Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 1458: Chapter 1457: Believe It or Not, It’s Up to You (Early to Bed and Early to Rise for Good Health)

”............”

Facing Fang Zheng’s answer, everyone present except Illya was stunned. They could never have imagined that he would give such a response.

”Hmm... why?”

It was RIDER who reacted first, curiously asking the question, and Fang Zheng rolled his eyes.

”Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?”

”Oh? What’s the lie? What’s the truth?”

”The lie is... the Holy Grail War instills the idea of shortcuts and easy gains in magicians and brings lots of trouble to ordinary people. For justice and peace, I want to destroy it.”

Fang Zheng casually said as he answered, but seeing her nonchalant demeanor, everyone knew she was just spouting nonsense.

”So what’s the truth?”

”Oh, that’s even simpler. The Holy Grail is polluted, and to avoid world destruction, it’s safer to chop it up.”

”............”

Faced with the brief response, everyone was stunned again.

”Miss Red Ponytail, may I ask, what do you mean by the Holy Grail being polluted?”

This time, Irisviel couldn’t sit still anymore. She joked, knowing that as a member of the Einzbern Family, pollution of the Holy Grail would invite serious calamities. But... the Holy Grail could be polluted? How is that possible?

And in response to Irisviel’s inquiry, Fang Zheng took a sip of Coke, smiling faintly as she looked at her.

”You sure you want to know? This is a mess caused by your Einzbern family.”

”Huh?!”

Hearing this, Irisviel grew more agitated.

”Miss Red Ponytail, what on earth is going on?”

”Yes, little miss, tell us, please.”

Even RIDER no longer had the playful demeanor from before, adopting a serious expression as he approached Fang Zheng. SABER was the same, considering the Holy Grail is the aspiration of all Heroic Spirits. Now that they know there’s an issue with the Holy Grail, how could they possibly ignore it?

”Alright then.”

Seeing everyone curious, Fang Zheng shrugged her shoulders.

”It all starts from the Third Holy Grail War... Hmm, back then the configuration was similar to now, with Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern’s Master alongside four other magicians to fight in the Holy Grail War.”

At this point, Weber’s expression became somewhat subtle, considering he’s one of the participants just like this.

”However, due to either bad luck or some other reason, Einzbern’s summoned Servant was taken out within days, completely out of the game.”

While speaking, Fang Zheng took another sip of Coke.

”If it were ordinary people, they would have left quietly by now, but Einzbern couldn’t bear the disgrace. As a member of The Three Noble Houses and the creators of the Holy Grail System, it was humiliating to be eliminated, especially since they couldn’t beat four random outsiders. Naturally, they weren’t willing to accept this...”

”Uh...”

At this point, Irisviel’s expression grew a bit awkward, but Fang Zheng didn’t care about their feelings and continued.

”Thus, Einzbern chose to exploit a loophole in the Holy Grail System and illegally summoned the eighth Servant — Anti-Hero Avenger, Angra Mainyu.”

”Avenger? What kind of Heroic Spirit is that?”

SABER asked curiously, considering the title sounds impressive.

”In legend, it’s known as ’All the World’s Evils.’ Sounds pretty formidable...”

”Isn’t it?”

Weber grew curious too, as the name ’All the World’s Evils’ implies something like an ultimate Demon Lord!

”Indeed, it exists in mythology, but the Holy Grail can’t summon a Demon God. Somehow, Einzbern summoned an ordinary boy being worshipped as Angra Mainyu by his religion... Well, naturally, he died within days.”

”Is there any problem with that?”

Irisviel pondered, not seeing any particularly severe issue here, and it seemed others shared this view.

”Yes, if it were a normal Heroic Spirit, there wouldn’t be a problem. But that boy was different; he wasn’t like you, SABER and RIDER, who became heroes through their own achievements. He was just an ordinary person deemed Angra Mainyu by his peers out of the hope that he embodied ’All the World’s Evils.’ Thus, he didn’t become a hero by himself but through others’ desires... Yes, and as an Anti-Hero.”

”Do you mean...!”

Hearing this, Irisviel seemed to realize something, her face showing shock. Fang Zheng shrugged.

”Exactly, after the guy named Angra Mainyu was killed, the Holy Grail System took his soul according to its process. The issue is, he didn’t have his own soul—the existence of Angra Mainyu as a Heroic Spirit was based on others’ wishes, thus triggering the Holy Grail’s wish mechanism. Of course, if it were other wishes, it wouldn’t matter, like the curse of a single dog or a bald programmer’s taunt. But the wish granted was...”

”...All the World’s Evils...”

Now Irisviel understood the risk. There was originally no hero named Angra Mainyu, but as more people hoped for this hero, he naturally existed—more dangerous still, he’s an Anti-Hero whose wish is ’All the World’s Evils.’ Absorbing such a hero into the Holy Grail, what consequences would it bring...

Irisviel didn’t know.

