Many in the light curtain danmaku had already guessed Vill-V's meaning.
Conan Edogawa: "The creator of the light curtain itself... how powerful are they? And why did they create this broadcast?"
Otto Apocalypse: "You are a detective, aren't you? Let me give you a piece of advice: excessive curiosity can get you killed. Compared to that unknown existence, we need only focus on Elysia for now."
In the Honkai world, Otto made his statement. Some things were best left unprobed. Curiosity killed the cat. If not for the fact that the light curtain's audience came from different worlds, someone with Conan's personality would have been reduced to dust long ago.
Hachiman Hikigaya: "So the story is over. No matter the ending, it always brings a little sadness."
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "This is already a good ending. Although Fuyuki City was leveled, at least the characters who appeared are still alive, and the Servants just returned to the Throne of Heroes."
Eri Sawamura: "Right, right! It's not like it had to end with Elysia's death. Who would watch such a tragic plot?"
In the Saekano world, Eri Sawamura spoke from under her covers. She loved sweet stories like this; having sugar without the angst was nice. For some reason, from the moment she first saw Elysia, she had felt a strange sense of melancholy, as if the character was inextricably linked to tragedy. This had kept her on edge while watching, but thankfully, the ending was still a happy one...
Yukino Yukinoshita: "The light curtain's camera has changed. Is that Marisbury? Is the true winner behind the scenes of the Holy Grail War about to make his wish..."
Following Yukino's words, the audience outside the light curtain refocused their attention on the screen. After all, Marisbury... while not particularly likable, was indeed the true victor of this Holy Grail War.
---o---
On the Light Curtain—
The camera now focused on Marisbury. The Holy Grail was floating before him.
Although the Fuyuki Holy Grail had been destroyed, Marisbury still had the one stolen from the King of Heroes.
At this moment, Marisbury looked at the Grail and asked Solomon, who stood before him, "Caster, this Holy Grail... it should be no different from the original one in the Holy Grail War, right? What kind of wish can it grant?"
Solomon shook his head. "It lacks sufficient magical energy, and the vessel itself barely meets the standard. It can grant some 'simple' wishes, but that is all. Greater miracles cannot be achieved."
The King of Heroes should have possessed a Grail far more perfect than Fuyuki's, but he had ultimately held back, not allowing Solomon to take the more flawless one.
Marisbury smiled gently, his tone calm and even. "I see. It seems the idea of using the Holy Grail to build Chaldea directly is difficult to realize."
Chaldea—the most crucial and central part of Marisbury's plan. In Chaldea's blueprint, every single component was vital.
Precisely because Chaldea was so important, Marisbury would not choose to rely on a mere cup. In truth, even without the Holy Grail War, Chaldea could still be established; it would just take a much longer time.
Marisbury never needed the Holy Grail to grant some incredibly difficult wish. On the contrary, his wish was extremely 'simple.'
Solomon carefully sensed the flow of magical energy in the Grail and then said, "Master, if you are to make a wish, make it as specific as possible. Vague or conceptual wishes cannot be granted, nor can wishes that exceed the limits of this world."
"Additionally, it cannot create something from nothing. The fractured Grail does not have enough energy to create things ex nihilo. If you wish for something, it is best to wish for something that already exists in this world."
It had absorbed insufficient magical energy and was not part of the Fuyuki Grail system. The ability to grant wishes at all was already the limit of this cup.
Marisbury nodded in understanding. "Then, I shall make my wish—O Holy Grail, there are countless treasures buried in the seas and ancient tombs of this world. Please transfer as many of those things that are valuable to the people of this world as possible to the underground vaults of the Animusphere family, until the entire space is filled."
Voom!
The fractured Holy Grail bloomed with a golden light. It seemed this wish was not a difficult one for it to grant.
The people of the multiverse, after a brief pause, were completely dumbfounded.
This wish, though Marisbury had stated it in great detail, boiled down to one thing: money!
The wish was so pragmatic and unpretentious that the audience outside the light curtain found it hard to accept.
Indeed, if the audience were given one chance to make a wish, most, after endless hesitation, would still choose such a simple answer: money.
While money isn't everything, without it, one is severely restricted in what they can do. This concept was universal in most worlds.
The same was true for Marisbury. Although the Animusphere family was a renowned magus lineage, by his generation, it had already begun to decline.
Furthermore, the funds required to establish Chaldea were astronomical. Even if the Animusphere family emptied its coffers, they probably couldn't even build the outer shell.
