Chapter 51: An Impossible Wish

"Look at me; I had nothing to do with it," Ishtar scoffed, rolling her eyes as Gilgamesh's accusations once again drifted her way. He was quick to blame others, especially her, for his misfortunes.

"Humph!" Gilgamesh turned away, unwilling to continue the exchange.

"Ahem…" Iskandar cleared his throat, redirecting the conversation. "First Emperor, aside from your quest for immortality, did you have any other ambitions in life?"

The First Emperor nodded. "Yes, there was one more. To see my Great Qin Dynasty last for all eternity."

"Then, wouldn't you want to use the Holy Grail now to fulfill that wish?" Iskandar asked with genuine curiosity.

The First Emperor's gaze remained steady. "No, I am content with how things have developed. The world has moved on, and that is as it should be."

"Hmm…" Iskandar scratched his head, momentarily at a loss. "So, who among us wins this debate, then?"

He looked around, realizing the discussion had transformed into an indirect competition. Since the First Emperor had no desire to alter anything, he had effectively withdrawn from the debate. Gilgamesh had also kept his wish a mystery, refusing to participate meaningfully.

Thus, the debate had turned into a clash of ideals between the King of Knights, Artoria, and the King of Conquerors, Iskandar.

"You win," Chihiro spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Hm? Why?" All eyes turned toward Chihiro, his statement piquing everyone's interest.

"Have you all forgotten the original premise of this debate?" Chihiro reminded them. "It wasn't just about expressing your wishes but determining who is more suitable to claim the Holy Grail."

Artoria frowned, her pride stung. "Are you suggesting that something is wrong with my wish?"

"I'm not here to judge the worth of your wish. Morality and right or wrong are subjective," Chihiro clarified. "But, King of Knights, I must ask if you've thought through the consequences of your desire."

"Consequences? What consequences?" Artoria's voice wavered slightly, caught off guard.

"The consequences that were hinted at in previous discussions," Chihiro explained. "In other words… a singularity."

"A singularity?" Artoria's confusion was evident, as the concept was foreign to her.

Kayneth, who had been observing quietly, caught on quickly. "Ah, I see. Changing the past… would create a singularity."

Chihiro nodded, continuing, "Yes. Even if the Holy Grail somehow managed to alter history, it wouldn't change the present we know. At best, it would branch off, creating an alternate timeline—a singularity. And if that singularity threatens humanity's continuity, it will eventually need to be… dealt with."

"Dealt with?" Artoria looked at him in shock, not fully comprehending.

"Think of it as pruning," Kayneth elaborated. "Any timeline that diverges from official history and risks humanity's survival would be cut away, erased."

Chihiro added, "Compared to that, Iskandar's wish seeking a physical body poses no such risk. It's personal, contained, and doesn't tamper with history itself."

Artoria fell silent, unable to find a counterargument. Even Lancelot, who had earlier defended her, found himself without words. No matter how noble her intentions, the potential consequences made her wish a dangerous gamble.

Iskandar's triumphant laughter broke the silence. "Hahaha! I didn't expect to come out on top here."

Waver muttered, "It feels like we barely participated…"

El Melloi-II quietly advised, "Sometimes it's best to offer counsel when it truly matters."

Kayneth chuckled. "But Chihiro, I didn't expect you to know so much about singularities."

Chihiro shrugged modestly. "Just a passing interest. I've done some reading."

[Following the debate results, the Conqueror's team is declared the winner.]

[The King of Conquerors receives 10 Saint Quartz, while the rest of the team receives 5 Saint Quartz each.]

Iskandar grinned broadly. "Seems like I'm the top contender this time around."

Chihiro offered a mild smile. "There are still two questions left, King of Conquerors. Don't celebrate too soon."

Tohsaka Rin chimed in, "So, does this mean we're going to be sent back now?"

[After the Q&A session concludes, the system will return all members to their original positions.]

[The first question is now complete, and the second question will begin shortly.]

[This is a multiple-choice question. Please watch the following video and choose the answer accordingly.]

The screen shifted to a new scene.

---

[In the Tohsaka household at dusk, Tohsaka Aoi sat looking anxious, her gaze moving between Tohsaka Rin and Tohsaka Tokiomi. Rin stood with her head lowered, lips pressed into a thin line of frustration.]

Tohsaka Tokiomi's voice was calm but firm. "Once the Holy Grail War begins, this place will no longer be safe."

Tohsaka Rin looked up, her eyes fierce with determination. "I want to help Father win the Holy Grail War."

Aoi placed a gentle hand on Rin's shoulder, attempting to soothe her. "Rin, don't make things difficult for your father."

Rin turned her gaze toward Tokiomi, an edge of hurt in her voice. "Are we… in the way?"

Tokiomi sighed, softening his expression slightly. "Not at all. But this time, I have to ensure absolute security for our family. It's best for you and your mother to leave Fuyuki for the duration."

---

"Tohsaka-san, is this scene about you?" Kayneth asked, half amused.

Tohsaka Tokiomi's face held a faint frown, as if he was trying to remember a long-past memory.

In the back, Sakura's gaze dropped, her shoulders tense. Seeing the Tohsaka family together on screen brought a mix of emotions, reminding her of a life she no longer belonged to.

Rin noticed and immediately took Sakura's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

---

[The scene shifted to Rin sneaking into the basement of the Tohsaka residence, rummaging through her father's collection of magical texts.]

Rin muttered to herself, "I know I can help… if only I were a better mage…"

[She flipped through one book, only to find the text entirely incomprehensible. Frustrated, she discarded it and picked up another, scanning page after page until she encountered something strange.]

Suddenly, the pages turned black, and eerie hands of dark energy reached out, wrapping around Rin's neck.

---

"What the heck was that!" Rin yelped, startled by the spectral hands in the video. She hadn't expected her father's study to be hiding such dangerous items.

"Tohsaka-san, really…?" Kayneth smirked, half-judging. "Leaving something like that in an unprotected area?"

Tohsaka Tokiomi gave a resigned sigh, rubbing his temples. "It seems… I'll need to hide some of the more volatile items when I return home."