Reborn with Steve Stand

Upon hearing Archer's words, Fang Mo was genuinely surprised.

He knew very well that this Archer was, in fact, Shirou Emiya himself. In a distant future, Shirou had prayed for a miracle to save countless people, and as a result, he became a Heroic Spirit. Of course, this came at a great cost—Shirou was pulled into the ranks of the Guardians, forced by the Counter Force to kill a few in order to save many. It was a moral dilemma akin to the trolley problem, and it caused him immense suffering.

After all, his dream was to become a hero of justice.

This meant saving everyone.

But after countless attempts, Shirou realized that no matter what he did, some people would always be sacrificed or killed. Over time, he became disillusioned with this world.

After struggling in this endless torment for who knows how long, he began to blame his younger self, thinking that his naive sense of justice was the cause of his suffering. Eventually, a brilliant idea crossed his mind—if he could kill his past self, he would create a paradox, and even as a Heroic Spirit, he would disappear.

With that plan in mind, he was inadvertently summoned by Rin Tohsaka through her pendant.

If everything had gone according to plan, Archer would have done his best to help Rin win while also trying to kill his past self.

Well… under normal circumstances, that is.

Archer was a Heroic Spirit from the future, meaning he retained the memories of his past as Shirou Emiya. Since Shirou had participated in the Fifth Holy Grail War, Archer should have remembered everything.

But now, Archer claimed not to recognize him…

That was odd.

Fang Mo had encountered people with foresight before, like the Future Devil from *Chainsaw Man* and the Ancient One in the *Marvel* universe. These two had been very polite to him, and the reason was simple—they could see the future and knew what would happen if they tried to oppose him.

The Ancient One, in particular, had the power to expel him back then, but she ultimately chose to negotiate rather than fight.

This indicated that those with the ability to foresee or who had traveled back from the future knew exactly the kind of chaos Fang Mo could cause.

Even if the Future Devil couldn't see Fang Mo directly, he could still glean some clues from Aki Hayakawa's fate.

But this Archer's behavior was strange.

"Emmm…"

Fang Mo pondered for a moment.

"Could you stop being cryptic?" Archer, seeing Fang Mo lost in thought, couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"

"I'm Ciel," Fang Mo tested, "or… I'm Fang Mo? Did I tell you my real name after the final battle?"

"Final battle? Fang Mo? What nonsense is this?"

Archer still looked completely confused.

"You didn't participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War?" Fang Mo couldn't hold back anymore. Could it be that Rin's flawed summoning had caused Archer's memories to become jumbled? "Who do you think won the Fifth Holy Grail War? It was obviously me, right?"

"Huh?"

Archer was baffled. "What are you talking about? There was no 'you' in the Fifth Holy Grail War!"

"Really?"

That unexpected reply made Fang Mo pause.

While it wasn't entirely clear how it had happened, based on their conversation, it was evident that Archer's memory had been restored. However, even with his memory intact, he claimed he hadn't met Fang Mo, which was intriguing.

In other words, Fang Mo didn't exist in Archer's version of the past.

With this realization, Fang Mo began to formulate several theories.

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Normally, altering the past could change the future. The plot of *X-Men: Days of Future Past* was a perfect example—by sending Wolverine back in time to save Bolivar Trask, they prevented the rise of the Sentinel program.

However, such methods didn't work in every universe.

The *Fate* universe was known for its branching timelines. The Fifth Holy Grail War alone had three major storylines, and according to official statements from Nasu, each storyline corresponded to a parallel world.

If that were the case…

Fang Mo suspected that a new parallel world had been created the moment he arrived in this universe.

In fact, it might not even be a typical parallel world. It could have mutated into a singularity, depending on what he did next. If he pushed things to the extreme—like seizing the Holy Grail, conquering the world, and advancing humanity's technology to the point of leading an interstellar expedition—he could create a scenario reminiscent of *Iron Sky*.

If that happened, some kind of "humanity preservation agency" might actually send people to intervene.

But considering Fang Mo's current level of power, even if Gudako brought the entire Throne of Heroes with her, it wouldn't make any difference.

