The Fanatical Believer of the White Deity / Fujino Asagami, the Human Cannon

"We heard that if we bring in new souls, they can take our place and let us reincarnate, but seven people have already died here, and we're still trapped here." The ghost finally stopped making excuses and told the truth.

"This is easy." Shirou nodded, drew his Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi, and swung it Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi emitted a golden light, slicing open a gate of light in the air. It was a method of using the power to break boundaries. He opened a gate to the underworld for the ghosts.

"Huh?" The ghosts stared in astonishment, their questions that had puzzled them for years suddenly resolved.

"From here, but are you prepared to pay the price for the bad things you've done?" Shirou asked, looking at the ghosts. Although these girls had suicidal tendencies, they probably wouldn't have jumped if the ghosts hadn't lured them in. They had to atone for their sins.

"Yes! Of course! We'll do anything to get us out of this hellhole," the ghosts replied readily.

"I happen to know a few officials in the underworld. I will send you directly to her. Once inside, accept the judgment properly, repent, and you will have a chance to start over. If you agree, I will let you pass," Shirou said to the ghost.

On the other side, Enma-tei looked up and sensed something, while the horse-headed Miss Shinigami sneezed, turning her large head from side to side, and muttered, "Which horse is thinking of me?"

"Uncle, please recite the sutra to send them away," Shirou said.

"Alright, don't let my appearance fool you, I also studied diligently at the Tendai Buddhism for ten years." The Explosion Head Uncle readily agreed, finally getting a chance to show off his good looks after doing so many episodes.

The Explosion Head Uncle with the afro sat cross-legged on the spot, began turning his prayer beads, and started chanting. "The Buddha, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, whose light shines upon countless flowers, addressed the Bodhisattvas and the four assemblies of gods and humans: 'In countless past lives, I sought the Lotus Sutra without ever tiring. In many of those lives, I was always King, vowing to seek supreme enlightenment, my mind never wavering.'..."

The souls that were saved, or the shimmering light, were then taken away.

Then, floating in the air was a long-haired woman with an ethereal glow, who was none other than Shirou's former Witch Strip Mistake. She floated in the air, quietly watching everything that was happening. When she met Shirou's gaze, she turned around and disappeared.

"Is that a ghost too? Is it in the direction of the hospital? Let's go and perform a ritual for her!" The Explosion Head Uncle, unusually showing off, said enthusiastically.

"No, that's a living spirit." Shirou shook his head. Perhaps the incident of jumping off the building had come to an end, but he still felt that things were far from over.

"Living spirit?" The Explosion Head Uncle frowned. He felt that some people's enthusiasm came and went quickly. Some people's handsomeness only lasted for three seconds, but if someone is truly handsome, perhaps a single punch is enough.

"Anyway, let's go back..." Shirou smiled and said to the guy with the afro, but before he could finish speaking, he put his foot down after taking a step.

Because a person who didn't actually exist was standing in front of him, he didn't hear any footsteps at all.

Suddenly, a tall, burly middle-aged man dressed in black appeared, blocking Shirou and the others' path downstairs. He was expressionless, with a gloomy and somber demeanor, and subtly exuded a dangerous aura that warned others to stay away.

The man was probably in his forties, nearly 1.85 meters tall, with a strong and powerful build. His face often wore a distressed expression, and his eyes were lifeless and cold, like a dead man, and he seemed to be thinking of leading everything toward death.

"It's you, you bastard...!!!" The Explosion Head Uncle seemed to recognize the other person, his eyes suddenly turned red, and he charged furiously at the tall man who had suddenly appeared there.

"I'm not looking for you." The middle-aged man raised his hand, and white runes emanated from in front of him, binding the Explosion Head Uncle. Then he grabbed the man's head and Explosion Head Uncle flying against the wall. The impact cracked the wall, making a sound like bones breaking, before the man collapsed to the ground.

The middle-aged man's gaze locked onto Shirou, and his usually cold, dark eyes suddenly lit up with a glimmer of hope.

