A very ordinary, very literary title.
But Sanjiro knew very well—this was the most glorious, most unforgettable timeline out of all the timelines he had experienced.
"Vow Beneath the Snow"
Sanjiro resisted the urge to smile. Once the video finished playing, it would likely unlock that incredibly powerful ability for him.
Once the video was exposed and seen by countless people—
Merlin, whether you want to change or not, you're going to change!
He smiled and said to the other party, "Before that, how about we watch a video together?"
"A video?"
Merlin frowned, not understanding what Sanjiro was scheming.
Was he trying to stall for time?
But… would that really work?
Earlier, the opponent's aura was too terrifying—it was as if the hope of six thousand years of human history had converged into a form capable of slaying gods.
But from his clairvoyance, Merlin could clearly see that the figure named "Nameless" was riddled with wounds, his spirit origin shattered beyond belief.
The whole person looked like a ceramic doll forcibly pieced back together—apply even a little force, and he'd shatter again.
Just what kind of terrifying battle could've led to that condition?
Could it be… he intended to destroy humanity and rebuild the world?
But that had little to do with Merlin.
Nightmares cannot dream; they feed solely on the dreams of humans.
They're parasites of the human species.
They have no consciousness of their own and can only copy the personality of the human they parasitize.
But Merlin was a hybrid of human and nightmare blood—much like the King of Heroes.
Strictly speaking, he was just a shape-shifting alien pretending to be human and couldn't comprehend human emotions.
He understood that humans experienced pain, but not the depth of that pain.
So back when he traveled with Nameless and Artoria, he had acted recklessly, causing massive chaos without restraint.
"Of course we can watch it,"
Merlin thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
He was curious to see what Nameless planned to use to stall for time.
A Nameless with a shattered spirit origin and less than one ten-thousandth of his original power—how could he possibly defeat him?
Merlin only dared to make the bet because he had absolute confidence.
It was just a video. Did he really think it would turn the tables?
For someone with infinite lifespan like him, time was the one thing he had in abundance.
He could afford to wait!
Just in case, Merlin emphasized: "But first, let's swear by Alaya and sign a contract!"
He could escape, but it would require burning his essence.
If he burned too much, he'd probably end up worse than Nameless.
At that point, Nameless could toy with him however he liked!
"In the name of Alaya? Fine."
Sanjiro felt this guy was deliberately picking a fight.
Back then, when he was young and clueless, he had signed a contract with Alaya and become a 007-style wage slave, jumping between timelines to protect human history.
After the final battle, he finally escaped that exploitative boss—only to be mercilessly exposed by Alaya.
And now, that bastard wanted Alaya to bear witness to a new contract?
Buzz~
The two began channeling their mana and drafted a contract—
"Henceforth, let Alaya bear witness to our contract!"
"I, Merlin, will not use my Noble Phantasm, only standard illusions. If I lose, I willingly accept being dumped into the Spring of Drowned Girl and handled however the other party wishes!"
"I, Nameless, will face Merlin alone. The King of Heroes may not assist. If I lose, I will let the other party leave unharmed and issue a public apology!"
A mysterious and complex magic array appeared and then quickly vanished.
The contract was sealed!
Alaya—an aggregate of human will that transcends even Grand positions—naturally guaranteed fairness and impartiality.
Sanjiro wasn't sure if it was just his imagination—
But he felt a pair of eyes watching him… and as if someone was trying to reach out and touch him.
Damn it, making me work like a dog is one thing—now even my body's not off limits?!
Gilgamesh jumped down from a streetlamp and stared suspiciously at him. "You sure I won't appear in this Holy Grail War?"
"King of Heroes, he's totally lying to you!" Merlin immediately sowed discord without hesitation. "He's the guy who killed you on the spot in Unlimited Blade Works! Let's team up instead!"
As long as he could get Gilgamesh on his side, his chances of winning would skyrocket.
"Of course, I promise you won't appear personally!" Sanjiro answered confidently, then carefully added, "But someone might borrow your power."
"Hmph, borrowing my power?"
Gilgamesh snorted, overflowing with self-confidence. "Even a mere fragment of this king's power is enough to sweep the entire Holy Grail War!"
