Although there is no guard, this room located at the deepest part of the Scuradio family's base is actually a magical place.
One of the great-great-grandson's guards is a magician. Without him to lead the way, others would not be able to recognize the corridor leading to this room. In the Scuradio family with a large number of people, carefully selected magicians use
He went to great lengths to build this huge complex magic workshop──this is the main residence of the Scuradio family.
There are 35 layers of powerful barriers with several defense structures and countless evil spirits hidden inside.
In the past, there was an example of a magician's workshop being blown up along with the building, so a system has been established that can deal with both attacks from high altitudes and damage from underground. If we want to build on this foundation
If we want to strengthen magic defense, we can only imitate the clock tower and the Wandering Sea, the magician's headquarters, or the labyrinth or demon world that is very close to the source and is accumulated by powerful magicians throughout their lives.
And being in the center of the strongest barrier, let alone murderous aura, there is not even the breath of insects here.
Apart from my own life, there is no other threat here──
Galvaroso slowly opened his respirator, stared into the void and said:
"...Are you here? The darkness that announces the end."
Void gave no answer.
But despite this, Calvaroso continued talking as if talking to himself.
"...Ah, I know. I know, I already knew it many years ago..."
Without a respirator, breathing would have been painful, but despite this, he still said what he had always wanted to say.
"I got this magic eye at an auction and spent all my personal property to transplant it...I don't know if it's incompatible or just too good. It keeps repeating...repeating...but it can only reflect one future."
It can be seen that the colors of his left and right eyes are slightly different. He showed a self-deprecating smile and continued to talk to the void:
"It's today, the scene on the day I died..."
However, Void still didn't answer anything.
However, as if he confirmed that the other party was definitely "listening", Calvaroso showed a reassuring expression.
"Today is that day...I know...I've known it since Olivia pestered me for that fox doll."
The [Magic Eye] transplanted to Calvaroso.
The magic eye transplanted at a certain train auction really allowed Galvaroso to see the future.
The future of where you are now.
After giving the fox doll to the great-great-granddaughter, the scene where [darkness] covers her eyes.
"To put it simply. The youngest girl in the family...Olivia, as long as she doesn't give her a doll, maybe she can change her destiny. I have also thought about it... Is this what is called old... Instead of giving her a doll?
Seeing Olivia's expression about to cry, it would be better to die frankly..."
In a space that is supposed to be empty of people, Calvaroso talks to silence.
It is no longer possible to see that this is the cold leader who once plunged the opposing organization into the abyss of terror. He is just an old man who is about to die, constantly conveying his words to invisible things.
"This is a joke. I have destroyed so many organizations and killed so many people before I finally climbed up... Ah, bring me the darkness of death... If you are really here, please listen to me...
It can’t end here yet… No, I can’t die yet.”
Maybe it was because the respirator was removed and the oxygen gradually became less abundant, so his face became pale.
However, despite this, there was still something that needed to be said, so he organized his words while reaching out to the void.
"For the magicians who hope to extend my life... It doesn't matter even if I am no longer me... Although Bazdilot objects... but other magicians... kill the souls of the leaders of this country...
Covering their personalities... turning this country... into a magician's paradise... this stupid thing... stop it... let me... end it... I just... magic... I just want to use magic..."
From the middle, it became just fragments of words and could no longer form a coherent language.
However, those words were like a curse as he tried his best to stay in this world.
"Ah, ah, the woman I fell in love with at first sight, my wife, is also a magician... There are not many magic circuits that are the same as those of a layman... She was killed by the guy from the clock tower... Magic... Magic... I have always
Yearning for...like a child...I also want...to use magic like her...to be in...the same world...to see...the same scenery...with my wife...for this I will hold the power of the organization in my hands...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Ahh!”
As if to atone for his sins, he told his past intermittently.
As the words were listed, the eyes also experienced emotional fluctuations.
Then, at that moment when my heart was finally broken by the terror of death——
The darkness stretched out from the void, gently covering those eyes.
[It] does exist.
Although it is not a supreme being, under the protection of this level of defense measures, the Deathbringer quietly entered the center of the huge magic workshop.
"do not be afraid."
A mysterious voice echoed throughout the room, but it seemed that only Calvaroso could hear it. Although it was just a simple word, it was precisely because of this that it quickly resonated in the chaotic emotions.
"...Ah, is that okay? A man like me?"