"I am not here to be your enemy, Buddha child, or rather Messiah."

"I am Shirou Emiya. Who are you? State your name." Shirou had already drawn his Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi. He knew that the man before him was a formidable enemy, much like the strange priest he had encountered when he was still young and naive.

The man in black clasped his hands together and bowed three times to Shirou, as devoutly as if he were worshipping a Buddha statue in a temple.

"My apologies, I was so negligent, it is truly a sin. I am Araya Sōren, a wandering monk whose goal is to seek Salvation of all Humanity and a way to bring happiness to all life on Earth."

Chapter 919 The Fanatics of the White God

When Shirou saw the gloomy, long-haired man in front of him, he had a very bad feeling, just like the feeling he had for a certain priest. Although the temperament was different, the danger was the same.

In this world, the tradition of Magecraft is not prominent, so Araya Sōren does not possess it. However, he is an enlightened high monk in the Tendai Buddhism of Buddhism, and his use of barriers has reached the pinnacle of Buddhism. Furthermore, he has implanted Buddha bone relic, which gives him the Buddha light.

He stole the relics left by the founding patriarch of the Tendai Buddhism and implanted them into his hands, betraying Buddhism. His power was unprecedented; even if the entire sect joined forces, they couldn't do anything to him.

If this were in ancient times, such a person would almost certainly qualify as Golden Arhat. They could sit and discuss the Tao with Bodhisattvas and Buddhas.

The Tendai Buddhism regards the Lotus Sutra, a work written by Shakyamuni in his later years, as its supreme scripture. The central theme of the sutra is that "everyone, regardless of wealth or social status, can attain Buddhahood."

The founder of the Japanese Tendai Buddhism was a powerful and eminent monk Saichō, who even broke the monopoly of Jianzhen, who was considered a leader of Buddhism, in transmitting the Dharma from the Tang Dynasty to Japan.

It is worth noting that the Jianzhen, who traveled to Japan six times to spread Buddhism, can be considered the second most famous monk of the Tang Dynasty. The Japanese even refer to him as the "Roof ridge of the Tenpyō era," meaning that he was like the roof of the Tenpyō era, crowned with the highest honor.

It is easy to imagine how high Jianzhen's status was in Japanese Buddhism. At that time, if a Japanese person wanted to be ordained as a monk, they had to go to the ordination platform established by Jianzhen. There were only three such ordination platforms in the entire country of Japan at that time.

In the early Heian period, the Japanese monk Saichō was ordered to accompany the Kentōshi Tang China to seek Buddhist Tendai Buddhism school of Buddhism in China and visited many famous temples. After returning to Japan, he founded the Japanese Tendai Buddhism. On his deathbed, he secured the right to use temples as ordination platforms, thus breaking the monopoly of Jianzhen.

Of course, by then, more than fifty years had passed since Jianzhen's death.

In this world, magic skills are not prominent, but psychics are prevalent. However, this does not affect Araya Sōren's Buddhist practice in the Tendai sect of esoteric Buddhism, but he has not given up his pursuit of the ultimate as a human being.

The Buddha is the enlightened one who understands everything and is no longer bound by worldly constraints. The Tendai Buddhism believes in Shakyamuni's words: all beings are equal and everyone can become a Buddha.

If everyone attains Buddhahood, then there will be no more afflictions, and happiness can be achieved for everyone.

The man in black stared at Shirou with his jet-black eyes, as if he were looking at something sublime.

"It's truly wonderful to become the supreme god and then willingly return to 'nothingness.' When I sensed such a being, I was deeply moved by his actions. It turns out my path is not lonely." A tear rolled down Araya Sōren's black eye as he spoke with deep emotion.

"I don't think white deities have anything to do with Buddhism," Shirou corrected.

