I want to just drift through life in Type-Moon.

Page 144

“If my Origin Bullet hits a living being’s body, there is no wound or bleeding. The hit area just looks like a necrotic old wound. The surface looks like it’s healed, but the nerves and capillaries don’t regenerate properly and lose their original function. For ordinary people, it’s even less effective than a regular bullet.”

Kiritsugu Emiya calmly began to speak, then continued explaining his trump card from the words that had not yet been finished.

"But for a magician, my Origin Bullet is enough to be fatal. When a magician performs magic, magical power will inevitably flow in their own magic circuits. If they are hit by the Origin Bullet at this time, the flow of magical power will be out of control. The more powerful the magic used, the more magical power is usually required, and therefore the greater the damage caused when the magical power goes berserk. If we compare the magic circuit to a wire, the Origin Bullet is the drop of water that can short-circuit it."

“It’s not that simple, is it?” Ling looked at him with a half-smile and added, “The magic circuits were cut off and then haphazardly reconnected. Even if the magician barely survived the magic outburst, he would be considered useless.”

Kiritsugu Emiya remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

"Actually, I know that there are more than just this kind of Origin Bullet. Emiya Shirou can also make an Origin Bullet that uses his own Origin as the ultimate weapon. Moreover, compared to your method of having to remove one's own ribs to seal in one's Origin, his method is much simpler and the destructive power is much more terrifying."

He stopped there, because he had only wanted to see his wife's reaction to hearing the name Emiya Shirou, but she didn't react at all. She didn't look at her husband with suspicion, nor did she ask him any questions.

After thinking about it for a moment, Ling knew the reason. Irisviel knew of Hisau Maiya's existence and didn't even mind her being by her husband's side. Perhaps she knew that she was going to die and that Kiritsugu would always need someone by his side in the future, and Hisau Maiya was the best choice.

A woman who loves her husband wholeheartedly, even to the point of being determined to sacrifice her life to fulfill his wishes, cannot be easily swayed. Ling doesn't think his wife needs pity, because outsiders have no right to criticize her willingness to sacrifice herself for love.

Having figured this out, Ling no longer intended to deliberately sow discord. Originally, he wanted to say that Emiya Shirou was not the child of Hisamu Maiya and Emiya Kiritsugu, but now it seemed a bit despicable. Of course, if he were to say it, he would not add the fact that Emiya Shirou was an adopted son.

Just because Ling didn't want to talk about it didn't mean others didn't want to listen. At least Illya asked curiously, "Who is Emiya Shirou, and why does his name sound so similar to Kiritsugu's?"

For Illya, the concept of family was still rather vague, but vagueness did not mean she had no understanding of it. So when she asked this question, Kiritsugu Emiya's body suddenly stiffened, and then he looked at Rin with a murderous gaze. The meaning was clear: he was not allowed to continue speaking—at least not while Illya was present.

"Do you want to be a good father to your daughter? It's true that parents always want the best for their children, but is what you're doing appropriate? You yourself know that with your hands stained with blood, you don't even have the right to hug that child, do you?"

For some reason, after hearing Illya's words and seeing Kiritsugu Emiya's gaze, a nameless anger suddenly rose in Ling's heart. Perhaps it was because she had never met her parents in either of her lives, or perhaps it was because she felt Illya had been treated unfairly.

Chapter 314 An Unfortunate Curse (Part 3)

In short, Rin, who had originally resolved to stop gossiping, looked at Kiritsugu Emiya with intense disgust for the first time. He spoke in a soft but clear voice, "Kiritsugu Emiya, your life must be cursed, right?"

Whether in this world or the Chaldean world, everyone who heard this voice felt a chill run down their spine; they realized how terrifying what was to come would be.

At the same time, Shion saw that the spirit origin of the spirit had undergone an inexplicable change. Previously, the spirit origin mode was still a very ordinary assassin, but at this moment, the manifest spirit origin mode became a shape that had never been recorded before.

As the Master, Olga, standing next to Rin, also felt a sharp pain from the Command Seal at this moment. She immediately gritted her teeth to stop the cry of pain that was about to come out, and looked at Rin with concern as she held her wrist.

