CK Simulation, Creating the Style of Tsukino Fumi

Page 121

This person is too dangerous. She is the type who must be dealt with severely and cannot be treated as a normal woman. In Europa II's eyes, Sajou Aika is the kind of person who needs to be wary of because she is the kind of person who can directly drug people. Therefore, when she accompanied Quinn to Sajou Aika's door, Europa II was on high alert.

In case Quinn opens the door and a pot of love potion falls from the sky, soaking him completely.

But when Quinn knocked on the door and Arcueid stepped out, Europa II realized that experience truly matters.

Faced with the unstable factor of Ayaka Sajō, Quinn naturally would not let her go unchecked. Even in the Roman court, Arcueid still followed Ayaka Sajō, monitoring her every move. This True Ancestor Princess obviously did not object to spending time with Ayaka Sajō during this period. In fact, she seemed to like Ayaka Sajō quite a bit.

Perhaps because they are both privilege dogs, Sajō Aika and Arcueid, who are directly connected to the Root, have a lot to talk about. Therefore, when Nero arranged accommodations for the two of them according to Quinn's instructions, they had no objections. This relatively good relationship is the best way to prevent Sajō Aika from doing anything unknown behind Quinn's back.

After all, even as the Root Princess, Ayaka Sajou, who possesses the power to bewitch most people, cannot interfere with Arcueid's will. And no matter how good her relationship with Arcueid is, it cannot surpass that of Quinn, with whom she has a contractual bond. Between Quinn and Ayaka Sajou, Arcueid will definitely choose Quinn unconditionally, who has both a contractual relationship and a ten-year cohabitation history.

then……

"Is Sajou Aika asleep?"

When Quinn tried to peer over Arcueid to see what was happening inside the room, Arcueid immediately blocked his view. "She's asleep. And don't peep into a young girl's room without permission. Didn't Medusa come to see you? Why are you bothering us in the middle of the night?"

"No, how did you all know that Medusa came to see me?"

Quinn was speechless, overwhelmed by Arcueid's puffed-up cheeks and obvious sulking.

"Who else could she go to after she ran out of True Aether power but didn't come to me?" Arcueid scoffed. "Then she could only go to you, right? I can guess how you two replenish your mana even without asking anyone. So, why did you leave Medusa aside and come to us?" (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the previous sentences.)

"I have a plan I'd like to ask Ayaka Sajou for help with. I'd also like to see how you're doing here. If you're not feeling well, I'll have Nero bring you some things. Since she's asleep, I'll be leaving now so as not to disturb your rest."

Quinn deliberately feigned regret at being rejected, and Arcueid's previously sullen expression changed. The True Ancestor Princess, beaming with joy, immediately flung open the door, her ears twitching with delight. She tossed her head, her radiant short blonde hair brushing lightly across Quinn's face, leaving a delicate fragrance. Then she turned and slipped inside, not forgetting to say, "I misspoke. Aika just fell asleep, she shouldn't be asleep yet. I'll go wake her now."

Seeing Arcueid's "I am still awake" behavior, Quinn couldn't help but laugh. And when Sajō Ayaka, with dark circles under her eyes, wearing only a nightgown, looked at Arcueid with a resentful expression, but helplessly got out of bed, even Europa II couldn't help but chuckle.

However, upon seeing Quinn's late-night visit, Sajō Aika, who looked like she hadn't slept well, still mustered her energy to greet Quinn.

[Sajō Aika's predicament confirms that your plan to have Arcueid by her side was correct, and facing the exceptionally obedient Sajō Aika, you tell her your final thoughts.]

[You hope that Ayaka Sajou will summon the Sixth Beast for you, just as she did in the old Tokyo Holy Grail War. The only difference is that you will prepare a suitable sacrifice for her.]

[Sajō Aika fell into deep thought]

As the Root Princess, Ayaka Sajō possesses the ability to glimpse other timelines, and naturally understands the ritual you mentioned for summoning beasts. Her face was filled with confusion, not understanding why you would actively summon such an evil creature. It wasn't until you recounted all of Europa II's advice that Ayaka Sajō understood your intentions.

So she agreed to your request, but also made one condition.

"Lady Quinn, after the sixth beast is summoned, may I take care of its young?" As she said this, Ayaka Sajou's eyes gleamed. "I am very interested in beasts and want to study how these beings can exist independently of human reason. What I want to do when I ask you for the Holy Grail is to use it to develop my own 'independent manifestation'."

You gaze at Ayaka Sajou, and your instincts tell you that she's lying.

Chapter 289 BeastVI

Sajou Aika's purpose in seeking the Holy Grail was certainly not to manifest alone. Quinn could be so sure because he himself possessed the ability to manifest alone.

[Solo Manifestation: Your existence hovers between history and reality, capable of existing anywhere by your own will. Death is far removed from you, and the only way people can fight against you is by banishing you.]

