People in Type-Moon start from adopting Sakura

"I bet even Angora Mainyu himself could never have imagined that one day he would be discovered and exploited by a magician outside."

Shrugging his shoulders, Jewel Old Man still felt very curious about the interesting changes that had taken place in this Holy Grail War, so he recounted some of the causes and consequences to Justisia.

"...You know very well. The Outsider's actions are indeed those of a thief. However, because his methods can suppress the evil of this world, although I noticed something within the Greater Holy Grail, I did not stop him. I only hoped that the disaster he could unleash would be weakened."

Justisa shook her head slightly.

She had noticed Rowe's actions within the Greater Holy Grail and could have controlled its core to stop them. However, knowing the terrifying nature of Angra Mainyu, and knowing that draining his magic power could indeed weaken him, she acquiesced to Rowe's actions to prevent dangerous figures like Emiya Kiritsugu and Kotomine Kirei from ultimately winning the Holy Grail and making an unstoppable wish. It could be said that she acted as a black whistle.

However, Kotomine Kirei's self-awareness has now transcended his own confusion and desires. Even if he obtains the Holy Grail, he will not do anything irreparable. On the contrary, Emiya Kiritsugu...

After losing so much, he had completely lost his way. When he saw the Winter Saint Irisviel, a descendant of the Einzbern family who had sacrificed everything for the Holy Grail just like he had done in the past, a trace of compassion flashed in Justissa's eyes.

Maybe this is fate...

"You are right. That kid's actions have already begun to bear fruit. I also know that you actually want that Outsider to win the Holy Grail. He is clearly prepared to deal with the evil of this world. If the Holy Grail falls into his hands, the final outcome will only be purification, eliminating this disaster."

"Yes, but now..."

"That kid has already won a lot. The Holy Grail, even the special magical furnace in El-Melloi's room, is far more powerful than this one. He doesn't have much desire. What he's verifying is just a possibility. I will personally find him later and tell him the possible outcome. I will offer him some compensation to make him give up the Holy Grail."

Jewel Master said solemnly, "As for this Holy Grail, excluding that whimsical lunatic Emiya Kiritsugu and that little fox Crowley, I don't need to say more about the most suitable person to obtain it, right?"

"Tousaka Tokiomi?"

Justisa tilted her head.

"Haha, after all these years...you're still as naughty as ever."

After hearing Justisa's answer, Baozhuweng smiled helplessly. Finally, the two looked at each other and gave the answer together.

"Kotomine Kirei."

"Yes, it's him. A clergyman who should have fallen, but who, after crossing the line between life and death, attained enlightenment. His experience is not unlike those of those single-minded clergymen, but rather bears some resemblance to the enlightened one beneath the Bodhi tree."

"In short, his change has surprised me greatly. If he were the man he is now, he would definitely make the right choice."

Bao Shi Weng put his hands behind his back and then told him his entire plan.

"Because the Holy Grail lacks magical power, Angra Mainyu (The Evil of This World) can no longer unleash the terrifying destruction it anticipated. However, the functional magic of the Holy Grail is also insufficient. Logically, it would be fine to just pretend nothing happened. However, the fighting outside is raging, and the boundary between mystery and reality has been broken down. Add to that the involvement of outsiders, and the entire world line is being treated as a thorn in the side of the Suppression Force. Therefore, you must act to save yourselves."

"No matter what, we must suppress the impact of this Holy Grail War before the Magicians' Association, the Holy Church, the Spiral Pavilion, these mysterious organizations, and the Mythical Heroic Spirits are completely exposed to the public. We must prevent World War III, this bifurcation point that should never have occurred, from happening. Otherwise, your entire worldline will be judged and rejected by the world."

"That's why you said you would use the miracle of the Holy Grail to end this."

At this point, Justisa understood the seriousness of the matter and the purpose of the Jewel Master. The smile on her beautiful face disappeared, replaced by a serious and solemn expression.

"Yes."

"But the power of the Holy Grail has already..."

"Contaminated? Too much magic power drained? Don't worry, I can handle this little thing."

Hearing Yustisa's concerns, Baozhu Weng raised his hand to signal her to rest assured for the time being, and then slowly spoke,

"Once Emiya Kiritsugu and Kotomine Kirei make their choices among the evils of this world, and different outcomes emerge, the King of Heroes's victory will be decided. At that time, I will personally intervene and ask that boy to help purify the Holy Grail and give it up. As for magical power, don't forget that my second magic is in no way inferior to the so-called third magic."

"You mean... he can definitely defeat the King of Heroes?"

"Well, I can be sure of this."

Bao Shi Weng nodded slightly and said with certainty.

"He even completed Merlin's commission so beautifully. With all the planning and arrangements, even the King of Heroes wouldn't be able to escape failure this time, not to mention the huge event of Kotomine Kirei."

"...Then, everything from now on will be done according to your arrangements?"

"Okay, if anything goes wrong, I'll personally cover for you!"

Bao Shi Weng nodded and spoke in a nonchalant and domineering manner, then turned around and disappeared directly into the Holy Grail.