The man who shed tears from the invisible [Demon Eye] said that the darkness was just wrapping the man's life with loving darkness.
"The judgment is neither you nor me, leave everything to the night."
The darkness, which had turned into a human form at some point, put its hand on the man's head and made a faint sound.
"On the other side of light sleep, wake up peacefully"
After that, the darkness disappeared from the room at some point, and only an old man was left who closed his eyes with a relieved expression and no longer needed to breathe.
Because I admire magic.
For such a childish reason, for a man who insists on walking in the shadow of magic society and the United States, this may be an overly peaceful ending.
············
Snowfield meat processing plant now
Due to the battle between the heroic spirits equipped with huge machines and Alcides, the meat factory was already in a state of destruction.
However, it is currently being restored under the cover of Francois Prelaty's Noble Phantasm.
In this distorted space, the magician Bazdilot Cotilio, who is the Maser of Alcides, is collecting [undestroyed elements] to build a simple workshop in the meat factory.
Looking at the figure of Bazdilot connecting with a certain place through the magic communication machine placed there from a distance, the magicians of the Scuradio family who were his subordinates whispered to each other.
"Hey...Mr. Bazdilot, when do you go to bed?"
"Don't you know? That person is very special. He seems to be able to function normally if he sleeps for a few seconds a day."
"...Really or not? Then if you persist in using magic for a few days, you can still understand it."
"Not only that, but even eating is the minimum. There are rumors that in order to hunt down a hostile magician who was building a workshop deep in the snowy mountains, he went without food or water for 30 days in a row, and finally cornered him."
The magicians who whispered this looked at their superiors who were working with frightened eyes.
"It's great to be on the same side as that person... Facing such a terrifying heroic spirit, he never flinched even a step."
"Yes, I don't know what kind of magician the other person is, but I can't imagine that he will lose."
Although they are magicians, their status in the family is not very high. However, unlike these people, the voice of a calm middle-aged man echoed in the silent factory.
"No...Bazdilot is not invincible. He himself has not concealed it and has suffered many setbacks."
This man was the one who had stayed under Bazdilot for the longest time.
He came as a supplement to the subordinates who were subcontracted by the hostile magician, and he is also a high-ranking magician in the Scuradio family - even so, he is still dwarfed by Bazdilot.
s position.
This experienced magician told the young people of the family what happened to Bazdilot back then.
"He was once beaten to the brink of death by the church's agent, he was struck preemptively by the free magician Lion Jie, half of his lungs were broken by Magro of the Dai family, and most of his magic circuits were burned off by the monk Daiglan.
. He also had a fight with a guy named Wu from the Marvell Chamber of Commerce, and both sides lost. Originally, before he came to our family, he had been an enemy of Schopenheim Abbey, an organization that was also well-known in the Clock Tower.
Be prepared to die."
"Yes, is that so?"
"The truly terrifying thing about that man is that he never gave in. No matter whether his internal organs were rotting or he was threatened to break his lover's neck in front of his eyes, he didn't even move an eyebrow. And he was threatened to break his lover's neck.
That guy... also planned to use magic while Bazdilot was wavering, but this time he guessed wrong."
Facing the magician who was talking calmly while lighting a cigarette, the surrounding subordinates held their breath and asked:
"…What happened to the magician in the end?"
"It's still the same. He was thrown into the machine with his accomplices and turned into magic crystals. Well, it's just that he cried harder than the others."
In front of the man's line of sight is a huge machine developed by the magician Atram Garri Asta that transforms human life force into magical crystals. Because it was damaged in the battle with the giant heroic spirit a few days ago, now
It is in a non-operational state.
Even so, during the Holy Grail War, there was sufficient crystal reserve for Alcides to use his full power, so there was no problem.
"Well, that man dedicated his life and his family to Mr. Calvaroso Scuradio... That man can cry, shout, etc., I never..."
The man who was telling all this calmly suddenly stopped. Because Bazdilot, who was doing communication work in the workshop, had left his seat at some point and walked to the warehouse behind the meat factory.
"Mr. Bazdilot...what happened?"
Not knowing what he was going to do when he went to the warehouse, his subordinates, who had not received instructions, could only wait like this.
So, after a while—
Bazdilot appeared from the open warehouse door. Then, seeing his figure, the magicians under his command widened their eyes because he was holding a musical instrument in his right hand.