"No, in our eyes, the actions of that deity are none other than the Buddha! You are the reincarnation of that Buddha. Although you have been misled by the mortal world, you are already exceptionally noble. I must show you my respect." Araya Sōren clasped his hands together and performed a grand Buddhist salute to Shirou.

In Araya Sōren's view, Shirou is exactly the same as the incarnations of Buddha and Bodhisattvas in legends who walk among humans, or like the reincarnated Living Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism.

"Though I am unworthy, I have only done my best, even if I cannot save everyone. Farewell, Buddha child."

Araya Sōren, like a young monk listening to a master's sermon, bowed three times to Shirou, then took a few steps back before turning and leaving.

Shirou watched the other man leave silently. He could sense that the other man was serious; he genuinely wanted to Salvation of all Humanity, and that was the most terrifying thing. Because even though his wish for the happiness of all humanity was very similar to Araya Sōren's, the other man was willing to do anything to achieve his goal.

Taking away the Buddha's Buddha bone relic from the Tendai Buddhism is a manifestation of this character. That is to say, in ordinary times, he may be a harmless or even compassionate monk, but when it comes to his wishes, he will not hesitate to sacrifice anyone's life, even if it means the world's population is halved.

"Are you alright?" Mashiro helped the Explosion Head Uncle who had been knocked to the ground and asked worriedly.

"I... I'm fine. I didn't expect this monster to actually come out of the mountains. He's Traitor of Tendai Buddhism." The Explosion Head Uncle said dejectedly. But he was just an unknown nobody in the Tendai Buddhism and could never compare to a monster like Araya Sōren, who was over two hundred years old.

In the dimly lit alley, the black-clad Magecraft walked alone, lost in thought.

It had been a long time since he realized there was no direct way to save humanity.

As long as there is life, there will always be those who give nothing in return; it's impossible to make everyone happy. So—what are the irredeemable beings in humanity? And how can we repay their lives?

There is no answer.

The infinite and the finite are equal; if there were no unredemptive heat, there would be no one to be saved. In this sense, relief is like flowing money.

Humanity is beyond saving, the world is beyond redemption, which is why he wanted to record death. To record the end of things, the end of the world, so that he could thoroughly analyze everything. In this way, perhaps he could determine what happiness is?

If we can re-examine those who receive no reward and those who cannot be saved—we can judge what constitutes happiness. If we can understand that these are the meanings of humanity after the world ends—those who die for no apparent reason are also subtly given meaning in the grand scheme of things.

If the world ends and humanity becomes history, perhaps then we can discern the true value of humankind.

This is the only, universally applicable form of salvation.

With this in mind, Araya Sōren once considered exterminating all of humanity. If, by the end of the world, humanity was still ugly, greedy, and beyond redemption, then he could accept the fact that humanity was beyond redemption.

However, at this moment, Araya Sōren noticed the strange movement of the stars. He explored the universe through Buddhism and learned about the actions of the white deity, who was his fellow practitioner. Therefore, Araya Sōren abandoned his original idea.

He wanted to assist the white deity in experimenting with the possibility of saving all living beings. Helping suicidal people commit suicide was part of his plan to bring happiness to all humanity.

"I will come back to find you, Shirou Emiya," the black-clad Magecraft murmured to himself in the wind, before disappearing into the night.

Chapter 920 Human Cannon Asagami Fujino

Inside the hospital, the Explosion Head Uncle lay on the bed. His back bones were fractured, and he had already taken medication and needed to rest in the hospital for a week. At this moment, he was wrapped in bandages, fixed there like a mummy.

The Explosion Head Uncle recounted his experiences training in the Tendai Buddhism to Shirou and the others. Then, twenty years ago, Araya Sōren suddenly attacked the temple and stole the temple's Saichō artifact, the Buddha bone relic of the founder Saichō, which had been enshrined there for a thousand years. The Explosion Head Uncle with the afro, who was guarding the relic at the time, failed to report it to the temple in time and was expelled from the sect.

Later events proved that even with the full strength of the temple, they were no match for Araya Sōren.