"..."
Sanjiro had nothing more to say.
He just hoped that after watching the video, Gilgamesh would still feel that confident.
The video began to play.
A familiar voiceover played—
[I think I can finally say it—this is the story of Miyu and me, up to this point.]
This line was the next-episode preview from the Unlimited Blade Works side story Chaldea.
"You sure know a lot of people." Gilgamesh gave him a sidelong glance.
Just how many timelines has this guy traveled through? How many people has he connected with?
"Cough… just average."
Sanjiro felt a little embarrassed.
Every time he watched these videos, it felt like a public execution.
The worst part?
These two knew his identity.
It was like playing your private videos in your dorm room in front of all your roommates!
He held back the embarrassment and kept watching—
[The world is on the brink of destruction. The only way to save it is to sacrifice my sister, who is the Holy Grail.]
[To save the world or to save the girl?]
[Some men choose to protect the world.]
[Some men choose to preserve the species.]
[But I… only wish for happiness for that one person…]
…
"Eh, who would you choose?"
Kirina turned her head to the girl beside her as the voiceover played.
At this moment, Mordred—who was supposed to share a room with Artoria—had deliberately come over to her place.
The two hit it off instantly, chatting more and more, with a strange sense of fateful connection.
"Obviously, I'd choose Miyu!"
Mordred answered without hesitation.
If it were Artoria, she would undoubtedly choose to sacrifice the girl to save the world.
To a perfect king who didn't understand people's hearts, sacrificing one to save the many was a decision no one could stop.
"Right? I'd choose Miyu too!"
Kirina liked her more and more, and added, "A true hero of justice who abandons even one person is no longer just!"
"Exactly. They would carry the sin of sacrifice, and leave others cold-hearted!"
Mordred nodded in agreement.
Back during the Battle of Camlann, people thought she was a powerful rebel with a massive following?
The truth was—
Her Father was willing to sacrifice anyone for the sake of victory.
Even her.
That's why the more people followed her, the more afraid they became—terrified of being the next sacrifice.
Reality isn't just cold numbers.
As the video continued, the screen was flooded with bullet comments—
Blorbo- [Here we go, here we go! Alaya is amazing—two uploads in one week!]
GigglesThenShit-[First glance at "Vow Beneath the Snow"—wait, Alaya dropped a video about my waifu Yukinoshita?!]
PostNutRealityMarble[Screw you! That's my waifu! You need your eyes checked!]
4thWarPTSD-[Damn, Nameless's sister is the Holy Grail? Doesn't that just break the entire Holy Grail War?]
AspiringPedo-[Got it! So this is the origin of Sanjiro the Siscon! Fight on, Emiya, for your sister!]
...
Amid the countless bystanders watching the drama unfold—
As the narration ended, the screen showed a child only a few years old and a rugged man with a stubbly beard, driving while smoking.
"Listen closely. If you want to save certain people, you have to give up on others."
The man took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled out the window, his face full of weariness.
"Why do we have to give up on some people?" the young boy asked, surprised.
"Listen. A person can only save those who stand on the same side as them." The man exhaled again, heavily sighing. "It sounds like common sense, but it's actually the so-called 'justice' defined by those who think they're on the righteous side."
Though the words were few, they brimmed with helplessness and sorrow.
"But... if you're a Hero of Justice, shouldn't you save everyone?"
The innocent child looked up with his little face, his voice pure and childlike. "Most of the suffering in the world comes from people not being capable enough, right? As long as you're strong enough, you can save them all!"
The man was momentarily stunned.
He didn't seem to know how to respond at all.
He sighed once more.
"You're still young. When you grow up, you'll realize that no matter how strong you become, there will always be someone stronger—unless you can easily defeat everyone."
Watching this scene made it clear the man had experienced countless events and setbacks.
Kirina was surprised, "So this is how Shirou started on the path of becoming Nameless, walking through human history and saving everyone?"
"Looks like it! As long as you're strong enough, you can protect everything!"
Mordred's eyes were fixed on the child on the screen.
He was just a few years old, yet had already formed such convictions.
As expected of Nameless!
