The establishment of the Time Travelers Alliance began in the first year of Conan

Chapter 333 [Chaldea, the Organization for the Preservation of Humanity] (Seeking monthly votes)
This "fierce thug" who descended from the sky, completely encased in black steel armor, was undoubtedly Matou Kariya.

With his [Strength] now at the "A+" level, and the huge boost from releasing magic power.

He gathered his strength and leaped from the Matou family's doorstep, traversing half the city, before landing precisely in the central residential area, where Ryunosuke Uryu was, like a dark meteor.

In fact, even Kariya himself was somewhat surprised by this terrifying and precise strike.

After all, before this, he could even be considered an ordinary person, completely unaware of even the basic magic knowledge that an ordinary magician should possess.

And now, he has even used this martial art from the Heroic Spirit.

When he briefly "flies" in the air, his body naturally adjusts its posture.

Magic surged forth from the seams of his limbs and armor, like the engine of a jet fighter.

That steel body, like a precision-guided missile, went straight for its target.

—It is [endless martial arts training].

This inherent skill from Lancelot, the Knight of the Lake, allows the holder to achieve perfect harmony of mind, skill, and body.

This is why Matou Kariya can instinctively make the best moves on the battlefield even without relying on any strategic thinking.

……

As for Gilles de Rais, his mission to answer the Holy Grail's call and save Joan of Arc undoubtedly ended prematurely.

As a Caster, he was already quite vulnerable without a construction workshop or a prepared Noble Phantasm.

Moreover, he is one of the real-life prototypes of "Bluebeard," a famous black wizard in European history and a villain in Western fairy tales.

Gilles de Rais is not actually suited for the "Caster" class.

His magic did not come from his own cultivation, but relied entirely on the magic book that contained forbidden knowledge of the ancient evil god.

——[Luoyan City Textbook].

It is both the core that provides Caster with magic and his almost sole means of combat.

Therefore, unlike other Casters, he is even weaker than an Assassin once the grimoire in Gilles de Rais's hands is captured.

He had just been summoned at that moment.

They haven't built a magic workshop, know nothing about the current world, and their connection with their Master isn't even fully stable yet...

This is precisely why intelligence can be considered the second most important attribute in the Holy Grail War, after Heroic Spirits.

The deadly precision of the attack tactics employed by Matou Kariya was enough to make any other participant in the group retreat in despair.

After all, almost all magicians consider the excellent offensive capabilities of Servants when summoning them—very few people would specifically summon Servants with defensive characteristics.

If Gilles de Rais hadn't deliberately avoided Caster's head during the fall, he would have been eliminated by now.

Of course, his situation isn't much better right now.

With information provided by Eiri Kuin and guidance from TDD, Matou Kariya's armor just narrowly missed being caster.

Now, this is Jill's only chance to turn things around—

The "Snail Annihilation City Text" lay quietly beside the left arm that had been trampled into a bloody mess, with only the faint aftershocks of its magic rippled between the pages.

……

In this desolate wasteland filled with rubble and choking dust, Caster's Master was barely clinging to life.

The dark, ferocious aura shattered my eardrums as it swept over my body, and the shattered bricks, like bullets, grazed my face as I fell.

Now, Ryunosuke's world has been plunged into utter darkness in an instant.

He can't hear or see anything.

They couldn't even feel their limbs.

In this pitch blackness, there was only an irritating, silent buzzing sound and a tearing pain.

But more suffocating than the pain and fear was an unprecedented sorrow and regret rising within Ryunosuke.

He had just summoned from nothingness that being like a demon from hell, along with his new toy or prey left behind for the demon.

But in the blink of an eye, everything was abruptly interrupted.

Ryunosuke opened his mouth, and a piercing, hoarse cry escaped his throat: "It's over! My death! I... I can't see it anymore—!"

He was so desperate.

Ryunosuke had long anticipated his death.

Just as Conan predicted, Ryunosuke would not be afraid of this final chapter of art that he had pursued throughout his life.

