Here it is! A project nearly 3 years in the making, because I chose to do everything from scratch again and only keep certain neutral parts in this one. As a rewrite, I don't think you guys need to read the old version, but it's still posted on this site if you want to take a look. When this story is finished, the old version will be deleted (though I may change my mind later if you guys request it).

For those of you who're new to me and my stories... WELCOME! This is an AU which has been in my mind ever since Lostbelt 6 came out, along with several of my favourite characters. I am heavily inspired by Arrixam's works, so here's a shout-out to him! For those of you who don't know, his, and in effect, my stories will be about a multi-fandom fanfictions, conjoined together with a single idea and goal, performed by a variety of main characters from each respective fandom. Of course, I don't want to be just a copycat or plagiarize his work, and so you'll find my writing style and storyline to differ from his quite a lot. I haven't really asked for permission from him (sorry, Arrixam!) to partly-use this concept, but I can honestly say this idea has been in the works long before I read any of his works. When I did, I went, "Oh, wow! This guy's exactly what I wanted to be!" So props for him.

Okay, to the main story.

You may find some concepts being under-explained for your liking. Don't worry, and don't spam, because I plan on letting you know on the concepts I use gently, over several chapters, more in line of commercial novels. I do have an encyclopedia on the way, to be posted either on my Bio or a separate story altogether, but I will only do so several days after I introduced or explained the concepts in-universe. Also, I need to remind you, this is FANFICTION. I always like to stick to the theories and explanation from canon, but if it's necessary, I'll bend it to fit the story better. Some criticisms will be inevitable, but I accept all constructive comments and will try to implement any necessary corrections pointed out.

Now, why do I do this? Because there's so many reasons, I've broken it down to several key points:
1. More experience and maturity of writing skill. Looking back, there's a lot of things in the old HV-S01: RKR which I don't feel represents the current me as a writer.
2. The cheap, CN webnovel-like (no offense to those guys, since some of them are excellent and beyond criticism) mix of random crossovers. ALL of them will be under review, and most are likely to be removed completely. Will they reappear in future projects? Maybe, but not anytime soon.
3. The release of Lostbelt 6 gave me so much inspiration. For those of you who've followed me so far, you know I like to use a lot of characters. Now I don't have to pad those empty slots with Point (2).
4. I'm now confident in writing harem stories and smut after HV-S02: QGF & HV-S03: SI, unlike what I claimed all those years ago when I refuted your suggestions of adding more romantic relationships other than Mordred alone. So... here it is!
5. There's some techniques I like in this story's sequels which I think deserve more screentime, especially 'Possession'. Thus, Gilgamesh will appear more often. For those of you who want more dose of Fem!Gilgamesh, you can check the side-story to this one in my bio (with an artwork of her as the main cover).
6. My understanding of real-life Dark Age Britain was very, very lacking back then, ditto of Arthurian mythology and its associated elements. Hopefully this corrects a lot of my previous mistakes.

N.B.: As a (NSFW) recommendation, a lot of Altria's behaviour, appearance, and character development are inspired by Hex D-sensei's and Oostuka Kotora-sensei's hentai doujins. Research at your own risk.

DISCLAIMER: Cover image by YOHCHI (Twitter: Yohchi_e). It's clearly not mine.


Dead.
Dead. Dead. Dead.
Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead.

It's dying.

How?

...no, looking back, the answer is obvious.

Humanity have died.

Was it in the wrong?

All it ever did was for the ensured continuation of humanity. It nipped every disaster before it bloomed. It killed all causes of mass destruction, whether it was human or not. It went against the Will of the Planet, a true Type, and triumphed.

So why?

Is the Counter Guardian Program wrong? Is the Throne of Heroes not working?

Or is it in the wrong?

- ...

- ...

- ...

Error.
Error. Error. Error.
Error. Error. Error. Error. Error.

Analyzing cause... Error.

Repeating... Error. Error.

Restarting... Command not accepted. Error.

WARNING! System under power. Attempting fail-safe...

Error. Error. Error.

Humanity saturation level: 0.00000001%

Activating Counter Guardian program. Attempt failed.

Humanity saturation level: undetectable.

WARNING! System shutting down. Attempting fail-safe...

Error. Error. Error. Error. Error.

Rebooting...
Rebooting...
Rebooting...

Power level critical. WARNING! Shutting down.

SYSTEM SHUT DOWN.

- ...

- ...

- ...

Back-up system initiated.

Systems check... Systems check... Successful.

Re-routing to back-up logs.

Emergency system activate?

Calculating... Calculating... Calculating...

Commence the Heroic Vessel program? Affirmative.

PROGRAM 'HEROIC VESSEL' STARTED. Selecting candidates...

Searching timelines... Searching backlogs... Start PROPHET calculation...

Searching... Searching... Searching...
Searching... Searching... Searching...
Searching... Searching... Searching...

Success. Calculating compatibility...

Calculation finished. Compatibility: 330%

Awaiting confirmation...

Waiting...
Waiting...


The Heroic Vessel system.

The first time I heard that offer from Alaya, I thought this Guardian of Humanity finally developed a sense of humour and dabbling in scams nowadays. I've seen what my other selves went through after they lived their various lives, now that I'm nothing more than a floating spirit formerly known as 'Shirō Emiya', all because of this being in front of me.

