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

Hercules' towering figure once again plummeted to the center of the two.

At this moment, he stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, naturally remaining silent. His expression was indifferent, and his attitude was self-evident.

"It's you again, you big guy! Is this never going to end?"

This scene made Cú Chulainn's mouth twitch suddenly, as he hadn't expected the guy to actually go back the way he came.

Yes, although he was extremely concerned about what was happening on Kiritsugu Emiya's side, Hercules was not a berserker after all; he was still the wise and brave hero he was today.

He believed that his Master couldn't possibly be unaware of the commotion that had been resolved here, and that Kiritsugu Emiya must know that the mission was accomplished. Therefore, he could now use Command Seals without any reservations.

If he truly needs my strength, Kiritsugu Emiya will definitely do so. And all I need to do now is keep an eye on these two most unstable elements in the Holy Grail War.

He absolutely could not allow any of them to die at this final moment, lest all their efforts be in vain. For Ilya's sake, and for his and his Master's ideals, Hercules still had to stop it all.

Watching the three of them entangled and restraining each other again, even Luo Wei felt somewhat helpless.

It's started again...

"So, even those who call themselves heroes can't escape the fate of battle in the end?"

He couldn't help but sigh.

"But that's normal, isn't it? Humans are stupid and weak, and they often go astray."

This time, the response was unexpected. Ishtar got up from the ground and said, "So, without the guidance of the goddess, they need to raise their banners in such a barbaric and bloody way as battle."

"But without fighting, there is no way to survive. Isn't it precisely because of constant fighting that humanity has been able to surpass other races and reach its current position?"

On the other side, Astraea said calmly, "So what if you guided them? Even the races you guided eventually disappeared into the annals of history, didn't they? Now, without the guidance of the gods, hasn't humanity still blossomed into a brilliant civilization no less than that of the Age of Gods?"

"Tch, isn't that because human will has never truly been unified?"

Ishtar immediately retorted: "Even if I diligently guide a group of humans, the next group, and the group after that, will soon have their own ideas and go astray. All of this is just a waste of effort. Isn't it precisely because of this that the gods, realizing this, decisively leave humanity? After all, after repeating this time and time again, even gods will not do such meaningless things again."

"But the results are still pretty good. After all, if you, Ishtar, were to continue guiding humanity, I can't imagine what humanity would become in the future."

Astraea looked relieved. "At least humans are happy now, and that's enough."

"What are you saying...?"

Ishtar's expression froze, and she was about to retort.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

But the next moment, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and let out a series of screams.

This is the punishment she is suffering.

"The reason why humans cannot be guided by gods is that the future of humanity can only be in human hands, and only human will can guide it."

Lovi sighed and explained earnestly, “Although gods are powerful, born noble, and possess authority, they can never understand humanity. Your so-called guidance, even if earnest, will not lead to human growth because it is merely pity and charity. As long as it is given to humanity, it can be used to create a false impression of prosperity, but once it disappears, it will regress. Ishtar, you don’t understand. Sympathy and pity will never allow civilization to grow. Only through trial and error, feeling pain, and through repeated blood and tears can it truly grow.”

After saying that, Luo Wei took a serious look at Ishtar, who was currently hidden on the stone pillar and holding a sign that read "I am a useless goddess who likes to cause trouble."

"Scars are the medals of warriors, but they are also a warning that humanity bears. Only by knowing pain and understanding pain can humanity go further."

"..."

After hearing his explanation, which was unusual, Ishtar did not refute it, but simply sighed.

"That's why I say humans don't need guidance. Because of their characteristics, the kind of humans that the gods desire will never appear. They will only grow into the kind of humans they choose."

"By the way, are you going to that place?"

Ishtar suddenly spoke.

"Yes, because someone just called, so I have to go and clean up this mess."

Lovi nodded and said, "The root of this Holy Grail War lies with me, so I have to take responsibility and clean everything up."

“You see very clearly, but…” Ishtar narrowed her eyes, “I need to remind you a little. When the Bull of Heaven was summoned, I sensed an extremely unusual energy over there. That aura is not something a mere Servant can reach. It’s an aura similar to Tiamat’s. You should understand what I mean, right?”

"I know... I could roughly predict it when I met that old man, and this time, the fact that he gave me his power so decisively probably means he wants me to handle it properly."

Luo Wei raised his hand and glanced at the ring on his hand.

"But don't worry, no one will die, and no tragedy will happen. With me here, everything will come to a peaceful end."

You're really reliable...

"Alright, as long as you know what's going on, I won't get involved anymore." Ishtar gently closed her eyes, as if she had gotten tired of playing, and leaned against the pillar.

"Then, I'll leave this to you."

Hearing her words, Rowe nodded, then entrusted Ishtar to Astraea to keep an eye on her, to prevent her from doing anything outrageous again when no one was watching.

