Chapter 262

Chapter 262: Chapter 262

"This is... the inside of the Greater Grail?"

A sky of flawless, glasslike blue stretched endlessly overhead, while beneath it lay an ocean of flowers extending farther than the eye could see.

The entire landscape was so beautiful and ethereal that it seemed less like a real place and more like some paradise beyond the mortal world.

As the final victor of the Great Holy Grail War and the current owner of the Greater Grail, Kiriya had been drawn into its interior the moment he made direct contact with it.

He slowly looked around, taking in the endless flower field and the pure blue sky above.

"So this is what the Greater Grail looks like on the inside? It’s actually pretty beautiful."

"And in the end, I still came with you."

Jeanne sighed softly beside him.

"Hahaha, don’t make that face, Jeanne. We’re about to make wishes on the Greater Grail. Looking miserable might affect the results."

Jeanne shook her head helplessly.

"What kind of ridiculous theory is that?"

Kiriya was about to come up with another equally shameless answer when a figure suddenly appeared before them.

She possessed silver hair long enough to brush against her ankles, while her eyes shone with the brilliance of perfectly cut rubies.

Her features were so exquisitely proportioned that they seemed almost like an extravagant display of the Creator’s craftsmanship, and the pure, otherworldly atmosphere surrounding her made her resemble an angel who had stepped down from the heavens.

Jeanne stared in surprise.

"Is this... the manifested will of the Greater Grail?"

"The people of the past called me Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern."

The silver-haired woman spoke in a quiet, almost weightless voice.

"However, what stands before you now is merely a remnant of will. You may think of me as an interface through which the Greater Grail communicates."

Her ruby gaze settled upon Kiriya.

"You are the victor of this Holy Grail War?"

"That’s right."

Kiriya nodded.

Justeaze then turned toward Jeanne.

"For Ruler herself to have a wish is rather unusual."

Jeanne immediately looked somewhat embarrassed, but before she could explain, Kiriya stepped half a pace in front of her.

"She doesn’t have a wish. I’m the one who’s making them."

"I see."

Justeaze accepted that without further comment.

"Then, victorious Master, state your wish."

"Before I do, I want to confirm something."

Kiriya raised a finger.

"Is there a limit to how many wishes the Greater Grail can grant?"

"The number of wishes depends entirely upon how much magical energy each wish requires."

Justeaze answered immediately.

"If, for example, your wish were to reach the Root, the magical energy required would be astronomical. Under those circumstances, the Greater Grail would possess enough power for only that single wish."

Kiriya’s eyes immediately brightened.

Just as he had suspected.

"Good. Second question. I have three wishes, so I want you to calculate whether the Greater Grail currently possesses enough magical energy to fulfill all three."

For the first time, Justeaze visibly paused.

Apparently, even as the interface of the Greater Grail, she had not often encountered a victor who opened negotiations by casually announcing that he wanted three wishes.

Most proper magi who reached this point would simply demand passage to the Root.

Then again—

Kiriya was hardly what anyone would call a proper magus.

"Very well."

Justeaze gave a small nod.

"State them."

Kiriya pointed toward his eyes, where the pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan had already appeared.

"My first wish is to convert the Greater Grail’s magical energy into pure spiritual energy and pour it into these eyes, pushing them through their current bottleneck and evolving them into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."

He then turned slightly toward Jeanne before continuing.

"My second wish is to safely and completely separate the soul of the Heroic Spirit Jeanne d’Arc from the body of the girl Laeticia. At the same time, create an entirely new physical body for Jeanne—one perfectly compatible with her Saint Graph and capable of existing permanently in the physical world."

Kiriya’s expression became more serious.

"During the entire process, Laeticia’s soul must remain completely unharmed. Her original body must return to its natural condition, her consciousness must awaken normally, and she must continue living as a complete and independent person."

Jeanne’s gaze softened noticeably as she listened.

Kiriya raised a third finger.

"My third wish is to incarnate the Servant Astolfo, allowing him to remain permanently in the modern world."

Once all three wishes had been stated, both Kiriya and Jeanne fell silent and watched Justeaze closely.

The silver-haired woman remained still for several moments as the Greater Grail calculated the required expenditure.

"The second and third wishes require relatively little energy."

Justeaze finally spoke.

"Together, they would consume approximately ten percent of the Greater Grail’s current reserves."

Kiriya’s expression brightened.

"As for the first wish..."

Justeaze shook her head.

"Insufficient data. I possess no information regarding those eyes, nor does the Greater Grail contain any record of their nature or evolutionary mechanism. I therefore cannot guarantee whether the remaining energy will be sufficient."

The Mangekyō Sharingan was, after all, a Mystery that had never existed in this world.