A reality where 'Shirō Emiya' lived as a happy househusband between two rich ladies named 'Rin Tōsaka' and 'Luviagellita Edelfelt', acting as their boytoy. A reality where 'Shirō Emiya' bullheadedly chased after his foster father's shadow and ideals, falling into Alaya's hands as a reluctant killer of people. A reality where 'Shirō Emiya' was the destroyer of the world, standing alongside and protecting his world-ending lover as she covered the entire planet with black mud. A reality where 'Shirō Emiya' became a nameless mercenary, travelling around a technologically-advanced world, having his likeness simulated in a digital war held by eldritch superintelligences. A reality where 'Shirō Emiya' was taking care of a little sister-shaped Holy Grail. A reality full of happily-ever-after, where 'Shirō Emiya' was surrounded by beautiful girls and trusted companions after fighting in a mystical war, living his normal life without a care in the world, without anyone dying.

…and many, many more.

Ah, that word I used earlier? 'Offer'? actually, I didn't have much choice apart from whether I'd like to read the terms and conditions Alaya laid out or skip it like usual.

Of course, I'm dead, so I have all the time in the world.

Read it is. Certainly, it's my first time doing this, and I'm probably joining a select percentage of souls in the world who did the same thing. An exclusive club, this.

The process to create Heroic Vessel EMIYA has begun, whether I like it or not.


The Counter Guardian program was a failure, I learnt later on. Which was why I was pulled from the Akashic Record's recycling bin and stuffed with all the memories, skills, and strengths of my other selves across the infinite multiverse… then stuffed again with overpowered talents so I didn't blow up the instant Alaya started the first step.

The world, despite everything Alaya tried, ended.

Well, not 'the world' in the literal sense. To it, humanity was its entire world. If, for instance, humans become a spacefaring race, then Alaya will follow them wherever they land, continuing on watching their efforts, trials, and tribulations.

Yes, humanity ended.

No matter how many Alaya kills, no matter how many of its power it invests, the end is the same. A dying human community surrounded by artificial beings, under siege of Phantasmal Species and TYPEs. An era of incineration where all living things are erased from existence, society restarted by an errant Noble Phantasm of a powerful Heroic Spirit. The moon crashing into the planet because of a battle between great beings. Existence getting 'killed' by a wielder of Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

…and so on, and so forth.

The point is humans die. All of them. The last survivor is typically Gun God, so blessed with [Fate] he is the protagonist of the majority of the apocalyptic endings. When he's not, it's a person named Ritsuka Fujimaru – gender may vary – who shares a great deal of physical similarity to this me. But regardless of these two's protagonist power, they die in the end. They always do.

This is the information I gain from the Akashic Record, now I have become a Heroic Vessel regardless of my intention, so it's legitimate. It may not be set in stone, but it undoubtedly happens. So does the pruning around the figurative chronological tree of Proper Human History, wrongfully done by Alaya, because it never considers there's something useful to be extracted from those Quantum Time Locks to better the ones unpruned. When they are destroyed, so does several chances of hope for the continuation of the main branch.

It's quite a strange weakness for something so omnipotent. I would've thought it could calculate everything down to the last detail… then I found out it did, but its initial programming means it's always forced to be the reacting party, instead of a proactive one.

Well, not anymore. This Heroic Vessel program, system, or redo – whatever one calls it – is both its party piece and last hope. The Conceptual Weight and strength of a fully-powered champion, unbound by the necessary shackles of balance, and overpowered to the point we can break these Quantum Time Locks and forcibly merge it with Proper Human History, increasing the variety of future options down the line.

Does Alaya care, in fact? About humanity's well-being, happiness, and other feelings?

Of course not.

If humanity dies, then it does too. This is simply a survival mechanism it installs upon itself during creation – for the ability to break its predestine and predetermined method of thinking when its existence is threatened. There are other 'Alayas' out there for every intelligent population, so I can't say for sure whether this is true for all those protectors, but that's my understanding for this one. Clearly a much more selfish, self-aware entity compared to what Counter Guardian EMIYA has grown to hate, and the impartial eye of justice 'Shirō Emiya' was eager to make a contract with. In this sense, it's actually very close to the TYPEs, in a sense while they have very different common sense compared to humans, they all exist according to their own rules, and not conforming to a universal one humans presumed they understand.

So, in the end, it's not some heartless eldritch entity, but just a self-serving individual like the rest of us.

Yes, like myself, too. Because I'm not too sad at the loss of the basic human right to choose. Obviously, because I'm not human anymore – merely a perfect vessel full of power, with my emotions stripped.

But doesn't that apply too to Counter Guardians? How can I succeed where they have failed? After all, they, who are more akin to natural disasters than living, thinking agents of Alaya, are exactly those aforementioned nouns.

From what I gather from the multiple EMIYAs shoved into my being, it's because Counter Guardians are, in the end, an ironically suicidal system. Saving humans by killing humans, while objectively and mathematically correct, is idiotic. Like cancer cells ravaging a body – it's easy to kill them off: simply annihilate every single cell in the body so the cancerous ones can't grow. Obviously, that leads to the death of the being in question, but that's a flaw Alaya didn't see and correct until it was too late, too confident in its cold-blooded methods and too oblivious to its own charge's potential to surpass themselves.

Killing one to save ten. Killing ten to save hundreds. And so on and so forth. But what if there's no longer 'ten' or 'hundreds', purely because Alaya has ordered too much to be killed and pruned?

Like I said: reactive, and not proactive.

Using the aforementioned template, this 'me' has my emotions stripped not because of fear of rebellious thoughts, but because of a genuine lack of space inside me, even with this supposedly-perfect vessel Alaya has created as a last resort. However, surprisingly, it's not something it prohibits, unlike the past – the emotional capacity is simply moved externally.

