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

Chapter 410 The Way to Fulfill a Wish

If Kirei Kotomine and Gilgamesh are on the run in that hellish town of Beika.

So Kiritsugu Emiya is now chasing after hell.

The distortion of time and space not only affected Black Sakura and others.

Even Kiritsugu, who created it, was equally lost in the unusual scenery inside the church.

He is now in a forest that shouldn't be inside a four-story clubhouse.

"Alice! Illya!"

Kiritsugu had no choice but to use the simplest method, trying to call out to and search for traces of Irisviel and Illya with his voice.

"I didn't intend to kill you or Ilya! I found a way to do it without sacrifice—"

"Kelly? What are you talking about?"

A familiar, almost forgotten voice rang out from behind Kiritsugu.

Kiritsugu's first reaction was to reach back with one hand and grab the hand that was patting his shoulder.

With force applied to the arms and wrists.

A swift and unexpected over-the-shoulder throw happened just like that.

Upon impact with the ground, the girl's body involuntarily curled up.

"Ouch!" came a girl's complaint.

Before the girl, who was completely disoriented from the fall, could even recover, the fall was still a shock.

Before she could question or complain about Kelly's sudden attack...

"—Click."

It's the sound of a bullet being loaded.

The cold, tubular object pressed against her forehead immediately silenced the girl.

This looks like a very fancy pistol.

The man holding this deadly gun had a weathered yet youthful face.

This person, along with the green leaves overhead and the clear blue sky, appeared upside down in the girl's eyes.

Kiritsugu finally saw the attacker's face.

He finally remembered why the forest environment felt strangely familiar.

The person he just knocked down was a child—or rather, a girl.

She wore a pristine white dress typical of tropical islands, revealing her healthy, tanned skin gleaming from the sun.

The calloused and worn-out hands, along with some faint scars, serve as evidence of the girl's enthusiastic help in various places.

And of course, there are those amber eyes that now well up with tears because of pain and surprise.

There's no mistake.

Kiritsugu would never mistake the name and appearance of the person in front of him.

The person who caused the most direct turning point in Kiritsugu Emiya's life, the starting point that led him onto that tragic and lamentable path.

"Xia Lei...I..." Kiritsugu was speechless for a moment.

Something must have gone wrong.

He should still be inside the council chamber, still on the mission to save Ilya and Irisviel.

However, the [Inherent Time Control] did not sound an alarm, and one's own senses were also telling the truth about the surroundings.

Kiritsugu looked at his first love, whom he had just knocked down.

He glanced over the undulating folds of her clothes and scrutinized the girl before him with an aggressive gaze.

Could this be a trap set by those evils?
How did she even recognize herself after she grew up?

This Xia Lei is probably just an illusion created by the enemy.

Kiritsugu made his decision in his mind.

But strangely, that face softened his aggressive gaze.

The words that Kiritsugu wanted to ask were about slipped from his lips.

Xia Lei didn't seem to have any doubts about Kelly's sudden growth.

Moreover, she seemed to have noticed Kiritsugu's laxity.

Xia Lei could feel Kelly loosen his grip on her arm.

She saw his other finger on the trigger and fled behind the gun handle.

“Kelly,” the girl’s voice was full of worry, “did you have those nightmares again?”

This childhood playmate of Kiritsugu, without any warning, grabbed his arm and sat up straight in the mud.

what……

This single action caused Kiritsugu's heart to waver greatly.

The Xia Lei in front of me is undoubtedly alive and full of life.

Kiritsugu could see that head of jet-black, shiny hair, swaying gently in the forest breeze.

You can see her looking at her white dress, now stained black, with a sense of regret and sadness, and trying to brush off the dirt.

Fortunately, Xia Lei quickly realized something, and a mischievous smile appeared on her face.

"Kelly, if you don't promise me something today, I'm going to tell the teacher about you hitting me, okay?"

She approached curiously, while Kiritsugu cautiously took a step back.

He saw Xia Lei with her hands behind her back, a cute look of inquiry on her face.

"And another thing! When did you secretly hide a handgun?!"

All of this happened so naturally.

It was as if Kiritsugu had never left this place, but had always stayed on Alimango Island with his father.

It seemed like two voices were clashing in my mind.

Was everything that happened before just a nightmare I had while taking a nap in the woods?

There are too many questions surrounding Kiritsugu.

This even includes the two things I just learned from Xia Lei: "taking a nap in the woods" and "having another nightmare."

