You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Ritsuka and the others found it hard to believe that a Heroic Spirit could have so many complex and drastically different facets... But watching Iori skillfully use his killing skills to take the heads of one Righteous Knight after another, and casually manipulate the darkness belonging to the realm of the Grim Reaper...

It must be admitted that such exceptional Servants do exist!

Is this what the doctor meant by "coronary"? Oh, it means all-around performance!

“You are someone even goddesses cannot see through; in terms of cultivation level, you are no less than me.”

The voluptuous King Arthur raised his holy sword and pointed it at Iori, his eyes filled with a smile despite the impending battle.

"However, you must pretend that you cannot exert your full strength; that is your weakness."

"I always like to give it my all."

Iori said with utmost seriousness, "I have lived an honest life and have never pretended to be someone I'm not!"

"Yes!"

Ritsuka chimed in, "Berserker, no, Saber... uh, Assassin is a straightforward person!"

He always says what he thinks; at most, he might be a bit sharp-tongued, but he's definitely not a hypocrite!

"...Well, being able to trust others like this is an advantage for a Master."

King Arthur, in his goddess form, nodded helplessly yet affectionately: "Of course, he meant no harm... We entrust our Master to you, Aizen Iori."

"Um... I'll do my best."

Iori nodded.

During his travels through these singularities, he would occasionally encounter Servants like these:

They will act according to the "original plot", but there will always be some strange words between the lines... as if they know that all of this is a "record" and that Iori is an outsider.

Perhaps, the Servants of Chaldea... are also influencing themselves in this record in various ways.

After all, the Throne of Heroes is a very mysterious thing.

……

"I've had enough of humans!"

Murder out of jealousy, plunder out of greed, violence out of lust, cruelty out of bloodlust, and folly out of pride—we feel deep sympathy for humanity and do not grieve for such people.

You are such pitiful, pathetic, and hateful creatures, with short lives yet unaware of their value, blind to what you hold in your hands, consumed by envy for what belongs to others, indifferent to beautiful things, and relishing filth...

We are called [Goetia], the Human Order Burning Demon King Goetia!

He is the true King who surpasses Solomon, and has come here out of compassion for the sorrows of you humans.

Solomon left you to your own devices, but I do the opposite, aiming to end this millennia-long tragedy at the end of human history.

And the only method and conclusion that we, our fellow countrymen, have reached after reflection is that humanity is 'worthless'!

"Worthless..."

Mashu looked bewildered and murmured, "Are humans worthless beings?"

Ritsuka took a deep breath: "This is the truth behind the 'Humanity Burning'—because it's worthless, so they destroy human history and erase everything about us?"

"Yes, this is the greatest mercy you can have. Please accept it with gratitude."

Goetia spoke with certainty, and there was no hint of joking in his tone.

"You humans are beings destined to die from the moment you are born, yet you leave nothing behind in your lives but only create much karma, much sin, and much evil."

This is your weakness, and instead of correcting it, you use all sorts of grand reasons to excuse it, which turns it into the fundamental evil of human nature.

And the greatest mercy I can bestow upon you in order to end this sorrow is a painless end, the demise of human history.

Since it never existed in the first place, there is naturally no sin or sorrow to speak of!

Its name is the "Beast of Compassion," the number one Beast, the Demon King Goetia!

"You may be countless times stronger than any enemy we have ever encountered, but... that is not a reason to give up the fight. As long as I am alive... there is still hope for humanity!"

I am not a savior, nor do I possess such power, but I must do what I can... to do what it is right to be a human being!

Ritsuka stood before the crumbling throne, clenching her fists tightly. Suddenly, the Command Seals on the back of her hand glowed, followed by a surge of pure magical power. A complex magic circle lit up on Mash's shield.

hum! ! !

A silver-white sword beam streaked across the sky, severing countless demon god pillars, and fell directly towards the Demon God King Goetia!

"What?! What is this light?!"

"Foreigner Aizen Iori, summoned in response to the call!"

Wearing a white coat and holding the savior sword, Iori stood in front of Ritsuka and Mashu. The man, seemingly enveloped in radiance, brought the girls an indescribable sense of security.

"You don't need to worry anymore, Master."

"You are……"

Goetia seemed somewhat surprised. He was supposed to be monitoring the various singularities, but now he acted as if he were seeing Iori for the first time.

"No, this aura... I recognize you... Has it become so powerful?"

"Because humans are creatures full of possibilities."

Iori took a step forward: "Don't worry, it won't waste your time."

"..."

Why is this guy speaking in a low voice, deliberately mimicking me?

Goetia was slightly puzzled.

……

The girl slowly opened her eyes and saw a familiar face.

"Senior... I always believed you would come back."

Mashu had tears in her eyes, but she forced herself to smile.

"that is really good!"

"Mash... I'm sorry to have worried you."

Ritsuka shifted her gaze and smiled, "And Iori too."

...Some time has passed since the restoration of human order was successful, and Chaldea today is still in a superposition of leisure and busyness.

As a major contributor to the final battle, Iori consumed a large portion of the power generation and forcibly stayed in Gari, chatting with Ritsuka almost every day.

On this day, Iori told the young master a not-so-pleasant story.

