Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

"Haha, that's quite an interesting answer."

Paul paid no attention to what was considered disrespectful to believers, and simply smiled, "This young lady is called Ritsuka, and what is this young man's name?"

“Mingvia”.

For some reason, Ritsuka whispered the name before Novia could say it, but it was soft enough for the two of them to hear.

"This name seems somewhat similar to His Holiness the Pope, could it be..."

Paul looked at Novia, whose expression remained unchanged, with a half-smile, and finally spoke slowly.

"Mingvia, are you a fan of Novia?"

"……Yes."

Novia nodded, and Ritsuka, who felt relieved that she had just resolved a religious conflict, also breathed a sigh of relief.

"I see. If this Ritsuka is the savior, then she should have corresponding apostles by her side. But there aren't twelve. Is it because you, Myovija, were directly chosen by the savior, just like me?"

"To be honest, it was more of a question-and-answer session than a conversation."

“Since you are very suspicious, but I am a member of the church, and since there are lost sheep, wouldn’t I feel guilty if I didn’t do my best to help them?”

Paul smiled again. "But I'm certain this cane was obtained through accreditation, because—"

The moment the words fell, faint specks of golden light spread throughout the church, emanating around Ritsuka, who was holding a cane.

"You have already obtained this power."

Paul stood up, his slightly hunched body looking at Ritsuka, and reached out to touch the cane.

"So, it is enough for you to remember the heroic figure who fought as a force, not as nothingness, but as a force that persevered through difficulties."

Afterwards, Ritsuka felt a little dazed. When she came to, Novia was already leading her out of the main hall and into a sun-drenched square.

“Ritsuka, didn’t I tell Da Vinci that I’m somewhat special as a Demi-Servant?”

Before the orange-haired girl could ask about what had happened earlier, Novia took the initiative and asked the question.

"Hmm... like Mashu, I don't know her name, but I have many vague impressions of her?"

"Correct."

Novia nodded calmly. "After arriving in Rome, I felt a sense of familiarity with the shadow within me, so I brought you here to find out who this shadow was. To my surprise, it turned out to be the first Pope, Novia..."

In reality, this was just Novia's excuse so that he could use this power later. After all, he wasn't worried about his identity being exposed at first, but the Second Singularity suddenly became Rome, which made it too relevant to him, so he had no choice but to do this.

As he spoke, just as he had done in Fuyuki, a card appeared beside him, the image of which was Ritsuka's cane.

"Hey, isn't this...?"

Before Ritsuka could even speak, a thought flashed through her mind, and the card instantly transformed into a cane that appeared in her hand.

"Actually, it's like this. Although I recorded it using this spiritual particle method, the current master is you, Ritsuka. So if I want to use the power of this Pope who knows his true name, you are my medium."

Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't quite understand Novia's words, but she was deeply impressed by his last sentence.

Ritsuka, you are my medium—even so, she understood that this was a statement of power, and had no other meaning.

"However, Novia, you're not my servant, are you..."

The girl said with some disappointment, but then she suddenly remembered something. The old man had said that if he was the savior, then there should be an apostle, and Novia, like him, was directly chosen by the savior. The savior in this context was probably not the same person, but the savior the old man was referring to as Novia should be herself...

In other words, it means that although there is no Servant contract, the choice has already been made in one's heart, or something like that...

"This old man is quite remarkable," Ritsuka thought with some admiration.

This made the orange-haired girl look at Novia with a delighted smile.

"Speaking of which, according to that logic, Advisor Novia, are you my apostle?"

"...That was just something the old man said casually."

Novia paused, then looked at Ritsuka seriously again, "But Novia, you might really be Ritsuka's apostle."

"Isn't this just the difference between a pseudonym and a real name?"

"Because this medium is needed to use the power of that Pope."

"So, in that sense, I can barely be considered your Master now, right?"

The girl raised her head. Although she still couldn't shake the guilt she felt towards the family of the person in front of her, it seemed that it didn't matter now. Let it be. The matter of the first Pope, the struggle between singularities, Hibiki and her mother—it didn't matter anymore.

Now, even if it's just for this short time, all she wants is to see his face.

……

Is the girl named Ritsuka who walked in Novia the same person as Novia?

Paul neither knew nor could he have discovered it.

Even if he could deduce that Ritsuka, who was holding a cane, was from the future, he never considered anything else.

But when he saw Novia, he still had a feeling, even though he didn't know the specifics, he could still sense it.

So the old man simply told himself to stop thinking and not to bother him, that was all.