Alternatively, the Counter Force might simply abandon this world, leaving Fang Mo to wreak havoc, and only step in once he was done with it.

There was also a final possibility.

As Fang Mo's power continued to grow and his control over his own existence became more refined, his nature had likely become so alien that he no longer fit within the timeline. He might have transcended into a multiversal anomaly, existing only in the present, not in the past or future.

Fang Mo wasn't entirely sure about this last theory—not because it seemed too far-fetched, but because he had no way to verify it. So, he chose not to dwell on it.

"Alright, I think I understand now."

After coming to these conclusions, Fang Mo addressed Archer, "It seems there's been a timeline issue. While I didn't participate in the version of the Fifth Holy Grail War you're familiar with, I'm here this time. I'm Rin Tohsaka's Servant."

"…What?"

Archer was dumbfounded. "Do you not remember kicking me earlier? If you're Rin's Servant, then who am I?"

"Well, I could just kill you."

Fang Mo shrugged casually.

"You…" Archer frowned. "Are you looking for a fight? I've never backed down from a challenge."

Saying this, Archer immediately activated his Projection Magic. In an instant, a pair of black and white short swords appeared in his hands, and he assumed a battle-ready stance.

"See that empty field over there?"

Fang Mo wasn't in the mood to explain and simply pointed to a nearby barren stretch of land.

"What are you…"

Archer was about to ask when Fang Mo nonchalantly threw out a beam of white light. A second later, the ground in the distance lit up as if a miniature sun had fallen there. A tidal wave of energy erupted, swallowing everything within dozens of kilometers.

The incoming shockwave alone nearly blew Archer away. Desperate, he planted his swords into the ground to steady himself and quickly activated his Projection Magic: "Rho Aias!"

Seven layers of overlapping energy shields materialized in front of him.

But the shields barely held for a second before they were crushed, leaving only the final layer intact, just enough to protect Archer.

"This… How is this possible?!"

Archer was stunned. What kind of power was this? This wasn't something a human could wield! Could this guy really be a Heroic Spirit? No, not even Heroic Spirits had this kind of ridiculous strength!

"See that crater over there?"

Fang Mo squatted down and smiled as he asked Archer again.

"You…"

After a moment of silence, Archer spoke, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"My name is Fang Mo, but the name isn't important." Fang Mo thought for a moment and continued, "Based on your understanding, I suppose you could call me… an Outer God. I'm an entity that descended from beyond this universe. What you just saw was only a fraction of my power. If I wanted to, I could pull your superior from the Throne of Heroes and crush him with a single finger."

"And as for my purpose, it's simple."

Fang Mo continued, "I'm interested in some things in your world, like the Holy Grail and this 'Root.' If possible, I'd like to study them."

"Study them… Is that all?"

Archer asked, his wariness clear.

"Actually, I'm also quite curious about the Heroic Spirit system."

Fang Mo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'd like to study the mechanics of Heroic Spirits through you. If you agree, we can form an alliance. If my research goes well, I might even be able to pull your true self from the Throne of Heroes. After all, you don't want to keep working for the Counter Force, do you?"

"What did you say?!"

Archer's expression shifted, clearly intrigued.

"Of course, I'm a reasonable person. You're free to refuse," Fang Mo said, spreading his hands. "In that case, I'll just kill you."

"I have a question."

After a moment's hesitation, Archer spoke up.

"Go ahead."

"You threw me into this place and took my identity, right?" Archer asked. "Which means you're now posing as Rin's Servant. Are you going to help her win this war?"

"That's no problem."

Fang Mo nodded, then added with a laugh, "But to be honest, with that Holy Grail full of black mud… I'm not sure winning is such a good thing."

"That's what Rin wants, at least."

Archer said noncommittally, "If that's the case, I'll agree. What do you need me to do?"

"Just stand still and don't resist."

Fang Mo replied as he activated his dimensional powers, beginning a thorough examination of Archer's structure as a Heroic Spirit.

During the analysis, Fang Mo discovered several unique features.

First, there was the core magical structure known as the Spirit Core, as well as strange networks resembling veins and nerves—likely the Magic Circuits.

