My Destiny Illustrated Book of the Moon

Chapter 649: The White-robed Sage, the King of the Moon Spirit
Many times, only by experiencing it yourself can you understand how difficult it is and what kind of storm the young man standing in front of you is struggling against.

Even though she has grown to this point, Hakuno believes that she is no less capable than any other Master, and her Servant is also a Young Emperor who shines brighter than the sun. However, when the 'Reincarnation' fell, neither she nor Nero had time to react, and they were simply submerged in the torrent of energy.

"..." It was like falling into a chaotic sea. Someone was standing on the shore and talking. The voice was unclear, but it carried a kind of dead silence after burning out.

“This future is wrong. This is my conclusion after looking at the human history recorded by Mooncell.”

"Until 1900, mankind was still in its growth stage, with consumption and prosperity at a balance point. However, the mature period that followed - the golden age that should have finally arrived due to the frivolity of the immature era - seemed to have never happened."

Different from the 'Reincarnation to Oneness' that nearly killed Shuoyue, the treasure used by the Awakened One this time turned into a colorful cocoon that wrapped Baiye and Nero. The energy covered by the shell prevented Shuoyue from breaking through for a while.

"Why did you lock up Hakuno? Was it simply to get him out of the battlefield? Or... to create a space where I can't interfere?"

Shuoyue whispered softly, and as his platinum robe fluttered, he exchanged blows with the Awakener and was forced to retreat. The red-robed archer had already thrown Tevez, who had no future, aside and used all his martial arts to try to rescue Baiye, but with little success.

Tevez was also very self-aware and stayed aside, continuing to express his views.

"You see, this planet is stagnant, a world that has reached a dead end, a rotten fruit itself. This should have been a period of prosperity, but it has completely fallen apart - don't you think this kind of history is wrong?"

Wrong history? So Rin and the others came here to use the Holy Grail to reverse the turning point of history?
Bai Ye in the light cocoon frowned, trying hard to understand Tevez's words. Unlike her who was confused, Lin suddenly understood and showed an expression of disbelief but had to agree.

Of all the people present, who could understand the earth's predicament better than her?

It was like riding a roller coaster heading straight to the abyss. After a brief period of prosperity in the 20th century, it headed straight towards collapse without looking back.

But this fall is steady, completely stopped, and approaching the change of aging, just like warm water that is gradually boiling, and humans are the frogs lying in the pot.

In the increasingly difficult situation of numbness, people are even forced to abandon the planet on which they depend for survival and go to Mooncell, a lost paradise, to seek salvation.

"But why did you choose war?"

Hakuno Kishiba thought about what Tevez said and expressed doubts in her heart. Tevez outside the light cocoon seemed to have heard her thoughts and answered:
"Because it is the most effective way to promote human growth. Stability and stagnation are only used to preserve seeds. In order to prosper, humans have naturally consumed many lives and resources. If everything they have paid so far cannot be rewarded with a corresponding future, humans will only be tools of destruction."

"The preliminaries of the Holy Grail War are a symbol of this. In a false peace, the unconscious destroyers lived inaction. Beyond their inaction, humanity gained its first growth, just like you. And then, as an unknown ordinary person, you finally became a representative figure who controls the fate of the world - only fighting can train people to this level."

"Battle has tempered you, transformed your flesh into gold, and tempered your will into steel - you are my choice, the paragon of human possibility."

"You have proved to the world that only war can consume everything at the fastest speed, and the fertilizer piled up with death will eventually cultivate new flowers."

In a trance, the existence of Shuoyue, Lin, Juezhe, and Draco had disappeared. In the colorful chaos like glass, only Tevez's voice echoed: "This future is wrong. We are not wasting our lives for such a society."

"But time cannot be reversed. Since we can't go back, we can only move forward."

“So – once again, we return to the era of struggle and re-make the choices we made a hundred years ago.”

"Using the survival competition in which everyone will be the party, we can make human consciousness move forward on a different path."

"This wish has now become a conviction. Kishinami Hakuno, your existence proves this."

"Originally, the Holy Grail War was just one of Mooncell's intelligence gathering activities. Of course, it was not called the Holy Grail War. Mooncell just needed the most priority samples, which was an experiment on human competitive performance. The intelligence of the loser would be destroyed, but the loser would only need to have his memory erased to return to reality."

"After I achieved final victory, I changed the surface rules, no longer allowing souls to escape, and thus created the Holy Grail War - a severe competition for survival in which only the winner can survive."