As the possessor of this trait, Quinn knew very well that it didn't actually make the holder invincible as the simulator described. Its greatest function was to grant the holder resistance to special forms of attacks, including charm, parallel worlds, or time reversal—the so-called "fate-instant-death resistance." (The rest of the text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the trait.)

As for the so-called ability to exist anywhere by one's own will, this is less a power granted by "sole manifestation" and more a prerequisite for acquiring the skill of "sole manifestation".

And Sajyou Aika...

She herself possesses this prerequisite, so the theory is correct.

Because Quinn remembered that in the original Holy Grail War story, this somewhat mentally unstable Root Princess chose to summon the Sixth Beast to destroy the Quantum Recording Belt and disrupt the foundation of humanity in order to fulfill her Servant's wish and recreate Britain. When her plan was discovered by her Servant and stopped by a backstab, Ayaka Sajō chose to sacrifice herself to awaken the Sixth Beast. When she fell into the Beast's mouth, Ayaka Sajō's soul and body disappeared completely and were judged to have been decomposed by the Beast.

However, several years later, when a new Holy Grail War began in Tokyo, Ayaka Sajō and the Sixth Beast reappeared.

This performance undoubtedly shows that Ayaka Sajou, like the Beast class, possesses a similar ability to manifest independently. Even if the Ayaka Sajou who appears before Quinn now is not the mentally unstable yandere from the original work, as a Root Princess with the exact same basic performance configuration, and being older and more experienced in society, there is no reason why she cannot do what the yandere from the original work could do.

but……

[You don't think Sajō Ayaka didn't tell the whole truth either. At the very least, she's definitely extremely interested in the Sixth Beast, but her goal in studying the Beasts isn't just to manifest in isolation, but for something more fundamental.]

Therefore, you agreed.

In your eyes, there is no conflict of interest between you and Ayaka Sajou, at least not before the Beasts are summoned. What Ayaka Sajou wants to do after the sixth Beast's larvae appear is another matter, but until then, she is the only magician you know who has the ability to summon Beasts.

[So, on the second day, you began gathering the ritual materials needed by Ayaka Sajou to summon the sixth beast.]

According to the original records, the ritual that Aika Sajō used to awaken the Sixth Beast in modern Tokyo was a birth ritual that used the evil of humanity within the Greater Grail, combined with the souls of the six Servants and the flesh and blood of over a hundred living people, with the soul of the seventh Servant replacing their own. In the form of offering sacrifices to a high-ranking spirit in exchange for its descent, it was extremely similar to the ritual of summoning angels. It was precisely because of this level of sophistication that the cardinal of the Holy Grail War, who was in charge of overseeing the Holy Grail War, believed that the Holy Grail War in Tokyo could truly summon angels, thus leading to a series of events.

In Rome at this moment, replicating this ritual to summon the Sixth Beast is far simpler than during the Holy Grail War in Tokyo. This is not only because you hold the real Holy Grail that can summon angels, nor simply because the current era still retains many traces of the Age of Gods, but also because in this era, the so-called "sacrifices" are countless.

[In the old setting, the magical power that required the sacrifice of seven Servants to gather was readily available in this era. It was not necessary to barely gather enough by sacrificing a large number of living offerings. The fantasy species and elves that roamed the land had not yet disappeared, and many heretical magicians who disguised themselves as religious figures and mingled among ordinary people were hiding in various parts of Rome. Furthermore, some rebels with different bloodlines were imprisoned in the dungeons of Rome...]

[After you informed Nero of your need for sacrifices, within a month, rare birds and beasts from all over Rome, as well as rebels with different bloodlines captured by the governors of the Roman provinces, were gathered together. These living sacrifices were screened again, and finally, you selected the most suitable ones to serve as sacrifices—demons and monsters that wreak havoc in the region, and villains with purely evil deeds and destinies.]

These scourges that once caused immense harm to human civilization are the best choice to summon the Sixth Beast, and also the discarded relics unwanted by Rome. Along Rome's path of development, there were far too many such unwanted products as Nero deemed unnecessary. In a sense, these things also align with the human nature that evil is love, because these objects rejected by Rome are, in the eyes of some who see Rome as an enemy, not necessarily benevolent. And this quality bestowed upon Rome by its enemies is precisely the most suitable anchor point for summoning the beast.

As these offerings were sent to the Palatine Hill in Rome, Aika Sajou had already completed the basic setup for the summoning ritual. Under Arcueid's supervision, a double-ringed magic circle made of alternating mercury and gold was imprinted on the hilltop. The standard séance drawing of the inner twelve-pointed star and the outer seven-pointed star flowed with the radiance of spiritual veins in the afterglow of the setting sun. This altar was far simpler than the Holy Grail War ritual in Tokyo, but the object placed in the center of the altar was the true Holy Grail, which the founders of the Holy Grail War had sought their entire lives.