But in the end, he still flipped through the Book of Revelation in the New Testament that he had placed on the long table, and after reading it for a long time, he wrote down this sentence—

The Spirit and the bride both said, 'Come!'

Those who hear this should also say: 'Come!'

After that, he closed his eyes peacefully as before, looking as if he were thinking or sleeping. If left unattended, he might have turned into stone and never moved again.

I saw that child in the spring of twenty-three years ago.

Paul witnessed Jesus' suffering on Golgotha. He did not believe in Jesus, so he naturally disregarded missionary work and even opposed and persecuted it.

But after witnessing the Passion of Jesus, he suddenly lost his sight and wandered aimlessly through the overgrown mountains like a blind man. Suddenly, he seemed to see something in the darkness and cautiously made his way towards it. Finally, based on his groping, he realized it was what appeared to be a newborn infant.

It would have been normal for Paul to be upset after suddenly going blind, so it would have been normal for him to abandon the baby he found out of nowhere. But for some reason, perhaps out of pity, or perhaps by fate, Paul decided to raise the baby after all.

Even though he was blind, he was still able to make a living by relying on his family's skills, namely the skill of weaving tents with mohair.

Immediately after he thought this, it was as if scales fell off Paul's eyes, and he was able to see again, regaining his sight and being baptized.

Thus, Paul encountered the miracle of life for the first time, an event that occurred on a quiet afternoon.

He then became one of the church's main missionaries, spreading the Christian faith throughout the Mediterranean region with his young children.

Settling in the ancient city of Antioch, they found it unsuitable to stay in a populated area due to the spread of their new faith, so they chose a barren land with nothing around it. However, as their faith spread, the number of people in the barren land increased.

After all, the water and stars in that kind of place are very beautiful.

Fourteen years passed in this way, and finally the old man witnessed the child he raised surpass him, even reaching a level that his teacher had failed to achieve.

But no matter what, it's all worth remembering, even though it's all in the distant past.

Chapter 365 Second Generation: Oh no, we've found the real deal.

A hot wind blew in.

A foreign atmosphere, quite different from the familiar London.

The sun hung high in the sky, sending wave after wave of heat as if it were about to explode. Even with the power of a Servant, one's eyes felt as if they were being burned by the desert's glare. It was unclear whether the people living here had become accustomed to such intense light and heat, or whether they simply had no choice but to endure it.

Alexandria, Egypt's most important seaport and the second largest city in the province of Egypt, was the second largest city in the empire in terms of size and wealth before the development of the new Rome.

I stood atop the wall, watching the battle between the Roman Praetorian Guard and the soldiers summoned by magic.

"Could the Roman Empire in the first century have mobilized its military power to such an extent?"

Under the sun's rays, amidst the boundless sea of ​​people, scattered everywhere were corpses burning with thick smoke, their human entrails exposed, and the manifestation of magic, casting long, thin shadows that painted a dark, crimson, or perhaps more accurately, a desert world stained with death. Looking around, besides the corpses, there were only summoned creatures that should have disappeared but had reappeared.

This is the tragic end that both the enemy and themselves will ultimately face.

Although the Roman Praetorian Guard were all ordinary people, with the help of magicians who came to their aid, they were able to fight against these soldiers who were purely summoned by magic. However, since magic could not be eliminated as long as it existed, an ordinary army would not be able to hold out for long.

However, the scene before him was indeed somewhat unexpected for the Second Emperor. He had not anticipated that the willpower of the army in the first century could reach such a level.

"These soldiers are far superior to the men I led back then."

"The power of faith has always been like this... However, more than four hundred years later, the last Praetorian Guard of Rome was wiped out in one battle, and the western part of the empire was destroyed. The blood stained with the sword of that Hunnic king overturned the world and religious beliefs."

"But that would be more than four hundred years from now."

Alexander remained unmoved. "Let me test the skills of Lucius, the leader of the Praetorian Guard,"

"Go."

The Second Emperor took a deep breath, leaned against the city wall, which was scorching hot from the sun, and looked up at the sky, which seemed to be burning fiercely.

Even with heads bowed, the battlefield was filled with vibrant crimson, appearing so frenzied under the blazing sun.

This inevitably reminded him of the blood shed by the concubine of the overlord when she committed suicide in the distant Eastern lands, and the blood river that created knights in the past world who were slaughtered because they could not resist the invasion of the Huns.

As a survivor who miraculously gained the power of a Servant from the horrific catastrophe that swept the world and burned humanity, Alexander the Great naturally understood that his actions were subverting history. However, he had reasons for not being able to stop Alexander, not only as a teacher but also as a subject.

