Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

No nation, no person, and no summoned hero can escape it.

"Izanami, the victor of the Tokyo battlefield, became pregnant during the war, which was the common hope of the Japanese pantheon. In other words, the child was the new god-king of Japan. Although he did not have the power to match his status, he was just a person with special abilities. But that was the origin of his existence."

These words seemed to have been prepared long ago.

No, that's actually true.

With her eyes closed, Eri thought that as a figure who could decide whether to step onto the 'Puymanderges', he undoubtedly held a terrifyingly high position in both alchemical theology and the Christian system. Perhaps he could see into the future and thus knew about her choice.

"Then, the girl who was born not only inherited the hopes of the gods of Japan, but also had blood that was contaminated due to an accident. It was because of this that the man who was in the final of the Holy Grail War in a faraway country had all his worries disappear at that moment. He must have felt that the god he had always revered had smiled at him, so he chose 'defeat' and waited for the day when everything was ready."

John Dee, the alchemist who fought Chitose Manazuru in the final Holy Grail War, only had Ouroboros as his Servant at the time. Cleopatra and Gorm were summoned later in the new era using the power of the Holy Grail. Moreover, in order to perfectly deceive Chitose and Lucius, he actually made Ouroboros die once, using the ability to disrupt language conceptually to parasitize the primordial Holy Grail in Chitose's heart.

"However, besides him, many other Grim Reapers also harbored desires for 'her,' who was also death. Many surviving Grim Reapers were deceived by Baal, the most powerful of the same concept, who once killed the Canaanite God King, and wanted 'her' to join death so that humanity would once again face death, in order to eliminate the black mud that deceived all living beings and the distorted 'seat' in the Holy Grail. But Baal only wanted to assimilate all death and become the eternal and ever-present Venerable of Canaan."

"Numerous Grim Reapers..."

Eri Muttered blankly.

She had met Hela, the Norse goddess of death, Astuvidat, the Persian god of death... as well as her two lazy night watchmen, one who called himself Yama, the Indian god of death, and the other who called himself Anubis, the Egyptian god of death, and Zagreus, who was always drinking and selling alcohol and claimed to be the incarnation of the Greek god of wine.

Novia nodded and continued:

"Baal had no connection with alchemists, but their goals were the same: one wanted to assimilate them to become the supreme being, and the other wanted to make them the supreme being of alchemy. Four years later, in 2015, Baal and his allies launched an attack on Tokyo, turning the newly reborn city of abandoned gods into the underworld of Tokyo. 'Her' mother died protecting her, and the protector of Tokyo, Sumeragi, everyone she knew, and even the entire population of Tokyo died."

For some reason, Eri felt a sense of familiarity with the way this unknown being spoke; this was the first time she had heard it since the Demon King left and since Novia.

"So, what were 'her' feelings?"

Novia asked a question.

"Despite having two futures—the new God-King of Japan and the supreme God of Alchemy—she was caught up in conspiracies from birth and witnessed so much death even at the age of four. What was 'she' thinking at that time?"

Eri is looking over at that moment.

As a child, I kept moving forward. This was a city that was still thriving just an hour ago, the undisputed capital of Japan.

But wherever she went, many people fell to the ground.

Before the contracts of heroic spirits were even signed, the cries of newborn babies mingled with the scorching sounds of a hospital engulfed in flames; schoolchildren went to school, never to return home; working people toiled from morning till night, too exhausted to look away from their outstretched hands with hopeful eyes; restaurant clerks who forgot their change rushed outside and died like ants; everyone died in a joyous celebration.

Located in Tokyo, she was running through a sea of ​​fire towards the ocean, because the train lines had already been cut off.

I'm so sorry.

She repeatedly expressed her apologies to those who saw her, those who couldn't see her, and to everyone in Tokyo.

Because she was the culprit behind all of this, she felt immense anger towards that culprit. However, she knew that anger without power as its foundation was meaningless.

Among those who fell into despair because of death, there were also many who, after the collapse of the system, began to direct their followers to start a killing spree. One man lurked at the other end of the crossroads, holding a pistol and intending to deliver a fatal blow to anyone trying to escape down that road.

"go to hell!"

That sentence, along with the sentence spoken by the man who suffered a mental breakdown due to death, occurred at the same time as the gunshot in his hand.

She saw a red flower blooming on her chest.

He was shot.

A friend of the same age as her, a shrine maiden at Kanda Shrine.

Great.

It's so good that I died; it's not that you died that you died...

Although she didn't say it, she understood the meaning behind her friend's final smile, which led her to kill someone for the first time in her life.