In addition, there were some hidden magical threads woven into a web-like structure that enveloped the entire body. These threads were invisible to the naked eye and were probably linked to the Command Seals, part of the system governing the Holy Grail War.

"Surprisingly simple."

After a brief investigation, Fang Mo quickly grasped the basic mechanics.

He raised his hand, and with a thought, his dimensional power transformed into something resembling magical energy, which then began to converge on his palm.

In no time, three red marks appeared on the back of his hand.

These were Command Seals.

For humans, they might have been complicated magic, but once Fang Mo understood the principle, he easily replicated them with the aid of his dimensional powers.

"…That fast?"

Archer was visibly stunned. He hadn't expected Fang Mo to figure it out so quickly. In just a moment, Fang Mo had even managed to create Command Seals from thin air.

"Let me give it a try."

Fang Mo examined the Command Seals on his hand. "Archer, jump."

"What?"

Archer blinked in confusion, but the next second, his body was enveloped in magical energy, and he found himself jumping uncontrollably. As he jumped, he exclaimed, "This is impossible! How can the Command Seals work on me? I'm supposed to be Rin's Servant…"

"It's probably a system issue."

Fang Mo rubbed his chin. "Most magic is complex in its operations, but this Holy Grail system is mainly a matter of encryption… The principle is simple enough, and I cracked it with a bit of brute force."

Fang Mo wasn't lying.

After his research, he discovered that the relationship between Heroic Spirits and Command Seals was based on an encrypted system.

When Rin summoned Archer and formed a contract with him, their magic power created a unique encrypted channel.

Everything from issuing commands to transmitting magical energy took place within this encrypted channel, which is why outsiders couldn't interfere. It was like logging into a game account with a username and password to control a character.

That was the normal logic.

However, Fang Mo was essentially a hacker with a quantum computer.

If he wanted, he could break into the game's backend, open multiple clients, modify the database, and even hack other players' accounts to play as their characters.

"Not bad. This system is pretty interesting."

Satisfied, Fang Mo waved his hand, and the Command Seals on his hand gradually disappeared. "Alright, next up. I know you can use Projection Magic, right? Show me everything you can project."

"Huh?"

Archer was taken aback. "Why?"

"Just do it," Fang Mo retorted. "There are plenty of other Heroic Spirits who could do it if you don't want to."

There was a reason behind Fang Mo's request. During his earlier battle with Gilgamesh, he had realized something. Since arriving in this world, he hadn't unlocked any modules yet. Now, with most of the other Heroic Spirits defeated, only Gilgamesh and Archer had significant collections of Noble Phantasms. If one of them could trigger a module, it would be worth the effort.

"Fine."

After a moment of hesitation, Archer complied. "Starting Projection Magic…"

...

After spending a few hours in the Dimensional Prison, Fang Mo finally returned to the Emiya residence in the evening.

Having spent the entire day experimenting without unlocking any modules, he was feeling bored. So, he opened the door, thinking he might have some fun teasing Rin. Maybe she had gone to a computer shop like a clueless fool.

However, just as he opened the door, he heard a startled shout from the other room: "Ah! Sakura, what are you doing!?"

Recognizing Rin's voice, Fang Mo curiously stepped outside. As soon as he did, he saw Sakura Matou kneeling on the ground, stabbing a strange-looking dagger into her stomach.

It looked almost like… seppuku?

Clearly, Rin was just as shocked by the sight. She immediately rushed over to check on Sakura.

"Sister, forgive me…"

But just as Rin was inspecting Sakura's wound, Sakura suddenly pulled out the strange dagger and gently slashed Rin's hand.

The dagger seemed to possess some kind of mysterious magic. In the brief moment Rin was stunned, she realized that the Command Seals on her hand had disappeared. At the same time, her connection to her Servant was severed. The sudden turn of events left her completely frozen in place.

At that exact moment, Fang Mo pushed open the door: "…Huh?"

"Archer-sama!"

Sakura's face lit up with excitement when she saw Fang Mo. Her cheeks flushed as she called out, "I did it, Archer-sama!"

"Wh-what!?" Rin was utterly shocked. She took several steps back in disbelief, her face turning pale as she stared at Fang Mo. "Archer, you… actually…!"