IBHJ Chapter 994

Misaya stared at the boy standing in the summoning circle, her voice dripping with disbelief. "Is this seriously your brilliant idea? Using yourself as a catalyst to summon a Heroic Spirit from the future?"

"Why not? Maybe I'll summon a future version of myself who became a Heroic Spirit after death," the boy retorted.

"Are you out of your mind?!" she exploded, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Beside them, Gilgamesh covered his face, unable to watch. He was torn between deep shame at having such a Master and the uncomfortable realization that he'd been just as foolish in his youth.

"Gil, say something too," the boy called out.

Gilgamesh struggled for a moment, not wanting to directly call him a fool as it would also mock his younger self. So he could only say coldly, "Indeed, it's... quite astute. The world is changed by precisely such individuals who dare to hope against all odds."

Kiara cleared her throat softly. "Um, Mr. Shirou? I'm about to begin."

After mentally preparing to face Manaka, the boy had proposed an idea: to use himself as a catalyst to summon a future version of himself who had already become a Heroic Spirit.

He reasoned that a Shirou who had reached the end of his life would undoubtedly be stronger than the Shirou still on his journey.

Both Mordred, who disliked Shirou, and the arrogant Gilgamesh reluctantly acknowledged this point, though with dissatisfaction. Of course, having witnessed Shirou's abilities, even Gilgamesh had to grudgingly admit that Shirou was indeed stronger than him.

This wasn't because of Rhongomyniad, but because Gilgamesh had sensed something more dangerous lurking in his shadow.

With the decision made, since the Holy Grail War summoning positions were already filled, they used the Chaldea summoning ritual provided by Kiara.

The boy took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. "Alright, I'm ready," he nodded. Then, with a hint of hesitation, he added, "But if I cry out in pain or if anything unusual happens, make sure to stop immediately."

Kiara nodded. "Understood."

The summoning ritual began.

As Kiara chanted the incantation, she looked expectantly at the summoning circle. What would Mr. Shirou from the future be like?

Even Mordred, despite her outward indifference, found herself stealing glances at the circle. Though she'd never admit it, Shirou was the figure she had most admired in her childhood. She was curious to see his ultimate form—if only to gather more material for teasing him later.

However,

Nothing was summoned.

The boy blinked, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Kiara, didn't you activate the summoning ritual?"

"I did," she said, confused.

"Then why..." he trailed off, running a hand through his hair. "Even if we can't summon my future self, shouldn't we at least be able to summon some Servants related to me?"

Kiara was also at a loss.

Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed in thought. "There are three possibilities."

The boy turned to him. "Let me guess. First, Chaldea's magical foundation is incompatible with ours. Second, my future self refused the summons. But what's the third?"

Gilgamesh glanced at the boy. "The karmic connection hasn't been established."

"Karmic connection?" The boy was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Gilgamesh explained, "The Throne of Heroes exists beyond time, space, and causality. It contains all Heroic Spirits—past, present, and future." He gestured to himself. "You summoning me now is the beginning of Eternal King, yet I on the Throne have already interacted with this future version of you. Even my older self knows of him."

"But... wouldn't that completely mess up time and causality?"

Gilgamesh rolled his eyes. "Of course you can't comprehend it with your linear thinking. The Throne of Heroes defies your puny human logic. In fact, with the current level of human cognition, it's impossible to truly perceive and understand the Throne of Heroes."

After a pause, he continued, "Counter Guardians, those bound to Alaya, can materialize wherever human order is threatened, but Heroic Spirits on the Throne are different. Only heroes whose legends live on in humanity's memory appear on the Throne. And they can only be summoned where their legends still exist. No legend, no summoning. If you truly become a Heroic Spirit, you'll face the same limitations."

"So... you're saying I haven't become Eternal King yet, and since there's no legend of Eternal King here, he—or I—can't be summoned?"

Gilgamesh nodded. "Not bad. This applies to your future self as well. He might wield the power of Eternal King, but he can't summon or use an even further future version of himself. Besides, there's another possibility. Your end might have run into some great Mystery, completely erasing your future—leaving no trace, not even on the Throne."

"Come on, that's impossible. That future me is incredibly strong. There's no way that would happen," the boy laughed.

Kiara said his future self was incredibly powerful at the level of Grand Servant, and had even beaten that Demonic Bodhisattva a few times. With that kind of strength, except maybe against a BUG like Manaka, what could possibly threaten him?

