Chapter 319

To this world, the soul is a permanently indestructible entity.

As long as the design blueprint of memory exists in the Star Youjie dimension, which differs from the material world, the soul will not die.

"The Third Method"

One of the five great magics of this world, it is a magic that achieves true immortality, deriving an eternal, infinite energy source from one's own soul and using the immortal soul as a template to craft a perfect body commensurate with it.

The Holy Grail War is the ritual to realize the Third Method; the Holy Grail's wish-granting function is merely a byproduct application of this ritual.

Behind Liudong Temple, a cold, damp underground cavern.

Weigong Shilang entered it, gazing at the Caster before him, clad in a hooded cloak of indigo and purple with a long purple robe, and asked: "How goes it, Caster? Any progress?"

"Based on the information you provided, combined with those forces, the possibility of purifying the Holy Grail is high," Caster turned, her long blue hair swaying, her pupils still holding a trace of caution.

After witnessing the battle between Gilgamesh and Weigong Shilang over Winter City, when Weigong Shilang arrived at Liudong Temple with Saber and that monster Heracles, she had no thought of resistance—she only wished he would spare her Master, Gemu Zongyi.

But he unexpectedly proposed cooperation, and as if foreseeing the future, promised her she could obtain a physical body through the Holy Grail, and would not harm her or Gemu Zongyi.

"How long?" Weigong Shilang nodded, asking: "Approximately how much time?"

"The ley lines' magical energy is abundant, and the magical energy surrounding the Holy Grail can also be utilized," Caster paused, then answered: "At the earliest, three days."

"It's fine—the timing doesn't need to be so tight," Weigong Shilang said, gazing at the massive magical array continuously drawing magical energy from the earth veins.

"I entrust Ilya's matter to you."

"Her bodily functions have already been greatly extended; the remaining minor issues are trivial for me," Caster said, then hesitated, her tone cold:

"Say, aren't you worried I'll use this chance to turn on you? You know my identity, don't you? My true name is Medea—the traitorous witch who lived alongside Heracles in the Age of Gods."

"Didn't the rationalized Heracles warn you? Yet you won't even sign a contract?"

"Turn on me?" Weigong Shilang blinked, then understood her meaning and smiled: "We're equal partners—there's no such thing as 'turning on'."

"As for your identity, it doesn't matter. The legends passed down cannot represent a person in full. The Caster standing before me now is merely an ordinary woman who wishes to spend her remaining days alongside my teacher."

"I don't want Ilya to be hurt, nor do I want any unnecessary casualties in the Holy Grail War."

"In a certain sense, our goals align—we don't need the binding of a contract."

Caster fell silent for several seconds. She didn't know whether this trust stemmed from his confidence in his own strength, but

she truly felt sincerity in his attitude and words.

"Why does a person like you appear in the modern age, after the end of the age of myths? It's an unsolved mystery," Caster Medea turned, drew a metal staff from her hand, and struck it against the ground:

"I have a good impression of you. So if you fulfill your promise, I will give my all."

"Even helping that brat complete the Third Method won't be difficult—just exploit a loophole to summon a few Servants as sacrifices."

"If possible… please think of another way. It just feels wrong to summon someone and then kill them," Weigong Shilang smiled awkwardly, "I'll leave this place in your hands."

Before leaving, Weigong Shilang set up a array on Yuanzang Mountain and handed control of it to Caster, to prevent Gilgamesh or Kirschtaria from coming here to cause destruction.

"I regret to inform you that the Holy Grail you hope for has no power to alter the past—even after purification, the result remains unchanged."

"The Holy Grail War is merely a conspiracy among magicians, scheming to exploit the Holy Grail War and the entire Heroic Spirit system to reach the Root of the Vortex."

"Grant wishes? Ah, yes, it can—yet that's merely the realization of magical energy manipulation. To alter the past? Hahaha… you're truly a naive girl."

"Caster, don't speak irrelevant nonsense!"

Weigong Shilang's and Caster's voices still echoed in her ears.

After returning from Liudong Temple, Saber remained subdued; the lights in this house only gradually dimmed and went out at 4 a. m.

Saber slowly closed her eyes, wanting to deny the words she had heard, refusing to accept this ridiculous reality.

Yet the Church, the cavern, Caster's plan…

She, who should never feel tired, felt helplessness for the first time.

"Shilang, I believe in you."

"But it's not over yet…"

"Holy Grail."

She slowly closed her eyes—not to restore magical energy, but to let sleep empty her mind.

In the room beside her, Weigong Shilang stared at the chandelier above the ceiling, silent for a long time.

Perhaps he had been too eager, or perhaps fate had already changed, making gradual progress impossible.

Weigong Shilang extended his hand, glancing at the Command Seal on his palm.

"Sorry, Saber, but…"

"I want to save you too."

He slowly closed his eyes. Exhausted, he did not use a spirit-restoring pill, choosing instead normal sleep.

That night, the Weigong Mansion was as quiet as ever.

