When Conviction Shines (Continued)

Hercules' towering figure once again plummeted to the center of the two.

He stood there with his arms crossed, not uttering a sound. His expression was indifferent, and his attitude was self-evident.

"It's you again, you big guy! Is this never going to end?"

This scene made Cú Chulainn's mouth twitch suddenly, as he had just managed to get excited. He hadn't expected that this guy would actually go back the way he came.

Yes, although he was extremely concerned about what was happening on Emiya Kiritsugu's side, Hercules was not a berserker after all; he was still the wise and brave hero he was today.

He believed that his Master couldn't possibly be unaware of the commotion that had been resolved here, and that Emiya Kiritsugu must know that the mission was accomplished. Therefore, he could now use Command Seal without any reservations.

If he truly needs my strength, Emiya Kiritsugu will definitely do so. And all I need to do now is keep an eye on these two most unstable elements in the Holy Grail War.

He absolutely could not allow any of them to die at this final moment, lest all their efforts be in vain. For Illya's sake, and for his and his Master's ideals, Hercules still had to stop it all.

Watching the three of them entangled and then check each other again, even Rovey felt somewhat helpless.

It's started again...

"So, even those who call themselves heroes can't escape the fate of battle in the end?"

He couldn't help but sigh.

"But that's normal, isn't it? Humans are foolish and weak, and they often stray from their course."

This time, the response was unexpected. Ishtar rose from the ground and said, "So, without the guidance of the goddess, they need to raise their banners through the barbaric and bloody method of battle."

"But without fighting, there is no survival. Isn't it precisely because of constant fighting that humanity has ultimately surpassed other races and achieved its current position?"

On the other side, Astraea said calmly, "So what if you guided them? Even the races you guided eventually disappeared into the annals of history, didn't they? Now, without the guidance of gods, hasn't humanity still blossomed into a civilization no less brilliant than the Age of Gods?"

"Tch, isn't that because human will has never truly been unified?"

Ishtar immediately retorted, "Even if I diligently guide one group of humans, the next group, and the group after that, will soon develop their own ideas and go astray. All of this will be in vain. Isn't it precisely because of this that the gods, realizing this, decisively leave humanity? After all, after repeating this process time and time again, even gods will not do such meaningless things again."

"But the results are still pretty good. After all, if you, Ishtar, were to continue guiding humanity, I can't imagine what humanity would become in the future."

Astraea looked relieved. "At least humanity is happy now, and that's enough."

What are you saying...?

Ishtar's expression froze, and she was about to retort.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!!"

But the next moment, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and let out a series of screams.

This is the punishment she is being subjected to.

"Humanity cannot be guided by gods because humanity's future is in its own hands; only human will can guide it."

Rovey sighed and explained earnestly, "Although gods are powerful, born noble, and possess authority, they can never understand humanity. Your so-called guidance, even if earnest, will not lead to human growth because it is merely pity and charity. They can exploit humanity to create a false impression of prosperity, but once that illusion disappears, humanity will regress. Ishtar, you don't understand. Sympathy and pity will never allow civilization to grow. Only through trial and error, feeling pain, and through repeated blood and tears can civilization truly develop."

After saying that, Rovey took a serious look at Ishtar, who was currently hidden on the stone pillar and holding a piece that read "[I am a useless goddess who likes to cause trouble]".

"Scars are a warrior's medals, but they are also a warning that humanity bears. Only by knowing and understanding pain can humanity go further."

"..."

After hearing his explanation, which was unusual, Ishtar did not refute it, but simply sighed.

"That's why I say humans don't need guidance. Because of these characteristics, the kind of humans that the gods desire will never appear. They will only grow into the kind of humans they choose."

"By the way, are you going to that place?"

Ishtar suddenly spoke.

"Yes, someone just called, so I have to go clean up this mess."

Rovey nodded and said, "The Root of this Holy Grail War lies with me, so I have to take responsibility and clean everything up."

"You see very clearly, but..." Ishtar narrowed her eyes, "I need to remind you a little. When the Bull of Heaven was summoned, I sensed an extremely unusual energy over there. That aura wasn't something a mere Servant could reach; it was an aura similar to Tiamat's. You should understand what I mean, right?"

"I know... I could roughly predict it when I met that old man, and this time, the fact that he gave me his power so decisively probably means he wants me to handle it properly."

Rovey raised his hand and glanced at the ring on his finger.

"But don't worry, no one will die, and no tragedy will occur. With me here, everything will end peacefully."

You're really reliable...

"Alright, as long as you know what's going on, I won't get involved anymore." Ishtar gently closed her eyes, as if she had tired of playing, and leaned against the pillar.

"Then, I'll leave this to you."

Hearing her words, Rovey nodded, then entrusted Ishtar to Astraea's care to prevent her from doing anything outrageous again when no one was watching her.

Then, Rovey glanced at the numerous Demon God Pillars behind him.

Especially when he saw Lev, he nodded and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your hard work."

Upon receiving such praise, all the Demon God Pillars present were excited and shook their heads, indicating that they had not worked hard at all.

Seeing them like this, Rovey couldn't help but sigh, "The tools Solomon created are really useful."

Later, when Reines and Gray saw the leader, Professor Lev, their eyes widened in surprise. After all, they remembered that Professor Lev was still conducting research; how could he be here? And what was that enormous body of his just now...?

Rovey was certainly aware of their doubts, but now was not the time to explain.

He patted Reines and Gray on the shoulder, telling them to wait there for a moment, that he would be right back, and that this time he would clean up all the mess without missing a beat.

Hearing his words, Reines and Gray wanted to follow, but when they looked into Rovey's incredibly earnest eyes, all their concern and unspoken words ultimately boiled down to one sentence.