Of course, if it was just an ordinary musical instrument, they wouldn't be so surprised. No, even if the strings were made of human skin, they wouldn't be surprised.
The question is, what type of instrument it is.
What Bazdilot grabbed was a piano that was bigger than his body.
"..."
Unable to understand, the magicians were silent among themselves.
──?
──Ah, no...piano...eh?
At first glance, the black block looked like it was being dragged away, but he actually lifted the piano off the floor with just one hand. I don't know if he used strengthening magic or control.
The result of strengthening your body through magic
The power far beyond the limits of the human body, which was not commensurate with Bazdilot's physique, and the wonderful move of "moving the piano" made the magicians even more confused.
He continued walking towards the cold storage of the factory.
"Ba, Mr. Bastillo!? What's wrong!? That, the piano?"
I don't know why I put the piano in cold storage.
Indeed, everyone knows that one of Bazdilot's specialties is the piano, but no one knows why he put the piano in the cold storage. And putting the piano in the cold storage will significantly shorten the life of the piano. If it is adjusted
The musician and pianist would definitely faint if they saw it.
...Things like this make the magicians even more confused.
While he was wondering if that was a magic dress disguised as a piano, Bazdilot spoke expressionlessly.
"Scuradio, Chief Calvaroso has passed away."
This time, the minds of the magicians went blank. Bazdilot put aside the magicians who could not keep up with their thinking, opened the door of the cold storage, and disappeared into a forest-like space made of disintegrated beef.
.
After the door was closed, the cold storage fell into darkness
In the center of it, there is a pitch-black piano, just like the red and white world composed of red meat and fat, eroded by the "black" foreign matter.
Like a work of art, it's a chilling, cold storage room as big as a tennis court.
In the center, Bazdilot placed his fingers expressionlessly on the keyboard, motionless.
There was no white breath coming out around his face, and it was as if even his breathing had stopped. Silence blended with silence, and the frozen air became sharper, piercing the magician's skin.
Time seemed to be frozen, but in fact only one minute passed──
Bazdilot was still not breathing, but his fingers began to slide lightly.
"Hey, the leader is dead, what's going on?"
"etc."
For everyone waiting uneasily outside, someone made a quiet gesture and began to listen carefully.
At this time——
A soft piano melody came from the cold storage door. The beautiful and illusive melody calmed the hearts of these confused men like water.
"...Requiem, "Day of Tears"...?"
The old man whispered.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The great composer composed the music himself in his later years, and after his death, he completed the magnificent "Requiem" in the form of inheritance from his apprentices.
The melody of one of the [Requiem Mass].
The people imprisoned by the sad but loving piano sound immediately accepted the meaning of what Bazdilot said, "Calvaroso Scuradio is dead."
But I have to accept it.
"Mr. Bazdirot...for the chief"
One member on the ground floor burst into tears listening to the performance that leaked out of the cold room.
I had heard before that Calvaro had taken his own life not long ago, so he may have brought the piano to Snowfield so that he could play the requiem whenever he heard the bad news.
The men paid tribute to this awareness and to Bazdilot who expressed his condolences without changing his face, and remembered this performance in their hearts.
Maybe if others saw it, they would still be criticized and said, "No, can you really take the piano with you?" But Bazdilot's subordinates are not in such a mood right now.
They once again realized what an extraordinary man their boss, Bazdilot, was.
──But.
──Why do you have to perform in a cold storage?
When such questions came to mind again, the performance also came to an end.
After a period of silence, the cold storage door opened.
"Mr. Bazdirot!"
Several people ran up to him, intending to ask him for details, "When did the leader pass away..." But at this point, the conversation stopped.
It's not just the language. The men's time is frozen and they can't say anything.
It seems that now is not the time to talk to Bazdirot. His face is as expressionless as usual and full of mechanical killing intent. Behind him - in the huge cold storage, it has turned red and black.
hell.
Red and black.
The interior of the cold storage is dominated by these two colors. Dozens of pieces of beef that were supposed to be hung were all knocked off the hooks.
Some pieces of meat were beaten to the wall and turned into red meat, and some pieces of meat were smashed together with the bones and scattered on the floor. The pieces of meat and blood were scattered everywhere. If it were in another place, these pieces of meat would definitely be there.
It's burnt and carbonized.
