IBHJ 1195

The invasion triggered a worldwide revival of Age of Gods elements. Just like that, Dr. Heartless achieved his goal without even needing to do anything.

The revival of Age of Gods woke the Great Fairy Vivian from her slumber deep in Avalon. When she discovered someone had desecrated the Eternal King's tomb and stolen his crown, she flew into a rage. She rallied the fairies to invade the modern world.

Vivian wanted to recover her beloved King's crown, but she also had bigger plans. She would use the resurgent Age of Gods to rebuild the Eternal Kingdom on Earth. But Morgan and her friend stood in her way.

None of that ultimately mattered, though. Everything changed the moment the Emperor sensed Shirou using the Class Card to summon Eternal King in Fuyuki City.

The Emperor pulled Dr. Heartless out of the chaos at the Spiritual Tomb, where Morgan and Vivian were locked in battle, then rushed toward Fuyuki City.

…

As Dr. Heartless finished his story, Artoria munched away at her melon with obvious enjoyment, while Bedivere looked completely lost. Even Scathach's usual calm expression had changed slightly.

Shirou shook his head in confusion. "But why is he pursuing me?"

"His Majesty told me he had a question," Dr. Heartless said. "A question only someone from the Eternal Kingdom could answer, and the Eternal King would be perfect for it. When he left that day, he was full of joy and anticipation. But when he returned, something had changed. He was deeply disappointed. He took Vivian and the crown and left Pan-Human History. Now look where we are - the Empire has invaded."

Dr. Heartless paused, pointing at him. "I don't know exactly what happened, but His Majesty's complete change of heart must be connected to you, Eternal King. You must have disappointed him somehow."

"Connected to me?" Shirou couldn't make sense of it at all.

After thinking back to the Fuyuki battle, he scoffed, "Even for a made-up story, you could do better than that. I never even met the Emperor! I was too busy dealing with the invasion and didn't have time for anything else."

He was absolutely certain about this. His hands had been full evacuating Fuyuki's citizens and facing off against Crimson Moon. He'd barely had time to breathe, let alone chat with anyone else.

"Ahem, Shirou..." Scathach cleared her throat pointedly, giving him a look.

"What?" he blinked at her.

She could only sigh. That was Shirou for you - brilliant in some ways, completely oblivious in others.

And as his teacher, wasn't it her duty to remind him?

So…

She said, "Pat pat pat."

He looked confused. What was Scathach trying to tell him?

Seeing he still didn't get it, she tried again. "The pat pat pat!"

"What pat pat pat?" he looked completely lost until his eyes landed on Artoria, who was watching this little drama play out. Suddenly it clicked. He coughed awkwardly, glancing sheepishly at Scathach. "So you knew..."

The memory of what he'd done to Artoria in that room came flooding back to him.

"Well, I was downstairs at the time..." she said with a sigh.

"That... okay, that was a thing. But it's just human nature, right?" His face burned with shame. "I was blinded by anger then. It's human nature! Yeah, human nature!" He stammered through the words, his eyes somewhat evasive, unable to meet Artoria's curious gaze.

Scathach couldn't quite look at the curious Artoria either.

The two of them stammered and fidgeted, leaving Dr. Heartless, Bedivere, and Tiamat completely baffled.

But for some reason... Artoria who'd been enjoying the show from the sidelines, suddenly found it a lot less entertaining as she noticed Shirou and Scathach's awkward glances in her direction.

What was going on?

Why were they looking at her like that?

She was full of confusion.

…

"Where did she go?" Demonic Bodhisattva skimmed over the earth, her brow furrowed as she searched for any sign of Manaka Sajyou. She had to eliminate the First Vessel before her vision for the world could come to pass.

It was strange, really. When she'd first made her contract with the Lord of Salvation and become a Beast, the thought of betrayal had never crossed her mind. But things changed - all because of that emperor, the supreme ruler of this Empire.

