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

"I am willing to bear all the sins of betraying You, but I want to know if my faith is empty and meaningless? Does the Lord truly exist? Are my prayers and perseverance meaningful? And—why do I, in my guilt, also feel this sinful pleasure?!"

Saint Jesus calmly looked at Kirei Kotomine, at the Judas silver coin he had taken from Tsugumi in his hand, as if he had already given his answer, but in the end he said nothing to the priest.

Ignoring Kirei Kotomine's bewilderment and disappointment, Jesus raised his head, looked at Tsugumi who seemed to sense something and turned around in the distance, and gave her a holy and peaceful smile, speaking some words.

“My friend, do not be ashamed, for what you have done will torture the ancient serpent. My friend, you may be proud, though it is not what you seek. But the ways of the Most High are higher than the ways of men, and you have become the salvation of many, the rock that prepares in secret, and you have also saved the blind lamb.”

Leaving behind words that sounded like a prophecy yet also like a narration, he seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief. He wiped the bloodstains from his chest, then made the sign of the cross on Kirei Kotomine's forehead. Afterward, he completely lost his previous divinity, reverting to the saintly, almost foolishly clear-headed expression of the character, eagerly raising his hands and jumping around laughing as if trying to shift the blame.

"It hurts a little, but it's much better than in Golgotha—yay! I'm finally done here, you can take care of your own business—Buddha, I'm back!"

After saying this, the spiritual body belonging to Jesus Christ jumped backward with a clatter, as if it were doing so willingly and impatiently, or perhaps with a smile of anticipation, and fell into the churning black mud.

The surging black mud overflowed from the hole almost instantly, engulfing the spirit body of Jesus, who no longer had any will. At the moment of engulfment, something hidden in the black mud was activated.

The ancient, deep red markings shimmered with light, propelling the black mud, which was originally unable to touch the remains of the saint, to completely 'decompose' the body of the saint's son, who had lost his will, at an incredible speed.

In an instant, the previously calm black mud began to boil and surge like coffee, spreading out as if it were impatiently waiting for something!

"It's time!"

A terrifying golden light flashed in Matou Sakura's eyes as she carefully lifted the unconscious Nero and gently placed him into the boiling black mud. The mud spread out, completely enveloping Nero.

Everything is ready.

Offerings, bodies, markings

The multifaceted ritual, which spans various aspects of life, was fully formed at this moment.

As she watched the rolling black mud and the deep red mark summon across the universe, the shadow beneath Matou Sakura's feet churned. A relaxed and cheerful smile appeared on her charming face as she looked at the burning parchment scroll in her hand and at the disappearance of the contract.

The contract that bound the soul for ten years thus came to an end.

Ten years ago, during the Fourth Holy Grail War, the soul contract she signed with that 'Servant,' the 'senior' who saved her but turned her from a human into a demon, came to an end.

At the same time, this also means that the contract he owed in the 'past' ten years ago, the 'future' ten years later, and that ancient and eternal abyss has been fulfilled.

The closed loop is thus achieved.

"Senior, all preparations are complete. Soon—you will begin the true 'salvation' for this world!"

Having transmigrated, the only option is to kill, kill, kill! : 59. Band Girl Lucifer (Vox populi)

Saint Brother... is dead?

The River of Thrushes is Silent

He wasn't surprised or angry, because, to be honest, he had probably anticipated such a possibility.

After all, being a good guy who uses miracles in such a godforsaken world comes at a price, and he has even made contingency plans for what would happen if his Servant died unexpectedly.

Blow the horn! Blow the horn directly!

Damn it, Lao Ye is dead. This place is beyond depraved. We have to crack down hard!

But all of this is just a contingency plan. Tsuruga will not, and absolutely will not, do anything that would lead to the death of Saint Jesus.

He wouldn't harm truly kind people, let alone his brother and friend!

Perhaps this is why he was chosen by God to be the 'Sleepless One' who protects the Son, because only this absolute good, which he can do as he pleases, will not betray.

He immediately recognized who had done it.

Kirei Kotomine and... Sakura Matou?

One is a priest who appears once and then disappears, while the other is an important character who never appears at all.

Why does she exude the same aura of the Goetia nobility? It's exactly the same as the one left over from the Matou family mansion?

The latter, seemingly sensing Tsurugi's probing, looked at him with a fawning smile.

—Senior, your contract has been completed. Sakura has done what you asked for.

A contract? A senior?

What the hell are you talking about?

Tsugumi looked puzzled. He didn't understand what Matou Sakura was saying, but he seemed to feel that it was really related to him.

Nero, who possesses a similar magical aura, and Sakura Matou, who is suspected to be a noblewoman from Goetia—all of this seems to be connected to a conspiracy that involves her, or even one that she orchestrated…

Oops! That's too complicated, I don't want to think about it!

As always, Tsurugi chose to abandon the wisdom of pondering these difficult problems!

After all, if he were truly the one making the plans, he would understand that he would never make any complex decisions when faced with these complicated problems!

Therefore, he is absolutely certain that he has never done anything to betray his good bro!

Follow your own ideas and do whatever you want!

"My brother, my good Bro Jesus is dead! Bastards, I have no interest in right or wrong!"