Even within this twisted logic, if this boredom continues, this guy who revels in death will eventually discover his proudest creation—

He would take himself, as the only work of art worthy of appreciation, into his death.

But it shouldn't be now, nor should it be like this!

Is there anything more tragic than this in the world?

That long-awaited, perfect experience of death was unexpectedly and brutally thrust into Ryunosuke Uryuu's eyes without warning.

But at this moment, apart from the usual pain.

That vibrant, dazzling red, that life gushing forth from the flesh—I couldn’t even witness it with my own eyes!
Even the buzzing in his head prevented him from hearing the pleasant sound of blood flowing from his body!
……

Yongli Jiuyin's gaze was fixed on the body that had been shaved into a human pig-like shape not far away.

Ryunosuke Uryu lay curled up on the ground, like a caterpillar that had been overturned, trying to turn himself over.

He felt no joy in seeking revenge.

This scene is so ugly and disgusting.

This madman actually begged himself, hoping the child in front of him would bring some water to wash his eyes so he could see his death.

For such a madman, any attempt to make him realize his evil is obviously futile.

"—Enhance."

As the incantation for the enhancement magic was chanted, a surge of magical power from the earth's veins flowed to his wrists, and the ropes binding his body immediately snapped open with a "bang".

Yongli Jiu stood up and looked at what she should really be looking at.

In that instant, a series of sounds rang in my ears:

RSI detection function: Enabled.
Environment analysis: Startup.
Magic Vision: Activate.
RSI masking mimicry: Start.
The world suddenly took on a completely different appearance.

Familiar colors fade, and elements symbolizing magic, heat, and life emerge in the field of vision in radiating outlines.

In the very center of the room, two RSI index curves, almost touching each other, seemed to fluctuate like breathing, oscillating between 103 and 110.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could clearly see Ryunosuke's vital signs in the corner.

Target conditions: ruptured eardrum, hearing loss, limb injury, visual impairment...
She glanced at him briefly before looking away.

As long as he's not dead.

Furthermore, based on the information that Eri Kuin knew, even disregarding the role of her "persona," such injuries would not be enough to immediately kill a magician who had activated his magic circuits.

It's like the most exciting scene in a horror movie.

The scene was filled with blood, remains, and twisted bodies, resembling a cult ritual.

The child, who was originally intended as a "sacrifice," slowly walked towards the location of the original ritual formation.

Yongli Jiu bent down, her slender white fingers reaching out to pick up the orange book that appeared as striking as a flame in the magical vision.

……

Logically speaking, it is absolutely impossible for Yongli Jiuyin to so easily shake the "historical inertia".

However, if viewed from a different perspective, from the viewpoint of the "world"—at this moment, Eri Kuin is already a "dead object".

In that case, it's less that she stole the [Snail Annihilation City Text], and more that it ended up on another "ground".

Even if something unexpected happens, it doesn't matter.

At this moment, she possesses ample magical power and CYZ effect reserves.

The alliance was extremely cautious about this first direct attempt to intervene in historical inertia.

A "vision probe" hanging from the sky is now connected to her body, like an energy supply pipe, continuously feeding in magic and calculation data from the other end.

Meanwhile, at the observatory base, Yongli Jiuyin's calculations would upload the verified data.

"As expected, by utilizing [Matou Kariya]'s [persona], it is possible to force [historical inertia] to change to some extent."

This technique is actually quite familiar.

Just like in this universe, when the Alliance borrowed the character designs of Kaito Kuroba and Akako Koizumi, or Professor Agasa and Ai Haibara, to try to interfere.

The inertia of history cannot be equated with the shell; it can be countered by the power of character design.

In fact, from the perspective of the entire process, the true self-defense mechanism of the "shell" is not activated immediately.

From the perspective of the entire universe until Conan Edogawa came into contact with the truth and realized everything, it seems that the shell only truly began to operate at full capacity—its reaction can be described as sluggish and rigid.

Judging from the low RSI values ​​of Kariya and others in this universe, their status is perhaps similar to that of extras in cases within this universe.

It is a derivative that can be replaced or discarded.

……

But for the league, this risky move is not just about capturing Caster.

