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

Given his personality, this was an extremely inappropriate display of behavior.

"Oh my, isn't this Lord Vengeful Demon?"

A flirtatious female voice drifted from the sea of ​​flowers, accompanied by a sweet, cloying fragrance. A petite figure slowly emerged; the short-haired lesbian Kama leaned lazily against a small tree, lotuses blooming out of thin air beneath her feet. She twirled a strand of her hair with her fingertips while observing the count, her eyes flashing with malice.

"You say you're heartless and ruthless, but you still secretly came to see her, didn't you?"

She scoffed, "How ridiculous. He's clearly someone who can't even let go of his own past, yet he's here pretending to mourn others?"

"I have long since let go of my past hatred. What I have not yet let go of is the will that has been forged in suffering. Hatred is the source of my strength. It gives me the determination to break through all illusions!"

The count gave her a cold glance: "Shut up, you remnant of love. You're so heartbroken, your charms have no effect on me."

"Useless? What a pity... I even went out of my way to act like a child, but it didn't suit your taste."

Kama narrowed his eyes, and with each breath, his body transformed into the appearance of a mature and alluring young girl, his smile growing increasingly dangerous.

I thought you had a great hobby!

"..."

The count was somewhat speechless. "I'm not as shameless as you."

That's right, he only treated that child (Haidey) as a sister and daughter, and later it just happened naturally... there was definitely no romantic relationship between them from the beginning.

He's not a lolicon!

"At least I won't be like some vengeful ghost, with a heart that's soft as hell, yet I have to put on a cold and ruthless act... It's so awkward. I want her to be happy more than anyone else, but I don't dare to change the status quo. I can only watch like a coward as things are pushed forward step by step by 'scum' like me."

"..."

The count remained silent for a moment, then finally gave a cold laugh: "Say what you will."

He turned and left, his back looking particularly lonely in the sea of ​​flowers, yet stubbornly refusing to look back.

Kama watched his retreating figure and curled his lip: "Boring man."

The Vengeful Demon is a Servant with a deep bond with Ritsuka. He may give people the impression of being cold or even evil, but in reality, he cares about Ritsuka more than anyone else and has a protective instinct equivalent to that of a father, brother, and lover.

But he couldn't make a move this time, because it was Ritsuka's choice... Because of their deep bond, he knew that Ritsuka would never allow him to stop her.

Which would bring her happiness: letting Ritsuka realize her grand plan or letting her relinquish all her responsibilities?

Even the most intelligent vengeful ghost couldn't figure out the answer!

Kama is different. She is loyal to her desires, and she strongly agrees with and is happy to see whatever choice her Master makes.

Just as she was about to say something more, she suddenly sensed another presence approaching and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: "Oh? Another 'big shot' has arrived."

Morgan walked slowly from the other end of the flower field, her long, silvery-white hair, a grayish-blue hue, swaying slightly in the wind, her eyes cold and resolute. Her presence seemed to make the surrounding air heavy, and even Kama couldn't help but restrain his frivolous attitude.

"Ritsuka's choice needs no one to question it."

Morgan's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable force: "She knows better than anyone what she's doing, and she has more right than anyone else to decide her own destiny."

Kama tilted his head, a half-smile on his face: "Oh dear, I knew we'd get along... But, Your Majesty, are you really willing to just watch her walk towards her own destruction and do nothing?"

Morgan's gaze fell on Ritsuka, a hint of tenderness flashing in his cold eyes: "Her resolve is my resolve. If this is her will, then I will protect her to the very end—even if it means going against the world!"

Kama shrugged: "How stubborn... Oh well, I'm just here to watch the show anyway."

She waved lazily, her figure gradually disappearing into the sea of ​​flowers, leaving only a meaningful whisper:

"But... human emotions are really interesting."

—Clearly, she wasn't as relaxed as she made it sound; Ritsuka was also a special person to her.

Morgan did not respond, but simply stood quietly beside Ritsuka, gently stroking her cheek as if to confirm her presence.

