When Conviction Shines

Although it doesn't solve the problem at all, even Ishtar, a woman of great stature, has apologized. What more do you want?

But, however...

If her Bull of Heaven is instantly defeated in front of so many people, then she will have nothing left of her last shred of dignity as a goddess.

She'll cry!

She'll definitely cry!

"Then—the time to don the crown has come."

Seeing that the Demon God Pillars were all in place, Rovey slowly raised his hand and pointed at the Bull of Heaven.

"To inspire all things."

As Rovey's words fell softly, in the blink of an eye, a Greater Light Wheel descended from the sky, directly enveloping the Bull of Heaven as the opening act for the final blow.

In the other directions, the summoned Demon God Pillars followed closely behind, each taking its own actions.

Demon God Pillars: "Incineration Formula."

"Wait, wait a minute!!"

Ishtar, sensing something was wrong, burst into tears.

"Don't do that! At least don't instantly kill the Bull of Heaven, okay? Give me some face!!"

"Not good."

As soon as the words were spoken, the next moment, layers upon layers of golden Light Wheel and seventy-two rays originating from the Demon God Pillars were instantly unleashed. It was the terrifying heat and power emanating from the burning of a planet and the entire history of humankind, a terrifying heat that no life on the planet could possibly bear.

So in just a moment, the beast once known as the strongest divine beast in the Sumerian pantheon, said to be able to tear apart the sky and the earth, and which was invincible, was melted into ashes by the terrifying heat. Its indestructible shell was as thin as a piece of paper, and even its existence was destroyed without a trace in an instant.

"Ahhh, my Bull of Heaven!"

Ishtar covered her head, tears streaming down her face, as she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"I just want to destroy my dark history!"

"But that's not a reason for you to hurt other people."

Rovey's voice came softly, and the next moment, golden light completely dispelled the darkness.

The moment the Light Wheel vanished, the billowing thunderclouds and the enormous, incomparable figure also dissipated into ash in the sky. At this moment, the sun overhead was still dazzling, and the sky remained a deep blue.

Despite having just experienced a disaster powerful enough to destroy the entire Far East, surprisingly, apart from some damaged roads, no one in Fuyuki City suffered any real harm.

Apart from...

A certain useless goddess who's already crying her eyes out.

At this moment, the Servant, thoroughly enraged by Ishtar, had gathered here, gripping their weapons and glaring at the instigator with displeasure.

Now, it's time for her to take responsibility.

--

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Having reached the top of Mount Enzō, Emiya Kiritsugu looked at the sky, which had been oppressive but was now refreshed, and the heavy pressure that had been building up in his heart was gently relieved.

Because this means they have succeeded...

Everything has been a success. They have stopped the giant monster; there will be no more Servant deaths or large-scale casualties.

So now, the only thing left to solve is his side.

So he quickened his pace.

Finally, upon reaching the entrance to Mount Enzō, Emiya Kiritsugu stopped in the very center of the steps.

"Come out," Emiya Kiritsugu said calmly, looking at the eerily quiet surroundings. "I knew you were here, right, Aozaki Touko? I'm here now."

"You found my trail so quickly? You truly live up to your title of 'Magus Killer.' It seems even a ten-year hiatus hasn't made you truly complacent."

The voice faded away softly, and then a woman's voice suddenly came from behind him. Immediately afterwards, Aozaki Touko stood on the steps not far from him, a cigarette dangling from her mouth.

"It really is you..." Emiya Kiritsugu looked at the woman who appeared before him, and silently clenched his fist. "Aozaki Touko!"

"Yes, it's me. It's been a long time, Emiya Kiritsugu. You seem to be doing quite well, though your body probably won't live much longer."

Looking at Emiya Kiritsugu before her, Aozaki Touko smiled gently, then said calmly, "However, compared to the pathetic state you were ten years ago, you seem to have changed even more now."

"Give me back Illya!"

Too lazy to waste words with this woman, Emiya Kiritsugu didn't hesitate at all. He suddenly raised the gun in his hand and pointed it directly at Aozaki Touko's head.

