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

Chapter 336 [Heavenly Executioner] and [Alaya] (Seeking monthly votes!)

Perhaps all one can say is – he truly lives up to his reputation as Sherlock Holmes.

From the world line shift that Hisa Umi caused in just one second, Conan realized that there seemed to be something wrong with this "Shell Universe".

"Based on the database records and reference to observations of the other two [Conan universes], the threat level of [Shell] should be at least at Eclipse—that is, a level three threat."

Currently, even when Gilgamesh is covered by the Throne of Heroes, his RSI value has not exceeded 50.

Conan tucked his knees into the chair, pressed his fingers together, and rested his chin on his fingertips, striking a classic "Sherlock Holmes thinking" pose.

He couldn't say whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

After all, if it's a threat at the Volatile level—

So, just like skipping over the entire Fuyuki City in one second still takes less than a thousandth of a string, the current effect value of more than eleven strings still seems quite abundant.

However, if a single character's RSI index exceeds 150...

Given that the core of this universe has not yet been found, the situation could suddenly become very unfavorable.

This means that the threat index of a single parallel universe can reach the Eclipse level, and the threat index of the entire [Type-Moon Universe] is obviously no lower than that.

"In other words... in that case, its threat level would be comparable to that of [this universe]."

Thinking this, Conan's heart sank.

—It seems we need to find a way to bring Lin Sheng over.

Even if we can't give resources in the tens of thousands, a few thousand or a few hundred would be good.

The development of the alliance has a long way to go...

There are also related speculations about this "trap universe".

Now, Conan is increasingly puzzled by its structure.

Judging from that force seizing almost every opportunity to try and overwrite the historical inertia—

What kind of traps give people the illusion of a "last-ditch counterattack" or a "death struggle"?
Conan was able to discern a myriad of clues from the changes in Hisamu Maiya.

But for each of these assumptions, he couldn't find a plausible reason.

"Fortunately... the final conclusion has come to light."

No one understands better than Conan Edogawa himself what can explain this "contradiction".

As a flash of white light appeared on the lens, a detective's smile, as if he had discovered a criminal, unconsciously crept onto the thinker's face.

This is similar to the timeline reversal event that once occurred in this universe.

It may be difficult to find a reasonable explanation within the framework of the Type-Moon universe.

But from the perspective of the Type-Moon universe, the answer is obvious—

Either the shell itself caused this contradiction;
Either it's the root cause or something related.

"What the alliance needs to do next is to find out where this contradiction and conflict comes from step by step, and then resolve it."

In fact, Conan made a surprising discovery during this minor incident.

That is the method to counter this coverage, and possibly even the [cut items].

"At least, because of the characteristics of the [timeline] I bring, as long as I take action myself, I can indeed use the CYZ effect to skip certain 'segments'."

……

If we use the analogy of filmmaking to explain it—

From a timeline perspective, the world is a film.

It doesn't matter if you cut out a second in the middle, or even if you cut out the entire process and only leave the "beginning" and "end".

The film can still be projected.

The timeline of the Type-Moon universe is more like a tower built of building blocks—it needs to carefully consider the "cause and effect" of things, and even must maintain it tightly.

For example, the method of "burning away human reason" destroys "pan-human history".

If you change a certain historical point in the past, it's like removing the foundation of the "time" castle.

—History would completely collapse.

Now comes the problem.

The rational basis for establishing a timeline lies in—

This universe does indeed have a concept of "time nodes," and time is a real, linear phenomenon.

Therefore, each period of time is indeed like a film reel, capable of existing independently without interference.

But this place shouldn't be part of our universe, right?
Therefore, if one were to say that they did indeed use the CYZ effect to forcibly skip that second...

Unlike in this universe, doing this in the Type-Moon universe will present a problem that Conan never had to consider before:
Where did "that one second of the world" go?

Hmm, I always feel like I've unintentionally done something bad, like I've added some burden to someone.

However, I am still somewhat concerned about what the outcome of that skipped "second" will be.

But there's nothing he can do at this moment.

This is similar to how the Alliance in this universe remains tight-lipped about the "Star Tower Case"—a crucial point in time.

If there is something that could trigger the "shell" mechanism, and it has been resolved without causing any incidents, then you should never casually return to that point in time.

—Just treat it like a dangerous item and carefully store it away.

Besides, even if that "one second" really did lead to a different future.

In situations where the [Alliance] cannot be replicated due to the protection of the CYZ effect.

These are merely simulations created by the [Root], including "Eternal Time-Travel" Kiritsugu Emiya, "Full Intelligence Unlocked" Waver Velvet, "Infinite Magic" Kariya Matou, and "Gravity Manipulation" Mai Hisa...

