from the inside out. Now, Medusa could only rely on her agility to keep Archer at bay.
Since Shirou Emiya's body was currently being controlled by another entity, the protective barrier of Jiang You's Noble Phantasm had reset. This allowed Angra Mainyu to launch a surprise attack on the unguarded Archer, who was subsequently swallowed by the Black Mud.
Jiang You quickly realized that the device about to unleash Heaven's Feel was none other than Archer, constructed from a corrupted version of his own Spirit Origin. It was merely borrowing the irrational aspect of his Spirit Origin, but even so, fueled by the corrupted Holy Grail and sustained by nearly limitless magical power, this Black Archer possessed power akin to Black Saber in the original storyline.
Imploding versions of Unlimited Blade Works were constantly interspersed with his regular attacks. If not for the brief incantation required, Jiang You suspected every single attack would have been Unlimited Blade Works.
"So, Archer's Spirit Origin was inverted to become this... thing? But that shouldn't be possible. Is Sesshouin's cult active here?"
Jiang You hastily brought Angra Mainyu and Black Archer within the range of his Noble Phantasm. He checked the script's tag: FSN. He hadn't accidentally wandered into the Fate Extra timeline.
His gaze then fell upon the heavily tattooed figure bathing in Black Mud beneath the gaping hole. The man bore an identical face to Shirou Emiya, in a twisted way still adhering to the original narrative. "So, when Archer said he was looking for a 'vessel,' he meant Shirou Emiya all along? I can't believe he actually managed to pull that off."
Except Archer had sacrificed himself in the process.
Angra Mainyu seemed to realize something and immediately ordered Black Archer to cease his attack. Having likely gained some of Shirou Emiya's memories, he turned to Jiang You with a gleam of interest in his eyes. "So you're the Master of that Noble Phantasm? You think you can destroy me with something like that? How unfortunate—it's impossible. I am Humanity's Evil, born from the depths of human desire. As long as desire exists, I will endure. Look at this fool—he claims to save the world, yet he's merely indulging his own selfish desires, constantly taking lives!"
Jiang You couldn't tell if Angra Mainyu was referring to Red Archer or Black Archer, but the description fit both.
"First, you underestimate my Noble Phantasm," Jiang You replied. "In the Yu-Gi-Oh! world, duels can accomplish far more than you imagine. While I don't know the full extent of its capabilities in this Fate collaboration, destroying something like All the World's Evils should be child's play."
"And second, stop trying to elevate your own status. You're taking a mere title too seriously. Look at Scáthach—she bears the title of Godslayer, but how many gods has she actually slain?"
Thankfully, Cu Chulainn was no longer present. Had he heard Jiang You disparage his master, he would have undoubtedly picked a fight with him.
"Actually, Scáthach has slain quite a few gods," Rin Tohsaka interjected, having crammed various mythologies during the Holy Grail War. She defended the honor of the departed Cu Chulainn.
"Then you've likely rewritten history again, Type-Moon."
Jiang You stated something astonishing with a straight face, but no one present understood its significance. He pressed further, "So, who exactly did Scáthach kill? Give me a name."
"... "
Rin Tohsaka genuinely couldn't answer. The legends made no mention of any specific deity. It was merely glossed over, implying the victim was hardly a prominent figure.
"See?" Jiang You shrugged. "Even if the history of the Type-Moon World differs from reality, it's still based on real-world legends. You're just an ordinary youth burdened with the title 'All the Evil in the World.' You can't possibly bear the mantle of a Dark Great God."
If Heroic Spirits weren't strengthened by the legends surrounding them, Angra Mainyu would never have been able to corrupt the Holy Grail to this extent. The true Angra Mainyu could never be successfully summoned into a Holy Grail War. In fact, the genuine Angra Mainyu might not even deign to acknowledge the Grail.
"You know about me?" Angra Mainyu was surprised that someone could still know his past, even after his name had been purged from the All-Encompassing Record of All Creation. But recalling Jiang You's Noble Phantasm's ability to record the past and future, he reasoned, "A Noble Phantasm that records the past and future... that's plausible."
"You must understand why I'm doing this," Angra Mainyu said. "Humans are creatures who blame others for their mistakes, hurting each other to satisfy their own desires. Even those who claim to be righteous pave their paths with the lives of others."
He burst into maniacal laughter, the patterns on his body glowing blue as magical power surged through him. "Let's see if humanity can bear the weight of its own desires, its own malice."
Servants born from a dualistic view of good and evil often fall into extremes. Yet Angra Mainyu's words echoed the Heroic King's own philosophy.
The Black Mud erupted more violently from the fissure. Just one more Servant's soul was needed to fully complete the opening.
Jiang You understood Angra Mainyu's hatred and knew that this entity's true desire was to attain a peaceful, ordinary life.
But that didn't mean Jiang You would let him continue. Angra Mainyu's existence was jeopardizing Jiang You's chance at a Happy Ending. "Stop spewing this Black Mud and get back to the Throne of Heroes where you belong!"
"Illya, let's save the world together again," Jiang You said, pulling her close. After all, the Einzbern family's reckless actions during the Third Holy Grail War had caused this mess. Resolving it with Illya now would bring closure—and a chance to boost their relationship. Talk about hitting two birds with one stone!
"Is this really enough to call it saving the world?" Illya asked, tilting her head.
Illya, having seen the world, couldn't be impressed by Angra Mainyu's scale.
"Your desires are truly shallow," he remarked, watching Jiang You and Illya interact.
Angra Mainyu couldn't resist a snide comment. Jiang You's duel didn't even require a Master, and his intentions were painfully obvious. Of course, he couldn't possibly fathom Jiang You's true purpose.
Turning to Minamoto no Raikou, who stood nearby with simmering resentment, Angra Mainyu's intent was equally clear. "You're bitter about losing your Master, aren't you? Why not join me? Defeat this fool, and you can have your Master all to yourself."
Raikou's expression wavered, but she quickly steeled her resolve and resolutely rejected Angra Mainyu's proposal.
"At a time like this, can't you all take things seriously?!" Rin Tohsaka exclaimed, eyeing the surging Black Mud.
Is it really safe to entrust the fate of the world to these people?