A Dimensional Journey Begins with the Dragon Clan

Chapter 1211 1204. Fantasy

But this wasn't so bad - the King of Heroes felt very satisfied as he touched his new body that he had unexpectedly acquired.

"Is it God's will that I reign supreme again in this era and unify the world... Humph, the previous tests were boring enough. But it doesn't matter. No matter how dissatisfied I am, I still have to accept reality."

Although he felt it was very troublesome, since this was a challenge issued by the gods to him, there was no reason not to fight. As the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh smiled bitterly again.

Passing through the deep darkness, Kotomine Kirei regained consciousness.

The first thing I felt was heat, and then I smelled the scent of burning human fat. I opened my eyes and looked around, and the raging flames in front of me seemed to be scorching the sky.

"here it is……"

He originally thought that he had entered the mental world of the Holy Grail again after touching the mud again, but when he saw the naked man next to him, he immediately denied this possibility.

"Gilgamesh...what happened?"

"You are such a troublesome man. It took me a lot of effort to dig you out from under the rubble."

Kirei tried hard to use his confused brain to think, trying to grasp the whole incident. The last memory was that he was kneeling on the ground in the large prop warehouse of the Municipal Hall, and was shot from behind by Kiritsugu. ——No matter how you think about it, he should have been killed instantly.

He tore open his vestments at his chest to examine the spot where the bullet must have pierced his chest.

Suddenly, the image of black mud emerged before my eyes.

"...?"

It's an illusion. There is no scar on the chest. Try putting your hand over your heart.

"...Did you treat me, Gilgamesh?"

"Well, you do look dead, but you and I are connected by a contract. I gained a body because of the mud, and maybe you are alive again for some reason."

The black mud that failed to completely erode Gilgamesh eventually reached Kotomine Kirei's body along the magic power supply line that once connected Archer and his Master, and became a source of life force that could replace his heart. That's why Kirei was resurrected.

In other words, Kirei is now surviving on the magic power provided by "all the evil in the world".

"All Servants have been destroyed, and I am the only one left. Do you understand what I mean, Kirei?"

"..."

Kirei, whose mind was not yet fully clear, stared into Gilgamesh's red eyes.

"We are the ones who have obtained the Holy Grail, so all you have to do is keep your eyes open and watch. If the Holy Grail can really fulfill the wishes of the victor, then the scene before you - Kotomine Kirei, is exactly what you desire."

The hell of red lotus. The screams carried into his ears by the wind. The dancing tongues of fire. Kirei stared at the scene in a daze.

"This is... my wish?"

Exactly. If this feeling of filling the emptiness in my heart can be called "satisfaction" at this moment.

"Destruction and sighing... can they make me happy?"

Exactly. If the feeling surging in my heart at this moment can be called "joy".

At this moment, Kotomine Kirei finally understood the true nature of his own soul.

The beauty of everything collapsing.

People in pain are so lovable.

The screams in my ears were so satisfying.

The charred remains are so ridiculous.

"……Ha ha."

Unable to suppress the emotions that had reached a boiling point, Kirei laughed in despair.

What kind of evil is this? What a cruel devil I am.

This world despised by God is actually filled with bright joy.

"Who am I? Hahaha, what am I!?"

Even the heart-wrenching despair was so sweet. Kirei's body trembled with laughter. The touch from his fingertips to the top of his head was unusually clear and vivid.

Ah, I am alive now—

I really exist, right here—

For the first time, I realized, for the first time, I truly felt, the bond between myself and the world.

"Why is it so twisted? Why is it so filthy? Am I really the descendant of Kotomine Risei? Hahahaha, impossible! This is impossible! What is this!? Could it be that my father could actually give birth to a dog!?"

Kirei found the truth from a place that was completely opposite to his own beliefs. The result of this irony was surprisingly satisfying.

  How many detours have I taken. Was this all a dream?