What looked like red and black mud was moving between the meat. It seemed that the destroyed pieces of meat were not used as food, but as "cattle carcasses".
"Well."
One of his subordinates collapsed to the ground.
They are also low-level magicians or magicians. If you just watch, you won't find it scary. However, like a child losing his temper, the magic power is mixed with murderous intention and hostility, leaking out of the room.
When he came out, he was hit by such magic power and couldn't help but scream.
They are just pure fear.
The man who was afraid of his boss, Bazdilot, played such a beautiful melody, but the magic that caused this tragedy happened and ended it all in the room, which shows the abnormality of his rationality.
Bazdilot looked at his subordinates who were lying limply on the ground, and returned to the cold storage as expressionlessly as ever.
"...the piano was stained."
A few slices of beef were stuck to the piano legs.
The red and black [mud] avoided the piano beautifully, as if only that part was open with a barrier.
The next moment, the piano was swallowed by the sea of mud and disappeared completely as if it had sunk.
Bazdilot closed the door of the cold storage and walked towards the center of his workshop as if nothing happened.
So, in place of his still motionless subordinates, the Servant who had been in spiritual form until now appeared first and spoke.
"It's a bit surprising."
"what do you mean?"
"You are actually a person who likes to play."
Alcides did not mention anything about Bazdilot's feelings, but simply sighed "It's surprising that you can play the piano." For such an avenger, Bazdilot only responded lightly.
answered his words.
"In order to adjust my mental state, I also spent a lot of time on practicing... This piece of music was just heard by Mr. Scuradio occasionally and he liked it more."
After a short pause, he explained the reasons for playing the piano just now.
"I promised to play a requiem for him if he ever had a chance."
When Bazdilot turned to Alcides, he asked.
"It seems that your physical damage has recovered. Last night, we really suffered a big loss."
"No problem. Being chased by the Amazon Queen in that state is somewhat tricky."
Alcides took part in yesterday's battle on the road and has not disappeared yet. He is one of the few people left in Snowfield (reality).
Last night, the [Black Mist] overflowed from the hospital. The moment it covered his body - Alcides used an ability in his Noble Phantasm [Twelve Glory] to summon four [Diomede].
He successfully escaped from the scene with three demon horses.
However, he was attacked by the horseman Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, who took aim at that moment and pursued him, so his hand was injured. Now, the injuries Alcides suffered at that time and the previous injuries to his ribs and abdomen have disappeared.
The power of the [Devil] that was taken away from Berserker now belongs to him. At first glance, Alcides does not appear to have changed in any way from the summoned and transformed Alcides.
But——Bazdilot just asked the Servant the facts behind this indifferently.
"How many more days can I last?"
Then, Alcides answered bluntly:
"If I stay rational, I can still hold on for 3 to 4 days."
"Well, the advantage over the counterfeiters disappears... No, if we consider that they just fall into madness instead of disappearing, is it still in our advantage?"
Alcides was indeed poisoned by [(Hydra) Hydra]. Moreover, because [Black Mud] swallowed the poison in turn, his physical body was prevented from collapsing.
But - the [deadly poison] that drove himself to death and indirectly drove his third wife to commit suicide did enter his body. Despite this, his body was not corroded, and it was still affected by the [Twelve Glory]
The influence of power.
This was thanks to the power captured when the [Erymanthus Wild Boar] was obtained. However, this was not the power of the wild boar itself. This was the power captured during the march, and the biggest prey that was defeated at that time was not a pig.
Something that Alcides wrested from his mentor Chiron during the difficulties he experienced during his lifetime.
That is the [immortality] he holds.
The centaur Chiron, who was endowed with immortal power, was eroded by the poison of Hydra due to an accidental shot by Alcides.
Unable to bear the extreme pain and suffering, Chiron transferred his [immortality] to Prometheus and lost his life. Therefore, although Alcides lost the original spiritual base held by
Twelve substitute lives, but as a Noble Phantasm - [Immortality until transferred to Prometheus], it resides in his body as the only substitute life.
But activating it would be equivalent to inflicting the pain he experienced on himself.
Even now, the constant pain - even when he was alive, he was forced to choose the pain of death, is still eroding his body. But due to the influence of [Black Mud], those pains and sufferings have turned into
Strength and the state of being eliminated.
"Do you regret it? You killed your teacher."
"...If I were to follow my feelings, as I was committed to revenge, I should have naively thought that I would be happy because I had liberated my teacher from the curse of the god [immortality]."