Uh, it shouldn't be a big problem.

I believe in Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes.

Ahem, to be precise, it is [Alaya] and [Gaia] who can solve it.

……

Conan even paused for a second to think about it.

Should we continue to increase the burden on the "enemy" or distract them in a similar way?

But in the end, he gave up on the idea.

Even such a comeback tactic should never be used lightly unless absolutely necessary.

There is only one alliance, and it cannot be split.

Such blatant actions are practically screaming "something's wrong here."

"Therefore, in order to continue doing this, a plausible 'history' must be fabricated to fill the gap."

Conan thought for a moment and retrieved the project proposal titled "False Heaven" from the deleted records.

The projection appeared like a giant birdcage, with countless "threads" distorting spacetime extending outward from a certain mountain peak. Finally, they tightly enveloped the entire city of Fuyuki within the Leap Terminal.

Conan remained silent for a moment, then sighed and deleted it completely.

—Doing this means that we can only preserve Fuyuki City.

This plan is one of the many extreme methods Conan has come up with.

His thinking was related to his recent instructions to Kiritsugu Emiya: the RSI value must not be allowed to exceed 150.

At the Volatile rank, the cost of [RSI Mimicry] has already been calculated.

If Conan were to use the full CYZ effect of the ten strings, he could indeed reduce the RSI environmental index of Fuyuki City to near, or even just below, the threshold of 100.

The [Leap Terminal] itself is composed of neutronic matter and maintains a constant timeline.

In other words, according to this plan, in order to break through the defenses of the [Terminal], the enemy must, under the logic of approaching the [Universe], research materials that can penetrate neutron matter.

This is a task that is almost impossible to complete.

As for the Alliance, it's more than enough to house over five billion people in Fuyuki City—it's just a matter of creating a few dimensions.

"But a turtle shell that can't get out is meaningless. Besides, this shell is completely incomparable to a real shell."

This is also the most important reason why Conan gave it up.

"Although unless someone has been to this universe, there is no one in the Type-Moon universe who can crack this method—"

"But as long as there is one thing that can trigger a [mechanism] response, the alliance is finished."

"And now it seems that such people definitely exist in this universe."

Conan sighed softly.

At this stage, the safest option is to obtain the Holy Grail and make a wish.

Putting aside his thoughts of potential dangers, Conan refocused his attention on investigating Assassin's whereabouts.

If TDD and those magicians' theories are correct.

After tonight, the long-standing issue of how to transfer and fix [souls] will finally have a definitive answer.

……

This is perhaps a somewhat strange place.

That is, in the [Type-Moon Universe], although the [Soul] is indeed one of the three elements, magicians can influence and manipulate them "relatively easily".

Besides the "Spirit Summoning Department" established by the Clock Tower, which has accumulated extensive research experience in this field.

And there are other magicians who can do it too.

For example, Aozaki Touko's puppet magic, Matou Zouken's longevity worm magic, or Roa's reincarnation, and Illya's manipulation of Emiya Shirou's soul...

These magicians clearly cannot be categorized as "ordinary".

But without a doubt, if it's merely a simple transfer, extraction, or reshaping into something else—

For example, it can be used as fuel or for familiars.

This is somewhat difficult, but not impossible.

However, there is a prerequisite:

That is the magician's manipulation of the "soul," not the intention to preserve or copy the soul in a "completely identical" state.

Take Matou Zouken as an example—

No matter how hard he tries to maintain it, as time goes by, his soul will still decay, turning him into the disgusting "insect" form he is in now.

True immortality can only be achieved through the complete "Third Law".

Considering that Irisviel, Maiya Hisau, and others will inevitably face death due to the "inertia of history"—

This is why the Alliance insisted on taking Ilya away from the Einzbern family ahead of schedule.

The alliance must ensure that what is ultimately saved are the "original personalities and souls" of Irisviel and others, rather than some kind of replacement resulting from an accidental transformation.

In the absence of Aozaki Touko's whereabouts, Ilya, as an incomplete product of the [Third Law], can meet the prerequisite of "perfect preservation".

In fact, during this time, the Alliance informed her that what she was doing could save Irisviel.

She has been working very hard to practice the "extraction" and "preservation" of her soul.

Perhaps because accepting souls is the function of the Lesser Grail, she is making rapid progress in this regard. Illya is now able to briefly preserve the soul of a volunteer magician at the moment when the body is about to collapse.

After the soul is transferred, it needs to be "given a physical form".

