Chapter 287: Ending This War
Rapid fire erupted. Amidst the bursts of flame, high-speed rotating steel projectiles flew from the barrels of the black pistols, scattering like stars toward critical points of the woman's body—her wrists and ankles. They weren't lethal, but they were enough to render her limbs immobile.
"Queen! Look out!"
The Host's chest was instantly drenched in blood. At the final moment, he had lunged in front of Kiara Sessyoin, acting as a human shield.
Shirou watched with cold eyes and fired another shot toward the ground.
"Ah..." A bloody hole appeared in the center of the Inspector's forehead. He collapsed, looking as though he had finally found a sense of liberation.
"Lady Queen! Run!" The remaining followers lunged forward one after another, forming a living wall of meat to protect the woman. They fell before the young man, one by one, yet they lay at the Queen's feet with expressions of profound fulfillment, as if they had performed the most meaningful act of their lives and could die without regrets.
"I suppose I should be grateful this is a network world," Shirou said, staring coldly at Kiara Sessyoin.
For someone like Kiara, who possessed the ability to let her mental form escape into the network even if her physical body died, this was the most ideal battlefield. Despite being a mere "bug," she had crawled through this loophole; she was as persistent and troublesome as a cockroach.
"My, my, it truly breaks my heart. I love you so much, Shirou, yet you hate me enough to want to kill me?" The woman lowered her gaze, putting on a pitiful display of sorrow.
"No, I wouldn't say I hate you. It's just..." Shirou raised his guns and pointed them at her, speaking sincerely.
What created the "Beasts" wasn't some mysterious evil villain, but humanity itself. The Evils of Humanity are not evils committed against humanity, but evils generated by humanity.
A "Beast" is a phenomenon, existing like unpredictable weather. It changes as humanity changes. It becomes ugly with human ugliness; at times it blesses the earth like a benevolent god, and at others, it acts like a divine punishment or natural disaster meant to destroy everything.
If humanity displays its kind and beautiful side, even a Beast might choose to help. To protect such beauty, they might even sacrifice everything. The Fourth Beast sacrificed all its intelligence and power for a certain girl, returning to the state of an ignorant newborn cub—a recovery that might take centuries or millennia.
The reason Kiara Sessyoin twisted from a saint into a Demonic Bodhisattva was precisely because of the influence humans had on her. However, once things reached this point, coexistence was no longer possible.
"...For the sake of humanity, I must stop you," Shirou said calmly.
The woman before him was simply too dangerous. He had to respond to every situation with absolute composure; everything had been planned before he arrived.
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A few minutes prior:
With BB's help, Shirou had transferred directly to Yuigahama's side. The girl, currently possessing Ibaraki-Doji and wearing a Heian-period kimono, had been running and hiding. She was now cornered at the edge of a mountain path by a massive group of pursuers. A crowd of fifty or sixty people had gathered, blocking the way down.
"Shirou! You finally came back!" Yuigahama puffed out her cheeks and lunged at him, pounding his chest with her small fists to vent her anxiety.
"Ah, sorry, Yuigahama," Shirou said, raising his hands helplessly.
"Hahaha! Get over here! This Elite Mob is ours!" A burly man shouted to his companions, laughing triumphantly as he ran forward.
"Yo! Hello there! Thanks for looking after this kid," Shirou replied, standing in front of the girl and raising his black and white twin pistols.
Because he had accessed the memories of his parallel world counterpart, he understood the construction of these modified guns. He felt they were quite stylish, and more importantly, for "players" whose dominant will was human, the psychological deterrent of a gun was far higher than that of a blade or spear. So, he had traced them for use.
The man who first rushed forward saw the terrifying youth who had suppressed their entire group before, along with the muzzles pointed right at him. Terrified, he raised his hands, backed away slowly, and then turned and bolted.
"Waaaaah! That guy is back!" "Run! Run! You idiots in the back, stop pushing!"
Those in the front were terrified and tried to retreat, but those in the back, unaware of the situation and eager for the "kill," kept pushing forward. The two groups collided in a chaotic mess.
"Wahahaha! Trash! Don't think you're getting away!" Ibaraki-Doji, who had been itching for revenge, took control of Yuigahama's body. She raised her bone blade in one hand and released roaring flames from the other.
