IBHJ 1137

"Say, Lord Shirou," Bedivere said with a gentle smile, "what kind of person am I in Pan-Human History?"

"Just like you, someone gentle," Shirou smiled back. "Maybe you'll get to meet him someday."

"For that to happen, we'd need to get the real Emperor back first. But it's not that simple," Bedivere said. "Even though Tír na nÓg's secret arts works against the Imperial Armor, we still have Galahad guarding the capital. They call him the 'Wall of the Empire.'"

"Gala...had...?"

Bedivere nodded. "You might find it strange because of how King Galahad exists in Pan-Human History. But here in the Eternal Empire, Apostle Galahad is the Emperor's strongest defense."

"That is strange... but if Galahad is the Emperor's strongest defense, doesn't that mean he's with Hope?"

"No." Bedivere shook his head. "I'm certain he isn't. Unlike King Galahad, he's not human. He's just a wall the Emperor created to protect himself. He has no will of his own, only following what the Emperor programmed him to do. That's why everyone in our group warns against going near him."

"Actually," Bedivere continued after a moment, "when we noticed something was wrong with the Emperor, we chose to work in the shadows instead of out in the open. All because of Galahad."

"I see..." Shirou lifted his eyebrows. The Wall of the Empire, Galahad.

And then there’s also Emperor's Hand...

"Bedivere," he suddenly turned to him. "What exactly is this 'Emperor's Hand'?"

Both Mordred and Abigail had brought it up before, and whenever they did, their voices carried this sense of despair. He couldn't help but wonder what it really was.

"The Emperor's Hand, well..."

Just as he was leaning in to hear Bedivere's answer, a familiar presence suddenly touched his mind.

—Shirou!

Gaia?

Shirou suddenly stood up.

"What's wrong, Eternal King?" Bedivere looked at him with concern, then his eyes went wide. "Your body... it's glowing!"

The fairies stopped their dancing and singing at once, all turning to stare at Shirou. Abigail and Mordred did the same.

Everyone watched in awe as nine beams of light burst from Shirou's body. Like stars, they circled around him in perfect orbits, creating what looked like a tiny solar system.

"It's Gaia!" a fairy exclaimed with wide eyes.

Shirou looked down at his glowing hands.

"Even though he's Tethys's successor..." Ambrosius said, staring in surprise. "To think that gloomy Gaia would actually bless a human..."

Mordred walked up to Shirou's side, watching the light swirl around his body. "Looks like Gaia has finally managed to contact you, Father."

Shirou nodded. Gaia was trying to reach him from beyond the solar system.

Without waiting, he opened himself to the incoming presence. The nine star-like lights spinning around his outstretched hand began to whirl faster, their glow weaving together until a screen of light appeared before him.

"Oh! Finally got through."

A white-haired, red-eyed little girl appeared on the dim screen, sitting on Altera's shoulders.

It was none other than Gaia!

"What took you so long?" Mordred grumbled. "You even dropped me right in the middle of enemy troops earlier. I almost got sent back to the Throne of Heroes!"

"Sorry about that. This is my first time doing this kind of thing. I'm not very good at it, and that thing keeps blocking the connection to my main body."

Ambrosius stared at Gaia on the screen in wonder. "To think I'd see the planet take avatar form again... Lady Tethys would have loved to see this."

"Ambrosius?"

His sigh caught Gaia's attention. Her red eyes lit up with recognition. "Are you at Tír na nÓg?"

"Yes, Gaia. Where are you right now..."

"We're out in space, past the solar system."

"Out in space?"

"Yes. That thing has sealed off the whole solar system. None of us, not me or my siblings, can get back to Pan-Human History through our planets. Our only way back is through outer space."

Gaia moved the screen to show Shirou a view that made his heart skip: an endless expanse of universe, with the moon floating below them.

"Are you riding the moon?" Shirou asked.

"Yes. Since Arcueid disappeared, I'm using Mooncell to control the moon and gather my siblings' power to get back to Pan-Human History from space. But we're stuck outside the solar system."

Shirou's brow wrinkled. "What's stopping you from getting back to Pan-Human History?"

"Let me show you." Gaia looked down at Altera beneath her. "Altera, could you turn around a bit? I want him to see that thing."

"Of course, Lady Gaia."

As Altera turned, still holding onto Gaia's small legs, the view behind them appeared on the screen.

"What... what is that?"

Shirou's eyes went wide with surprise.

The fairies covered their mouths in shock.

Abigail, Kama, Mordred, Goetia... everyone's faces turned grave.

What were they looking at?

It was a nebula.

A glowing nebula.

A giant web of light spread out from Earth like flaming chains, wrapping the whole solar system in what looked like one massive nebula.

Two enormous clouds stretched out like arms around the entire solar system, forming walls more solid than any fortress, keeping everything in and out.

"Could that be..."

"That's the Emperor's Hand!"

Bedivere's voice grew heavy. "It's how the Emperor protects the empire from alien forces beyond our world."

Everyone went quiet.

The Emperor's Hand seemed to swallow all sound.

It was something beyond imagination, beyond understanding. A silent song of death from the stars.

The perfect symbol of what the Emperor had become.

No wonder Abigail had said once you saw the Emperor's Hand, you would lose all will to fight him.

How could you not?

What was All the World's Evil against this?

What were Solomon's rings?

What could possibly match the terror of an entire nebula?

"Is this thing what's keeping you from getting back to Pan-Human History?" Shirou asked, finding his voice.

"Yes." Gaia nodded. "You say this is called the Emperor's Hand?"

He nodded.

"I see. No wonder I sensed the Holy Spirit's power and that familiar technology..."

Gaia turned to look at Ambrosius. "This came from the Holy Grail, didn't it?"

Ambrosius nodded. "Yes. It's the Imperial worldline that split from the Eternal Kingdom. Here, everyone is immortal."

"That's what I thought. But... are you sure everyone is immortal?"

"Yes."

"Is that right?" Gaia let out a sigh. "No wonder this is such a mess."

Shirou's forehead creased. "Did you figure something out, Gaia?"

"A worldline I can't detect, people who never die... they probably used a replica of the technology that created Alaya." Gaia sighed again. "Tethys really should have destroyed that forbidden knowledge."

"Well, it was meant to be left for the vessel of the Vortex," Ambrosius said with a smile.

Left for... me?

Shirou's eyebrows rose.

Then suddenly...

Like some supreme being was staring down from above, the weather shifted violently, and the screen began to flicker.

Panic crept into Xuanzang's voice. "What's going on?"

"Something's interfering with me?" Gaia sounded shocked. "No, not interfering. It's controlling me. This part of my consciousness, looking at other worldlines. Stop. Don't touch that..."

An overwhelming pressure crashed in from every direction.

Goetia and others' expressions changed, and Ambrosius's smile disappeared.

On the screen, the light faded from Gaia's eyes. A cold, strange glow took its place.

"Greetings, friends across all worldlines. I am the Heavenly Emperor, ruler of a modest nation, and like you, I have suffered greatly from invaders and chaos brought by enemies from hostile worlds. I offer you my sincere and friendly greetings."

Bedivere's face went pale. "It's His Majesty! The Emperor is using Gaia's power to broadcast himself to every worldline!"