Praise the preciousness of kindness, sing the praises of the beauty of holiness. It was precisely because he firmly believed in such truth that Kirei wasted more than twenty years of his life. He did not realize that his nature was completely contrary to such truth.

"——Are you satisfied, Kirei?"

The priest laughed until he was exhausted and his breathing was rapid but he still held his stomach. Gilgamesh asked in a calm tone.

"No, that's not enough. That's not enough."

Kirei wiped away the tears that flowed from his wild laughter and shook his head.

"Indeed - I finally got the answer in a life full of question marks. This is a great progress. However, this does not solve any problems. I just skipped the process and method of answering the question and got the answer directly. Just like this, how can you let me admit it, and what can I admit?"

If God is the creator of all things, then "happiness" is the truth for all souls. But now, a soul that violates morality but is happy really exists. Kirei has just believed that this soul is none other than himself.

This creates a contradiction in the definition of good and evil, and the location of truth. This contradiction is impossible to ignore.

"There should be an easy-to-understand reason for the equation that led to this strange answer. No, there must be. What is it? I must find out. I must find it. Even if it takes me a lifetime to understand it."

After laughing crazily to his heart's content, the smile remained on his sad face like the remnants of the previous laughter. Perhaps he would always keep this expression in the future. Only by accepting the reality of oneself and the world, and being able to face everything calmly, can one have a calm smile. Facing Kotomine Kirei's refreshing demeanor, Gilgamesh nodded.

"You really don't feel bored... Well, I, Gilgamesh, will watch you carry out your fearless belief in seeking the truth."

Kirei looked around once more, savoring the stunning scenery that the Holy Grail had brought him.

The amount of black mud that set the entire city ablaze should not be enough to compare with the amount left in the Holy Grail. When all the mud is released, what kind of hell will appear before our eyes?

Yes - its existence is just like Kirei's, it is something that goes against ethics. Thinking about it now, when Kirei saw that illusion, he had expectations in his heart. If such a "thing" really came into being and proved its existence, perhaps other explanations that have nothing to do with ethics and morality can be deduced.

"All the evil in the world—"

Thinking a little impatiently, Kirei blurted out the name.

I must find it again, I must witness it again with my own eyes, its birth, and the value of its existence.

——Suddenly, Kirei discovered that a figure appeared from the other side of the leaping flames.

His windbreaker, blown by the heat, was torn in several places and covered with black stains. The man walked unsteadily like a sleepwalker, wandering in the burning streets.

He was Emiya Kiritsugu. Although he didn't know exactly what happened, it seemed that he had lost Saber and survived the fire.

In contrast to his unimpressive footsteps, his terrifying aura as he looked around was like a wailing ghost wandering in a burning hell. It was obvious that he was looking for something, and he was not afraid to die in the sea of ​​fire to find it.

Could it be that he found out that he failed to kill Kirei, so he chased after him——

Just as he was thinking this, their eyes met. Kirei accepted his empty gaze without flinching.

"Then let's fight—"

Although the injuries on his right hand and left leg were still the same, Kirei did not think he would lose at this moment. He once again recalled the unwillingness he felt when the previous battle was decided. He would not give up until he got his revenge.

But things did not develop as Kirei had expected. It was as if Kirei was transparent in Kiritsugu's eyes. He looked away as if nothing had happened and continued to look around, leaving aimlessly.

"..."

His high morale was poured with a bucket of cold water, and when he came to his senses, Kirei realized that he felt an indescribable depression in his heart.

"Hmm? What's wrong Kirei?"

It seemed that Gilgamesh had not noticed Kiritsugu's figure before. Kirei shook his head silently, as a response to the King of Heroes.

Emiya Kiritsugu's expression was obviously strange. His once sharp eyes had disappeared, and his eyes were as lifeless as empty caves. He looked so absent-minded that he couldn't even recognize the things right in front of him. So, perhaps he didn't notice Kirei's gaze on him at all.

