Astolfo's hippogriff charged straight for the Primordial Human.
Over there, Vlad and Spartacus were locked in battle, but it was clear the Primordial Human had the upper hand.
Keen observers could see that despite Vlad's power boost from being in Romania, he and Spartacus were slowly being overwhelmed.
By this point, the Primordial Human had grown to a staggering 300 meters tall. Its terrifying growth rate was on full display.
When they had first encountered it, the giant was only about 15 meters tall - an average Servant with moderate C-rank parameters could have easily defeated it then. But with its ability to rapidly expand in size, if left unchecked it could reach 1,000 meters, at which point even an entire army of elite Servants would struggle to take it down.
Although the Primordial Human had only grown to 300 meters so far, the Tainted Grail at its core emitted cursed black mists that were extremely harmful to Servants. This made it difficult for Vlad and Spartacus to continue their assault.
As Astolfo silently piloted his mount closer, Avicebron spoke up, "Are you certain about this, A-11072? If you fail and those mists consume you, there will be no going back."
"To die for a righteous cause..." Adam smiled casually and nodded. "Yes, I've made up my mind."
Avicebron said nothing more.
Adam turned to look at the Caster sitting behind him and asked, "This giant ...why did you create something so terrible in the first place?"
Astolfo scoffed. "What's there to ask? It's because Caster is a weirdo!"
Avicebron ignored Astolfo's jab and answered Adam indifferently, "Because I don't like humans."
"Why not?" Adam asked curiously.
"Because Caster is a weirdo!" Astolfo interjected.
"I'm not a weirdo, Rider. And address me as Solomon ibn Gabirol - I don't care for my Latinized name." Avicebron retorted.
Astolfo snorted but held his tongue.
With the Rider silent, Avicebron saw Adam was still gazing at him expectantly. He paused a moment before continuing. "I don't like humans because despite my prosperous upbringing in Cordoba, my life was filled with verbal abuse, slander, and jealousy from others. In the end, I was strangled to death by those envious of me. Even my legacy was erased by King Solomon due to our name similarity..."
Avicebron...No, he should be called by his true name - Solomon ibn Gabirol. His life can be seen as a concrete manifestation of the dark side of humanity.
Solomon was born into wealth in Cordoba, but shortly after, while still a child, both his parents died from illness. He then contracted a severe case of smallpox that left him disfigured. This made Solomon an outcast, subject to mockery and verbal abuse from others.
However, these struggles only made him deepen his spiritual pursuits. He relocated to Zaragoza, the Jewish cultural center of Andalusia, to focus on his poetry and philosophy. There, his prodigious talents and intellect drew immense interest - but also jealousy.
The incessant envy, slander, mockery and assaults took their toll. Ultimately, a poet who saw Solomon as a rival asked to meet under a fruiting fig tree. Once there, the embittered poet took Solomon's life.
Perhaps this betrayal and cruelty from his own people was why Solomon ibn Gabirol held such disdain for humanity.
"So you created that giant to destroy humanity?" Adam asked.
"No, I have no interest in such things," Avicebron shook his head. Gazing at the Primordial Human, he said, "It is the continuation of my dream..."
"The continuation of...your dream?" Adam looked to the Caster quizzically.
But this time, Avicebron offered no explanation.
"We've arrived, Adam!" Astolfo called out from atop his mount as they closed in on the lumbering giant. He glanced back and asked, "Have you really made up your mind?"
Adam nodded resolutely.
Astolfo said no more and steered them forward.
Closer...
Closer...
And then in that moment--!
"----!!!"
Strange sounds suddenly echoed across the sky.
Astolfo's hippogriff jerked to an abrupt halt, nearly throwing its riders.
"What's going on?" Adam asked, grabbing Astolfo's shoulder to steady himself.
"I-I don't know!" Astolfo stammered, clearly as confused as Adam.
"Look!" Avicebron extended his palm urgently. "The sky!"
Adam and Astolfo jerked their heads up, eyes widening at the sight.
The Black Ring pulsed with a faint black glow, lightning crackling across its surface. The illusion of R'lyeh seemed to solidify, as if they could feel the eyes of an evil god gazing at the earth from another dimension.
