Thanks for the invitation. I'm in Type-Moon, inheriting the legacy of Zi-O.

"It's nothing." Zhuo slowly stood up, but the once spirited man now looked somewhat heavy-hearted. "I should go, Kota, thank you for your acceptance of me."

“…I see.” Kota nodded. “You’re welcome.” With a thought, a zipper appeared in front of Cho as if it had been pulled open, and on the other side was the room Cho had just been in.

"Kouta, I promise you, I will do everything in my power to protect others." Before leaving, Tsuru turned around and agreed to Kouta's previous request.

"I see. Well then, I wish you good luck in your martial arts endeavors." He waved his hand, and the zipper-like opening closed.

"Hey, Kota, what happened just now?" A clump of bushes twitched, and then a girl dressed in white walked out.

"It's alright, Mai," Kota smiled and shook his head, looking in the direction where Tsuru had just left.

"I only saw a boy with a somewhat heavy back view..."

Back in his room at Chaldea, Zhuo took out the Gaim Watch from his pocket.

"Congratulations, host, on completing the mission: gaining the recognition of Kouta Kazuha."

Rewards: Armored Watch x1, Grand General Trial Card x1

"Oh..." Zhuo seemed a little out of sorts, touching Gaim's watch face. "Hey, system, can I still revive those who have died?"

"Warning, host, that is the most forbidden of all!" A bright red warning sign appeared before Zhuo's eyes, and the system's calm tone showed a rare fluctuation. "I think you also know that in your world, Miss Oma lost all her power after redividing the twenty-one knight worlds. Although each world is relatively independent, so far, the world you are in has only been two."

The two need no further explanation; they are the Time Beast and one's current timeline.

"So, if I resurrect them in this world, am I destined to become a beast?" Zhuo's tone was somewhat ethereal.

"..." The answer is yes.

"But host, even if you resurrect them, you can't guarantee they will survive. Reversing life and death is always a taboo. Even if you resurrect them, they may die again at some point in the future. Accidents, car crashes, drowning, falling from buildings, all sorts of death possibilities await them. Even so, do you still want to resurrect them?"

"...Of course, that was my sin." His turbid tone gradually became firm.

"Then I'll wait for your move, you gambler trying to reverse life and death."

All sounds are silent.

The Ring Wizard and the Master of Time

After several days of rest, Zhuo still hadn't recovered to its original state.

“Actually, I have no need to be troubled or sad.” Zhuo looked at the Wizard watch face in his hand and gently turned it. “As long as I remember what they look like, I will keep fighting until the day I see them again.”

The crimson wind once again drew the turbidity into the wizard's mirror world.

When he opened his eyes again, Zhuo found himself on a riverbank.

"This is..." There were no signs, and it wasn't a very famous place, yet Zhuo felt sadness here, a heavy atmosphere of sorrow.

"Hey, junior." By the river, there was a small pavilion, and a man sitting there waved to Zhuo.

Zhuo approached the man, extending a hand with a pure sugar donut.

"Would you like some?" He asked with a smile, gesturing for Zhuo to sit down next to him.

"Ah, thank you." Zhuo took the donut and looked at the man sitting next to him.

With a somewhat frivolous smile, she held a bag in her hand that read "Exclusive to Mobile Donut Shop" and was filled with donuts.

His name is Haruto Soma, and he is the user of Kamen Rider Wizard. He is also a magician who represents hope.

"..." Taking a bite of the donut, feeling the granules of sugar and the sweetness in his mouth, Zhuo and Qingren gazed at the calm lake.

"Senior, I'm a little lost." Suddenly, Zhuo spoke first. "I... I don't know how to go on next."

"Oh? What's wrong?" Qingren looked quietly at Nianzhuo, whose eyes were flickering, as calm as a still lake.

"I killed people, many, many people." Zhuo turned to look at the mage who represented hope, as if hoping he could also give him hope. "Well... it wasn't exactly killing. I just... watched them die. Yet this sin is real... so I'm very confused. Senior, if you are the mage who represents hope, could you tell me your choice...?"

"I see... Because you were indifferent to the deaths of those people, you think you failed to respond to their hope of living, is that right?" After receiving Nianzhuo's nod in response, Qingren revealed a bitter smile and rubbed the ring on her hand.

"Actually, no one can save everyone..." Like water sinking into a lake of memories, Haruto's smile grew increasingly bitter. "If you try to save some people, you will inevitably lose others. There is no magic that can respond to all hopes..."

“But at least when I saw them, I genuinely wanted to save them…” Zhuo raised his trembling hands, as if the girl’s words were echoing in his ears again, “However, I couldn’t save them, because I didn’t have the resolve and weight to bear their lives…”

"Junior, do you understand this? Even if you hadn't gone, their deaths were inevitable..." Haruto sighed. "But sometimes, inaction is also a sin. Knowing they would die and not taking action, that is your sin."