Perhaps it was because she was so excited to finally see what she had longed for that she was exceptionally dignified in both her attire and demeanor. Her nun's veil fell from her forehead, partially obscuring her brilliant golden hair, and a small silver crucifix hung on her chest, swaying gently with her breath. At this moment, she did indeed resemble a saint. However, when she personally slit the throat of the sacrifice, and her black and white nun's robes were stained red with blood, this sense of holiness vanished.

[You witnessed Aika Sajou personally kill the sacrifices brought by Nero one by one, causing the blood of the beasts and villains to stain the earth. Then, the Holy Grail, which you personally placed in the center of the altar, gushed forth black sludge. Witnessing the emergence of pure human evil, you knew that the first step of your plan had succeeded, just as you knew in the old setting—the Sixth Beast answered Aika Sajou's call.]

The larvae of the beastvi have already formed in Rome, and the beastvi have begun selecting "larvae".

The Catholic God received a hint because of the special attention He was paying to you. He looked at you, fell silent, and His left brain attacked His right brain. In the end, He decided to give you a thumbs up.

The world is questioning you, starting to suspect you might be the mole.

Chapter 290 Sajou Aika: There's a cow!

Bro, when it comes to making a fool of yourself, you're the best.

Dude, if you want to destroy humanity, just say so. There's no need to play these games. Where's Lin? Are you even here yet...?

The simulator's pop-up window made Quinn vaguely hear two voices. Clearly, Chaldea's act of actively summoning the Sixth Beast was still too exciting for humanity. But after Quinn waited for a while and didn't see any more pop-ups about the One God and humanity from the simulator, he knew that although the two big brothers were very surprised, they had tacitly approved of his actions.

In this way, he only needs to focus on one thing.

How will the Sixth Beast choose its offspring?

Quinn's gaze shifted back and forth between the Holy Grail, which was churning with black mud like a bottomless black hole devouring all light, Europa II, Ayaka Sajou, and Nero, whom he had dragged along to observe, as he pondered what choice the Sixth Beast would make.

Is it the British Emperor Europa II who once possessed her, or Princess Sajyo Aika, the "Beast Mother" from the old setting, or Nero who was confirmed to have become the Beast in FGO?

Not only Quinn, but almost everyone present was focused on the choice of what was being nurtured in the Holy Grail. Even Arcueid was staring intently at the terrifyingly evil cup that exuded an oppressive aura, its crimson eyes reflecting the churning, viscous black mud at the rim, scrutinizing the ominous creature that seemed poised to crawl out of it at any moment.

Even as a half-body of UO, with direct support from Earth, she felt pressured when facing a beast capable of destroying quantum recording tapes and shattering human order, let alone Europa II, who had already been possessed by the Sixth Beast.

At this moment, Europa II's knuckles were clenched so tightly they turned white, as if they were about to pierce through her fair skin. This emperor, who had once been possessed by the Sixth Beast, was tense all over, as if if she relaxed even slightly, some shadow lurking deep in her spinal cord would burst out of her body, and those unbearable memories were surging into her mind.

The thought of the words she herself had said to Quinn under the influence of the Sixth Beast—words only a sulking child would utter—made Europa II's blood boil, her whole body flush red, and she wished she could kill her past self.

At the same time, she also began to long for the Sixth Beast to possess her body again.

She had fallen into the trap earlier because she knew too little about the beasts and was completely unprepared. If she were given another chance, she would definitely give this guy who dared to embarrass her a good elbow strike and let the Sixth Beast know what it means to single-handedly continue Britannia's nearly thousand-year legacy.

Among the crowd, Europa II was not the only one with similar thoughts. It goes without saying that Ayaka Sajou harbored ulterior motives towards the Sixth Beast. Even Arcueid, who seemed wary, was actually quite interested in the legendary beast, just like Ayaka Sajou.

Unlike Europa II, who sought revenge, she was driven mostly by curiosity.

As Arcueid, the half-body of the planet Uo, could sense the danger of the Sixth Beast and was wary of this calamity that was resisted by human reason. However, despite her vigilance, the thought of seeing who was stronger between the Beast, a being rejected by human reason, and the lunar Uo kept swirling in Arcueid's mind.

Yes, this princess of the True Ancestor was also curious whether the Sixth Beast would choose to possess her. After all, in a sense, she herself was a great threat to humanity, even more terrifying than the Beast.

Ultimately, when the Beast appeared, humanity could at least send Grand Servants to stop it. But from the moment Arcueid was taken over by the Moon and began to fulfill its promise to Earth, the human species itself would face its end, and almost nothing could stop the arrival of that fate known as the Steel Land.

Compared to the other two, even the Beast, which has a Grand Servant to counterbalance it, seems somewhat more refined and attractive.