To put it simply, I'm a mirror. Right now, in Alaya's personal creation space, with no one around me, all that is 'me' is an empty shell with full rational capabilities. However, I am allowed to absorb and empathize as much as I can if I am ever deployed to those Quantum Time Locks and alternate realities… then, with some luck, carry it over across the resulting Proper Human History like a defective Heroic Spirit carrying forth memories of past battles. Do I want to love others again as good as 'Shirō Emiya' did? Then make sure I receive the same intense love from others by way of good behaviour. Relying on one's appearance like EMIYA while acting very cold and callous will leave me no better than the 'me' from yesterday.

Speaking of 'yesterday'…

…I don't actually know how much time has passed. Can it pass in this place? Looking around, I'm surrounded by floating light-coloured triangles, ranging from dull white to a dark grey – never quite black – on a similarly-pale background. The floor is transparent, or perhaps Alaya has granted me the unconscious ability to coalesce particles wherever I walk into something resembling a solid? I feel like I'm walking on the clearest pane of glass I've seen, including the memories of 'Shirō Emiya' and EMIYA, and I can't see where it ends. Some form of Marble Phantasm, perhaps? Or Reality Marble?

This is an all-in-one room: where I was constructed and 'born', where I spend most of my time training, a bedroom, and a place I can access the Akashic Records freely to enhance my strength. That place is nothing but a dimension full of multicoloured light, completely unlike the library or an actual record room I envisaged, but the information flows under control all the same. I understand why magi are chasing after it so fervently, though, even discounting the Sorcery Traits planted by Ars Goetia influencing their minds, because it's just a shortcut to creating an overpowered character.

I say 'shortcut', but that's also implies a chronological aspect to it too, no? I feel I'm getting the hang of things quickly, palpably faster than my predecessors, but who knows how much time has passed? Or again, can it pass here? Is this just a limbo and the passage of time is just illusory in my mind? Is this a separate dimension where I can study and grow however long I like, and I can enter in any point of Proper Human History after that? Does this overarch other timelines and possibilities? Or does it also have a timeline of its own, unaffected by anything?

I think those last two possibilities are closer to the truth, since if that's so, then where's my colleagues? All I see and know are my failed predecessors, whose chance at becoming a Heroic Vessel from their own destroyed realities failed because of various things. Alaya is an expert at bait-dangling the old-fashioned way: when there's no hope left.

I am #10. Quite an unimaginative coincidence if it's intentional from Alaya, since the kanji of 'Shirō Emiya', when mutilated, does contain the element 'ten'. But I think it just won't care. Let's see in the future.

…tsk, again, a chronological term… It's getting confusing, to be honest.

I assume I will meet someone from my relative future – hah, I got it! – here, then getting deployed separately later. But clearly, the existence of our code numbers proves things aren't run that way here. Perhaps in the future, or perhaps I'm just separated from Alaya's inner dealings, or they have different personal dimensions where they exist…

Too much possibilities. As usual.

In any case, the previous 'failed' nine prototypes' data is available for study. I say 'fail', but each and every one of them are supremely powerful individuals with equally-powerful protagonist power. Whether they're good or bad guys can be rather random – ditto their personalities and alignment – but there's no question each and every one of them can beat a full-powered EMIYA, without the restriction of the Holy Grail system, quite easily.

And if I mess up, I can join them and queue up to impart my knowledge to #11. Good deal, that.


Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale…

Breathing training is considered the most difficult in martial arts because of the patience it takes, not the actual difficulty. After all, when semi-intelligent beings can achieve better results than humans simply by living normally but persistently practising this as a part of their natural lives, then there's really no excuse why I can't do the same. Besides, the Akashic Records contain a lot of theories, observations, and experiences of past and future masters across all timelines, so if even with this advantage I'm still complaining and failing, then Alaya may as well scrap me now and revert me back into spiritron.

There are a lot of other skills available to learn from the Akashic Records – some related to a Noble Phantasm, some tied to a person's life, and a lot are just straight garbage. Besides, even with this resource sitting on my lap, the things I learn and absorb must be compatible to me, who's made of countless 'Shirō Emiyas' and EMIYAs. There's no way for me to learn Witchcraft, for example, even if I perfectly memorized all its theories and how to counter them when I face off against it on the field. Thus, I will have to go the roundabout way and master Magecraft with similar effects, or Trace a bladed Noble Phantasm with the same power, to reproduce the same abilities.

Barehanded martial arts are also troublesome, but given its low barrier of entry, and I have all the time in the world, they're actually the ones interesting me the most.

Unlimited Blade Works can trace not just any weapon's strengths and abilities, but also the martial skill required to wield them. However, what are the origins of those skills? Naturally, it's barehanded combat.

From Gilgamesh to EMIYA, it's an indispensable skill for a combatant to have. It's literally born alongside humanity as its first instinctive way of protecting itself. Then, it developed into a method to prove one's superiority over others, concerning resources such as land, crops, game, women, or military strength. Humanity has developed martial arts to deal with any kind of situation imaginable – yes, even against firearms – and weapons are just an extension of that. In fact, one can say bladed arts were quite clumsy at first, considering the reduction in freedom of movement required to maintain the proper posture with the additional weight. Going into the Middle Ages, new weapon designs were actually created first, then a related martial art was born afterwards, showing the foundation of this thick trunk of technique.

But it's quite difficult for me to master it using the theoretically easiest way, which is reverse-engineering everything from Unlimited Blade Works. Yes, those weapon masters will pass down great barehanded skill, but because not every weapons art can be translated into barehanded art, and the reverse is actually true, the knowledge I gain is quite patchy.

