In the Type-Moon World, Magi usually view ordinary people as tools or resources, rather than as equal beings.
As long as there is a possibility of fulfilling the Magi's long-cherished wish, they don't care how many humans are sacrificed.
On the path Magi take in pursuit of the Root, experimental failures are all too common.
If the path to the Root can be achieved by sacrificing human lives, in the eyes of these Magi, such sacrifices are noble and necessary.
It was precisely because of his understanding of the Magi as a group that Kiritsugu Emiya was certain that old man Jubstacheit would not give up on obtaining the Holy Grail, even if he knew it was corrupted.
As long as the Third Magic can be recreated, achieving the great feat of 'materialization of the soul' and 'perpetual motion of the soul,' what does it matter to the Einzbern Family if the Holy Grail is corrupted and the realization of the wish brings disaster to the surrounding areas?
As long as the Holy Grail can be obtained, the purpose of what the summoned Holy Grail is actually used for is no longer within the scope of consideration.
Just as humans don't remember how many loaves of bread they've eaten, Magi also do not pity the lives of ordinary humans.
This extreme idea, which ordinary humans would consider anathema, is commonplace among Magi.
Even he, as the 'Magus Killer,' was the same.
Even if he scoffed at the traditional Magus ways, treating Magecraft as a means to complete tasks and calling himself a Magus User,
Kiritsugu Emiya knew that deep down, he was still a Magus, a human pursuing things beyond human reach.
His initial dream was to create a world where everyone could smile, a peaceful world without war or sorrow.
But as time passed and experiences accumulated, he gradually realized the cruelty of reality and the unattainability of his ideals.
Humans have limits; sometimes, one must make painful choices.
Facing a greater disaster, to save the majority of lives, the minority must be sacrificed.
Life has no distinction of noble or humble, old or young; 'one' is its only unit.
To save even one more life on the scale, the counter must abandon the other choice.
Sacrifice the few to save the many.
Even if it means killing one of his own family members to save many strangers, he would still do it without hesitation.
Fairly compare the value of all lives, and more precisely reduce the lamentations in the world.
Shirley (childhood friend), Emiya Norikata (father), Natalia (adoptive mother) — again and again, he was forced to choose between a close minority and an unrelated majority, repeatedly facing the 'trolley problem,' rigidly handling all sorts of issues he encountered.
Until he learned that there was an 'omnipotent cauldron' in the world that could grant all wishes.
To end the spiral of endlessly repeating tragedies, to achieve the ideal of saving the world, and to create a world where everyone could smile, Kiritsugu Emiya resolutely chose to participate in the Holy Grail War.
Even knowing that Irisviel would die after the Holy Grail finally descended, he unhesitatingly embarked on the path to save the world.
But if the Holy Grail was corrupted, all wishes would turn in the worst possible direction.
Then, could it still grant his wish?
A flicker of confusion crossed Kiritsugu Emiya's hollow, dim eyes.
But facing another Master, he could not show his inner weakness.
Kiritsugu Emiya's voice remained low and firm, betraying no inner turmoil: "Thank you very much for sharing this information; it is crucial for us. My apologies, as the information is too important, we need to immediately confirm its accuracy, so we won't bother you any longer for now."
After Kiritsugu Emiya finished speaking, he prepared to take Irisviel and Saber and turn to leave the Matou Residence.
The information provided by the other party was too astonishing; he could not judge its veracity and needed to investigate personally to get an answer.
Chen Yu nodded understandingly; he knew that in this situation, Kiritsugu Emiya and the others needed time to process and verify this information.
"Are you leaving already? Are you not planning to take Miss Maiya back?"
Chen Yu's reminder made Kiritsugu Emiya, Irisviel, and Saber pause in their steps.
Chen Yu snapped his right fingers.
Maiya, who had been unconscious on the second floor, floated up, guided by Magecraft, and after the window opened, she slowly drifted towards Kiritsugu Emiya and the others.
Chen Yu had no intention of using Maiya as a hostage to force Kiritsugu Emiya to make a decision from the start.
He knew that for someone like Kiritsugu Emiya, a hostage made little difference.
Just as Jin Shan Shan anticipated Kirei Kotomine awakening to 'pleasure,' Chen Yu also anticipated whether Kiritsugu Emiya, after learning the truth about the Holy Grail's corruption in advance, could deviate from the original plot and make a different choice.
Seeing Maiya floating from the second-floor window, Saber extended her hands and caught Maiya.
She quickly checked her and found that, apart from being unconscious, her vital signs were intact.
Looking at Maiya, who was still unconscious, Kiritsugu Emiya and Saber felt a bit awkward.
They had been so distraught by the information Chen Yu provided that they almost forgot the original purpose of their visit.
Seeing Saber catch Maiya, Chen Yu waved his hand and turned to walk back into the house.
"Kariya, show them out."
"Yes."
Following Chen Yu's command, Matou Kariya respectfully responded and then walked towards Kiritsugu Emiya and the others to escort them out of the Matou Residence.
Saber carried Maiya in a princess carry, and along with Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel, slowly left the Matou Residence under Kariya's guidance.
Night had fallen deep, and moonlight spilled onto the road outside the residence, adding a quiet and mysterious atmosphere to the scene.
Kiritsugu Emiya's thoughts were as numerous and complex as the stars in the night sky.
The information Chen Yu provided was like a meteorite, falling onto the calm surface of his inner lake, stirring up ripple after ripple.
He knew that if the Holy Grail was truly corrupted, all his plans and goals would face unprecedented challenges.
But Kiritsugu Emiya was not one to give up easily; after a brief moment of confusion, his eyes quickly regained their resolve.
Kiritsugu Emiya walked silently at the forefront.
"Kiritsugu, what do we do next?" Irisviel asked softly, a hint of worry in her voice.
Kiritsugu Emiya stopped and turned around, his gaze appearing exceptionally firm in the night.
"We must verify the information provided by the other party as soon as possible," he said. "If the Holy Grail is truly corrupted, then everything we have done must be re-evaluated."
"Kiritsugu..." Irisviel called softly, her voice exceptionally gentle in the night. "But no matter the outcome, we will face it together."
Saber nodded in agreement.
