Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Under Longhua, the Dharma was revived, the world was at peace, there were no epidemics, the weather was favorable, the harvest was plentiful, most people were tall and lived to be 84,000 years old, and the number of sentient beings who were saved was countless. Therefore, the number of sentient beings saved was immeasurable.

This prophecy is actually similar to the Church's Apocalyptic Judgment, both being eschatological. Even some sects of Taoism extended their belief in "Jinque Housheng Taiping Dijun" during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, thus claiming that there would be a calamity called "Jiashen Mojie," in which the savior Jinque Dijun would become "Li Hong Zhenjun" and rule the world, bringing peace to the world.

The end of the Dharma will eventually come, and everything will be redeemed.

So, what's the cost?

A universe stained black, planets piled high with corpses, everything in disarray—all existence cries for help, yet there is no possibility of salvation.

Because of the Sutra of the Extinction of the Dharma, it will be an era in which even all praiseworthy 'actions and thoughts' will melt away and fall, a time pervaded by suffering and ugliness.

The immeasurable time was too far away for Ivia at present, but too close for Longhua, who appeared in the world with her, because she wanted her master, Ivia, who was Maitreya Bodhisattva, to pass through the tribulations ahead of time and become a Buddha, so that her master would not have to witness so much 'suffering' in the years to come.

Maitreya's journey is from Bodhisattva to human, and then to Buddha. Therefore, Longhua also plans to first make the Bodhisattva fall into the state of ignorant human beings, and then let the magic power he emits encompass the concept of 'human' in this world. Wouldn't that work?

Don't love specific people, because they are too numerous and ever-changing. Instead, use the abstract concept of humanity to save me, who has become this person. Wouldn't that allow me to overcome my tribulations sooner? If this continues in other worlds, one day all 'people' will be saved.

For Longhua Bodhi, Ivia was her only salvation, without needing a reason; that was the meaning of her birth.

It's too shiny and dazzling.

Because that's what makes a radiant emotion.

When Longhua had this thought, Ivia was spending two thousand years having Kama devour her concept of 'Mara'. The deficit of 'Buddha' was filled by Longhua, who appeared because of Maitreya. After all, Longhua was the place where Maitreya attained enlightenment, and should be an unconscious thing like the Bodhi tree of the enlightened one. However, because of the ritual and emotions involved, her mindset was slightly affected.

Just as the voice that reached Ilya's ear during her battle with Chloe had said—

“We must uproot the roots of obsession and love, for a moment of clarity is the foundation of the past.”

"There is nothing in the first place, so how can it cause dust."

So, after learning of Longhua Bodhi's thoughts, Ivia said:

"Is it really okay?"

"No problem, of course no problem, absolutely no problem, absolutely no problem, absolutely absolutely no problem."

"I'm happy and grateful that you're doing this for my own good."

Ivia smiled.

"However, I have no such intention."

"...I understand, I will destroy myself."

"No, let's continue."

Ivia stopped Longhua's self-destruction, and looking at the face that was transformed into her own familiar figure, she spoke softly.

"Since you are so insistent on the 'redemption' you believe I hope for, then I will do it this way."

"I dare not presume to judge other worlds, but in this world where I have lived for some time, in my world called Ivia, darkness and fate are irrelevant. Happiness and the future are not found elsewhere, but are created from the very place where all living beings stand—"

"After all, whether it's the dazzling sun or the tranquil moonlit night, it looks so beautiful because, at any moment, I am with the people in me and I am with the people. So even in the face of such a 'me,' there will still be people who stand up to resist, in order to live in today full of smiles."

In order to live in the tomorrow that I once gave up on, I hope that the day after tomorrow, and the future, will be the same.

That was a distant memory, but for Ivia, it felt like yesterday.

"Are you ready?"

On the day of the duel between Gavia and the Highest Brahma, in that sealed 'room,' the man's will toward the world posed this question to the people before him.

The farmer, bound in chains, lay prostrate, desperately reaching out his hands in pleading. So he removed the chains from the farmer and those following him, helped the farmer to his feet, and handed him a sword.

Even after obtaining the sword, the man was still trembling. He had been like that from the very beginning, as were the people behind him. They were all trembling.

What's even more terrifying is that this has been the case for him and his family since birth, whether it's the previous generation who have already resigned themselves to their fate or the next generation who are still growing up but also believe that this is how it is.