Spears, single-bladed swords, and sabres are the easiest and most comprehensive. From China's unparalleled variety and imagination, to Europe's straightforwardness and utmost simplicity, to Africa's flexibility and exoticism, to America's pragmatism and foreign culture acceptance, those three categories exist in all cultures of mankind. Hence, bajiquan – the martial art 'Shirō Emiya' was most familiar with – is quite easy for me to master. Similar schools are the same, such as Scatach's techniques and Herakles's Pankration skills.

The most frustrating thing is my realization the real 'core' of martial arts exists – the one usually whispered in legends with the description 'formless' – and it's just in front of me to learn from the Akashic Records. But because of Unlimited Blade Works' limitations, as well as my own talent, I'm destined to only reach the 95% mark. Any more, and I would've had to completely redo my soul and create a new Reality Marble.

The grass being greener on the other side, and things like that.

Sighing in disappointment at myself, I let go of this treasure and choose to maximize what I already have. There's no sense in knocking down a foundation countless lifetime of combat have built just to chase something which may not be applicable in all missions, anyway. For example, what if I am sent to a world where physical forces are annulled, where only Thaumaturgy reigns supreme? I'll feel like a supreme idiot for not investing an equal amount of time to other fields of study by then.

Is it very useful? Yes, but only as useful as the others.

History, in my opinion, is even more important for my improvement, but because of the aforementioned reasons, I'm still trying to catch up to my self-imposed quota of it, having focused on martial skills too much before. This is due to Unlimited Blade Works' emphasis on 'experience' for it to work properly, and not just an inferior knockoff of Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon. Not just every kind of material is there – everything I understand, at least – but also the lifetime of those weapons and what have they gone through. Hence, it's crucial not only to look at the skills I can brazenly copy to perfection, but what made them tick in the first place. I can also passively absorb the emotions stored in those weapons, either from the maker or wielder, so I don't appear as an emotionless golem whenever I'm going to be deployed.

What's the story behind the blades? Who or what event commissioned it, and who made it? For what purpose? To achieve a goal? To fulfil a prophecy? For revenge? Or just for the art and beauty of it? How many people have wielded it, and when? During what era, and during what stage of their lives? Were they used according to their intention or not? Whose blood they've shed? Whose safety have they protected, standing in front of adversity as a true Ally of Justice?

And finally, how did they die as Noble Phantasms and degrade into normal museum showpieces?

This amount of information, naturally, is too much for a normal human, however enhanced, to process, as even EMIYA couldn't replicate things beyond 99.99%. by stripping off my capacity to independently generate emotions, however, Alaya has made sure I have enough capacity to do so, even for weapons supposedly alien to it like Excalibur.

The only downside is the learning process isn't instantaneous. However, I have all the time in the world, with the universe's best encyclopaedia laid out in front of me in the form of the Akashic Records. I'll be a shame to all those 'Shirō Emiya' if I don't become an overpowered scumbag and abuse this advantage.

Don't worry, all 'Shirō Emiya' of the world. I'll fulfil your addiction to idealistic happy endings, and make sure my story is as boring as possible.


The first thing I learn… or, to be more precise, successfully fake as good as the original is 'determination'. Not quite an emotion, but very close to it as an extension of an individual's will. And, to be frank, to me, this is both the best and worst aspect of 'Shirō Emiya', more than his – and apparently my, later on – propensity to attract troublesome girls into his life. This single word which empowered him to a fate-defying strength many times across the Kaleidoscope was also the most potent suicidal venom hiding deep within him. EMIYA was the best example of this when the very same 'determination' finally broke the vessel which was his existence, the same one he bartered against Alaya with. Ditto with a few of the aforementioned realities where 'Shirō Emiya' prioritized something else other than being the Hero of Justice, but with the same intensity.

In fact, the best endings for him – and hopefully me, too – were the ones where he managed to curb his determination with either the help of others or a forced external factor. Watching all these memories was rather jarring, equivalent to an out-of-body experience, purely because the emotions involved in them were so detached. Perhaps something similar would be a modern cinematic experience, but with a less-than-engaging movie which can't entice the viewer's heart. Still, it's nice seeing 'Shirō Emiya' spending time happily with his group of girls – either the original 5th Holy Grail War's girls, with Altria, Rin, Sakura, Medusa, Taiga, and Illya; his newest 'family' in another world with Illya, Miyu, Rin, Luviagelita, and the homunculus maids; an illusory digital livelihood as 'Nameless' with Hakuno, Nero, and Tamamo; et cetera, et cetera.

Hopefully I won't disappoint the 'family tree', then.

It's funny when one thinks the best thing happening to him is, at least, giving up partial chunks of his ideal in order to achieve happiness he can't even fathom possibly happening to him in the first place. Instead, he assumed Kiritsugu's relieved, exhausted smile to be the only guide to happiness in the world, leading him to believe it's best to pursue the same dream as his foster father. The first 'Shirō Emiya' didn't even realize he was hurting those around him as he did so, foolhardily and stubbornly walking along a path where he, slowly but surely, got more and more lonely as everyone who cared about him disappeared from his life, before placing his bets on who he considered an all-powerful being in exchange for a greater capability to grant salvation to people who didn't want it.

Of course, I know Alaya much better than him, and I wish I can tell him point-blank it's just as much of an alien monstrous entity as everything else in the universe. Make him reject its offer, so I won't even exist. Job done, because by then I won't have a job to do. Easy.