"If it wasn't a cursed life, then why did you have to go through the acts of patricide, matricide, and even killing your wife to prove your path? You really sacrificed a lot for that world where people don't have to cry."

The truth revealed by Ling caused everyone, whether from Chaldea or Einzbern, to look at Kiritsugu Emiya in astonishment. However, Kiritsugu's expression remained unchanged, as hard as granite. His eyes, which had lost their luster and should have been focused on Ling, instead reflected the image of a being covered in strange patterns.

"Time and again you've destroyed your own happiness, even bearing the sins of the entire world, when you were clearly the best host for me! Why! Why! Why! Just when I was born!!!"

After Ling finished speaking, everyone noticed his unease, especially Olga, who was the Master. The pain from the Command Seals intensified, and countless [malice] was assaulting her soul. She knew that something was wrong with Ling, so without thinking, she reversed her magical power and attacked the Command Seals in an attempt to wake Ling up.

The first to let out a scream was Ling. He was invaded by a sudden surge of magical power, and the completely unexpected attack made him feel as if an invisible hand was stirring his internal organs.

But the scream that followed was unexpected. Kiritsugu Emiya suddenly turned around and caught the woman who had fallen from his wife's arms. He was then thrown away by the magic that erupted from Irisviel. Fortunately, his body reacted instinctively and rolled twice on the ground protecting his daughter before kneeling down and looking nervously at his wife.

"It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!!" Ling covered one eye, staring intently at Kiritsugu Emiya with her other eye, her gaze filled with longing and hatred. "This is the last chance! The last chance! Kiritsugu Emiya! Didn't you want to create a world where no one cries? Then come on! Come on! Come to me and become my host! I will grant your wish! Come on, come on, come on! Come here!!!"

Olga instantly understood who was speaking now, but she had clearly heard that the malignant self had been killed, and what remained was nothing of any importance, so why was it reappearing now?

Seeing Rin reach out to Kiritsugu Emiya and walk towards him, Olga immediately grabbed him, shouting, "Get off Rin's body! He's mine!"

Tormented by pain and confusion, Ling did not respond to Olga at all. Even as Olga pulled him, he continued to walk step by step toward Kiritsugu Emiya, like a corpse with only obsession left, completely devoid of other consciousness.

Ahadeon, who had been watching this dramatic turn of events from the sidelines, sat down on the ground in a terribly erratic manner, as if all his strength had been drained. He looked at Ling, whose body was now covered in black patterns, and remembered the Servant that he had illegally summoned during the last Holy Grail War.

“So it’s true—it’s because I did something unnecessary—the Holy Grail is already—” He took off his right glove, looking at the familiar pattern that had reappeared on the back of his hand. Long-forgotten memories resurfaced, finally turning into a deep sigh.

“Yes, I told you the truth a long time ago, but you just didn’t want to believe it.” Irisviel stood next to Ahad, her hands behind her back, looking down at him.

"In the Third Holy Grail War, Angra Mainyu, whom you summoned, was an aggregate of the evils of this world and was itself a collective wish. When he entered the Holy Grail, it was equivalent to making a wish. The Holy Grail, which at that time still had the ability to truly grant wishes, accepted it as a wish and activated its effects. The Greater Grail itself was also corrupted by Angra Mainyu, and its original colorless power became a vortex of malignant power, which could only grant wishes through destruction."

"Originally, in the upcoming Holy Grail War, whoever the final winner said, his wish would only be used to kill humans indiscriminately. Just like Kiritsugu Emiya wanted a world where no one would need to cry anymore, if all of humanity died, no one would cry anymore. The corrupted Holy Grail would only implement this kind of vicious mechanism."

Apart from Ling, who was screaming in pain, everyone else listened to everything Irisviel said. On the Chaldea side, the doctor's expression changed several times, Rafe stroked his chin, and Da Vinci showed no interest whatsoever.

"Whatever happens, happens! Now tell me how to get Ling back to normal!" Olga shouted with all her might. As a human, she was no match for Ling's strength. Even though she had strengthened her body with magic from the beginning, she still couldn't hold her back.

