You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

"Hoohoho!!!"

But the dragon's vitality was no joke; it even had the strength to open its mouth wide towards Iori—

boom!

"Tsk, that's really troublesome."

Iori snorted coldly and quickly retreated, avoiding the flames spewed by the dragon.

Merlin Lily stood at a distance, her wand waving rapidly, and a sea of ​​flowers submerged Salamander's four legs in pink waves. Iori seized the opportunity to slash forward and cut Salamander's neck open with a single sword stroke.

The dragon let out a painful roar as Iori's longsword pierced its abdomen, causing blood to gush out. Flames crackling with lightning followed, instantly turning the dragon's belly into a charred corpse.

"Ow..."

Salamander's body swayed a few times before collapsing to the ground with a thud, turning into a wisp of black smoke and dissipating into the air.

"Good job!"

Ritsuka breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on her face.

Iori sheathed her longsword and took a slight breath, clearly having exhausted a lot of energy in the battle just now.

Ritsuka and Merlin Lily were still basking in the joy of victory, and Iori also seemed to be smiling, but his thoughts were completely different.

Because it shares the same spirit as the "original body," this clone is essentially operating on two fronts: on one hand, it's playing house with Ritsuka, and on the other hand, it's negotiating with Merlin...

……

“…That’s it.”

A long sigh echoed from the cave: "I have no other choice... I know it will be despicable, but I have to do it."

Looking at the dejected Merlin, Iori found it amusing, as it was the first time she had ever seen him so "weak" and "sad".

Merlin is not human; he is a true "anthropomorphic being." In his eyes, all humans have little value, so there's no need for him to understand them. His seemingly gentle yet cunning demeanor is simply an imitation, or rather, an image he has created for himself.

Only a few people, such as Ahoge and Morgan, can stir his mind and evoke feelings of regret in him.

—Of course, now this list should include "Fujimaru Ritsuka".

Iori didn't respond, but just looked at him quietly, waiting for his explanation.

Merlin took a deep breath and said slowly, "Ritsuka... she has realized her problem... her body and mind are gradually collapsing, and she can no longer hold on."

"But given her condition, if she were to collapse, death would be an unattainable luxury, and what awaits her would be her ascension to the evil of humanity..."

Iori's gaze was calm.

"That's why she prepared her final plan—not to hatch as a 'Beast of Continuation' larva, but to transform into the Beast of End!"

Merlin shook his head: "She is not afraid of her fate, but she cannot let go of her responsibilities."

If she were to ascend (be born) as a larva of a beast, she would not only pose a huge threat to Chaldea and even the entire history of humanity, but also affect those parallel worlds because this world line would be anchored... meaning that all of 'Fujimaru Ritsuka and Chaldea' would be given the same ending.

Even though they overcame countless hardships along the way, and even escaped the crisis of being cut in half time and time again, in the final stage, they would all be confined to the ending of 'the birth of a beast' because no further possibilities could arise!

In other words, Ritsuka at that time was equivalent to "The End"!

Iori frowned slightly, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He didn't interrupt Merlin, but continued to listen.

But there is still hope!

Merlin didn't know whether to praise or lament, "The Beast of the End... that was a concept she suddenly came up with, and it was also her final destination."

Merlin's voice was low and heavy: "Once she successfully reverses the concept of 'Continuation' into 'End' and completes the transformation, all timelines will be devoured by the power of the End at their end, and human history will come to a complete end!"

But she wouldn't do that. Instead, she would use the power of 'magic' to push her own existence further into the distant future, that is, to place the 'End' in a future that can be seen but will never be reached.

At the same time, she will spread the Beast's genes to all timelines. Every 'Ritsuka' who possesses the Beast's genes will be guided to challenge the [End]—that is, Ritsuka herself—after reaching a certain depth of the future.

In this way, other Ritsukas can obtain the 'Beast that transcends the End,' thus creating the possibility for their continuation!

"So, I'm just going to be killed and annihilated again and again...?"

The final boss who completely turns himself into a background character... like the Anti-Spiral Clan in Gurren Lagann. But Ritsuka goes even further, because she herself wants to be defeated, so setting up the difficulty is just a trial, and in the end she will still fall in front of 'herself'.

—And then repeat!

Countless timelines, death after death, there is no end in sight, because she herself is the "End" that can never be reached!

"As long as the [End] does not die, the [Continuation] will continue."

Merlin's voice carried a hint of bitterness, "This was her choice, and her sacrifice."

Iori was silent for a moment before finally speaking: "So, you created the android Ritsuka in an attempt to stop her?"

