Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

This is the alteration of the limited order that the new humans have forgotten, and that only the old humans can remember; it is the inherent barrier of the spell known as the pinnacle of magic.

"Throughout the eight directions and to the four corners of the earth, we sincerely pray for the blessings of the Fire and Thunder Gods."

Feathers falling from the enormous wings transformed into terrifying, evil serpents crawling across the ground upon contact with it. These serpents then slithered all over Ye Jie Xuexin's body. He then turned halfway to the side in mid-air, gripped the hilt of his sword with his right hand, and assumed an iaido stance.

“Cut the sky, cut the earth, cut in all directions.”

The wind stopped.

The instant Ye Jiexuexin swung his sword, Novia, through Eri's eyes, caught a tremor that transcended the laws of physics. The trajectory of the blade cutting through the air was not a straight line, but countless overlapping rings—that was the power generated by the use of the sword techniques of the four great demon-slaying families by the gods.

The overlapping rings swallowed all the light, like a lunar eclipse.

Utsumi Erise could feel the blood vessels throbbing deep in her eardrums, something more primal awakening within her, and the evil spirits that haunted her all day and the phantoms of the Sanzu River flowing through the blade.

"Get away."

Thanks to Novia's skillful maneuvering and reflexes, Eri's body arched backward in an almost dance-like motion, and the wind pressure generated by the Muramasa sword as it grazed her nose tore apart the stone lantern three meters behind her.

Novia could feel the girl's ribs groaning under the strain; fighting with this still-growing body was proving difficult.

This is not to say that if Novia possessed Erise, she would be no match for Yoruichi Yukinobu. After all, he had the six-year-old Erise hold her own against Lucius at full strength. The main reason was the influence of the Yoruichi family's Ōkuninushi.

Ōkuninushi's other name is Yūsei-Ōkami, the god who rules over the land of the dead and the underworld. This is the reward he received after giving his country to Amaterasu.

This actually sets a trap for Ōkuninushi, because Izanami, the adopted mother of the three noble sons, is located in the land of the dead, Yomi. In other words, Ōkuninushi is basically a nominal god of the underworld, since Izanami would never listen to him, and Ōkuninushi could not possibly defeat her easily.

However, regardless of the circumstances, the Ōkuninushi possesses considerable power, so if he were to have too much contact with Erise, she might be able to break free from the restrictions of the River of Oblivion and regain her past memories…

Ultimately, this was her father's choice, probably for his daughter's sake. Therefore, Novia didn't plan to make her remember it now; she'd let nature take its course and deal with it when she was older. So for now, she'd better take matters into her own hands.

"A dragon that is clearly from the Far East but originated from the Western continent, the Great Lord."

Novia's voice suddenly became solemn, causing Eri's eyes to darken even more.

Ye Jiexue suddenly froze. His rotting right hand trembled uncontrollably, and his divine body shuddered instinctively. The fragments of the Great Lord's divine body that he had devoured were now rampaging through his blood vessels as if they had encountered their natural enemy.

"This sense of oppression, which comes from instinct, so that's why the Nightfall Mountain and I have become one. That's great..."

In Ye Jie Xuexin's view, it was not uncommon for someone to be able to make Ōkuninushi like this. Someone like Sumeikan-no-Mikoto or Amaterasu could also make him like this. However, the Servant on this child was definitely not a figure from Japanese mythology or legend, because the aura he exuded was completely different from the magic power of the Far East.

Therefore, it must be a secret from a more distant era that the Night Robbers family was unaware of.

That's what he thinks.

Novia placed her finger appropriately between Eri's lips: "It's a secret."

In fact, magicians are beings bound by the past.

In reality, the divine destiny, which has never been seen or heard of, binds everyone.

As the Great Lord of the Nation, who manifested from the Great Ancestor Dragon Typhon, his dragon-like aspect was completely unable to resist Novia. If Ye Jie Xuexin could understand the special nature of the Great Lord of the Nation, then he should immediately have the Great Lord of the Nation's divine body use the power of the God of War, which originated from Chi You, that is, his bull-like aspect.