"..."

For a long time, the only sound left in the huge Holy Grail was Justissa's sigh.

…………

At the same time, in another holy grail.

Compared to the pure white magic space where Justissa and Gemstone were, the environment and colors here were obviously much darker.

At this moment, a man was walking along the dim coastline, holding the cross tightly in his hand.

"Do you really want to fulfill Emiya Kiritsugu's wish? Or..."

Ignoring the tempting voice from Satan in his ears, Kotomine Kirei continued walking until he saw the figure of Irisviel standing quietly at the end of the dark line, smiling at him.

"...Do you really want to wipe him out? Do you want to drive him into despair and see him collapse?"

Kotomine Kirei asked expressionlessly.

When he and Emiya Kiritsugu fell into this dark world together, he had already guessed the answer in his heart, and the sudden appearance of Irisviel further confirmed his thoughts.

"You're really strange... You were clearly the most lost, at a loss, and the most eager at the beginning, but what's wrong with you now? Even if I made you relive the regret of not killing your wife, killing your teacher, and intending to kill your father, why did your heart remain unmoved? Haven't you ever wanted to change that past, to deny it?"

Seeing Kotomine Kirei, who was completely different from Emiya Kiritsugu, not immersed in the past experiences, but walking out of them step by step, even at this moment, Irisviel's eyes could not help but flash with surprise and confusion.

"Have you transcended your own desires?"

"...Transcendence? That word belongs to the Buddha and the Son of God. As a former fallen being, I have no right to advocate it. I have simply figured out some things and realized what it means to live and what is right. I also know that the past cannot be changed. If I arbitrarily alter and deny it, then what difference would that make? It would be the same as denying my present self."

Facing Irisviel's question, Kotomine Kirei replied with a calm expression, "That's not just my past, it's also my sins. It's also the path I took to get here. So I won't attempt to deny or change it, deceiving myself into becoming a perfect person."

“People are never perfect, but they can get close. Perfection is possible if everyone can accept everything about themselves, whether good or bad. If they can correct the bad and keep the good, everyone can be perfect.”

"You guy..."

A hint of surprise flashed in Irisviel's eyes. "Isn't this complete enlightenment and transcendence? Really, I was planning to take you along with Emiya Kiritsugu, but now it seems that this is completely impossible. Your heart is as hard as a rock. I can't..."

"distortion?"

"..."

Irisviel: "Kotomine Kirei, you're so smart it's disgusting."

"Maybe, it's just that I've figured out a lot of things, but compared to me at this moment."

Kotomine Kirei asked in return, "Why are you always so obsessed with Emiya Kiritsugu?"

"Why...does this question need any special reason?"

Irisviel smiled slightly, then opened her arms. It was clearly a familiar figure and face that Kotomine Kirei had seen not long ago, but at this moment, compared to the lady who was as flawless as a blank sheet of paper, the one before him gave him a sense of foreboding.

"Of course it's because... I'm Irisviel too, right?"

"No, you are not."

"Oh? Why do you want to deny my existence outright? Father, I can't communicate with others unless I take on someone else's personality. And now that I've completely assimilated Irisviel, I am Irisviel."

"That's it..."

Kotomine Kirei nodded, probably understanding what she meant.

“However, what I just said does not deny your existence, because you were born from the Holy Grail and assimilated with it. Even if you possess all of Irisviel’s memories and everything, you are still not her. Because…”

"The real Irisviel would never bring Emiya Kiritsugu to such a place. She would only hope that he could stay away from here." Kotomine Kirei said in great seriousness.

"So even if they look alike, you still can't understand the emotions involved. You're not Irisviel."

"Your clear logic is truly disgusting... Father, are you interested in resigning and pursuing a career as a psychologist or detective?" Irisviel smiled. "I'm already starting to dislike you."

"Is this so..."

Kotomine Kirei shook his head, not caring about what the other person said. He still looked at the endless sea with an expressionless face, and then said, "Where did you take Emiya Kiritsugu? Didn't he come out?"

"Hehe... yes, unlike the priest who has completely transcended his past, Emiya Kiritsugu is still immersed in that past, staying where he should be."

Irisviel smiled softly, then tiptoed to Kotomine Kirei's side and spoke softly.

"To make the choices he needs to make, to answer the questions he needs to answer..."

"I see... I understand."

Kotomine Kirei nodded silently, and then without any warning, he suddenly punched Irisviel in the stomach.

boom! !

There was only a dull sound, and a big hole was blasted directly in Alice's body. However, what flowed out of it was not blood, but a red and black liquid.

"He's not a real human."

"Haha, Mr. Priest is so heartless and indifferent..."

Kotomine Kirei still didn't answer. He just said silently, "You are torturing Emiya Kiritsugu. That man is far more desperate than you can imagine. At this moment, his heart has reached the brink of collapse. If you continue to make the choices he made, he will surely end up destroying himself."

"Is that how you see Kiritsugu? That's not necessarily true. What kind of path do you think he took to get here?"

