Chapter 12

Elysia, also voiced by her "actual mother," has far more lines in comparison.

Much, much more than any maid or zombie.

"While calling Elysia a 'pink fatty' can break her, directly describing girls like that isn't really good. I should find an opportunity to have Mei say it."

"I wonder what the progress is over there. If it's the very early stages, their world's understanding of Honkai is too limited. Even if I provide some intel, they won't be able to mount any effective resistance. Only when Vill-V joins, and with a sufficient number of Divine Keys, or even a batch of Flame Chasers, will the intel have value."

After all, the extent of his knowledge is limited to the Herrscher's abilities. Moreover, once the information is transmitted, the subsequent Herrscher abilities might undergo many changes. Since the Previous Civilization's Cocoon of Finality didn't have the 'Prometheus' program implanted, there's no backdoor, and the Herrscher order isn't fully solidified.

If preparations are made in advance and the Cocoon of Finality becomes aware, the Herrscher's authority might undergo other changes.

"Kevin started his personality shift from the Sixth Herrscher, but... that round of darkening was a crucial step in his growth. After that, he'll become the first Flame Chaser, and only then will they have the qualifications to fight the Honkai."

"If they have the Scythe of the Victor over there, I should get the blueprints and replicate a few to play with."

Shirou Emiya chuckled at this thought. If he could wait until the "little grey-haired one" pulled out the Flame Spear, he could then disguise himself as the "white-haired one" to create a Scythe of the Victor and send a photo to the old man. The old man would surely be overjoyed.

"Speaking of which, if Vill-V could come here, she'd definitely be able to develop more interesting equipment. She provides the blueprints, I'll be responsible for creating them – it's perfect."

An inventor with boundless imagination and the Herrscher of Reason who can bring that boundless imagination to life!

What do you call the best combination?

Speaking of which, when he drew the Aurora Curtain before, he also obtained two Rider Cards. He couldn't use them because he didn't have a belt, and they'd been in storage, forgotten. If there's a chance, he should give them to Vill-V or Herta to study.

If given the choice, who wouldn't want to transform coolly in front of everyone like Miss Sam?

Those two Rider Cards contained his favorite Heisei Kabuto Rider suit. And who wouldn't love the Heisei big brother who nukes with a single kick?

"The Sword of Fallen Gods actually ended up in the Previous Civilization. It seems that even if the True World can be identified, the timeline cannot."

With that said, Shirou Emiya finally understood why so many of his beacons were lost without a trace. Even the Sword of Fallen Gods was picked up by someone with genuine intellect under extremely fortunate circumstances, and that person was willing to communicate with him proactively.

"I wonder if Old Yang's glasses and someone's Wind Glider have drifted to their destinations yet."

"Let's hope my words don't become a self-fulfilling prophecy. What if the one who picks up the glasses is actually Otto? Will the old man really take off his glasses and start reciting the liberation incantation?"

"Power, belonging, ideals..."

Thinking about the old man transforming into Yang Chaoyue on the spot, Shirou Emiya couldn't help but shake his head. Then, he calmed himself and began to sense the Nen and the faint connection to the other side.

"Nen, this kind of thing is truly idealistic. Even as the user, I can't fully comprehend the operating principles of my own abilities."

For ordinary abilities, one generally gains initial understanding, then researches, studies deeply, and then proceeds with subsequent improvements and enhancements.

Nen is different. The moment you unleash your imagination and give it a way to operate, it's as if it finds a runnable program within a mountain of garbage code on its own and starts running smoothly. But when you try to study that line of program code... you have to face that mountain of useless programs again.

"For now, I can only use it with brute force. I can't operate it more precisely, so I'll expand the capacity and try to get it running first."

"Currently, our daily call time is hard-pressed to exceed five minutes. It will take at least a month to gradually stabilize. As for capturing the coordinate system on the other side... wait... has Thousand Realms Shattered been created yet?"

Shirou Emiya suddenly thought of the existence of the second Divine Key, "Thousand Realms Shattered." If that thing were put into use now, then... could the anchor on Thousand Realms Shattered to his world serve as an anchor for the Aurora Curtain's judgment?

"I'll have to ask next time."

After organizing all the information about "Nen" in his mind, he suddenly remembered the "Crimson Eye" he had drawn. His current Nen is based on specializing Nen energy by linking with others, so it's not actually a Specialization type of Nen ability.

"Enhancement, Manipulation, Conjuration, Transmutation, Emission."