Seeing the somewhat bewildered Chaldea saviors before him, Tsugumi switched to his Saint character card. Reverting to his human form, he appeared even more ferocious than his demonic counterpart. Raising his middle finger, he produced a horn.

"Fuck you, just wait to die!!!"

And just as he was about to sound the horn of destruction—

A small, fair, smooth hand gently rested on his shoulder, stopping him from performing a miracle. Immediately afterward, drops of asphalt began to fall beside the Dongjiang River, making a hissing sound.

"Don't be in such a hurry, my Marquis, my friend. You've done very well, exceptionally well, so the rest—leave it to me."

Voices of praise rang out, followed by pure white feathers drifting down before the thrush, their descending radiant glow carrying with them a proud tone.

"You have fulfilled your contract, bringing me to this no man's land as you promised. Now, I will take care of this world."

"?"

Tsugumi stopped her miraculous attempt, blinked, and looked at the 'girl' who had suddenly appeared before her.

Her skin was as white and smooth as cream, more flawless than the finest porcelain, yet her face exuded a vibrant and alluring charm.

Her snow-white hair, as smooth as the finest silk, cascaded over her shoulders, a few playful strands falling across her smooth forehead, further highlighting the shimmering brilliance of her golden pupils. Those golden eyes were unfathomable, their captivating gaze seemingly able to draw a man's soul into them. The corners of her lips curled slightly, as if offering a silent invitation, or perhaps a disdainful mockery.

The gaze travels down her slender neck to her alluring figure, like a ripe fruit. Her naked body is partially concealed by a pair of pure white, almost holy wings, the edges of which brush against her fair skin, creating a forbidden friction. Her waist, vaguely visible, is so supple it seems boneless, rising and falling gently with her breath, outlining a captivating curve.

She is beautiful, extremely beautiful.

But Tsurugi felt that he shouldn't know her.

Or rather... it feels a bit like what Nero would look like as an adult?

He lowered his head. Apart from her plump and slender thighs, sticky, hot asphalt was constantly seeping from her ankles. The dark liquid meandered down her jade-white insteps and dripped onto the ground, making a soft "tap, tap" sound.

The girl tilted her head slightly, looked at the bewildered Tsugumi, and then gave her an expression of appreciation.

“Smart! Use your past self to fulfill your vow; you can accomplish it while also escaping His sight.”

Tsugumi: What are you... saying? (Kurosaki Ichigo's face)

"The rewards of the contract have already been given to your future self, and you will probably understand them soon. Now, I will use this world to prove myself to Him."

The stunningly beautiful silver-haired girl, completely ignoring Tsugumi's clueless expression, stretched languidly, looking at the Chaldea group before her, and smiled.

"Are you blocking our way? The so-called... messengers of the restraining force in this world?"

"Want to try? To stop me... from taking over this world?"

Hercules was still the first to act.

Clad in the tattered divine beast cloak, he drew his nameless axe-sword, channeling the power of the War God's army into his body, and charged towards the silver-haired girl with unwavering determination and the power to slay a hundred enemies.

Like shooting stars chasing the moon, or like nine attacks piercing through the heavens and earth, they arrived all at once in an instant.

Then--

"What happened? How could this happen! What cheating did you do?!"

Jason roared and shouted excitedly, seemingly unable to believe or accept what was happening before his eyes!

The girl giggled as she held up a severed head.

Hercules held the head of the mighty god in her hand, the divine beast's fur was roughly torn in two, and the immortality that should have been activated and the golden apple she had swallowed were completely rendered useless. Her spirit origin, spirit core, everything was completely rendered ineffective.

The girl giggled and laughed.

"Son of Zeus, blessed by Hera, the most beloved child of the Greek gods—but what is this in my hand? A half-robot? Those Olympian gods, who are more human than humans, are treated as machines by you. The mythology of your world is truly fascinating."

She held Hercules' head up and played with it for a moment, then gently squeezed it, causing it to dissipate into countless fragments.

The Chaldea side was deeply shocked!

The great hero Hercules, who appeared in his full glory, was defeated—that's not the point, but the crucial point is that they couldn't even figure out how the other side had defeated Hercules!

What just happened? What kind of Noble Phantasm or power did the opponent use?

Is it a Noble Phantasm? An authority? An inherent skill? Or some kind of godlike technique?

No, they didn't see anything.

As if it were only natural, Hercules' head appeared in her hands, and the great Greek hero met his defeat.

"Da Vinci's family..."

"We don't know. We can't detect any spirit-based reactions, and we don't even have any energy readings."

Da Vinci whispered

It was as if what lay before them was air, a void where nothing existed.

No, even air is incorrect, because air has mass and detectable fluctuations. And nothingness, this absolute 'nothingness,' does not exist in either the realm of magic or science.

After all, in this expanding universe, things exist even at the farthest boundaries. Dust, particles, or other much smaller things.

Absolute nothingness, absolute emptiness—this very fact was so extraordinary that it sent chills down their spines.

"Leonardo da Vinci? No, Mona Lisa? Oh, and the son of David too."

"Hmm? This ball is interesting..."

Suddenly, Fujimaru Ritsuka heard the voice of the person in front of him.

Or rather, she disappeared and then appeared in her communications with Chaldea!

Moreover, it also contains Leonardo da Vinci's terrified voice, along with roars, resistance, and...calm.