Since the Clock Tower does indeed sell older models of Aozaki Touko's dolls, this morning, Measia proposed to the Mage's Association to trade them for money or magic books from the Matou family.

Currently, the only problem is "time".

Conan is currently unsure whether those "dolls" will actually reach Fuyuki City.

Furthermore, he cannot guarantee that the puppet's effect will be as perfect as it was in the Fifth Holy Grail War, able to completely contain the soul of the person who needs to be copied.

After all, this might not be a problem for ordinary humans like Maimi and Sora.

But for figures like Kenneth, whose "predestined death" was almost etched into their destiny by historical inertia...

Conan gets a headache whenever he thinks about Lin Sheng's notes in the database.

Why is the death of Kenneth so likely to be written into the "historical inertia" and even trigger the "shell" mechanism?
"If faced with unforeseen circumstances, Kenneth may try to abandon the rescue."

Looking at Lin Sheng's contact information, Conan sighed.

If it were only Kenneth like that, he might actually give up—Conan knows the difference between trying your best and deliberately courting death.

But the problem is there's still Irisviel.

As both a Lesser Grail and an artificial life form, it's difficult to define exactly what form she takes.

"The only thing we can do is to treat them as Servants, turning them into a form similar to [Heroic Spirits]."

This is somewhat similar to the financial concept of "changing creditors"—

[Servants] rely on the magical power provided by suppliers to maintain their existence in the present world.

In other words, becoming a [Servant] and living in the present world does not conflict with the fact that this person is already "dead".

As long as you can continuously supply enough magic, everything can continue.

Clearly, the league has no shortage of magic.

……

As for how to achieve this, we must mention the "capture plan" that the league will be implementing against Assassin tonight.

This is actually related to the truth about the concept of "spiritual origin".

In fact, very few people know that the Holy Grail War is actually a downgraded version of a grand magic called "Summoning of Heroic Spirits".

This is a true "final battle magic" designed to save the entire primate world.

In theory, if it were to be successfully implemented, it would cause the seven Heroic Spirits at the pinnacle of their respective classes—that is, the seven [Grand] Servants—to appear and jointly destroy the "Great Calamity" that hinders the survival of the primate world.

Therefore, even a downgraded ceremony still needs to rely on the "Third Law".

This process requires completely replicating the [Record of the Realm] in the present world and giving that soul or spirit a "form".

—The Spirit Origin is the key structure that ensures the souls of Heroic Spirits can interfere with the mortal world.

Given the historical inertia, Assassin is destined to fall tonight.

Therefore, capturing him before he dies and using his [spirit origin] as a research sample will allow us to find the optimal container for "soul transfer".

……

"After all, the [Spirit Origin] you used... is simply too 'powerful'."

This is a consensus reached after repeated discussions among the magicians who have already joined the league.

Even when Conan revealed his "Spirit Origin" to them for study, they still couldn't replicate even a fraction of the related "Spirit Particle Structure."

Although they believe this is a special characteristic stemming from their "roots".

But Conan knew very well that this was actually the result of the CYZ effect anchoring his [spiritual origin].

Moreover, considering the timeline, one's own [Spirit Origin] may not be something that can be copied casually.

After all, he had not registered his identity on the Throne of Heroes.

While one can use the CYZ effect to block the "harassing calls" from the Throne of Heroes, others might not be so forgiving.

This is by no means an exaggeration by Conan.

This had already happened once before, when he used the inherent abilities of the timeline in front of Gilgamesh.

Even though it only appeared in the world for a second or two, the "attack" from the Throne of Heroes immediately descended.

And Conan can't even easily deny this fact.

It was the recognition from the Throne of Heroes that made his interference with Gaia so easy; otherwise, simply restoring that mountain to its original state would have required the CYZ effect.

However, if the experiments are only conducted within the base, the conclusions cannot be verified.

After all, the RSI environmental value of the base is completely different from that of the outside world.

Conan slumped back in his chair with a sigh of relief.

In summary, the entities currently attempting to interfere with the alliance include:
【Alaya】, 【Gaia】, 【Hall of Heroes】, plus that fourth one, and then 【Shell】 or 【Root】.

"Ah, the future truly looks bright—"

The complaints were interrupted before they could even be uttered.

"Commander Kudo."

—It is Hasegawa Moon.

Her voice carried a hint of nervousness and anticipation.

"The [Lens Group] has now observed that [Kirei Kotomine] has gone to the Tohsaka residence."

"According to the [historical inertia], the next point is when one of Assassin's clones will be executed by Gilgamesh."

The figure in the [Core Layer] office immediately vanished as photons, then reappeared in the [Execution Layer Lobby].

