Chapter 78: Star Beast Suppression
The sky was overcast, and a light rain was falling.
Inside the space completely enveloped by the colossal shadow within this boundary, Ishtar stood frozen atop her celestial ship like a crumbling statue, staring fixedly at the figure of the Mother Goddess of Creation descending from the heavens.
In that instant, she felt as though her entire worldview was collapsing.
Wait…
Why did this guy shout "Mama!" and actually summon his mother?!
Even if what was before her was nothing more than a phantom forcibly created by magic, it was undeniably the real Goddess of Creation at that level.
Are you telling me — a Mesopotamian goddess — to fight the common ancestor of all Mesopotamian gods?!
Ishtar stared at the colossal creature radiating a terrifyingly oppressive presence that stood before her and was already crushed by despair.
At that moment, Ishtar shifted her gaze to Matou Yuu and noticed his unusual condition.
The black-haired young man, who had been calm and composed until now, had turned deathly pale the instant he began summoning that being.
He stood there weakly. His breathing was like a candle flame flickering in the wind, as if it might be blown out at any moment.
"What's wrong with this guy? Why is he so weak?"
He hadn't even used magic properly since the war began… So why had he exhausted himself to this extent?
Ishtar's eyes wavered slightly, and an expression of realization quickly appeared on her beautiful face.
Forcibly summoning and maintaining the "Mother's" phantom seemed to come at the cost of instantly consuming one's own magical energy.
What if she found a way to bypass the mother and eliminate Matou Yuu directly?
The thought crossed Ishtar's mind, but she immediately shook her head and rejected it.
No, no… What am I thinking?!
This must be influenced by the foolish ideas of this body's original owner… No matter how you look at it, this has to be a last resort, right?!
Generally, when encountering a Servant too powerful to defeat in a Holy Grail War, the best option is to eliminate the opponent's Master first.
However, Matou Yuu's mechanism was a little too eerie.
It went without saying that he himself was already quite troublesome, but the most important thing was...
There seemed to be some kind of monster lurking inside his body.
Even if she went to great lengths to eliminate him... she might still have to deal with all the "calamities" that would arise afterward.
Moreover, she still vividly remembered the scene of Tiamat going berserk after Matou Yuu's death.
If that happened again... no one could guarantee whether this fragile human body could endure such pain.
However—
She couldn't kill him. Let's think of a way to knock him out with a stick instead.
If she rendered him unconscious and cut off the magical energy supply, wouldn't Tiamat's projection naturally disappear?
Ishtar's eyes lit up, and she immediately made the most perfect tactical judgment for herself.
"You're the one who ignored ethics and called for 'Mama' first, so don't blame me, Matou Yuu!"
Without hesitation, Ishtar lowered her body, steered Maanna into a streak of golden light, and attempted to bypass Tiamat's colossal projection from the blind spot on the side, heading straight for Matou Yuu.
"Aaaaaaaah!!!"
However, she had clearly underestimated Tiamat's anger at the moment she "lost her snacks."
Accompanied by a heart-wrenching cry that seemed to tear through space, the purified Sea of Life instantly unleashed a colossal tsunami inside the barrier.
The very next moment, the instant Ishtar raised her gaze in terror, Tiamat's Noble Phantasm symbolizing creation and rebirth was mercilessly activated.
Nammu Duranki—!!!
"Eh?! Wait, wait a minute, Mother!!"
The very next moment, the heavenly goddess finally snapped out of her dazed state and let out a pitiful cry of the weak.
As the song of creation began, she could only watch helplessly as the blue tsunami covering the sky rushed toward her like an overturned heavenly river, about to completely swallow her small body.
Boom—!
Fortunately, in that life-or-death situation, she drew out every last bit of magical energy from her sky boat and barely avoided the attack at the last moment.
And without the slightest hesitation or restraint expected of a goddess.
Ishtar steered her celestial boat, turned around without looking back, and fled!
In the blink of an eye, she violently broke through the edge of the original barrier like a shooting star and shot straight into the distance.
She pierced through the thick clouds in one breath and ascended to an altitude of 10,000 meters.
It was only then that Ishtar finally let out a sigh of relief. Without caring about her posture, she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Really... That was a bit too close. Thank goodness Maana was there."
She gently patted the celestial boat beneath her feet, her voice carrying the relief of having survived a great calamity.
She had been on the verge of achieving an unprecedented feat that would never be repeated. On the very first night of the Holy Grail War, she had been "killed on the first day" in Snowfield City and forcibly sent back.
Thinking this, Ishtar couldn't help but recall everything that had just happened.
Although she felt lucky, anger quickly welled up inside her, and she secretly gritted her teeth.
"Matou Yuu——!"
She had known that this young man was difficult to deal with, but she had never expected him to know how to project his own "mother" directly into magic.
Moreover, that damned Gilgamesh must have known this information all along!
I was led astray by a lack of information.
However... it wasn't a complete loss.
At least I had found this trump card, and I had managed to escape the Mother's wrath on my own, hadn't I?
Next, I planned to find a safe place in this snow-covered city to establish a foothold and then slowly plan my next move.
Whether it was the scheming Gilgamesh or Matou Yuu... Anyway, it would be fun to watch.