…no, that's a lie, isn't it? Knowing the future Alaya has shown all ten of us who've been chosen to be potential Heroic Vessels, there's no way I can allow humanity to perish, regardless of the reason. I'm lucid enough to know its style, along with the previous Counter Guardians program, is unsustainably stupid, but it doesn't mean its intentions are wrong. To know the failure of my missions, and all of this second chance Alaya has given me out of the blue, will mean the unmaking of all these memories I'm watching and enjoying from the sidelines… irks me. A lot. The 'love' 'Shirō Emiya' displayed towards the people around him, male or female, isn't something known to me yet bar from external observations, but I'll be damned if his feelings would turn into nothingness because of what I did. The 'determination' EMIYA went with across his tenure would've been for nothing if my previous wish actually came true, along with the sacrifices of both himself and the people around him.

Regardless whether those things happened in parallel worlds, or different timelines, or separate realities, it doesn't change the fact they happened. The smiles, tears, blood, sweat, and emotions enriching those events must be something. No matter they're destined to be pruned, annihilated, or 'corrected', a human common sense we Heroic Vessels have to accommodate our work just can't allow it to happen, because that's humanity's instinctual desire which birthed Alaya in the first place. For a higher being to callously and simply throw all that to the universe's recycling bin because it's 'the right thing to do' doesn't matter shit to me, even in this empty state of mine.

I'll declare it here and now: I'm strictly in the moderate faction. For everything and everyone to be in harmony. That wishy-washy, childish wish even stupider than the decision of 'Shirō Emiya' straight after he has been traumatized for life… is mine.


I think the Heroic Vessel program supports my ideal.

Humanity often faces extinction… primarily because of its own doing. Its decisions, greed, carelessness, and general lack of collective intelligence mean a third party always arrives at the opportune time to wipe it out. After countless casualties, a hero is born and solves the issue. Then, by the next generation, all their deeds and sins will be forgotten, dooming the entire race to repeat itself onto destruction. Each cycle carries with it less and less Conceptual Weight, because the reduction in population number doesn't mean that attribute rebounds back to where it's at in the Age of Gods, when humanity was a rare creature in the eyes of the various Phantasmal Species living by then. Less people with inferior quality – no wonder their decision-making hasn't been the best, and spiralled worse and worse each time.

It needs someone from its own ranks who's strong enough to lead them down the right path – strong in terms of physical strength, mental capacity, spiritual morality, and many other ridiculously-perfect heroic attributes – and to place humanity on the negotiating table against the numerous higher beings roaming the universe. A gentle strength, not as a tyrant, but as a familial leader of a tight-knit, united group.

Thing is… humanity is also known for its hobby of splintering itself without a common problem to solve. Even then, there exists enough number of the population who're politically powerful enough to force the status quo even in the face of the apocalypse, their greed blinding their eyes to everything. Watching EMIYA's memories, I've been wanting to rip Kiritsugu Emiya's soul apart and erase him from the Akashi Records for his failure in setting a good example. Yes, he killed bad men, women, and creatures, but where's the PR? Where's the moral explanation to the retarded adults with the mental capacity of grade schoolers to delay the inevitable repeat of the same mistake? Where's the capacity in picking and choosing the right love of his life: when to apply it on his job, his family, or his ideals?

To me, as a third-party outsider, Kiritsugu Emiya is the Source of All Evil, beyond that pathetic human being who ended up corrupting the Holy Grail by his summoning.

But then again, I can trace it back to his father, then his father before him. Maybe a mother before that? I must be gender-equal, now…

Following this train of thought, I can fully understand why some higher beings simply just thought humanity wasn't worth the trouble, so they eradicated us. The symbolic first sin, carried by whomever-I-don't-care, is emblematic to all civilization, so why can't we evolve to equal them? Instead of wallowing and diving back into the same shit we create every day? It's not like the problem's unique to us, so why can't we be like them? Those advanced civilizations who live in, from a human's perspective, utopia? How hard can it be when others have shown the way?

…if I was being narcissistic, then the reason was because I don't exist yet.

I can feel it. The near-infinite power caused by stuffing countless varieties of the same Counter Guardian and a universal harem protagonist.

Alaya really didn't hold back. After all, the universe's corrective force was strong enough to persistently create scenarios where Alaya kept dying and perishing. Therefore, to change things, it invested into countless violations of the natural order and competitive balance, just so to produce anomalies who could help it break its fated demise. Like a pebble trying to reverse its course under a stormy sea to return home to the small mountainous creek it came from, it's supposedly impossible… apart from an external factor like a figurative hand which dove down to the bottom of the ocean to grab said pebble, then spent every resource it had to carry it back to where it belonged.

A very cheat-like existence, like me.

Quantum Time Locks are local representatives of the aforementioned figurative fierce storm, a universal correction force which insists certain events must play out. Technically, every point in time is a Quantum Time Lock, but for Alaya, it's most interested in certain large nodes significant enough any permanent change to it will have a snowball effect down the main tree-like timeline, hopefully creating new branches where it can possibly survive forever, accompanying and watching over humanity's prosperity.