After answering in a roundabout way, Alcides continued.
"...Now the mud has won. However, this poison is a symbol of my death. Even though it is only a little bit, it is not only the physical body of this spirit base, but also continues to devour my spirit. This is a fact."
However, he didn't look afraid.
Although it was alleviated by [Black Mud], compared with the usual poison, the unbearable pain still flowed through his body endlessly. Alcides used his revengeful heart to endure it while creating a kind of
A different spirit than usual.
However, the date just told the Master is the time he can still hold on.
"That's enough. Just get the Holy Grail before you can't hold on any longer." Bazdilot said.
Alcides asked in surprise under the cloth:
"I thought you had no interest in the Holy Grail?"
"If my master really dies, I will indeed have no interest in the Holy Grail."
Having said this, his eyes narrowed slightly.
This was very rare for him who usually didn't express his emotions very much, and his voice revealed emotions close to hatred and murderous intent.
"There are some magicians in the family who have done unnecessary things... They have copied my master's personality in the minds of others... and these 'replacements' are all dead. Due to various reasons."
"oh."
"In other words, this is not a chain of deaths caused by a side effect of magic. There must be someone else involved. And it is conceivable that an organization would have such an action at this time."
Then Bazdilot used his own spiritual power to suppress the growing [Black Mud], and declared as if he wanted to congratulate his heroic spirit:.
"After getting the Holy Grail, if its power is enough. After destroying this country - I will take back the name you gave up and tell it to the world. Subvert the world's common sense and destroy the taboo of mysterious things.
The name...let the name of [Hercules] (the glory of the goddess) be established in human society, and let the name of [the goddess] disappear from the world."
"...That's natural."
On this day, at this moment - for the United States, the worst possibility was born. If Bazdilot gets the Holy Grail - its power will be used to avenge the country.
In other words, he will inject all the power of the Holy Grail into Alcides and make him a [sacrifice] to fulfill his wish.
Faldius made only one mistake.
Bazdilot Cotilio, a ruthless magician who prioritized the concealment of mysteries, was a textbook magician, or magician. These speculations about him are completely wrong. If he had ever acted as
A magician who is a cog in a huge organization, if the command tower of that organization is gone, in order to fulfill his long-cherished wish as a magician, he will choose to join another organization that can get the greatest benefit.
Of course, Faldius also wanted to kill Bazdilot, so he planned to use this momentary opportunity to deal with it.
However, this is exactly where Faldius, a magician, miscalculated.
As he believed, most of the family's magicians used the resources of the Scuradio family to conduct their own research, find ways to reach the source, or serve as mercenaries for magicians to find the most suitable backers.
But other parts, including Bazdilot, are different.
Different from the way magicians think─In addition, there are also a small number of people who act in a way different from ordinary people.
Among these people, Bazdilot Cotilio has deep roots in the Scuradio family.
However, it is difficult to understand simply because of his temperament. Compared to the "root", family has become a higher purpose. He has become something other than a "magician".
Bazdilot Cotilio, he is not a magician.
Not a magician.
Nor is he a priest.
His soul has been deeply rooted in the Scuradio family community.
Deep and complex.
That was exactly what Faldius, a magician, could never understand, his mind.
However, Faldius still did not understand this fact.
············
This is……
After coming back to her senses, Sajo Ayaka found that her consciousness was in the distant scenery.
Ayaka quickly grasped her situation. This time, just like the previous time, she was looking at his "past" from a swordsman's perspective.
My consciousness is clearly clear, but my body doesn't obey my orders.
She remembered that she had seen Richard running in the wilderness with his fellow knights before, and met a strange man in a car who claimed to be Saint Germain——
The situation this time is very different from then.
In the quaint stone city, surrounded by splendid decorations. However, judging from the fact that the height of her sight was only as high as the table, and the size of her hands that could be seen from time to time, Ayaka was convinced that this was [a child's perspective].
──…….
──That guy’s childhood experiences as a swordsman?
The body that cannot move according to its own will seems to be playing an instrument.
Even if the listener is Ayaka, he can tell that it is a beautiful melody. It is completely unexpected that the sound of a child's hands is playing, echoing between the stone walls. Even if he is just performing alone, the sound becomes as rich and incoming as if he has heard an orchestra play.
Ayaka's ears.
