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

Chapter 405 Wei Yuanchuan, Purple Mist Floods
Hisayu Maiya did not go to the meeting with Kiritsugu.

Her task was simply to pick up Kiritsugu and Illya and take them to the vicinity of the agreed-upon "date location".

After all, it wouldn't be appropriate for an outsider like her to attend such a peculiar, even bizarre, family reunion.

Who knows whether Black Alice will treat Hisa Umai Maiya well or badly after going through so much?

It's best to avoid such a potential conflict if possible.

After explaining the situation, Hisayu Maiya repeated the last sentence she had just said.

"So you don't need to worry about my safety. I will drop you off when I'm about a few kilometers away."

No one in the car responded to her—if Kiritsugu's slight nod and Illya's somewhat muffled "hmm" could be considered a response.

This strange atmosphere began the moment Kiritsugu watched Illya get into the car and take a gun out of her bag, asking Kiritsugu to give her a few Origin Bullets.

It's difficult for Hisayu Maiya to describe the emotions hidden behind Kiritsugu's stiffness.

The man's expression shifted in an instant from the joy of seeing his child to a terrifying silence, and finally became a gray, faded statue.

If I had to give a description...

Maiya felt that Kiritsugu's gaze was just as terrifying as when Illya personally shot and killed her father.

Ilya was naturally aware of the implications of this silence.

However, she did have a need to use Kiritsugu's psychological trauma to conceal her own purpose.

"Kiritsugu, I'm sorry." Illya could only silently apologize in her heart.

She had to try her best to act like a child who only had a vague understanding of the plan.

After reading the Alliance's comprehensive analysis of her father, Ilya knew that Kiritsugu was very likely an "observation point" that could be observed by all parties.

Even with the help of [Inherent Time Control], Kiritsugu was able to refuse this interference—

Just like his past rejection of the advice from [Alaya], or the advice from the person who recently tried to influence his decision through a dream.

However, this was merely a rejection by Kiritsugu Emiya after he learned of a new path, using his unwavering commitment to "world peace" as leverage.

The enemy can still see something in the shadows through the man's mind, or through his eyes.

Knowing that this connection was very likely to be impossible to sever, Ilya didn't even need to act out her frustration and unhappiness at Kiritsugu's rejection.

Why did my father suddenly become a ticking time bomb that everyone was fighting over?

As long as Kiritsugu remains human, Alaya will always have a reason to see him and use him—even if this may be a “good thing” for humanity as a whole, it is far too heavy a burden for Kiritsugu.

This means he will never retire, and Alaya will exploit him to the fullest extent of his value.

However, this cannot be done even if it is transformed into a [Heroic Spirit].

Due to Kiritsugu's "historical inertia," the only way for him to become a Heroic Spirit is to become a "Guardian," that is, an agent of "Alaya."

Illya's proposal of the "Servant Universe" plan also had this personal motive.

If Kiritsugu cannot retire, then it would be best to eliminate the environment in which he works, or at least transform it into a cheerful atmosphere.

Becoming an agent of Alaya means traveling around in many universes and even doing the worst things that can sustain the continuation of humanity.

"Sigh... Should we materialize Kiritsugu's [soul] and then, based on the suggestion, convert it into the form of a [timeline]?"

After much deliberation, Ilya concluded that if the inertia of history could not be defied in the end, perhaps this method of "dissecting" herself would be the best.

"But wouldn't that mean I'd have multiple heirs? And what about my mother?"

As she pondered, Ilya's thoughts quickly drifted to a very strange place.

While Ilya's expression kept changing due to all sorts of "whimsical ideas".

Kiritsugu, who was standing to the side, finally let out a deep breath.

His daughter's words immediately brought back memories of the time he borrowed the Colt pistol from Natalia on that island.

The joy of seeing Ilya again vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.

“Ilya, listen to me.”

Kiritsugu turned to the side and put his arms around Illya's shoulders tightly.

The warmth from his palm, and the hair color of the woman in front of him that was exactly the same as Alice's, began to make his heart waver.

"Maybe I should try to persuade Alice," he thought.

No matter what, it was too cruel to let Ilya see Alice being killed, or even to use her as bait or a trap.

With just one sentence, Ilya successfully pulled Kiritsugu's mind away from "completing the Alliance's mission".

She heard Kiritsugu solemnly promise her, "Trust me, I will definitely convince Mom, okay?"

