Fate: Question And Answer System of Traversing Heroic Spirits

"Creak..."

As Amakusa Shirou finished speaking, the door behind him slowly opened. Two figures, a man and a woman stepped inside.

[Name: Semiramis; Class: Assassin; Gender: Female; Alignment: Lawful Evil.]

[Strength: E; Endurance: D; Agility: D; Mana: A; Luck: A; Noble Phantasm: B.]

[Class Skills: Presence Concealment C+, Territory Creation EX, Item Construction C.]

[Personal Skills: Familiar (Doves) D, Divinity C, Double Summoning B.]

[Noble Phantasms: Hanging Garden of Babylon (EX-rank Anti-World Noble Phantasm, effective range: 10-100 meters, maximum target: 1,000 people).

Sikera Ušum (B+-rank Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, effective range: 1-20 meters, maximum target: 10 people).]

[Name: William Shakespeare; Class: Caster; Gender: Male; Alignment: True Neutral.]

[Strength: E; Endurance: E; Agility: D; Mana: C++; Luck: B; Noble Phantasm: C+.]

[Class Skills: Territory Creation C, Item Construction.]

[Personal Skills: Enchant A, Self-Preservation B, King's Troupe C.]

[Noble Phantasm: First Folio (B+ rank Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasm, effective range: 1-30 meters, maximum target: 1 person).]

Chihiro sighed. "You really went all out, huh?"

Semiramis was already dangerous enough within the Hanging Gardens. Now, with Shakespeare backing her up, Amakusa Shirou was no pushover either.

Although Shakespeare required knowledge of his opponent's past to unleash his full power, who knew what kind of tragic tale he might spin to throw people off balance?

"I think we can talk now," Amakusa Shirou said with his usual gentle smile, exuding an air of harmlessness.

But Chihiro wasn't foolish enough to let his guard down.

"You want to talk me into handing over the Holy Grail, is that it?" Chihiro asked flatly.

"I'd prefer a more peaceful resolution," Amakusa Shirou replied calmly. "So, tell me, what is your wish? Why did you go through all this trouble to claim the Holy Grail?"

Chihiro shrugged. "Wish? Haven't really thought about it."

Amakusa Shirou raised an eyebrow. "That's unexpected. I assumed, like most magi, you were aiming for the Root."

"The Root—the ultimate knowledge, a realm beyond human reach..." Chihiro sighed. "But it's also a place humans can never truly step into."

It wasn't a matter of ability. Only those chosen by the Root could make contact with it. Anyone else would simply be erased.

In Type-Moon's history, there had been individuals who reached the Akashic Record, but the moment they did, all evidence of their existence was wiped clean. It was as if they had never been born.

The Root was the cause of all things. Anyone who attempted to access it without permission would be crushed by its overwhelming effect.

And frankly, Chihiro hadn't lived long enough to have a death wish.

Amakusa Shirou studied him. "So, you know something about the Root… and it frightens you."

Chihiro snorted. "Are we really going to stand here and waste time on this?"

"Of course not," Amakusa Shirou replied. "Would you like to hear my wish?"

"Suit yourself."

Was this his plan? Trying to sway Chihiro by revealing his own dream?

Amakusa Shirou's expression didn't change. "I want to save this world."

Chihiro stared at him in silence.

"...Nothing to say?" Amakusa Shirou prompted.

Chihiro gestured. "Go on. I'm listening."

He looked as if he were merely watching a performance unfold before him.

Amakusa Shirou nodded. "Very well. I hope you'll understand."

"There is no meaning in life, no reason for death. Even the process itself is meaningless to the world. In the end, all that matters is a single, insignificant choice."

"When I was alive, I heard the people's cries and believed something had to be done. That anxious desperation drove me to make the wrong choice. What a grave sin… what foolishness…"

"It wasn't the shogunate that killed them. It was me, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada."

"And yet—does that mean their struggle was meaningless? That their lives should be discarded like refuse? No. No, I refuse to accept that. But how do we prove it? By harboring hatred? By rising up against the shogunate?"

"They wanted peace. They never wished to harm others. But if they didn't fight, they would be cornered, forced into a dead end. Of course, it was only natural that they would lose. The victors are always the few, while the defeated are many."

"I was consumed by confusion. I thought, If only I could hate... I despised those who had slaughtered them. I believed that if I could take their heads, I might find some fleeting sense of satisfaction…"

"But I came to understand something, hating them was no different from hating those who followed me. They were just ordinary people. Even the Tokugawa family was no exception."

"Even so, the hatred still lingers in my heart. It whispers to me—just give in. Follow the simplest instinct of human nature."

"To hate everything. Or to forgive everything."

"I chose to forgive."

