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

"Don't you regret it, Ritsuka?"

Chapter 564 I accidentally started talking nonsense.

Ritsuka's tears fell silently, condensing into glistening stardust in the void of her spiritual world. She raised her head, her eyes a chaotic mix of despair and hope, and a bitter smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Iori noticed that the surrounding mental fluctuations were extremely chaotic, even affecting the connection between spacetime and matter. This was something that ordinary magicians or Servants could not do. The [Beast] outside the sequence had now shown its claws.

The question is, at what stage is it considered to be fully hatched?

"Thank you for saving me, Iori... but I'm sorry, this was my own decision, and I don't need you to do anything about it."

Her voice was so soft it almost vanished into thin air, "Please don't try to stop me. I was originally full of enthusiasm and hope, believing that I would definitely find a way... but it didn't work!"

Ritsuka stretched out her body and stood at the same height as Iori. Her spiritual form was not wearing the wedding dress with burn marks from the real world, but the most basic Chaldea training uniform. Apart from her hair being longer, she was no different from the original high school girl.

"Because I have reached the realm of the [Beast], I can see more things, even further than Merlin and the others with their clairvoyance. With each cycle, my vision becomes clearer, so I can always find tiny possibilities that allow the future to continue."

"Is this how you help the other Chaldea members?"

Iori nodded, a long-standing question in her mind finally answered. "I knew it. Although you also have things like Chaldea or the Plane Moon, none of them seem to have such a powerful ability to observe countless parallel worlds at the same time... It was you."

"I don't know when it started, but I have gained many incredible abilities."

Ritsuka's faint smile seemed like it could disappear at any moment: "So at first I was quite confident, thinking that as long as I kept improving my abilities, I could keep going and allow everyone to have a 'future'."

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes—I can't see it anymore."

Ritsuka's smile vanished, replaced by a look of bewilderment, resentment, and self-reproach: "I can't see anything anymore!"

"..."

"Human reason is burned, human reason is frozen, human reason is proven, human reason is laid... I have solved all the mysteries and found a path to the future from all kinds of uncontrollable factors, but this path has an end."

After passing the trial of 'the final foundation of humanity,' the pan-human history and Chaldea, which should have returned to normal, will enter a world line devoid of any possibility and completely devoid of a future—this will happen to all parallel worlds, converging into a single path leading to destruction after a certain stage!

Ritsuka quietly clenched her fist: "All I see is darkness... Countless worldlines that successfully survived the crisis of humanity were... erased after things returned to normal?"

Like worthless blackboard writing, it was easily erased; like a comic book that had already been read, it was permanently shut down, as if it had lost all value to the universe.

Fairy tales are all lies—that's probably what Ritsuka was trying to say.

She knew that Chaldea's worldline needed a constant stream of "stories" to continue existing, so she built a massive force to cause trouble in various parallel worlds and create singularities that could trigger exciting stories.

However, the premise for continuing to write the story is that "we haven't reached the last page yet."

Ritsuka once thought that this book was infinitely thick, and that as long as she worked hard enough, she could continue writing the fairy tale.

But now she knows that although she can use "tricks" to prevent the story from being cut short, the book itself has a "last page".

No matter what her story is, no matter what suspense she leaves behind, the story will end after the blank page is filled—this has nothing to do with the creator's passion.

“I have touched the ‘absolute nothingness’!”

It was a void that even the origin couldn't explain, the final destination to which all world lines would eventually converge. I tried every possibility, even reversed the laws of time, but it didn't work… I couldn't see what lay beyond that darkness.

Her fingers unconsciously tightened, her knuckles turning white from the force. In the surrounding floating light screen, countless images of Chaldea's collapse played on a loop like a carousel.

"Now you know why I suddenly made this decision, right?"

"Um……"

Iori pondered for a moment: "Using manga as an analogy is not quite appropriate. I'm the kind of person who keeps rereading even after a series has ended... Actually, shouldn't we use AV as an analogy here?"

Those who watch this will absolutely not click on it again after they're 'finished,' and they won't care about what happens next.

"..."

Ritsuka's mind went blank for three seconds. After she came to her senses, she was immediately embarrassed and annoyed: "I thought you had some brilliant ideas, but you uttered such vulgar words!"