But for Gavia at that time, he was once again certain of the reason why he was able to fight through countless years and cycles of reincarnation.

Because these people were more afraid than he was, because for them everything was too powerless, unlike himself as the god of transformation who had the power to return by simply surrendering and erasing everything about 'Buddha'. They didn't have that right, they only had that short life that was not worth mentioning.

The pain of natural disasters, the oppression of caste, the violence of force, the sarcasm of language—all these are facts that cannot be avoided from birth and can only be accepted. He and those behind him are by no means the material to become heroes in the Age of Gods. They are weak, cunning, selfish, and often inexplicably gentle towards people who have nothing to do with them. At times, they may have moments of courage and passion, but they can only be considered supporting characters in hero stories.

Nevertheless, Gavia felt that this was enough.

Because it wasn't they who saved them, but rather they who chose to save themselves.

If anyone in this world wants to fight, then I have an inescapable duty to do so, regardless of my status.

"The future Buddha Maitreya, whose name at this moment is Ivia, hereby reveals his teachings."

He made this announcement, and then continued.

Light will always shine, and the good will always be discovered. Just like the clash of swords on the battlefield, it is the most hateful yet most alluring smell. The scent of resistance is smelled by people as if caressing them, but it will not disappear immediately. Instead, it will spread like ink drops into a pool, its colors scattering, like an exploding pearl, forever imprinted in the depths of memory.

and so--

Longhua is a place for all living beings to be saved, or quite the opposite, all living beings are saved at Longhua.

"Chance, inevitability, miracle—that is the essence of all living beings."

Chapter 403 "Give Up"

The setting sun cast a blood-red glow on the horizon; it was the moment when Chloe was being taken by Ivia to Ilya's house.

Looking at the somewhat familiar Japanese-style detached house before her, Chloe sighed:

"I don't think I need to come here. I'd rather go back and cook with Number One and the others."

"That's true, but actually, both you, Xiao Hei, and Mrs. Alice want to see each other again, don't you?"

Even though the girl sighed, Ivia still brought her here.

The two arrived at the door, and Ivia gently knocked.

"Please come in, who is it?"

A pleasant female voice came from inside the room; both of them recognized the voice.

As soon as the door opened, a person dressed in white turned around in the bright room and looked in their direction. It was Mrs. Alice, Ilya's mother.

Chloe recognized Alice at a glance; the mother who had abandoned her ten years ago was standing right in front of her, gazing at her.

Even though she had already reassured herself, when they actually met, Chloe's eyes widened for a moment, and she was speechless. Then, as if missing a screw, Alice blurted out:

"Oh dear, how come there are two Ilyas? Ilya, come and take a look."

"……what?"

Having just returned home after parting ways with Ivia and watching Magical Girl with Lyselite, Ilya exclaimed in confusion upon hearing Alice's words.

Only after hearing Alice say those words did Chloe move, shifting her gaze from Alice and saying calmly:

"They just look somewhat alike..."

“Mrs. Ellie, this is my sister, Chloe von Einzbern.”

Upon hearing this, Alice showed a mixture of crying and laughing.

"Really? It seems they really are relatives."

Although she had heard that Chloe had become Ivia's sister, she hadn't expected her name to include "Einzbern." Just thinking about it, Alice could imagine the speculations people in Ilya and Chloe's class had been making about the relationship between the three of them these past few days, which she found quite amusing.

At first, Ilya and Ivia didn't look like they had met before, but their relationship gradually warmed up. Now that 'sister Chloe' has transferred here, and because they share the same surname and look so similar, it's possible that Ilya is just a substitute for Chloe in Ivia's heart.

In fact, Alice's idea coincided with that of Illya's three friends:

Ivia and Chloe are siblings. Chloe looks a lot like Illya, which is why Ivia and Illya have such a good relationship. In short, Ivia's feelings are based on the fact that 'Illya and Chloe look alike'...

For Kurihara Suzuka, one of the trio who was well-versed in internet culture, this kind of writing felt like 'white moonlight literature,' with Chloe as the white moonlight and Illya as the meal replacement—basically, that's the kind of writing it was.

"mom--"

Ilya, who had been called by Alice and walked over with a blank expression, first saw Ivia, and then, just as she was about to laugh, she saw Chloe behind her. Her face immediately fell, and she raised her fist defiantly.

"Little Black, what brings you here?"