Kiritsugu does not recall having such a habit.

He had no choice but to ask the question that concerned him most.

"Are you really Xia Lei?"

The guns that had been lowered were raised again.

Kiritsugu suspects that the "Sharei" in front of him is a trap set by Alice.

However, he now harbors a sense of expectation.

My actions just now may have indeed disrupted the timeline.

Is there a possibility that—

Did I actually go back to the past?
Kiritsugu had been inside the Black Grail; at least he had dreamt of the scenes made of black mud.
This place is definitely not the interior of the Holy Grail, it absolutely cannot be the interior of the Holy Grail.

The girl burst out laughing.

The laughter seemed to have aggravated the injury, followed by a long gasp.

Since her dress was already dirty, Xia Lei simply let herself lie in the mud again.

For some reason, she found herself somewhat enjoying the scene where she had just watched Kiritsugu upside down.

"I still want to ask you if you really are Kiritsugu!" she muttered.

"Sister Alice said you would be back soon, but I've already searched the whole island from top to bottom so many times!"

Xia Lei spread her arms out, dipped her fingers into the ground beside her, and casually picked up a pebble that she had marked herself.

"Hmph...this is my evidence!"

Kiritsugu and the upside-down Xia Lei looked at each other and saw that Xia Lei was picking up a pebble that looked like it was marked.

"I've practically covered the entire island with pebbles!"

The girl's voice unconsciously took on a sob.

"Kelly, I won't ask you what kind of adult you want to be, okay?"

Tears finally overflowed from her eyes, transforming into a clear little river flowing with a gurgling sound.

The world around us seemed to leap into place all at once; the scorching afternoon sun and the humid air vanished.

In the cool night, the moonlight shines on the two people who are now on the riverbank.

Under the bright moonlight, Kiritsugu could see that every pebble on the riverbank bore the same marks as the pebble in Xia Lei's hand.

This river, which could perhaps be called a river of regret and pursuit, carries those traces all the way to the end of the stream, all the way to a sandy beach that is also etched with those traces.

How could a girl named Xia Lei not understand Kiritsugu's thoughts?
Ever since she was rescued into this world by Alice, even though everyone always laughs off those things and even hides many, many things from her—

But the unchanging passage of time is the biggest clue.

The regret and remorse in my heart will only grow as the scenery outside this small island expands.

Although Kelly didn't give an answer at the time, Shaley has now witnessed firsthand what Kiritsugu promised him to do when he grew up.

"I said I would stay by your side until then."

Under the moonlight, Kiritsugu could no longer tell whether the girl was smiling while crying or crying while smiling.

The weathered man remained silent for a long time.

His silence only intensified the sorrow in the girl's eyes.

But Kiritsugu finally spoke slowly: "Sharei... I need to see this Alice you mentioned. Do you know where she is?"

The hope that had been flickering in his amber eyes was suddenly extinguished.

“Sister Alice won’t see you,” Xia Lei said firmly. “Unless you kill me and the teacher.”

"Didn't you want to save this island?" Her voice suddenly turned cold and desperate.

"Sister Alice will help you fulfill this wish, as long as you kill me."

Kiritsugu showed no intention of raising the gun he was holding.

“You know I won’t do that.”

Kiritsugu had made up his mind; he would save everyone.

This was not based on his rational judgment, but simply because another voice within him was becoming increasingly clear.

Whether this was a test for Alice or she had truly reversed time, it remains to be seen.

Kiritsugu threw away the gun in his hand and ran towards Natsumi, whose face was now beaming with joy, with a determined air.

In the past, he had been killing people repeatedly.

The redemption that comes from this is not what the child on the old island wanted.

To accept sacrifice in order to save the majority.

In order to protect the happiness of more people, unavoidable sacrifices are made.

"This is not right."

Now, Kiritsugu can say this with a clear conscience.

He could finally pour out his true desires to the Holy Grail.

"Xia Lei, I can save you all now."

……

"Mom, Ilya won this time!"

A weak voice rang out from the mother's arms in the sky above the small island.

"Is Kiritsugu... no longer the Kiritsugu he used to be?"

Watching her "husband's" actions, a sense of hope rose in Black Alice's heart.

It wasn't just because of Kiritsugu's wish to "save everyone," but because he genuinely had the potential to make this universe a reality.