"One is also twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, and ten."

Even though he was hindered by the immense pressure emanating from Novia, Ye Jie Xue Xin pressed his body forward to the limit.

It resembles a spider or a beetle.

If the silver-haired Eri is a god who has returned from the underworld, then Yukinobu, who wields the demon sword Muramasa to fight, can be described as an unusual demon.

"A swift, cleaving strike!"

The sword light transformed into a divine punishment sword that pierced through heaven and earth. The tip of the sword revealed the divine blood that splashed when Takemikazuchi defeated Takeminakata. The blade reflected eight afterimages, each of which transformed into the god Takeminakata, who was wrapped in lightning. This was Kunitsu's last act of resistance, a curse from the defeated pantheon to another pantheon.

The entire space of Nightfall Mountain began to collapse, and the gravitational field twisted into the sword strike that Susanoo used to slay Yamata no Orochi... because Yamata no Orochi in the Type-Moon world and Ōkuninushi were of the same ilk.

Among the two major pantheons in Japan, the Kunitsu pantheon is undoubtedly the complete loser, having lost its homeland and even its supreme god has been reduced to a subordinate of Kunitsu.

From a third-person perspective, Eri Se finally understood why Lucius always trained her in an almost abusive way. In the face of a truly powerful Servant, the human's reaction speed is nothing more than an ant in slow motion.

But Novia smiled, her silver hair flowing like moonlight in the gale.

"...You who wanted to be an ordinary person are now closer to God than any Servant."

At the same time, her silver hair moved without wind. Novia leaned backward, using Eri's left foot as a pivot, her right hand outstretched, aiming at the oncoming mimicry of the divine sword, while her left hand pressed against the girl's throbbing carotid artery, and she recited the poem "The Demon King"—

"The game is so much fun, I'll play with you."

The rhythm of the narrative poem resonated with the roar of the divine sword. Eri saw countless fireflies fly out of her palm, each firefly dragging a tattered page from Goethe's manuscript. The moment the first German poem touched the divine sword, the entire space fell into an eerie silence.

Because the snakes on Ye Jiexue's body were dissolving, revealing his rotting flesh extending from his left armpit to his chest, with countless pustules at its center. The boundary between the rotting muscle and flesh was blurred, making it clear that it was just a disgusting lump of flesh.

"I have been like this ever since I pierced the soul core of the Great Lord and killed his entire clan in a frenzy."

Ye Jiexue smiled slightly.

In this way, he conveyed to the person in front of him the reason why he had become this way.

"Where are the Command Seals?"

In the new era, the Holy Grail grants people immortality, and aging, genetic degradation, infection, viruses, and malignant tumors are all overcome. By consuming Command Seals, one can even reset their physical age. Therefore, hearing about death in the new era can only make the new humans think of homicide.

"...Perhaps it's because I'm special, the Command Seals of the new Holy Grail have no effect on my body, while my old Command Seals were used up when I shattered Ōkuninushi's spirit core."

Yoruichi Yukinobu smiled bitterly, "The White Rabbit of Inaba is like that too. The white rabbit whose skin was eaten by a shark was able to recover thanks to the wisdom of Ōkuninushi, but I killed Ōkuninushi, so I can no longer repair my skin. You could call that a curse."

Then, Ye Jiexue touched her abdomen.

"However, I do not desire such a thing. Over the years, I have attempted suicide many times, but the Command Spells have always healed me at those times. I have attempted suicide day and night, but I have been healed by the Command Spells day and night... Heh, the Holy Grail probably cannot understand why humans commit suicide."

According to Ye Jie Xuexin, the reason he betrayed the Great Lord was to witness the birth of a new era. In his view, everyone would have a Servant by then, and he would naturally become an "ordinary" person. However, this was not the case. In the new era, he was still very "special", for example, the scars on his body.