The sky burned red with fire; though it was deep night, it was brighter than day.

The sounds of exploding flames, cries of agony, and collapsing buildings rang one after another.

"Dream"

Saber looked at the ruins, feeling a sense of familiarity.

Probably a massive fire had occurred—the streets were reduced to rubble, even breathing became difficult.

A red-haired child, sobbing, gritted his teeth and walked through this hell. He walked for a long time until flames blocked his path, so he tried to climb over the debris.

He was swallowed.

The clouds above seemed ready to rain; the child stared blankly at the sky, then darkness fell, as if buried under collapsing ruins.

Digging sounds continued, as if searching for something—he moved rubble with his hands, crying out in pleading.

"Kiritsugu?"

Finally, after searching, his nails cracked and bled, the man found hope—tears mingled with the rain falling from the dark clouds onto the child's face.

He wept, murmuring words of gratitude, and pulled from behind him a sword scabbard engraved with fairy script and blue patterns.

Later, the boy was adopted and given a new name—Weigong Shilang.

The man lived together with the adopted boy, but often went away, returning only after long absences.

Having endured disaster, the boy matured earlier than his peers, diligently helping manage all household affairs; though they shared no blood ties, they lived like true father and son.

"When I was young, I aspired to become a messenger of justice."

"You said 'aspired'—does that mean you've given up now?"

After the midsummer festival, the father and son sat on the edge of the house, gazing at the night sky.

"Yes, unfortunately, I gave up," the man said, facing the child's dissatisfaction. "Heroes have an expiration date. Once you grow into adulthood, you're no longer a hero. If only I'd noticed this sooner."

His words revealed unmasked weariness, radiating helplessness and resignation.

The boy said: "Then there's nothing to be done."

The man nodded: "Yes, there's nothing to be done."

Life holds countless resignations; by this moment, the man had learned to compromise.

"Let me fulfill it for you."

The man turned around in surprise.

"A partner of justice."

At that moment, the boy named Weigong Shilang firmly fixed his ideal—just as a child naturally looks up to his father, he wished to become a partner of justice.

He trained in magic without cease, honed his body without cease, and aided others in daily life without cease.

He knew his ideal was borrowed, and that he was merely an ordinary magician, yet he still yearned for it, moving toward that goal.

Though he was deeply lost, he clung to his belief until he was drawn into the Holy Grail War.

"Shilang… so you…"

She realized she was witnessing Weigong Shilang's memories.

Vast, overwhelming rainbow light descended from the heavens, accompanied by roars brimming with fury and killing intent—though she did not know the language, she understood the meaning within the words.

"Red-hair scum!!!"

"Dead dog!!"

"Sacred Body scum!!!"

"I swear by my Dao heart—I will slaughter you all!"

"This is too much! Too much!!"

"Wahhh, give me back my money! My master will kill me if he finds out!"

"Old man will refine you into a human elixir, aaaaaa!!"

A slender, fair-haired boy in white robes, a black dog larger than a man, and Weigong Shilang in a long robe with flowing hair were fleeing in wild panic.

"Shilang?!"

Rather, they were fleeing for their lives.

Behind them, thousands of airborne beings surged forward, eyes blazing with murderous intent.

The slender boy and the giant black dog dragged Weigong Shilang as they flew across the wilderness, while magical arts behind them obliterated everything along their path.

A thick, deadly aura tightly locked onto the running trio—boy, dog, and man.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man appeared in the sky and punched downward; a fist imprint spanning dozens of li descended from above, wreathed in ten thousand rays of Lei Guang.

At the last possible instant, the trio escaped into a teleportation gate.

"This is…"

The scene abruptly shifted—above a star-sparse sky, the same scene replayed.

This time, unlike before…

"Ye Fan! Five Dragon-Transformation ahead!"

"Behind! Behind—two thousand Wheel-Sea!!!"

"I want to go home…"

Blood-red lightning, cyan hurricanes, colossal waves appearing out of thin air, and powerful figures—crimson radiance blooming, immortal light surging, myriad auspicious rays.

"Kill the Sacred Body! Capture the Red-Hair! Eat the Dog Meat!!!"

"Kill the Sacred Body! Capture the Red-Hair! Eat the Dog Meat!!!"

"Kill the Sacred Body! Capture the Red-Hair! Eat the Dog Meat!!!"

After being hunted again and again, he repeatedly used magic to project.

"Kid, order's here!"

"One hundred fat sheep!"

"Prince-level fat pig!"

"Dragon-Transformation weapons: ten pieces. King-level weapon: one piece. Ten-day deadline."

"Wheel-Sea artifacts: five thousand pieces. Five-day deadline."

"How can you sleep? At your age, how can you sleep?! Get up and work!"

When thirsty, he drank from spirit springs; when tired, he ate spirit fruits—day after day.

Saber stared blankly at these fleeting, fragmented memories; an overwhelming sense of dull monotony and grave danger made these memories feel strangely alien.