Then, Luo Wei glanced at the numerous demon pillars behind him.

Especially when he saw Rafe, he nodded and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your hard work."

Upon receiving such praise, all the demon pillars present were excited and shook their heads, indicating that they had not worked hard at all.

Seeing them like this, Lowe couldn't help but sigh, "The tools Solomon created are really useful."

Later, when Reines and Grey saw the leader, Professor Rafe, their eyes widened in surprise. After all, they remembered that Professor Rafe was still conducting research, so how did he end up here? And what was that enormous body of his just now...?

Luo Wei was certainly aware of their doubts, but now was not the time to explain.

He patted Reines and Grey on the shoulder and told them to wait there for a moment, that he would be right back, and that he would clean up all the messes this time without missing a single one.

Hearing his words, Reines and Grey wanted to follow, but when they looked into Rowe's incredibly serious eyes, all their concern and unspoken words ultimately boiled down to one sentence.

Please come back soon.

"We will stay here quietly and wait for your return."

"Ah."

A smile appeared on his lips as Luo Wei raised his fist and gently touched the two men's palms together, as if making a promise.

He then turned around and nodded to the group of demons gathered behind him.

So……

Let's set off together.

Go to that final destination, Ryudong Temple.

Let's end it all here.

-

Meanwhile, inside Ryudong Temple, people looked up at the enormous, dark void above them.

Kiritsugu Emiya's eyes widened slightly, unable to stop himself from doing so.

This scene reminded him of the Holy Grail he had encountered many years ago.

This time, however, Irisviel was not present. The Holy Grail did not offer him a choice; instead, a gigantic and twisted figure hovered in the sky.

"Beast...human evil, the beast of 666..."

The legendary dragon had appeared right before his eyes. At that moment, Kiritsugu Emiya stared blankly at the enormous figure that had crawled out of the vast space beneath Ryudouji Temple and was rising ever higher into the sky through the void.

A chill that seemed to originate from his very soul froze his body, and fear overwhelmed his survival instincts.

There's no escaping it.

It's so obvious that you can understand it at first glance.

Because he had seen it with his own eyes, and because he had been so close to the other person, he was able to make such a certain conclusion.

So this is the guy Aozaki Touko was talking about who needs to be stopped? A situation that will turn into a disaster if left unchecked.

Looking at the enormous red dragon's figure, Kiritsugu Emiya's hand, which was gripping his gun, couldn't help but waver slightly.

I can't do it, I can't stop the other party...

They couldn't stop the opponent at all, even after summoning Hercules.

This thing is even more terrifying than the Bull of Heaven we just saw.

Right now, he's completely powerless to stop it...

There's nothing we can do.

Nothing can be done.

He had been determined to protect Ilya, ensure her survival, and be a good father, but now he felt like a joke.

Despite knowing that Ilya was in the deepest part, he was unable to break through the calamity-ridden dragon.

This is truly... ridiculous...

Countless red rays of light probed into the hole in the sky, accompanied by arcs of magical electricity. The dark hole above was forcibly enlarged, and then even the contents of the hole began to overflow.

It was black silt that exuded an ominous aura.

Just seeing it evoked a sense of physical disgust and a chill; he could almost hear the sounds of hatred, wailing, and even more... malice.

Even this most terrifying curse for humanity, which could corrupt a Servant simply by being touched by it, is, at most, just a useful tool for the girl who is connected to the Root and has personally analyzed the Holy Grail.

Since Aozaki Touko couldn't get her to come out faster, she was too lazy to wait any longer.

She used her own method to reanalyze and utilize the evil that nearly destroyed Fuyuki City ten years ago, and successfully hatched.

At this very moment, the princess of the origin has returned to this world in the form of a calamity dragon in the sky.

Ayaka Sajou, who was in the midst of it all and was exploiting the evil of this world, paid no attention to the insignificant Kiritsugu Emiya below, nor did she care about Illya, who was being used as a substitute for herself in the void.

To her, this human and the android were nothing more than insignificant insects. Although their obstruction forced her to break free of her constraints in such an ugly manner, it didn't matter.

She cares about other things.

There has always been only that one person.

"This aura... As expected, the prince I've been waiting for has returned, and he has become the true king."

Feeling the aura of Lovi, who had successfully mastered all of Solomon's power with the permission of the Holy Spirit, Ayaka Sajou let out a joyful sound.

Although the prince on his white horse has become a king, it doesn't matter to her.

Whether it's His Majesty the King or Prince Charming, it's all the same to her. What she's fascinated by is this unfathomable sense of novelty that can break her peace, which is why she has lived in this world for ten years.

For her, the world didn't matter; he was all she needed.

If it weren't for the guardian angel keeping her in check, she would have long ago summoned Lovi back using her own methods, even if the cost was enormous for this world.