After using communication magecraft to confirm the situation underground with his family, Marisbury smiled. "The wish has been granted. The reserves of capital have exceeded my imagination. At this moment, the Animusphere family now possesses the basic requirements to establish Chaldea. Thank you, Caster. Thanks to you, I was able to complete this most crucial step."
Solomon: "..."
He didn't answer, merely facing him calmly, like a tool devoid of emotion.
Marisbury was already used to this. He simply turned his gaze to the fractured, dim Holy Grail and said, "Speaking of which, the Grail still has some residual magical energy. Another wish can be made. So, Caster, what wish would you make?"
This question made Solomon freeze. "A wish?"
Marisbury smiled and nodded. "Yes. Without you, I likely wouldn't have been able to grant my wish even if I had won the Holy Grail War."
"Although you always insist you have no emotions... when you faced Elysia, I saw shock in your expression. This means you possess a self, and also a wish you want to fulfill, do you not?"
Solomon was silent. A hint of confusion appeared on his perpetually calm face. After a moment, as if his heart had been moved, an emotion called anticipation emerged.
"My wish..." Solomon murmured. Even if it was just a little, that young woman had indeed managed to draw out something that should not have appeared in King Solomon.
Although Solomon had avoided interacting with her too much, seeing her stand against the Outer God had, for the first time, stirred within him a longing for humanity.
In a sense, Elysia was not human, yet she possessed more human characteristics than he did. That beautiful form was a state that even Solomon yearned for.
After a moment of contemplation, Solomon's gaze fell upon the Holy Grail suspended between his arms. His eyes, staring at the Grail, showed confusion and thought, which then solidified into resolve.
He slowly said, "My wish is..."
---o---
Light Curtain Danmaku—
Another critical moment like this. Marisbury's wish had already surprised the audience and left them reeling.
Solomon's wish would surely be just as astonishing, but the light curtain suddenly muted the audio.
They could only see Marisbury's expression change from gentle to shocked, and then to utter amazement. It must have been an incredible wish.
Unfortunately, the audience outside the light curtain was destined not to know its specific content...
---o---
On the Light Curtain—
Time shifted to evening, and the location was no longer Fuyuki City, but the Einzbern Castle far away in Germany.
The Fourth Holy Grail War had no winner. Emiya Kiritsugu had not obtained the Grail. Those old fossils of the Einzbern family were highly likely to harm Illya after confirming this.
Upon learning this, Heroic Spirit EMIYA had single-handedly cleared out the entire Einzbern Castle. After all, Illya was, in name, his older sister.
Although they had their disagreements during the Fifth Holy Grail War, that was all in the future. With the Counter Force gone, the future would no longer unfold that way.
Thus, Heroic Spirit EMIYA had obtained a freedom he had not experienced in a long time.
And with his power as a Servant, forget the Einzberns; even at the Clock Tower, as long as Zelretch the Jewel Mage didn't intervene, he could still walk all over them.
And even if Zelretch did show up, weren't the Flame-Chasers still here?
Zelretch was a Magician, not an immortal god. Against the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, and Elysia who could merge their powers into one Great Elysia, he had no hope of victory.
...
"This should be what Hua calls a 'reunion dinner' in her hometown, right?"
Inside the Einzbern Castle, Elysia held Illyasviel, gently pinching her adorable little cheeks.
Before her was a sumptuous feast that was still being served. Our Chef Emiya and the Hundred-Flavored Vill-V were in the kitchen, while Sakura and Irisviel were assisting.
But compared to the lavish dinner, Elysia clearly preferred the Illya in her arms.
Irisviel was cute enough, but she never expected her daughter to be even cuter. Her chubby face was no less adorable than Griseo's.
"Hmm... more or less. But where I'm from, reunion dinners are usually for festivals," Hua said after a moment of thought, hearing Elysia mention her homeland.
Elysia... had once again fallen into that enthusiastic state the moment she saw Illya.
Perhaps it was because she liked children. She couldn't hold Griseo due to her unique condition, so she was pouring all her love for children onto Illya.
To the side, Kosma watched his comrade Elysia and inconspicuously shielded Griseo behind him.
Elysia's personality was too strong. If Griseo turned out like Elysia, he wouldn't even have a place to cry.
"Um... are you looking for something?" Waver Velvet, perhaps due to his own personality, felt a strange sense of restraint here.
This feeling intensified when he saw the once ruthless and cruel Emiya Kiritsugu undergo a complete personality change and become a doting family man.
