As Arthuria approached the Holy Grail, within reach after so long, she decided to step forward and touch the wish she had held onto.
Just as Arthuria was about to touch the Holy Grail, a large amount of black mud surged forth, and a black hole appeared in the sky above the Fuyuki Civic Hall.
Everyone was engulfed by the black mud. Kiritsugu Emiya, engaged in a duel with Kirei Kotomine from behind, was suddenly submerged by the surging black mud.
...
The scene before Arthuria shifted. She saw the court mage, Merlin, who was both her teacher and friend.
"Merlin?"
Merlin did not reply. Arthuria frowned, wondering if this was the inside of the Holy Grail.
"I want to save Britain! Can the Holy Grail fulfill my wish?"
Suddenly, the scene changed again. Arthuria found herself back in the time when she pulled the Sword in the Stone. This time, Arthuria intended to choose a different king and not pull that sword.
The scene shifted again. Arthuria appeared above a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, holding a sword and thrusting it into Mordred's body.
"Mordred? No, it shouldn't be like this!" Arthuria saw a familiar scene again, but reversed. Mordred's holy lance pierced her own body.
Finally, Arthuria drew her sword and walked into the distance, conquering a country by force, renaming it Britannia. A new Britannia was established.
After an unknown period, New Britannia was destroyed again. Arthuria followed the same path, creating a new Britannia once more, repeating this cycle until humanity went extinct, leaving only Arthuria alone.
...
"No! It shouldn't be like this! The salvation I wanted is not like this!" Arthuria collapsed on the spot, covering her face with her hands and weeping.
"Just create a new country. If it is destroyed again, create it again..."
A voice echoed from the sky. Arthuria stood up and looked towards the sky, then saw a surge of black mud, and in an instant, her entire figure was engulfed...
...
On the other side, Kiritsugu Emiya was constantly faced with choices. Should he save five hundred people, three hundred people, or two hundred people? Kiritsugu hesitated not and chose the three hundred.
But these three hundred were then divided into one hundred and two hundred. Kiritsugu chose the two hundred. Suddenly, Kiritsugu realized that the original five hundred people were now only two hundred. This was meaningless.
However, the choice continued. Kiritsugu killed until only he remained. Looking back, everything became meaningless. If world peace required the extermination of all humanity, then such a world was not world peace.
...
Li Xing emerged from the Infinite Domain and saw the ground covered in black mud, his brow furrowed. Arthuria, Irisviel, Ying Zheng, and Kiritsugu Emiya were all submerged by the black mud.
Li Xing waved his hand, pulling everyone out. The others were unaffected, but Arthuria's armor had turned black, and her holy sword emanated a black-red glow.
"Anti-Genesis!"
A force emanated from Li Xing, clearing away and resetting all the corrupted parts of everyone. Soon, they all returned to their original state.
"Li Xing! This Holy Grail..." Arthuria looked at the Holy Grail, her heart filled with disappointment.
"By the power of the Command Spells, Saber, destroy the Holy Grail with your Noble Phantasm!"
"And by the second Command Spell, destroy the Holy Grail!"
"And by the third Command Spell, at maximum power, destroy the Holy Grail!"
The moment Kiritsugu Emiya regained consciousness, he immediately used his Command Spells to order Arthuria to destroy the Holy Grail.
Arthuria also had this intention. Her holy sword immediately emitted a golden light. Arthuria raised the holy sword high and swung it down at the Holy Grail.
"This light is the hope of the stars, the proof of life that illuminates the earth! Witness it! Sword of Promised Victory!"
As a golden light descended, a pillar of light shot straight into the sky. The Holy Grail, which stored the souls of six heroes, was destroyed.
Li Xing placed a Holy Grail into Arthuria's body to ensure her survival in the mortal world.
However, destroying the Holy Grail did not close the hole in the sky. A large amount of black mud poured out of it. Ying Zheng saw this and immediately unleashed three swords.
"Chasing the Sun! Riding the Moon! Pursuing the Stars!"
The three swords stood in a triangular formation in the air, and a magical barrier sealed the black mud. Even so, some black mud still fell into Fuyuki City, setting parts of the urban area ablaze.
Kiritsugu Emiya, seeing this, ran towards the destroyed areas as if driven mad, searching desperately for any survivors, thinking it was his fault and wanting redemption.
"Is it no use? Heh! Even I am no more than this..." Ying Zheng saw that his Taia sword could not contain the black mud and sat down. An imperial throne appeared beneath him, and a massive palace materialized in the sky.
The hole in the sky was filled by Ying Zheng's Epang Palace, and a large amount of black mud was sealed within it, though it would not hold for long.
"Hmph! My empire will not tolerate your wanton destruction! I will burn you here immediately!"
Ying Zheng supported his face with one hand and pointed to the Epang Palace in the sky with the other. The Epang Palace immediately burst into flames and then exploded violently in the air.