But Alice was more concerned about her daughter's condition. "Ilya," she shook her head slightly to indicate that it wasn't important, and looked at her daughter in her arms with concern, "How are you feeling right now?"

Ilya nodded, pointing to her clothes, which had stopped getting stained with more black.

"Hmm! Ilya feels much better! After Irisviel brought Ilya to this place, Ilya's body no longer hurts at all!"

"After all, this is actually a happy universe that Mom made for Illya and Kiritsugu, you know?"

"Only this universe can have its wish fulfilled by Kiritsugu—"

Black Alice stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence.

Her body froze for a moment because of her slip of the tongue, and she quietly turned her head away, not daring to meet her daughter's burning gaze.

But Ilya's childlike voice still reached her ears.

"Will Irisviel save everyone just like Kiritsugu did?"

Black Alice did not respond to Ilya's question because she knew it was impossible.

The Holy Grail can only grant one pitiful and detestable wish.

This does not mean that joy and happiness cannot be allowed in this wish.

Just like the way Kiritsugu heard about the miracle in "Historical Inertia".

If Kiritsugu were willing to sacrifice everyone except the last three people in the world, he could find a happiness that doesn't exist—

He resurrected his wife, rescued Ilya from the Einzbern family, and they lived happily ever after on the planet where only the three of them remained.

So, what price must one pay to wish for a happy universe?

A universe shaped by Irisviel herself.

A universe where every substance is chosen by the Holy Grail and every soul is judged by the Holy Grail.

A universe in which Irisviel, Kiritsugu Emiya, and Illya are absolutely unable to cause any harm.

Such happiness comes at the cost of the death of the rest of the universe.

If I give up...

If I give up...

The nerves that had been relaxed in this illusory happiness tightened up again.

"Ilya, please forgive Mommy for not being able to agree to this, okay?"

Black Alice spoke softly to her daughter, who had fallen asleep from her struggle.

"There are too many and too terrible enemies outside. Mom must protect Ilya well."

But when she thought of the bet her daughter had made with her, Irisviel hesitated.

"Unless... Dad can prove he can protect us."

Black Alice and Irisviel are ultimately different.

She was neither bound by the Einzbern family's long-cherished wish to complete the Third Law, nor troubled by her past recognition and realization of Kiritsugu's dream.

“I won’t let this happen, Ilya,” she promised her daughter.

Using this lazy approach to pass the test is unacceptable.

Black Alice wanted Kiritsugu to admit it himself—to admit that his love for her and Illya was greater than his wish.

She knew how impossible that was.

But she was determined to do it.

……

This universe, which Black Alice built bit by bit by herself, gives her absolute authority.

"There's always a way to have it all." Seemingly caught up in some kind of obsession, Black Alice murmured to herself.

Therefore, Kiritsugu must confront all the mistakes he has made.

Yes, he could persuade Xia Lei to change her mind, even deviating from the course of history and refusing to take the potion that would turn her into a ghoul.

Can he convince his father, and the traditional magician, to give up his study of magic?

Not only that, he also had to persuade those ghouls who were born to feed on humans to give up their greed;
To persuade that the war that led to Hisayu Maiya's tragedy will not happen again;

To persuade Natalia not to board that deadly flight...

Not wanting to simply place judgment on the scales of "quantity," Kiritsugu wanted to find a way to solve all these difficulties himself.

To achieve peace for all mankind, Kiritsugu must find a solution to all the problems and know all the means to achieve it.

This is almost impossible to achieve.

"Prove it to me, Kiritsugu."

Black Alice watched as Kiritsugu pulled Sharee away from the forest and ran towards the hut containing the potion that prevented the conversion of Dead Apostles.

"Even if it only takes a single moment to achieve this, I will agree to your terms."

……

Kiritsugu felt himself becoming more and more tired and older.

This weariness and aging are not physical, but rather a manifestation of his spirit and soul.

The use of 【Inherent Time Control】 is unimpeded; he has unlimited time to solve an unsolvable problem.

But for this man, it was even more terrifying, a torment that could be described as endless suffering.

In the eyes of others, including Shaley, Natalia, Hisau Maiya, and even his own father, [Emiya Kiritsugu] was a remarkable and great man.

Dead Apostles can also coexist peacefully with humans.

No one would have believed this statement in the past.

He achieved it.

He restrained the instincts of those things with precepts and guided their impulses with rules.

But this is just the beginning.

Magicians can also live peacefully with ordinary people.

This is even more difficult to achieve.