More importantly, we should try to observe how the element of "soul" influences the process of a character's decision-making.

At this moment, Yongli Jiuyin pushed her abilities to their limit.

Anyway, according to the "historical inertia", this doll will eventually die at Caster's hands.

So--

Let this predetermined "death" play its greatest role.

【Spiritual Image Reflection: Soul Sound Resonance】.

This is a new technique developed by Mayastia from the Clock Tower using the computational power of TDD, based on the birth principle of Eirijuin.

However, although this technique sounds powerful, its effective range is quite narrow.

It can only rely on the CYZ effect or magical power it invests to determine whether a target originates from a parallel world or whether its soul has been altered.

That's it.

This is also one of the few [CYZ magic spells] whose effects can be countered with magic.

Because at its core, it actually relies on communication with the earth's veins.

—The earth's veins are the history and memory of a planet.

In the theory of Type-Moon, parallel worlds are not simply "different planets" existing side by side, but rather based on "different possibilities" and different "dreams" presented to the "planet".

In other words, if the interference that Waver, Gilgamesh, and others experienced before was due to intelligence coverage from other parallel universes, then the details they subsequently revealed would inevitably differ subtly from the "historical memory" of this world.

And this is exactly the message the Alliance wants to capture.

If we can pinpoint the specific scope of the impact, we might be able to try to block this "reset".

At this moment, through a brief direct connection with the planet, Eri Kuin's perception is as if she has been lifted into the air to look down at the earth.

The streets are no longer streets, the buildings are no longer buildings; they are now the riverbeds of history and the veins of time.

The colors, textures, and pulse of the entire Fuyuki City transform into a vast grid woven from time and cause and effect, and the soul of Matou Kariya is changing upon it.

This is a change that is very familiar to Nagato.

“His soul… is ‘flickering’.”

It was as if some kind of float was bobbing up and down inside the body of [Matou Kariya], like sonar on the seabed, spreading outwards from him in circles.

Yongli Jiu could hear a low "echo" in her own "spirit".

Because when this fluctuation dissipates into her body, information about [Matou Kariya] will disappear from her soul.

Fortunately, her "spirit" will soon be restored by the modified memories.

Yongli Jiuyin could see that at this moment, the flickering light and shadow of this [soul] was rippling through time and space.

There is no doubt that a force that alters reality has enveloped the entire city of Fuyuki, and even the universe itself.

But seeing Caster still noticing Matou Kariya, Eiri Kyuen frowned.

Why does it seem like it's not working?
……

In the center of this dimly lit room, the armor that stood like a black tower fell into a frozen silence after the sudden attack.

Time and space transformed into a turbulent and treacherous sea.

At that moment, another current was pulling him along, an irresistible force that appeared and disappeared, as if it might pull him into another turbulent sea of ​​time and space at any moment. But Yan Ye felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

It was a very strange feeling, as if an invisible hand was adding a constant stream of fuel to one's soul.

I was like a lone lamp swaying in a storm, sometimes stable, sometimes distorted, and even briefly presenting a completely different outline.

But in the end, the furnace of the [soul] became stable.

It felt like someone was trying to use "his mental image" to cover up all the records in the universe related to "him".

However, that person himself did not change at all.

Yan Ye's lips slowly curled up due to this absurd sense of satisfaction, and a smile even appeared on his face hidden under his armor, a smile that no outsider could see.

"Someone actually wants to share this pain with me?"

The thought was so ridiculous that he couldn't help but scoff inwardly, yet the undeniable reality of it made it impossible for him to deny it—

The usage time of the [Timeline Mask] is indeed being extended.

At first, it increased slowly, one second at a time.

Then, as if something had sensed an incredible miracle, a tremor surged forth from the depths of the soul.

My heart surged like thunder, my spirit was invigorated, and my mind was ignited by a fervent resonance.

The data before my eyes was no longer increasing incrementally, but climbing in a straight line, and the pain in my body was also lessened because of some inexplicable sharing of the burden.

……

In fact, even those behind the scenes did not expect this to happen.

