The Holy Grail's Operational Mechanism

Kiritsugu Emiya said, "My wish... is world peace. No more conflict between people, and no more wars in this world."

The moment he said that, everyone's expressions as they looked at Kiritsugu Emiya changed.

Mo Li smiled. "Then, Kiritsugu Emiya, how exactly do you intend to achieve world peace? The Grail cannot accomplish anything beyond your own understanding. First, you need to understand that fundamental point."

Kiritsugu Emiya frowned. "If the Grail is an omnipotent wish-granting machine, shouldn't it simply ignore all conditions and processes and directly bring about the result I desire?"

"Of course not. If it could do that, then it would not be something as ordinary as the Third Magic Heaven's Feel. If it could, wouldn't it be better for me to just wish for ORT to be destroyed?"

Mo Li shook his head slightly. "Then let me explain the fundamental nature of wishes made upon the Grail. Kiritsugu Emiya, the Heaven's Feel has now been corrupted into the Black Grail, but even so, I can clearly tell you how the wish mechanisms of both Grails work. Let's use your wish as an example."

"First, the Black Grail. Your wish would be absurdly easy for the Black Grail to fulfill. The Grail cannot fulfill wishes through methods beyond your knowledge. While the Black Grail adheres to the principle of definitely granting the wisher's desire, it maliciously twists that desire and fulfills it in the worst possible way."

Mo Li asked coldly, "So tell me, Kiritsugu Emiya. In your understanding, what is the most convenient and fastest practical method of bringing about world peace?"

Kiritsugu Emiya froze for a moment, then answered without hesitation, "Kill everyone who starts wars and destroys peace. That is the simplest and fastest method."

There truly was no other method in his mind besides killing, because he had never received any relevant education apart from that.

Ritsuka Fujimaru rubbed his forehead at that. "Mash, isn't this Master a little too... you know? Kill everyone who wants to start a war or destroy peace— even if that really worked and wars were stopped and peace returned, there's no way to prevent such things entirely, is there? As long as people have desires, this kind of outcome is bound to happen..."

Mash Kyrielight replied softly, "Don't say that about him. His methods may be flawed, but his wish itself is quite admirable."

Mo Li answered with a smile, "Then congratulations, Kiritsugu Emiya. The Black Grail would absolutely welcome you making such a wish to her. Angra Mainyu may be dead, but the All the World's Evil it left behind would surely love a wish like that."

"The way your wish would be fulfilled is simple: the Black Grail kills all humanity. Your wish is granted. That is the kind of wish the Black Grail can fulfill!"

"How can that be?!" Kiritsugu Emiya nearly lost control and shouted instinctively, unwilling to acknowledge and resisting such an outcome. "Isn't it supposed to be an omnipotent wish-granting machine?!"

Mo Li smiled. "It is. As long as it fulfills your wish, that is enough. As for what method it uses, that is entirely up to what makes the Black Grail happy. Look, hasn't your wish been fulfilled? World peace. No more conflict between people. War no longer exists. That is the inevitable result of your wish."

Mo Li's answer shocked many of those present, especially Iskandar and Tokiomi Tohsaka. The two of them had clear, lofty wishes they genuinely intended to achieve through the Grail. The Black Grail was actually this dangerous...

As a victor of the Holy Grail War, Romani gave Kiritsugu Emiya a sympathetic look. Fortunately, the old director's request had been very straightforward.

Kiritsugu Emiya breathed rapidly. "What about the Third Magic Heaven's Feel? The uncorrupted Heaven's Feel!"

Mo Li's smile became somewhat mocking. "The Heaven's Feel might not kill humanity, but even if humans remained alive, they would directly lose all desires and thoughts related to war and conflict. The entire world would become completely peaceful. Humanity would spend every day singing and dancing in prosperity. Developing more advanced technology would only bring countless hidden dangers to humanity, so as long as humans lived well, that would be enough. Even technology would cease advancing. Everyone would be content with the status quo and no longer strive forward. Congratulations—fulfilling such a wish would directly erase humanity's future."

"And the final result? Naturally, humanity would simply wait for ORT to wake up and exterminate them, or for alien lifeforms that had long been eyeing Earth to seize the opportunity to invade and wipe them out. Earth would be occupied by aliens, and as for what humanity would become within their civilization, I have no idea."

Kiritsugu Emiya's reason collapsed once again. Veins bulged across his face as he immediately clutched his head and roared, "Impossible! How could it be like this?!"

Mo Li said, "Of course it would be like this, Kiritsugu Emiya. Otherwise, what method do you think could bring about world peace, end all conflict between people, and ensure that war would never again have anything to do with humanity? That is your wish."

