Treasure

Before the Holy Grail War began, before Kiritsugu Emiya went to Fuyuki.

At Einzbern Castle, Kiritsugu Emiya faces a pivotal decision in his life: on one hand, the Avalon sword sheath needed for this Holy Grail War; on the other, an old-fashioned pistol loaded with the Origin Bullet of Magecraft.

In life, we face far too many choices. Sometimes, there isn't even a right option; we can only choose the less bad one from two bad ones.

But no matter which option you choose, there will always be gains and losses.

According to the Einzbern Family's pact, participating in the Holy Grail War might mean a near-certain death, or even certain death, but it is Kiritsugu Emiya wish and the most likely shortcut to fulfilling his desire.

The other option is to kill everyone in the Einzbern, kill the two homunculi who are monitoring Illya under the guise of caring for her, kill Ahadon, and then leave with Illya and Irisviel.

One is a wish, the other is family.

Kiritsugu Emiya silently finished his cigarette, then subconsciously reached into his pocket for his cigarette pack, only to find it empty. The countless cigarette butts on the ground told him how long he had been pondering there.

Finally, Kiritsugu Emiya picked up that familiar pistol.

*

On a private jet--

"So, in other words, for some reason Leyritt's Magic Circuits went out of control. She was almost made dinner by wolves in the wild when Illya helped her escape, right?"

After listening to Sella's explanation, Bai Mo roughly understood the reason and also understood why Leyritt valued Illya so much.

"Yes, back then, Leyritt's hat was torn, and Illya helped to mend it herself. The bow you see was made by Illya."

Leyritt's hat did indeed have a rather conspicuous bow on it, and now at least we know where that came from.

The two, as if on cue, stopped discussing the topic. After all, the whole affair was strange. Why was Leyritt, the personal maid, there? And how could she, a combat-type character, suddenly go berserk and lose control? If it was a coincidence, it was far too coincidental.

But this isn't a very important matter. Ultimately, it's a matter for Illya's family, Bai Mo doesn't want to know too much about it.

Tell me about the Holy Grail War.

"I can only tell you what I know. Summoning historically renowned heroes to fight each other, with the last one standing being the victor—that's it..."

"Martial God Ultimate?"

"What is that? The Holy Grail War, the final victor receives the Holy Grail, which can be used as an all-powerful wish-granting device. What are you talking about?"

"Ah, it's similar to yours, isn't it?"

"I see, so there are other similar Magecraft rituals in the world."

Just as the two were talking, a voice came over the loudspeaker, waking Illya up.

"Passengers, you may now open the window shades to enjoy the sunset over the Greece sea."

Illya hurriedly pulled open the sunshade, and the beautiful sunset reflected its afterglow. The world-famous scenery attracted countless people just to catch a glimpse of her beauty.

You don't seem interested.

Sella asked Bai Mo, who was lying in a chair with his eyes closed, "What is this?"

"It's nothing, I've seen it before."

Sella looked at Bai Mo, the setting sun reflecting on his face, his eyes seeming to be recalling a past event.

"Sella, what's that?"

Illya pointed to something not far away and asked Sella about it. What Illya pointed to was an airplane, or more precisely, the airplane that Sella had originally planned to take, but Bai Mo had rejected it, and the group ended up boarding this private plane.

At this moment, the plane was in a very bad state. A thick plume of black smoke trailed behind it, like a paper airplane folded by a sixth-grade student. Without any power support, it was slamming the accelerator to the floor, carrying a cabin full of passengers toward the gates of Hell.

"Why didn't we receive a distress signal? And what's wrong with the plane's data? Damn it, the engines are out of control, we have to make an emergency landing."

The private jet captain frowned deeply, and the other end of the communication line remained silent, as if the entire world had shrunk to just the two of them.

"Sella, Leyritt, take good care of Illya, I'm going out for a bit."

"Get out? This is an airplane traveling at 1,000 kilometers per hour, how are you going to..."

The next moment, Bai Mo opened the hatch, his figure disappeared, and then the hatch closed again, just like opening an ordinary door. There was no strong wind pressure or biting cold.

Bai Mo took off, electricity crackling beneath his feet, and the private jet slowly descended towards an island at a steady speed. He glanced coldly at a floating cloud, then turned his gaze back to the passenger plane, before shooting off like an arrow.

Within the clouds that Bai Mo was watching, an invisible helicopter was floating, and inside the cabin, a strange woman in a tight-fitting spy suit was joking with a sweating man who was gritting his teeth.

"I must say, Mr. Ruruga, your luck is truly terrible. Your meticulously planned hijacking was discovered by a private plane that was suddenly dispatched. You tried to silence them, but found that your opponent was no ordinary person. What are you going to do now?"

"Shut up, Koyanskaya! You vixen, you're probably secretly rejoicing over my misfortune right now. Damn it, why did this have to happen to me!"

Koyanskaya, known as the female fox, paid no heed to his shouts, even though he was right. She wore a tight black bodysuit, her pink hair was clearly the work of a fashion master, but she had beast ears on her head and a fluffy pale pink tail behind her.

