"Come, Angra Mainyu.
Bring the reign of terror upon this wretched world, open their eyes to what true power and magnificence look like. And as long as you link your will to mine, I swear to be your voice in the mortal world. I shall be your prophet, for you are a god to whom we all must bow."
Those were thoughts and quiet chants that took over Angela every time she focused her mind on Angra Mainyu. One ritual after the other, countless attempts to brink the darkness from beneath the earth, to allow the Avenger to manifest before Einzbern castle…It took time and effort, but every ritual, every time she poured her energy into his being, brought the fateful moment closer. Angela hated having to rely on Hector and Marianne to participate in the war while she focused on the summoning, but it was necessary.
Necessary.
Angela had ample opportunity during her life to learn that sometimes she had to make sacrifices to achieve her goals. As Angela directed her energy to the darkness beneath Fuyuki, she once again closed her eyes and thought of all the effort she had put into reaching this point. After decades of proving her worth, battling through competitive and unforgiving mage society, now she was among the most prestigious and feared of them all…So much work to rise from a lowly servant to Einzbern homunculi. Angela remembered one of her inspirations from twenty years ago, the mysterious man who had no heritage nor privilege from birth, yet he earned his place among the Einzberns through tireless work. She remembered herself, a naive teenager rushing to wish him luck on his journey.
"Mr. Emiya!"
"Call me Kiritsugu… Don't you have duties to attend to?"
"Of course, I just took a short break to make sure I don't miss your departure…I heard about your noble mission, and I wanted to wish you luck!"
"Luck is meaningless; it's a skill that will help me in this war."
"Oh, I see…"
"Did I disappoint you?"
"No, not at all, just…"
"For what it's worth, I appreciate you wishing me luck, even if it's a misguided sentiment."
"Someone like you would know after all you've been through, I'm sure of it. You inspired me because you followed your dream no matter how difficult it was. I have a dream, too."
"Take my advice, always be prepared for the worst-case scenario, and then do everything in your power to prevent it. It will take a long and will require a lot of effort, depending on your dream. But don't let anyone or anything make you doubt your conviction. Never give up on it."
Kiritsugu betrayed his cause at the end of the war. Perhaps this was his true goal all along? It didn't matter, for his advice became guidance for Angela. She wanted to become the world's most powerful and influential mage, and she would do everything to reach that goal.
She remembered bowing before the homunculi, doing everything they ordered her. She became their deadliest weapon, merciless and detached. Angela remembered Illyasviel's screams as she empowered her magic circuits, draining the life of this broken girl. Angela remembered holding Heinrich's hands, swearing on her life, and telling her cousin that both of them would earn Einzberns' highest favor...Just a few hours before slitting his throat.
And at the end of it all, she remembered her master's words.
"Rise, Angela von Einzbern."
At last, she carried their name.
But it still was not enough for her.
Her destiny was to become the strongest, to do something no magus has ever done. To reclaim the legacy of Einzbern family and unleash the power resting inside the Holy Grail. This was her future, to return to Germany with Angra Mainyu at her side, she would make the homunculi kneel before her. The rest of the mages will follow.
To this end, she built up a power base and a network of loyalists among the mages, and of course, she gained an apprentice. Hector was weakened by his morals, but he had incredible potential and dedication to any cause he believed in. All Angela needed to do was to make him believe in hers, and so far, it worked flawlessly. This Sakura made him doubt...And Angela would have to deal with her soon.
Granted, with the power of darkness that coursed through her veins, it would not be a problem. Just a few more rituals and the Avenger will finally be born. The being that was summoned into this world against his will, the bearer of all curses, a vessel of power in an unborn child. This being inspired curiosity, fascination...
Angela wanted him to be born.
To have this majestic being break its chains and ravage the world along with her, both of them rising above their restrictions and claiming their rightful place in this world. They would be at the top; they would rule over all the weaker beings that were foolish enough not to grasp power and lord over others. With Angra Mainyu, Angela would transcend humanity itself. She would not rely on the Avenger for validation, like Kotomine. She would claim his power and become his voice and vessel. Angela could already feel the taste of this power, the darkness pulsing in her veins and coloring her blood violet.
"Yes, yes!" Angela said in pure exhilaration as the violet whirlwind emerged before the Einzbern castle balcony, the harbinger of the coming despair.
"Angela!" Marianne's voice interrupted the mage's catharsis, much to Angela's fury. If only this Association rat knew what she was getting into, the insolence she displayed...For a scholar, Marianne could be surprisingly idiotic at times. "We need to talk."
"What is it?" Angela responded in a voice that could barely mask her distaste. She turned around, showing her face to the Lorekeeper. Her skin grew pale as crimson markings emerged underneath her eyes. Eventually, Angela smiled, feigning a welcoming nature. "Don't you know it is polite to knock?"
"I did, and you did not react." Marianne sighed, walking into the large balcony. Romulus followed her closely, and he immediately garnered Angela's attention. He was among the strongest Lancers if he could be put to use...
"Should I repeat myself? If you have something to say, spit it out.
"I am concerned, to say the least."
"Really?" Angela chuckled. "Let me guess, you will blame me for trying to kill our enemies and trying to end this bloodshed?"