”............”

For a moment, the atmosphere among those present grew heavy. If Fang Zheng’s statement was true, then the Holy Grail they pursued had changed, so... what meaning does this Holy Grail War hold for them?

”But, little miss.”

However, at that moment, RIDER suddenly spoke up.

”This is merely your account, isn’t it? You have no evidence.”

”Uh, nope.”

”So, how are you going to make us believe you?”

At this, everyone looked at Fang Zheng again, but he simply picked up a French fry, dipped it in ketchup, and put it in his mouth, then spread his hands.

”Whether you believe it or not is your business, what’s it got to do with me?”

”... Huh?”

”Didn’t I say before? I came here to summon the Holy Grail and then chop it along with the Greater Holy Grail. Whether you believe it or not, I’m going to do it anyway. Or do you mean, if you believe me now, you’ll obediently draw your swords and commit seppuku to help me out? Not that I need it, even if ARCHER hadn’t messed things up yesterday, I’d have taken you all out in one go. At least I took out ARCHER; that’s something.”

”...........”

Hearing this, everyone was seething with rage, but had no retort, because yesterday, Fang Zheng almost wiped them out. The reason he explained himself today wasn’t to gain their support.

It’s just to let them ”die with understanding.”

This is truly infuriating!

”But I won’t surrender so easily, young lady.”

At this, RIDER laughed heartily.

”At the very least, I want to battle you once more! It’s been a long time since I’ve encountered such an exhilarating fight!”

”I’ll always be ready to accompany you, next time I’ll show you something even more exciting.”

Fang Zheng held a pretty good opinion of RIDER, after all, RIDER is indeed a very charismatic king. Regardless of his achievements, at least the man himself wasn’t annoying.

As for Golden Pika... see him once, kill him once.

Kill him until he’s scared.

For a moment, no one spoke, and Irisviel hesitated for a moment, then looked toward Illya.

”Um...”

Looking at Illya in front of her, Irisviel didn’t know what to say. Instead, Illya timidly greeted her. Then the two sat aside and started having their own conversation.

Fang Zheng didn’t care about these little things, letting the two chat on their own. She picked up another drumstick—it was one of Fang Zheng’s dreams to eat to her heart’s content with a family bucket meal. Her appetite wasn’t that big before, but now with the opportunity, she intended to indulge.

While Fang Zheng and Little Sakura focused on the family bucket in front of them, Irisviel was feeling incredibly complex.

She had learned about the background of this Illya in front of her, who was a child from a different world than hers. However, in that world, Kiritsugu and she did not participate in the Holy Grail War. Instead, they chose to escape and lived a peaceful, happy life with their daughter.

In a way, Irisviel truly envied her own counterpart from that world. In fact, it was the lifestyle she had hoped for. Yet in this world, Kiritsugu did not make the same choice... Listening to Illya joyfully recount the daily life of the other world’s version of her made Irisviel feel both envious and longing.

After all, that’s the kind of life she wanted to provide for her own daughter.

But...

”So... Illya, how did you become a Heroic Spirit?”

”Huh?”

Faced with Irisviel’s question, Illya was surprised, while Irisviel gazed at her uneasily.

”Did something bad happen to you...?”

”Ah, no, no...”

Illya hurriedly waved her hand.

”Although there were indeed some painful events, everyone treated me well, and I worked hard. There’s absolutely no problem!”

”But you became a Heroic Spirit...”

”It’s not just the dead who can become Heroic Spirits.”

Fang Zheng came forward to support Illya.

”Although generally, most Heroic Spirits transform after death, some people, for various reasons, can become Heroic Spirits while they’re still alive... like SABER...”

Speaking, Fang Zheng gave a nod toward SABER.

”Isn’t she still alive now?”

”Huh? But SABER has clearly already...”

Faced with Fang Zheng’s explanation, Irisviel was puzzled, as she couldn’t understand what it meant. After all, King Arthur was obviously long dead, so how could she still be alive?

”In terms of the timeline, of course, she died long ago, but the SABER you summoned is still alive at her time point.”

Saying this, Fang Zheng picked up another chicken nugget.

”In fact, the SABER you summoned is currently lying by a riverbank, waiting for Bedivere to throw the Holy Sword into the lake. For her, this Holy Grail War is just a dream she’s having as she sleeps on that riverbank, and the same goes for Illya.”

”Is that so, SABER?”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s answer, Irisviel turned to SABER in surprise. She only knew that the Holy Grail War could summon Heroic Spirits, but didn’t understand the specifics very well herself.

When faced with Irisviel’s inquiry, SABER hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

”Yes, Irisviel.”

”I see...”

Listening to SABER’s reply, Irisviel let out a sigh of relief. But soon after, her mood turned heavy once more.

Since the other side even knew how SABER was summoned, her claims about the Holy Grail being corrupted were obviously not baseless accusations.

But if that’s true, what will Kiritsugu... do?