"However, that guy obviously has some way to stop that plane. If he manages to stop it... I don't need to elaborate on what will happen to the person who can't repay the debt."

Koyanskaya's eyes were fixed on Ruruga like a wild beast eyeing its prey.

Ruruga swallowed hard and said, "I know, you damned fox, you're going to Hell!"

After saying that, he put on the flying squirrel suit and jumped directly off the plane.

"Alright, since we've come across something interesting, I'll take a closer look."

Koyanskaya piloted the plane, approaching the passenger plane's location, while Bai Mo had already arrived beside it.

Everyone inside was unconscious, which means it was a staged event. Was the guy who approached me Magecraft?

Thinking this, Bai Mo waved his hand, and a net woven from electricity, like a spider web, tightly bound the passenger plane. Like a butterfly caught in a spider web, the turbulence of the passenger plane instantly disappeared.

How could this be? How could my Magecraft be broken so quickly? That was Magecraft I spent three months infiltrating and setting up, and it was dispelled so soon! Ruruga was amazed and had the urge to retreat, but when she realized that she had nowhere left to retreat, she could only grit her teeth.

In fact, Bai Mo did not break the Magecraft; he simply used his great strength to make the Magecraft unable to work.

In his desperation, Ruruga disregarded everything else, but the plane's descent speed did not decrease, and even increased. Even though he reduced the drag on his body to a minimum, he could not catch up and could only watch helplessly as the passenger plane plummeted.

"Does this guy also know where that treasure is located?"

Thinking of this, Ruruga was extremely anxious. Bai Mo controlled the plane to descend rapidly. Just a few hundred meters above the ground, at the end of the power grid, the invisible currents seemed to come alive. Like birds spreading their wings, their descent speed decreased sharply, and the plane finally landed smoothly on a small island.

Bai Mo confirmed that no one had died on the plane. Looking around, he saw the sun setting and heard the familiar sound of waves, as if he had returned to the past.

"Take this with you... After we rescue Medea, would you like to live here with me?"

To Bai Mo, it all seemed like it had just happened recently, but in fact, thousands of years had passed.

"This is... Aeaea Island."

The sunset, both strange and familiar, reminded me of when I resolved to return the Garment of the Hawk after completing my task. Now, the Garment of the Hawk is damaged, and she is gone.

He closed his eyes, trying to fully experience this world. If Athena and Zeus were still alive, Bai Mo would definitely have personally killed them. But to Bai Mo's great disappointment, he felt no divine presence whatsoever...

"Damn it, what have you done, you busybody!"

The person descending from the sky interrupted Bai Mo's senses. Ruruga took out a dagger, her eyes bulging like fish eyes.

"Damn it, I discovered this treasure first! Don't you understand first come, first served?! I paid such a high price to break the seal here, you bastard, get ready..."

A cold glint flashed, and Ruruga felt the world turn upside down.

Why are heaven and earth turned upside down? Have I fallen for his Magecraft?

Then he saw his body fall, and blood splattered like a fountain.

Oh, so my head was cut off...

This was Ruruga's last consciousness.

Bai Mo Bai Mo grabbed his head with one hand. He didn't want to waste any more words with this murderer who had completely disregarded life. The brain dies within minutes of a person's head being cut off, which was enough time for him to read all his thoughts.

Magecraft whose origin is [Chaos], whose origin Magecraft can disrupt the operation of Magecraft. After learning of his special talent, he indiscriminately killed innocent people and indulged in pleasure for a long time. He escaped from pursuit several times with the help of his origin and NFF.

He wanted to escape to an illegal area and live a carefree life forever, but he encountered a problem: he had no money.

During the relentless pursuit, the once extravagant spender found himself in dire straits, only to discover, from a tattered scroll, the treasure Jason had left behind...

"Wait, Jason's treasure? Here, why is it on Aeaea Island?"

These questions had no clues in his memory. He discovered the location of Jason's treasure, only to find that it was protected by a powerful defensive barrier, so powerful that even his once-proud [Chaos Magecraft] could not break through it.

Finally, after three months of infiltration, he took control of an airline plane, turning it into a Magecraft workshop. Using the lives of all the passengers as fuel, he pushed his Magecraft to its limit, then used the high-speed plane to crash into the chaotic defensive barrier, destroying it.

They're worthless and deserve to die.

Bai Mo burned his head to ashes and coldly said, "Get down."

Koyanskaya prepared to depart in the air, she sighed, "Alas, the debtor is dead, and he has no relatives. What a pity about this deal. I was hoping that thing would be of some use, but now I've been dragged into this mess too?"

Bai Mo's voice came from Koyanskaya's plane, reaching directly through the air at an altitude of hundreds of meters. Now, Koyanskaya's problem was no longer whether to stay or leave.

To stay or to die, choose one. When Bai Mo's voice reached her ears, the question left her with no choice.

Koyanskaya dispelled her invisibility Magecraft, but instead of rushing down, she used her makeup bag to touch up her makeup, applied lipstick, and then gracefully descended the rope ladder.

"Good evening. Koyanskaya, the NFF service representative who can satisfy all human desires, has come to visit at your invitation."