Kiritsugu's reaction, however, was entirely within the scope of a certain detective's reasoning from the previous meeting.

Therefore, what her father said didn't move Ilya, but rather... a complex emotion she couldn't quite describe.

Ilya recalled the hint of regret in Lin Sheng's words at the time.

“Ilya, the fact that the moon doesn’t intend for you to participate in the plan is indeed the correct deduction.”

This core member of the "Alliance" then recounted an incident that occurred during his communication with Kaito Kuroba and Akako Koizumi in a dream.

"If this [universe] weren't unsuitable for group actions, and if the participants didn't have some understanding of [historical inertia], many theories about the [Narrative Studies Department] wouldn't actually be suitable for you to read."

“Unlike Professor Agasa and others, who are already adults and know a lot, it doesn’t conflict with you thinking in a way that fits your character.”

Lin Sheng asked Ilya a very pointed question.

“If everything unfolds as planned—for example, your father’s actions and thoughts are exactly as described—I’m afraid you’re not as strong as you think you are.”

Even the Red Witch, who is always straightforward and passionate, fell into confusion and fear after learning that "free will does not exist".

Even if everything in this universe is pacified.

Even after the speculation that he might come from another universe was put forward, this child, who had already experienced so much, still found it hard to accept.

At this moment, Ilya finally understood the lingering chill in Lin Sheng's words.

In an instant, she understood why both ZC-01 and ZC-02 harbored such strong hostility toward [historical inertia].

[Historical inertia].

These four words suddenly magnified before Illya's eyes, becoming as dark and profound as the emotions in Kiritsugu's words.

She even had a delusion.

A profound and undeniable force emanated from Kiritsugu's every move, and from his own every action.

It steals every bit of warmth from the deeply moving bond between father and daughter, then fills those gaps with a chilling coldness.

The theory of the Narrative Studies Department has a kind of magic—it detaches you from all the connections in the world and gives you a skeptical, utter skepticism about everything.

But you get nothing but doubt.

Just stop thinking about it.

As long as you don't think too deeply about it, it's fine.

Ilya silently recited the essential maxims for beginners of the Narrative Studies Department.

All she wanted to do now was try to save Black Alice; she wasn't thinking about anything else.

Even so, the body held in Kiritsugu's arms still trembled slightly.

Everything was exactly as ZC-02 described—

She said only one sentence, and Kiritsugu abandoned his hostility towards the other Irisviel.

"Because the mental image and the soul are the entities that anchor time, as long as you express it this way, the Alaya consciousness cannot help but take advantage of it."

Conan's explanations in the past made Illya's eardrums ache.

"He might not even have to do anything, because Kiritsugu Emiya is such a weak person that if Irisviel were to confide in him, he would definitely try to save her."

"So you need to immerse Kiritsugu in this state beforehand, so that he will realize his mistake."

"Because [Emiya Kiritsugu] is more like an ascetic, this weakness will actually trigger his [persona] to resist based on [historical inertia]."

Therefore, what will follow is this resistance.

Beika Town Central Hospital is located in Shinto, and the place where he and Kuro Airi agreed to meet was a park in the central part of Shinto, which is north of the town.

No, it's not a park yet.

To be precise, it was a largely abandoned theater, surrounded by some old houses where residents lived.

Hisayuu Maiya steered the car to the left, directing the sports car, purchased by Kiritsugu, toward the meeting place with Kuroi Airi.

They are now traveling upstream along the banks of the Weiyuan River.

Perhaps to make it easier for tourists or locals to stroll along the river, there are not many obstacles along the roadside which is very close to the sidewalk.

The change in environment as he drove out of the street calmed Kiritsugu down a little.

But he still held his daughter tightly in his arms, as if afraid that Ilya would disappear from his embrace at any moment.

Ilya looked up at him with ruby-like eyes as beautiful as Irisviel's.

"Kiritsugu," her voice betrayed hesitation and unease, "what if Mother disagrees? Are you going to kill her?"

This issue is now unavoidable, and Kiritsugu cannot lie to Illya.

It may sound ridiculous, but Kiritsugu decided not to lie to his daughter because...

Kiritsugu suddenly felt a little dizzy.

How long has it been since Ilya played the walnut sprout game?

This even made him feel guilty towards himself.

She had promised Ilya that the next time she saw her, it would be a family reunion.

He also promised at that time that he would not cheat.

Ilya's pouty expression at that moment was absolutely adorable.

Thinking of this, Kiritsugu couldn't help but smile slightly.

