Multiverse: Why does the world show a health bar? !

The July evening was cool.

The heat of the day had dissipated by now.

A gentle breeze rustled through the air, making it the perfect time for some exercise. Sweating a bit in the cool weather, then enjoying a relaxing bath before bed—what could be better?

The Japanese have always loved bathing. Even if the bathroom was tiny, they would still have a bathtub, even if it was so small that you couldn't stretch your legs and had to squat inside.

But tonight, none of the magi still in Fuyuki City had the leisure to take a bath.

Mount Enzō was once again bustling with activity.

The heir of the Tohsaka family, Tohsaka Rin.

The heir of the Matou family, Matou Sakura.

The heir of the Einzbern family, Illyasviel von Einzbern.

Just as the heads of these three families had witnessed the creation of the Holy Grail two hundred years ago, their successors would now witness its dismantling.

In addition:

The eldest son of the Matou family, Matou Shinji, who had walked the path of magecraft using external Mystic Eyes.

Emiya Shirou, who was currently learning magecraft from Illya and training in swordsmanship under Archer (EMIYA).

The mysterious shrine maiden, Hanachirusato.

And a host of Servants.

"Tonight's witnesses are no less significant than those who witnessed the creation of the Holy Grail two hundred years ago," Li Mo began.

Tohsaka Rin frowned. After making them wait for so long, this was his opening line?

Emiya Shirou, ever the straightforward one, asked, "Why?"

"Because two hundred years ago, the creation of the Holy Grail was witnessed by the Wizard Marshal."

The Wizard Marshal, the Jewel Mage... That old man could likely travel between parallel worlds. So, in his eyes, what would the world look like? For instance, what would the Incineration of Humanity and the Freezing of Humanity from the FGO timeline mean to him?

The group fell silent. The reputation of the Wizard Marshal was well-known.

He was a towering figure.

A peak so high it was almost unreachable.

Perhaps one day Li Mo would reach such heights.

But for now, he wasn't there yet.

"Follow me. Medea has already prepared everything. Also... don't be too surprised when we go inside. The Holy Grail might not be what you expect."

After giving them this warning, Li Mo led the group deeper into the cave.

Inside Mount Enzō was a massive cavern, the location of the Holy Grail.

Illya and the others had visited the cave before, whether for studying or check-ups, but they had never ventured into the depths where Caster's workshop was located.

The steps beneath their feet showed signs of human carving, and the marks indicated that they had been there for a long time.

It was clear that these steps had been carved two hundred years ago. Time had left little trace on these rocks.

Passing through Medea's workshop, they noticed that most of the items had already been moved. After the dismantling of the Holy Grail, the cave would no longer serve as a living space. They would evolve from cave dwellers to homeowners.

Their destination lay even deeper.

The path ahead was narrow, a long corridor. It was wide enough for two people to walk side by side and over two meters tall, allowing even Heracles to stand upright.

At the end of the long tunnel was a platform.

Beyond the platform was a massive cavern, like a sinkhole.

The group stepped onto the platform, which felt like a cliff. Looking down from the edge, they could see a drop of several dozen meters. For the magi present, this height was trivial.

The real focus was on the walls of the cavern. Every inch of the rock surface was covered in intricate patterns, each glowing faintly with the flow of magical energy. The patterns crisscrossed, forming a massive design. It was clear that all these lines converged at a single point.

At that point stood a giant, golden Holy Grail.

Its state was bizarre.

It seemed both transparent and solid, holy and evil, mysterious and ordinary.

Contradictory properties coexisted within it.

It was as if an angel and a demon had merged into one.

"Is that... the Holy Grail?" Tohsaka Rin's attention was entirely focused on the Holy Grail.

The mission of the Tohsaka family, Tohsaka Tokiomi's lifelong wish, was to win the Holy Grail War and use the Holy Grail to open a path to the "Root."

Now, the Holy Grail was right before her eyes.

But...

"The Holy Grail... it really has been corrupted," Illya sighed.

She remembered when she returned to Germany and told her grandfather, Acht, about the Holy Grail. He had immediately decided to pass the family headship to her and then...

—Chose to commit suicide.

For the old man, using the Holy Grail to achieve the Third Magic and save humanity was his wish, or rather, his mission. When that mission became impossible, he chose to end his life.

Illya could see the filth, darkness, and malice within the Holy Grail...

Every negative descriptor could be applied to it.

She recalled the black mud that had poured out of the Holy Grail when it descended into the Lesser Grail on Mount Enzō. That substance was more repulsive than cockroaches or rats. It challenged the limits of human perception.

*Clap—*

A sharp sound.

Li Mo clapped his hands.

He drew everyone's attention to himself.

"Now is not the time for sentimentality. We're here today with a mission.

Medea."

Li Mo called out to Caster.

The Witch of Colchis, the magus from the Age of Gods, stood ready.

She said, "Everything is prepared."

Within the cavern, the magic circles that formed the Holy Grail covered every surface, even extending deep into the earth. The ley lines of Fuyuki City were supplying it with magical energy.

Even for Medea, after determining the method of dismantling, it had taken over half a month to prepare the necessary magic circles.

"Enough talk. Let's begin the dismantling!"

Li Mo gave the order.

Medea's dark cloak spread out like bat wings, lifting her into the air.

Destroying the Holy Grail by force would have been simple, but it would have caused irreversible damage to Fuyuki City. Instead, they needed to unravel its structure, severing the Holy Grail's connection to the city's ley lines at key points. Without the flow of magical energy, the Holy Grail could be dismantled.

The preparations began to take effect.

The magic circles Medea had inscribed on the walls cut off the ley lines' supply of magical energy to the Holy Grail. The entire cavern dimmed as the faint glow of the patterns, which had been fueled by the flow of magical energy, faded.

Around Medea, numerous magic circles appeared. Through these, she controlled the initial stages of the Holy Grail's dismantling.

The flow of magical energy was cut off.

The illusory Holy Grail seemed to grow even more unreal.

But it still existed, for its foundation was the "Third Magic."

The magic circles around Medea overlapped and combined, forming a massive magic circle before her.

*Snap—!*

A sharp sound.

Medea snapped her fingers.

The magic circle before her shattered instantly. The magic circles connected to the Holy Grail's structure also shattered, introducing the concept of "self-destruction" to the entire Holy Grail.

A single point of failure.

Almost instantly, the concept of self-destruction spread throughout the Holy Grail.

The golden Holy Grail, floating in the air, disintegrated in an instant. First, its existence transformed into points of starlight, then it could no longer maintain its form, and the light scattered.

Filling the entire cavern.

And at the center of where the Holy Grail had been...

A human figure appeared.