After Ishtar formulated one cruel revenge plan after another in her mind, she finally felt better and decided to depart aboard her celestial boat.
However, at that moment, her triumphant expression suddenly disappeared, and she herself froze for an instant, feeling a chilling sensation run down her spine.
She looked down at her fingertips in slight surprise. They were trembling faintly from the pressure.
Logically speaking, she should have already traveled a very long distance and completely left the location where the battle had just taken place.
Moreover, this was 10,000 meters above the ground — the domain of the heavenly goddess!
But why... was she trembling now?
Could it be——
As if some possibility had crossed her mind, Ishtar's pupils suddenly contracted.
Then, with her neck stiff, she mechanically and slowly turned her head to look behind her.
"Mother, Mother, Mother?!"
No, there are no mythological records of Tiamat being able to fly!
Yes... At this very moment, floating silently behind Ishtar was the projection of Tiamat that covered the sky.
Bearing the terrifying spiritual core weight that could crush the earth, this Mother Goddess of Creation completely ignored the laws of physics, silently pursued her to an altitude of 10,000 meters, and was now staring at her with angry red eyes while puffing out her cheeks.
"..."
When their eyes met, an eerie silence seemed to envelop the surroundings.
Immediately after, Ishtar's unbelievably beautiful face completely collapsed.
She forced a smile that was close to a bitter one and said in a trembling voice, "Um... Great Mother, I still don't understand why you're so angry, but if you calm down, I'll pay any price... No, I'll apologize..."
Anyway, there were no outsiders here, so she had no choice but to accept this humiliation...
However—
"Aaaaaaaaaah!!!"
Under Ishtar's despairing gaze, the violent song of creation completely drowned out the heavenly goddess's final lament.
…
In front of the long street.
The god-level great magic cast by Sajyou Manaka had already transformed into a dense black mist, completely sealing off this domain.
Ishtar had fled in a panic, and then Tiamat's overwhelming projection had followed right behind. The heavy long street seemed to be enveloped in an eerie silence.
Sajyou Manaka's gaze passed over the red dragon of great calamity still lying on the ground and immediately turned her strong interest toward the pale-faced young man before her.
"Matou-kun, you seem very confident."
The girl tilted her head and smiled as she said, "Even though you were so weak after forcibly summoning Tiamat, you can still stand here and confront me without flinching."
Matou Yuu shrugged helplessly. "Didn't you say that tonight was just a 'test' to greet you, Sajyou-san? If that's the case, my magical energy is already exhausted, so I shouldn't be worth testing anymore, right?"
"That's true, but——"
Sajyou Manaka extended her slender fingers and gently touched her soft cherry-pink lips as she said, "Could it be that Matou-kun is hiding some incredible surprise that he hasn't told Manaka about yet?"
"After all... it seems like a crack has formed in the sea of your heart that you originally kept sealed... I can feel some kind of power overflowing from it."
Matou Yuu was slightly surprised, but he didn't particularly care and simply smiled as he said, "As you said, Sajyou-san, I might indeed have some unexpected sides... But if you see everything all at once, there won't be any fun left afterward, right?"
"And—"
He suddenly changed the subject and looked up at Gilgamesh standing proudly atop the streetlight a short distance away. "Tonight, your real enemy isn't me, but him, right?"
Hearing this blatant attempt to shift responsibility, Gilgamesh, who had been coldly observing from beneath the streetlight the entire time, couldn't help but let out a disdainful snort.
"Are you trying to use this crude provocation tactic to unite the other Masters against me because you've exhausted your own magical energy? How utterly foolish. If I were to be destroyed by a ragtag group of schemers like you, I might as well scatter my treasures as scrap for the beggars in the city."
He slightly raised his arrogant chin and said with a contemptuous gaze in his crimson snake-like eyes.
"Don't overestimate yourself, you mongrel——"
However, the moment Gilgamesh's extremely insulting finishing line was about to leave his mouth, he caught a glimpse of the blue-haired loli being protected behind Matou Yuu and swallowed the word "mongrel."
It wasn't that this oldest king had submitted.
Tiamat was the Goddess of Creation in Mesopotamian mythology, the Mother Goddess who gave birth to all things. If he carelessly uttered the word "mongrel" in anger, it would be tantamount to insulting himself in terms of mythological bloodline and lineage, wouldn't it?
Any logical flaw that damaged the king's dignity was absolutely unacceptable.
However...
Gilgamesh secretly observed the extremely weakened black-haired young man.
If he had to say, this was a truly rare and wonderful opportunity.
Without a doubt, the existence of the variable called Matou Yuu was extremely special and dangerous.
However, according to the rules of the Holy Grail War, there were usually only two ways to completely remove a Master from battle: one was to defeat the Master himself, and the other was to kill the opponent's Servant and strip them of their qualification to participate in battle.
Therefore, as long as he dealt with the opponent's Servant——
The moment Gilgamesh thought of this, he suddenly noticed a blind spot.
Wait a minute...
If his memory was correct, when Matou Yuu first summoned a heroic spirit in this Holy Grail War, the Servant he had summoned should have been Tiamat.
After that, Tiamat had voluntarily discarded her Beast form, abandoned her own Servant spiritual origin to avoid being rejected by the world's will, and compressed and transformed it into the identity of a Master.
