Chapter 3-4
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VOLUME 4
Chapter 3
Ch3-4
—The night came to an end as dawn broke.
Ruler gazed at the gradually changing sky through the window without getting tired of it. She had already finished her morning prayer. If she were to consider Laeticia’s physical health, it might be better to go back to sleep—but even so, she didn’t feel like sleeping at all.
Her heart felt uneasy for two reasons. The first reason had to do with Amakusa Shirou Tokisada… and his plan to save humanity.
Certainly, at a glance, it looked as if she had been summoned as Ruler in order to prevent his plan. But currently the Greater Grail was in the possession of the enemy, and at this rate she wouldn’t be able to prevent his plan.
At this point, wasn’t it as if she had unconsciously acted to the benefit of her enemy?
…No good, she was starting to think about the threads of destiny. The threads of destiny were complex, twisted and intertwined all over the place. Thinking about it would only lead to doubt and uncertainty.
The plan to save humanity that Amakusa Shirou had declared he would accomplish was merely the mutterings of a madman. His plan would definitely bring about destruction—that was why she had been summoned. It was precisely because she thought that way that she clearly opposed him, and averted her eyes from the countless doubts that ran through her mind.
What if his wish truly is correct?
Could she really say that the answer that a hero like him had reached over the course of sixty years was truly mistaken?
A way to save humanity without hurting anyone and without spilling a drop of blood certainly does not exist—Did she really think that?
All humans should have dreamt of achieving it at some point during their lives.
Why did she say that Amakusa Shirou Tokisada couldn’t do it?
If his wish was correct.
If his words were true.
What should Jeanne d’Arc choose?
And there was also the other reason for her worries. In a sense, it might be the more serious problem.
She had always continued to think about it, the role ‘he’ was meant to fulfill in this Great Holy Grail War—
“Can’t sleep?”
The moment she heard those words, Ruler stifled the unease in her heart and turned around. Sieg stood there wearing plain pajamas.
“Yeah. The night is almost over. Most likely, today will be the last. We will head towards the Hanging Gardens and fight. In order to stop Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.”
“Yeah, we have to stop him.”
“…Is it okay if I ask you one last thing?”
Ruler spoke in a somewhat stiff voice. When Sieg nodded, she asked hesitatingly.
“Sieg-kun, are you really sure you should be on this side?”
It was a question she had asked him several times before. Being on this side, being part of this war, participating in a battle of kill or be killed—How conscientious of her, thought Sieg as he replied in the affirmative.
“Yes, of course.”
There was no hesitation in his voice. But Ruler continued questioning him.
“…Rider once told you that ‘You can do anything now’, right? That’s exactly right. Your current self can go anywhere and do anything. Your greatest worry, your fellow homunculi are embarking on a new life. Yet why must you still fight? You don’t have to fight; it’s fine if you don’t fight, Sieg-kun.”
Sieg felt a strong pressure as if his heart were being gripped.
You don’t have to fight, there’s no need—
Those soft words and kind voice were things he had wished for somewhere in his heart. But he shook his head as if to shake off the warm temptation.
“I… have a duty as both a Master and a Servant.”
He had become a Master and could even become a Servant. There was surely meaning in that—
“Sieg-kun, merely acting according to a higher purpose isn’t everything there is to life.”
Ruler said that in a somewhat self-punitive tone. Sieg felt like those words were extremely heavy and important.
“Ruler…”
“It’s true that you obtained power. That power is necessary, and that might be precisely why you’re here. But even if you’re here by your own will, it isn’t your fate to be here. That’s why—that’s why it’s fine for you to run away, Sieg-kun.”
Ruler trembled, as if enduring some violent emotion.
Being guided here by destiny, being here because it was necessary—there was something wrong about that way of thinking.
When Sieg started to ponder on it, Ruler placed a hand on his cheek. She looked at him with a sad smile.
“…Sorry. I seem to have confused you. Please be at ease. You’ll surely be fine, Sieg-kun.”
You’ll be fine—Ruler whispered that and looked out the window once more. Faint light was starting to pour it through the window.
The dawn of the end had finally arrived.
The night ended for everyone, and the sky gradually became tinged with the light of dawn.
The result of the war over the Holy Grail wouldn’t determine whether or not the world was destroyed.
But the world would be pressed to choose between undergoing a transformation or not.
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada would save humanity ‘righteously’.
Jeanne d’Arc would deny that ‘righteously’.
They each had their own justice and things they wouldn’t turn over. There was no evil in this battle; there was only justice and faith.
However, most wars might be like that. Every human who has a great cause to fight for and dreams of a world that blesses them and their comrades with happiness chooses to fight.
In the end, this Great Holy Grail War was the same.
You didn’t win because you were just and correct. The victors were just and correct because they won.
Both Rulers understood that. Therefore they wouldn’t censure each other, but merely fight to kill one another.
If there was a way for this war to end without any further blood being spilled, it would only be by one side understanding and accepting that the stance of the other side was correct.
And that situation was impossible nine times out of ten. Too much blood had been spilled for either side to understand each other.
Even so, one camp held a naïve hope. That perhaps they could understand each other by talking—
CHAPTER 3 END
TRANSLATOR’S NOTES
(NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel 