Seventy-eight, two conditions

—To reclaim his demonic power?

Honestly, Kurama had indeed considered it. The temptation of instantly retrieving half of his power was immense; if he missed this opportunity, he had no idea how long it would take him to gather treasures from various worlds of equivalent value again.

Yet, after a moment’s wavering, Kurama sighed softly and shook his head.

“Miss Yuuko, you truly are cunning,” he said helplessly, smiling. “If the remaining value of the Holy Grail can be exchanged for other conditions, shouldn’t the total amount be calculated as a whole?”

Limiting the number of exchange conditions to two—wasn’t this simply forcing Kurama to use what could have been traded for multiple requests to combine fragments into just two substantial choices?

This was… far too crafty.

Yuuko smiled with unabashed delight at his words.

“I thought… you understood perfectly why I do this?”

The black-haired witch blinked, her smile sly and sweet.

Kurama found her bluntness almost amusing.

“I know that if I were to say, ‘It’s merely a gift from the world, nothing worth holding onto,’ you’d be even more displeased and more eager to make things difficult for me, wouldn’t you?”

He shook his head again, giving a bitter smile.

“So two requests it is. No matter what, I’ve come out ahead.”

“That’s the right way to think,” Yuuko smiled again, as if satisfied with Kurama’s “good sense.” “Now, carefully state your wishes.”

She sat up a little straighter to show her seriousness, the smile fading from her lips, her gaze steady and solemn. “I believe you understand well—the value equivalent to half your demonic power can buy something of immense worth.”

Kurama knew Yuuko was not exaggerating. After everything he’d experienced, he had long since realized the unique rarity of his power.

He had wondered why, in exchange for only ninety percent of his power, he could take Mokona away from Yuuko—a treasure the protagonists of “Tsubasa” had to pool their collective sacrifices to claim. Yet, after receiving the “Gift of the World” from the Count and surviving the Hunter world, he gradually arrived at the answer, both through his own deductions and Yuuko’s eventual confirmation—

Because Kurama’s power was special.

Instantly giving life to plants, commanding them effortlessly, cultivating and modifying new species at will—clearly, it should have been classified as “wood-elemental” power.

But Kurama’s energy was not merely wood; it was more aptly described as life itself. When combined with an extraordinary treasure like the “Gift of the World”…

Though nothing remarkable had manifested yet, the explosive growth of his power and the ever healthier state of his demonic plants were proof enough that Yuuko’s initial resentment upon his receiving the Count’s gift was entirely… justified.

The demon fox nodded cautiously.

“I understand. Thank you for your reminder, Miss Yuuko.”

Although the witch before him had always appeared annoyed by Kurama’s good fortune, since their first meeting, she had never once shown any malice in their dealings.

Kurama knew she was simply stubbornly soft-hearted.

He didn’t call her out, only smiled his thanks and hurried to contemplate his conditions…

“First, I wish to know whether the Holy Grail currently stores the magic and souls of the heroic spirits previously recovered.”

After a moment’s deliberation, the demon fox suddenly spoke, posing a question that made both Gilgamesh and Enkidu turn to him in surprise.

Yuuko, however, showed no surprise at all.

With a meaningful smile, she nodded.

“Yes, the souls of those who participated in this Holy Grail War are still contained within the Grail. However, they serve only as the necessary ‘conditions’ for opening the path to the outside world. Once the Grail’s purpose is no longer to reach the so-called ‘Swirl of Origin,’ the heroic spirits’ souls are no longer essential to the Grail.”

Kurama was not surprised that Yuuko, after answering his question, supplied additional explanation.

With her intelligence, she had likely guessed Kurama’s first request the moment he asked.

Calmly smiling, the demon fox met the witch’s enigmatic crimson eyes.

“Then, my first condition is this: Miss Yuuko, please return the soul and magic of the heroic spirit stored in the Grail—specifically, the Conqueror King Iskandar, who descended as Rider in this Grail War—and moreover… grant him a new body and a fresh, autonomous magical circuit sufficient to sustain his existence.”

At Kurama’s request, Yuuko showed little reaction, but Gilgamesh let out a low, cold laugh.

“Kurama, do you… not trust your king?”

