Walking in the Question and Answer System of Heroic Spirits

【"...Um."】

By the time Old Sword came to his senses, Hiroki Sajou was already gone.

Chapter 521 Heroes, the Decisive Battle is Tonight

Rin Tohsaka: "Why does this feel like I'm entrusting my child to someone?"

Koles: "Did you sense something, or were you simply frightened?"

Roger: "After all, this Holy Grail War has caused such a huge stir."

Old Sword stepped inside the Garden, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

[It was in this dense jungle that I heard the whispers of Vivian, the maiden of the lake.]

Just then, a sound came from the nearby plants.

[Even without specifically investigating, it's obvious that she's the head of the family's youngest daughter, Ayaka Sajou.]

"Nice to meet you, miss."

"N-Nice to meet you..."

[Ayaka Sajou emerged from under the tree and asked, "Hmm, is this Daddy's guest? Or my sister's friend?"]

[Old Sword: "I am a knight. The night is deep; let me protect you in your father's place."]

【"knight!"】

[Ayaka Sajou asked in surprise, "Then, sir knight, what's your name?"]

[Old Sword: "My name is Arthur. Miss, may I ask your name?"]

[Ayaka Sajō: "I am, Ayaka Sajō."]

[It's a good name. Although I don't know the real intention behind its selection, its sound and rhythm should match my sister's love of singing.]

"Also, this is the Garden."

[Sajō Ayaka pointed shyly at the green trees, as if she were talking about something closely related to herself.]

"I always thought the garden was a place for studying, but it's not. My dad told me—"

[Old Sword: "Is there a secret hidden within?"]

【"Um."】

The little girl said shyly, "Garden is me."

"Because they were left by my mother, they're all the same—"

In an instant, Old Sword felt his mind become clear.

A green garden left for children.

[A deep longing woven for the child.]

[Throughout the years, what remains even now—bloodline, destiny, karma... no, it's different.]

People would say this is called 'love'.

["Past and Present..."]

Old Sword murmured, "Ah, is that so... It's actually so simple..."

The past and present are indeed connected; the past forms the foundation that extends into the present.

The place I sought is right here.

The tomorrow I sought was surely Ayaka's.

"Huh? What are you saying?"

Because Old Sword used his native language, Ayaka Sajou couldn't understand him at all.

Old Sword: "It's nothing. Thank you, Lady. Thanks to you, I finally understand what I should be doing."

[Sajō Ayaka: "Hmm?"]

[Old Sword: "Everything is here. Just like your mother left behind a tomorrow named after you."]

Your words have enlightened me; everything I and Britain have done has not been in vain.

[It must have left behind a tomorrow so much like yours.]

Although the world has not been completely saved, and bloody news still circulates around the world, let me believe that the land of salvation is drawing ever closer.

I can believe that.

After all, I'm facing the evidence now.

This lovely child is growing up healthy in the love left by her mother.

The land of salvation is here, and the day of salvation is now.

Even in the face of momentous events, the collapse of Britain—a past predetermined in human history up to the modern era—may be stained with blood.

"Process and result are not a set; process, result, and outcome are all independent human concepts. Sometimes, the act of making a choice is itself a form of answer."

Your mother's choice does indeed exist here.

[Leave behind love. As an image.]

[Show love. As life itself.]

What a dazzling and beautiful answer this is!

"I will protect the world, and I will protect you. Ayaka Sajou."

[Not acting as a king. Not acting as a human being, but merely acting as—]

A hero who wanted everyone to have a tomorrow.

Weber: "Is this... a complete letting go?"

Lion's Robbery: "I never expected that what made King Arthur realize was simply the love a mother left for her child, a maternal love for the future."

Gina: "If Ayaka Sajou saw this, she'd probably cause a huge uproar."

Zabiko: "Yeah, with that guy's brain, he probably wouldn't care about family ties. He'd probably drag his sister to be sacrificed on the spot."

Blonde Rin: "Uh, it can't be that cruel, can it..."

Well, it's really hard to say. That love-obsessed person could indeed do something like that.

Artoria: "..."

Mother's love...is it family affection...?

When she was young, she might have felt that way when she was with Lord Ekert and Lord Keir, but after she pulled the sword from the stone and chose to become king, she never felt that way again.

Morgan, my sister—let's not even mention her.

Mordred—his feelings for her were even more complicated.

It seems that I am still far behind this male King Arthur and cannot be as magnanimous as him.

Meanwhile, in Shinjuku, on the rooftop of a building.

"Reporting, Lady Aigo."

[Dad stood respectfully behind Ayaka Sajou and said.]

[Though seemingly ordinary, the quiet Hassan standing guard beside the girl could sense a growing heaviness in her presence.]

It seems the other side also knows the truth about the Greater Grail.

[Dad: "Since yesterday, Saber has been moving around the city. She's probably searching for the whereabouts of the Greater Grail."]

[Sajō Aika: "Hehe, Saber's in a hurry."]

[Dad: "As you said."]

"He was the most important guest at the party. I was hoping he'd wait patiently."

[As if singing, Aika Sajou said, "I can accomplish many things, but I cannot transcend the things that are completely fixed in the flow of time."]

"Even if I could offer the possibility of Britain's survival, it would still vanish if it contradicted what was already established. In any case, glorious Britain would perish. The Saxons would build a new nation, which would develop into modern England."

[Dad: "The pruning of events...?"]

"Yes. That's how the world has developed into what it is today."

[Ayaka Sajō's voice carried a rare hint of melancholy.]

"So, in order to help him, I must stop everything, destroy everything—"

The history of the past has shaped the history of humankind as we know it today; this is an unshakeable fact.

The Holy Grail is needed to destroy everything that makes up this world.

The Beast of Sodom will become a booster to her power.

[His magical circuits live up to his omnipotent name, capable of surpassing even the most mysterious miracles, possessing extraordinary and exceptional properties. However, perhaps because they are so unique, the number of circuits is very limited. Although he can create miracles that are practically impossible, the scale and frequency of these miracles are subject to certain limitations.]

[By utilizing the magical power of the beast sleeping in the cradle of the Holy Grail, the restrictions will be lifted.]

Just a little bit more.