He really wanted to give Ilya a promise that he wouldn't kill Irisviel.

He was even going to say this after his promise to "definitely persuade her."

But his daughter's questioning and expectant expression silenced Kiritsugu.

He couldn't bear to look away from Ilya.

Kiritsugu can now see directly the red bridge spanning the Mien River.

They didn't pass through the center of the academy—because Maiya believed there was a certain risk involved.

It's hard to say whether Black Sakura will stand by and watch this date happen.

The bridges and streets along the way to the academy are still controlled by the Black Sakura.

A profound silence spread outwards from the colossal statue, the only thing visible in the fog. Only the faint warnings of "Please avoid the fog zone" could be heard through the car windows by Kiritsugu.

But apart from that, there has been no further activity.

The hazy white mist seemed unlikely to be dispersed by the cold wind blowing along the river.

The more they spread, the denser the fog became along the riverbank, even taking on a somewhat eerie purple hue.

This is undoubtedly a sign that Black Sakura is getting closer—she may very well be coming here soon.

At this moment, the only vehicle speeding along the banks of the Weiyuan River was probably the one he was riding in.

Because those fogs were like "Hadabo"—an extremely terrifying sandstorm that could make even daytime look like the end of the world.

At this moment, the sandstorm resembles a slowly advancing city wall on land.

It attempts to incorporate everything that was originally free into a city of order called "historical inertia".

……

The celestial phenomena are changing visibly.

A certain endless, greedy concept is constantly striving to materialize under those projected images.

If Kenneth were to see this, he would never consider it magic, but rather a kind of magic, or concept, flowing simply from the "roots".

This is precisely the stage that someone about to enter their field has prepared for themselves.

In Black Cherry's view, these things are the best materials to contain a part of herself.

She assisted with the editing, not to serve as a stepping stone for that Black Alice.

Considering that there may be some hidden story behind Black Alice's "birth", as well as the special circumstances between Waver and Iskandar.

Perhaps Black Sakura is more in line with the usual style of a normal "strong person".

No matter how much she resented her own nature—that endless sea of ​​resentment—it remained unshakable.

As long as the "door" can be opened.

Even if this universe was created by God, she would not be afraid.

Think about it, the "strong" group composed of countless [Matou Sakura] is far beyond what a single form of Black Alice or anything else can contend with.

"After all, even a senior like you couldn't eliminate me, could you?"

It was from this incident that [Kuro Sakura] discovered the wonderful use of [Editing Matters].

Of course, what she was actually taking advantage of was the historical momentum of World War V.

The so-called "endless resentment" actually stems from the resistance of each "strong" [Matou Sakura] against their own [fate].

It's a bit complicated, but you can roughly understand it as the strongest one, [Emiya Shirou], not choosing her.

It's important to understand that the biggest difference between the [This Universe] and the [Type-Moon Universe-001] lies in the fact that there are many [historical inertia].

It's like choosing which route to complete when you're playing a visual novel.

It's even possible that the current "branch war" of choosing one of the three branches as the main branch is related to this matter.

That's obviously a digression.

But for those who are making choices, or being chosen, it doesn't seem so "happy".

In fact, at the beginning, Matou Sakura was quite patient—even though her senior chose her older sister, given her inferiority complex at the time, she only felt lonely and sad.

In her purple pupils, the tangible resentment now manifested as tears that fell.

With the help of the increasingly solidified phantom of the sea demon, Black Cherry's emotions fluctuated, even staining the ground within a few square meters beneath her feet with a surging purple.

Those purple hairs, purple eyes, and purple gazes are trying to surge towards this side.

Even with the [Unique Enchanted Barrier], it firmly prevents any information from leaking out.

But those sorrowful and resentful faces were pressed tightly against its outer edge.

The first person to become a "stronger" – Sakura Matou – had a very simple initial idea:

With so many parallel universes, couldn't she find a "predecessor" who chose her?

It's hard to say whether such an action stems from love, possessiveness, or some other very complex emotion.

But those who came before me probably thought the same way.

And the result?

Kuro Sakura glanced at Tokiomi Tohsaka beside her.

Just like a father who would never proactively or in advance admit his mistakes, and never proactively choose his predecessors.

It was only then that Sakura Matou realized the meaning of what her senior meant when he said that after he "saved the world," he would definitely help her break free from "fate."

Perhaps the senior and that Chaldea Master were the most "free" beings.