"Yes... Senior, you're right." He paused for a moment, his turbid hands repeatedly clenching and unclenching.

On that murky, unseen road, he seemed to have taken another step toward that incomparably dark path.

Unfortunately, just as he was about to take that step, someone pulled him back from behind.

"But that's precisely why you must bring redemption and hope to more people." Haruto looked into Tsuru's eyes and said with a smile, "You couldn't save them, so you must save more people to repay this debt. You keep repeating the path of redemption so that no one will ever despair again. You keep repeating it so that regrets will never happen."

"Because I have experienced a despair far greater than that of ordinary people, I want to become the last hope for others." Setting the donut wrapper aside, Haruto revealed the ring on his hand to Tsurugi.

---Bright red, pink, and many other colors once represented hope in all its glory.

"So, with dreams in your heart, set sail for the future, junior." Haruto's smile at that moment was like a ray of sunshine through the dark clouds, bringing him a small but powerful hope. "I have experienced despair, and I have endured separation in loss, so I must overcome this heavy sorrow. Whether it is despair or sorrow, I will turn it into a jewel for you to see, because I am a magician!"

"..." Zhuo just looked at Qingren in front of him with surprise. Knowing the plot, he was so lost when he lost his past. However, it was precisely because of this that his hope, which regained his confidence and awareness, was more dazzling than any gem.

"So let's forge ahead together, Nianzhuo." Taking a white and red watch face out of the donut bag, Qingren gently tossed it toward Zhuo, watching the latter catch it in a panic, and Qingren's smile became even brighter.

"So, junior, don't make the same mistakes again, and don't let that tragedy repeat itself." Haruto stretched out his hand, adorned with a bright red ring, and looked at Nencho, whose confusion was gradually fading.

"We are the last hope!"

Zhuo smiled and turned the watch face, then looked at the bright red light emanating from the watch face in his hand. Zhuo also picked up the watch face and touched it against Qingren's bright red ring.

"Thanks, Senior Haruto." "Of course, Nianzhuo, keep going. You can definitely become their hope."

As the turbid figure dissipated into bright red particles, this mirror world was probably nearing its end.

“Alex, I believe in this junior, I believe he will continue to pass on our hopes…” Haruto stroked the ring on his hand, then smiled and shook his head. “I wonder where the mobile donut shop will be today…”

With a sound like shattering glass, Haruto's figure vanished into this mirror world.

When Zhuo opened his eyes, he saw the familiar room layout.

Feeling a dampness on her face, Zhuo wiped it with her hand and realized that she had suddenly started crying without even realizing it.

"I really... embarrassed myself in front of my senior." Taking out the wizard watch face and looking at the bright red face of the Hope Mage on it, Zhuo finally emerged from that gloom.

"You're right, Haruto-senpai. I will definitely become someone else's last hope." Tsuru's eyes finally regained their usual expression, and he gently put the watch face into his pocket.

"Everyone will be able to go home laughing and without losing anything."

"Congratulations, host: You have gained the wizard's approval."

"Reward: Wizard Unlimited Status Trial Card x1"

"PS: The system is also very happy to see the host regain confidence."

"Thanks, system." Zhuo rubbed his head and looked at the last dial.

------The knight who soars through the sky, Kamen Rider Cronus.

"Never mind." Zhuo slowly put the watch face back into the system. "I'm not ready to face him directly yet."

Stretching, Zhuo recalled his conversation with Wizard and silently drifted off to sleep.

Another step forward

The excitement of clearing the first singularity didn't last long; soon the Chaldea staff returned to their posts and continued their daily work.

Of course, these words didn't matter much to Ritsuka and the others. Director Mary had given them a rare week off to rest and also used the time to give Ritsuka a crash course in the basics of the mystical world.

Thanks to her, when Nianzhuo and Mashu saw Ritsuka again, she almost had the words "I'm going to die" written all over her face.

"Good morning, senior." Mashu had become much more cheerful, at least recently she had a smile on her face. "Mr. Nianzhuo and I came to see you. How did you sleep last night?"

"How was it?" Ritsuka looked up, dark circles under her eyes. "I shouldn't have believed that Director Mary was a good person! She had to ask me to tutor her every night, and after each tutoring session, there was a small test! If I didn't pass, I had to start over..." Ritsuka hugged herself tightly as she spoke, looking like... well, nothing.

"Well, Mary, this is for your own good. After all, you're the last Master." Nian Zhuo chuckled and tapped Ritsuka's head. Seeing her indignant expression, he flipped his right hand and pulled out a fresh strawberry cake. "This is Roman's private collection. I stole it. Haven't had breakfast yet? Want a slice?"