"Connect with the Holy Grail. You have the right to let the earth know your growth process. Then, I hope you can shout loudly that fighting is necessary and humans need to evolve as soon as possible."

"You just need to type one sentence into the Mooncell - "Don't stop!" After that, it's up to you. Become a god or a king. It's up to you. I will bless you because no matter what, your decision will be the end or the beginning of the battle."

"So - what's your answer?"

"..." After a subtle silence, Bai Ye held the hand of Nero who was still sleeping, raised his head and looked at the boundless colorful sea.

"I request to speak to the Enlightened One."

Outside the cocoon of light.

"I understand your point."

Rin spoke without moving. Although her eyes were filled with emotion, her tone was cold. "On top of that, I have a question. You are also the winner of the Holy Grail War, but you are not connected to the Holy Grail. Why is that? You can do it by yourself, so why do you want her to go?"

"Unfortunately, this is because I cannot touch the Holy Grail." The man was so close to the wish-making machine, but he remained indifferent and did not even look at it. "Because to Mooncell, I am just an erroneous data. If I enter the center, I will just be decomposed."

"So I spent a long time here, waiting for someone to knock on the door on my behalf."

Ping-pong-pong, the liberated Gan Jiang Moye hit the light cocoon, and was bounced away as expected. After several unsuccessful attempts, Shuoyue clapped his hands unhappily and cast a dangerous look at Tevez: "Do you think Kishinami Hakuno will agree with your outrageous theory? The way humans grow is definitely not derived from violence. The glory that exists in war is the reason for us to move forward."

"Are you finally willing to express your opinion, instead of sneering and showing disdain as usual?" Tevez raised his eyes, "But it's too late. If I can't convince Hakuno Kishinami, my servant will correct my thoughts on my behalf."

"The outcome is already determined. Even if I am completely destroyed here today, my work will continue to live on in my place, Third Magician."

The third magician... Lin looked back in astonishment. How could she not know the meaning of this title? In the mysterious and declining world, the miraculous incarnation that continued the past and controlled the materialization of souls and the future of mankind - it was hard to imagine that in the world of the moon, she had the honor of meeting such an existence! For any magician, any magician who could touch the root was no different from the enlightened one revered by Buddhism!
The scenes of encounters with Sakutsuki flashed through her mind: the lazy top student in the preliminaries, the powerful Servant who suddenly transformed herself in the finals, the mentor and friend who supported Hakuno in her journey, the savior who resurrected her, the legendary third magician... When all the impressions came together, Rin found herself incredibly calm.

"I never thought that I would be so calm in accepting the fact that you are a magician. Is it because I have seen so much in the Moon Holy Grail War, or is it because... the third magician is you, Shuoyue?"

The graceful girl, who looked like a stag, stared at the new moon, her murmurs were not heard by anyone. At the same time, Tevez's concluding remarks were almost over:
"It's the same war. I saw the law of the jungle and the survival of the fittest in this hell. I think the history of war is a necessary evil for mankind. But you weakly put your hope in emotions and blindly believe in the nobility of the human soul... How stupid it is. It's obvious that kindness and gentleness cannot redeem the soul."

"I am the third magician. I know the evil of human nature better than anyone else, and I also understand the fragility of goodness better than anyone else." Shuoyue asked back, "Do you want the future to become a barbaric world full of weeds? How is that different from the barbaric era of eating raw meat and drinking blood?"

"Don't underestimate the power of humans, Third Magician. Humans have evolved step by step from the law of the jungle. I just made the evolution faster."

"Heh... I know that men like you are fools who ruin everything because they want too much to give back what they have lost and disappeared - but that is meddling. Such things are just your selfish conclusions."

After saying this, Shuoyue felt a surge of heat in his body. Was it the cry of Wuming's soul or the lament of Shirou Emiya's heart? He didn't know, but relying on this resonance, the young man poured out his heart:

"You are asking if you are evil, right, you stubborn undead. Then I will answer you: That's right. Your ideals are the perverse logic of the dead. You pursue selfish ideals and consume the lives of others. You are undoubtedly evil. You wishfully think that this is 'love' for all mankind, but in my eyes, it is just pure arrogance."