In fact – and this is a tall order, considering nine potential Heroic Vessel candidates before me have failed – Alaya is actually planning on using the released energy caused by the 'salvation' of a Quantum Time Lock to empower itself against both potential future threats and [Fate], one of the universe's governing bodies. With every destined string broken, considerable conceptual energy will be released as signals across the universe. Usually, this is used as a detection method, much like a breach on the water surface will emanate visible ripples for all observers… but Alaya plans to capture this energy onto itself, avoiding the worry of an even higher dimensional being figuring out what's going on. To be fair to the latter group, the universe is running pretty much automatically and impartially, and because of its infinite vastness, small projects like this Heroic Vessel program can continue on for longer undetected compared to any large move those eldritch beings will make. For example, I've seen the instant Beast VII makes a decision, the Human Order automatically aligns things up so its champion can survive and make comebacks after comebacks, creating miracles after miracles. The very moment Beast VII descends upon the planet to erase humanity completely, a corrective force acts and protects Ritsuka Fujimaru no matter what happens, ensuring it won't get such an easy victory. Ditto with Velber, who's probably even stronger than Beast VII but with less independent ego, whose crude plans to crush everything with brute force just so happens to coincide with the creation of Excalibur.

Are all of the above coincidences? People may assume it's just 'plot armour', but fourth wall-breaking abilities not considered, I like to call it [Fate].

So, when even those two beings fail, what hope does Alaya, a small step down the rung of the universal ladder of power level, have?

Myself, of course.

Of course, being originally human, I share Alaya's natural instincts, no matter how I dislike it. 'Fear of death' is a delicate emotion. For a normal, run-of-the-mill human being, this emotion can unlock many of his or her unknown potential, granting immense improvements in abilities. However, an existence solely dedicating itself to combat will find this emotion to be detrimental. After all, my training itself has already crossed the point of death long ago, so feeling 'fear of death' will only serve to freeze my reaction time.

Therefore, I subtly change my mindset. Not to the point of self-hypnosis, but simply in the realm of 'belief'. That is, if I die, the people I love will be sad.

"The boy who stated he just doesn't want to see anyone cry…

…Could only see crying humans forever."

Often, I hear a female's voice saying this line in my dreams, mostly regarding my base template. Normally, I get annoyed when shown troublesome dreams, but it rings so close to my heart I begin to embrace his thought and ideals, assimilating them into my own. Not that we're much different in personalities and dreams in the first place, mind you, but his experiences are still very valuable.

As a person, I, Hero Vessel 'SHIRŌ', respect the Counter Guardian 'EMIYA' greatly.

In the end, my end goal is to effectively erase and replace the Counter Guardian program, so no more people will drown in their own ideals and die, cursing the World in return.

I know his joy. I know his pain. I know his ideals, his utopia. And so, I know how excruciating it is to have your ideals so distorted that it betrayed you instead.

No more.

For the sake of being a 'Hero of Justice'. For the sake of the Guardians and their dreams. For the sake of the previous nine generations of discarded Vessels who failed. For the sake of the humanity I love. For these reasons, I will not falter.

For these reasons, I will fight.

I close my eyes, recalling the information I received from my creator.

It's a scene of bloodshed, of blood and tears, of glory and ruin. A tale of knights, of dragons and swords, of magic and drama. It's a story straight out of a literary masterpiece, only that it's very much real. It's a vision of this Kingdom's future, broken down to its tiniest details and causes. The decisions the actors made, the actions they preferred to take, and the inevitable ending, despite the efforts by previous Guardians.

A 'hero' is someone who can change the world.

Even if in the end those heroes succumbed to their own fates, the simple fact that they could bring change to their surroundings already qualified them as a 'hero'. These people always have more 'weight' than the normal humans, attracting many glories and blessings, but also curses and failures.

For me, being a 'Hero of Justice' is no longer viable. This ideal is no longer enough to save everyone I wish to save. It is simply an impossible dream, but precisely because it's impossible, it's incredibly worthy to chase after.

I will transcend it.

The people who the Guardians cannot save, the individuals who they forsake in order to gain Alaya's powers, the live sacrifices many say are necessary to save the greater good... all of them...

I will save them.

Because it's my ideal (way) of a hero.


'Alright, breathe.'

That's a mantra I've automatically hypnotized myself with whenever I'm deployed. Usually, it's into a foetus, which obviously lack the mental capacity to enact any form of Magecraft, however talented. This ensures my intelligence can pass through first and foremost, providing a library of information and knowledge for my body to follow to attain its peak strength. If possible, to a level beyond what this reality is capable of supporting, just in case. It's better to have several cheats ready than feeling regret later when a verge-of-death power-up goes wrong.

However, most of the time, it's just a habit I've picked up after Alaya deploying me into the worst situations possible for a newborn to survive in.

What was I supposed to do? With an underdeveloped vocal cord, all the sound I'd make was a loud cry. That's the kind of noise which would likely get babies killed if it's placed in the wilderness. Which Alaya often did. No parents, no protection, no financial support – very typical of some reincarnation cases I've viewed in the Akashic Records.

Though fortunately, it appears the forest I'm magically transported to is quite benign. Or, to be more precise, because it's a forest full of pretty, well-groomed flowers much taller than this toddler-like body, I must describe it correctly as a lush flower garden instead, no?

Plus, this isn't Earth. I've experienced enough deployments – actually, not as many as I implied earlier – to notice what kind of conceptual rules dictate my immediate surroundings, which are kind of fingerprints for what realm I'm in. So far, this kind of sensation usually happens later in life, when I am strong enough to travel across the many layers and domains of the Reverse Side of the World.

In short, this is certainly the first time I've landed smack-dab in one of those locations, instead of starting off in a… say, 'beginner village' or something.

- Step! Step! Step!

But the sound approaching me is familiar. It's the hurried, yet excited steps of a young girl who suddenly realizes there's a baby smack-dab in the middle of an alien flower field.

Alright, that's not quite a common analogy, but I'll roll with it.

- …

"Y-You can call me Big Sister from now on, o-okay?!"