"Hmm? The doctor's strawberry cake?" Ritsuka's ahoge (cowlick) twitched, and then, with a speed that even Nencho couldn't see clearly, she quickly grabbed the strawberry cake. "For food like this, which is obtained without effort, especially from the doctor, a considerate woman like me would definitely—"

"I couldn't refuse."

Watching Ritsuka swallow the cake, Nencho shook his head and chuckled.

“That’s great.” Mashu suddenly looked at Nianzhuo and smiled.

"What's wrong, Mashu?" Nianzhuo looked at the smile on Mashu's face, somewhat puzzled.

“In the first few days, Mr. Nianzhuo seemed quite listless, so I was a little worried.” Mashu tugged at her hair, her smile widening. “But now it seems Mr. Nianzhuo has recovered, so I can finally relax.”

“I’m sorry, those few days…” Nian Zhuo’s smile was a little forced as he touched his head. “Yeah, something happened, but I’ve figured it out now. Thank you for your concern, Mashu.”

"Hmm? This is suspicious..." On the other side, Ritsuka, who had quickly finished the strawberry cake the doctor had secretly kept, leaving no evidence, looked at her two friends with suspicion. "Did you two do something behind my back...?"

"Alright, stop thinking about it. We should get going." He tapped Ritsuka's trembling little head and watched her squatting on the ground clutching her head, saying "Ouch! That hurts!" in a cute way. Zhuo quietly changed the subject.

Yes, today is the day we head to the Second Singularity. I wonder what an exciting journey it will be.

"Yo~ good morning, everyone." Nian Zhuo and his group had just stepped into the control room when they heard a familiar male voice. "Although it's called 'everyone'... actually it's just a few of us." Dr. Roman must have been waiting here for quite some time.

Upon hearing the words, "It's just a few of us," Zhuo's hand suddenly trembled involuntarily.

"Ha~ Ah~~ Good morning, everyone!" came Da Vinci, yawning as he greeted everyone. "The tech department is currently working through the night to analyze the Holy Grail you brought back~"

"Well~ it's just me, this still-sleepy genius, and Director Mary doing the analysis. As a practical team, we might be a little unreliable, so please forgive us." He tapped his head; even the doctor seemed a bit tired from working all night. "By the way, Director Mary is resting now because she's already pulled three all-nighters. Also, yawns are contagious. Ha~ Ah~"

"Wait a minute!" Just then, the door to the control room opened again, revealing Director Mary, who should have already gone to rest. "Hey! Don't jump to conclusions, Romeni!"

However, Mary looked somewhat haggard, and her usually meticulously styled silver hair looked rather dull. Having worked all night, Mary probably came over without resting because she knew that today was the day Nianzhuo and the others would leave.

"Is the spirit transfer ready?" After receiving a positive response from the staff, Mary glanced at the data on the Second Singularity. "Very good. This time, you're going to first-century Europe. Well, to be more precise, ancient Rome, a vast empire that encompassed the Italian peninsula to the Mediterranean. I've already told Ritsuka about this history, do you remember?" As she spoke, she looked at the orange-haired girl hiding behind Nencho, who had half of her side ponytail showing.

"Hey! Yes! I got it!" When her name was called, Ritsuka quickly peeked out from behind Nencho, nodding repeatedly, like a student who had been suddenly called on in class.

"Hey~ Ancient Rome, really? That sounds really fun, I kind of want to go too!" For some reason, Leonardo da Vinci suddenly perked up and started clamoring to go see it for himself.

“Sigh, let’s forget about Da Vinci.” Mary frowned. “You still have analytical work to finish, don’t you? If you want to immerse yourself in the hedonism of ancient Rome, you can do it another time.”

"Hmm, what a pity~ I also want to chat with the emperors of ancient Rome, any emperor will do." Da Vinci shook his head dejectedly, his listless appearance returning. "Especially Emperor Caligula and Emperor Nero, I always felt we would have similar interests."

“Hmm, Emperors Caligula and Nero, I quite agree with this opinion…” The doctor also seriously considered the compatibility between the two, nodded and then shook his head. “No, it still won’t work. You still have the task of reviving Chaldea.”

"Alright, alright, enough of this pointless chit-chat." Mary clapped her hands, indicating that time was up. "Listen carefully, the planned relocation location this time is Rome, the capital of the Empire. Rome is also the capital of the Roman Empire, so geographically speaking, it's similar to the last situation. The exact location of the Holy Grail, which should exist there, has not yet been discovered, nor is it clear what impact it has had on history. Both of these aspects seem uncertain." Mary slightly averted her gaze, somewhat apologetically. "I'm sorry, the accuracy of this observation seems to be somewhat unstable."

"Alright, alright, leave these to us to investigate." As always, Zhuo comforted Mary while combing her silver hair.