In other words, the "loli mother" standing here was the Master, and the Roman emperor riding the red dragon over there was Tiamat's Servant.
So the question was...
Now that the original Servant had become the Master, where had Matou Yuu's current Servant gone?
The instant this question flashed through Gilgamesh's mind, a ghostly, death-like, yet intensely murderous deep red light suddenly appeared behind him!
"Eh?"
Gilgamesh let out an almost inaudible small voice. His royal crimson eyes suddenly narrowed, and he hurriedly turned around.
Although he didn't know when it had started, within the eerily distorted shadow, an elegant figure in a black robe had quietly appeared like a ghost.
——No Name Assassin!
The girl's slender right arm instantly transformed without hesitation into a long black arm entwined with a demonic evil curse.
Crimson magical energy gathered in her palm and was fired straight toward the Golden King's heart!
"Zabaniya——!"
It was not a physical penetration. No Name Assassin had used a spatial interference curse to create a "double existence" right next to the opponent's chest.
If the forcibly pulled-out illusory heart was crushed, the real heart would also be shattered to pieces.
However—
Faced with this terrifying curse right before him, Gilgamesh did not even lower the arms he had crossed in front of his chest. He simply directed a cold gaze at her.
Buzz!
A heavy spatial vibration could be heard as countless dazzling golden ripples instantly spread across the night sky centered on him.
Whoosh whoosh!
The very next moment, the Gate of Babylon overflowed like a storm and transformed into an impenetrable net of lethal swords rushing straight toward the assassin lurking behind him.
No Name Assassin's pupils contracted sharply. Relying on beast-like instinct, she forcibly twisted her waist in midair and gave up the perfect opportunity that had been just a hair's breadth away.
She dodged the raining bullets and barely avoided the attack at the last moment, but in the end, she had no choice but to retreat toward Matou Yuu, leaving only an afterimage.
"I've always wondered how you could remain so calm after losing your Servant... So that's how it was?"
Gilgamesh slightly tilted his head, raised his proud chin, and slowly said, "Matou Yuu, you've had multiple Servants following you since you first set foot on this stage... You really are a cunning fellow who loves to lurk in the shadows."
"However..." He snorted coldly. "Not only is it a fake that doesn't even leave behind its true name, but even a first-rate Assassin bearing the name 'Hassan' cannot vanish without a trace under the surveillance of my clairvoyance."
"I'm sorry, Master... I made a mistake."
No Name Assassin's voice was filled with self-reproach and disappointment as she quietly lowered her head and said, "It's because my skill is insufficient. If it had been the previous leaders, they would have surely——"
Before she could finish speaking, Matou Yuu lightly shook his head and gently interrupted her. "It's not your fault... His perception as an Archer is now terrifyingly extraordinary. It's a wall that cannot be overcome by stealth techniques alone."
Matou Yuu had never believed from the beginning that No Name Assassin's attack would succeed.
Even before calling out "Mama,"Matou Yuu had secretly moved the hidden No Name Assassin to the best ambush position.
His attempt to have No Name Assassin assassinate him had been to observe the situation from the start.
Since the war began, Gilgamesh had been standing arrogantly atop the streetlight as if he were completely exposing himself to everyone's eyes.
Despite possessing the highest-level Presence Concealment ability.
However—
The moment Matou Yuu laid eyes on Gilgamesh, he had keenly sensed that Gilgamesh's descent this time was completely different from his previous arrogant and careless appearance.
The opponent's words were precisely the revelation of his trump card and completely confirmed Matou Yuu's suspicions.
Matou Yuu slowly raised his head and stared at the golden king atop the streetlight as if he were declaring to the world that he controlled everything, then slowly and carefully began to speak.
"Sha Naqba Imuru...?"
It was the highest-ranking spiritual Noble Phantasm possessed by the Hero King Gilgamesh and his ultimate trump card.
If the Swirl of the Root was the source that gave birth to all things and governed all causes and effects, then Sha Naqba Imuru was the ultimate observation device with mythological-level computational power.
As a constantly active passive Noble Phantasm, it could pierce through everything like starlight.
Under its gaze, the opponent's true name, Noble Phantasms, weaknesses, and even hidden trump cards were instantly analyzed.
Not only could Gilgamesh see through all illusions and disguises, but thanks to the protection of the Sha Naqba Imuru, he could also see through truths hidden in multiple parallel futures and time axes at a single glance.
Unless this king voluntarily sealed this power, even something that appeared to be a perfect assassination to humans was nothing more than a ruined story.
"Whoa..."
Atop the streetlight, a hint of surprise appeared in Gilgamesh's crimson snake-like eyes.
He unusually discarded his previous indifference and couldn't help but look at the black-haired young man once or twice more.
"I never imagined that in this desolate era where magic had long since declined, there would still be someone who could call out the true name of this king who sees all things..."
"That's interesting. However——"
The very moment Gilgamesh was about to continue speaking, his omniscient eyes sharpened as if they had captured some kind of abhorrent wavelength, and his voice suddenly cut off.
"From the very beginning, you've been watching me from the shadows with those abhorrent eyes..."