"Partially." Marianne remained calm. "There isn't any point in mulling over something that already happened, but I fear that whatever you are trying to accomplish will result in far worse bloodshed."
"Fear, is it? I expected better of you." Angela said in a mocking tone, finally realizing what had to be done. Marianne was not an asset without her servant, and Angela knew that she had enough of the Grail's energy to claim him. Angra Mainyu agreed to an alliance and gave her his blessing; it was only natural for her to use it. "I am summoning Angra Mainyu's power to use it against our enemies. You realize that we will need it against Gilgamesh, right?"
"I am talking about masters and other people, not servants."
"You knew when you entered this war that casualties are inevitable."
"In certain cases. Everec and Iseri could not be reasoned with; their death was a result of self-defense...But the Coalition are reasonable people. Both El-Melloi and Tohsaka are stubborn, but they are principled and seek to find a solution that benefits as many people as possible. They need to be convinced that Angra Mainyu's power can be used for good."
"After all you've seen, you still want some kind of peaceful solution?" Angela's voice brimmed with disgust. "That they can be convinced?"
"I believe that it is worth a try."
"Let me lay it out for you..." Angela said as sparks of violet flame danced in her hands. "You called them principled yourself, and their 'principle' is to destroy everything I fought to create! Look at this power; they will never be convinced that I can control it...Because they are afraid of me. Afraid that someone can change their precious status quo...And you are no different." Angela said, seeing fear emerge in Lorekeeper's eyes. She pretended to be loyal to the Grail...But she simply underestimated his power. Now that she could witness the true potential of Angra Mainyu, she was just as afraid of it. "I sacrificed decades of my life to reach this point, Marianne...This struggle, this goal, this stride for perfection is everything to me! Now that I am finally close, I will not let anyone stand in my way." A proud smile of sadistic satisfaction emerged on Angela's face. No more hiding, no more pretense and tolerance, only full control. Only one command left. "Now."
Moments after she said those words, an array of steel blades pierced the windows, every single one of them aimed at Romulus. Archer was there the whole time, overseeing Angela's rituals and ready to defend her whenever that need arose.
"Traitor!" Marianne shouted, finally unveiling her anger. Lancer stood tall, deflecting most of the blades and defending his master. Some of Archer's swords pierced Lancer's limbs, but this was not enough to hold the mighty warrior back.
"You made a huge mistake, pest." Romulus raised her spear and attacked the enemy servant, who preferred to keep his distance instead of continuing the onslaught.
"Did I? We'll see…"
"You have no chance of defeating me in a battle, Archer. What is it you're planning?"
Before Archer could respond, Marianne turned towards Angela, noticing that she absorbed the violet energy, allowing the pure darkness to engulf herself.
"Romulus, wait, it's a…" Before Marianne could warn him, a dark lightning struck her, coming directly from Angela's hand. She was channeling Angra Mainyu's power, relishing in a measure of control he gave her. Angela could feel the Avenger enjoying every moment of this cathartic fusion, and she loved it just as much.
This lightning acted as an unstoppable ray, cutting through Marianne's shoulder. Her hand and part of her torso were cut off with the resulting shockwave, forcing the wounded woman to fall to the ground.
"Master!" Romulus shouted, but Angela unleashed another ray, this time with twice as much dark matter fueling it. This ray pierced Lancer's heart, forcing him to scream in agony and drop his spear. The pain was so overwhelming that Romulus froze on the spot and fell to his knees; the dark matter spread through his veins like a rot that could not be slowed down, much less cured. "You…I will not surrender to you, I…"
"I don't think it matters." Archer chuckled and walked towards the defeated enemy. "The power that Angela's newborn 'god' grants her is too much for any of us to simply resist…You and your master don't even realize what kind of horror you helped unleash."
"And you…" Romulus spoke with spite. "Do you realize?"
"Of course. But I gave up on this world. It doesn't concern me whatsoever." Archer said coldly as he watched the dark shell engulf Romulus utterly and completely. All Marianne could do was to watch in utter terror and despair. She was too weak to speak and beg; her entire body was drenched in fresh blood. Angela walked towards her, all while chuckling playfully.
"So, where were we at?" Angela said with sarcasm as she kneeled before Marianne. "Ah yes, my goal…I hope my point was clear. No one will stand in my way. I will not allow that. I had to deal with enough degenerate fools who obstructed my path to make compromises, understand?"
"You…You bitch…"
"Shh. Don't waste your breath; I still want you to watch." Angela smiled and held Marianne's chin, forcing her to look at Romulus's metamorphosis. "I have to give you credit. You chose a good servant; I'm sure I'll make good use of him…After all, that's one of many powers that Angra Mainyu possesses. He takes hold of others and makes their will become his. Lancer is now mine to command…And do you know what I'll make him do? He will kill all of the Coalition for me, and with Angra Mainyu as his only master, he won't complain or ask questions."
"Everec…Was…Right…About you…"
"Is that so? I'm sure he'll love to hear you admit it when you meet in Hell." Angela said before forcing all of the Grail'sGrail's power into one of her hands. After looking into Marianne's desperate eyes for the last time, Angela ripped the Lorekeeper's head off.