If he weren't the weakest one here, he would have found a way to slip away long ago.
"..." Kevin stared at the man before him without a word. It wasn't that he didn't want to speak, but he didn't know what to say. Was he supposed to admit that after Vill-V rejected noodles as a delicacy, he was now stubbornly looking for ingredients to make them himself? This was a little hobby of Kevin's that even some of the Flame-Chasers didn't know about.
Besides, Kevin's personality was just like that. He was fine with the Flame-Chasers and people he was familiar with, but to outsiders, he was a complete iceberg. His long years of warfare had nearly caused his communication skills to atrophy.
"Ahaha..." Faced with Kevin's attitude, Waver could only laugh awkwardly and move away from the cold man. The thing he feared most was a sudden, awkward silence.
Fortunately, Waver's tolerance had grown a lot since the Holy Grail War. The old Waver would have probably assumed Kevin was looking down on him and ignoring him.
"Hiss—it feels a little cold in here," Pardofelis muttered, hugging her tail as she saw Waver get the cold shoulder from Boss Kevin.
The castle was too spacious, and outside was a world of ice and snow. Even Pardo, a Fusion Warrior, felt a chill.
She shook her head and quietly crept behind Kalpas.
As the easiest-to-please member of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, Pardofelis's wishes were simple: to have lots of money, to find Boss Kevin when it was hot, and to find Brother Kalpas when it was cold.
But compared to Boss Kevin, Brother Kalpas was a bit too short-tempered. Every time he got angry, even if it wasn't directed at her, she would get caught in the crossfire.
Her tail had been burned off more times than she could count. But in this atmosphere, it was one of the rare opportunities to warm up by Brother Kalpas without getting caught up in his rage.
To the side... Elysia, who was busy doting on Illya, took in the entire scene.
Pardo's little movements, noodle-loving Kevin, the almighty Vill-V, or the bickering Kalpas and Mobius, the blind Su with his eyes closed...
Yes... this is how it should be. This is the life she and the Flame-Chasers should be living.
If everyone in the world could live such a life, then the Everlasting Paradise of Elysia's dreams would truly become a reality.
But... to make this life continue in their own world was a very difficult thing... Elysia thought with a sigh.
"Alright, stop teasing her, Ely. The dinner is about to start. And... her father is still watching," Eden said with a smile, sitting down in front of Elysia.
Perhaps it was because Elysia was naturally captivating. The moment they arrived at Einzbern Castle, Illya had been clinging to Elysia, which even made her birth father, Emiya Kiritsugu, look at Elysia differently.
"No, it's nothing. As long as Illya doesn't mind," Emiya Kiritsugu said with a blank expression.
Of course, it hurt Kiritsugu that Illya ignored him, her own father, and was so affectionate with an outsider.
But he could understand. He and Irisviel had been away for days. It was normal for Illya to be upset and act out.
Sighing, Kiritsugu looked at Saber, who was standing by, tensely awaiting the start of the meal. "What are your plans now, Saber?"
He had lived with Saber for a while and was well aware of her bottomless 'King's Stomach.' That was why today's dinner was so excessively lavish; otherwise, Saber alone could have finished it all.
"My plans... I'll probably head to Britain first. After that, I'll deal with the magical beasts that escaped from Fuyuki," Saber's nerves were taut, as if she could start eating at any moment, but she was still seriously answering Kiritsugu's question.
With the Holy Sword in her possession, she was completely free from Kiritsugu's Command Spells and could continue to exist in the world as a Servant.
Saber's plan was to first visit the Britain of the future. Although it was no longer the Britain of her time, it was still her homeland.
After that, she would probably act as a guardian of the world. Without the Counter Force, humanity's development would be unrestricted, but correspondingly, more enemies would appear. Saber would protect humanity from the shadows.
Finally, when her mission was complete, she would return the scabbard of the Holy Sword to King Arthur's tomb and return to the Throne of Heroes as a Heroic Spirit.
"I see..." Kiritsugu said in a low voice. Perhaps he had underestimated Saber before. This King's magnanimity was far greater than his own...
After a brief exchange, the dinner officially began.
With Emiya Shirou and the Hundred-Flavored Vill-V as chefs, the quality of the feast was naturally impeccable. It was a meal that not even a five-star chef could replicate.
At least, Elysia ate to her heart's content, enjoying the delicious food while constantly praising the skills of Shirou and Vill-V.