There was simply nothing within the Greater Grail’s accumulated information from which to calculate the exact requirement.

Kiriya blinked once, then quickly adjusted his expectations.

"That’s fine. If ninety percent of the Greater Grail’s reserves still aren’t enough, then I’ll just have to look for another opportunity later."

It was not as though this were the only world in existence with a Holy Grail.

He had other options.

"In that case, fulfill the third and second wishes first. Once those are complete, use every remaining drop of magical energy to attempt the first."

"Understood."

Justeaze’s ruby eyes began to glow.

"The execution of the wishes will now begin."

The space beside Kiriya suddenly rippled.

A girl appeared.

Her long hair gleamed like flowing gold beneath the brilliant sky, while her skin was pale and smooth like fine ivory.

There was a quiet, graceful purity about her that reminded Kiriya of an orchid blooming alone in an untouched valley, delicate yet possessing a dignity that made it impossible to look away.

Kiriya stared.

For several seconds, he genuinely forgot to blink.

’No wonder she could rally entire armies just by standing on the battlefield.’

His admiration rose almost instinctively.

’My Jeanne really is incredible. No further explanation required.’

Then the actual transfer began.

Jeanne’s soul separated cleanly from the body through which she had originally manifested—Laeticia’s body—and flowed into the newly created vessel prepared specifically for her.

The golden-haired girl’s eyelids trembled faintly.

Then they slowly opened.

The first thing reflected within those clear eyes was Kiriya’s visibly excited face.

"Kiriya!"

Joy immediately spread across Jeanne’s expression.

Then her entire body froze.

A fiery crimson blush surged across skin that only moments earlier had been as pale and flawless as porcelain.

There was a very simple reason.

She was completely naked.

The body had been created exactly as a newborn human body would be—without so much as a thread of clothing.

Which meant Kiriya had seen absolutely everything.

"KYAAAAAA!"

Jeanne released a shriek of pure mortification and reacted almost entirely on instinct.

Smack!

Her palm struck Kiriya across the face with such force that the human Master who had fought top-tier Servants head-on was launched into the air, spun several complete rotations, and finally crashed onto the flower-covered ground.

"Pfft—!"

Blood immediately poured from Kiriya’s nose.

Whether that was the result of the physical impact or some entirely different form of internal blood-pressure catastrophe was something only Kiriya himself knew.

"Why did it have to be like this?!"

Jeanne immediately crouched down and covered herself as best she could with her slender arms, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes as she directed an accusing stare toward Justeaze.

"The Master’s wish was to create a physical body perfectly compatible with your soul."

Justeaze answered with impeccable logic.

"He did not specify that clothing was to be included."

Jeanne opened her mouth.

Then closed it again.

She had no response.

Instead, she slowly turned toward Kiriya with a mixture of embarrassment and suspicion.

"Was this part of your plan too?"

"I’m innocent!"

Kiriya immediately climbed back to his feet while deliberately swaying as though he might collapse at any moment.

Perhaps looking sufficiently pitiful would reduce Jeanne’s embarrassment and prevent her from becoming even more violent.

"This is literally the first time I’ve ever made a wish on a Holy Grail. How was I supposed to know there were technical details like that?"

Then, as though trying to prove the purity of his intentions, Kiriya thumped one hand against his chest.

"Don’t worry! I’ll definitely take responsibility!"

"You’re still looking!"

Jeanne could practically feel Kiriya’s gaze burning into her, and the sensation made her even more desperate.

"Give me your clothes already!"

"Oh."

Kiriya obediently removed his shirt.

"And your pants."

Jeanne reminded him through clenched teeth.

"Oh."

Kiriya complied again.

Only after Jeanne pulled on Kiriya’s shirt and trousers, finally covering herself properly, did some of the tension begin to leave her body.

Justeaze observed the entire scene with quiet curiosity before touching her chin thoughtfully.

"I see. Even the Saint who faced execution by fire without fear possesses such an unexpectedly girlish side."

Jeanne’s face immediately flared red again.

"Easy for you to say! You weren’t the one standing there completely naked!"

"If that is what the victorious Master desires..."

Justeaze calmly turned her gaze toward Kiriya.

For the winner of the Holy Grail War, she was prepared to fulfill any wish within the Grail’s ability.

"Cough! Cough!"

Kiriya immediately felt Jeanne’s murderous stare land on him and decided that changing the subject was now a matter of survival.

"Anyway! What about Astolfo? Has his incarnation been completed?"

"It has."

"Good."

Kiriya’s expression finally became serious again.

He turned his attention back toward the Greater Grail and allowed the Mangekyō Sharingan to fully manifest in his eyes.

"Then let’s begin."

His voice carried unmistakable anticipation.

"Make these eyes evolve."