"I must obtain the Third Magic—the Heaven's Cup. That is why your existence is necessary."
Facing away from the Greater Grail, Alaric gazed at Irisviel and said,
"But now, the Holy Grail has been tainted. This is the result of the Einzbern family's actions!
Summoning Avenger led to the Holy Grail being corrupted by Angra Mainyu. The current Grail can no longer be called a Holy Grail—its contents have turned into a foul, black mud."
At the mention of Angra Mainyu, Alaric couldn't help but sigh, pressing his forehead.
"A Holy Grail like this will only grant twisted wishes."
The presence of Angra Mainyu significantly obstructed Alaric's plans. He could not obtain a complete and pure Grail. Although the functionality of the tainted Grail was not diminished, its results became unpredictable.
This was something Alaric could not accept—he needed the Holy Grail in its optimal state to manifest the Third Magic.
Thus, Alaric had to eliminate Angra Mainyu.
However, since Angra Mainyu existed within the inner layer of the Grail, Alaric, who was on the outside, had no way of touching it. Only the souls of deceased Servants could reach the inner layer of the Grail.
Only when Angra Mainyu was successfully born would Alaric have the opportunity to interact with it.
It was not about using Irisviel's body and personality to give birth to it, but rather allowing Angra Mainyu to fully manifest in its complete form from within the Holy Grail.
In other words, Alaric needed the Holy Grail to be fully realized so that Angra Mainyu could be born.
Of course, whether Alaric could control the situation at that point was another matter entirely.
Aside from this plan, Alaric also considered a countermeasure—
Rule Breaker.
A conceptual Noble Phantasm, the crystallization of Medea's lifetime as a witch.
A beautifully crafted dagger with almost no combat capabilities, yet it was the ultimate anti-magic weapon, capable of nullifying all magic it pierced, including magical contracts and beings created through magic. However, it did not affect even the weakest of Noble Phantasms.
A prototype of this artifact also existed in Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon, but Alaric had no confidence that he could obtain it.
The Gilgamesh of this era had manifested as a young tyrant, with an absolute will that would never acknowledge others, let alone willingly give up a treasure.
Apart from Rule Breaker, Alaric was also uncertain whether Mystic Eyes of Death Perception could affect Angra Mainyu.
Once the Holy Grail was fully realized, not only would Angra Mainyu be born, but the door to the Swirl of the Root would also be opened.
The opportunity for the Third Magic—the Heaven's Cup—to be reborn—
"How could this happen—?!"
Upon hearing that the Holy Grail had already been distorted and that a tainted Grail would grant wishes in a twisted manner, Irisviel instinctively gasped.
But rather than concern for her safety, her first thought was to worry about Emiya Kiritsugu's grand wish.
Having become Kiritsugu's wife, spending eight years together, and even giving birth to their daughter, Irisviel deeply understood the sorrowful wish her husband carried.
A boy who, in his childhood, once longed to be a Hero of Justice, only for that dream to be shattered at an early stage.
In the end, he became someone who seemed to curse justice itself, trapped by the belief that
"The sacrifices made for justice must not be wasted."
As an adult, Emiya Kiritsugu was the embodiment of the phrase "By any means necessary."
He was a dreamer who wished for world peace, yet a ruthless realist when it came to achieving it.
A man who loved all people yet possessed the resolve to kill anyone if necessary.
His heart held no hesitation, but he had not entirely abandoned sorrow. To achieve his unwavering justice, he was willing to discard emotions and morality, striving to become the most precise balance, enforcing his goals with absolute determination. Yet, the contradictions between his ideals and his actions often left him in anguish.
Such a man deeply captivated Irisviel, who had only lived for a year when she met him. The eight years they spent together only made her admire and yearn for Kiritsugu's wish even more—
"To save everyone."
Ah, what a grand wish that was.
Kiritsugu, I…
Because of her love for Emiya Kiritsugu, Irisviel von Einzbern understood just how devastating it would be for him to learn that the Holy Grail was tainted and incapable of granting his true wish.
Although the Einzbern family had no records of the Grail being corrupted, and she lacked the means to confirm it, Irisviel felt that Alaric would not deceive her.
Thus, this was something she could not ignore.
With this realization, Irisviel's expression hardened. She looked directly at Alaric and asked,
"Sir Knight, what exactly do you intend to do?"
Alaric had spoken at length, yet Irisviel still did not fully understand what he planned.
"I need a part of your existence. I intend to cultivate a second Holy Grail."
Alaric fixed his gaze on the artificial Holy Maiden, Irisviel von Einzbern.
As a homunculus crafted by the Einzbern family, she also possessed the functions of a Lesser Grail.
But this was not an irreplaceable miracle—it was merely a mass-produced model, a reproduction.
For the Einzbern family, Lesser Grails could be created in unlimited supply, varying only in manufacturing procedures.
This had little to do with Alaric. What he needed was the existence of a second Holy Grail.
As a Lesser Grail meant to work alongside the Great Holy Grail system, it was not limited to a single instance—it could exist in multiple forms.
The only difference was the number of Servant souls each Lesser Grail absorbed, but overall, their performance remained unchanged.
Alaric only needed one of these Lesser Grails to absorb multiple Servant souls, guiding the Great Holy Grail into transformation, and allowing Angra Mainyu to be born.
However, due to its close association with Angra Mainyu, the Lesser Grail that triggered the transformation would inevitably become tainted as well—it could be considered an extension of Angra Mainyu.
In other words, in addition to the soon-to-be-born Angra Mainyu, the Lesser Grail itself would also become a small-scale Angra Mainyu, capable of acting independently.
Once Alaric dealt with Angra Mainyu, he would be able to use the remaining, untainted Lesser Grail to resurrect the Third Magic—the Heaven's Cup.
"Eh?"
Hearing this, Irisviel showed a look of confusion before asking,
"Is that even possible?"
"Who knows? I've only studied for a year."
Alaric shrugged his shoulders, looking completely unreliable.
Then, he turned his gaze toward Merlin, who stood not too far away, and asked,
"Merlin, what do you think of my plan?"
Merlin, holding his staff with a look of resignation, smiled and replied,
"Honestly, even if I said no, would you stop?"
"Or are you asking big brother Merlin for some advice?"