Merlin nodded, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes: "Yes. I don't want to see her end up like that. She has sacrificed and endured too much for human history. I can't let her bear such a fate."

"The android Ritsuka... is my last hope. I hope she can defeat the larva of the Beast of Destruction and stop Ritsuka's transformation!"

"But your plan provoked a rebellion by the Chaldea Servants?"

Iori's voice was calm, yet carried a hint of questioning.

"Many of my Servants and I feel that Ritsuka has already done so much for the history of humankind, and we cannot let her sacrifice herself as a sacrifice. So even if it goes against her wishes, we must end it all."

What I desire is the happiness (liberation) of Fujimaru Ritsuka. What happens to the world, what happens to humanity, is irrelevant.

Merlin gave a wry smile: "However, there are quite a few Servants who unconditionally obey Ritsuka... Even though they know that it is not a good future for her, they are still willing to help her carry out her own will... They are very different from us."

The Servants loyal to Ritsuka discovered my plan. They believed I was betraying Ritsuka, which is why they launched the attack, imprisoning me here in an attempt to stop me from continuing my actions.

"If communication fails, is reconciliation the only option?"

"Iori asked."

Merlin shook his head, a hint of weariness flashing in his eyes: "Reconciliation? They won't listen. To them, Ritsuka is the only and absolute being; her spirit shines like gold, and as Servants, they have a responsibility to uphold any decision Ritsuka makes."

To attempt to change her fate is undoubtedly a betrayal!

They would rather accompany her to the end than accept my plan…

"And now, Ritsuka is with 'me'..."

"That's the android I created after collecting data from Chaldea... There are still many things I didn't have time to finish. When I was attacked, I only had time to issue the activation command... I didn't expect it to actually succeed, and I even managed to summon you successfully."

Merlin gave a wry smile: "I must say, he truly lives up to his Master's reputation; even an artificial clone..."

Iori remained silent for a moment, her gaze still cold and stern: "So what do you plan to do now? Do you know that your plan... actually means 'completely destroying Fujimaru Ritsuka's will'?"

Merlin raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes: "I have no way out. No matter the cost, I will stop Ritsuka from falling into the Beast of Destruction!"

Even if it means... I'll be despised by everyone, including Ritsuka!

"Ritsuka...maybe she will die."

"..."

Iori looked at the somber but determined Merlin, a strange emotion flashing in her eyes.

He knew Merlin's resolve and understood his pain. As Ritsuka's Servant and mentor after Roman and Leonardo da Vinci left, the close relationship between Merlin and Ritsuka was self-evident. He had witnessed firsthand how Ritsuka became the nascent form of the "Beast of Continuation" and how Chaldea had come to this state.

Merlin couldn't accept her fate of becoming the "Beast of the End"... Even if it would give more "Fujimaru Ritsuka" a longer future, it wouldn't mean anything to Merlin.

Because he only has one Ritsuka!

From the past to the future, he will only serve this one person!

"Aren't you afraid the clone will kill Ritsuka?"

Iori's voice was low, "Although the difference in strength is huge, it is not impossible."

Merlin smiled, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes: "Death? Death is not scary. What is scary is watching things develop in a direction you don't want, and being powerless to stop it... Ritsuka will understand me... Iori. I know you have always stood by Ritsuka's side, but I also hope you can understand my choice."

"I will only do what I am supposed to do."

Iori didn't respond directly, but simply turned and left the cave. His figure disappeared into the darkness, leaving Merlin alone, quietly awaiting the next round of judgment from the Roman nobles.

By the way, Iori is actually a little "scared" right now.

Everything that happened in Chaldea was too "heavy"!

Chapter 558 I don't know if I can handle it.

According to the Type-Moon setting, the so-called "Beasts" are manifestations of various disasters that threaten human history and destroy humanity.

They were born from human civilization and become increasingly powerful with the development of mankind, but they destroy civilization from within society and are like cancer cells.

Then, a very crucial point is—

The total number of [Beasts] is fixed!

There are seven positions in total, symbolizing the seven great calamities of humanity. Since [Beasts] tend to appear in pairs, there can be a maximum of seven pairs, or fourteen beings with the [Beast] Spirit Origin.

Interestingly, the "Grand Servant" prepared by the Counter Force as a means of dealing with this natural calamity also only has seven slots.

Although theoretically seven Grand Servants are needed to defeat the Beast, in practice, based on existing cases, each manifestation of the Beast only involves one or two Grand Servants at most.