One look at this person who suddenly looms her figure over me, and I know for certain where I am and in what kind of mess I'm in.


Having reviewed the task at hand, to be honest, I'm quite worried. It's more intricate and long-term than I used to in previous deployments, not to mention the required mass manipulation to ensure this Quantum Time Lock successfully changes Proper Human History instead of becoming a Lostbelt.

For a quiet time to think, I retreat into Unlimited Blade Works, where I control everything including [Time]. My real body is still sleeping and recovering its energy after being force-fed a weird serving of milk by the white-haired cheeky succubus from before, and I was wary of alerting her to my true nature prematurely. I can tell this woman is someone Alaya will talk to eventually, so there's no need for any initiative from me to do so myself.

It was easier for me to form a Reality Marble compared to my constituents, being actually further from humanity than either 'Shirō Emiya' or Counter Guardian EMIYA. Naturally, my Unlimited Blade Works differs from the two of them, though still following the same familiar template as their variations across the parallel universes. First of all, the word 'relax' means I'm also lying down inside my mindscape along with my presumably-sleeping baby body outside, so I prefer a more comfortable bedding than the hard, dead rocks where their countless weapons are stabbed onto the ground like grave markers. While it's still true with me, since it's impossible for me to morph everything and stack them all neatly on a shelf or elegantly floating about in space, that very same ground is covered in thick, lush, yet strangely well-groomed grass, just as soft as most peasants' hay beds.

…which is very decent when one considers I'm figuratively outdoors, after all.

A range of sky colours dominate the atmospheric scenery, not a monochromatic sunset orange one of 'Shirō Emiya', or the smog-filled skies of EMIYA. The horizon's furthest edges are a very dark indigo, with the merest warm rays of the sun beginning to taint the night sky with its tint. Its counterpart on the other end, depending on my perspective, is turning into a deep violet, almost black, as the very same light gives way to the moon's clutches. Straight after that, where the sun has truly peeked across the horizon, are bright yellow and orange symbolizing sunrise and sunset, respectively… only that there are two suns, each on the end of the Reality Marble. Which one is 'east' and 'west' depends on the viewer's perspective, really, because they seem to switch around without my control every time I turn my head.

The areas one would expect where a noon sky will be is predictably overhead – a sunless blue expanse with perfectly-white gear-shaped clouds lazily and effortlessly rotating against each other. This is the area where I feel the most jarring, because due to the perfectly-comfortable temperature control in here – barring enemy invasion – the supposedly-stifling midday heat isn't present despite how the sky looks. The lack of negatives does make the positives stranger and… somewhat incomplete, to be honest, as I feel a gentle breeze at a temperature just cold enough to be refreshing, and not too warm or humid as normal summer wind tends to be.

The imbalanced weather phenomena is also apparent when one views how fast the clouds are moving… and how gentle the wind near the ground is. Perfect condition to take a nap.

Reality Marbles are representations of one's soul… so I'm not sure what my soul looks like to others when filled with these strange symbolisms, or what they translate to. I mean, the countless weapons still stand proud on the grassy plains, gently undulating to break the otherwise-flat horizon, so there's no mistaking this is still Unlimited Blade Works.

However, perhaps the most striking difference other than how needlessly pretty it is are the apparitions hovering over the blades. I'm tempted to call them Heroic Spirits still, following the usual jargon they're addressed by after their passing, but they strictly distance themselves from that phrase and correct me whenever I say it. Using 'apparition', though, also doesn't feel right because of its implication of lower spiritual beings, which obviously they're not. While they can't assume physical forms in the real world without systems like the Holy Grail or Chaldea's version, they're very much opaque and palpable here. I know it's a very subjective opinion, but what's 'reality' anyway if not a single person's perspective of the world? In my eyes, they're very much real and a part of the world, even though they're not their whole selves sitting on the Throne of Heroes.

My insistence comes from the fact I lived among them during my deployments, instead of glancing their weapons and Tracing their experiences second-hand from Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon. This way, my own Projections are no longer copies, but as real as the original – and beyond them in strength if I use them as Broken Phantasms – because I can ingrain all 7 Tracing steps into my soul directly. Hence, speaking of these spirits like they're mere phantoms of their real selves make me quite annoyed.

Oh, by the way, I'm not laying down, but sitting against Ea, which has its lowermost semi-detached part acting as its 'tip' perfectly perpendicularly stabbed to the ground. I want to, make no mistake, because I can lay here for as long as I want without wasting real-world [Time] outside, but the person laying her head on my inner thighs while using my legs as armrests won't let me.

Her long, silky golden hair, as I remembered it, wafts with a scent I can only describe as 'primordial'. it's like comparing an older species to a younger one, and the revelation the former is more unique and… raw, as I fail to give justice to how Gilgamesh smells like.

In contrast to the arrogant, haughty, charismatic king from the memories of 'Shirō Emiya' and EMIYA, filled with antagonistic battles and banters, this one… is exactly the same, but a girl.

Even how she prefers to dress scantily as her kingly counterpart is the same, forcing the past me to make difficult decisions on where to lay my eyes upon. Ogle openly, and she immediately slapped and threatened legal actions against me, but politely shift my eyes from her body, and she'd get angry because I dared to ignore her majesty. Much like a golden, clingy giant lioness who's found a particularly interesting toy to keep and play with the rest of her life

"You're thinking of something rude about me again, aren't you?"

I put on my best smile, looking down at her still-closed eyelids, under which she's undoubtedly glaring at me with those enchanting crimson eyes. "Don't be silly; we've past that phase, haven't we?"