Regardless of the final outcome, the Second Prince wanted to follow in Alexander's footsteps and pursue his dreams.

The scene displayed by Alexander the Servant the next second might seem ordinary to the Servant, but it was incredibly shocking to ordinary people and magicians.

Although they were still a long way from the Roman Praetorian Guard, the red-haired youth who leaped off the city wall on horseback drew the sword from his waist.

Immediately, he swung his sword forcefully.

It was as if the stars were enraged, beating the drums of heaven.

Before anyone could react, a dazzling beam of light descended from the sky, instantly traversing dozens of miles and penetrating the Roman army, as if it were about to tear apart faces, sever heads of those who knew no right from wrong, and burn away their souls.

In an instant, the magicians, realizing this, were gripped by a vortex of fear that swept across the battlefield like a tsunami approaching land. It started silently and then evolved into a colossal wave that engulfed everything.

Even Lucius, wielding the Spear of Longinus, could hardly imagine that after Novia's disappearance, there would still be—

"In the name of Lucius Longinus, the most sublime faith under the Lord, I hereby issue the 'Crimson' command."

The bright red summons was the highest-level emergency declaration from within the Royal Guard, which Lucius had personally created. Its significance was that the accompanying magician should pour all his magic into him. In principle, this order should not have been issued, because the human body could hardly withstand such a massive amount of external magic.

However, on the battlefield, military orders are absolute, so the magicians did not hesitate at all and perfectly carried out Lucius's orders.

Instantly, Lucius's hands, wielding the Spear of Longinus, burst open, gushing forth crimson and black blood. But the man showed no reaction, letting the blood and pain manifest, and simply charged forward to clash with Alexander.

Now, the power of many magicians and the gun itself is entrusted to Lucius.

The blood-stained holy spear released a dazzling light.

roar!

In an instant, the fierce struggle seemed to freeze in place.

Whether it was the Second Emperor standing on the city wall or Ptolemy in the Library of Alexandria, they all subconsciously looked over.

Shocked by Lucius's sudden and unexpected attack, which was not a Servant, it was hard to understand. After all, as a human, even if he poured so much magic into it, it would be difficult to directly face the ultimate technique of a Servant, namely Alexander's Noble Phantasm, Initial Devastation and Domination.

However, what happened at that moment was like an outsider hearing a gunshot in the dense forest that sounded similar to the one he was holding.

It's incredible.

Even the purple-haired girl analyzing data in the underwater Library of Alexandria slightly raised her eyelids, but quickly looked away without any interest.

“You are indeed a powerful warrior, Lucius Longinus. I have a question for you.”

Unlike Lucius, whose legs were trembling uncontrollably, Alexander was completely unharmed.

This is natural. It would be impossible for a human to withstand a Noble Phantasm without making any sacrifices. If Lucius were a Servant now, it probably wouldn't be like this. After all, in the Holy Grail War that swept the world, he and his Master were the ultimate victors.

"I thought you were going to say something..."

"Why fight for Rome instead of joining us? If you join 'Osiris,' there will be no more pointless battles."

Alexander extended his hand.

"You should know very well that I am not the only one among us. There is also a source of power that once overwhelmed Rome and was even more prosperous than Rome was before. No matter how valiant Rome is now, or how much assistance it receives, whether you win or lose, sacrifice is inevitable."

How much blood has been shed for this? How many men died before their ambitions were fulfilled? Did you not have any scruples or worries when you fought? This land of Egypt once praised the Pharaohs, but your Rome has nothing to do with it. Why then do you make an enemy of us?

Upon hearing this, the soldier holding the crimson spear took a deep breath, steadyed his hand holding the large shield, and then intended to thrust the spear deeply into the young man's body. If successful, it would cut from the shoulder to the chest. However, Alexander was already prepared and was not stabbed.

At the same time, Lucius showed a very displeased expression.

"You who call yourself Alexander the Great, how dare you say this war is pointless? Let me tell you why no one is coming to your aid except for those tattered magic blocks: it's because neither the resurrected emperors of the past, nor the wise rulers of yesteryear, nor even the gods of the past—"

The crimson coat fluttering on Lucius's back was the color of the Praetorian Guard.

That 'scarlet' is the 'red' of Rome, which once symbolized the god Mars and was the color that Roman soldiers were most proud of. It was a color that never changed even during major shifts in faith, and it was the color of the thousand-year-old empire created by the god.