His barrier technique has reached an unparalleled level; multiple barriers permanently prevent anything that gets close to him from being harmed, so much so that even a grenade launcher probably can't hurt him.

Shirou's Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi Anti-World Noble Phantasm, so he is not afraid of that, but that man is really too abnormal.

"We can't let him prepare. A monster like that, if he prepares all the barriers, he'll be invincible. I know it's going to be difficult, but that man is truly a monster. Even now, Shirou, you might not be able to defeat him, but at that point, it'll be truly over." The Explosion Head Uncle grabbed Shirou's wrist and said nervously.

"I understand, just focus on getting better." Shirou replied with a smile, but... that man hasn't done anything yet, so Shirou has no right to do anything to him.

"They're definitely plotting something behind the scenes. They're fanatics, believing in false doctrines, going astray, and willing to die for them. The worst kind of guys," the Explosion Head Uncle said seriously.

Faith is something invisible and intangible, but it is extremely useful in crucial moments.

Especially during times of national crisis, whether it's religion or Marx, these ideologies can unite tens or even hundreds of millions of people into a single force, unleashing a power that shocks the world. However, on the other hand, such ideologies, if they go astray, can be devastating.

Those who fight for the Kingdom of God will enter Heaven or the Hall of Heroes after death, where there is inexhaustible wealth of gold, food, wine, and beautiful women.

This is a narrative used in Norse mythology, Christianity, and Islam. Devout believers, for the sake of their faith, fought in World War II, undaunted by death and suffering, charging like berserkers towards the tips of guns and swords, only to turn into skeletons.

In the millennia-long struggle between Christians and Muslims, neither side lacks devout believers and brave knights. Each side sees itself as the most devout follower of God, the bravest knight, representing justice in the world, while the other side is seen as a madman who follows a cult.

This then allowed the powerful figures behind the scenes to amass vast wealth, fame, and power.

"Excuse me, I heard you were beaten up and hospitalized, sir? But you're usually quite weak, so it's understandable." At that moment, a girl with long purple hair tied in a ponytail barged in.

"Hey! Asagami- chan, why are you here?" the woman with the afro, lying on the bed, exclaimed absentmindedly.

Although the girl appears to be a delicate and cute Mei, she is a controversial figure known as the "Cannon" within the Psychic Association. Once she fires, she never looks back. To achieve her goals, she is ruthless and decisive, and nothing will hold her back.

In a world without Magecraft, in an era where psychics are rampant, Asagami Fujino's abilities are put to good use. Although she avoids losing her sense of pain and causing some misfortune, the girl still goes blind due to overuse of her Magic Eye.

Fortunately, thanks to the X-ray vision of the Magic Eye, he can still live freely. With X-ray vision and distortion, he can ignore the hardness and distance of any object he can see. Even diamonds are twisted into a ball like crumpled paper. This is a super-powerful Magic Eye that can be said to be almost invincible to matter.

Beyond this, aside from the Clairvoyance EX who stands at the pinnacle of Servant, there are only beings like Odin's one-eyed god from mythology, and the deep-sea giant, the Evil Eye Demon King Baral.

Due to the influence of the white god's power, Shirou's Creation-type Magic Eye are probably on the same level as the girl's Mystic Magic Eye.

This is like a sniper in a game who has wallhacks, and instead of bullets, she fires an indestructible super cannon. Just like this girl's personality, although she seems like a quiet and gentle beauty, she is actually a woman who is as fearless as a cannon.

In a modern world where the Four Great Demon-Slaying Families have fallen into decline, she did not follow her mother to separate from the Asagami family, which had become ordinary merchants. Instead, she relied on her abilities to single-handedly carry the banner of the Asagami Family.

Because he received care from the Psychic Association when he was young, he became acquainted with the Explosion Head Uncle.

"Didn't you say your ranking in the Psychic Association improved?" the Fat Director asked the Explosion Head Uncle.