Besides, modern media players save your viewing progress, so you can just pick up where you left off next time!

Iori shrugged and gave a wry smile.

Ritsuka shut up in time, but seeing Iori's expression made her inexplicably angry, and she couldn't help but pout.

"I'm telling you something very important!"

"I listened very carefully, don't worry."

Iori gazed at her silently, his eyes reflecting the girl's face like the deep night sky. His dark eyes, which brought a sense of peace, were enough to encompass all her pain.

He took a step forward, and the platinum divine blade drew a graceful arc in the void, its tip making a crisp sound as it lightly touched the ground.

"I never said I was going to stop you."

His voice was as calm as a frozen lake: "Whether you choose to become a [beast] or continue to struggle in the cycle of reincarnation, I will stand behind you and watch over you until the very last moment."

If Ritsuka doesn't ask him for help, then he has no reason to ruin Ritsuka's plans.

"One of the Titans of Light that I admire once said that although Titans cannot influence human choices, he is both a Titan and a human, so he should do what a human should do."

He set aside right and wrong, principles, and followed his own heart, standing against all of humanity. So-called justice at that moment became a selfish act—but I believe that those who can uphold their own will are the most remarkable!

Iori has always done the same thing. Although he is not a purely good person and is far from being the giant of light, he never goes against his conscience, and this is his only principle.

"Perhaps someone more passionate would have stopped you."

I believe that no matter how things unfold, whether it's a tragedy or a comedy, you're walking the path you've chosen—it may not be the right one, but it certainly shines with the light of humanity and courage, like gold.

"Well……"

Ritsuka's body trembled slightly as those deliberately suppressed memories surged forth like a tide.

She saw her younger self in the light screen high-fiving Mash, saw Da Vinci ruffling her hair, saw Dr. Roman stuffing chocolates into her pocket, and saw Fou steal them as soon as she turned around...

"Really... Thank you, Iori. I... I've always wanted to—"

"So you will fail."

Iori suddenly changed the subject.

"……well?"

Her sorrowful mood was interrupted, and Ritsuka looked up in surprise: "What did you say?"

"You are too human, that's why you will fail."

Iori met his gaze and said seriously, "Your plan is somewhat feasible, but to achieve your goal, one condition must be met: the final boss, the [Beast of the End], must be a rational monster."

It should be understood that you cannot ensure the survival of all timelines; some will inevitably be destroyed. These abandoned timelines are naturally to be devoured by you, and the 'Fujimaru Ritsuka' within them will naturally become a part of you.

Only by acting like a machine, maintaining absolute rationality and indifference, can one avoid being influenced by the spirit of each 'Fujimaru Ritsuka' and maintain the spiral structure of 'continuity and end'.

If this isn't achieved, the result will be countless Fujimaru Ritsuka's minds entangled together, becoming uncontrollable monsters!

"Why……"

Ritsuka's voice grew strained, "Even this last path... but what can I do? Even with the potential risks, compared to the ultimate nothingness... I might as well take a gamble!"

“That’s true.” A faint smile appeared on Iori’s lips. “But before that, I want to ask you a question—”

His gaze suddenly sharpened, and the Platinum Divine Blade suddenly shone with a dazzling light, cleansing the already turbid spiritual realm. Ritsuka also snapped back to her senses and had no choice but to focus all her attention on Iori.

"Was it all really worth it?"

Ritsuka's eyes glazed over for a moment as countless fragments of memories flashed through her mind. Her gaze hardened as she said, "Only in this way... can we save everyone. It may not last forever, but even if it only extends things by one day... it's still much better than 'absolute nothingness'!"

"No, you're wrong. There's no way to save everyone."

"what?"

"Did you forget it?"

Iori raised the tip of his knife and gently touched her heart. "There is one person who can never be saved—[Fujimaru Ritsuka]."

"!"

"Not just yourself."

His gaze swept across the surrounding light screens: "Would Fujimaru Ritsuka from other timelines be willing to sacrifice others to save herself? They would only be like you, never content to wait to be saved by others!"

"Well!"