If you are hit, you must hit back. If someone crosses your boundary, you must trample theirs. This was the creed of the leader of Mount Oe, Ibaraki-Doji.
"Shirou! Charge with me!" Ibaraki-Doji grabbed the boy's collar and urged him.
"I know! I know! Stop pulling!" Shirou agreed helplessly. Even for an Oni, she was still a brat. He decided to selectively forget how she had been crying and running away in fear just moments ago while with Yuigahama.
"Sorry, but let's end this farce here. After you're disqualified, someone will have a nice long talk with you on the outside," Shirou said. He brought his pistols together and fired. The two rounds merged into a single sphere of white light.
It hit the center of the crowd—a different application of the Reality Marble. The light sphere expanded, enveloping everyone. Within the sphere, hundreds of Noble Phantasms appeared. The people inside could hear the sound of "crystallized fantasies" cracking bit by bit before the Noble Phantasms detonated.
In a matter of seconds, before the pain could even register in their brains, they lost consciousness and were ejected from the network world.
With Kiara Sessyoin around, there was no time to dawdle. Shirou judged that force-clearing these people was the kindest way to handle them. In a way, their weakness was a blessing, as Kiara had essentially abandoned them.
BB was already busy in the background unlocking the exit restrictions. As for the real world, Shirou had already contacted Chaldea. From the moment Yuigahama lost consciousness, Yukinoshita and the others had notified them. Da Vinci analyzed the situation and immediately issued orders.
Regardless of their power level, people who bypassed Chaldea's oversight to perform Possession Summoning for selfish gains had to be managed. While this world faced the threat of Demonic Beasts, allowing people to abuse out-of-spec powers without supervision would lead to chaos—exactly like the current mess. Thugs and Yakuza, whose lifestyle was based on violence, would revert to beasts of the jungle if given law-defying power. Even a Police Inspector could not be allowed to act this way.
"Da Vinci-chan, I'm leaving these people to you," Shirou said, contacting Chaldea.
"Mhm, leave it to me. Everyone will be taken into custody."
The company Chaldea had established in this world had grown significantly. Their security teams were now put to use. Da Vinci dispatched professionals to stake out nearby hotels; anyone identified as being involved in this Holy Grail War was detained.
"Da Vinci-chan, the group that was 'killed' earlier has also exited. There might be some among them capable of Possession Summoning," Shirou reminded.
"I've already notified Artoria and Jeanne to go and help, so don't worry at all," Da Vinci replied with a smile.
"Good!" Shirou nodded.
After dealing with the mob, Shirou led Ibaraki and BB toward Kiara. Kiara's hand had been inches away from the head of the girl Shirou knew; it was a close call. If he had been a step later, even if he saved her, there might have been permanent psychological side effects.
Between those who fought each other, those who committed suicide for her, and those who started internal conflicts, the number of followers ruined by this woman probably numbered in the millions. She was that dangerous.
Now, Shirou faced her. He had cleared the followers with overwhelming force and transferred the magical energy to the white space to prevent Kiara from absorbing it. He had to ensure she couldn't regain her strength as a "Beast."
However, now that the small fry were gone, the remaining problems were much larger.
"You brat! You actually dared to do that!!" The blonde man's fist crackled with lightning as he leapt high, aiming for Shirou's head. Among the followers, several "strong ones" had achieved 100% synchronization on their own. They dodged the initial gunfire and lunged at Shirou with spears and swords.
A man from Java wielding two blades was a highly skilled swordsman. Wearing a white headwrap, his eyes gleamed with a deadly, viper-like coldness. "Hmph, brave, but overconfident. You dare stand before us alone?"
The man swung a silver Kris (a Javanese dagger) in a horizontal slash, the movement releasing a faint fragrance. Simultaneously, a golden, serpentine Kris lunged upward, releasing a purple toxic mist. This was one of the three most famous blades in the world, a weapon that earned its fame during the indigenous resistance against Western invaders. The Heroic Spirit possessed by this man was none other than Prince Diponegoro!
"A Kris! A fine weapon. Too bad the wielder is a puppet," Shirou remarked. A national hero who should never have bowed to power or violence was now a captive follower of Kiara.