"No, that's the ranking for ordinary people. This kid is exceptional." The man with the afro chuckled dryly, then argued and shouted.

"May I ask what brings you here?" Shirou asked the girl.

"Well, I actually came to see you, Shirou Emiya. Could you come out with me for a bit?" Asagami Fujino said.

"Ah! Of course, I also came to visit you, Uncle. Take care, Uncle. You can't help but worry about the work at the association. We have enough manpower."

"Hey, I was just passing by, wasn't I?" the Explosion Head Uncle complained, clearly annoyed.

Asagami Fujino smiled and led Shirou outside to the deserted balcony.

"You can speak now," Shirou said, looking at the girl.

"Araya Sōren, Traitor of Tendai Buddhism, stole the Buddha's Buddha bone relic, the temple's most treasured artifact. His mastery of barrier techniques is unparalleled; under the protection of multiple barriers, he achieves an absolute defensive effect. Numbers are meaningless in his presence. Even if the entire psychic organization were mobilized, they probably wouldn't be able to defeat him. That's why I'm here on behalf of the association to seek your cooperation; he is our common enemy," Asagami Fujino said.

"I don't actually want to involve too many people," Shirou said.

"You're very gentle, but this problem isn't just yours alone. I'll lend you a hand when the time comes." Asagami Fujino looked at Shirou with a smile, seemingly admiring him, and continued.

"I understand. In that case, thank you for your kindness." Shirou nodded, accepting the girl's cooperation.

"Goodbye then, and best of luck in your martial arts endeavors!" With a flick of her purple ponytail, she walked downstairs and left.

Chapter 921 Seo Shizune's Death Prophecy

When Shirou returned to the ward, a phone call came in; it was from the Fat Director's cell phone.

It turned out that a few female high school students came here looking for Mr. Emiya, and he said her name was Tachibana Kaori.

"Tachibana Kaori? I don't think there's anyone like that at the TV station." The Fat Director was on the other end of the phone, looked puzzled, his eyes darting around as he thought. "But I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before?"

"It's the girl who jumped off the building and was rescued." Mashiro immediately realized, because she was collecting materials and knew the program's information very well.

"Yes, I told her before that she could talk to me if she needed anything. She probably found our program's phone number online," Shirou nodded and said.

After seeing Araya Sōren off, they took the man with the Explosion Head Uncle and the unconscious girl to the hospital together.

"Ah, let them in," the Fat Director finally realized and agreed.

"Excuse me." A few girls walked in shortly afterward.

The woman at the head of the group was a stunningly beautiful woman with a mature demeanor. Her long, straight hair cascaded down her back, and she exuded a decisive and capable air, like a powerful businesswoman. If she weren't wearing a high school uniform, others might have mistaken her for a professional elite who had come to the television station to discuss a collaboration. Perhaps the headband she wore was the only accessory that suggested she was seventeen or eighteen years old.

Following behind was a girl with short black hair, Seo Shizune. One of her eyes was looking at the group, but although the other eye was also focused in this direction, it gave the impression that she was looking at something very, very far away.

Finally, there was Miyatsuki Riri, a girl with long orange-red hair and glasses, who was helping Tachibana Kaori, who was also wearing a hospital gown, into the room.

Tachibana Kaori was one of the girls who jumped off the roof, but luckily Shirou caught her, preventing a tragedy from happening.

"Thank you for saving my Emiya- kun," Tachibana Kaori said, bowing to Shirou.

"It's alright, are you alright? Um... I mean the baby in your belly." Shirou hesitated for a moment, but still spoke up. He had already noticed the abnormality in the girl's body when he rescued her.

"No... actually, I was shocked, and the baby is gone." Tachibana Kaori said with a bitter smile, her voice low.

"Huh?!?!?!" Everyone else in the room was stunned. What was going on? A child?! This was happening way too fast!

"This child shouldn't have been born in the first place. I was too weak." Tachibana Kaori pursed her lips, tears streaming down her face.