"Specialized Nen energy has only been effective in the 'Emission' and 'Manipulation' fields."

"There's still a lot of room to utilize the remaining three categories..."

"How about trying to Conjure a 'Link' target? Directly project those people over with Nen energy?"

That doesn't seem like a bad option. It's just manually DIYing Nen beasts. And if we're talking about Conjuration... he'd rather conjure something cool.

Like Strike, Barbatos, Unicorn, Zeus, Typhon...

"When will my 'Beacon' drift to the Duel Monsters' Spirit World?"

"...Wait, does the Hall of Heroes manipulate space? But how to link Nen energy to 'Souls' seems to be another problem."

"Maybe I should try with Himeko first?"

Thinking of Himeko Murata stored and nurtured within his body, Shirou Emiya couldn't help but start having mischievous thoughts. However, Himeko's spirituality is too weak right now. Even if the link is successful, communication won't be possible...

"So, the problem returns to how to revive her intellect."

"If I could capture a 'coordinate' in worlds that deeply involve the Soul domain..."

"Let me think. Works that are beneficial for Himeko's recovery of her executive functions, besides 'Death God,' include the Soul-Soul Fruit from 'Pirates.' Mahito's Cursed Technique from 'Jujutsu Kaisen' also counts as one. There's also Spirit Summoning there... The Killing Stone from 'Ga-Rei' has a similar function, as does the 'Shikon Jewel'... and the God-Slaying Tool 'Holy Grail of the Netherworld'."

"Hmm? Wait, the Holy Grail of the Netherworld... Come to think of it, winning a Holy Grail War seems much more tangible than these things."

"Oh no, it seems I've fallen into a loop again."

To research whether Servants can be directly summoned with Nen, he needs Himeko as a test subject.

And to use Himeko as a test subject, he needs to restore her intellect.

To restore her intellect, he needs to win a Holy Grail War.

So...

Why not just use Servants as test subjects in the Holy Grail War?

Himeko's intellect? (Indifferent.jpg)

Chapter 025: Don't Expect Too Much from Others. (1/4)

"I am Natasha, the true leader of 'Fire'."

Inside a small clinic in Rock Town, Shirou Emiya met the true first leader of the Lower City, a doctor who had dedicated her entire youth to the medical care and order maintenance of the Lower City.

Much like a certain island's explosive crow who liked to take in orphans, this woman, who should be an alternate dimension counterpart of Raven, although she didn't follow the mercenary path like Raven, still possessed an unusual passion for rescuing others.

Raven had lost her parents and older brother at a young age, and Natasha's experience was similar. She lost her parents and lived with her adoptive parents. However, as her brother gradually went down the wrong path, she was forced to expel him from home. After her brother completely disappeared without a trace, she also chose to leave home to pursue a path of salvation due to her self-blame.

"We wish to purchase the 'Rice Bag' you manufactured."

Without much pleasantry, this leader had the decisiveness of frontline medical personnel. While her words were not forceful, they carried personal will and strong intent.

"This 'Rice Bag' is crucial for the Lower City, no, for all of Belobog."

As long as Imaginary energy was provided, rice could be taken out continuously. Although the logic behind its operation was incomprehensible, the scarcity of arable land in Belobog was no secret. Aside from the small amount of bread that could enter the market, it was rare to see fresh fruits, vegetables, and unhusked grains in ordinary Belobog households.

Staple food.

As a medical professional, Natasha understood the importance of these carbohydrate-based foods for humans far better than ordinary people. Currently, ordinary citizens in the Upper City and the many miners in the Lower City subsisted on coarse grains, meal replacements, and mixtures with a large number of unknown additives. Among these were "ancient artifacts" discovered by the "Firefly Pioneer Group" underground, whose existence had been unknown for a long time.

The number of people poisoned or even killed by these foods was not small. A clean food source was undoubtedly something that all of Belobog dreamed of.

"What can you offer to purchase it?"

Gazing quietly at Natasha, Shirou Emiya could have generously gifted them the Endless Rice Bag, but... the Endless Rice Bag was ultimately just a temporary fix.

"...Perhaps the entire wealth of the Lower City wouldn't be enough to buy it."

Natasha's tone was not anxious. Her expression remained calm and composed, possessing great leadership qualities. Of course... without this steadiness, she wouldn't have been able to maintain order in the Lower City for decades.

"But I believe that if you didn't choose to trade with that Supreme Guardian in the Upper City, you must have some need for us... for Belobog."