Soon after, panting, she finally swam across the sea to another city, feeling the rain dripping from the gray sky. Following her mother's advice, she drank the water of the River of Oblivion, which could prevent those people from noticing her. The side effect was that she lost all her memories of the past years.

Who knows what kind of suffering awaits me next?

But he did it, and he even saved his friend.

She thought to herself that she could survive, she was sure of it.

This is precisely what Novia reveals about Tokyo ten years ago and her past.

"...I saw death."

With her eyes closed, Eri whispered, "The sky, the ground, the shops, the streets are all filled with dead people and exploding organs and blood. Countless deaths have numbed me. I feel like they are grabbing my feet all the time, preventing me from moving. There are so many people, so many people. I have always been... scared and sad. I worry that this disaster is caused because I am not worthy to be the Great Lord of the East."

"521471 people. Apart from the more than ten million who died in the war, there were so many people in Tokyo at that time that the entire Yomotsu Hirasaka was extremely crowded. It is perfectly normal that so many heroic spirits could not return to their seats and became evil spirits."

Throughout history, many people have chosen to kill precisely because they yearn for perfection.

The Eternal Venerable One of Canaan, the Lord's Mind of Alchemical Theology, are all 'perfect' beings within their respective systems.

It is an existence that everyone desires and idolizes, even if the cost is the shattering of countless insignificant hopes.

"Oh right, I finally remembered a feeling from before."

The girl's expression was very clear.

"At that time, I was very troubled. Am I really Izanami's child? Am I really the future God-King with unlimited potential? A God-King who doesn't even have a Command Seal, doesn't even have a good friend, doesn't even have power that is incomparable, that's too lame."

"but--"

"When my mother was fighting that guy for me, she wrote a few words on my back with her finger: Listen, run, I don't care... I guess she didn't have time to write the last word."

Eri touched her bangs and then touched her forehead as if reminiscing.

“Until just now, I doubted whether I was worthy of the Eastern Lord, whether I was worthy of Perimanderges. But then I thought of how many people died because of me. I am the Lord of Utsu, the Supreme Alchemist, the daughter of Izanami. I must face their deaths. Even if I can do nothing, I must take responsibility. Standing above others is how one gains power. That's why I want to move forward as a weakling.”

Novia spoke.

“Continue to imagine the universe, Eri, imagine the darkness that is like a bottomless abyss, where you stand, where you witnessed the massacre at the age of four. The universe gave birth to all things, the universe made everything come into being, the universe born in infinite imagination is infinitely vast. Come, let me see the universe you possess.”

The surroundings seemed to transform into a solemn sanctuary, where the young girl, shrouded in boundless darkness, gazed upon all the death on the sea planet.

I cannot judge your choice; it is the path you chose yourself.

At this moment, Novia was like a teacher that Eri was very familiar with: "Your choice has nothing to do with other people's opinions. Only you can judge your future. I cannot deny that if you became Poimandrees, you would definitely have the power to rewrite the world, nor can I deny that if you became the Great Lord of the East, you could instantly break Baal's blockade against humanity. However, it is precisely because it did not develop in this way that I have to accept this fact."

"...I have no choice. Is that really what you think?"

Eri frowned, guided by her intuition. "I feel like you're a lot like someone I know. Even though we always argue, that person's heart isn't a barren wasteland. That bright corner will always be filled with warmth for the world's helpless and weak."

“The weak are actually very strong, and this is inseparable from the word ‘strong’.”

Novia smiled gently.

She smiled gently, as if to reassure Erise.

Although Eri couldn't see his face clearly, she could only infer this from his tone of voice.

"To live means to be tenacious in life. When the weak strive to overcome helplessness and stand taller, the light they emit is faint but not weak. For every inch the light advances, the darkness retreats. I know this principle is simple and clear, yet incredibly difficult. Therefore, I leave my eternal respect to them."

What a tender declaration that was.

Then, Novia asked again:

"Can you accept it? Even if you haven't made any mistakes or committed any wrongdoing, can you accept that the deaths of 521471 people are all your responsibility?"

"..."

Eri didn't answer immediately.

"Can you accept that you, who have walked the path of weakness, are responsible for the death of your mother ten years ago, the death of your friend, and your own 'death'?"

“…I accept.”

"In that case,"

Novia nodded. “Your choice is correct. Because your choice is correct, you are right whether you are the Purimanderes or the Great Lord of the East. Both are suitable for you. If you want to ascend from human to god, humans, as the weaker party, need to have a strong will.”

Becoming a god by one's own will ultimately depend on one's own personality, which lies precisely in one's strong will.

