In Type-Moon, it all starts with adopting Sakura.

He remarked to Rowe, "I don't think any hero king would easily share his treasures."

"Yes, I've been through so much. First, I went to Jerusalem and fought a three-way battle, then I played a game of World of Warcraft in Mesopotamia, and then I played a whole round of Mortal Kombat at the Temple of Time. These are some of the results I've achieved. Why don't you give it a try?"

"..."

Hearing these nonsensical words, Kiritsugu Emiya couldn't understand them, but that didn't stop him from realizing that the man in front of him was far beyond his comprehension. So he didn't hesitate and picked up the bottles and jars and started drinking them one by one.

"Does it work?"

"How are you feeling now?"

Luo Wei asked curiously, "Are you feeling better?"

"Sorry, there's still no response."

After finishing the potion, Kiritsugu Emiya gently shook his head and slowly put it down.

"I see..."

Seeing this, Luo Wei roughly understood that ordinary potions could not solve the evil of this world; only the top-tier potions from mythology could do the trick.

At any other time, such things would have been plentiful in the Babylonian treasury.

However, his treasury was shared with King Gilgamesh, and due to the pressure of the monster front, all sorts of potions and other miscellaneous items were distributed to the soldiers as war supplies by Gilgamesh. He also drank the potions to restore vitality and started working overtime. In addition, with the consumption of the King's Cannon, there really wasn't much of value left in his treasury. Now, all that's left are some well-known artifacts from various mythologies, and potions like those are nowhere to be found.

"It seems there's no other way after all... But it's alright, I will continue to fight. Don't worry, we won't let anyone die."

Having anticipated this outcome, Kiritsugu Emiya lowered his head and gave a bitter smile. However, he was not discouraged, because he no longer cared that he could not be cured.

He knew his body better than anyone else. After ten years of erosion, he was already terminally ill. He had tried to solve the problem in the past, but none of them worked. Now that he was continuing to burn his life force, it was naturally beyond saving.

Seeing this, Luo Wei sighed helplessly.

His prediction was correct; he was indeed terminally ill long ago. Ordinary potions were useless, and the only things that could save him were things like divine blood, golden apples, and immortal herbs.

The two behind him were eaten by Gilgamesh, and the one in front of him was also gone. Now he was a completely ordinary person, no longer possessing the characteristics of a son of God, and his blood was no longer divine blood, so he couldn't solve the problem in one go.

At this moment, he suddenly missed his adoptive father and the power of the Christian faith.

Although it's a lot of trouble, it's really useful.

"Okay, thank you for your help. You've already helped me a lot. That's good enough."

Even after realizing that he was beyond saving, Kiritsugu Emiya did not feel despondent or sad; his expression remained perfectly calm.

He looked at Luo Wei and said calmly, "Let me walk this path alone from now on. I'm a little tired, so let me sleep for a while."

"I see..."

Hearing this, Luo Wei raised an eyebrow, then asked, "What about your daughter? Aren't you going back to take care of her? It's getting late."

“Ilya…it’s alright. Maiya came here yesterday. It’s enough that she’s there to help take care of Ilya. I don’t want them to see me like this.”

"I'm sorry, I've asked you for so much help, but I'm so tired that I don't even have the strength to talk to you anymore. I really can't hold on any longer, I need to rest for a while..."

As he spoke, Kiritsugu Emiya's voice grew softer and softer until it finally fell silent, leaving only a series of calm breaths in the room.

This time, he had a dream, a dream of his past, a dream of himself amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Similarly, this time he saw not only himself who had killed his father, adoptive mother, and lover, but he also witnessed a tragedy.

He witnessed firsthand, amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, a hero who had overcome twelve trials and possessed the power to lift the heavens, kill his own child in a fit of rage and madness.

He witnessed firsthand that the giant-like man shed tears.

The pain etched deep in his memory, the sin and agony of killing his loved ones with his own hands, resonated deeply with Kiritsugu Emiya.

This unforgettable pain caused that tall and brave giant, that hero who had faced countless hardships without shedding a single tear, to shed extremely painful tears for the first time after everything happened.

After that incident, he began to hate everything about himself, and he especially hated his own power.

He once questioned his body, angrily questioning why it possessed such great power, and why it used those hands, which should have been used to protect his family, to kill his own child.

At that moment, Hercules felt hatred for everything he had.

Because when he went berserk, it wasn't that no one tried to stop him, but because of his immense power, no one could stop him when he went berserk, or even delay him in the slightest.

And that child, until the very end, the smile on his face and the murmur of his father remained an inescapable curse lingering in his heart.

That was not a trial; it was his sin, his crime, the greatest original sin that he would have to pay for his entire life, but which he could never ever repay.

In another world, even though he had relinquished the power he hated, abandoned the symbolic treasures of the Twelve Glories, and left only his unwavering body, he still couldn't protect that tiny snowflake.

Kiritsugu Emiya also witnessed firsthand the scene where Hercules, who possessed the twelve trials and twelve lives and was determined to protect Illya, died at the hands of Gilgamesh. He also saw Illya's eyes being blinded and her life taken away by Gilgamesh at the end of her life.

At that moment, he roared in resentment along with Hercules.

"Ilya!!"

Suddenly, Kiritsugu Emiya opened his eyes.

But he discovered that it was just a dream, or rather, a memory belonging to Hercules.

Having seen so much, he seemed to understand everything.

At that moment, the jet-black giant stood before him, looking down at Kiritsugu Emiya.

"So that's how it is... Is this the reason you answered my summons?"