Even if someone wants to commit suicide, they will be cured by the Command Spells granted by the Holy Grail. After all, the new era is so wonderful, who would think of suicide? It can only be that he killed someone else. That's how the Holy Grail defines it. It can only be said that the logic of the Holy Grail is completely unable to explain the completely autonomous act of 'suicide'.

It is important to know that in the Fr world, the number of Command Seals in the old world was limited to only three strokes, and each stroke could be used for one spell. However, the number of Command Seals in the new world is not limited. Although they appear to be only three strokes, they are actually composed of very delicate lines. The degree to which the Command Seal disappears is adjusted according to the magical power consumed by the spell used.

In the entire mosaic city of Japan, only the heroine Eri and her grandmother Chitose Manazuru do not possess the New World Command Seals. However, Chitose Manazuru has the Old World Command Seals, perhaps because she is the founder of the new era or because her Holy Grail War has not ended. Therefore, in general, only Eri is completely without Command Seals.

"But I still thank you, unknown Servant with ties to Ōkuninushi. My Command Seals were used up while resisting you."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Ye Jie Xuexin pointed the tip of Muramasa's sword at his own abdomen and, without hesitation, sliced ​​open his side with the blade.

Immediately, dripping pus stained his fingers, and he grabbed a snake at his feet and threw it to Alexander VI, who was standing nearby.

"Here you go, Borgia. Before the Holy Grail returns to your throne immediately because of my death, hurry up and find someone to be your Master again, otherwise you won't have so many years of memories next time you manifest."

In the new era, when a Master loses a Servant, it is called 'Servant Loss'. In the city, the Servant will be summoned again by the power of the Holy Grail. The time of resummoning varies from person to person. Some people can do it the next day, while others can do it a year later. Due to the special nature of the Servant, the same Servant will be summoned again.

However, the summoned Servant with the same name will not have any memories of other Masters.

"Master."

Alexander VI took a breath. "Why didn't you say you wanted to die sooner?"

"To whom? To you?"

Nightfall Snowsin said very happily, "Borgia, you should also understand that in the new era established by Chizuru Masatsuki, no Servant can violate the rules of the Holy Grail. Your Spirit Origin will shatter the moment you attack me, and even if you ask others for help, you will only be rejected. The new humans are even more self-centered than the magicians of the past, not to mention that there are not many people who can beat me."

Upon hearing this, Alexander VI nodded in agreement.

A world where everyone has a Servant sounds wonderful, but based on the Holy Grail War, which has swept the globe and overturned the old order, everything must follow the rules of the Holy Grail, such as standardized treatment procedures for Servants and Masters marked with mental illnesses.

That's why Yukinobu was so excited when he saw Eri, who could move the body of Ōkuninushi, so many years later. He was hoping that she could break the Command Seal healing given by the Holy Grail, so that he could commit suicide now.

"Also, Master, Eri doesn't have a Servant. She's the only human in the entire city without one."

"Really... So I actually lost to a child..."

Eri, or rather Novia, quietly gazed at the Nightfall Snow Letter.

He was pondering why the Fr Holy Grail prevented people from committing suicide. The traditional Holy Grail War reclaimed magical energy through the battles of Heroic Spirits, but where would the energy supply for the Holy Grail era come from? Was it from emotions? After all, the new Holy Grail would anticipate the latent desires of citizens and pair them with Servants of better compatibility as much as possible.

In other words, is it about ensuring that humanity as a whole continues as much as possible in a state of 'happiness'?

Gradually, blood began to flow from the inside of the man's mask, and then, along with the dripping blood, the man's knees touched the ground.

The mask fell to the ground, and his skin instantly turned white, just like his name, becoming the color of snowflakes.

At that moment, the divine body of the Great Lord on his right arm emitted a jet-black glow, and time suddenly sank into a viscous amber.

Novia understood that this was the power of the Great Lord as the God of the Underworld being activated at this moment, and everyone present saw the scene from fifteen years ago flash before their eyes:

The forest of Yakuzai Mountain collapsed in the torrential rain. A young child huddled in a corner of a house, her pupils reflecting the figure of her father, Yakuzai Yukinobu, walking towards her with a Muramasa sword in his hand.