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Kiritsugu Emiya dropped to his knees in despair, never having imagined that his wish could be so absurd.

Irisviel came to Kiritsugu Emiya's side, helped him up, and led him to the seat she had occupied earlier. However, he looked utterly gloomy now, clearly having no intention of speaking for the time being.

"Peace has never been obtained by relying on any one thing. It comes through humanity's collective efforts. Nor can conflict ever be resolved through wishes. Reconciliation can only be carried out by humanity itself. As for war, only when humanity unites can it gradually be eliminated. If you want to rely on something like a wish-granting machine, then this is naturally what will happen."

Mo Li paused, then shook his head slightly. "Of course, there is a way to fulfill the wish you desire perfectly and without any side effects. But that lies beyond the realm the Third Magic Heaven's Feel can reach. So this thing is only a half-baked wish-granting machine. Though with your abilities, Kiritsugu Emiya, you would be unable to pursue such power anyway."

The others listened in considerable silence. Aside from Gilgamesh, who did not care in the slightest, everyone had gained an entirely new understanding of the Grail.

"Senior Mo, is the Grail really something so terrifying?" Mash Kyrielight quietly asked Mo Li.

Mo Li said, "There is no problem with the Grail if you use it correctly. If you use it incorrectly, then it becomes very ridiculous—just like the wish Kiritsugu Emiya wanted to accomplish."

Ritsuka Fujimaru muttered, "It's really hard to imagine that an omnipotent wish-granting machine would operate like this..."

At that moment, Artoria's expression also turned somewhat complicated. "If the Grail works like this, then my wish..."

Mo Li looked at Artoria. "Actually, Artoria, you do not need to dwell too much on such things. The Black Grail will certainly give you something completely contrary to what you imagine, but as for the wishes the Heaven's Feel itself can fulfill, perhaps they are not something you truly want either."

Artoria looked at Mo Li. "You know what I want?"

Mo Li said, "Yes, I do know. Even if you successfully made your wish with the Heaven's Feel, in the end, it would still be you, the King of Knights, who completed that stretch of history. Though perhaps you might change from the King of Knights into the Lion King..."

"The Lion King? What is that?"

"What would happen if you took up the Holy Lance?" Mo Li did not explain further. That single remark left Artoria completely silent, and her already wavering heart became even more lost.

Mo Li addressed everyone. "Everyone, the Greater Grail requires a substantial amount of magical energy. It will only activate after five of the seven Servants have been defeated and returned to the Grail, so we still have plenty of time. You all have your own wishes you wish to fulfill, but I do not recommend deciding victory and defeat, life and death, at this time. You may determine who wins and loses, but absolutely no one can die."

Iskandar was the first to respond. "Rest assured. Since the Grail is that sort of thing, we naturally cannot act rashly. Mr. Mo Li, those of us pursuing the Grail are not people who cannot distinguish right from wrong. Fortunately, my wish is not excessive."

Tokiomi Tohsaka sighed. "Until the Black Grail is purified, this thing is no different from useless trash to my Tohsaka Estate. I'll be relying on you, my friend Mo Li."

Although his wish was not too outrageous, Tokiomi Tohsaka did not dare use a flawed Grail.

Kayneth spoke as though it were only natural. "Hmph, I knew it. A competition put together by several mage families in some insignificant place—its being beneath notice is hardly surprising. Perhaps even this so-called Third Magic Heaven's Feel is nothing but an exaggerated title. How could a True Magic possibly still exist in this era?"

Tokiomi Tohsaka shot Kayneth a speechless glance. It was only because he could not be bothered to take it personally—did Kayneth really think so little of the Three Great Families?

If it truly came down to magecraft, the Tohsaka Estate was no weaker than anyone, especially after absorbing the Matou Family's Water Magic.

Come to think of it, Mo Li seemed to know an awful lot. Should he consider marrying both his daughters to him? They were still young, but they could get engaged first.

Kirei Kotomine suddenly asked, "Just how far can that Grail go? It is, after all, an omnipotent wish-granting machine. What exactly is its upper limit?"

Mo Li said, "The Grail's upper limit? Materializing the souls of all humanity is about the limit of what it can do. Though it has some power to spare, enough to turn a person into the Fafnir slain by Siegfried, it cannot do much more than that. That is roughly its limit."

Kayneth stared at Mo Li in shock. "Materialize the souls of all humanity?! Is that even possible? The Grail can actually do that?"

Tokiomi Tohsaka was equally shocked. The Grail had never been used properly in the first three wars, so he had never known what it was truly capable of.

Mo Li said, "Of course it can. If you want me to keep explaining, I could talk for an entire day. But I think we should not waste time on that. Let us quickly decide what challenges each Servant should set up, and then I need to begin the cleansing work."