"Go to sleep, Ritsuka."

She whispered, her voice almost inaudible, "When you wake up... everything will be as you wish."

The sea of ​​flowers remained silent, with only the rustling sound of the wind passing through the petals, as if echoing her vow.

After Morgan left, a talent who had arrived long ago but had always lurked in the shadows slowly emerged.

"Thank you for your hard work all this time, Ritsuka."

Wearing the Chaldea uniform and with an overly gentle smile, this man lacked the domineering presence and self-assurance of other Heroic Spirits, yet he was like a marshmallow, capable of drawing even the hardest substances into his embrace.

He half-squatted down, looking at Ritsuka with a mixture of self-reproach and relief, his eyes revealing complex emotions that were hard to describe.

"In the end, I still couldn't do anything... If I could change all of this... I would rather be the one sacrificed to the future..."

There's no point in saying all this anymore.

Under normal circumstances, he would definitely stop Ritsuka from doing something so foolish, regardless of whether it was to save the world or what would happen to other Chaldea communities. He always believed that focusing on the present and caring for those around him (including himself) was the most important thing.

But Ritsuka had specifically communicated with him before the incident occurred. Although her words were not very direct, the meaning was very clear.

"Crying and sobbing, it's making a complete mess of things!"

Another extremely similar figure appeared. Although the appearance was the same, the temperament was completely different. It was cold and arrogant, like a god on a high pedestal. The clothes it wore were much more tattered than the first one.

"That's all you've got, Solomon... no, Roman!"

"You can't understand how I feel, Goetia."

Dr. Roman shook his head: "Of course, I didn't expect you to understand human emotions anyway."

"You call yourself human? Hahahaha... Are you trying to make me laugh to death?"

Goetia first mocked Roman, then naturally turned her gaze to Ritsuka.

"In the end, you're just being so sentimental to comfort yourself... How do you feel about losing someone you couldn't save before, now that you're about to lose her forever again?"

"..."

Roman was saddened.

Just as he was about to say something, his expression suddenly changed, and Goetia also noticed something, his expression gradually becoming serious.

"It's him... What bad luck! That guy's actions are unpredictable. We can't let him see Ritsuka... Hmph, how long has it been? How did his strength swell to this level?!"

I don't know if I can handle it..."

Chapter 559 failed to satisfy Lord Aizen.

Can he win?

"It will win."

Faced with the sudden question, Roman replied, "Although he is no longer a [Beast] in theory, due to the special nature of this world line, he can still use the Noble Phantasm that spans Lostbelts and Singularities."

He is the 'King of Man' who has transcended the original form and reached the ultimate state, and possesses celestial-level heat that has burned away the accumulated heat of human history. There is no being on Earth that can rival him, not even the fully released Holy Sword that defeated the White Colossus.

"But that's Aizen Iori, a [Foreigner]."

The voice continued, "We do not know where he comes from, but the strange things he has shown are clearly not the heroic spirits recorded in pan-human history... perhaps he comes from a higher-level universe."

"It won't be from the Follower Universe."

Roman shook his head; his insight was clearly superior to the other's: "Servants from that place all have very distinct characteristics, and their attributes are related to 'universe' and 'celestial bodies,' which is quite different from Aizen and Iori's situation."

"That……"

"In any case, in our universe, for a concept beyond the base to be valid, it must adjust itself under the suppression of the inhibitory force or even the [root]. Haven't similar examples happened in the past?"

Van Gogh, Yang Guifei, Abigail… their power also originated from a very troublesome and powerful world, but they too were subject to certain rules and were not without limitations.

Under certain circumstances, Roman believed that the King of Men (Goetia) would win!

After a moment of silence, the man suddenly asked, "What if the other party is a [Beast] of the same rank?"

"Beast... that possibility is not nonexistent."

Roman frowned. Even his all-seeing eye couldn't see everything; at least, Iori's "essence" was something he couldn't analyze.