"The Origin Bullet? Such a petty trick, I advise you to give up. After all, it didn't work on me ten years ago, and it's even less effective now. Besides, your daughter is safe for now. I didn't do anything to her, and she can go back to her normal life tomorrow."

Facing the dark muzzle of Emiya Kiritsugu Emiya's gun, Aozaki Touko's expression remained relaxed, seemingly unconcerned that Emiya Kiritsugu would blow her head off with a single shot.

What is your purpose?

Emiya Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes. He knew that Aozaki Touko would never do anything meaningless. Her kidnapping of Illya meant that she wanted to use Illya to achieve some purpose.

"You might not believe it, but I really do want to save the world, or rather, to do a proper cleanup."

Aozaki Touko calmly said, "I need to complete the Holy Grail Ritual to save this world. If Holy Grail ritual fails, there will be many troublesome things afterward. Therefore, I need your daughter to assist me temporarily. Once Holy Grail ritual is completely completed, I will return her to you safely, and I guarantee she will be free of any psychological trauma."

Are you... playing me?

Hearing Aozaki Touko's nonchalant words, Emiya Kiritsugu's forehead veins bulged, and his finger was already on the trigger. "Do I need to explain what the completion of the Holy Grail Ritual means?"

"Are you referring to the outcome at the end of the Holy Grail ritual, where the body loses control, consciousness is erased, and one becomes a complete empty shell? Just like your wife."

"I will never allow you to do such a thing." At this moment, Emiya Kiritsugu's eyes revealed murderous intent. "If you want to harm my daughter, you'll have to get past me first."

"You're really stubborn. I already said that there's no need for us to fight. My goal is also for the good of the world, and it's just a Lesser Grail. It's not like I can't replicate it."

Aozaki Touko looked at him calmly and said, "If I told you that if you were willing to help me, your daughter would not only not die, but would be reborn, and I could even help you resurrect your long-dead wife, what would you choose, Emiya Kiritsugu?"

"What... do you mean by this?"

Upon hearing this, Emiya Kiritsugu's eyes widened, and his voice trembled uncontrollably.

"I've already analyzed the Einzbern Family's methods and the mere Holy Grail ritual. I was even qualified to become Third Magician several years ago. If I had to describe it, even this Holy Grail ritual is just one part of the Third Magic. So I understand it better than you."

"Your daughter is an artificial human. Although she differs from my dolls, she is still within the realm of artificial humans. Since the Lesser Grail only requires a body and a heart, your daughter's consciousness naturally has no effect on me, so..."

"What exactly are you trying to say?!" Emiya Kiritsugu continued to glare at Aozaki Touko through gritted teeth.

"I can give your daughter a normal human body, then copy her consciousness into it, achieving a different kind of resurrection, just like I am now."

Aozaki Touko stared at Emiya Kiritsugu's face and said, "In exchange, you can help me hold off the other Servant and entrust your daughter's body to me without worry."

Upon hearing this, Emiya Kiritsugu's eyes widened. He clenched his fists and stared silently at Aozaki Touko. Aozaki Touko, however, was unperturbed and continued to offer her suggestion.

"I also have my own insights into the Third Magic, and I've made some achievements regarding the Soul Origin. If you can satisfy me, then even extracting your memories and creating a clone that is exactly the same as the Irisviel in your memories is possible."

"So... how about it? This kind of deal should be easy for you, right? You don't have to do anything, just wait a bit, and you can get your daughter back, your dead wife, and even save the world. There can't be anything simpler in this world, right?"

Aozaki Touko narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at the Light Wheel rising in Fuyuki City, feeling the familiar magic, and let out a soft sigh.

She continued, "And this way you can continue to live, right? After all, although Hercules incredibly powerful, he's not invincible. You are his greatest weakness. If that guy hadn't taken down the Bull of Heaven, do you really think you could have supported Hercules to victory? Or rather, could you really have lasted until the end of the Holy Grail War, without letting a single Servant leave the stage? Even if you did manage to do that, so what? You would only let your daughter witness your death. I think you understand that pain better than anyone else."

"So it really was you who was behind that thing!"

"No, I don't have that ability. I just guided it a little. Besides, I didn't expect Ishtar to be out of control. I just wanted to summon her to attract attention."