Looking at the screen in the lobby, one could see the normal operating procedures displayed, along with the alarm curve that remained constantly active.

A somewhat puzzled voice rang out.

"Strange? How could the intelligence repair program fail? Could it be that his spiritual structure has never actually changed?"

Regardless of the reason, the owner of the voice knew very well that this phenomenon, which was almost tantamount to "aiding the enemy," had to be stopped immediately.

A series of commands were quickly input, and the circuit that had briefly connected to the [Root] was immediately severed by Da Vinci with a surge of magical power.

"Ritsuka, what do you think—"

The voice calling out to a certain Master rang out subconsciously, but before the words were finished, it seemed as if the speaker remembered something, turning into a sigh tinged with sadness in the air.

The halls of Chaldea were empty and silent.

The lights were turned down to their lowest setting, as if the energy supply was insufficient, casting a long, dim, and flickering shadow from the control panel that stretched deep into the ground.

Even outside the hall, there was complete silence.

There were no footsteps in any of the corridors, and no breathing in any of the rooms.

Fortunately, the center of the hall remained bright, thanks to the huge, quietly floating sphere of light—[Chaldea].

It rotates slowly, its surface covered with a blue and white glow, like a miniature planet encased in an invisible glass dome.

Tiny points of light drift along its orbit, like satellites guarding it, trailing long shadows behind them, like the reflection of light and shadow on the world itself.

Leonardo da Vinci allowed himself to remain here in such solitude.

Remembering her Master's half-joking words of advice at the last moment, she forced a smile, trying not to cry.

Reaching out, she gently picked up the stargazing certificate placed next to the control screen—the special employee's ID card.

After everyone left, this card became her only "pass" in Chaldea; apart from the director's room, no door was closed to her.

Leonardo da Vinci couldn't help but laugh when he recalled Olga Marie's haughty demeanor at the end.

"Wh...what?! I was just trying to remind her—!"

Olga Marie was always so hypocritical.

In her own words, this was a warning to Ritsuka not to show that careless and undisciplined work attitude again.

But everyone knows it.

This is more like everyone proudly watching her brilliant performance—her proof.

That being said, all of that is in the past.

This ID card is now meaningless.

Leonardo da Vinci gently flipped the ID card over to the back.

Dear Leonardo da Vinci! While I'm away, everything is in your hands!

The handwriting was neat and clear, with a big smiley face drawn below.

"Really..."

Her fingers lingered on the smiling face for a moment, then she gently placed it down as if it were a precious treasure.

The next second, an even more piercing alarm suddenly sounded.

The last person remaining at Chaldea, the organization that ensures the survival of humanity, slowly exhaled and continued working.

Although the attempt to deal with that guy named [Matou Kariya] failed...

Da Vinci glanced at the trimming process, which was still proceeding normally according to schedule, casually tossed this low-priority threat into the pending list, and with a simple swipe, deleted it.

If you fail, just fail.

Perhaps at first she will be very nervous about facing and dealing with it.

but now--

She has far too many more serious threats to deal with.

Looking at the warnings covered in red dots on the screen, Leonardo da Vinci sighed.

A trace of unspeakable sorrow of parting has somehow crept into this state of mind.

"Fujimaru Ritsuka...when are you coming back?"

……

As for Matou Kariya, the duration of use of the [Timeline Mask] increased to 30 minutes per use.

As a sense of loss rose from the depths of his heart, this strange growth ceased.

So, what I need to do next is—

As the mask was slowly removed, Kariya, who had exited the [Heroic Spirit] possession state, immediately used magic to support her body and prevent herself from collapsing to the ground.

Fortunately, pain can be gotten used to, and this time the physical pain was probably much less.

At this moment, Matou Kariya only had cold sweat on his forehead and his breathing was slightly rapid.

Not far away, the serial killer named Ryunosuke Uryu was trembling, his eyes wet with tears.

He wanted to wipe his eyes with his own tears, hoping to witness his own beautiful death before he died.

Unfortunately, he will never live to see it.

