Having traversed countless realms, can you possibly be as clever as me?

How low is Dongjiang's standard?

Even those who had just arrived in this world, such as Kiritsugu Emiya, Kenneth, and Kirei Kotomine, received such a piece of paper.

He has lowered the standard to an extremely low level. Even if someone is an idiot who does something wrong without any intention of doing so, as long as the consequences are not irreversible, he will still issue such a document!

King El-Melloi II gently grasped the paper, and in an instant, his eyes widened.

All his past memories, from birth to the present, every moment, every second, flashed rapidly through his mind.

From the initial bewilderment at birth, to the resentment and bitterness when 'humiliated' by Kenneth, to the later determination to return to the clock tower, everything, whether bittersweet or sweet, surfaced.

What is this? A flashback?

El-Melloi II wiped away the tears that had unconsciously streamed down his face before looking at the letter in front of him.

Actually, there was only one short question above.

Do you want to go to heaven after you die? Yes/no

El-Melloi II's hands trembled uncontrollably. He realized this was no joke. His soul was telling him that as long as he said "Yes" and maintained his current appearance and morality, he would be able to reach the true kingdom of heaven after death.

It's not this world, but a place where one can enjoy eternal bliss. Or, if possible, he could embark on a completely new journey and, after death, receive a new life that matches his deeds in life.

But he also understood that signing him meant the contract was fulfilled.

"I, I, I want a happy next life!"

King El-Melloi II looked up, and on the screen, the old farmer was wiping away tears and wailing.

"My life has been so tiring! Dad, Dad! Your son hasn't let you down; your son raised my younger siblings! But your son is so tired..."

He wailed, weeping for his father who had died more than forty years ago. Looking back on his life, he realized how much he had suffered. His life had been filled with far more suffering than joy.

He lost his father at fifteen and his mother at nineteen, raising his younger siblings single-handedly. Then he married, had children, supported his son as he grew up, and then his son had grandchildren.

He was hardworking and diligent, toiling tirelessly like an old ox. But in the end, he didn't achieve the life he longed for; he never even had the chance to embark on the journey he dreamed of as a child.

Even... if he hadn't touched this piece of paper, he would have long forgotten his dream of becoming a soldier and seeing the world beyond the mountains.

Because of family, because of responsibility, as a son, as an older brother, as a husband, as a father, as a grandfather

Of course, his life had its sweet moments—the love from his brothers and sisters, his wife, his son, and his grandson! But it was far too little. Compared to what he sacrificed, what he gave, and what he endured, it was far too little.

Moreover, in comparison, there are always many more people happier than him. The village chief's family, the family in the village who made their fortune through business, the family in the city...

314

The rich and powerful must have a happier life than I do!

Even if they don't, at least they have more choices than I do.

Looking back on my life, I realize that the person I've wronged the most is myself. It's not that I didn't know this in the past, but now that I'm in my sixties, what good will reminiscing do?

And now, what Tsurugi promises him is that after calculating this part of his life, he deserves to receive the sweetness and choices that match in the next part of his life!

You got a very high score on this exam!

Whether you embark on a life far happier than your current one, or go to a carefree heaven, this score is your life, and your life deserves a much better outcome than the suffering you are experiencing now!

In any case, either outcome is far better than the present, far better than this lifetime.

So he chose yes, he chose the affirmative option!

At the same time, countless others also made the right choice!

Is it always been like this? Are the Infinite Tsukuyomi and the Human Instrumentality Project really such terrible things? Perhaps they were indeed done by villains, but the villains are always punished for forcing things to happen and depriving everyone else of the right to choose.

If they had given everyone a choice beforehand, allowing those who wanted to participate while excluding those who didn't, then what they did wouldn't have been a bad thing at all.

Oh, of course, for the rulers who control the majority of resources in society, it is an absolutely bad thing.

Especially those who didn't receive paper—they understood that Tsurugi's humanity was only revealed to those he deemed worthy, and what about them?

Haha, you scum, you'd better experience the fear of being tormented forever after you die!

They were as terrified as criminals sentenced to death awaiting execution; they trembled, were filled with fear, lost their appetite, and vomited incessantly!

But they didn't even have the right to commit suicide, because they were 100% certain that Tsurugi could distinguish every single person who deserved to die!

As for them, no matter how noble their status, how high their position, or how much they have contributed to humanity, in Dongjiang's eyes, they are not as good as an old farmer who supports his family!

He is not Jesus; he does not accept atonement!

El-Melloi II's hands were trembling, because he himself couldn't control whether he should sign this devilish contract!

"Sigh, it really turned out like this."

A sigh came from the sofa in front of him. El-Melloi II looked up and saw a face he had only ever seen in textbooks. Gemstone Onzelridge, watching the television screen, sighed.

"He has chosen this path, so we have no choice but to do everything in our power to drive him out."

"...Why?" El-Melloi II asked, forgetting to show respect, as if in a dream.

"He turns a deaf ear to the cries and questions of the powerful and influential, but he has compassion for the truly weak. Although he acts without thinking, he actively reflects and changes when problems arise—like he is now," the Gemstone Elder said, resting his chin on his hand.

"It is a good quality for a person to admit their mistakes and correct them, but even after they have corrected them, they still essentially deny the position of humanity itself."

"Human love, human hate, human change, human progress and development. He also praised and loved these things, yet at the same time, he loathed them. Therefore, he felt it would be better for a standard beyond humanity to ultimately judge humanity."

