Roy didn't say a word.
He looked up at the sky.
There was no moon in the sky, no stars either—only a pitch-black, murky night that blocked all human ambition.
Although time and space were out of sync, this night sky was exactly the same as three years ago.
Three years ago—
He had wandered aimlessly in a snowstorm, lost and disoriented, when he accidentally ran into a magical beast.
After being rescued by a certain red-haired woman, she brought him to Fuyuki City, where he settled down.
This residence also belonged to her.
Of course, she had no money—it was a gift from the Mage's Association trying to curry favour with her.
He met Aozaki Touko because she heard that her younger sister had taken in a pretty boy in Fuyuki City and came to check out the situation.
She had never thought her sister would be so easily charmed by some pretty boy.
But ironically, Touko herself ended up falling for him.
Gradually, she began teaching him magecraft.
Teaching him how to use Mystic Eyes.
Teaching him how to split personalities.
And so—
Roy began to come into contact with the Greater Grail.
The Greater Grail couldn't be touched at all.
It was surrounded by an immense accumulation of curses. Anyone who dared to touch it in the past ten years paid a heavy price. Even the Mage's Association had no means to remove its curse, only sealing it away in the vast underground hollow.
And then they shamelessly declared that the Greater Grail was now under their management.
In reality, no one could touch the Greater Grail.
Everyone—including Grand Magi—would be corrupted by the enormous curse before they could even use its power.
From then on, they'd be neither human nor ghost—becoming mentally deranged would be the least of their problems.
But Roy was the exception.
He possessed the Mystic Eyes of Inverted Moon, capable of controlling all magecraft within his line of sight.
Not nullify or interfere—but control.
In other words, he could forcibly intervene in a magecraft, seize control of it, extinguish it at will, force it to run wild, or cause it to madly absorb a magus's mana.
Nullification only rendered an opponent's ability ineffective, levelling the playing field. Interference was even more limited.
But control meant he could turn his opponent's power into his own.
With these Mystic Eyes of Inverted Moon, he could seize control of an opponent's magecraft, cause them to backfire, destroy grimoire inscribed with magecrafts, nullify magical artifacts embedded with rituals… Even if an enemy exposed their magic crest, he could steal that too.
Even the Greater Grail—this magical construct—could not escape the power of his Mystic Eyes.
The Greater Grail was essentially just a construct of true magic.
As long as he opened his eyes and took in the Grail, he could control it.
Alter its settings, change the flow of mana—anything was possible.
That is, so long as the Grail didn't fight back.
Or rather, as long as what was inside the Grail didn't fight back.
But unfortunately, that was impossible.
During multiple interactions with the Greater Grail, Roy had altered part of its parameters.
But at the same time, the thing inside the Grail had imperceptibly corrupted him.
As he used his Mystic Eyes to interface with the Grail, the curse within it used his eyes as a conduit to invade him.
Over time, his Mystic Eyes accumulated vast amounts of curses from the Grail.
That was the source of the curse afflicting him.
These curses, like seeds, had taken root in his Mystic Eyes, and every so often they would erupt—searing his flesh and corroding his mind.
If, in the beginning, his eyes had been removed and replaced with ordinary ones when the infection had just begun, maybe he could have been saved.
But Roy had refused.
Now, three years later, the curse had already spread throughout his body and coexisted with him. Even if he swapped out his eyes now, the curse could no longer be eradicated.
These Mystic Eyes were already marinated in curses—anyone else who dared to use them would be instantly corrupted.
Even if he died, the curse would likely turn his corpse into a zombie or some kind of magical creature.
Maybe even a powerful one.
"Three years ago, you refused to let me replace your eyes, and now it's too late. Nothing can change that, so I won't bring it up again."
Touko looked at Roy solemnly.
"In the past, the curse erupted every ten days or so. But this time, it's only been three days and it's flared up again. Part of the reason is the increased mental burden—but the main issue is your overuse of your Mystic Eyes these past few days."
Controlling two Servants had indeed taken a mental toll.
Combined with repeatedly using the curse-soaked Mystic Eyes, the frequency of the curse's eruption had spiked.
And the Holy Grail War had just begun.
To survive the coming battles, Roy would inevitably use his Mystic Eyes more and more frequently.
Which meant the curse would also erupt more and more often.
"At this point, there's only one thing to do: increase the frequency of release."
Touko said, "Instead of bottling it up like before, you should let it out. Better to release than suppress—you don't need me to teach you that. And conveniently, we already have a candidate."
Three years ago, Roy had mostly borne the curse alone.
Touko had often been out wandering, chasing rare phenomena in this world, investigating the truth of what happened ten years ago. She only occasionally returned to Fuyuki to help Roy vent the curse.
But now, he had Utaha to help.
"She probably won't refuse you. If she does, well, just try a little harder—say some sweet things or whatever. Girls her age eat that stuff up."
Touko shrugged and smiled.
In the courtyard—
Ichika had been quietly listening to the two talk.
She didn't understand most of the conversation.
But when she heard "increase the frequency of release," she intuitively understood.
Release… that must mean the thing he did with Utaha that morning.
Magi really are incredible—saying things like that with no shame at all.
But if doing that left "something" inside the body, and Roy's adaptability trait could absorb it, they could gain power in this world.
Ichika glanced worriedly at the silent Miku beside her.
The two sisters were alone and unsupported in this world.
Relying on a powerful person for survival wasn't a long-term plan.
They had to find a way to stand on their own.
"Oh right—Utaha has gained a magic circuit."
"What did you say?!"
Touko suddenly changed the subject, startling Roy.
"Mm, I didn't tell you before, but you have a very powerful trait—extremely strong adaptability. It can even help others adapt to this world. That's how Utaha gained her power. And also—"
Touko paused, her expression unreadable.
"Your Mystic Eyes… most likely adapted in the same way."
***
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