"But I've already refused..."

"of course."

Novia's voice rose, "Listen carefully. No matter who has an opinion on this, I will refute them. If anyone thinks you're not suitable, even if that person is that guy himself, I will fight him!"

In other words, if the Japanese pantheon doesn't recognize it, they'll attack it entirely; if Yahweh doesn't recognize it, they'll attack Him too.

"Why……"

Would someone treat themselves that well?

"However, the main issue is that guy outside. It's best if you fight him. Her rank is equal to, or even higher than, that of Poimandrees. As for why I don't want to help, just think of it as a long time since we last met. I want to see how you perform. I'll take it back later. After all, I do have some vanity, haha."

"……What's the meaning?"

"The chapters about navigators in your class end like this:"

A new world beyond the ocean, the distant horizon, and the boundless universe. Humanity has explored the unknown time and again. But ever since sending those carefree rascals to the moon's surface, humanity has never had the chance to travel to places more distant than the moon.

Back when the Apollo spacecraft was launched, people envisioned a grand dream: to explore the universe. But today, that dream remains just a dream.

Mars, Venus, or even the outer universe far from our solar system are all places yet to be reached by humankind.

Has humanity lost something precious? Will there be anyone in the future qualified to be a hero on the front lines of exploration, leading people to sail into a new world once again?

So sail boldly, as a human being, and the universe within you will overlap with you. Everyone has a universe within them—one universe, two universes, three universes. All universes are interconnected and eventually overlap. This power comes from you, from each and every one of you.

Humans cannot imagine a life without ideals and hope, just as no one can imagine a life without sunshine. It is because of the life-giving power of sunshine that the earth has not turned to stone.

As Shakespeare said, "The grass and trees grow by the rain and dew of heaven, yet they also dare to look up at the sky. And above the sky, "the same sun shines on his palace, and does not spare our thatched hut."

Just as no winter is insurmountable.

Facing the unknown universe, strangers will walk together, because hope never abandons the weak, hope empowers the powerless, and helps the pessimistic move forward.

I'm watching you all, cheering you on, because I'm a part of you.

Before Eri could react, Novia gently placed her hand on her head.

Then, her hair color changed, and long silver hair flowed down the back of the girl.

"What the hell are you—"

Eri opened her eyes, which had been tightly closed.

A burst of light swept up, but she still couldn't see her face clearly.

"I am hope, you are hope, and hope is humanity itself."

"You are indeed——"

Eri Se couldn't utter the words she wanted to say, and they ultimately vanished, returning to the Kanda Shrine in Tokyo, the underworld.

"Alright, go ahead, Eri."

The imposter Cleopatra approaching outside the shrine possesses power equivalent to that of the Great God.

the reason is simple.

Because Hermes, the Triple Great, condensed alchemy into thirteen sentences that have been passed down to posterity, known as the "Emerald Book".

It mentions:

The sun is the father, the moon is the mother; they are conceived by the wind and nurtured by the earth.

The source of all perfection in the world is here; its power is most complete on earth.

The world is created in this way, and miracles can be achieved in this way.

I am called the Triple Great Hermes because I possess the wisdom of the three parts of the world.

This is what I mean by great work.

In other words, the alchemist Cleopatra, whose mother was named 'Selene' (the moon) and whose father was named 'Helios' (the sun),' was the one who was talking about the great work.

Moreover, Zosimus, as the progenitor of alchemy who disseminated systematic books throughout the world, had already reached the power in alchemy that transcended the limitations of time.

This may also be why he sent his newborn Cleopatra to Alexandria.

After all, that was, to some extent, where Novia rose to prominence.

There's also the Imposter class, which has examples of imposters impersonating other Servants and authors impersonating their characters. So, are there also examples of characters impersonating authors? Or does Cleopatra, who inherited Zosimus's alchemy, possess the same alchemical power that transcends the limitations of time, just like her father?

The Triple Great Hermes is essentially a legendary figure. Everyone knows that in the age of gods, it was impossible for three gods and three humans to merge into one. After all, how could the grandson of Adam be both the Greek god Hermes and the ancient Egyptian god Thoth? That's just too...

Aren't legends supposed to change over time?

However, according to Novia's perception, Cleopatra, who was approaching Kanda Shrine, manifested as the Triple Great Hermes. This was also the reason why he wanted Eri to do so. After all, although the Lord's Mind, Poimandrees, and the Triple Great Hermes were both supreme beings in alchemical theology, he was ultimately described in the "Hermesian Manual," which is an example of the author and his characters.

But seeing Eri's strong will, Novia still believed in her.