"Don't throw my questions back at me. It's either 'yes' or 'no'," she insists, pinching both my legs quite strongly. Cracking her eyes open and sending a wave of nostalgia into my head, she asks, "So, which is it?"

"Of course it's 'no'," I answer without hesitation, using my long-practiced trick of hiding that last shred of a lie under a whole mountain of truth. So long as I don't really consider anything to be false, her majestic instinct to detect lies won't work properly, allowing me to get away with more things compared to most. This is including Siduri – may her soul rest in peace – so I can definitely say I hold the record for abusing Gilgamesh's 'kindness' across various histories and timelines. "Or are you asking something else?"

- Pa!

Ah, this time it's a slap against my knees. I have to be honest, whatever she's doing to intimidate me isn't really working because of several factors: One, she's long controlled her strength due to our relationship and she's merely playing around, despite her slaps are equivalent to a giant elephant playfully doing the same to a tree. Two, her hair's so soft and practically resting itself against my crotch, tingling against those tender parts. Three, her action jiggles her sizeable breasts this way and that, and from my position looking down on her, I can fully enjoy every bit of their movement, especially because she's sporting her casual white vest which is spread open in the centre, showcasing her toned stomach and the smooth sides of her breasts.

"For that question you're not asking," I continue without pausing, because actually, she's quite bad at interrupting others if she doesn't have the initiative, "I'm still hesitant in plucking the fruits and flowers of your garden, Your Majesty."

Unlike her male counterpart's incredibly grating and nearly-comedic laughter, hers is unexpectedly delicate and feminine, though still delivered with great impact from behind it. "Hahaha! If my gardener and closest confidant says so, then no one can! Just as I commanded! Hahaha!"

She's opened her eyes fully, though they're quickly squinted over by her glee. Despite the bombastic and pompous nature of her tone, her laughter is just as I remembered it when she was alive… no, when we were alive: a bell-like tinkle covered with gold sparkles, following her usual colour scheme. All this figurative description is helpfully provided by the newest series of senses modified straight into my soul by the Heroic Vessel program, allowing me to feel the universe as if I'm in a fictional medium. While it's supremely enjoyable when I'm in this kind of situation – around people near the apex of the world's most beautiful – it's quite the information overload when facing against enemies, let me tell you. I, 'Shirō Emiya', and EMIYA are never the type to empathize with our opponents' wills, desires, and ideals, and I like to think we're more of a tyrant in this regard, proudly showcasing what we like the world to be, and fighting until a resolution is formed when there's any potential conflict.

Unyielding. Unchanging. As much as I like to think I'm different than my constituents, there are some things I consider worth keeping, especially regarding my own ideal. Besides, an infirm resolve will instantly destroy one's Reality Marble, fracturing the wielder's soul and permanently damaging it. This is also why an indecisive individual… or, more likely, someone who either doesn't know or keeps lying to themselves will never form a Reality Marble as a result. We're a stubborn bunch, let's just put it that way.

Gilgamesh knew me as Enkidu. I think of the real one as one of the aforementioned 'sacrifices' in order to set the stage. What better setting than the very first to establish some changes?

In fact, it's not just 'some changes', but a whole new reality pulled over by Alaya to serve as the 'root' of Proper Human History. It's easier to topple the whole system if one starts from the very bottom and simply knock everything else above it down. My very first assignment was this, and to this day, I think it's still the most challenging I've done due to the Conceptual Weight at stake behind it. It was the era when a human's soul was worth the most, and also when Divine Spirits could interfere with how we lived the most freely. A time when the constant unrest felt by cattle whenever they were herded to the abattoir was simply part of humanity's daily life, nervous when their turn would be on the chopping block depending on what the deities were in the mood for that day.

However, the aforementioned points were nowhere near as difficult as… the woman in front of me. Or who Queen Gilgamesh was when she was alive, and not yet the near-identical copy stored within Ea inside Unlimited Blade Works.

In my eyes, she truly deserved the title 'Queen of Heroes'. No one had challenged and succeeded against the Divine Spirits as accomplishedly as she had… yet. Even to this day, the accumulated experience and Conceptual Weight inside the Ea I have is still unmatched in its depth.

Still, as much as I like talking about my first love as myself, Heroic Vessel SHIRŌ, I can't stay here forever.

"Should I command you?" Perhaps sensing my thoughts, Gilgamesh's voice turns softer. "After all, it's not often I see you… unenthusiastic about something."

Her tone may be more pleasing to the ears, but certainly not her hands.

- Pa!

Out of nowhere, her two arms which have been resting against my legs since the beginning fly in from both sides, smacking my face on either cheeks and smushing my head. Of course, it's done both comically and endearingly, but if it's anyone else, they would've died instantly under this joke-like behaviour of hers.

"Wake up! They're waiting for your salvation!"


Glossary Update!

H

Heroic Vessel

A safeguard for Alaya's future, the program was conceived during a period where humans were on a decline, almost to extinction. Based on the 'Grand Servant' project from the Throne of Heroes, but adapted so the Vessels could blend in more easily among humans, therefore increasing the chances to change humanity for the better and to ensure its survival from behind. The selection involves the merging of parallel identities from the Akashic Records, creating a brand new, 'prototype' Hero at the cost of the originals.

Compatibility is key for being chosen, and the process to transform an ordinary soul, merge it with the necessary attributes and powers, and forge it to an acceptable level is harsh. Compatibility ranges from one-in-a-billion to one-in-a-trillion, and the candidates are frequently destroyed by the training process after the selection. To date, there's only less than ten successful examples, each with differing specialities and traits.