"One's own heart must be reforged. Smash the burning hatred with a hammer and force the twisted soul back into shape. Change yourself in order to forget hatred, to transform it. Even though the loathing is unbearable, even though the urge to kill is overwhelming…"

"Despite it all, I swore to show mercy and love."

"This was my greatest betrayal, the betrayal of the man known as Amakusa Shirou Tokisada."

From the sidelines, Shakespeare scribbled furiously, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Magnificent! Absolutely magnificent! This is true inspiration!"

"Snort!"

Semiramis shot him a withering glare before turning back to Amakusa Shirou, her gaze softening.

Amakusa Shirou continued. "Hatred will never disappear. My existence as a human being will remain unchanged. However, I choose to cast it aside, to seal it away, to ignore it completely."

He took a deep breath. "I understand now. I am a saint."

"I believe that humanity will reach salvation one day. But to get there, we will lose so much along the way."

"Regrets will pile up like snow. What can I do? Can I ease people's suffering?"

"I have found the only shortcut to saving humanity—our sole path forward."

"It is a miracle, a spell beyond the scope of this world."

"The Heaven's Feel Ritual—the Third Magic, its ultimate result is Soul Materialization."

"The soul is an eternal and unchanging existence in this world. As long as it is recorded in the blueprint of a higher dimension, known as the Astral World, a plane distinct from the material world, it will not perish.

However, all living things inevitably face death, because the soul alone cannot exist independently in the physical world. Whether bound to a spirit or a body, a soul requires an anchor. Without that connection, it becomes unable to function as a living being. The body will decay, the spirit will fade, and in the end, even the soul itself will deteriorate and corrode."

"What a contradiction. This inherent incompatibility is what drives despair, and this imbalance is what leads to death. Death breeds desire, and desire fuels sin.

But the Third Magic—Heaven's Feel—has the power to overturn this inevitable tragedy. It can resolve this paradox that plagues all existence."

"A world built upon kindness, an ideal realm worthy of love, that is the salvation I seek. The Great Holy Grail of Fuyuki was created for this very purpose: to bring about the realization of this miracle!"

"However, the Einzberns were too slow. They squandered their chance and proved themselves unworthy of fulfilling this goal."

"But now, a miracle stands before me! I wish to save everyone, whether good or evil, whether deserving of love or condemnation. Every single being."

"Chihiro, I can see that you are a righteous person. Please, I beg of you, give me the Holy Grail. It serves no purpose in your hands."

T/N: Amakusa Shirou the Yap master, thinks he's Naruto hahaha.

Amakusa Shirou extended his hand toward Chihiro, his expression utterly sincere.

"..."

Chihiro remained silent, his face concealed beneath his armor, making his reaction unreadable.

"Immortality. The erasure of selfish desires. A world of perfect peace," he finally murmured. "But do humans truly have a future like that?"

Amakusa Shirou's expression froze.

"For thousands of years, humanity has struggled against its own desires. No matter how many times they have failed, they have never stopped trying. It is because of this struggle that so many noble people have sacrificed themselves. It is because of this that we have made it this far."

"Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, are you willing to throw away everything humanity has built until now?"

"Humans are not defined by their bodies, but by their emotions, desires, aspirations, and ideals. It is those very things that drive humanity forward."

"If you turn every human being into nothing more than data, locked in a fixed state, what future could possibly remain for them?"

"..."

Amakusa Shirou remained silent for a long moment. The gentle expression on his face gradually faded.

"I see… so that is your answer."

"This is nothing more than a selfish argument. Simply because you refuse to let go of desire, you would deny all of humanity the hope of peace?"

Chihiro's eyes narrowed. "You're the selfish one, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. Your entire vision is built upon your own self-serving ideals."

"You have no right to make this choice for all of humanity!"

"…I see."

Amakusa Shirou exhaled softly. Slowly, he reached for his waist and drew his blade, Mikazuki Munechika.

"It seems… negotiations have failed."

Chihiro summoned his own weapon, Fire Qilin Sword, the blade gleaming with power.

"You never intended for this to be a peaceful discussion in the first place."

"Clang!!!"

A flash of steel.

Two blades clashed, sparks flying as the force of their blows sent a shockwave rippling through the air.

Two people with opposing ideals could never walk the same path. Now that diplomacy had failed, there was only one course of action left—settling things through battle.

Seeing this, Semiramis raised a hand, summoning countless chains that shot toward Chihiro.

Meanwhile, Shakespeare took out a card, shaking his head dramatically.

"Ah… what a shame. It seems things have escalated to this point."

"To be honest, I really didn't want to use this. If it fails… well, I imagine my opponent might just cut me to pieces."

***

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