A magic organization as intricate as a spider web;

A magical family that is obsessed with various magical researches;

Scattered and difficult-to-trace experimental traces.

No one could threaten him in terms of power; all the powerful figures mentioned in Kiritsugu's memories and by the Alliance were no longer there.

But Kiritsugu did not want victory; he wanted to prevent the death of a single person and to persuade, or even force, everyone to set aside their prejudices and embrace peace.

How is this possible?
Kiritsugu asked himself this question countless times.

The more we save, the more we need to protect.

Even those things being protected will still see new conflicts arising beneath the surface of peace.

Therefore, Kiritsugu needs to protect the weaker ones among them.

In other words, what he needs to protect is—every single person.

If such a wish could be fulfilled, what else could it be but a miracle?

……

There are two ships on the sea.

There were 300 people on one ship and 200 people on the other.

Both ships had simultaneously developed an irreparable hole in their hulls, and only Kiritsugu Emiya knew how to repair it.

While one ship is being repaired, another ship sinks.

"Excuse me... which ship can you repair?"

Black Alice could no longer finish asking this question.

Kiritsugu chose to repair two ships at the same time... In fact, he chose to repair a total of five billion sinking ships at the same time.

Is the person standing in front of me still my husband?

Every time such a problem arises, a piece of flesh falls from the man named Emiya Kiritsugu, and a part of himself is left behind.

Emiya Kiritsugu meticulously "cut" himself open, and then "tsuke" into something indescribable.

"Nonsense... This is utter nonsense!"

Black Alice could not accept such an answer.

What's wrong with this approach?
How is this correct?
But Kiritsugu was already standing in front of Irisviel at that moment.

What a magnificent and splendid scene would be created by the superimposed image of the mind that truly saves everyone in this universe!
"Kiritsugu...this shouldn't be happening..."

Irisviel tried to pick up those "fragments," trying to piece together the shattered people in those countless "mental images."

“This is not my wish!” Irisviel screamed.

"What's the difference between this and using the Holy Grail...? I want other methods... I want you to choose us!"

Based on historical inertia—

Kiritsugu Emiya's wish is most suitable as the form of the Holy Grail.

【Emiya Kiritsugu】is the one most qualified to bear the burden of "all the sins of this world".

In Black Alice's view, Kiritsugu's chosen "method" was countless times more evil and painful than her own.

The wish for true happiness and fulfillment for everyone is about to be fulfilled.

If Irisviel agrees, the machine named "Emiya Kiritsugu" will be placed around everyone in the entire multiverse.

That "malice" that breaks down an existence, a "soul," into an infinitesimal state is absolutely sufficient to satisfy the Holy Grail's desire to achieve its goals through malice.

Irisviel's tears were almost all gone as she tried to gather up the "soul" that was becoming increasingly fragmented.

The events that occur within the framework of "historical inertia" seem to be completely opposite, yet also seem entirely consistent.

"Mom, do you understand now? This is the wish that the Holy Grail has granted for you."

Ilya's voice rang out.

All you have to do now is say your wish, just wish for all of this to happen.

Irisviel can also get a husband, and Ilya can also get a father.

Even countless Irisviels and countless Illyas could do this.

All Irisviel can do is make a wish in exchange for her beloved husband.

The Holy Grail will do its utmost to fulfill this wish, which, once realized, will forever be tainted by infinite malice.

“Ilya,” Irisviel said, her face pale, “I promise you and Kiritsugu.”

"Bring Kiritsugu back."

At this moment, the body that has dissolved into the Holy Grail takes back the universe that was previously revealed.

The smoke, flames, and burning black mud inside the meeting hall all disappeared.

Only Kiritsugu, lying quietly on the ground, and Irisviel, standing in the center of the ceremony holding Illya, remained.

……

Ilya took out the red and white APTX-4869 from her pocket.

Although it seems that the mother experienced some "fright", the outcome is not too bad now.

To be honest, Kiritsugu's actions initially really frightened Illya as well.

But she quickly realized from Kiritsugu's various hints that Alice's mother didn't know one thing—

Such a chaotic timeline and soul might seem to others to require an immense amount of effort.

But Commander Kudo could solve it very easily!
Ilya remained expressionless.

But she inwardly cheered and held the pill to Irisviel's lips.

Just as Irisviel was about to accept the pill that symbolized "shrinking,"

"——Bang!"

Gunfire rang out.

(End of this chapter)