Gilgamesh's previously calm expression instantly changed to an extremely gloomy one.
"You half-baked mongrel reeking of cheap pollen, come out and fight me!"
Buzz—!
Before he could finish speaking, the space behind Gilgamesh was suddenly enveloped in chaos.
Dozens of golden spatial ripples opened simultaneously, and divinely shining swords, spears, and halberds shot out all at once toward the deep shadow in one corner of the long street like a meteor shower tearing through the night sky!
However—
The very moment those fierce golden relics were about to completely shatter the shadow, a faint, mysterious, and mystical chant quietly echoed through the night sky.
"Breath of the stars, slumber of flowers... Sink this world's slaughter into the illusion of paradise!"
When the chant ended, an unbelievable sight unfolded before their eyes.
The divinely crafted weapons fired from the King's treasury touched the edge of the shadow and seemed to fall into a dream.
They quietly crumbled and turned into countless pink petals that danced in the air.
A cool evening breeze blew through, and the vivid petals scattered in the wind.
"Oh my... You really are the oldest Hero King. Your insight is terrifyingly sharp for me."
From the dim location, a light and beautiful female voice could be heard.
As footsteps echoed through the deathly silent street, a woman in a white dress holding a staff gracefully emerged from the shadow.
She raised her captivating pink eyes, accepted Gilgamesh's murderous gaze without flinching, and smiled as she said, "However, killing a weak woman without a single word is not the behavior of a gentleman, Hero King."
"Are you... Merlin?"
Gilgamesh coldly looked down at the silver-haired nightmare-like man.
However, thanks to the protection of the Sha Naqba Imuru, he immediately saw through everything and a mocking smile appeared on his lips.
"No... You're not that troublesome court magus. You're 'the other nightmare,' aren't you?"
"Ah, in front of your all-seeing eyes, it seems nothing can be hidden."
Merlin smiled lightly and said, "However, please restrain your hostility a little... Tonight, I have no intention of becoming your enemy, King Gilgamesh."
"I was only asked by a coward to quell tonight's battle."
As she spoke, she passed by Gilgamesh floating in midair and shifted her gaze to the ruined street behind him, clicking her tongue in admiration.
"What a spectacular scene... If Alaya's agents saw this, they would surely be worried and break out in a cold sweat, wouldn't they?"
It was the first night of the False Holy Grail War, but this small stage had already gathered both camps of the Sixth Beast, along with the primordial princess and the young form of Tiamat... And——
"Matou Yuu...?"
When Merlin's gaze finally landed on the pale-faced black-haired young man, a faint smile appeared on her beautiful lips.
"Just the other day, I should have 'seen' the real person with these eyes, but actually meeting him in the real world makes me feel even more charming and certain."
After she finished speaking, she walked toward Matou Yuu with light steps and naturally brought her translucent white face closer, staring at the young man before her with pink eyes filled with curiosity.
A faint, delicate scent of petals drifted from her white robe and lingered around the young man's nose.
This near-zero-distance violation caused Tiamat, who had been relatively quiet until now, and Sajyou Manaka, who had been wearing a slightly awkward smile, to no longer be able to stay still.
"Do you know me?"
Despite the unbelievably beautiful face being so close, Matou Yuu did not flinch. Instead, he secretly appraised this silver-haired succubus.
He knew the name Merlin.
Even the Merlin who appeared in human history still harbored guilt over leading King Arthur to a tragic end. If that was the case, then this woman before him, known as the "Lady of Avalon," was truly a monster.
As a pure-blooded succubus, for Merlin, humanity's joy and sorrow, the destruction and survival of civilization — all of it was nothing more than a story orchestrated to let her savor even sweeter "emotions."
She had no sense of guilt whatsoever and did not possess even the minimum moral standards in the general sense.
Although Matou Yuu had already heard from Draco that the "Star Beast" had appeared in Snowfield City, he had never expected the opponent to have already set their sights on him.
Sensing the young man's wariness, Merlin gently pursed her plump lips, and her smile became even more adorable.
"Of course... Ever since I was born into this world, I've been watching you intently."
Like a gentle and kind older sister next door, she carefully straightened the young man's slightly disheveled bow tie and whispered in a sweet voice, "Actually, I appeared in this world for your sake, you know?"
From the young man's slightly downward gaze, he could faintly glimpse those unbelievably moist, captivating eyes, slightly parted plump lips, and the deep snow-white skin covered by the white robe...
Overwhelmed by that natural charm, Matou Yuu thought to himself, "Is this thing a nightmare or a succubus...?"
"Is that so..."
He shifted his gaze back to the silver-haired nightmare before him, stared at her silently for a moment, then smiled lightly.
"It's an honor to be treated so specially by the renowned British court magus, isn't it?"
Merlin smiled and narrowed her eyes, about to say something.
"Star Beast——!!!"
However, at that moment, Draco, who had been riding the colossal red dragon, suddenly let out an unprecedentedly fierce roar.
It was only then that Merlin seemed to understand the situation and belatedly turned around to look at the golden-haired woman trembling right nearby. She hurriedly put on a suddenly-realized, exaggerated expression. "Oh my? Sodom..."
Boom—!!!