"If they are all [Beasts], is there any hope for Goetia?"

With a head of radiant long hair, a handsome and upright face, and an elegant and aristocratic posture, the man in a white suit was none other than Kirshtalia Wodim, the leader of Group A.

"At the same level, who is the strongest [Beast]?"

"...It should be Goetia."

Roman thought for a moment and replied seriously, "Although it depends on the situation, I think it's Goetia."

"What about those without physical form, demonic bodhisattvas, or the beast 666?"

"If he were still the [Beast of Compassion], there might still be room for discussion, but since he has already developed the spirit of the 'King of Men,' then it's a different story."

Roman glanced at Wodym: "What do you think?"

"...I'm looking forward to his failure."

Wodem closed his eyes, seemingly struggling for a moment, but when he resumed, he remained calm and resolute, as if he had never wavered.

"Only failure can end all of this."

"You still haven't given up?"

Roman spoke in a heavy tone, while Wodim remained expressionless and unmoved.

No matter how hard Chaldea tries, there will still be many failed world lines to continue, and whenever a world perishes, "remnants" are thrown into Chaldea. Therefore, there are a large number of Servants here, even more than in the game Iori remembers.

Some of the Masters from Group A were also rescued, including Wodim.

Alien Gods and Imaginary Trees are now things of the past. Thanks to Ritsuka's help, Wodim survived and his vision expanded from the narrow pan-human history to infinite parallel worlds.

Putting aside his usual work in various singularities, Wodym once collaborated with the Masters of Group A and Olga Marie, attempting to use himself as the "Master" to replace Ritsuka and bear the various pressures of Chaldea. Even if it was just to share some of the burden, it would still be good.

But they failed!

Whether it's Wodem or Ophelia, although their qualifications as Masters are impeccable and they possess a powerful charisma that allows them to build bonds with Servants, ultimately no one can replace Fujimaru Ritsuka.

Every timeline that Wodym is responsible for continuing will eventually go out of control after reaching a certain point and then inexplicably perish... Ophelia's situation was similar.

After several more experiments, they could only admit that Fujimaru Ritsuka was an extremely special existence, even a worldline anchor point, and no one else could replace her.

In other words, Ritsuka alone must bear the consequences of all of this.

Just like how Gohan couldn't inherit his father's protagonist status.

It's hard to explain, and there's no pattern or principle to it, but that's just how it is, and Wodym can only accept reality.

However, he never truly accepted these distorted rules!

"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown"—Wodim agrees with this statement.

Power and responsibility always go hand in hand; those who only desire the former invariably become tyrants.

But Wodim believes that the prerequisite for wearing the crown and taking on responsibility is that the person is "someone who wants to be king".

Forcing those who have no interest in power to accept the weight of the "crown" is the most unfair thing in the world.

The trolley problem is just as absurd:

The "passerby" is neither the person who caused the current situation, nor the person who manages the railway tracks, nor does he have any position to be responsible for the lives of others, yet he has been given the power to "control the life and death of others".

This has never been a moral dilemma; it's just nitpicking!

Those who have no will do not need to act, and those who have no power do not need to take responsibility.

If someone is destined to be sent to the cross, then it should rightfully be a "son of God," not just any random passerby.

If anyone has to sacrifice their future as a "Master," it should be Kirshtalia Wordim, not Fujimaru Ritsuka.

If he could, Wodim would prefer to be the one sacrificed, because he was already prepared for it and willing to take action for it, so he would have no regrets or complaints.

But Ritsuka? She was originally just a high school girl working a summer job...

Therefore, Wodym hoped that Goetia would fail, and also hoped that Aizen Iori would kill the cub.

Whether she lives or dies, she should not be considered a "beast" as the cornerstone of pan-human history.

"Goetia... I'm afraid Aizen Iori will have a hard time winning."

……

"cough!"

King Goetia knelt on one knee and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"No, it's impossible... I, I actually..."