Please come back soon.

We'll stay here quietly and wait for your return.

"Um."

A smile appeared on his lips as Rovey raised his fist and gently touched the two men's palms together, as if making a promise.

He then turned around and nodded to the group of demons who had gathered behind him.

So...

Let's set off together.

Go to that final destination, Ryūdō Temple.

Let's end it all here.

--

Meanwhile, inside Ryūdō Temple, people looked up at the enormous, dark void above them.

Emiya Kiritsugu's eyes widened slightly, unable to stop himself from doing so.

This scene reminded him once again of the Holy Grail encounter many years ago.

This time, however, Irisviel was not present. The Holy Grail did not offer him a choice; instead, a gigantic and twisted figure hovered in the sky.

"Beast... Evils of Humanity, the Beast of 666..."

The legendary dragon had appeared right before his eyes. At that moment, Emiya Kiritsugu stared blankly at the enormous figure that had crawled out of the vast space beneath Ryūdō Temple and was rising ever higher into the sky through the void.

A chill that seemed to originate from his very soul froze his body, and fear overwhelmed his survival instincts.

There's no escaping it.

It's so obvious that you can understand it at first glance.

Because he had seen it with his own eyes, and because he had been so close to the other person, he was able to make such a certain conclusion.

So this is the guy Aozaki Touko was talking about who needed to be stopped? A situation that would turn into a disaster if left unchecked.

Looking at the enormous red dragon's figure, Emiya Kiritsugu's hand, which was gripping his gun, couldn't help but waver slightly.

I can't do it, I can't stop the other party...

There was no way to stop them, not even by summoning Hercules.

This thing is even more terrifying than the Bull of Heaven we just saw.

He is now completely powerless to stop it...

There's nothing we can do.

There's nothing we can do.

He had been determined to protect Illya, ensure her survival, and be a good father, but now he felt like a joke.

Despite knowing that Illya was in the deepest part, he was unable to break through the calamity-ridden dragon.

This is truly... ridiculous...

Countless red rays of light probed into the hole in the sky, accompanied by arcs of magical electricity. The dark hole above was forcibly enlarged, and then even the contents of the hole began to overflow.

It was black silt that exuded an ominous aura.

Just seeing it evoked a sense of physical disgust and a chill; he could almost hear the sounds of hatred, wailing, and even more... malice.

Even this most terrifying curse for humanity, capable of corrupting a Servant simply by being tainted by it, is, at best, a useful tool for the girl who is connected to the Root and has personally analyzed the Holy Grail.

Since Aozaki Touko couldn't get her to come out faster, she was too lazy to wait any longer.

She used her own method to reanalyze and utilize the All the World's Evil nearly destroyed Fuyuki City ten years ago, and successfully hatched.

At this very moment, the princess of the Root has returned to this world in the form of Calamity Dragon in the sky.

Sajyou Manaka, who was in the midst of it all and was exploiting the All the World's Evil, paid no attention to the insignificant Emiya Kiritsugu below, nor did she care about Illya was being used as a substitute for herself in the void.

To her, this human and the android were nothing more than insignificant insects. Although their obstruction forced her to break free of her constraints in such an ugly manner, it didn't matter to her.

She cares about other things.

There has always been only that one person.

"This aura... As expected, the prince I've been waiting for has returned, and he has become the true king."

Feeling the aura of Rovey, who had successfully mastered all of Solomon's power with the permission of the Holy Spirit, Sajyou Manaka let out a joyful sound.

Although her prince charming had become a king, it didn't matter to her.

Whether it's His Majesty the King or Prince Charming, it's all the same to her. What she's fascinated by is this unfathomable sense of novelty that can disrupt her peace, which is why she's lived in this world for ten years.

For her, the world didn't matter; he alone was enough.

If it weren't for the Guardian Angel constantly keeping her in check, she would have long ago summoned Rovey back using her own methods, even if the cost was enormous for this world.

Since the Guardian Angel has disappeared, no one can stop her now.

With these thoughts in mind, she couldn't wait to go to the King she admired.

This time, because of the torment of ten years of separation, and because she was no longer suppressed, she would no longer be a good girl like before. She didn't care about anyone else or the world; she wanted to possess her own king.

With that thought in mind, she ignored the huge hole that had appeared in the sky behind her and immediately prepared to fly towards Fuyuki City.

But, just as she was about to get up...

Raging!

A ball of eerie blue flame appeared in mid-air, Sajyou Manaka suddenly felt a pair of eyes staring at her.

Driven by instinct, the enormous Calamity Dragon it had transformed into launched a defense, unleashing countless swirls of Black Mud. However, these swirls were cleaved in two by the azure sword light. Even Sajyou Manaka was astonished by this sight.

The next moment, she hurriedly increased her strength, broke free from the sword light, and exhaled dragon breath, knocking the figure in mid-air down.

She then looked down and saw that the man was indeed King Hassan, who had tracked her all the way here and intervened in time.

"Grand Servant, huh? What an annoying guy. Does he think the whole world is against me? How irritating."

King Hassan leaned on his sword and looked up at the Calamity Dragon in the sky.

At this moment, he fully understood what was going on.

This world truly has a Beast born; no wonder the Grand Rank Spirit Origin is still within him, and he sensed his own destiny aura within this Calamity Dragon.

The Beast of Revelation.

The Calamity Dragon...

Fate was guiding him to stop the evil dragon.

Who are you? Are you Servant too?

Even the previously despondent Emiya Kiritsugu couldn't help but show surprise when he saw King Hassan suddenly appear and actually block the attack of the Calamity Dragon. He never expected that there would be such Servant in this Holy Grail War.

"Without death there is no life; only with death can there be life."