After the explosion, the sky returned to darkness, and the Epang Palace, along with the hole, disappeared. Ying Zheng's body began to fade. He turned to Li Xing and asked, "My esteemed minister, can I be called a peerless emperor?"
Li Xing did not expect Ying Zheng to detonate his Epang Palace for the sake of the people. Without thinking, he bowed slightly. "Your Majesty is the true First Emperor."
"Hahahaha! To receive the acknowledgment of a god, what does it matter if my people call me a tyrant? Take these three swords. Use them to eradicate evil in the world. In the words of future emperors, these shall be called the Imperial Swords!"
With that, Ying Zheng threw the three swords to Li Xing, and his body, along with the imperial throne, dissolved into spiritual energy and vanished into the night.
Li Xing merged the three swords into one. The Taia sword, one of the Ten Great Swords, reappeared. He looked towards where Ying Zheng had disappeared.
"Farewell, Your Majesty."
Li Xing looked down. Kirei Kotomine slowly got up. Li Xing drew his Taia sword, and Kirei Kotomine's presence completely vanished. Leaving him a complete corpse was his act of mercy.
Thus, the Fourth Holy Grail War concluded.
...
One day after the Holy Grail War, the explosion at the Civic Hall was attributed to a gas leak, a well-established tradition in Fuyuki City.
Irisviel returned to the Einzbern castle. However, because she did not obtain the Holy Grail, she was confined to a castle in Germany. But these were minor matters. Upon hearing of this, Li Xing waved his hand, and Irisviel and Illya appeared before him.
"Li Xing, thank you..." Irisviel bowed to Li Xing, thanking him for allowing her and Illya to venture out into the world.
Two streams of Star God power flowed from Li Xing's hands into Irisviel and Illya's bodies. The two homunculi instantly became living beings, no longer mere vessels for the Holy Grail.
...
Arthuria stood in a courtyard, unsure of how to proceed with her days. Li Xing approached her and extended a hand. "If you don't mind, you can hold my hand and join us to admire the cherry blossoms next spring, beautiful and directionless maiden."
A tremor ran through Arthuria's heart. This was what Merlin had once spoken of, a normal life! She then smiled and placed her hand in Li Xing's.
...
In the living room, Li Xing projected his memories, showing Sideri the departure of Gilgamesh. Sideri bowed deeply to Gilgamesh in the projection.
Then, Sideri smiled and walked towards the kitchen. "Alright, are you hungry? What would you like to eat?"
"Whatever you make, we'll eat," Li Xing said with a smile.
Hearing about food, Arthuria sat up straight, eagerly anticipating Sideri's cooking.
...
At night, Li Xing and Sakura sat under the eaves, looking at the moon. Li Xing suddenly stood up.
"Sakura, there's something I want to tell you. In fact, I'm not like this now." As he spoke, Li Xing's body began to grow in front of Sakura, transforming into his 190cm form.
Sakura smiled slightly. "I know, big brother."
Li Xing was taken aback, not knowing how Sakura had discovered it. Suddenly, Sakura threw herself into Li Xing's arms.
"Brother, wait for me to grow up~"
"Uh... Sakura, I actually have quite a few wives, and they're all sleeping right now." Li Xing decided to be direct. If Sakura continued to harbor these feelings, even though Li Xing liked her very much, he never intended for their relationship to develop that way.
...
Spring arrived.
Beneath a cherry blossom tree, Li Xing, Sideri, Sakura, and Arthuria sat together. Sakura clung to Li Xing's arm, fiercely glaring at Arthuria, not giving her a chance to be alone with Li Xing. Since that night, Sakura had bitten Li Xing's shoulder and had become even more clingy. Li Xing was helpless and resigned to it.
Soon after, Irisviel and Illya also arrived and joined the group. Kiritsugu Emiya had been invited, but he did not come. Ever since that day, Kiritsugu had rescued a young boy from the ruins and was raising him as his son. He had become quite dejected, his spirit broken, and no longer sought to be a "hero of justice."
...
In a town in Japan, Li Xing visited the home of a little girl.
Li Xing patted Fujino Asagami's head. "Little sister, if any suspicious uncles ask you to do anything in the future, don't believe them. And if any men try to bully you, you must fight back. Don't let any man you dislike touch you, understand?"
Fujino Asagami looked at this stranger who had suddenly appeared, bewildered and unsure of what to say. She only felt comfortable as the man ruffled her head, a warmth spreading through her belly.
"Goodbye. You don't need to remember me. I hope you will be happy in the future." Li Xing smiled and waved, then vanished.
Fujino Asagami quickly stood up and walked to the window, searching for Li Xing, but found no trace. Suddenly, Fujino Asagami saw something in the far distance, then the scene warped and eventually broke.
With her Mystic Eyes of Distortion awakened prematurely, her body completely healed by Li Xing, and the protection and blessings of a Star God, Fujino Asagami's life trajectory had been altered.