Because, at the very moment he was about to open his eyes.

"Whoosh-!"

A bright silver tranquilizer dart shot out from the detective watch on his right hand. With a flash of light, Ryunosuke fell into a deep sleep.

Yan Ye didn't look at him again.

He walked straight to the clever child and took the spellbook from her hand, which served as the Caster's magic furnace.

Immediately afterwards, he kicked Giles, who was trying to gather magic power and communicate with the unresponsive grimoire to summon the sea monster.

"Stop playing dead, Caster."

Yan Ye spoke coldly, and gave the terms of the alliance as described in the plan.

"If you wish to see Joan of Arc again—accept the contract of the Book of False Servants."

As he spoke, he pulled out the book "The Book of False Ministers" from his pocket and pressed it against Caster's nose, while simultaneously pointing the silver-white watch at his eyes.

"Or are you planning to be eliminated on the first day of the Holy Grail War along with this almost useless Master?"

Caster first glanced at his Master, who seemed "unable to move," then, with a creaking sound, he managed to turn his head with his half-broken neck to look at the man whose eyes were filled with madness.

Then--

"Hahahahahaha——!"

Amidst Matou Kariya's bewildered expression, Gilles de Rais burst into wild laughter.

Such a gaze, such a yearning... how similar it is to my own past attempts to save the saint's life!
"Berserker—"

A morbid calmness and a burning fervor emanated from those eyes, which seemed to belong to a benthic creature.

"Then let Joan of Arc come to see me!"

"Whether it's my body, my soul, or my life—I'd give it all to you if I could see her one more time!"

This is also why Kariya asked Conan the question back then.

Obviously, you can't convince a madman with death.

Therefore, just like Conan's inner weariness when he received Matou Kariya's reply.

Looking at the replies displayed on TDD, Matou Kariya looked at those crazy eyes that were flashing with anticipation.

“Caster, considering the schedule, you can see her tomorrow.”

Jill was clearly taken aback.

But before a look of doubt could appear on his face.

Yan Ye paused, gave her a disgusted look, and added sarcastically, "Or... do you want Jeanne d'Arc to see you in this ugly state?"

"If you don't believe me, I can give you a picture of her in a moment to prove that she has indeed come back to life."

  For Caster, whose mind is filled with Joan of Arc, this reason is very convincing.

Therefore, after Kariya offered to "restore his condition" as a temporary condition for recruitment—

Gilles de Rae, the French marshal during the Hundred Years' War, became the Alliance's second truly masterful Heroic Spirit.

……

And at this time, as dusk approaches.

Irisviel and Saber have just arrived at the airport.

Before they could even experience the scenery and people of this far eastern land, they received a call from Hisayu Maiya.

This was fired by Maiya while she and Kiritsugu were separately planting explosives, following the Alliance's instructions.

The concise request coming from the other end of the phone startled Irisviel.

She blinked, then subconsciously turned her head, drawing a puzzled look from Artoria with both her gaze and her voice.

"Eh? Do you need a picture of Saber?"

"Irisviel, what happened?"

"Kiritsugu needs a photograph of you—well, a portrait—to use as a trap."

Upon hearing Kiritsugu's tactical arrangements, Artoria's expression immediately turned serious.

She nodded, then looked down at her sharp black suit and tugged at the hem.

"Is this outfit alright? Or do I need to wear armor?"

Let's take a picture of everyone!

A genuine smile appeared on Irisviel's lips. This childlike woman, noticing Saber's somewhat awkward expression, grabbed her arm.

"After all, Saber, I really want to take a picture with the legendary King Arthur!"

……

It's fair to say that Conan's assessment that Caster is one of the easiest people for the League to control is not without reason.

Do you remember that the league is now "fighting on four fronts"?

The situation that Matou Kariya is currently facing is entirely within his expectations.

All we can say is that when we talk about Conan's fourth plan, we have to mention a classic Type-Moon joke—

Jeanne d'Arc and Artoria look exactly alike.

At the very least, to Gilles de Rais, a former comrade-in-arms, the two were no different.

(End of this chapter)