"Tsk, I wouldn't have bothered coming if my brother hadn't dragged me here."

"Didn't you go straight home after school? How come you were there so fast?"

"I was just waiting at the school gate because I was told that in the afternoon. Your silly goodbye really made me want to laugh."

The two, seemingly connected by a face, stood head to head at the doorway, staring at each other.

"They have a really good relationship."

Alice clapped her hands. "Your little sister can borrow me for a bit, okay? And Ivia, you can take a bath with Mom too."

Although it was a request, before Ivia could respond, Alice grabbed Ilya and Chloe in each hand and ran back to the second floor.

However, Ivia's plan was to let Ilya understand Chloe's true identity through Alice's explanation, so she didn't say much and just went to the living room to watch Magical Girl Bushido Musashi with Lyselite.

Liselite had initially planned to show Ilya, Illya's sweetheart, the 'Theater White Magical Girl' video she had taken of him and Illya that day, but after thinking about it, she realized that Illya's reaction that day didn't seem likely to be like that. Therefore, she decided to wait until there were more people around before showing Illya this embarrassing moment.

Moreover, Ilya should thank herself, because it was through my efforts that a new white magical girl was added to Musashi's side story. She is a young lady with a butler, and even her lines have not changed much, which will definitely give Ilya an immersive feeling.

Just imagining Ilya's reaction upon learning all this made Lyselite's lips curl into a slight smile.

……

In the bathroom on the second floor, the small, slightly oval-shaped pool that could barely accommodate two people had been transformed by Alice into a large pool that could hold four people. The pool water emitted a faint steam, with a thin stream of heat rising from the center, and the surface of the water rippled slightly with the heat.

Even though Chloe and Illya were forcibly dragged into the bath by Alice, they were still in a standoff.

"Summer is coming soon, and dealing with bugs in the park is a real hassle."

"……Um?"

Ilya looked at Chloe with confusion.

"First, I must rid my brother of this most deserving pest in the world. I'm going to die!"

"Eeya!?"

Chloe threw a punch without hesitation, and Ilya quickly crouched down to avoid being hit directly, then retorted.

"You just said 'go to die'?! You said it, right?! What kind of talk is it to so easily say you'd be killed?!"

"Still the same old immature brat who doesn't know how to reflect on himself and has everything by nature. What do you mean by putting lubricant on the feet of guests who rarely come to visit?"

"...I just mistook it for shower gel!"

"Here we go again. When she can't win an argument, she starts rambling on and on. She's as cute as a childish magical girl, so adorable~"

"Gulp... Little Black, your personality is absolutely rotten. How dare you say you're Ivia's sister."

"Okay, okay, little magical girl Illya, grow up quickly~"

So, don't make that face!

With Chloe's provocative tongue-out gesture and strange hand gestures as a signal, the 'sisters' battle has begun once again.

"It's really unfortunate to meet you here. Watch me make you cry and beg for surrender!"

"That's exactly what I wanted to say, Little Black!"

However, the next second, Alice struck each of the two hot-blooded individuals, calming them down.

"A lot of strange things happened while Mom wasn't around. Ruby has already told me the details."

"what?"

Completely bewildered by these words, Ilya looked around blankly and realized that Ruby was not here. She even questioned her about how she could tell her mother this, so she could only squat down and draw circles in the pool.

"We've been exposed to our family! We're doomed..."

Unlike the distraught Ilya, Chloe stared at Alice with complete indifference.

"Alright, I'm sure you're wondering why Chloe is so similar to you, Ilya?"

"……Um."

Ilya had always been puzzled by Chloe's intense malice and hatred towards her. Although she was much better now, Ilya could tell from the night they first met and when she retrieved the Berserker class card that Chloe's words at that time were truly from the bottom of her heart.

"This question needs to start with what you are, Ilya, because we need to talk about a ritual first—the Holy Grail War."

"As the name suggests, it is a struggle surrounding the Holy Grail, a struggle for the Holy Grail that can grant any wish, and you were born to become the Holy Grail."

Before Ilya could understand the meaning of these words, Chloe spoke first.

"That's not right, Mrs. Alice. I was born to become the Holy Grail. Before my birth, I was constantly adjusted and endowed with all knowledge, but you sealed me away—sealed my functions, sealed my knowledge, sealed my memories—"

At this point, Chloe stepped forward and stared intently at Alice.