Ritsuka's tears finally broke free. She lowered her head, her shoulders trembling violently, as if the solid wall she had built up over a long period of time had completely collapsed at this moment.

"I know... I know I've strayed from my original intention..."

His fingernails dug deep into his palm, and blood dripped from between his fingers.

"I just want a way for everyone to live happily, even if the price is my soul..."

Iori sighed and saw that the surrounding spiritual realm had become much "clearer". She then spread out her palm and let the Platinum Divine Sword turn into light spots and dissipate. If it weren't for the Divine Sword suppressing the surrounding spiritual power, this place would have long since become a hellish inferno due to Ritsuka's unstable emotions.

Seeing that the girl was still crying, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. Ritsuka's tears soaked Iori's clothes.

"Actually, there's another way." Just then, Iori said softly, "I won't stop you from making a choice, but I can give you another option. Why don't you consider it?"

"—!"

Ritsuka suddenly raised her head, her swollen eyes meeting his calm gaze.

Iori didn't answer directly. Instead, she raised her hand and waved it, and the surrounding light screen suddenly went out, replaced by a vast starry sky. The stars swirled beneath their feet, as if they were at the center of the universe.

—At this very moment, Ritsuka's mental domain was completely overtaken by him, successfully turning the tables!

"You've been searching for a way to continue the timeline, but you've overlooked a very simple truth." Iori pointed to a spot in the starry sky, and a star suddenly lit up. "All possibilities stem from 'choice,' and opportunities are as numerous as these stars."

Immediately, the scene around them changed, and even the cosmic background turned into darkness.

“But just like that, the stars in the universe are not random and evenly distributed. Occasionally there are extremely vast ‘desert areas’ where no stars can be found in the detectable area—you and Chaldea have now entered such a place.”

"No man's land... a very apt metaphor."

Ritsuka listened attentively, temporarily forgetting Iori's overly intimate actions.

"To be honest, I don't think the future of pan-human history will encounter 'absolute nothingness,' it's just that at that point in time, pan-human history can no longer find the 'stars (elements)' that provide possibilities."

What I'm talking about here isn't something that can be faked by simply creating a singularity or a Lostbelt.

Just as you need ample supplies to cross a desert, you must possess a much greater potential than ordinary singularities to cross this pure black barrier!

"Possibility... a much greater possibility!"

The light of that star was reflected in Ritsuka's pupils, like a spark of hope.

"Is it really possible?"

"How will you know if you don't try?"

Iori's voice was gentle yet firm, and countless intersecting golden threads appeared in the starry sky behind her, connecting to form constellations. "I will explore with you. This time, I will not be a participant, but a decision-maker, and together we will open up the future of pan-human history!"

"……Thanks."

Ritsuka opened her mouth slightly, "If that's really the case... it can break through that layer of darkness..."

"Trust me, you will find it."

His fingertips twirled the silken threads, each one connected to a different star, making them shimmer: "Together we will search for the undiscovered path—a path that requires no one's sacrifice, including yourself."

More and more stars lit up in the sky, as if in response to his words, and countless stars filled the entire universe, forming a true "galaxy".

As Ritsuka gazed at the shimmering river, the tears in her eyes gradually stopped. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

"I have made up my mind—to liberate you from this hopeless Chaldea!"

"Then I'll leave it to you... Please take good care of me!"

“Then—” Iori’s voice echoed through the sea of ​​stars, “the contract is established.”

Sensing the unseen connection between cause and effect, he laughed heartily:

Ritsuka is the "Master," the absolute protagonist of this world. She has contracts with countless Servants and possesses a very obvious "Dominator" attribute. In master-servant relationships, she is almost always the one in a dominant position.

This kind of innate privilege, similar to that granted by the will of the universe, is something that even Iori would find difficult to overturn.

But at this moment, Iori and her contract were in his favor.

This gives him more room to maneuver!

"I said I wouldn't stop you, but I still ended up saying something without thinking. I hope you won't take offense."

Iori smiled slightly, released Ritsuka, and then the world around her spun, leaving the spiritual realm and arriving at a boundless sea of ​​flowers.

Fujimaru Ritsuka, dressed in Chaldea uniform, has disappeared, and sleeping in the sea of ​​flowers is a human bride.