"Rooooaaar!"
Controlled by the Tainted Grail, the giant roared to the sky. The black mists covering its whole body became more solid.
Suddenly, a thunderous "Boom!" erupted.
The giant's body exploded as countless octopus-like tentacles burst out from its body, writhing wildly through the air. On its forehead, the tainted Grail started to ooze black mist.
"To turn my dream into this monstrosity... Ahhhh!" Avicebron clutched his head and screamed hysterically.
"Crackle, crackle!" Pulsing with electricity, the Black Ring seemed to open a faint slit down its center.
"----!!!"
Unearthly sounds followed, like a demon chanting wicked spells.
"Ahh!" "Ahhh!"
From his hiding spot in the forest on a nearby hill, Kotomine gripped his head in agony. "What is happening... Why does my head hurt so much!"
"Is it trying to control me? To make me its puppet?" Kotomine clutched his head, drenched in cold sweat as realization set in. "But why? Everything was fine just moments ago!"
God's voice grew fainter, seeming illusory and intangible. Meanwhile, sinister whispers arose beside Kotomine's ears - chanting, muttering, cursing. The sounds swirled as if from some unfathomable darkness.
The earth rumbled, soil surging as hideous massive insects crawled out from below, one after another.
"What is happening...what is going on?"
In the Millennia Fortress, Gray watched the numbers on her wristband climb higher with a perplexed look on her face.
The depth of the connection point was increasing.
E...
D...
C...
It kept rising.
"Impossible. How can this be?" Gray was stunned. Such a thing had never happened in Chaldea's records!
Even the newbies understood that a lower connection depth meant an easier world to handle. But only the veteran Masters knew that it also hinted at something more.
The closer to E, the nearer that world was to normal humanity. Depth E itself was like a novice stage for Chaldea.
On the flip side, the higher the number, the further from normal!
Which likely meant...
There was a good chance that world contained heretics, non-humans, or beings warped on purpose by the Council.
And the starting depth had been a mere E.
Yes, just E.
But why was it increasing?!
This should be impossible!
Nothing like this had ever happened at Chaldea before!
The depth rose in a straight line -
C+...
B...
B+...
At an alarmingly rapid pace.
"No, this isn't good... This is really bad... At this level I can't handle it by myself...!" Gray panicked.
"----!!!"
Eerie whispers wafted through the air, like the haunting songs of Hell.
...
A man awoke with a start amidst the vast emptiness and chaos, the turbulent swirling of time and space around him.
He slowly opened his eyes, a sense of urgency rising within. He must succeed. He must bring paradise to this land, no matter the cost.
What did this fabled paradise even look like? Kotomine had often wondered, piecing together clues from ancient scriptures. They spoke of a place paved in shimmering gold and precious gems - the very ground beneath one's feet glittering red and green. Strange trees grew tall, blooming with flowers of colors never before seen. The fruits hanging ripe could be plucked and eaten for sustenance. And at the center, the mythical Tree of Life and Tree of Knowledge. Rivers flowed through the garden, their gentle gurgling quenching the verdant earth. Crops flourished in abundance without need of rain.
But the paradise Kotomine sought was more than just material perfection. What he longed for - what he had devoted his life struggling toward - was a world free of deceit, greed, suffering and loss. A world where people understood each other deeply, sincerely, without pretense or ulterior motive.
Eden... that mythical garden where all was at peace. No more struggles nor sorrows. Only truth, empathy, and unity abounded.
Kotomine had seen it in visions. He had felt it in his spirit. And now, having won the Holy Grail War by using the Black Grail's power to achieve the global materialization of the soul, he believed he had finally achieved it.
People's superficial desires faded away. They began to see, perhaps for the first time, the humanity in each other. Caring gently, loving wholeheartedly without judgment. No more cause for worries or conflicts.
Ah, what a beautiful world he had manifested...
But...
Why could he no longer hear...
the Lord's voice?
Kotomine closed his eyes.
"Crack--"
The sound of shattering.
...
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