IBHJ Chapter 617 (Patreon)

Shirou told Saber and the others that Beasts couldn't be negotiated with. However, being unable to negotiate didn't equate to being unable communicate.

Beasts still possessed rationality, merely a rationality that ordinary people couldn't comprehend.

Simply put, they violated the worldviews and values of the masses, thus leading to the inability to negotiate. But communication was still possible.

Kiara wasn't annoyed by his denial. She showed a gentle smile and said, “That ‘false’ me is still me, Mister Assassin.”

Mordred came to his side, looking at his face and asked, “Do you know her?”

“We've met before."

“What is she?"

He uttered a single word: “Beast!”

Hearing this, she raised a brow and turned to Kiara in surprise.

A Beast...

Although she already knew about the presence of connection points and Chaldea, for a Holy Grail War to draw in a Grand Servant and Beasts...

This was truly inconceivable!

Shirou looked at Kiara’s face with a smile and said. “You said that was a false ‘you’, but to me, that is the real ‘you’,” 

"Oh?" Kiara raised an eyebrow. "Could it be Mr. Assassin has grown quite fond of this false 'me'? Does seeing her bring you happiness?" She stretched out a hand to cover her bewitching face, revealing a troubled expression. "Unfortunately, that 'me' is merely an illusory bubble."

"I'd say that's not the case at all," he chuckled lightly. "That 'you' is likely the original 'you' - the one buried deep in your heart. Sheltered by your father's protection, never having left home before, you've just started to ponder the question of whether people only have to fend for themselves."

Hearing this, she looked at him in astonishment. "How do you know this?"

He tapped his temple. "There's nothing these eyes can't see through."

Of course, he was bluffing.

In her current state, he couldn't actually see through her at all. But naturally, he wouldn't admit such a thing.

The truth was, knowing her background was enough to infer such insights about her character. He enjoyed using his brain. Given sufficient information, he could deduce probable conclusions.

"Impressive," Kiara sighed in admiration.

Mordred gripped her sword tightly, searching for an escape.

Shirou stepped sideways, blocking Kiara's view of Mordred with his body.

Mordred raised a questioning eyebrow. What was he doing? Trying to protect her? She bristled at the thought.

However, it was as if Kiara didn't see his small action at all. She smiled and said, "You guessed right, Mr. Assassin. That illusory 'me' was indeed the most immature aspect of myself. I'm also very confused why she suddenly ran out from my body. She really caused me a lot of trouble."

With a weary sigh, she appeared somewhat distressed.

He said, "I'm also confused as to why a bodhisattva such as yourself would appear here. Involving yourself in a Holy Grail War seems beneath your station."

Mordred tugged at his clothes and whispered, "Whatever information you're digging for, she won't reveal it so easily."

He whispered back, "Let me try first and see."

Mordred frowned doubtfully.

As expected, Kiara just continued smiling without answering.

Mordred whispered, "See, I told you she wouldn't talk."

"No," he shook his head and whispered back, "This indirectly proves something."

Indirectly proved somthing?

Mordred raised an eyebrow and before long, she was startled. 

She understood where the key point lay.

So that's how it is!

She understood that with such simple words, they had obtained a piece of information...

That was...

Why Kiara would appear here was something that couldn't be said!

Yes, it was as simple as that. But if he also had some other information, perhaps he could infer what he needed.

Mordred looked at Shirou.

She understood, he was gathering information from the side!

As a master of his craft, he was deeply aware of the power and deception inherent to language—all uttered words carry some deceit. After all, speech relays only second-hand information at best.

Given her background, Kiara was clearly skilled in lying. Her words carried both hints of truth and falsehoods; to blindly believe them would be foolish.

So instead of fully trusting her words, he simply took in the information and organized it mentally. Only through his own inference could he determine where the truth lay. He wouldn't take her words at face value, but use them to uncover insights into her character. By thinking critically, instead of believing naively, he avoided the pitfalls that gullibility could bring.

Perhaps it displayed subjective bias, but this approach made Shirou less prone to others' deception. More importantly, it prevented him from being misled by his own conjectures.