Shirou braced the blades on his pistols, sparks flying as he parried the straight sword and evaded the toxic blade.
"Everything for the Queen!" Other enemies lunged with spears and swords.
"Queen! Queen! SHUT UP!" Ibaraki-Doji roared from behind, charging forward to swing her bone blade.
Suddenly, a grenade from a launcher streaked in from a distance, exploding in front of Ibaraki. Thanks to her reflexes, she leapt aside and rolled, emerging unscathed.
"Hehe, young lady, your opponent is me." A middle-aged man combed his beard and raised a heavy, platinum coffin-like weapon, blocking Ibaraki's path.
"Why! Why stop us? We collected the Holy Grail to protect others! We are the ones on the side of justice!" The blonde man swung his massive golden axe down.
"And who holds the Grail you speak of now? You've completely lost your minds. The Heroic Spirits who trusted you and lent you their power would weep to see this!" Shirou braced his pistol blades, barely blocking the giant axe. He shifted his weight, pivoted his hips, and delivered a powerful kick that sent the man flying.
"Hehehe, I'll leave the rest to you all. I'm off!" Kiara, hiding in the back, smiled seductively and began to retreat, using the opportunity to escape.
"Yes! Leave it to us, Queen!" The followers lunged at Shirou.
"Mhm, thank you. My power is low right now, so hold them off well." The woman tapped her interface and pressed the "Exit" button.
Bzzzt! Electric sparks flickered, and Kiara's hand was knocked away from the button by a shock. The hidden purple-haired girl jumped out, crossing her arms in a "No" gesture.
"Other players can leave whenever they want, but for old hags, passage is forbidden! Especially an old hag who can only possess a middle-aged shop manager—I won't let you take a single step outside," BB said, hands on her hips with a mocking laugh.
"What! I am still very young! I just look a bit mature! When I walk with classmates I go to school with every day, I'm often mistaken for a teacher or a parent! Does anyone understand that feeling?" Kiara bit her lip, genuinely vexed.
"Senpai Shirou, stop playing around! Use those eyes and end this battle already!" BB complained.
"Mhm. Since words are useless, let's end it!" Shirou looked forward, his eyes glowing with white light spiraling with rainbow-colored red. He raised his pistols and leaped backward.
His reclining body narrowly dodged a spear thrust. As he fired his pistols continuously, he deployed his Reality Marble.
Rotating gears, a red wasteland, weapons of every kind thrust into the ground, black smoke rising from forges, and a steel wall guarding a blue planet.
White blades of light flew out, spinning horizontally to slash at the waists of the enemies. In the sky, sharp flying swords rained down from all directions, while spears thrust upward from the ground. The weapons formed a dense web of blades.
The movements were seamless. The swords he produced rained down incessantly. Giving the enemies no time to react, the brainwashed followers standing on Kiara's side fell to the ground, blood splattering. Now that the logout restriction was lifted, these followers were teleported back to the real world.
A white light gate manifested, and the magical energy brought by the defeated Servants was funneled into it.
Seeing the enemies fall, Ibaraki, who had been feeling suppressed the entire time, stomped on an enemy's back. She threw her head back, hands on her hips, and laughed loudly, her two horns swaying with her body.
"Wahahaha! You got what you deserved! You trash, now you know the power of the leader of Mount Oe! Wahahaha!"
Thwack! Because the laugh was so hideous and embarrassing to be near, Shirou walked up and chopped the top of her head.
"Uuuu... Shirou... what was that for?!" Ibaraki clutched her head, eyes tearing up as she looked at him.
Shirou withdrew his fist and lectured her. "Girls shouldn't call themselves 'this old lady' or use such crude language. Besides, you're possessing Yuigahama; don't be so reckless."
"Tch, if it weren't for the fact that you saved me once, I'd bite you..." Ibaraki looked down and grumbled under her breath.
"It's over, Kiara Sessyoin! Even if you pretend to be a Queen, your pettiness and desire to possess everything lack any kingly grace. You were exposed long ago," BB said, pointing at the woman.
When Shirou brought Yuigahama here and heard the people calling the manager "Queen," he assumed she was possessing someone like Queen Medb. He hadn't expected it to be this most dangerous entity.