“Really…” Tevez was silent for a moment, then his eyes regained clarity. If he had been shaken by a simple verbal attack, he would have wasted decades of waiting in front of the Jade Throne of Blazing Heaven. “Maybe I am evil to humans, but life is a constant cycle. In order for all people to survive, in order to guide all life – I exist… for this…”

Like a puppet whose energy was gradually burning out, Tevez's face showed astonishment. He looked at the red-robed archer who was sneering with his arms folded, then lowered his head with difficulty - the bright yellow spear tip pierced through his body, and the spear body, as smooth as new, reflected the blue pupils of the New Moon Rainbow.

[Replacement Magic] combined with [Breath Blocking].

[The Yellow Rose of Destruction] and [Mystic Eyes of Death Perception]

This time, even the Awakened One didn't have time to react. Shuoyue regained his skills as an assassin and killed the Savior's Master, Tevis H. Pisman, once again.

[Abnormal data/death signs detected, data will be forcibly deleted]

【Begin execution】

The purple of destruction climbed up the white robe, and the sage's body began to collapse.

"Any last words? The name symbolizes peace, but it calls upon the ghost of war." Putting away the pistol, Shuoyue did not look at the enlightened one with the bright Buddha's light, but stared intently at the man he killed. Tevez did not answer. He looked at his servant first, then his eyes widened and a look of relief appeared in his brows.

"I have nothing to say to you, Third Magician." Chased by the destined death, Tevez took a step and passed by Shuoyue without looking at him from beginning to end. "It doesn't have to be me who watches over the planet on the Jade Throne of Blazing Sky. As long as human civilization can continue to exist, that's enough."

“Although I won’t choose the same path as you.” Shuoyue glanced sideways, letting Tevez drag his broken body to touch the colorful cocoon of light, “But I will save everything in this world line.”

“No…” Tevez smiled. His whole body was dyed purple-black, and all that was left to everyone was a pair of eyes full of expectation as he stared at the colorful light cocoon.

"The Moon Spirit King I chose is not you."

The white robe that had been standing in front of the throne disappeared. Just as Shuoyue was thinking about the meaning of his words, a "crackling" sound came from the light cocoon, and then it shattered. Colorful fragments flew everywhere, and the long brown hair flew in the rainbow.

"Bai Ye?" Shuo Yue showed joy on his face, and walked towards his student, "Did you successfully break the shackles of 'Reincarnation'? Well done, are you injured anywhere..."

In response to him, there was a flash of sword light like a raging fire.

"Danger, Shuoyue!"

Lin from a distance issued a warning, but unexpectedly, Shuoyue's pupils contracted and he took Nero's sword strike head-on, leaving a burn mark on his Heavenly Cloth.

"Contractor!" Draco, who was struggling with the Awakened One, shouted anxiously. The spear of light surged like a storm. She glanced at the helpless Rin behind her, sighed in displeasure, and waved the Fire of the End to block all the attacks.

On the other side, Nero came forward with his sword without mercy. Shuoyue floated back and subconsciously used the replacement magic, but Bai Ye also released the magic formula, and the stream of light smashed into the open diamond-shaped space, blocking it.

"This little girl is really well prepared to defeat me..." Cold sweat dripped down her temples. Even Shuo Yue, who was in her original form, looked a little embarrassed after losing the initiative and not knowing the situation. "Hey, I'm over there, help me!"

"You don't dare to hurt Nero, how can I dare!" The red-robed archer responded unhappily, and appeared beside Bai Ye in a flash, crossed his hands, and easily restrained her, "Hey, what's going on now? Have you been brainwashed and controlled by the awakened one? You idiot!"

With a clang, the flying primordial fire made the archer Shuoyue see stars. Bai Ye took the opportunity to break free from his restraints, pouted his lips, and responded unyieldingly:

"You're the one who doesn't understand the situation, stupid Sakutsuki-san. After Tevez is eliminated, it's our turn to decide the winner, right?"

"You didn't even say hello? I don't remember raising you to be a bad and rude child!"

"You're so long-winded, idiot." The brown-haired girl's face flushed, but she quickly seemed to remember something and pursed her lips proudly, "By the way, the Awakened One accepted my proposal, and I am His Master now."

"..." Sakutsuki raised his hand silently, and the diamond-shaped space opened and closed. In a flash, Rin was transferred to a safe place, and Draco stood beside him, ready for battle. "So, what is your wish after winning, Hakuno?"

"My wish?" Bai Ye still looked calm, but the words she said were very different from her image. "Tevis H. Pisman has already made it very clear—"

Under Rin's incredulous and Shuoyue's silent gaze, the brown-haired girl raised the Command Seal on the back of her hand and said calmly:

"Our wish is war."

(End of this chapter)