Since Kiara ignored his previous question, her reasons for being here clearly couldn't—or shouldn't—be spoken aloud. Another guess was that she wanted to deceive but faced restrains. Of course, these were just hypotheticals; one couldn't leap to conclusions.

After thinking for a bit, he asked: "For what purpose did Goetia send you here?"

Kiara only smiled silently in return.

Clearly, direct questions were useless against her.

Though at first glance she resembled a woman obsessed with pleasure-seeking, Kiara clearly possessed a keen intellect. Her background revealed as much—as the Shingon Tachikawa School's daughter, she had incited internal power struggles, causing followers to mutually slaughter each other. Without cunning skills, she could never have achieved such destruction.

"What is your purpose then?" he stared directly at her.

This time, she smiled and answered. "Naturally, to liberate all these poor people from the endless sea of suffering they're mired in."

Her face held a serene, compassionate smile and her body shone radiantly, like a prophet bearing salvation.

But neither Shirou nor Mordred were fooled by her saintly appearance.

Mordred scoffed, "Yet another self-proclaimed savior."

"No, you're mistaken, Mordred," he shook his head and looked at Kiara. "She's different from other saviors. Many set out based on kindness, but strayed far from their original path. She is not the same."

"She believes only she alone is 'human'—all others are beasts disguised in human skin. So for her, this so-called 'salvation' is ultimately meant for no one but herself."

"Oh?" Kiara looked genuinely interested.

And rightfully so—he had uncovered her true core despite barely interacting with her! Her interest was genuine this time.

But this shouldn't have been possible.

Up until now, she had never met him before. The one who had contacted him was merely an aspect that had broken away from her true self. Naturally, he shouldn't understand her so deeply!

Shirou slowly extended his palm, pointing at Kiara: "While her compassion is not false, her morals only apply to herself. Her love for life is also only for her own sake. Isn't that right, Kiara Sessyoin?"

"You are a monster of self-love! Never lying to yourself for a moment, faithfully following your own desires, yet deceiving others with honeyed words so they devote their lives solely for your benefit. From a normal person's perspective, your relentless self-interest has reached an almost enlightened level. Thus, with your endless pursuit of self-love and liberation of pleasure, ordinary people see you as a saintess freeing them from their suffering."

"However, you chose to save more people solely to satisfy your own desires, so you are not the true Kiara Sessyoin, but just a Beast!"

She smiled, "Ah, this is the first time someone has understood my true nature so deeply. Well done, Assassin."

Yet despite her words, her expression remained serenely unruffled, without any visible reaction.

This lack of surprise wasn't really a surprise because she was this kind of person - elegant and unruffled when confronted with questioning, condemnation, or hostility from others.

Completely unconcerned.

In her own value system, she alone was [Human].

Everyone else was merely beasts wearing human skins in her eyes.

And do humans care what beasts think?

No.

Just as well, the Devil's Bodhisattva didn't bother with what others thought of her or their hostility towards her.

To her, the only [Human] was herself. And to bring happiness to herself was virtuous conduct.

For her, that happiness came from liberating others from their suffering.

Indeed, a bodhisattva arrives to provide salvation out of compassion. But the Devil's Bodhisattva chose to save more people solely to indulge her own desires.

Even worse, despite seeing others as mere tools for her own gratification, she genuinely cared for these "tools." Her compassion could truly save people from suffering. And she reveled in the pleasure of watching those she saved either ascend to Paradise or mentally collapse.

Thus, those who knew her true nature found her terrifying.

This also highlighted the fundamental issue that made [Beasts] impossible to reason with.

However, he had guessed correctly about one thing:

The Kiara Sessyoin who had broken away was not a false persona, but her initial innocent self—curious about the world and believing in the love between people described in books.

Why this had happened was a mystery, perhaps due to the imperfect transfer of authority, or perhaps some other reason.

In fact, even the Devil's Bodhisattva herself didn't understand why.

But it didn't matter, because that 'her' had already been reabsorbed.