"Ah, no wonder I seem to be pretty good at musical instruments. I've been learning them since I was a child..."
I heard Ayaka playing impromptu at a live house, and I thought about it - when the performance ended, the adults in sight also started to praise her.
"Oh, you are indeed Lord Richard! Is it possible that in this short period of time?"
"Not only musical instruments, but also art and martial arts. For example, he defeated the princess's guards with swordsmanship a few days ago."
"Truly worthy of that [incomparable woman], the son of Eleanor of Aquitaine."
In front of me, the men dressed in the style of the times spoke in unison with words of praise.
However, Ayaka understood.
Already understood.
Behind the admiration lies fear and jealousy.
Moreover, even if you look at the young swordsman's eyes and behavior, you would think that he is not happy.
After a while, the boy returned to his room and met a beautiful woman who greeted him.
"What's wrong, Richard, you look so ugly."
At this time, Richard's voice reached Ayaka's ears for the first time.
"……Mother."
"ah?"
"This beautiful person...could it be said that she is the swordsman's mother?"
A woman who fits the word "solemn" very well. The luxurious castle cannot diminish her sense of existence.
It is not an exaggeration to say that this castle and the entire existence of the soldiers were created to protect her and set off her.
Ayaka felt that she was probably the queen who appeared in the story. So, the woman who could be said to be the personification of the beautiful ancient city showed her loving smile as a mother on her face and spoke to the swordsman.
"Tell me about it, Richard. Although mom will not help you unconditionally, I will not laugh off what you said as a joke."
Young Richard hesitated for a while before telling his mother clearly.
"...Mother. I'm scared."
"Afraid? What are you afraid of?"
"I...I can do anything and do it well."
"…What?"
"——This is really an incredible thing to say."
"——But, um..."
"——No, no, after all, you still said something extraordinary."
Although Ayaka complained twice in her heart, of course there was no way for her to reach the other party's ears.
"The swordsmanship I learned, no one in the city is my opponent. I originally thought I was a prince, so they showed mercy to me, so I slipped out of the castle and attacked the thieves who were proud of their bravery.
, but unexpectedly defeated them easily."
"..."
"——What is this kid doing?"
"——Is he an idiot?"
"——But this is indeed the style of a swordsman!"
"The same is true for music. No matter what instrument I learn once, I can quickly become proficient in it. Bowing, painting, wrestling, hunting, fishing, gun riding, horseback riding, Persian chess, nine-piece chess, no matter what I do, I will become proficient immediately.
Get up. No matter what I started with, I got better at it faster than anyone else. Soon no one could beat me."
"Ah la ah la"
"If this continues, I won't even have a single friend. Everyone will look at me with jealousy. I want to have a good relationship with everyone and be liked by people, so what should I do? Should I subordinate him?
It’s better to be merciful and pretend that you’re not good at anything?”
"——Wow, if you weren't a kid, I would really want to kick you in the back."
"...But no matter what, a normal swordsman would never say such a thing..."
"——Is this what is called growth... No, but I still feel that he has not changed at all."
Ayaka was thinking about these things blankly, but remembering the eyes of the adults who were full of jealousy and awe before, she felt a little sympathy for the young Richard.
"——Ah...if you keep looking at me like that, you will definitely become distorted."
But——my mother, who was listening to what Richard said, smiled happily.
"Didn't you say you can't laugh? Mother!"
Richard exclaimed awkwardly, and his mother replied:
"No, what I said was [not taking it as a joke]. Although I laughed, I did not laugh off what you said."
While stroking Richard's cheek, the queen said:
"That's great, Richard. You are indeed a genius."
"——It was actually affirmed."
Ayaka was a little surprised, and Richard's mother smiled and said to her son.
"But that's all. What's the point of being a genius?"
"ha……?"
"You just do as much as you can, and you don't achieve anything. [What you can do] and [what you leave behind] are completely different."
As a son, the mother comforted Richard and at the same time carved her own words into his soul.
"Before bragging about your dedication to the problem of thieves in the city, let's lament the misfortune of those who have been abused by thieves, and think about ways to overcome it. In order to create an environment for those thieves who were defeated by you, for the sake of this country
Feel ashamed of the current situation. I will be ashamed with you."
Then, the mother continued to talk while hugging her son's body.
"You cannot become a hero by genius alone, Richard. On the contrary, even if you have no talent, you can become a hero as long as you follow your own pace (path)."
