Heroic Spirits, or Legendary Souls, are elemental spirits of Humanity that are considered a natural phenomenon in and of themselves.
They are beings who achieved great feats—saving their people, stopping an invasion—and after their deaths became objects of worship and knowledge.
As a result, these spirits occupy a place outside the cycle of transmigration of souls and ascend to an existence close to that of Divine Spirits, becoming a power meant to protect or influence Humanity.
It should be noted that despite the origins of the term, there are spirits who are not bound to the usual meaning of "hero," which is why Heroic Spirits with evil alignments also exist.
And Alaya, as the mother of Humanity, uses these legendary heroes to fight against human sins that pollute the World.
"So you want me to become part of your story? That's not going to happen..."
Yuki, of course, refused. He didn't give a damn about being a legendary hero, or about humans. He isn't a hero, and he isn't bound by the rules of the World.
He can do whatever he wants as long as the World itself isn't in danger. Therefore, he wasn't about to become anyone's joke—even if that someone was the World.
"Besides, you don't need my help. You can manipulate destiny. If what worries you are humans, then just change it."
The answer was that simple. Humans are nothing more than puppets that can be moved as long as Alaya wills it.
"I can't. Gaia won't allow it."
Even though Alaya can change humans, that still requires Gaia's approval—and Gaia is determined to kill Humanity.
"Do you want me to persuade your counterpart?"
"No, I want you to destroy her!"
Gaia and Alaya are two sides of the same coin. As a high-ranking World, Type-Moon possessed two consciousnesses that governed its interior. It was rare, but not impossible, and usually their power was equal. Because of that, if Alaya wanted to win, she needed external force to aid her struggle.
She needed someone who couldn't be controlled.
She needed a Champion...
"So that's why you want my help... Hm. You really are capricious. Still, I don't want to do it. You're not in danger, and my help isn't necessary."
Yuki smiled disdainfully, yet remained calm upon his Throne. After all, whether it was Alaya or Gaia, each of them wielded the power of an entire universe—or perhaps even more. Every World that had reached ranks seven, eight, or nine was dangerous.
Reaching Cosmic Rank 3 doesn't mean you can destroy high-level Worlds. On the contrary.
It only gives you the possibility. Most Overlords who tried are now dead. That's why World consciousnesses are terrifying, and Type-Moon having two of them makes it even worse.
That meant it wasn't an ordinary Mega World.
It was a damn nightmare...
That was why Yuki needed another way to obtain his Heart without entering the story—and it just so happened that Yuki was good with words...
"But it's the only way for you to obtain the Holy Grail (Heart)."
"What?"
Unfortunately for him, Alaya dropped a bomb.
"It's a war... The Holy Grail War...."
"...."
The cup of heaven—the chalice from which the Son of God drank, the sacred Christian relic that received the blood of Christ.
This omnipotent cup has the power to grant any wish, the famous wish-granting machine, the center of the World.
And the Holy Grail War is the ritual initiated by three founding mage families as a means to reach Akasha. At present, it is a competition over something recognized as a possible Holy Grail.
The artifact selects seven magi to become Masters, and with its aid, each is capable of summoning a Servant (a Heroic Spirit) for battle.
While the winning pair earns the right to claim the Holy Grail and use it to fulfill their wishes, the true purpose of the war is to use the returning Servants at the Root to open a direct path to it.
To obtain the Third Magic....
"Hahaha, how amusing."
Yuki couldn't hold it in and laughed from his Throne. The magi who created this war were damn selfish, using it to gain even more power.
Yuki didn't see that as wrong. He himself is an egoist and would do whatever was necessary to gain more power.
What amused him were the so-called "Heroes" of legend—agreeing to be summoned and treated like soldiers just to obtain a wish-granting cup...
"How pathetic! I won't do that!"
They're already dead, and whatever their wish may be, abandoning their struggle to cling to a wish-granting machine for ideals or desires is stupid. Believing such a machine can help them recover what they lost is laughable and pathetic. They lost, and now they seek to fix it through means that were never theirs.
Yuki, who knows that nothing is free, understood from the start that such a wish-granting cup was a scam. A Champion like him doesn't need ideals. He doesn't need a wish-granting machine.
On the contrary, his very existence is a Miracle. Champions fight and create Miracles themselves. They don't need external help. They don't need wish-granting cups. And unlike heroes, Champions don't lose. That's why they don't need anything. Instead, when everyone else fails, they turn to them.
That was the difference between heroes and someone outside the rules...
And now, the Heart of a Champion was being used as a wish-granting machine.
"But it's the only way! You have to be part of this war if you want the Holy Grail (Heart)..."
"I see. You don't have my Heart."
"No... I don't."
"And you still dared to summon me?"
"I-I... I'm... s-sorry."
Alaya stammered and turned her head away in shame...
The Holy Grail fused with the Heart of the Hero of the Void and was used as a catalyst to create a World Cup.
The most powerful Holy Grail to date—one strong enough to alter Parallel Worlds.
Such a World Cup was beyond Alaya's reach, and beyond Gaia's as well.
Instead, it was hidden within this ritual known as the Holy Grail War. If Yuki wanted to obtain it, the only way was to be summoned as a Servant and win the war.
But before that, since Yuki didn't belong to this World, he had to leave behind a legend in it in order to enter the Throne of Heroes and be summoned as a Servant.
"So that's why this is the Garden of Eden. You created a story for me."
"No, no, I didn't create it! You already belong to history! This is your World in the Throne of Heroes! You are a legend.... You are the first human, the primordial human, and the first miracle of this World.... Adam!"
"....."
Yuki remained calm at that declaration. He looked at Alaya with composed eyes, but inside, chaos reigned.
This was a damn trap....
"Please, my child... I need you to help me..."
"....."
Yuki stayed silent. He closed his eyes and pretended to think. The Crown on his head rotated, and the voices of his girls echoed within him...
[Are you okay? Did you believe her?]
Kotori, listening from the Spirit World along with the others, frowned in thought.
She didn't sense anything wrong with what Alaya was saying. She seemed genuine, like a desperate mother. But Kurumi, Nia, and Mayuri shook their heads.
(What do you think? It's a lie! But she's very good at acting!)
[Eh?]
If Yuki believed her, he'd be an idiot. From the moment he entered this Garden of Eden and she gave it to him, Yuki knew she was lying.
And the fact that Gaia was supposedly at war with Alaya only reinforced his suspicion.
If Alaya and Gaia were truly at war, it would mean only one thing—their mutual destruction.
For a World of Type-Moon's caliber, that was impossible.
Therefore, Yuki knew it was all a scam to force him into their shitty story.
[What do we do? Leave?]
With the truth exposed, Origami was ready to press the teleport button in the chat room, but she couldn't—Yuki stopped her.
(No. We're going to accept.)
[Huh?!]