Fate: Emiya the Host

In the dim magic workshop, Medea and Shirou stood facing each other.

Shirou didn't interrupt Medea's thinking but waited with full concentration.

After a while, Medea finally said, "Berserker, do you still remember saving Lancer's Master yesterday?"

Shirou nodded, "I remember. Because I'm not skilled enough, I let them go both times."

'If the first time I had used armor fusion, or if I hadn't saved Bazett the second time...'

Medea chuckled softly, "So easily exposing your own flaws, should I say you don't know how to hide your strength, or are just straightforward inside and out?"

"What are you trying to say?", Shirou asked bluntly.

Medea didn't mind his attitude, took off her hood, and revealed the face of a simple country girl, "You should be glad that up to now, not a single Servant has been eliminated."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what the words mean. Your kindness has helped a lot, Berserker," Medea said, "The Master, as the vessel of the Lesser Holy Grail, you should know, in the Holy Grail War, Servants that are eliminated don't go directly into the Greater Holy Grail. That 'task' is completed by the Lesser Holy Grail."

"As for Servants, the souls of Heroic Spirits, I don't need to explain what they are, right?"

Medea used High-Speed Divine Words and created a mirror, inside of which was a typhoon engulfing the sky and flooding the city.

"This is the scene of a Servant's soul being absorbed by the Master."

"Just like a storm," Shirou responded.

He knew about this matter. In order to suppress the Servant's soul, every time a soul was absorbed, Illya had to shut down her body functions as part-human.

Until eventually, the Lesser Holy Grail would be completed into the Greater Holy Grail.

"As long as you understand, it's easy to explain," Medea said, then suddenly fell silent.

"Berserker?", She seemed to have some suspicion.

"What?", Shirou was puzzled as to why Medea suddenly stopped speaking.

"You weren't a magus before, right?"

"No," Shirou folded his arms, "I was just an ordinary student."

"An apprentice of magecraft? That's acceptable," Medea assumed what he meant by "student" was someone learning magic.

Shirou didn't bother correcting her.

Medea continued the earlier topic, "Since you know, then you should understand, the Lesser Holy Grail after absorbing Servants and the Lesser Holy Grail that hasn't are two different things."

"I see," Shirou seriously stroked his chin.

Forging the Emperor Armor had let him grasp the Einzbern's alchemy. Though still an amateur, he was an amateur with a solid theoretical base.

If you compare the Lesser Holy Grail that hasn't absorbed souls to clear water, then once it does, it becomes like water tainted by ink that cannot be wiped clean. One drop causes great contamination.

The soul of a Servant is just that terrifying.

Shirou roughly understood what Medea was about to say.

Before solving Illya's issue as the Lesser Holy Grail, no Servant must be eliminated.

Otherwise, trying to save Illya would be like filtering clear water that's already been tainted with ink.

The difficulty goes without saying.

"Looks like, as a magus, you have quite some talent," Medea smiled pleasantly.

She didn't dislike people who could keep up with her topic, it made her feel the charm of speaking the same language.

"Originally, solving the Master's issue as the Lesser Holy Grail wasn't that hard. But the modern age isn't the Age of Gods, materials are scarce, and the level of mystery is also insufficient."

"So the troublesome part is gathering materials?"

Just as Shirou was about to ask whether System-san had a way, Medea said, "Not necessarily."

She looked at Shirou and, after a slight pause, said, "That Noble Phantasm you took out earlier outside, that very noble belt, could you show it to me again?"

"You mean the Emperor Belt?", With a thought, Shirou summoned the belt and handed it to Medea.

Medea gently stroked it and exclaimed, "If we're talking purely about structure, its craftsmanship is undoubtedly close to perfect. The mystery is also very powerful, just why does it feel so modern and scientific... wait a second, could it be..."

Medea's expression changed slightly. She went to the workbench, placed the Emperor Armor's belt on it, and like a researcher, began examining it carefully.

After a long time, she sighed, "To think... such a Noble Phantasm could exist."

"Berserker...", Medea's expression was complicated, "Just where are you from as a Heroic Spirit, and how could you have sublimated... this kind of Noble Phantasm?"

"Does it not match the mystery?", Shirou meant the technology felt too advanced.

But Medea shook her head and handed the Emperor Belt back to Shirou.

"A growable Noble Phantasm, I didn't misjudge. It was even forged according to your origin, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. Originally, it was supposed to accept the power of yin-yang and the five elements, but that turned out to be too difficult."

"That's only natural," Medea said bluntly, "Looking across the world, such a Noble Phantasm could never appear again. The blacksmith who helped you forge it... I really want to meet them. They must be an extraordinary magus."

"If you put it that way... I guess there's no problem," The system was very all-powerful, Shirou didn't deny it.

"If...", Medea seemed hesitant, then sighed, "Forget it, let's continue talking about the Master."

"Berserker, I've already found the solution."

Before Shirou could speak, she said, "If you're willing to abandon your Noble Phantasm, then this matter is easy."

"..."

"Not willing?", Medea nodded naturally, "If I'm not mistaken, the Einzbern Lesser Holy Grail was made by imitating the core drive of your belt. It's just that their theory is too shallow, and their practical execution too weak, so their Lesser Holy Grail isn't as perfect as your belt."

"In other words, if your belt is modified to function as a Lesser Holy Grail to contain souls, then all problems can be solved."

Shirou remained silent, not because he was reluctant to part with the belt, but because he didn't know how to explain.

Should he say his belt was the one that imitated their tech?

Shaking his head, Shirou skipped this topic, "That simple? Just abandon the belt?"

"Hmm?", Medea thought he hadn't understood and emphasized, "Yes, abandon the belt, give up your proof as a hero, your honor that resides in the Noble Phantasm, because it will become a tool to contain souls and complete the Holy Grail."

This kind of action was no different than using the Glutton Queen's "Sword of Promised Victory" to shovel mud from a drainage ditch, any true hero would be unable to accept it.

But Shirou spoke lightly, "Then just take it. How do we modify it? Oh, let's take a break first. Making you do so much right after forming a contract, kinda makes me feel bad."

As he spoke, Shirou threw the Emperor Belt to Medea without hesitation.

"How about I go make some desserts?"

"..."

"You," Medea was stunned, "do you even understand the importance of a Noble Phantasm to a Heroic Spirit?"

"I do," Shirou said strangely, "It's not just a hero's proof, it's also their trump card, a finishing move that can reverse the outcome no matter the time or place."

"Then why did you still—", Medea couldn't understand. She completely couldn't understand this person.

'How can he...'

"If just losing a Noble Phantasm can bring happiness to someone, then I think, it must be the right thing to do."

In the dim room, the young man's face was so gentle. As if, even if the world came to an end, he would still follow his path.

At that moment, Medea vaguely thought of her homeland, when she was once carefree.

'If only... back then, I could've met such a hero. Facing that deep blue sea...'

"Besides," Shirou raised his hand, "Projection, start!"

Click—

The trigger was pulled.

An identical Emperor Belt appeared in his hand.

"My own Noble Phantasm, I can project it however I like. The quality won't drop either."

Medea was silent. The deep blue sea was shattered.

═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═

patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator

🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.