Kiritsugu Emiya, who was Rin's goal, had already stood up. Holding Illya, he maintained a safe distance from Rin. After listening to Irisviel's words, he took a deep breath.

"Daddy—that person isn't Mommy anymore! Where did Mommy go?! I want Mommy!" Ilya, who was in her arms, remained calm after losing her mother's embrace. In her eyes, the person who had just been her mother had somehow become someone else. Although her appearance hadn't changed, the feeling she got from her was completely different.

"Don't worry, Illya, your mother will be back soon." Kiritsugu Emiya gently stroked the back of Illya's head, comforting his daughter tenderly. If it weren't for the fact that the background was filled with such a ferocious expression, this scene would have been quite heartwarming.

Perhaps Olga's shout had an effect, for Irisviel finally made a move. She placed the back of her hand on the back of Ahadeon's hand, and soon the three Command Seals transferred to her fair skin. She raised her hand, looked at the three strangely beautiful patterns in the candlelight, and smiled with satisfaction.

“This is the last time I will help you, Ahad. The path of Einzbern must be re-established, and you are no longer suitable to lead Einzbern. Male homunculi are still male, so you are born with an aggressive desire that women do not have, which makes Einzbern, which was originally meant to be the ‘Pursuing the Third Law’, become the ‘Seizing the Third Law’.”

"—Justisa, that Servant's change was actually because of you, wasn't it?" After losing his Command Seals, Yubusta Kuhaid's spirits waned. He didn't know if the Command Seals had taken his life or if the other person's words had struck him down.

“Yes, even if [He] couldn’t truly be born, I still nurtured [ Him]. You could even say that [He] can be seen as a part of me. If there wasn’t a suitable one to possess, [He], who finally took shape and couldn’t resist leaving, would have left Mount Yuanzang in my presence, even if it wasn’t suitable.” Looking at Angra Mainyu, who was left with only a single obsession, the Winter Saintess, who had descended using Irisviel’s body, had a look of pity and regret in her eyes, which finally settled into a look of ease.

She slowly walked up to Ling and blocked his way, but Ling didn't even glance at her and tried to walk around her to continue towards Emiya Kiritsugu.

"No, the future you've been waiting for has arrived, why won't you admit it?" Yustissa pressed down on Ling's outstretched hand, then gently hugged him. After being in Yustissa's embrace, Ling, who had been roaring like a wild beast, slowly calmed down.

"I can say with certainty that Kiritsugu Emiya is not the right host for you. Eating someone as strong and righteous as him would only give you a stomachache." Just like a mother gently patting Ling's back, Justessa whispered in his ear.

"You who despise yourself, you who have collapsed, you who were the foundation, have been liberated—no, or perhaps acceptance is more appropriate, because you never had a self in the first place. And you who have accepted yourself have a new life. You no longer need to be afraid, you no longer need to hate, and you no longer need to curse. You can now touch the scenery of the future."

As the狰狞 face gradually calmed down, he slowly closed his eyes in Yustissa's arms and became completely quiet.

Seeing this, Justeza glanced at him longingly, then looked at the Command Seals on the back of her hand and said, "I, Justeza, in the name of all Command Seals, command that [Angola Mainyu] shall be forever silenced—"

The three-stroke command spell vanished instantly, and upon hearing the command, Ling lost all strength, collapsing into Justeza's arms. Olga immediately pulled him back and supported him, her eyes filled with vigilance.

Having regained control of her body, Ling gasped for breath, glaring angrily at Yustissa. "I almost didn't make it back! You completely tricked me—Winter Saintess!"

"This is the first time we've officially met, my child." Yustissa ignored Ling's gaze and continued to smile mysteriously.

"Your child is a devil! I don't need parents! Not in the past, not now, not in the future!" Ling glared at her fiercely. "I can't believe you've returned to Einzbern. No, logically speaking, after you became the core of the Greater Grail, your fragile personality shouldn't have been able to remain, let alone converse with people so vividly—you're not Justessa! What are you?!"

Yustissa shook her head. "I am Yustissa, and that is an indisputable fact."

Ling frowned. He believed the other party was still lying, but he couldn't find a reason to refute it.