"Senpai Shirou, hurry up and finish her! A woman like Kiara Sessyoin is a disaster-level threat even without power. Wait! Senpai? Why do you have an 'aren't you the same' look on your face?"
Shirou stared at Kiara. "Regardless, I can't leave you alone in this world. Kiara, what did you do to the manager?"
"My, my, I wondered what you'd say. Hehehe, what a cute question. Am I not your shop manager? I have the same memories, the same body. She showed me all of herself. The so-called 'unity of mind and body,' merging the power of Master and Servant... isn't that the essence of Possession Summoning? Of course... I know your measurements perfectly, too," Kiara teased.
"Wait! Shirou, what is this about?!" Yuigahama/Ibaraki ran over, burning with flames of agitation.
"That's right, Senpai! Have you fallen already? You already have BB-chan~! Was it a lie when you told me to stay by your side?" BB pressed in as well.
"She's talking about the custom suit measurements! I never said anything like that!" Shirou retorted.
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In the real world, near an inconspicuous office building surrounded by Chaldea-held hotels, a cute brown-haired girl in a high school uniform appeared. Strangely, she wore gauntlets that looked far too realistic. Her steps were light and silent as she walked inside.
She was the "hidden ace" prepared by Wu Zetian. Since the other side had been taken over by Chaldea, she went to complete her own mission.
On one of the floors, all the windows were tightly shut and curtains drawn to prevent even a sliver of sunlight from entering—a dark, cold floor. Within it was a sealed room where the air conditioning was set extremely low. Rows of servers stood like two-meter-tall cabinets, their lights flickering as they supported the world's most advanced virtual reality immersion system.
Outside the server room was a control console with a massive screen made of dozens of monitors. It showed the network world where Shirou and the others were, monitoring the players' every move in real-time. In the dark room, the screens cast a blue glow. One monitor replayed Shirou's fight with the followers, while another live-streamed his confrontation with Kiara.
"Hmph, so BB has betrayed us as well. With Chaldea's intervention, this place can no longer be used. No matter; I've collected enough data." A man in a white lab coat and glasses, wearing black gloves, pulled a black steel-style external hard drive from a computer.
The man was meticulous. He wore gloves and blue cloth shoe covers to avoid leaving any traces. He typed a data-destruction program into a laptop, and a countdown to format everything appeared on the large screen. The man was clearly abandoning everyone still in the network. Forcing a power cut or deleting data while they were synced could cause permanent brain damage to the real-world players.
None of this mattered to the man. He placed the hard drive and laptop into a steel briefcase and walked out toward the elevator, intending to reach the basement garage.
The green indicator on the elevator rose steadily until it reached his floor. When the doors slid open, he saw a cross-dressing assassin leaning against the wooden wall.
"Yo. I don't want to get rough. Could you come with me for a bit?" Lin Xianming beckoned the man with his gauntlet, a light smile on his face. He had performed a Possession Summoning with a certain cross-dressing Chinese Heroic Spirit; their interests aligned so well that his synchronization hit the maximum almost immediately. As an assassin trained since childhood, this style of combat suited him best. Among all the Appropriate Subjects, he was a top-tier fighter. He was confident enough to come to the headquarters of this strange group alone.
Lin Xianming knew that this researcher, if not the mastermind, was at least a high-ranking member.
The man adjusted his glasses with a gloved hand, looking at the assassin silently, and stepped into the elevator.
The next moment, the cross-dressing assassin was sent flying out of the elevator. He crashed violently into the wall, slumped over, and did not move. His gauntlets were twisted out of shape, and his two arms hung at irregular angles—clearly severely fractured.
"..." The man glanced coldly at the assassin. He didn't want to waste precious time on unnecessary matters. He closed the elevator doors and descended to the basement.
"Cough... cough..." Lin Xianming finally opened his eyes and slumped to the floor. A cell phone slid out of his uniform. Using his tongue, he dialed a number.
"...Sorry. Mission failed. The target is a total monster..."
A few minutes later, a black sedan drove out of the office building, left the city center, and finally entered a dark underground tunnel. After that, the car was never seen in the city again...
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