Before her flippant words could finish, Draco — who had been calm just a moment ago — suddenly exploded with unprecedented killing intent.
Draco glared at Merlin with eyes burning with anger and said in a voice filled with hatred, "That damned Star Beast... It was bad enough that you annoyed me like a fly in that world, but now you're even showing your face in this desolate city, you parasite living on this planet!"
"Master, get away from that abhorrent Star Beast! Tonight, no matter who it is, no one can stop me from tearing that dream-possessed bastard to pieces!"
Roar——!!!
The instant Draco finished speaking, the colossal red dragon beneath her feet let out an ear-splitting roar. Terrifying magical energy gathered deep in its throat like a wave of flames.
However, Merlin was not the slightest bit fazed by Draco's sudden rage.
She casually touched her fingertips to her lips, showed an extremely innocent and sweet smile, then turned back to Matou Yuu and gave him a mischievous wink.
"Sorry, Yuu-kun. This child always ends up like this when she sees me..."
As she said this, she looked at Draco and smiled brightly. "Onee-chan just wanted to have a good talk with Matou-kun about our feelings. Besides, if you keep getting angry so easily... you might not grow taller!"
"Bastard——!"
The colossal red dragon at the feet of the completely irrational Draco suddenly opened its blood-red maw without a word and blew a crimson flame straight toward Merlin like divine punishment!
"Oh my, what an ill-tempered child."
Merlin let out a sigh and gently tapped the floor tiles with her ornate staff.
Buzz!
Amid a shower of pink petals, her figure vanished like a mirage and disappeared from the spot just before being engulfed in flames.
Then, like a weightless feather, she lightly floated up to the top of another streetlight dozens of meters away.
"But it seems it's not only this little beast king who's angry out of jealousy——"
After dodging the attack, Merlin did not look at Draco. Instead, she directed a mischievous gaze at the blue-haired girl standing next to Matou Yuu, who was puffing out her cheeks with a displeased expression, and at Sajyou Manaka a short distance away, whose smile had completely turned cold.
"Um..."
Because a nightmare's sharp senses could read emotions, Merlin immediately sensed something. Her pink eyes slightly narrowed, and a strange light flickered within them.
"So that's how it was... This is truly an amazing discovery. Not only me, but even monsters with the power to overturn human reason have been drawn here by this boy?"
And... it seemed it wasn't simply a matter of charm.
Although Merlin did not understand what "love" truly meant, she could clearly sense a very special emotion in Tiamat's eyes.
It was a kind of wariness, as if she were afraid her child might be taken away.
On the other side, Sajyou Manaka still wore her sweet and innocent smile, but the eyes staring at him held a cold killing intent.
Clearly... it was what humans called the most pathological "possessiveness."
Thinking this, Merlin did not try to avoid it. Instead, she quietly reappeared in front of Matou Yuu like a gentle breeze.
Her smile was particularly radiant. "You really are popular..."
Literally, popularity that could destroy the world.
"Don't come near him."
At that moment, the blue-haired girl suddenly stepped forward, puffed out her cheeks, glared at the woman before her with a very displeased expression, and issued a warning one word at a time.
Not too far away, the colossal red dragon at Draco's feet let out another deep roar, and flames burned fiercely deep in its throat.
Sajyou Manaka had directly and blatantly targeted Merlin.
No Name Assassin, lurking in the shadows, had already gripped her assassination blade and was secretly wary of this woman.
However, Merlin seemed not to notice and, without being hindered by Tiamat, simply stared quietly at the black-haired young man before her.
A wonderful — or perhaps extremely wicked — idea flashed through her mind.
If so many dangerous people had such strong feelings toward this young man...
What if she personally experienced the thrilling act of "face-to-face NTR," which was widely practiced in human society, right in front of these monsters... Wouldn't a magnificent fireworks display unfold in an instant?
"Oh my, Matou-kun, it looks like you've overused your magical energy and are very weak and exhausted. It really hurts my heart~"
Without any warning, Merlin's figure quietly appeared right in front of Matou Yuu's eyes.
She extended her white fingers and, in an extremely natural yet somewhat ambiguous gesture, gently stroked the young man's face. Furthermore, she stood on tiptoes and brought her beautiful face close to his ear while exhaling a breath as sweet as an orchid.
Boom—!!!
The very instant her fingertips touched Matou Yuu, Sajyou Manaka's smile instantly disappeared, and the Tiamat Lily standing beside her suddenly unleashed a magical storm symbolizing the Sea of Life.
This guy...
Matou Yuu, who had noticed the mischievous joy in Merlin's eyes up close, violently twitched his eyelids.
He had realized that this woman was a complete troublemaker who always wanted to stir up chaos.
No, he couldn't let her cause any more trouble... He had to think of something.
Just as Matou Yuu's mind was in chaos and he was about to forcefully push the woman away, a line of text suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Chomp!]
[Breaking News! While on a walk, you encountered a wild "Panoramic Surveillance Mutant Lop-Eared Rabbit" attempting to stage an accident. Currently, your pet is showing strong territorial instincts and hostility toward this uninvited guest.]
[Pet jealousy and rivalry are unavoidable. However, if you allow repeated provocations from wild animals, your authority as a pet owner will be severely damaged.]