While the other Council members knew she'd been recruited alongside Goetia, what they didn't realize was that she was actually born before him. The Lord of Salvation had meant to send her into Pan-Human History during the Fuyuki invasion of 2003, but something had gone wrong and she'd ended up in the wrong place.

Ryuudou Temple was where the Enlightened One made his home. Fresh into her existence as a Beast, Demonic Bodhisattva's heart had nearly stopped when she'd seen him nearby. She'd tried to slip away while he meditated, but his eyes had snapped open, his Buddhist halo blazing. Without even touching her, he had been ready to purify this newly-formed heretical Beast.

Just as she'd thought her story would end before it began, the emperor had appeared.

"Pardon my intrusion, Enlightened One. There's something I've been meaning to ask you... Oh? Perhaps I've come at a bad time."

Even now, she could still remember it clearly in her mind. The supreme being had radiated sacred light, his face obscured by a brilliance that shone like the sun yet carried all the warmth of a spring morning.

It was at that time that she came up with an idea.

…

"In enlightenment, speak not of heaven's mandate; in cultivation, seek not the true sutra."

Demonic Bodhisattva remembered it vividly. The moment the Enlightened One saw the emperor, he simply left these words and vanished. His serene voice lingered in the air as he faded away.

"The karmic ties have been severed."

The emperor had stood there, dumbfounded. "He... he just left? Just like that?"

"How should I know?" Demonic Bodhisattva had been equally confused. She'd been certain the Enlightened One would purify her, but instead, he'd vanished at the sight of the emperor.

"Is my question really so difficult to answer?" the Emperor sighed. "The Holy Spirit did the same thing, avoiding any discussion of it."

The Emperor let out a sigh and turned to leave Ryuudou Temple.

That's when Demonic Bodhisattva noticed it lying there, a worn notebook he had dropped.

The moment she picked up the notebook, her powers let her read every word within it instantly. What she found was remarkable, it contained the Epic of the Eternal King, a legendary tale that had even reached the Throne of Heroes.

Though she couldn't fathom why someone would leave behind such a book, she grabbed the notebook and hurried after the Emperor.

Even before becoming a Beast, she had been skilled at manipulating hearts and minds. She sensed this person could be useful to her, but there was something more. When she looked at the Emperor, she felt a stirring as if she was finally seeing the true purpose behind her transformation into a Beast.

Yes, the emperor would make the perfect pawn. A tool to help her achieve everything she desired.

But—

"I can see every evil thought in your mind," the emperor said quietly.

He had seen right through her in an instant!

Her heart raced. Though she'd thought to use the emperor as a pawn, there was no denying it—like the Enlightened One, They were a transcendent being who could destroy a Beast without effort.

But the emperor made no move to harm her. Instead, his voice was gentle. "Even the muddiest river was once clear water, only stained by passing dust. You're trying to numb your soul's pain with endless desires, but it blinds you to the light of happiness. Listen well—happiness isn't found in temporarily satisfying desires, but in letting your soul rest where it truly belongs."

With those words alone, she knew she'd been completely exposed. But rather than strike her down, the Emperor simply picked up the Eternal King's biography and walked away.

Demonic Bodhisattva's face flickered through several complicated expressions before she found herself following him again.

Had the emperor's words brought her salvation? Had they purified her heart?

Impossible. As a Beast of desire, she was beyond redemption and she knew this better than anyone.

So why did she follow the emperor? Because each moment strengthened her certainty that his power could help her reach the truth hidden beneath her desires.

"Why are you following me?" the emperor was puzzled.

She smiled and spoke carefully. "Just as you have questions for Shakyamuni, I have questions for you."

"But I cannot see the question in your heart."

"That's because I haven't fully understood it myself. It's just a feeling, really. So until I can put it into words... would you hear me out?"

"That's not a problem. Although everyone avoids answering my question, I won't hold back my answers."

"You're so understanding. It's truly admirable."

The emperor smiled.

Although his face was hidden behind that dazzling light, she could somehow sense his smile.

Then he turned and left, with Demonic Bodhisattva following close behind.