The woman before him was undoubtedly a stunning beauty; every smile and frown could ignite a man's primal instincts. Bai Mo looked at the woman before him, his brows furrowing slightly. Bai Mo's first reaction upon seeing someone was to use his Magnetic Field Power to probe them, like an X-ray, to understand their physical structure, what weapons they carried, and what made them special.

Koyanskaya had quite a few weapons, but what caught Bai Mo's attention was her body.

This body is without a doubt not human.

Bai Mo pointed to the headless corpse to the side and said, "That guy is your client, isn't he?"

"What are you talking about? That's just a lump of flesh over there. A dead person can't be called a person anymore. But I'll take care of retrieving it, since that lump of flesh is Mr. Ruruga's last legacy, and even if it's just a small amount, it has to be used as collateral for debts. Of course, if you want it, NFF can give it to you as a gift."

In a wolf pack, the living wolves are members, but the dead wolves are just meat. The same is true for humans. Although Koyanskaya cannot be called a human, she is well aware of the laws of humanity.

Planes circled overhead, and finally the private jet landed here, where Illya and her two companions also arrived.

Then, Koyanskaya handed a business card to Bai Mo, speaking with the air of a salesperson from a publicly listed company, "This is NFF Company's business card. Infiltration, production, negotiation, sales, assassination, and other services are all part of our company. If you need anything, I can offer you discounts and special services."

A smart woman will demonstrate her value while showcasing the power behind her. Killing herself would cause considerable turmoil and directly convey the message that "I am more useful to you while I am alive."

Bai Mo Bai Mo memorized everything on the business card and was about to leave when Koyanskaya called him back.

"Wait, sir, I happen to have a business opportunity here. Would you be interested?"

"I have no interest in Jason's treasure. Do you have archaeology as a side job?"

Bai Mo grabbed Illya, whose face was full of curiosity, and prepared to leave, but Koyanskaya's next words made him stop in his tracks.

"Of course, my support for Ruruga's exploration of Jason's treasure isn't just for the money there, but also for the legendary legacy left by the witches of the Age of Gods. Aren't you curious? The magic left by the witches Medea and Circe, the Magecraft that resurrected Bai Ermo."

Bai Mo sighed. He realized that his butterfly had flapped its wings thousands of years ago and had probably influenced many things by now. At least in his memory, Jason hadn't left behind any treasures.

Please elaborate.

Just as Bai Mo opened his mouth, the entire island began to tremble violently.

"What's going on? Was it an earthquake?" Sella steadied herself while protecting Illya with Leyritt, while Bai Mo and Koyanskaya looked in a certain direction on the island.

That was where Circe once lived; now the Daichi has sunk, creating a downward-facing staircase.

"Well, sir, would you like to accept my invitation?"

Koyanskaya extended the invitation again, and this time Bai Mo did not refuse. He simply walked silently towards the stairs, and Koyanskaya followed him down. Ilya followed behind with curious eyes and Seraliselite.

As they walked up the stone steps, Koyanskaya, Illya, and the others were drawn to the carved murals depicting Jason's life. Bai Mo also noted down the details on the murals while keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"Bai Mo, why did you stop?"

Illya looked at Bai Mo Bai Mo, who had suddenly stopped, and asked, "We're not the first people to come here. Others have been here before. The dust under our feet isn't evenly distributed."

Upon hearing this, Koyanskaya immediately checked and found it to be true.

"Sigh, I didn't expect someone else to get there first. After all, it's a treasure from thousands of years ago; there's nothing we can do about it."

Koyanskaya sighed, and Illya's expectations were also severely dampened.

"Let's go. Those heroes were smart; the truly valuable things are still there."

Bai Mo's words reassured everyone, and they continued deeper into the room until they arrived at a huge empty room.

"It's huge, it's so spacious."

Illya said that she felt a sense of relief after coming all the way from the narrow tunnel.

"It seems you were right, this should be a place where treasures are stored. Now it's completely empty. The newcomer certainly has a big appetite."

Koyanskaya looked at the empty room and said.

Sella was warily watching her surroundings, but she wasn't paying attention to her footing and tripped. Just as she was about to make intimate contact with the ground, Bai Mo caught her in time.

"Thank you, Mr. Bai Mo, uh, Bai Mo?"

Bai Mo didn't make any further moves, as if he had seen something shocking standing there, leaving Sella in a somewhat ambiguous position.

"Bai Mo, what are you doing?"

Bai Mo helped Sella up, ignoring her words and explanations, and picked up the thing that Sella —a gold coin stuck in a crevice in the rocks.

Ancient Greece gold coins mostly lacked a standardized measurement, resulting in a variety of shapes and sizes. This particular coin, however, was one that Bai Mo was very familiar with.

"I didn't expect there would still be some left, Miss Sella. You're quite lucky! I think you should keep this gold coin; it might be your lucky charm."

Koyanskaya teased upon seeing this.

Lucky coin? This thing? A sense of absurdity arose in Bai Mo's heart. This gold coin was the one he had given to that woman in the slums, the one that ultimately led to the death of her child. He couldn't be mistaken about the shape.

Why did the thief take all the money, but leave this gold coin behind, and eventually get it back into his hands?