That man has become a walking corpse. It is not worth considering him as an enemy. Kiritsugu, who brought disaster upon himself in order to save others, is a true loser. He must be looking for a survivor who can give him some comfort. It is so stupid. In his current state, he will soon disappear in this sea of ​​fire. There is no need to think about it anymore. This person has no meaning to me anymore.

——Kirei explained this to himself in his heart, and at the same time, he put aside the distress in his heart.

Even if I really become a walking corpse, even if I am just a pile of remains.

Even so, Emiya Kiritsugu actually ignored Kotomine Kirei and left on his own. This fact brought him a great sense of humiliation.

  ···········

Sometimes a broken machine not only stops functioning quietly, but in rare cases it may unexpectedly continue to function.

It was also one of the rare cases where Kariya was able to crawl back to the Matou residence in Miyama-cho.

During these months, Kariya's body was actually in a very dangerous state. If it weren't for the magic power refined by the Crest Worm, he would not be able to move at all. And when the Crest Worm died due to the heavy load of Berserker's rampage, Kariya should have been able to just wait for death.

But despite this, Kariya still stood up from the ground in the basement, escaped from the collapsing municipal hall, and then crossed the burning streets and walked through the long night road that crossed Fuyuki City. This was a miracle that was achieved without the help of the Holy Grail.

However, Kariya at the moment was completely unable to realize how rare such examples were, nor was he able to express gratitude for God’s mercy.

He had long lost track of time, and his mind was already in a state of confusion. He could not even remember how he had escaped tonight. His severely injured body was ready to collapse at any moment, and even his spirit was almost worn out. Only the belief of "saving Sakura" kept Kariya going here.

Standing in front of the familiar staircase filled with a foul smell, facing the darkness below, Kariya finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Just below this staircase, deep in the darkness of the early warehouse, Sakura was imprisoned. Almost there, almost there.

As expected, no one tried to stop him. Zouken, who had monitored Kariya's movements through the Crest Bug, must have thought that he had long since died on the battlefield in Shinto. For Kariya, who was eyeing the opportunity, this was a good opportunity that could not be missed. The bug in Kariya's body was dead, killed by Berserker. It surrendered before Kariya, and Kariya defeated the bug.

Then this time——this time I will definitely be able to rescue the imprisoned Sakura and escape with her.

Kariya walked down the stairs. Although he didn't know whether he was walking, crawling, or simply rolling, he knew that he was moving downwards. The commotion of insects rang in his ears. They were angry because of the invasion. He had to hurry, before Zōken found him.

In the depths of darkness, a young girl's silhouette appeared. Tonight, Sakura was invaded and bitten by insects as usual. Her confused and empty eyes suddenly focused on Kariya who was approaching her.

"……grandfather……?"

"Yakura - I'm here to save you. It's alright now -"

He finally made this confession. He didn't know how long he had been waiting for this moment.

You don't have to despair anymore, you don't have to give up anymore. The nightmare is over and it won't come back again.

Take off the handcuffs and leg irons that are tightening around the girl's soft skin. Go, Ying, and take back the future you deserve.

Kariya took Sakura's hand and walked out of the insect warehouse, then quietly and unnoticed, walked through the night of Miyama Town. Aoi and Rin were waiting in the neighboring town. In the courtyard of the nostalgic Zen Castle mansion, the mother was finally reunited with her daughter. Kariya was going to take the three of them on a trip, to a place that no one knew, to a place where they would not be disturbed by anyone, and spend every day there happily. Just as they had agreed, everyone played games happily together. Aoi smiled as she watched her two daughters running among the flowers. Sakura picked white grass and Rin made a wreath with it. The two said that they would give the wreath to "Dad" as a gift while vying for the opportunity to wear the wreath for Kariya. Wearing a pair of wreaths, Aoi smiled and held Kariya's hand tightly. Ah, thank you. Kariya laughed and cried, hugging his beloved wife and daughter. Dad is so happy. He is the happiest person to have such a wife and daughter. So there is nothing to regret. All this is worth risking his life for. The pain you put in will be rewarded, and what you want will be in your hands——

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