The boy, with a relaxed face, didn't notice Kiara's increasingly troubled expression.

She knew a threat existed—one that could lead to complete annihilation. The Lord of Salvation hung over her mind like an unspoken terror.

"Well, if summoning my future self isn't an option, we'll have to gather allies." the boy said with a frown.

"Gather allies?" Misaya asked.

He nodded, meeting her gaze. "You don't think we can take on a magus who transcends the Law all by ourselves, do you?"

Misaya was speechless.

Gilgamesh nodded, a hint of admiration in his voice. "Indeed, to face a monster, we must gather allies. And the most crucial ally would be—" He stopped abruptly, "Wait a moment!"

He turned to Shirou, his brows furrowed in suspicion. "You... you're not planning to bring in that wielder of the holy sword, are you? I refuse to cooperate with him!"

The boys's lips curled into a smile. "Cooperate? No, no. We're going to show mercy and save him!"

Gilgamesh's eyebrows shot up, his curiosity piqued against his better judgment.

"Think about it," Shirou continued. "Eight years ago, Manaka was the de facto winner of the Holy Grail War. Her Servant was Arthur, but he betrayed her, striking her down from behind. Manaka's obsession is Arthur. Now that she's made a move on my future self, Arthur will undoubtedly be her next target."

He paused, letting his words sink in before meeting Gilgamesh's gaze. "By saving him, we demonstrate our magnanimity and broad-mindedness. Plus," a glint appeared in his eyes, "he'll finally understand that he got the Saber position purely because he was summoned first, not because he was the most qualified."

Gilgamesh's face lit up with pleasure. "Your reasoning is sound," he nodded, fully aware of the boy's flattery but enjoying it nonetheless. After all, what king didn't need jesters to lift their spirits?

In a moment of satisfaction, Gilgamesh mused, "It's a pity you weren't born in Uruk."

"Yes, such a pity... such a pity..." Shirou agreed outwardly, while inwardly rolling his eyes. Who in their right mind would want to live in that primitive era, teeming with gods and magical beasts?

After their discussion, the boy and others prepared to bring Arthur into the team.

Shirou's mind raced, analyzing the players in this new Shinjuku Holy Grail War. Beyond the anomaly that was Manaka, the most formidable Servants were clear: Gilgamesh, Arthur, and Heracles, who had been toyed with by Demonic Bodhisattva earlier.

However, compared to Gilgamesh and Heracles, Arthur was more special because he possessed the Sword of the Planet that could save the world. Moreover, unlike Artoria who needed Gaia's permission to fully unleash its power, Arthur could release it at will.

The boy knew clearly that if the enemy was Manaka, they might even face a Beast. Besides, there was now a Demonic Bodhisattva lurking in the shadows causing trouble, so Arthur's power was essential.

Misaya sighed with frustration. "To think we have to rely on Ayaka's power..."

Ayaka Sajyou is the younger sister of Manaka Sajyou. Eight years ago, during the Holy Grail War, Manaka summoned Arthur. Ever since, she's changed from an indifferent woman to a fanatic obsessed with "love." She's been driven to keep fighting in the Holy Grail War to grant his wish.

Arthur's wish was basically the same as Artoria's: to save Britain. But "The Fall of Britain" was already set in the Quantum Time-Lock, the basis of human order.

Not everyone could be like Shirou, who, from the Root's perspective, linked his own karmic ties with Britain's, changing the timeline and rewriting the foundation of human order.

So, for Manaka to grant Arthur's wish and keep Britain alive, she had to destroy the world, shatter the foundation of human order, and break the Quantum Time-Lock. To do this, Manaka planned to use the Holy Grail to summon the Beast of Revelation.

To achieve her goal, she manipulated all the Masters at that time, and even several Servants were subdued by her, willingly serving her.

On top of cursing Misaya, she did one more thing: she sacrificed her little sister Ayaka as a human offering to complete the Holy Grail ritual.

Of course, Ayaka wasn't necessary to complete the Holy Grail. It was out of pure jealousy. Ayaka Sajyou had seen Arthur, been close to him, and seen his smile - for such a small reason, the woman consumed by the "love" virus had become jealous to the point of madness. In the end, she was betrayed and killed by Arthur.

But Manaka could never have guessed that in the Holy Grail War eight years later, when Misaya sent Cu Chulainn to attack Ayaka, it would lead Ayaka to summon Arthur.