"Hero?"
"Well, just like the heroes like King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, or the Paladins of Charlemagne. The least talented Kai Qing in the Round Table became the hero who supported the Round Table precisely because of his lack of talent. You
You need to know how they built this land and how they united everyone. If you can really do anything, Richard, you should value the talent of [inheriting the family business] more than anyone else."
Then she started talking.
The story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Lancelot, Gawain, Tristan, Galahad, Percival, Gareth, Agraven and even Mordred, who was known as the betrayal knight. Mother told it as if she had seen it with her own eyes.
Telling their stories. Lancelot, Gawain, Tristan, Galahad, Percival, Gareth, Agraven and even Mordred, who was known as the betrayal knight. Mother told them with her own eyes
They told their stories in the same tone. Perhaps they went too far halfway through, and mythical stories that Ayaka had never heard of began to appear. The story began to go off track. Finally, [King Arthur's EX]
Curry stick, a sword that opened up the world. When he learned that the humble king Vortigern planned to shoot down the moon and destroy London, King Arthur threw Merlin back to the moon. In order to protect the lake, Lancelot ate five billion picts in one breath.
People.] While telling these fragmented stories, Richard had fallen asleep with a calm face.
Ayaka's vision began to become blurry, and her mother gazed tenderly at her son's face.
After that, the mother gently stroked her cheek and said.
"Haha, no matter how much I say, Vortigern can't bring down the moon. I was the one teasing you... It's time to wake up."
"Um - Mother...? What happened to Bediwell?"
"Good morning, lovely Richard. I'll tell you about that next time."
Then, my mother changed her tone slightly here.
"Before that, Richard, I must show you what hell is like."
"Eh?"
"You went out of the city without authorization in order to defeat the thieves. As a mother, I can't not punish you."
Although the mother is still smiling, the great mother's huge thunder (Richard will be taught a lesson) has fallen——
At the same time, Ayaka's consciousness returned to darkness again.
············
"...Xiang, Ayakashi, are you okay?"
It was not a child's voice, but the usual swordsman's voice that reached Ayaka's ears.
"Um?"
When I woke up, I was in a church.
Looking at the swordsman in front of me, I couldn't help but jump when I remembered what happened in my dream.
"Are you...injured? Are you okay?!"
"Ah, although I haven't fully recovered, I can already move. In any case, it has been more than half a day. It would be bad if the golden archer's attack was of a type that could damage even the spirit base, or if it was poisonous.
Already."
"This is great..."
Ayaka breathed a sigh of relief.
Facing her like this, the swordsman averted his eyes slightly and lowered his head in realization.
"I'm sorry! In order to use healing magic on my companions, I borrowed a lot of magic power from Ayaka. That's probably why Ayaka slept until noon. I'm sorry!"
Although the swordsman looked embarrassed, Ayaka grabbed his arm tightly and said angrily:
"It doesn't matter! I'm not angry with you because of that kind of thing!"
"Eh? Ah, is it because I boasted about Haikou before and still lost? Indeed, that is"
"Idiot! It's not this! It's not because of that kind of thing!" Facing the panicked swordsman, Ayaka squeezed out her words in annoyance rather than anger.
"You...you left me in the church so that when I die, I can be protected directly...because the failed Master in the Holy Grail War will be protected by the overseer..."
"This...this should be good for Ayaka."
"If you have time to worry about me, you should take good care of yourself... This is not self-abuse. I will say the same thing whether you are a king or a queen, swordsman! You have to cherish yourself more! Ah, already, there are many more
I want to say something, but I can’t find the right words...and...thank you. Thank you for protecting me again..."
Ayaka already understood.
If the swordsman wanted to dodge the attack on the church roof, he would have dodged it long ago.
However, if the church is destroyed, Ayaka hiding inside will probably die.
"...I'm sorry, I've made you worry again. We were supposed to take the heroic spirit away from the church, but if the heroic spirit doesn't attack quickly in an almost sudden attack, I think we will never win... No,
Since I lost, it's just an excuse."
The swordsman said helplessly, exhaled, and looked up at the ceiling. "The golden hero also saw through me. Maybe I'm not serious enough about this war... Maybe it's because I haven't found the heart to expect to get the Holy Grail.
My deepest wish."
He once said half-jokingly: "We want to bring back all kinds of songs and heroic stories."