"What did you endure, Shilang?"

Unlike earlier memories, these were fragmented and disconnected.

The surroundings shifted again—this time not a sealed chamber, nor a path of flight.

Weigong Shilang stood atop a towering mountain, its peak rising above sea-like clouds, resembling a fairyland.

A waterfall cascaded from the summit, plunging straight down like Tianhe pouring onto earth; mist from the water, bathed in sunlight, hung in the sky as countless rainbows of varying sizes.

But now, Weigong Shilang was in poor condition—he wore a white ancient-style dao robe, torn and marked by various weapons, the remaining fabric nearly half-drenched in blood.

At his waist hung a long sword, its scabbard entirely crimson-black, carved with a tree, the hilt snow-white, possessing an unreal beauty.

In his arms he cradled a small figure, her long white hair spilling over his arms.

Saber recognized the girl in Weigong Shilang's arms: "Illyasviel?"

Then she saw Weigong Shilang slash through space and step into nothingness; behind him, the world shattered like a apocalypse—the sky rained falling stars, and in an instant, that breathtaking world of merged sky and sea became a hell.

A phantom river surged violently, and where it washed over, countless surreal scenes appeared—the sun and night coexisted, skyscrapers and wooden-village huts stood side by side, all history twisted into chaos.

Supreme deities, heroic immortals, corrupt demons, also magicians, dragon knights, elemental spirits.

These beings, brimming with the deepest, most terrifying malice, emerged grotesquely from the phantom river, collectively forming a giant that reached toward the void where Weigong Shilang stood.

She saw him make three wishes to the girl.

"I pray to the Holy Grail: may my sword reach past, present, and future."

"May my sword sever the karmic bonds, fate, existence, and time of all beings."

He swung his sword and struck the giant, a fusion of nearly all mythological concepts.

"All things and heaven and earth are my sword; gods, ghosts, demons, and evils are my sword; through countless aeons, even time itself is my sword—today, I wield all of this cosmos as my sword."

Amid the radiance forged from the beauty of all beings, he who had halted the disaster was about to vanish.

Finally, he made one last wish: "May, after countless ages, we bloom a flower alike."

Saber suddenly threw off the covers, sat up, and opened her eyes, waking from the dream; with her awakening, the fragmented memory images had already ceased.

"Was that Shilang's memory?"

She looked toward the sliding door on the left and suddenly remembered Illyasviel's words.

"Past-life memories? Past-life wisdom?"

7 a. m.

Weigong Shilang woke from sleep in a daze—not because he had truly awakened, but because he sensed someone beside him.

He lifted the covers and saw a small figure curled up beside him, her head resting on his chest.

"Illyas, didn't you go back?"

"Shilang, cold."

Weigong Shilang sighed, glanced at the alarm clock beside the bed, and prepared to get up and make breakfast.

At that moment, the sliding door beside him opened.

"It's a misunderstanding," Weigong Shilang said the moment he met Saber's gaze.

Saber glanced at Illyas under Weigong Shilang's covers and shook her head: "Congratulations."

"Huh?"

Human Continuity Institution. Chaldea

On the corridor leading to the cafeteria.

"Fuyuki?!" Tenzan Lixiang hung her head, utterly drained, leaning against Mashu beside her. "Not that place again—leave me alone!"

"Senior, snap out of it—it's just an investigation," Mashu encouraged, rubbing Tenzan Lixiang's shoulders. "After all, it's the origin of the Holy Grail War; maybe it's just a sensor error."

"I've been watching TV dramas lately—places where problems suddenly appear and then just as suddenly vanish? Those are the most dangerous!" Tenzan Lixiang stood up reluctantly, ruffling her hair, and said seriously:

"It's the same location as Special Point F, but earlier in time—is it a parallel world cluster along the main timeline?"

"Maybe it's a minor anomaly; those places can be left alone," Goldluf said.

"Who knows?" Da Vinci smiled. "It might even be the main timeline—just kidding. Anyway, this unusual situation needs investigation. Best to bring along a man familiar with Fuyuki."

"Lord El-Melloi II? Indeed, last time we only managed to resolve that special anomaly thanks to him," Mashu affirmed.

"At this point, there are several others who could help—they share karmic ties, nature, and attributes compatible with that history, so transferring with them would be easy," Da Vinci suggested. "Let's go to the cafeteria—everyone should be there by now."

"Speaking of the Fifth Holy Grail War," Tenzan Lixiang tidied her hair and called through the barrier door: "Emiya Mama, are you free after lunch?"

A white-haired man with a buzzcut, wearing an apron and gloves while baking, clenched his teeth, rose from the kitchen counter, and protested: "I've told you a hundred times—don't call me Mama!"

"Mama, I want pudding," Little Jack raised her hand.

"Mama, I want jelly," the nursery rhyme stood on a book.

"." Red A from Chaldea placed two trays of fruit on the table: "Kids, eat more fruit!"

"Huh?!!!"

(End of Chapter)