“Indeed, she is Justisa Risleich von Einzbern, I can assure you of that.” Yubustakuhaid, who had fallen to the ground, stood up again with the help of two maids. “A year and a half ago, after you were taken away by the little girl from the Animusfia family, Justisa used a similar homunculus body to make contact with us, and we also sent people to the Greater Grail in Fuyuki City to meet with the real person.”

Yubustakuhaid stared at Ling, “Although it’s a bit embarrassing to say, from that time on, the central control AI, the father of humankind, Golem Jubstacheit, fell into chaos.”

Yubustakuhaid looked at Yustiza with a complicated expression. "On the one hand, as the core of the Greater Grail, the most crucial of all, the Winter Saintess, who has been asleep for more than two hundred years, has suddenly awakened and told us that the Greater Grail has been corrupted."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "On the other hand, the simultaneous existence of me as the eighth-generation humanoid terminal and her as the system core caused Einzbern to have two different command systems."

"And when she learned of your reappearance, she ordered through Irisviel to bring you into Einzbern and to greet you as your masters."

"Wait! Master? So that's why the maid acted so strangely!? Are you kidding me?" Having regained his strength, Ling stood up straight again, and the unhappy expression on his face told everyone that he was very unhappy.

“I’m not kidding. Einzbern has long been without an owner, and you, who have been given a special mission and have a special identity, are of course qualified to inherit Einzbern.” The Winter Saintess looked at Ling with an expression that was not at all joking. “This place should have been a workshop built by the disciple of the Third Magician. When that magician’s disciple returned, this workshop had to be under his control.”

“You’ve got the wrong person!” Ling retorted without hesitation. “I’m a true Easterner, how could I possibly have anything to do with you people who have always lived in Germany!”

“No, I’m not mistaken. You are indeed a descendant of the Third Mage’s disciple, and the proof is your name,” Yustissa said with absolute certainty.

Ling was a little confused by Yustissa's logic. He made a "stop" gesture with his hand, then frowned and closed his eyes. "Wait! Let me sort this out."

Ten seconds later, he opened his eyes again, pointing to his face. "Although this body was created by you Einzberns, the appearance is indeed mine. Is that why you say I am the descendant of that so-called disciple? Did you make this new body based on that disciple's appearance? But that logic doesn't make sense. Before I entered this body, how could you be so sure that my soul looked like this? Not to mention that disciple's genes are really that strong, that his appearance hasn't changed even after generation!"

“No, you’re mistaken. It has nothing to do with appearance. The blueprint for this body was provided by the Second Mage. As I said before, the reason I identified you as a descendant of a Third-Party Mage’s disciple is because of your surname—your original, true surname.” Yustissa’s crimson eyes reflected Ling’s figure.

“Ridiculous! My surname has no connection with you at all. After all, most of the disciples of the Third Magician chose to commit suicide after abandoning this place, and the remaining few became the tuners living in the surrounding area—” Ling recalled the fate of those disciples, and stopped midway through her speech.

"A lawyer? A lawyer!?" He clutched his heart, remembering the phone call. He remembered what the call said: if it's about your heart problem, then it's not a problem at all; a lawyer will take care of it.

Yes, I didn't get to see the so-called tuner, and the so-called surname is Yue Zheng?

Chapter 315 An Unfortunate Curse (Part 4)

What is this?! A lame joke?! Just how many secrets do I have? And why am I involved with the Third Law? None of this was mentioned in my memories from my past life!

Ling was thrown into a state of extreme panic. In the past, he had always been secretly pleased with himself for knowing various secrets of the Type-Moon world, but now, when it was something that concerned him personally, he found that he knew nothing at all. This huge gap made him feel extremely uneasy.

"It seems you know nothing." Yustissa's joyful smile made Ling feel even worse. He had always been the one to use his intelligence to trick others, but now the tables had turned. This feeling was really unpleasant.

"What exactly do I not know? Can you tell me?" Ling composed herself and asked, looking at Yustissa's smiling face.

“Of course, that’s why I’m here, but—” she drawled out her words like an innocent young girl.