……

The lights in the lobby were not glaring.

A three-dimensional magical image covering the entire city of Fuyuki has been projected onto the center of the hall by Hasegawa Moon. The dense lines and nodes, like a spider web, display the earth's current state as recorded by the ley lines.

Now, the detective's face showed no trace of the irritability and distress he had previously displayed due to pressure; instead, he appeared focused and calm.

He slowly turned his head and cast his gaze toward the "Eiri Kyuin" who was left behind, or more accurately, the puppet device that served as a communication device.

—Because an existence has only one [soul], and relying on [spirit], Eiri Kuin's information exchange with herself is instantaneous.

"Yongli, the relevant authority to adjust the [lens group] has been transferred to you."

“Understood,” Yongli said calmly, without any extra emotion. “This mission will definitely succeed.”

……

Meanwhile, on a secluded high ground outside the Tohsaka mansion, Raymond and his men were already prepared to set off.

The miniature doll communication devices hanging on their ears emitted a slight buzzing sound, then steadily transmitted Yongli's synchronization commands.

Of the thirty-three magicians captured by the Alliance, nine, inspired by Raymond, became members of the first task force of the Alliance's Type-Moon division.

This was their first "probationary period assessment".

Raymond was dressed in clerical robes and looked more like a priest than a magician.

He took out the infinity-shaped silver pendant hidden in his chest, bowed to the Book of Truth floating in front of him, and then bowed his head in prayer.

Then, with a solemn expression, he put the pendant away, slowly raised his head, and with a calm sense of glory and fervor, surveyed everyone present.

There were no exaggerated shouts, no empty encouragement.

He spoke softly, revealing a price that none of the magicians present could bear.

"Remember, even at the cost of your lives—the mission cannot fail. Otherwise, you will forever lose your eligibility to join the Alliance."

—This price is too heavy.

Everyone's expression immediately became extremely focused and serious.

They exchanged glances, and two of them immediately used suggestion spells on themselves, followed by the others.

In fact, if time allowed, these members would even like to sign a self-mandatory pledge with each other to ensure that others do not hold them back.

This will be the first action taken by the [Heavenly Executioners].

Just like the meaning symbolized by this code name—

They have come to regard themselves as enforcers of the law in service of the "Source," and they will carry out every action before the gates of this holy place, according to the will of "the God in their hearts."

Raymond glanced at the task schedule displayed in the Book of Truth and began to deploy it to the other magicians:
Thorne Elliott's magical attribute is water.

Because he obtained the magic books from the Matou family, he has temporarily learned insect magic and can control a small number of reconnaissance familiars.

He will use his identity as a member of a branch of the Matou family as cover to release and control swarms of insects around the Tohsaka residence, continuously monitoring the Assassin's movements from the shadows.

Sano Shoyu and five other sorcerers each carried a reconnaissance and concealment device capable of using [Spirit Particle Reflection: Soul Sound Resonance].

They will be responsible for recording the "magical properties" of others around the trap deliberately revealed by Tokiomi Tohsaka, and communicating with the ley lines to conceal the illusion that the Assassin is not dead.

Raymond was responsible for using [RSI Mimicry] to make everyone temporarily disappear at the moment of action, and to paralyze Assassin with tranquilizer darts at the crucial moment.

Another lucky magician was assigned to be the one to provide backup on the perimeter.

Of course, considering Lancer is heading here, perhaps he has the worst luck.

……

"Finally found it..."

"Finally found it..."

"Finally found it..."

The Alaya consciousness was singing softly and joyfully, and the subconscious mind of the primates known as "human beings" was also singing softly.

There's a reason why this "cosmic" characteristic is so repulsive.

—The universe in "that one second" obviously has a destination.

More importantly, the "Root" not only replicates the world at that moment, but also recreates its history.

Just like...

The [spiritual structure] that sees itself as "Hasegawa Moon".

The history of the Type-Moon universe is a tower built from bricks called "history".

At this moment, without the existence of the [Alliance], there is no reason for "Hasegawa Moon" to disappear.

Although it cannot be replicated, the [Root] grants her the same timeline characteristics as the [Heroic Spirit].

So, Hasegawa Tsuki, unaware that she was a "flawed copy," headed towards Fuyuki City following the "instructions" in her mind.

At the moment that parallel universe was born, Alaya had already sent its guardian into it.

Alaya is attempting to bring "Hasegawa Tsuki" under her control in this Holy Grail War.

To ensure the continuation of humanity as a primate, He had a firm grasp on the timeline.

(End of this chapter)