To this, the two just smiled. In essence, this dinner was also prepared for one person.
That's right, the greatest hero of this war—Elysia.
The Flame-Chasers were a given, but after experiencing the entire Holy Grail War, Emiya Shirou was also inevitably drawn to Elysia.
Of course, he was different from the King of Heroes. He was simply amazed by the young woman's resolve and will.
Or perhaps, from a certain perspective, anyone who got close to Elysia would inevitably be influenced by her. The Flame-Chasers, Solomon, and others.
---o---
After a satisfying meal, it was time for farewells.
The sky had turned to deep night. The stars shone brightly, and without the cover of clouds, the star-filled sky was beautiful.
Elysia stood in an open space, a little bewildered, while the Flame-Chasers, Saber, and the Emiya family watched from the side.
"Vill-V, are you sure I just need to stand here and do nothing?"
Elysia asked, puzzled. If it weren't for the fact that most of the people here were familiar faces, and that she was a social terrorist herself, she would have been too shy to stand being watched by so many people.
"That's right, Elysia. According to my other self, you just need to stand there and think about wanting to go back," the Conductor, Vill-V, said to Elysia from the side. Then, as if remembering something, she added:
"Oh, right, don't forget to take us with you. It wouldn't be good if the Supreme God only let you leave."
"Mmm... alright," Elysia said helplessly, silently thinking about what Vill-V had just said.
A while passed, but nothing happened. This made Miss Pink Elf feel a bit frustrated. Standing here like a fool didn't feel good at all.
Bzzzzzz—
Just as Elysia was feeling helpless, a strange sound suddenly rang out, making her and everyone around her turn to look.
Before Elysia, a portal had appeared out of thin air.
It wasn't ornate, even a bit plain, but from the other side of the portal came an aura the Flame-Chasers hadn't felt in a long time—the aura of Honkai.
"It... actually worked?" Mobius was in disbelief. A passage connecting two multiverses was opened so easily?
"It seems that even without any proof, my other self's guess was completely correct," the Conductor said, flicking her hat.
Kevin walked past Vill-V and came to stand before Elysia. "The passage is open. Are you ready, Elysia?"
Elysia looked at Kevin's face, then at the Thirteen Flame-Chasers behind him, and finally, her gaze fell upon the Emiya family and Saber.
She slowly nodded and said to Kevin, "Mm, of course!"
With that, the story of Elysia on the light curtain came to an end.
The moment Elysia stepped into the portal, the screen of the light curtain faded to black.
The story that existed because of Elysia was over, but the broadcast did not hide the truth of her tale.
On the black screen, Elysia's life story was being told to everyone in text.
[Elysia, the Herrscher of Human, was born between heaven and earth. As a child, she was taken in as an orphan. She took her name from a fairy tale book she read: Elysian Realm, Everlasting Paradise—Elysia.]
[Living with the townspeople, she gradually realized she was different. To protect them, she embarked on a journey, eventually arriving at Fire Moth. During her journey, she had already formed fateful connections with the other Flame-Chasers.]
[Her life in the town taught Elysia the beauty of humanity. On her travels, she witnessed many things. She understood how complex and contradictory the emotions of the human race were, but this knowledge, rather than discouraging her, deepened her love for humanity and strengthened her own identity as a 'human'.]
[And as the fate of that era neared its end, she confessed her identity to her beloved comrades and made a difficult decision for the world she loved so dearly. It was the final banquet, a crusade against the Thirteenth Herrscher. She invited her comrades. Some attended because they believed in Elysia, while others refused to fight because they believed in Elysia.]
[That night, she chose to sacrifice herself, pulling the strings of fate so that the Herrschers of the next era would be born with more humanity. More survivors would, actively or passively, retain their humanity even after becoming Herrschers, and even fight for their loved ones.]
This was Elysia's original fate. In theory, even if Elysia returned to her original world, she could not escape the fate of death.
However, the Supreme God had given Elysia a new possibility. Within her, the seed of 'humanity' had already grown into a towering tree.
As long as Elysia held on to her 'love' for humanity, the Previous Era now had a chance to overcome Finality.
At this moment, a new branch grew on the Imaginary Tree. This was the hope brought by the Supreme God, a gift to Elysia, a new possibility for the Previous Era.
Tragedy is not the end, but the beginning of hope.
Author's note:
ps: The first volume is ending. There might be some extras later. To be honest, I'm quite nervous. I don't know how many people will look forward to the second volume. JoJo should still be popular now, right?