It's about an ordinary girl who is unexpectedly caught up in a doomsday-level event and inexplicably becomes a savior. Then, in the face of one crisis after another that she is powerless to resist, she overcomes difficulties with her wisdom, perseverance and courage... It sounds strangely familiar.

At the end, Iori changed the subject, saying that after the girl saved the world, she was not able to live a peaceful life or return to her original life. She was still trapped in the prison-like doomsday fortress, where she had to face all kinds of monsters and troubles every day.

Through the trials that followed day after day, the girl gradually came to realize the truth:

I am merely a tool to keep this story going.

After realizing that her suffering would never end, the girl was disappointed and desperate, and she ultimately chose—

"If it were you, what would you choose?"

Iori suddenly changed the subject to Ritsuka, saying with a smile, "Speak freely~"

"I?"

The orange-haired girl paused, then subconsciously turned to look at Mashu, who was dressed in a staff uniform and chatting and laughing with other employees while discussing work.

Ritsuka smiled, feeling very relaxed and satisfied.

She picked up her coffee cup, took a sip, and then asked Iori, "If it were me... if I helped someone, would anyone really be saved?"

"There must be some."

"...How many people smiled because of this?"

"countless."

"In that case——"

Ritsuka, holding her coffee cup, smiled playfully and said, "Then I will continue on my way."

"……Um."

Iori ruffled her orange hair amidst her disgruntled protests.

"I knew you would say that."

Chapter 507 Dangerous Beast Merlin.

The spirit transfer device was activated, and Iori appeared in a burst of light. Her eyes changed several times in just a few seconds, as if she had experienced the vicissitudes of life in the blink of an eye, but she eventually came to her senses and remained calm and rational.

In the dim light of the warehouse, Merlin stood among a pile of old and tattered books and utensils, as if he were taking stock of something. After noticing the transfer of spirit particles, he turned around with a smile and took something out of his wide sleeve.

"There was a slight problem with the timeline. I had collected enough anchor points and downloaded all the data three days ago... I had already stopped the mission exploration at that time, but I didn't expect you to only come out now."

"This isn't the first or second time that Chaldea has run into problems."

Iori remained calm, focusing her gaze on what Merlin was holding.

It was a crystal-clear hexagon, like a miniature Mooncell, with diamond-faceted reflective elements inside—fragments of consciousness shimmering, as if welcoming Iori's arrival.

It should just be a collection of data... but for some reason, Iori felt a sense of familiarity with it.

“This is it?”

"Thank you, Iori."

Merlin wore his usual gentle smile. "You've done an excellent job. These fragments of consciousness are even more perfect than I imagined. Although they are just remnants of Master in the past, they are undoubtedly her most authentic self in her subconscious."

Iori ignored his polite words and focused her gaze directly on the crystal hexagon.

"Will this really help Ritsuka?"

"of course."

Merlin gently shook the crystal in his hand, and the light flowed around it.

"Your efforts will not be in vain; these fragments will help us achieve our important goals."

His smile remained gentle, but his eyes held a deeper meaning: "This is the common wish of all the Heroic Spirits in Chaldea."

Iori remained noncommittal, then countered with, "But, would this be the outcome Ritsuka desires?"

Merlin's smile faded slightly. After a moment of silence, he looked down at the crystal in his hand, seemingly considering his words: "Iori, you are always so perceptive, but some things are simply unreasonable. When everyone does what they believe is right with good intentions... even if they conflict with each other, there's nothing that can be done."

"Come on this."

Iori's voice turned cold, tinged with impatience: "I'm tired of these ambiguous words. If you really want me to trust you, tell me the truth."

I'm not your subordinate, and frankly, I'm not your friend either. If you want my help, you'd better show me the corresponding sincerity!

"……if not?"

Nightmare's expression remained unchanged, but his smile had cooled slightly.

"Kill me?"

"There's no point in doing that," Iori scoffed.

Merlin is not an ordinary Heroic Spirit; he has a corresponding position on the Throne of Heroes, but his true form is not yet dead and is imprisoned in the tower of Avalon.

Whether in the game's storyline or the background novel, Merlin possesses the "clairvoyance" that allows him to see into the outside world, as well as the ability to send avatars into the real world.

Regardless of whether the one in Chaldea is Merlin himself, even if he is... this guy definitely has a way to be reborn (summoned again).

—In a sense, the heroic spirits of Type-Moon are all immortal.

"Your smug attitude is really annoying."

Iori reached into her private space, pulled out a platinum sword, and said softly, "But I will never be blackmailed—the Heroic Spirits may not have a concept of death, and even if I kill you, it will be of no use, but I can destroy this place with ease, and you are powerless to stop me."

"..."

Such an extreme approach astonished the Flower Magician, but he was also an acquaintance of Iori. Thinking about it carefully, this guy's attitude towards him was indeed very bad, and he also had a peculiar "player's sense"—the kind of person who wasn't afraid of the sky falling and the earth cracking, and only went to save the world to complete the mission and collect the reward.

Unlike ordinary Heroic Spirits, this guy's logic is hard to fathom... He really could do something like this!

"You're really in a hurry, Iori."