"...I'm sorry, Akira, Ume, Mother."

Ye Jiexuexin said.

"I've always wanted to do this."

This doesn't sound like a confession.

It's simply stating one's position and confirming the facts.

“I don’t want to kill you, but to be honest, it doesn’t really matter if I do.”

Countless fragments of memory floated in the void, each reflecting different periods of Ye Jie Xue Xin's memories.

Finally, it stopped in front of everyone—

That was the final stage of the Holy Grail War in the Izumo region, the future vision reflected in the eyes of Yoruichi Yukinori as he plunged the Muramasa sword into Ōkuninushi's chest:

Tens of thousands of Holy Grails pulsate in the chests of countless humans. Servant and human walk under the neon lights of Shinjuku. The sky is woven into an iron-gray net by uncontrolled drones. The ocean is submerged in ruins by drone wreckage. And at the end of all these scenes is a peaceful 'ordinary' world.

"You want to give up your special status. Whether you're seen as the successor of Nightfall, or burdened with numerous expectations and responsibilities as a genius, or the victor of the Holy Grail War, you want to give it all up, don't you think so, Nightfall Snowshin?"

I don't understand.

How should I put it? I don't understand.

With a tense expression, Eri asked the demon king Novia, who was possessing her.

It's contradictory. In order to become ordinary, one gets married and has children, and then sacrifices everything for the sake of being ordinary. This goes against common sense.

Magicians of the old era might have been able to accept this particularly twisted motive, but it is utterly baffling to people of the new era.

“I can’t necessarily blame you. In a sense, you are a good father. In fact, in your memory, the period when you were with your children can be described as happy. Even if your feelings and reasons were a little unique, no one can deny that.”

The little girl's figure slowly appeared in Ye Jiexuexin's pupils as he lay on the ground.

He was just a child, but he inexplicably saw a tall, silver-haired figure among them. If Alexander VI hadn't made it clear that she didn't have a Servant, he probably would have thought that this figure was a Servant.

“But you have deceived us, the great lord, your family, and even killed them for your own sake.”

"I can only deceive, that's all I can do. I can't be ordinary if I don't do it."

Ye Jiexuexin admitted it.

He wore an extremely vulnerable expression, as if he were a completely different person from the one he had fought before.

"That's wrong."

Novia said softly, “The reason your wife is ordinary, so fatally ordinary in your eyes, is because she would not hurt others without reason, nor would she deceive others without cause.”

"..."

Ye Jiexue fell silent again, the wrinkles and scars between his brows blending together, appearing even more profound than usual.

Then he let out a heavy, painful, and clear sigh.

His face looked like that of a child who had just solved a problem he couldn't solve on his first exam.

"So this is what 'ordinary' means..."

As if entering a dream, the last person in the Holy Grail War in the Izumo region closed his eyes.

……

The next day, inside the Borgia store.

"The old man passed the psychological assessment and can now leave the treatment room."

Lucrecia smiled broadly, "As expected of the silver-haired... no, now it's black-haired Erise-chan~"

The news that Ye Jiexuexin died yesterday surprised the city's AIs, who couldn't understand how he had managed to do it.

Alexander VI, with the help of the Borgia siblings, found a Master and passed the observation period, thus successfully escaping the city's identification markers.

"Since even Dad thinks you can do it, then I have nothing more to say."

Cesare, standing nearby, handed the Seleucus astrolabe to Eri, saying, "I wish you become the star of the show in the Holy Grail Tournament."

In fact, Cesare had already explained to Alexander VI that Erises might participate in the Holy Grail knockout stage, and was practically telling his father to stay in the therapy room to avoid anything happening to the child. However, Alexander VI said that he would go all out on betting on Erises.

Eri gripped the astrolabe tightly, feeling the dormant death within her merging with the mist of Novia. She looked towards the food street, where a giant holographic screen was playing a video of Karna and Arjuna's Noble Phantasm clash.

"Ah, of course."