Moreover... Arcueid actually harbored some thoughts that would cause a stir, and she was somewhat eager to see the Sixth Beast and her nominal mother engage in a life-or-death elbow strike.

Ideally, these two would be locked in a fierce struggle, completely ignoring her. In that case, Quinn wouldn't need to worry about the Sixth Beast's crisis, nor would she have to worry about her elderly mother taking over. She could then continue to live a more free and leisurely life in the Europa family.

While these three women, each with their own agendas, secretly observed the Sixth Beast and waited to see who would receive the Beast's egg, Nero, a bystander watching the drama unfold, was already planning to make his escape.

The Roman emperor still didn't quite understand what Quinn was up to, but she had already begun to feel fear instinctively.

At first, Nero thought she was just there to deliver some offerings. When Quinn asked her to stay, she thought it was her ancestor's idea to broaden the horizons of his descendants. At that time, she was particularly proud. After all, in Nero's mind, the things that a god like Quinn had to do were things that mortals should not touch, both morally and logically.

Quinn's words of encouragement to stay were undoubtedly an expression of his approval and expectations for her.

Therefore, just a few minutes ago, Nero felt only pride and arrogance, along with a little curiosity.

She wanted to know what the Roman god was planning to do, and wondered if this sacrifice was a new gift that the god intended to give to Rome. However, as the will of the sixth beast manifested in the Holy Grail, and she sensed the evil nature of the contents of the cup, Nero only wanted to run away.

The reason is simple: for a being like Europa II, who possesses a spirit origin at the level of a chief god, the spirit of the sixth beast contained in the Holy Grail is already extremely threatening. However, Europa II is knowledgeable and understands that what is in the cup at this moment only possesses a status and does not yet have the powers of a beast, so there is no need to worry.

But Nero saw it differently.

At this moment, Nero's hands trembled with fear, and she began to suspect that she had stumbled into some kind of cult.

In the eyes of this Roman emperor, the black mud in the Holy Grail was constantly emitting shrill cries like a baby's wail, and the burning smell of sulfur in the air made her nostrils tingle. The twisted black mud had absorbed all the magic of the offering and began to slowly overflow, turning into a menacing shadow.

Within minutes, the thing hidden in the shadows gradually revealed hundreds of eyes and sharp teeth, and the shrill screams that were originally like the cries of an infant gradually transformed into syllables that could be distinguished by human ears.

"Mother……"

The call of the beast in the cup brought a smile to the face of Aika Sajou, who had personally summoned it.

The call made Quinn blink. It seemed that the Sixth Beast had made its choice and intended to form a relationship with Ayaka Sajou, just like in the original story of the Tokyo Holy Grail War, so that this Root Princess could become its womb and give birth to the Beast's offspring.

This outcome was not unexpected; after all, it's common for summoned spirits to be closer to the spellcaster.

Quinn then nodded to Sajou Ayaka, indicating that she could proceed to the next step of the ritual.

"Good boy."

With Quinn's nod of agreement, Ayaka Sajou slowly stepped forward to respond to the Sixth Beast's call and attempted to establish a connection with it. Since the master-servant contracts commonly used by magicians are almost ineffective against beings like the Sixth Beast, Ayaka Sajou cut open her own palm with a dagger.

When the blood of the Root Princess was poured into the Holy Grail, the bodily fluids produced by the magic circuits directly connected to the Root began to supply magic power to the Sixth Beast, which then let out an excited howl.

What was originally just an alien outline was no longer blurry but transformed into a clearer outline of seven heads and ten horns. In the shadows, one could vaguely see scales as red as branding irons and burning golden eyes. It was the same as the great red dragon that Quinn had seen in Britannia, except that the beast was still just a juvenile at this moment.

The beast with the outline of a great red dragon surged in the shadows, and the black mud in the Holy Grail overflowed and flowed onto the earth. With the continuous supply of magic power from Ayaka Sajou, the black mud connected to the Sixth Beast began to increase in size, showing a tendency to form a lake. In this lake, the Sixth Beast, which was gradually separating from the Holy Grail, seemed to realize that Ayaka Sajou was not alone at the scene, and began to survey its surroundings.

When that aggressive gaze swept over everyone present, intense malice crept up their spines.

A sharp pain shot through Nero's webbed feet, causing the Roman emperor to let out a low groan.

"hiss!"

Awakened by the pain, Nero realized that he had instinctively staggered backward, and the buckle on his sandal had broken off at some point, causing his heel to bleed from being cut by the broken gravel.

It was with this low murmur that the Sixth Beast's gaze fell upon her. In an instant, Nero's eyes met those of the beast. She looked at her reflection and saw Rome engulfed in flames. She was forced to flee Rome, wandering alone in the wilderness like a stray dog, and finally perishing alone in an unnamed wasteland like a wild dog.