The more she learned about him, the more insanely she adored him. Mordred felt deeply inspired and silently vowed—
"As long as I become strong enough, I can get everything I want! Including stealing Nameless from Father!"
Nameless... it was you who taught me this!
The video continued.
The man, without hesitation, changed the topic and started explaining their objective for this trip.
He spoke of a family named Sakatsuki that had existed for hundreds of years.
The man said in a serious tone: "Strangely, their family has never shown any children under the age of seven. It's believed they follow the child of god's faith—where they believe that children under seven are gods and can grant any wish."
"So, do you want to use this Child of God to fulfill your dream?" the child asked curiously.
"That power... I don't even know if it can make my dream come true."
The man sighed softly.
"Then let's be Heroes of Justice together! Let's save the world and save everyone!" The child beamed with a bright and innocent smile.
The man was slightly stunned and sighed again: "I've told you many times—I'm not a Hero of Justice!"
The comment section of onlookers exploded with joy—
ICastFart-[Is this considered a retired Hero of Justice passing the torch to the next generation?]
RebelliousExecutive-["Most suffering comes from inability"—Emiya, you've gotta rise up!]
4thWarPTSD-[So heartwarming in the beginning! But knowing how these Alaya videos go, the pain is coming for sure!]
...
At that moment—
Just when the warm, daily conversation was expected to continue—
A terrifying boom erupted ahead.
A mass of pitch-black energy appeared out of nowhere and spread violently in all directions.
Like a gaping maw of the abyss, it sought to devour everything in its path!
The infamous "nuclear-style" disaster unique to Fuyuki City had struck yet again!
The man said decisively, "Get in the car—now! This is a disaster no human can handle. It could affect the entire nation!"
"But... there are so many people still waiting for us to help! Are you really just going to give up on them?"
The child called out anxiously.
At that moment, a strange green magical light burst forth, wiping out the world-ending black vortex.
Everything gradually began to calm down again.
The man wanted to take the boy and leave, but the boy broke free.
"Sorry, but I want to check if anyone needs saving!"
Without hesitation, the young Shirou rushed toward the disaster zone.
Once he passed through an alley, he came upon a scene of utter ruin.
No—it was a massive crater, thousands of meters wide and hundreds of meters deep. Everything in that area—buildings, people—had been swallowed and evaporated.
Just seeing the pit made viewers across the screen feel a chill down their spines.
This was truly a calamity no human could resist—no less devastating than a major earthquake or flood!
No wonder the weathered man wanted to run.
However—
What no one expected was that even in the face of such destruction, the young Shirou felt no fear at all.
He ran toward a half-collapsed building near the massive crater.
Under its crumbling eaves—
Sat a girl about seven years old, dressed in traditional ceremonial attire, looking incredibly cute.
Yet she looked like a lifeless doll, with no expression whatsoever, her crimson eyes watching the approaching boy coldly.
Rumble...
The house began to collapse completely, bricks and tiles falling from above.
Shirou shouted quickly: "Please—don't let it collapse!"
Buzz—
A mysterious power radiated outward, and the collapsing house froze in an instant—as if a miracle had occurred.
Shirou rushed in, scooped the girl up, and carried her out from under the wreckage.
Boom!
Just as they ran out, the entire building crumbled, burying the spot where the girl had sat, kicking up clouds of dust.
"You hurt me," the young girl said softly, her face still expressionless.
"Sorry, sorry—I was just in a hurry."
Emiya immediately let go and checked her for injuries. Once he confirmed she was unhurt, he finally relaxed.
Just in time!
The audience also collectively breathed a sigh of relief—...
"Is that... you?"
Illya stared blankly at her friend beside her.
Sitting quietly next to her was a black-haired loli, staring at the screen in confusion.
Her name—
Miyu Edelfelt.
Yes, this friend was the very Child of God who appeared in the video "Vow Beneath the Snow"!
"I don't know either..."
Miyu gazed blankly at the screen, as if a new world had opened up before her, memories flooding her mind.
On screen—
"You're the only one, besides Mom, who's ever been willing to hug me."
The little girl said emotionlessly as she looked at the boy.
The boy reached out and patted her head with a sunny smile.
"If you're okay with it, from today on, I'll be your big brother. And as your big brother, I'll protect you~"