Did he intend to use Rider to restrain him, fearing that this heroic spirit, now possessing a physical body, might wreak havoc in this world beyond anyone’s control?

Ha! What a clever scheme!

Did he not know that the Conqueror King was his defeated subordinate, that he could vanquish him again as easily as before, no matter how many times?

Though reluctant to admit it, the Heroic King—who had come to recognize Kurama to some degree—could not help but see this as a blatant betrayal of his favor.

Yet, facing the golden king’s icy anger, the red-haired demon fox smiled gently, as always.

“No, my lord, you misunderstand.”

He looked up at the shrinking black vortex overhead.

“I simply… wish to do something for that man.”

“For the hero I once admired and aspired to be.”

This was a sentiment only ordinary people possessed, and Kurama didn’t expect Gilgamesh to understand.

But after hearing his explanation, the blond king stared at him for a moment, then surprisingly let out a pleased, low chuckle.

“So, you too are capable of yearning for kings?” Like he’d heard an amusing joke, Gilgamesh’s face was alight with mirth, though his eyes grew colder.

“But since your chosen king is the Conqueror…”

“Kurama, do you mean that, compared to that man, I—your king—am less worthy of your admiration?”

He stopped smiling, fixing Kurama with an unwavering gaze, his voice low.

Kurama truly felt troubled now.

How was he to explain that, compared to ancient Sumerian legends, he found the rulers of the radiant Roman civilization—filled with grandeur and passion—far more interesting?

Or, to put it another way, compared to Gilgamesh, it was Nebuchadnezzar II or Tiglath-Pileser III, those distinguished kings of the Mesopotamian region, who appealed more to him?

Preferences for historical figures were as personal and subjective as taste in books or clothing. It wasn’t a matter of how perfect someone was, or whether everyone universally praised them—it was simply a matter of individual inclination.

Kurama genuinely didn’t know how to explain this to the Heroic King.

Fortunately, Enkidu was there.

“Master has his own way of choosing whom to admire. Gil, you should understand that such feelings cannot be forced—and you have no need to force them, either.”

His gentle gaze, full of soothing light, quietly regarded the ancient blond king. Gradually, Gilgamesh’s violent anger seemed to be gently brushed away by invisible hands…

Gilgamesh finally snorted and turned aside, ignoring Kurama’s next words.

Kurama, grateful, cast Enkidu a thankful look, receiving a soft smile in return.

Though the two rarely communicated face-to-face—Enkidu usually remained in spirit form for concealment’s sake—the similarity in their personalities allowed them to become close and harmonious partners almost effortlessly. No wonder Diarmuid, even after Kurama explained matters to him, remained somewhat disappointed.

Having resolved the issue with the Heroic King, Kurama turned his gaze once more to the screen, where the black-haired witch watched him with playful amusement.

“Miss Yuuko?”

The beautiful woman’s expression shifted into a subtle blend of helplessness and indulgence.

“Hmph~ Kurama, you really refuse to suffer any loss.”

His request was neither difficult nor simple—he’d managed to push it right to the upper limit of what could be granted, leaving Yuuko without grounds to refuse it for exceeding the value of a single request.

Minutes later, a burly, red-haired man appeared beside Kurama.

“Oh? Golden Flash? And… Lancer’s master? How did you end up together? I thought I’d already…”

Just awakened and thoroughly confused, the Conqueror King looked at Kurama and Gilgamesh, unable to fathom why he was with this group.

But a cold snort from the Heroic King quickly brought him back to reality.

“Bring your decent little master here, Conqueror King,” the golden king said, arrogantly taking the initiative for once. “Kurama will explain the specifics to you later. For now… if you don’t want to miss your chance to remain in this world, do as I say.”

The Conqueror King was still confused, but his knowledge of Gilgamesh left him with no doubt.

He instantly shifted into spirit form, vanishing from sight.

Kurama, meanwhile, was ready with his second request.

“If I… wish to take the heroic spirit summoned as my servant in this battle, is the second condition sufficient to cover the cost?”

Carefully, he withdrew a small, white orb from his pocket, where Diarmuid lay sleeping. Kurama sighed silently, finally posing his question to the witch.

He failed to notice the shock and disbelief on Yuuko’s face as he produced the orb—

How in the world could his luck be so extraordinary as to obtain even something like this?!