In order to save the world more effectively, Shirou Emiya took the initiative to "choose" a path.

Even her older sister wouldn't later realize that this was the right path—

Shirou Emiya does indeed have feelings for both of them.

But what truly measures the magnitude of this emotion is the desire for "redemption."

This could not help but arouse resentment in Matou Sakura.

[Emiya Shirou] abandoned her, abandoned another possibility, and even prevented it from ever appearing on its own initiative.

When was the first time that the mind of a senior in a universe was twisted, leading to a situation that brought Sakura joy?

But the "predecessors" back then weren't this powerful.

In fact, they themselves might not even care which predecessor ultimately prevails.

But before Shirou Emiya had grown into the "strongest warrior," he made a choice that might be considered a mistake.

Although Shirou Emiya had no choice at that time when even the three "branches" were not yet clearly defined.

But the result was that he shattered the illusion that Sakura had carefully created, and even "corrected" it.

Even though he later returned it to Matou Sakura, and even tacitly allowed a part of the universe to follow the path that was not chosen, according to Sakura's wishes.

This "win-win" approach, in fact, seems more like a form of charity.

There's a reason why Matou Sakura, being a "strong" individual, was able to gather together—

Most "strong" people find it difficult to get along peacefully, even with themselves.

Usually, they are just like Gilgamesh, constantly hunting you down.

Or, like Weber City, one might use the technique of phenomenonization to strictly regulate one's soul.

The origin of this "miracle" is the destiny that Matou Sakura, as a "strong person," can never escape.

Otherwise, why is it that all of Matou Sakura's wishes are the same: to win Emiya Shirou's choice?
Otherwise, why would there be so many [Matou Sakura], who are considered "strong", and why would their numbers far exceed the [Alliance's] estimates?
As long as she tries to follow the path called "Spring Returns".

Now that Shirou Emiya has made his choice, the birth of Black Sakura is only natural.

……

Unlike Kuro Sakura, whose heart was fluctuating due to the spreading mist.

At this moment, Kiritsugu Emiya's mood actually calmed down.

This calmness was not his true nature, but rather an instinctive reaction.

The instant he saw the red steel bridge, Kiritsugu spotted a strange, slender person dressed in bizarre attire.

Because of the distance, he couldn't see the person's face clearly, but it was undoubtedly a person.

The scales of life were immediately tipped in favor of "quantity" by [Emiya Kiritsugu].

The alliance gave him about thirty minutes of leeway.

If he cannot persuade Alice to abandon her plans during this time, there will be real death, irreversible death.

Even the unusual celestial phenomena outside the car window, aside from the pedestrian who hadn't evacuated for some reason, were a reminder to Kiritsugu.

Now, this sports car with gull-wing doors seems to be pulling down a curtain or sunshade in a classroom, tightly hooking onto that dark cloud and pulling the darkness forward.

"Ilia."

Kiritsugu felt his soul trembling.

But his body remained perfectly calm, and he slowly and coldly released her.

Then he turned around and reached into the heavy backpack, taking out a small, child-like "toy gun".

It turns out that the [Emiya Kiritsugu] residing in his heart was prepared from the very beginning.

Don't lie.

"If things don't go smoothly when I talk to my mom."

Don't cheat.

"Ilya, shall we kidnap Mommy?"

Kiritsugu almost cried out in his heart.

His expression turned ferocious and terrifying at that moment, as if a demon had slipped into his body and was speaking on his behalf.

He resisted himself desperately.

"This contains tranquilizer darts, in very small doses."

In the end, however, Kiritsugu Emiya simply moved clumsily like a zombie, shoving the plastic gun loaded with an Origin Bullet into his daughter's arms.

“Ilya, remember, if the negotiations fail, ask your mother for a hug, and then pull the trigger…”

He recited, like a machine, the techniques that would ensure Ilya would kill Irisviel with a single shot.

Looking at Kiritsugu's cold, mechanical expression—

Ilya nodded obediently.

She blinked frantically, trying to hide the tears welling in her eyes from Kiritsugu.

Originally, she deliberately devised this plan to use Kiritsugu and get revenge on him for choosing his wish instead of her and her mother, out of a small amount of resentment in her heart.

But she finally understood.

Why did Merlin almost reveal his entire soul to the League?

Why did the two officers always say, "Let's see if we can give you a chance"?

Because before the [Alliance] existed—

This universe truly offers no "opportunity" or "hope".

(End of this chapter)