“…I understand. So, what is the price?” Ling knew very well that there was no free lunch in this world, nor was there anything more expensive than free. So-called saints without desires did not exist, let alone artificial humans whose functions were determined long before they were created.

The function of Yustisa is self-evident: to realize the true Third Law and thereby achieve salvation for all mankind.

"The price is—" Justisa said as she walked to the robe that had fallen to the ground after being used by Rin to block Kiritsugu Emiya's bullet. She bent down, picked it up, and draped it over Rin's shoulders. "The price is to accept this formal attire that represents the Einzbern and then lead the Einzbern forward once again."

"Isn't the Mystic Code representing Einzbern the Heaven's Feel dress?" Ling let her put the Mystic Code on him, not even noticing that Olga was intimidated by Justessa's gaze.

"What is the Garment of Heaven?" There are always people who speak without considering the timing, and this time, for some unknown reason, Shion interrupted the conversation.

Justisa squinted at Shion, "That's a secret of our Einzbern, and has nothing to do with you, an alchemist from the Atlas Institute."

“Hum, your reaction is quite interesting. Do we have some history?” Ziyuan didn’t care about Yustissa’s cold attitude. Instead, she looked at her with unusual interest. “Even if you don’t say it, I can figure it out more or less.”

Shion once again wore an expression of "everything is under control," and said, "The Einzbern are skilled in alchemy, homunculus, and the weaving of the Third Law, while our Atlas Institute is also skilled in alchemy, homunculus, and methods to save the world. It seems that our abilities and responsibilities completely overlap, Rin-kun, am I right?"

“No, I think the reason she hates you is because you are their nemesis.” Ling looked at Yustissa and Ziyuan respectively. “The Third Law is the materialization of the soul, thereby achieving the effect of a perpetual motion machine, and your Philosopher’s Stone can reverse this effect, right?”

“Human bodies and souls can be refined into Philosopher’s Stones. To them, you, who have mastered this technology, are their natural enemy.” He tore off the robe that Yustissa had draped over him, rolled it up, and stuffed it back into her hands.

"I'm sorry, I can't grant you that request. Even without knowing those things, I can live a good life. Why make things difficult for myself?" After thinking for a long time, Ling came to this conclusion. He couldn't stay in this world for long. He still had many things to do, and right now, the most important thing was to obtain what he needed in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

The best solution to the current puzzle is to wait until he has accumulated enough power before solving it.

"No, I advise you to accept it. Look, let me give you some interesting information first—Ji Qiaoqiao had a daughter named Ji Lingling, but Ji Lingling is no longer alive, only Ji Ling remains. Gemstone Elder is currently hiding from Ji Ling's pursuit in various worlds because Gemstone Elder wants to forcibly take her to see a special person. Can you guess who that person is?"

Yustisa smiled confidently, this time directly covering Ling's head with her clothes, obscuring Ling's face in shadow, and thus blocking Ling's pupils that were rapidly shrinking into needle-like shapes.

She leaned close to Ling's ear and whispered like a devil, "Ji Ling can't possibly reach the world where that being resides, but that being ran away on its own. What do you think will happen if they eventually meet?"

--fear.

Ling now only has this feeling left. He doesn't know what he's afraid of, but he understands perfectly well that if he encounters the person named Ji Ling, that will be the moment he truly vanishes. Not just a simple death, but the kind where the world erases every trace of him!

This feeling arose after Yug was captured using the Metatron Cube in the post-apocalyptic world. Although it was just a small clone, it was, after all, an omniscient and omnipotent being. In that instant, it was endowed with countless knowledge. If we were to use the abilities in the FGO game as an analogy, it would be that it gained the wisdom of innate talent + the wisdom of the demon realm + an omnipotent being. It possessed all of these, including innate wisdom, acquired experience, and the means to integrate them.

While not quite at the level of an omniscient and omnipotent star, it was very close. Fortunately, this state was immediately interrupted by Arthur, and out of excessive fear, he never actively used these abilities, even later abandoning them all through special means.

The reason was simple: he was genuinely afraid. The more you know, the more unhappiness you experience. Ignorance is often a blessing, because ignorance means less fear. Yet, in that instant, through a tiny, needle-like gap, he saw a fact he had never noticed before.