"Reasonable."

Shirou Emiya nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I do have some needs from you, but it won't be easy for you to fulfill them."

"Please speak plainly."

"A 'Stellaron.' We need to destroy or contain it."

With his strength, he could easily clear the entire Jarilo-VI. However, clearing it quickly held little value for him. He wasn't a true do-gooder like Shirou Emiya.

Most importantly, unadjusted gifts often made people perceive you as too weak.

They might be grateful at first, but as soon as you stopped helping them unilaterally, they would resent you instead.

A favor given can turn into hatred when the need increases.

His inherited memories of "Shirou Emiya" were filled with such occurrences. Even if you offered them help, perhaps what awaited you wouldn't be a cup of clear water, but a bowl of poisoned soup.

On this Jarilo-VI, the little grey-haired boy needed to grow. Similarly, he would extend some help to these people based on the system's profit principles.

But teaching someone to fish is better than giving them a fish. The Endless Rice Bag could alleviate food pressure, but ultimately, it couldn't save this planet covered in ice and snow.

Igor, seven hundred years ago, couldn't do it. Alexandra Land, four hundred years ago, couldn't do it either. Cocolia's current choice to embrace the Stellaron was, in essence, just despair over the planet's continuous march towards death.

Therefore, Simply providing them with food was far from enough. This was merely a medicinal primer on a prescription; the finished medicine was by no means the grain that could only be converted by a handful of Path-followers desperately acting as production tools.

On the surface, only some Imaginary energy was paid, but the conversion of Imaginary energy consumed actual human energy. Excessive conversion wore down lives, and when the entire city's production capacity was placed on the shoulders of fewer than ten Path-followers, it was no longer simply food, but true man-eating bread.

Even so, people like Natasha and Bronya should still be content with it, right?

It was both a life-saving remedy and a deadly poison.

"'Stellaron'?"

Natasha pursed her lips slightly, frowning a little. The term was somewhat unfamiliar to her. She looked at Shirou Emiya, puzzled. He then briefly explained the situation of the Stellaron to her.

When she heard that the Stellaron might be the true culprit behind the cold wave, yet it was also the "shield" that protected the world from destruction by the Antimatter Legion, her heart couldn't help but feel complicated.

"If this thing truly exists, then as long as it's destroyed, this cold wave will dissipate, right?"

"That's correct."

"And those monsters in the ice, the so-called Antimatter Legion, will also awaken."

"That's also correct."

Natasha took a deep breath, her mind rapidly processing thoughts and weighing the options. Destroy the cold wave and face the monsters, or continue to eke out an existence under the cold wave.

What choice to make?

And what right did she have to make this choice on behalf of the Lower City, or even the entire Belobog?

"...What is your reason for wanting to destroy the Stellaron?"

With her thoughts in disarray, Natasha turned her gaze back to Shirou Emiya, hoping to find a legitimate reason, a just cause, in his explanation.

"It's blocking our path."

"???"

Natasha's beautiful eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, she was unable to react. She slightly opened and closed her lips, but for a long time, she couldn't utter another word.

"Surprised? Or perhaps, angry?"

Shirou Emiya quietly gazed at the leader of the Fire, and spoke softly again, "What if I said we are Nameless, Nameless from the Astral Express left behind by the Aeon of Preservation 'Akivili', who specifically descended from the heavens to resolve the Stellaron out of pure justice."

"Would you feel any better if I said that?"

Shirou stared at the leader of the Fire and continued, "The judgment should be made by you, not by referencing our answers. We are not from this planet, and we are merely stating our intentions and attitude. Whether you decide to cooperate or reject us, these two options can only be judged by you personally, by the people of this planet."

"...Don't place your hopes on others for everything, madam."

"If you need me to be a savior, then by all means, you can prostrate yourself before me now as if praying to a deity and beg me to resolve the 'Stellaron', the 'Void creatures', or even the 'Antimatter Legion' on this planet."

"However, the price for that... would be the complete negation of Jarilo-VI's millennia of suffering and history."

"There are some things I can do; but there are some things that must be done by you... by you, personally."

Chapter 026: Fire's Choice, New Spacetime Beacon Responds. (2/4)

Suffering is not worthy of praise.

But it should not be forgotten or denied even more.

If it were merely an individual seeking help, Shirou would not hesitate to extend a helping hand, but when it escalates to a nation, a civilization, a planet.

If help were extended this time, would they still need to be protected next time?

Providing limited assistance is called support.