After the power spike in FGO, the [Beasts] are no longer as overwhelmingly powerful as they were at the beginning. Many beings with similar or even greater power have appeared in the story. Therefore, this is not something Iori should fear.

Ultimately, the so-called "beasts" are nothing more than products derived from primates on a planet. They possess unique "mechanisms" and "concepts," but they are not insurmountable; at least, Iori has nothing to worry about.

—But Fujimaru Ritsuka is clearly an exception.

She was an anomaly, escaping the original plot and existing outside the "original setting." The [Beast] that emerged from her was not among the seven slots. Iori even felt that it wasn't a [Beast] in the strict sense, but merely a definition given to this powerful being based on her own understanding.

Having gone through hundreds of reincarnations and jumped across thousands of world lines, the mental and physical strength of a normal human would absolutely not be able to sustain it. Even heroic spirits would have their beliefs collapse in endless despair. But "Fujimaru Ritsuka," who transcends all of this and stands above countless world lines and destinies, is an existence that is more extreme and more broken than a "beast."

Even if she connected to the "Root" or visited the "Servant Universe," it wouldn't be surprising for Iori. Rather, after experiencing so many reincarnations, it would be highly unusual for her not to awaken her "Origin."

Iori could do it, but he was very cautious and didn't explore it in depth.

The problem now facing him is:

Should we stop Ritsuka? And if so, what should we do?

Ritsuka knew perfectly well that constantly extending Chaldea's life in various timelines, as before, was not sustainable and would eventually come to an end due to the "end of the story." No matter how hard she tried, it was just like pouring water out of a leaky, dilapidated ship.

To truly protect the various timelines, a logically consistent and autonomously operating system must be designed, essentially plugging the holes.

Her solution is the "Beast of the End," where she herself becomes the monster that devours all timelines, and then her counterparts in parallel worlds continuously defeat her—giving the "story" an "endless ending."

As for the price, well, to be honest, no one can predict what she will become. Ritsuka herself doesn't know what the future holds or what she will encounter... but even so, she has decided to do it!

If that's the case, is it really necessary for Iori to stop her?

Iori and Ritsuka had a relationship; in fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he owed her a favor. Logically, he shouldn't have just stood by and watched her sacrifice herself, taking her own life. But for people like him and Ritsuka, upholding their own will was often more important than personal happiness…

"He's practically an unconventional Spirit King."

“Iori shook his head. Ritsuka’s current behavior is similar to that of the Soul King when he became a human pillar.”

But King Ling was lucky to encounter this unexpected factor, and has now been freed from his position as the cornerstone of the Three Realms. He spends his days wandering around, learning how to enjoy life. Judging from his appearance, if the mood strikes, he might even reincarnate and live again.

Ritsuka wasn't so lucky. Although she knew Iori, the problems she faced were much bigger than those in "Bleach"!

Iori didn't know how to solve it either, and couldn't come up with a more reliable solution than the "Beast of the End"—Fujimaru Ritsuka was the absolute protagonist of this world, and theoretically, only she could decide everything.

"Let's find her in person and ask her first."

Iori sighed softly, took a step out, and her figure instantly disappeared from the space.

The dense barriers and folded spaces within Chaldea were useless to Iori; he moved freely through them, and neither the loyalists nor the Merlin faction could even detect his presence.

……

The sea of ​​flowers swayed in the breeze, countless petals falling like snow, yet carrying with them a suffocating silence. This space seemed forgotten by time, even the air itself frozen in a kind of eternal sorrow.

Fujimaru Ritsuka lay quietly on the stone bed, wearing a wedding dress with charred edges, as if she had struggled out of a raging fire, only to be frozen in her final moment by some force. Her face was serene, as if she were merely asleep, but her chest remained still.

The sound of leather shoes rustling across the grass came from afar. The person who came seemed afraid of disturbing Sleeping Beauty. Despite being a fearless and resilient person, he was now very cautious, and his steps were as light as a cat's.

He soon realized that it was pointless; although the Master's body was there, he would probably never hear his voice again.

"Hmph...you really are..."

A low, hoarse laugh broke the silence. A man in a black suit walked slowly in, a bright red tie hanging in front of his chest, exuding an air of arrogance. His eyes were like burning embers, filled with an inextinguishable passion and hatred—as they should be.

He was unusually gentle at this moment, gazing intently at the sleeping Ritsuka, a sarcastic smile curving his lips.

"How ironic, Master."

The count muttered under his breath, his voice filled with suppressed anger, "A naive fool who doesn't even understand what hatred is, yet he insists on bearing this foolish mission..."

His fingers tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white, as if he was trying his best to restrain something.