"This standard can be him, or it can be a god that he himself does not believe in. As long as it possesses fairness that transcends all offerings and benefits in human society, it will suffice."

"And the essence of this contract is actually selling everything a person has, even everything in the world, to the paradise behind him." The Jewel Elder picked up his paper and said solemnly.

"Indeed, all of these promises are true. If you sign them, you can go to heaven to enjoy happiness after death, or choose a new life when you get tired of it. Your soul and everything will be bound to a brand new cycle of reincarnation."

"After winning the Holy Grail War, he will continue this practice, using the Miracle Cup to make a wish and distribute such 'contracts' to people in all parallel worlds."

Gemstone paused for a moment, then simply showed El-Melloi II the vision of the future.

He originally didn't care about the direction of this world line, and even tried to avoid it, but unfortunately, with the intervention of unwanted elements, the possible changes in this world line are now beyond his control.

That's the result of developing along this timeline—the most exaggerated future where the entire universe is incorporated into another massive system of the extradimensional universe!

"He gave all the kind and praiseworthy people in this world a beautiful afterlife, and loved humanity in his own way," the Jewel Elder murmured.

"At the same time, he will also turn this world into the possession of his god."

"Humanity gained freedom by leaving the Garden of Eden, and He will lock humanity back into the Garden of Eden!"

"Alright, the touching selection process is over!"

Tsurugi thumped his fist and smiled brightly.

"The rest are all scum who deserve to die. Be moved, for I have prepared a new set of ten calamities for you!"

224. Stance and New Disaster

"After saying all that... you just don't want to lose your freedom, do you?"

El-Melloi II took a deep breath, looked at the Jewel King before him, and said softly.

"Haha, of course, that's largely why." The Gemstone Elder laughed heartily.

"I, the heroic spirit, the god, and many others. In the end, if I could, I would also like the world to be a place where good is rewarded and evil is punished, but from my own perspective, I find it really hard to accept such an outcome."

"After all, my teacher King Solomon and the Lord I know did not love the world in this way."

The universe is the love of the Lord, and Gemstone Onzelrich was a disciple of Solomon. In a sense, his status was no less than that of any saint.

Unfortunately, he was not a believer. Perhaps it was because he was close enough to Solomon that Zelrich knew what kind of being the Lord he knew was.

His teacher Solomon once said that the greatest love the Lord has for all mankind is to let go and not interfere. It was for this reason that King Solomon gave up his mission as a 'wedge' like Gilgamesh, abandoned the original humanistic reformation, and let mankind develop naturally.

The Jewel Elder, who inherited his teacher Solomon's ideas, also believed that if the world was flawed, it could be corrected appropriately. Possessing a second law, he was also constantly correcting some world lines that were too erroneous, but he would not interfere further.

But if we always try to control everything, how could humanity have written such a glorious chapter in history over the past two thousand years?

Of course, Gemstone Elder did not deny the correctness of Tsurugi's ideas. He was a saint as simple as a child, focused on the happiness of all living beings, while placing the development of humanity much later.

Ultimately, it's just a matter of their respective positions.

"Although I am going to be his enemy, it seems that this saint does not regard me as a bad person."

Zelrich chuckled and waved the paper in his hand, speaking frankly.

In essence, Zelrich is indeed a wholesome good person, although his personality is eccentric, indignant about evil and mocking of good, but he is qualified to go to heaven.

He has a sound moral compass and is a person who advocates social justice. In addition, he added restrictions to many of the rules of the Magic Association. Not to mention anything else, defeating Zhu Yue is his greatest contribution to humanity in this life.

At the same time, he is also someone who only wants to do things freely, so he will naturally choose to stop things that affect him without regard for his adult image!

That grand and dignified speech to El-Melloi II wasn't entirely wrong; entrusting the world to an absolute mythological ruler would indeed lead to...

315

The possibility of losing the freedom of civilization is extremely high—after all, in most mythological worlds, the protagonists are always gods and immortals, while mortals are destined to become nothing more than footnotes.

“If he could take a step back and proceed slowly, one world at a time, I would never stop him,” the Gem Elder said, spreading his hands.

"But I can't agree with making things so irreversible all at once."

Tsuruga's contracts were never mandatory. He detested double standards, so once he discovered that he was also suspected of double standards, he would never repeat the same mistake!

Well... at least we won't repeat the same mistake for a while!

He acknowledged that the Gemstone Elder had his own stance, so while he was issuing qualifications, he would accept the challenge if it came to a fight!

The contract in Tsurugi is simple: those who sign it are eternally subject to a test of morality and conduct. After death, they can go to a carefree paradise forever, and after a while, they can choose a new life and new trials.

Those who don't sign are fine too; their lives will simply continue to operate according to the rules of this world.

After death comes nothingness and vanishing into nothingness. For those who sign contracts, their lives consist of nothing more than the assessment itself.

Tsugumi gave everyone a choice: accept the existence after death, and they would have to accept the punishment that might follow. If they chose to give up, Tsugumi would spare them from punishment.

But without a doubt, guilty bastards have no choice!

The guilty trash in Dongjiang only deserves punishment and then torture!

Sinners have no choice!

"It seems everyone is very enthusiastic." Tsugumi regained her usual cheerful and optimistic mood, because just now, 80% of the people had chosen YES!

As for the remaining 20%, it doesn't mean they all refused, but rather that the vast majority are still hesitating and wavering.

Some of them were wondering if this was some new type of "pig butchering scam," while others were materialists who were experiencing a rare moment of happiness and joy and weren't so enthusiastic about heaven.

And magicians