[As a competent pet owner, you must demonstrate absolute and decisive control, properly balance the relationship between your pets, and immediately stop the predatory behavior of the Panoramic Surveillance Mutant Lop-Eared Rabbit!]
[Optional Quest "Wild Green Tea Rabbit Assault!" has begun!]
What kind of ridiculous story is this...?
What is a Green Tea Rabbit?
After all, if he could resolve this commotion right now, would he have needed to fall into such a predicament in the first place?
Merlin's combat power might be average, but she was a master of illusion. If she really tried to escape... no one could stop her.
The moment he thought this, Matou Yuu looked at Merlin before him and suddenly had an idea.
Wait a minute... If his memory was correct, his inventory should also contain a very special system reward.
Perfect timing. Now's the time to try it...
Matou Yuu thought of something and took out the item "Special Emotion Catnip" from his belongings.
Although it was called catnip, when taken out, it appeared as a special crystal emitting a colorful faint light.
Merlin, who had been standing right next to him, paused slightly and looked at the crystal with interest in her captivating pink eyes. Then she softly murmured, "Is this... an emotion crystal?"
As a nightmare living inside the planet, she had been born to feed on human dreams and emotions.
In that moment, Merlin could clearly sense an extremely intense emotion from the small crystal in Matou Yuu's hand — intense enough to make her soul tremble.
"Looks delicious." She smiled and licked her soft lips.
"Is that so? Then you have good taste."
Matou Yuu suddenly crushed the crystal that the system had recognized as "emotion-stimulating catnip."
Bang!
With an ear-splitting sound, an unimaginably intense emotion suddenly exploded inside Merlin's body.
"Ah... This is truly a very delicious sensation..."
At first, Merlin only widened her eyes slightly, but then she began greedily absorbing that emotion.
However, she gradually began to feel that something was wrong. The calmness and joy on her face instantly disappeared, and her expression changed dramatically.
Her delicate body hidden beneath the white dress trembled slightly, and she instinctively pressed her legs tightly together.
Her once pale and unbelievably beautiful face instantly took on a deeply ripe redness, and even her pointed elven ears turned so red that it seemed blood might spill out at any moment.
A flood of high-dimensional emotions turned into sweet rain and completely overwhelmed the rational core of the nightmare demon.
"Ah... Wait, wait a minute... This scent..."
The very next moment, Merlin stared at the young man standing right next to her with faintly trembling eyes.
Despite being a star terminal that could not understand human emotions, at this moment, a strange and almost shameful impulse welled up inside her — the impulse to approach him, to rub her body against him, to be touched by his hands, to be given more attention.
The extremely cruel nightmare and the pathological pleasure derived from it were forcibly injected with the instinct to "want to be petted" in the face of the specially prepared "catnip."
"You..."
Inside her heart, an immense sense of shame and reason were engaged in a fierce conflict.
In the end, she secretly bit her lower lip and desperately suppressed the rising impulse.
The surroundings were enveloped in a foggy atmosphere. However, she stared at the black-haired young man with an extremely complex and strange expression.
Buzz!
Then, without even staying to mediate, Merlin instantly transformed into a shower of pink petals as if fleeing from a disaster and hurriedly disappeared from the spot.
Almost simultaneously, a pale blue notification appeared before Matou Yuu's eyes.
[Ding! Congratulations on successfully repelling and luring away the "Mutant Lop-Eared Rabbit" using physical means and protecting the dignity of your pet's territory!]
[Quest Evaluation: Perfect]
[Quest Reward: Attribute Points +1 (Free)]
[Obtained Special Concept Fragment: [Soundproof & Damage-Resistant Special Pet Fence Design] ×1 (Note: Collecting specific concepts allows you to upgrade the load-bearing capacity of the Portable Pet Bed. This is essential building material for housing large, active pets.)]
"Pet fence design...?"
Looking at the product description before him, Matou Yuu was momentarily dumbfounded.
"Whoa... What a dramatic development. Who would have imagined that Avalon's nightmare would flee in such a pathetic manner?"
At that moment, Sajyou Manaka's mystical and beautiful singing voice quietly echoed, pulling Matou Yuu back from his thoughts to reality.
He calmly stored the design in his belongings, then raised his face and was surprised to notice that the golden-haired girl before him was staring at him with great interest, as if looking at a precious treasure.
"Matou-kun, you're becoming more and more to my liking."
After she finished speaking, the golden-haired girl's eyes shone brighter than ever before.
Even though he had completely exhausted his magical energy, he had succeeded in easily throwing that court magus — whom even she had struggled with — into confusion and making her flee...
Just how many secrets was this "prince" still hiding?
However...
It seemed tonight's greeting play was about to come to an end.
After all, she could clearly sense that in every corner of this snow-covered city, more and more Masters and Servants were reaching their limits and beginning to appear one after another.
After all, tonight's exploration and gains could be said to have been sufficient.
Thinking this, Sajyou Manaka raised her slender fingers with satisfaction.
The colossal red dragon that had been lying on the long street and being suppressed by Draco suddenly transformed into a swirling mass of black mud and silently disappeared into the shadows on the ground.
The magical barrier that had been sealing the domain gradually began to disappear the very next moment.