Looking at Hercules before him, Kiritsugu Emiya recalled everything he had seen, and at that moment he understood everything completely.

"Because we've both lost everything, because we've done things that can't be undone, we must atone for our sins; because we failed to protect Illya, we must fight once again..."

In one world, he hated the Twelve Glories stained with blood, which led to Ilya's death. So this time, even though Hercules loathed the power that killed his child, he had to endure the discomfort and pain to pick it up again.

We will overcome all difficulties, defeat all enemies, and never repeat the same mistakes.

And this time, Hercules made an unshakeable vow.

[I will never kill anyone.]

This was a vow he made from the bottom of his heart, a vow he made to his soul.

Using this power that represents killing for good will never defeat anyone; it will only be used for protection.

He will do everything in his power to ensure that Kiritsugu Emiya and Illya live a peaceful and happy life forever.

"You've seen it all, haven't you, Master? That memory about me."

"Ah."

"So……"

Hercules extended his generous hand to Kiritsugu Emiya, "Please fight alongside me."

"I will."

Seeing Hercules' outstretched hand, Kiritsugu Emiya didn't hesitate and placed his hand in it. The warmth quickly spread through him, and he spoke with unwavering conviction:

"I will fight alongside you, and this time we will not repeat the same mistakes, great hero."

"Ah."

Upon hearing Kiritsugu Emiya's words, Hercules, who was standing in front of him, did not say much, but a faint smile appeared on his lips.

It is precisely because they have similar experiences that they understand that some wounds can never be forgotten, no matter how much time has passed.

All they can do is cherish the present moment and make choices that they will not regret.

……

Meanwhile, in Bazette's cheap apartment.

"Are you alright, Lancer?"

Looking at Cú Chulainn, who had been sullen since returning last night, Bazett sighed and then asked him a question.

Because of the commotion she caused yesterday, the police blocked the road, forcing her to take a long detour. When she arrived, Cú Chulainn was the only one left sitting on the shore of the bridge, seemingly lost in thought.

Although he appeared to be unharmed, the astonishing explosion unleashed by the release of his Noble Phantasm was undeniable.

Realizing they had lost communication, Bazette quit her job today, bought a few cans of beer, sat down next to Cú Chulainn, sighed, and asked:

"What's wrong, Lancer? Are you still upset about yesterday's battle? Is it because you didn't defeat your opponent?"

Cú Chulainn took the beer Bazett offered, took a big gulp, and replied, "How could I be so petty? It's just that there are some things that bother me."

"Is what's bothering you... still the Servant you encountered yesterday? That person must be very strong."

"Ah, incredibly strong. The King of the Third Crusade, despite having neither demigod blood nor divine influence, just a complete human being, is ridiculously strong. He not only summoned seven companions to assist in the battle but also combined their abilities into one. It's giving me a real headache. I even lost to him in terms of speed, which I'm so proud of."

Cú Chulainn took a sip of beer and continued talking to himself, "It's truly admirable that someone could achieve this much with his abilities. Although that guy wasn't the king of our time, I can sense that even if he lived in our era, he would definitely be a good opponent or a good ruler."

"The King of the Third Crusade, isn't that... Richard I, the Lionheart? So it really was you two who clashed over your Noble Phantasms before?"

Upon hearing this, Bazett's eyes widened slightly, and he hurriedly continued to ask, "So what was the final result?"

"What else can I do? I'm here completely unharmed."

Cú Chulainn whistled and continued, "He has the advantage in speed, and his hexagonal shape is flawless, but I'm still superior in martial arts, so neither of us can defeat the other. Let's just have a Noble Phantasm clash!"

"You...did you kill them?"

Knowing that Cú Chulainn was standing unharmed before him, Bazett immediately had this thought in his mind. However, given the clash of magical forces last night, it was truly hard to imagine that Cú Chulainn would emerge unscathed. That was a terrifying collision that nearly shattered the entire Fuyuki City Bridge.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Cú Chulainn's lips twitched.

Thinking about what happened last night, he felt a little uneasy.

They originally intended to test their skills and fight to the death with Lionheart, but instead, the two top-tier Servants were wiped out in one fell swoop by Lionheart's slow-motion attacks.

With a giant axe in his left hand and a heavy sword in his right, his combination of techniques left him completely helpless.

What's even more outrageous is that Cú Chulainn and Richard the Lionheart, whose battle had been aborted, originally wanted to unite against this monster, which was clearly stronger than either of them, before engaging in combat.

As a result, Rowe descended from the sky and immediately stopped their battle.

More importantly, Cú Chulainn was surprised to find that Lovi, whom he had specially invited to cheer him on, was not only someone he knew, but also someone who seemed to be more familiar with Lionheart and Hercules than with him.

Hercules seemed to have anticipated Lovi's arrival, and Cú Chulainn even suspected that Lovi had summoned this giant for him. Lionheart was even more astonishing; the moment he saw Lovi, he knelt down as if he had met an idol, and said some things that Cú Chulainn didn't understand. His behavior gave Cú Chulainn the illusion that he had fallen into a trap.

If he hadn't already known that Lovi's servant was a Caster, he would have thought that Lionheart was Lovi's servant. Anyway, things got weird, so he lost the will to continue fighting.

Thinking of this, Cú Chulainn sighed and said.

"It was stopped by an even stronger guy. That guy was ridiculously strong. In a one-on-one fight, I would just get smashed to pieces. I wouldn't stand a chance. By the way, that guy's real name was the great Greek hero, Hercules."