"Are you a god...? Well, you must be..." Fujino Asagami asked herself, then returned to her room and went to sleep.
...
Inside a church, Li Xing, holding a white-haired little girl with golden eyes, fled. Karen was only six years old, her constitution not yet awakened. Seizing this opportunity, Li Xing took her away.
"Who are you? Why are you holding me?" Karen looked at Li Xing expressionlessly.
Li Xing looked down at Karen's lifeless expression. "It's nothing. I just want you to be happy."
As the daughter of Kirei Kotomine, Karen had inherited his disposition, devoid of emotion. She bore her mother's appearance. Although Li Xing was her father's killer, he still chose to keep Karen by his side.
"Happiness? What is that?" Karen didn't understand what happiness was and looked confused.
Li Xing chuckled. "Happiness is being by my side."
Immediately, a surge of Star God power flowed, and Karen's constitution was completely destroyed by Li Xing. Now, like Sideri, Karen had become a god blessed by a Star God.
Karen didn't understand what had happened to her body, but hearing Li Xing's words, she reached out and hugged Li Xing's neck. "Is that so? Then let me feel it."
...
Fuyuki.
In the living room, Sakura hugged Li Xing's body, glaring resentfully at Karen and Arthuria, who she saw as her greatest rivals.
However, Karen couldn't understand Sakura's feelings. She only felt comfortable being by Li Xing's side, a feeling she couldn't quite explain. Li Xing was Karen's divine being, so this feeling was natural, like a child being comfortable around its parents.
Sideri covered her mouth and chuckled. "Li Xing, how does the harem feel?"
"Mmm, very good. I've experienced it before, the clinginess of a cat and a rabbit." Li Xing chuckled and swallowed the food Arthuria handed him.
(The cat was Mu Ren, the rabbit was Kaguya.)
...
In a large crater in Fuyuki, Li Xing stood on a magic circle, holding a strand of purple hair.
"The mana of Fuyuki was not used in the Holy Grail War. Now, let's summon a Servant here!"
"Third Incitement, Heavenly Dao, in the name of the Star God!"
Immediately, the immense mana in the large crater formed a vortex. The hair in Li Xing's hand evaporated instantly, and a purple-haired woman appeared before him.
Li Xing reached into the void, and the power of two Incitements tried to suppress him.
"Don't push your luck! Alaya, Gaia!"
Li Xing's Star God power was unleashed at full force. Medusa gradually opened her eyes. On the Throne of Heroes, Medusa's true name completely vanished. The Grand Holy Grail of Fuyuki was utterly废掉 (ruined), and Fuyuki City would never have a Holy Grail War again.
From this day forward, no one could summon Medusa. Li Xing brought all of Medusa's incarnations out of the Throne of Heroes and merged them together.
"Li... Xing?" Medusa opened her eyes and immediately called out his name upon seeing him.
Li Xing was overjoyed and hugged Medusa tightly. "Great, great. We meet again, Medusa."
Tears welled up in Medusa's eyes, and she hugged Li Xing. "Thank you. But will you still like me in this form?"
Medusa was now an adult. Her standard of beauty was petite and cute; she felt self-conscious about her voluptuous figure.
"I think I don't need to say more." Li Xing grabbed Medusa's face and kissed her fiercely.
Medusa smiled and immediately tackled Li Xing...
...
(???????????)
...
Li Xing brought Medusa home. Sakura viewed her as a formidable enemy, glaring fiercely at Medusa, yet secretly liking her, though she didn't know why.
"Anna?" Sideri covered her mouth in disbelief. She had not expected to meet Anna again here, and as an adult at that.
"Miss Sideri?" Medusa clearly hadn't expected to meet Sideri again either.
The two then embraced and sat on the same sofa, chatting incessantly.
"She is also...?" Arthuria sensed something was wrong. Medusa seemed like a deity.
Li Xing patted Arthuria's shoulder. "Yes. Do you want to go for a walk together?"
Although it was a question, Li Xing didn't give Arthuria a chance to refuse. He took her hand and led her outside. Unknowingly, Li Xing and Arthuria walked to a hot spring hotel in Fuyuki. Without hesitation, Li Xing took Arthuria inside. Arthuria's face flushed, and she lowered her head, not refusing.
...
One day, Li Xing woke up from a dream. He sensed someone calling him.
Only Ritsuka Fujimaru from Chaldea could call him. Li Xing glanced at Arthuria and Medusa, who were still asleep, then lightly kissed their foreheads.
Li Xing got dressed and walked to the window, preparing to respond to Ritsuka Fujimaru's summons. The next moment, he had vanished from this space-time.
The return time node had been set. No matter how long Li Xing roamed elsewhere, he would return a moment after he left, so Li Xing did not bring anyone else with him.
"The final wish, I finally get to see you..."
(Resting for a bit, I'll go write about cultivation.)