"Matou-kun, I'm really looking forward to the next time we can spend time alone together~"
Sajyou Manaka made this declaration with a full smile on her face.
Then, her body transformed into shimmering light and shadow and completely disappeared into the air, leaving behind only a beautiful reverberation drifting in the night wind.
At the same time.
Gilgamesh, standing proudly atop the streetlight, stared at the young man below. Then, his solid heroic spirit body gradually transformed into something ethereal.
As a Servant, they usually chose to maintain a "spiritual body" state to conserve their Master's magical energy.
In this state, ordinary people without magic circuits could not see or touch heroic spirits at all, and accordingly, heroic spirits could not launch proper attacks on the physical world.
Gilgamesh now possessed nearly infinite magical energy... However, tonight's grand drama had already satisfied this ancient king.
Since all the actors had left the stage, he naturally had no intention of staying any longer.
Golden spiritual particles slowly rose from Gilgamesh's body.
He stared at the young man, and a rare hint of faint admiration appeared in his crimson eyes.
"Tonight, you truly broadened my horizons, Matou Yuu."
"Struggle and pray to your heart's content! Don't die at the hands of other scum before meeting me again."
Even so, his figure was about to completely disappear.
However, at that moment, under the protection of the Sha Naqba Imuru, Gilgamesh seemed to have captured something interesting in the corner of his vision and unconsciously stopped moving.
His crimson snake-like eyes were directed toward the international airport at the edge of Snowfield City.
As if he had seen something amusing, Gilgamesh's expression instantly became filled with playfulness.
"Hmm... Even that coward has come to participate in the Holy Grail War...?"
Under the surveillance of the Sha Naqba Imurulight, Gilgamesh saw——
In the lively airport terminal, a middle-aged man with long hair and a tired expression was dragging a suitcase while furrowing his brows.
Beside that man were several young magi.
Even after all this time, the king immediately saw through the opponent's identity at a glance.
It was the frail boy who had been protected by the King of Conquerors Iskandar on the battlefield of the Fourth Holy Grail War ten years ago.
The boy whose life he had spared out of respect for the "King of Conquerors."
If his memory was correct, his name was...
"Waver Velvet...?"
Interesting... Who would have thought that the cowardly brat who couldn't even look the king in the eye back then would once again have the courage to step into the Holy Grail War.
This time, what kind of Servant would he roll out from the Throne of Heroes?
A sinister smile appeared on Gilgamesh's lips as his figure transformed into countless golden particles of light and disappeared into the vast night sky.
…
With Sajyou Manaka's departure and the collapse of the realized barrier, the once-quiet street suddenly became strangely noisy.
The street was bustling with people, and while Matou Yuu was still in a daze, he suddenly felt an unbelievably familiar aura appear behind him.
He instinctively turned around... and there stood Ishtar, who had just fled.
She was wearing a placard around her neck that read "I am a powerless goddess. I accidentally ruined Mother's snacks," and irritation was written all over her face.
"Ishtar...?"
Matou Yuu was surprised to see the goddess appear beside him. "Why did you come back?"
"Do you think I wanted to come back?!"
Ishtar glared at the young man, but the moment her gaze landed on the blue-haired girl puffing out her cheeks beside him, she remembered the terror of being dominated by the tsunami and the "three rules" she had been forced to make with Tiamat.
Thereupon, this noble and dignified heavenly goddess quietly lowered her head like a deflated balloon and said, "I'm sorry, Mother... Due to my carelessness, I accidentally ruined your snacks... I'm willing to compensate you in full!"
She paused, and a hint of dissatisfaction and embarrassment appeared on her beautiful face. "But I don't know where to buy snacks that taste like that... Besides, I don't even have a single bill of the currency circulating in this world..."
Matou Yuu looked at Ishtar, who wore an expression mixed with sincerity and pity while her eyes wavered slightly, and said while stroking his chin thoughtfully, "Come to think of it, I have a wonderful idea to monetize this..."
He smiled kindly at Ishtar — a smile worthy of a capitalist — and said, "You may not have as much money as ordinary people... but as the goddess of wealth and harvest in Mesopotamia, you should be hiding quite a number of high-purity gems, right?"
"Huh?"
Ishtar sharply drew in a breath.
Seeing the young man's innocent smile, a large question mark appeared above her small head. Then she tightly gripped her pockets, and an unpleasant premonition instantly washed over her entire body.
…
"Haa... haa..."
In a dim space enveloped in deathly silence, the originally calm breathing gradually became ragged and faster.
Merlin was currently hiding in a corner of a remote, abandoned magical workshop in Snowfield City.
Her long silver hair was messily scattered over her shoulders, and her pure white dress was slightly damp with sweat.
As a pure-blooded succubus standing inside the planet, she should have been an extremely rational predator who fed on human emotions.
However, for her now, every time she closed her eyes, the only images that surfaced in her mind were ones that were unbelievably shameful for a human.
She desperately yearned to "be touched" by the young man named Matou Yuu, and even wished to lie on his lap like a cat and let out sweet, coquettish sounds.
What on earth did that man do to me?!
Why... did this "submissive instinct" deeply rooted in her senses bring an unprecedented sense of humiliation — and a strange excitement — to Lady Avalon, who had always taken joy in manipulating fate?