Even after being suddenly pierced through by Kotomine Kirei, Irisviel still smiled and spoke to him, "Kiritsugu has been fleeing all the way here. He's been running all the way here. Everything in front and behind him is pushing him forward, so Emiya Kiritsugu can only run, run non-stop. This is a marathon for him that will make him vomit blood. Now he has nowhere to escape. In order to obtain that last remaining miracle, he has no choice but to beg it to work and grant him redemption. So this time, he can't escape, and he must make the final choice."

"You're just murdering him."

"...If you can't speak, you don't have to speak, Mr. Father."

Looking at Kotomine Kirei who was unmoved and whose mood could not be disturbed by anything, Irisviel felt helpless, so she simply shook her head and pointed out a direction for Kotomine Kirei to leave.

"Forget it. You don't have anything else to test now. I understand that no matter what happens or how tragic it is, an enlightened person cannot be shaken."

"So, you can leave directly along this path and return to the outside world. Do whatever you want. You have already made your awareness and choices for your life. What comes next belongs to Emiya Kiritsugu."

"...No, I won't leave."

Hearing Irisviel's proposal, Kotomine Kirei shook his head. "I must do the right thing. There's a lost lamb waiting for my redemption. As a priest, I can't just sit back and watch and walk away. That wouldn't be right."

"correct……"

Irisviel looked at Kotomine Kirei, who remained calm and unmoved, and sighed helplessly, "You're like a piece of stone, but do you think you can redeem him with your own strength alone?"

"I don't know, but I will do my best to let him rest in peace."

Kotomine Kirei said this very frankly.

"..."

Looking at the person in front of her who had a calm face and was obviously determined to stay here, Irisviel felt a little helpless. After thinking for a moment, she spoke again.

"Forget it. Since you don't want to leave here, then come along and watch Kiritsugu's choice with me. After all, you were my original choice and you are also qualified. In other words, compared to Emiya Kiritsugu, you are more suitable to be the bearer of this world's evil."

"..."

Kotomine Kirei did not answer this question.

He simply stretched out his arm and allowed Irisviel to lead him into a world even darker and more chaotic than this coastline...

Chapter 91 You are stronger now!!

——Gate oof skye, a gate to a demonic realm overflowing with death

This is the greatest Noble Phantasm that Scathach, summoned as a Caster, can unleash. The effect of this Noble Phantasm is to temporarily summon a gigantic gate to the Land of Shadows, a vast demonic realm beyond, cut off from this world.

All living beings within the area of effect are sucked into the realm of shadows, a territory controlled by Scathach. Those who fail the magic and luck checks will be sucked into the gate and instantly die. Those not recognized by Scathach cannot enter the realm of shadows alive.

Even if one successfully resists by relying on magic power such as a Noble Phantasm, one will still suffer a lot of damage due to the rapid absorption of magic power. It is a very terrifying and powerful Noble Phantasm, and it is also one of the real trump cards hidden by Scathach.

She is the Celtic Warrior Queen, a surviving God-killing hero, and the most powerful figure in human history. In terms of sheer power, even facing exceptional Servants like the King of Conquerors and the King of Heroes, Scathach, the Queen of the Shadow Kingdom, shows no fear.

Although she is not her real body in the Land of Shadows this time, as a Servant, her strength is top-notch among the top. Unfortunately, being top-notch does not mean being invincible.

Being restricted by one's class and master is a common problem for servants. Even a hero like the King of Heroes Gilgamesh, who is highly functional and does not consume much mana, will be restricted by his class and master. This is especially true for Scathach, whose class this time is Caster.

But Scathach was very lucky to meet a special master like Rowe, who not only had outstanding qualifications but also had a steady attitude that even she herself found a little exaggerated.

This was in stark contrast to Tōsaka Tokiomi whom Gilgamesh met, which made the King of Heroes a little annoyed. Why did he meet Tōsaka Tokiomi instead of the interesting boy Rowe?

Although Tōsaka Tokiomi is a qualified magician, his mediocre talent and evil intentions have reduced the power of the King of Heroes.

As for Kotomine Kirei, who was supposed to be an agent but ended up changing his ways, he is not even as good as Tōsaka Tokiomi. Although his magic skills are fully sufficient, this is a limitation when it comes to fighting with all his strength.

That's why Gilgamesh took out his Holy Grail to offer to the demons at the last moment. The answer was to prevent himself from being restricted by these lagging masters.

Logically speaking, Scathach was far superior to Gilgamesh in terms of Master power, and as both were top-tier Servants, she shouldn't have been so badly suppressed. Unfortunately, she was in the same state as the King of Conquerors, her Noble Phantasm completely suppressed by the King of Heroes.

Because of the huge problem of compatibility, if Scathach faced Gilgamesh in a life-and-death battle with all her means, it could be said that she had no chance of winning, so the plan to set a trap for Gilgamesh came into being.

If Gilgamesh had been replaced by other servants of the same level, Scathach wouldn't have been so frustrated today. Even if Enkidu appeared here, she would have been confident that she could kill him in the Shadow Realm. But unfortunately, the opponent was not the Heaven's Chain, but the Heaven's Wedge.