Grandpa, don't you have any plans to find another partner?

"Of course not, you little rascal! Why are you suddenly asking that? Did you hear the housewives in the neighborhood gossiping about something?"

—Yeah, they said it must be tough for such a handsome old man like you to take care of your granddaughter, so they secretly asked me to ask you what you think. But do they really think I'm a child?

—Ha, what's so difficult about taking care of a granddaughter? I lived here with you for ten years before, so it wouldn't make a difference if I did it again!

Grandpa, are you getting senile? I'm only seven years old, how come you've been taking care of me for ten years?

—Yes, Grandpa is getting senile. I'm sorry, Lingling, I'm just a useless grandpa. Please forgive me, Lingling.

Chapter 316 Fear of the Unknown (Part 1)

This conversation took place when he was seven years old, when the grandfather and grandson were returning home from grocery shopping in the evening shopping street. That day, they were on holiday because the Ministry of the Environment was laying new gas pipelines, and his grandfather had taken him to the aquarium, so he remembered it very well.

By then, Ling had gotten used to his new identity and gradually started chatting with the always cool old man about all sorts of random things, even recounting stories from comics, anime, and novels from his past life. The old man never asked him where he heard these stories, probably because he thought he had seen them on television and in the school library.

In short, on that day, Ling heard his grandfather call him "Lingling" for the first time. At the time, he didn't pay any attention to it. Now, thinking back, he realized that his grandfather's gaze at him at that time was unprecedentedly empty, as if he were looking at someone through his own shadow.

Now, he has to face this problem squarely. From the moment he arrived at Chaldea, the so-called "Ji Ling," Merlin's guilty attitude towards him, the vague feeling that he was being influenced, and now the words of the Winter Saintess, all of these things have shown him that he is getting closer to a terrible truth.

“So this is what that sense of danger and coercion is all about—” Ling gritted her teeth, turned her head to the other side, and looked at the projection in Chaldea’s control room, “Professor Rafe.”

Ling looked at Leif and was taken aback, never expecting him to speak to her. Leif paused for a moment before asking with a formulaic expression, "What brings you here, Servant Ling?"

"I don't care what methods you use! Find that record called [Ji Ling] for me right now! Otherwise, I'll write out the wills representing Rafe Huller and Lenor Gushin! You know what I mean!" Ordinary people couldn't understand what Ling was saying at all, but Rafe, the person in question, had a slight change in expression.

Rafe had long known that Ling knew about other timelines and had predicted that he had the means to threaten him, but he never expected that even the two wills belonging to his past and future personalities, which should no longer exist, were in his possession.

These two suicide notes are a crucial point. Originally, as the personality in charge of the present, after acknowledging that the burning of human reason should begin, he would not have chosen suicide to stop the conflict between the other two personalities, thus preventing the burning of human reason from being activated.

He didn't know the contents of the two suicide notes. Now that Ling is saying this, if he were to actually read those two suicide notes, it might shake his current personality and lead him to choose suicide, which is absolutely unacceptable.

"—I understand. Regarding that data, although I deleted it from Chaldea's database, I still kept a copy. If you want to see it, I can give it to you." Rafe stared at Ling. "But let me make this clear beforehand: I will not accept this kind of threat a second time!"

Rafe agreed so readily for two reasons. First, he knew that Ling possessed such a powerful weapon. Second, based on the observations made by Goetia, he had already reached a preliminary conclusion: the causal entanglement on Ling was beyond their control. Whether they tried to win him over or kill him, they would not be able to reach a conclusion. Rather than creating unnecessary complications, it would be better to gather information from other timelines and modify the plan for the incineration of humanity as much as possible.

He now knows that his previous guess that "Ji Ling" might be the past of the Servant "Ling" is completely unfounded. He wonders if he was blind to have mistaken the male "Ling" for the female "Ji Ling." Since the Winter Saintess has already revealed part of that record, he might as well go with the flow and bring it out.

Ling looked at Rafe with a sneer, "I've said from the beginning that I'm an outsider no matter which side you're on. As long as you don't mess with me, I have no interest in paying attention to you!"