She desperately tried to steady her breathing, but the more she tried to suppress it, the more suppressed she became.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but Merlin slowly opened her star-like captivating eyes. A faint dazedness remained in her pupils as she pursed her soft cherry-red lips and quietly murmured.
"Matou Yuu..."
…
One hour later.
Under Ishtar's sorrowful gaze, Matou Yuu unhesitatingly took the divine-grade raw stones he had obtained from the heavenly goddess and went to the Crystal Mountain Casino Hotel — the largest casino in the commercial district — to exchange them for a large sum of cash.
Thanks to this unexpected windfall, he and his several companions checked into the most luxurious Crystal Mountain Hotel in Snowfield City.
Unlike ordinary hotels, this was a landmark building in Snowfield City and housed the city's largest casino. Its security, facilities, and luxury were comparable to the highest-class hotels in Las Vegas.
The luxurious lighting of the hotel suite illuminated the night, and from the floor-to-ceiling windows, one could overlook the entire lively nightscape of Snowfield City.
The moment the door opened, a luxurious fragrance drifted in.
"Phew... At least the living environment has improved a little."
Matou Yuu sank into the soft white sofa as if all the fatigue of the day had been blown away.
Thanks to Tiamat, otherwise he would have had to stay in that shabby hotel until the Holy Grail War ended.
"Aaaaah." Tiamat suddenly approached the young man, straightened her small body, and wore a proud, satisfied expression.
"Hmm... Thanks to Tiamat, you did a great job tonight." Matou Yuu reached out and ruffled her soft blue hair while showering her with unreserved praise.
"Aaaaah..."
Tiamat nodded her small head with satisfaction.
Looking around at the spacious and comfortable environment, the sleepiness typical of a young child gradually welled up in her heart, and she yawned several times.
Since she had appeared in this world as a "Master," she would naturally feel physical burdens just like an ordinary human.
After spending a dense and fulfilling day, she was hit with an unprecedented sense of fatigue.
After putting Tiamat to bed in the master bedroom, Matou Yuu left the room and sat in front of the large bay window in the living room. While gazing at the lively nightscape, he glanced at Draco, who was still gesturing excitedly in front of the window, and couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake his head.
This "Roman Emperor" seemed to have a somewhat girlish quality.
He picked up a glass of ice water from the table and was about to turn around and return to the sofa to reflect on tonight's situation when——
The moment he turned around...
Suddenly, without any warning, he heard an unbelievably ancient and mystical whispering voice in his ear.
"...Cross the threshold of the boundary... Touch the key to truth..."
"...All things return to one... The bubbles of the stars are already boiling... Hear my call..."
That voice belonged to neither a human nor a god. It seemed to be accompanied by indescribable auditory hallucinations and exploded directly in the depths of Matou Yuu's soul.
"Pfft, cough cough!"
Matou Yuu's drinking motion suddenly stopped, and he nearly choked to death.
He turned around as if he had seen a ghost, and his scalp tingled with fear.
In the master bedroom in the back, Tiamat was sound asleep hugging a pillow on the soft bed. In front of the bay window in the living room, Draco was still sitting with her back turned, gazing at the nightscape.
He unconsciously raised his face and looked at No Name Assassin, who was hanging upside down in the ceiling shadow keeping watch.
Clearly... that whispering voice, which would drive any ordinary human mad, had not come from any of them.
Just what on earth was going on?!
Just as Matou Yuu began to tense up and become wary——
A message from the system quietly appeared before his eyes.
[Chomp!]
[Warning! A rare wild high-dimensional being, the "Multidimensional Starry Sky Grape Cluster," has been discovered outside your mental world.]
[Evaluation: This organism is extremely large. Placing it directly in the breeding bed may risk contaminating the environment.]
[Prerequisite Quest: No matter how harsh the situation, you cannot make the children suffer. No matter how crowded it is, you cannot squeeze the grapes! Chemical Weapons Countermeasures Guide for Zookeepers!]
[Quest Requirements: Immediately use the newly obtained [Soundproof & Damage-Resistant Pet Fence Design] to expand the interior of the pet breeding area. Once the isolation area is complete, respond to that being's "friendly call" and engage in friendly communication.]
"..."
What on earth is this?
Matou Yuu was slightly confused. After closing the door, he sat on the living room sofa, opened his system inventory to examine the design, and tried to figure out what kind of structure it was.
Knock knock.
At that moment, a faint knocking sound came from the firmly closed apartment door.
The sound was extremely small and cautious, as if afraid of disturbing the others in the room, which made Matou Yuu even more suspicious.
Please keep in mind that this was a luxury suite on the upper floors of the Crystal Hill Hotel. Without a special access card, ordinary people couldn't even ride the elevator to this floor.
Moreover, he had only just moved into this hotel. Why had "guests" started coming so quickly?
The vivid city lights outside the window added warmth to the room.
Click.
Just as Matou Yuu unconsciously stood up and was about to open the door, with an extremely faint clicking sound from the electronic lock cylinder, the heavy mahogany door suddenly opened with a soft sound.
Then, someone could be seen at the head of the line slowly pushing the door open from the outside...
...
…
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