"I have one last question..."

Emiya Kiritsugu took a deep breath, then looked at Aozaki Touko as if he had made a difficult decision, and said in a deep voice, "What is your wish?"

"My wish was, of course, to bring that guy back, and now it's been fulfilled."

A serious look appeared on Aozaki Touko's face. "So my wish now isn't some dangerous wish that can change the world's order. All I want to do is to bring everything to a good end and then go back to his side. That's enough for me."

"I see."

Emiya Kiritsugu nodded, then let out a long sigh.

"The right choice. Rest assured, you won't regret it if you do business with me."

Bang--!!

Without a word, a sudden gunshot rang out, echoing throughout the entire Mount Enzō.

Emiya Kiritsugu lowered his arm, looking at Aozaki Touko, who had a hole in her forehead and was lying in a pool of blood, and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

"For the sake of that vague and beautiful future, how can I ignore my daughter's cries for help when she's right next to me? What face do I have to be her father? Besides..."

"Irisviel will always live in my heart, and I will never allow anyone to toy with her life!"

--

"What a decisive guy. My body was just destroyed like that."

In a secluded corner of a cemetery in Fuyuki City, a woman with bright red hair climbed out of a coffin.

She touched her forehead, and recalling what had just happened, she couldn't help but feel annoyed.

Aozaki Touko never expected that Emiya Kiritsugu would make such a choice.

Even though consciousness is copied and the soul is reshaped, as long as the Soul Origin is used, the person remains the same.

She had been using this method for so many years, but he actually refused and even plotted against her.

This ignorant country Magus can't even understand something like this?!

Thinking of this, she wished she could go back immediately to Emiya Kiritsugu, but none of this was what annoyed her the most. What made her feel uncomfortable was what happened at Mount Enzō.

Although she had a backup body in Fuyuki City, it was too loosely maintained. Because of the hasty preparations, she hadn't left one in Mount Enzō. Now, this shot had sent her straight from Mount Enzō to the cemetery in Fuyuki City.

It's too far away.

It's too late to deconstruct the Lesser Grail.

Moreover, since Rovey released his aura, that crazy woman should be unable to hold back any longer and will probably force herself out soon.

Recalling all the troublesome matters she had to deal with, Aozaki Touko felt a headache coming on, something she hadn't experienced in a long time.

They all wanted to resolve things properly, but one by one they just kept causing her trouble.

It drove her to the brink of collapse.

So, what should we do now?

Aozaki Touko glanced in the direction of Mount Enzō and clenched her fist.

She then took out her phone from the clothes she had prepared beforehand and called Rin Tohsaka.

At this moment, because Ishtar was being reprimanded by Astraea, the person who answered the phone was Rovey.

Who are you looking for?

I'm looking for you!

Upon hearing Rovey's familiar voice, Aozaki Touko gasped, a mix of emotions surging through her mind.

"Aoko?"

"It's me! Listen carefully!"

Soon, Aozaki Touko's familiar yet irritable voice rang out.

"You scumbag who disappeared without permission, get to Ryūdō Temple right now and settle things there! I'm done with this!"

Chapter 396 When Faith Shines

"Although I don't know exactly what happened, but..."

Seeing the enormous Bull of Heaven and the terrifying golden Light Wheel that had once enveloped Fuyuki City dissipate, Cú Chulainn, still in a daze, carried his demonic spear and jumped to the side of Richard I Lionheart King. His scarlet eyes slowly rose, reflecting the golden outline within them.

"Hey, Saber, it seems like no one can stop our battle now, right? It's time to decide the winner."

"Although now is not the best time for battle, however..." Upon hearing this, Lionheart King drew his replica of Excalibur once more, calmly gripped it, and gazed at Cú Chulainn, saying, "I will win."

"Ha, you're incredibly confident, aren't you?"

Cú Chulainn grinned. "However, I do like your attitude. So let's have one last match and fight it out!"

Only...

Just as Cú Chulainn was about to swing his spear at Lionheart King and enjoy the Holy Grail War one last time.

Boom!

A sudden, loud bang followed, and the scene was reminiscent of a meteorite falling to earth, and of asphalt being violently shaken by the ground.