But actually this is a dream that can be realized even without the Holy Grail.
"However, if I really have any wishes that I want to realize... then, I will involve you in [the war]. Although this is not my original intention."
"I have been involved a long time ago, and just now, even the church was blown away."
As soon as Ayaka finished speaking, she noticed.
The ceiling that the swordsman looked up to was indeed that of the church.
Why was the church that was supposed to collapse due to the attack of the golden heroic spirit unscathed?
"Okay then what is this? Is this also a swordsman's magic?"
"It's a pity that if I could do it. When I destroy the theater, I would fix it as soon as possible. There are things I can't do."
Facing the self-deprecating swordsman, Ayaka finally calmed down and let out a big sigh - while adjusting her glasses, she said those words as if to hide her shyness.
"...Mother, I can do anything...is that what you said?"
As a result, the swordsman's whole body stiffened on the spot. Then, while sweating coldly, he asked with a smile on his lips.
"……Did you see that?"
When Richard learned that this was the story of Ayaka seeing the "past" through the magic channel, he trembled and said.
Although she thought "I'm talking too much", Ayaka still changed her gaze and confirmed this.
"...Well...she is a very beautiful mother."
After this, the swordsman lay red-faced on the church floor.
"...Do you still think you can do anything now?"
Ayaka accidentally asked the swordsman who had regained his composure. Because it was not a teasing question, but a question with a serious expression, Richard also answered it seriously.
"I am no longer a child. However, I am confident that I can do most things. Probably because I have such a character engraved on my [seat]."
"Oh... you actually seem to be able to do everything. There seems to be nothing you're not good at except observing people's emotions."
"You're going too far, right? There are things I couldn't do before I was alive. Although I can do them now based on the knowledge given by [Zuo]..."
"Is there anything you can't do?"
Richard was a little hesitant towards Ayaka who asked the question out of interest. After hesitating for a while, he looked away and answered.
"……English"
"Eh?"
"I...although I can speak French, Italian and Persian...but my English is not good. I am obviously the king of England."
Richard looked embarrassed, but Ayaka's nervousness broke for the first time after being in a daze, and she smiled as if she was surprised.
"It's not good to laugh at other people's things they're not good at, idiot."
"I'm sorry. But, but... I obviously said [I can do anything] so confidently..."
At this time, Ayaka took another deep breath, wiping the tears under her glasses while looking at the swordsman.
"...It's good to be alive, swordsman. Thank you very much"
"Ah, let's have each other."
The swordsman saw Ayaka's smile and shouted loudly as if he was satisfied with this.
"Okay, it's time to make a change! Even my past shame has been known to others. I have nothing to lose! I must defeat that golden delivery next time! No matter what you say, Ayaka, I have to protect you.
Ayaka! Because I am a man who can do anything!"
Ayaka understood.
That's not trying to be brave, but that his spotless heart has not surrendered.
Although there was such a huge gap in strength and he almost died, his heart (ideal) was not broken (given in). Ayaka looked at Richard with envy in her eyes, but this atmosphere was immediately broken by the visitor.
"...It's the swordsman and Sajo Ayaka, right?"
The church door was opened and several policemen stood at the door.
On the street between the hospital and the church, the police were fighting with another archer.
"Oh, are you all safe too? Wouldn't it be amazing if that scary-looking archer survived as an opponent? How amazing!"
The female police officer who is considered a central figure said to the swordsman who praised the candid:
"...Can you please join us?"
"police……!"
Ayaka whispered in the tight air.
The swordsman looked up at the ceiling as if he had remembered something, shrugged his shoulders and said.
"When you said that, I remembered that Ayaka and I were fugitives who escaped from the detention center."
However, the policewoman shook her head quietly and proposed a deal to the swordsman.
"No, I don't want to ask you about your crimes now. I want to propose temporary cooperation."
"Do you want to fight together? Who is the enemy? The last thing I remember is that the golden archers fell from above... How is he? Or is the owner of the strange shout I heard before I lost consciousness the enemy?"
The female police officer confessed the truth to the swordsman who bit him like a child (questioning him) without any expression on her face.
"We are probably isolated in a [world] similar to an inherent barrier."
"isolation?"
"You can see people on the street, but everyone is bound by some kind of existence. There are no people in the police station and government agencies, and you can leave the city. However, if you leave to a certain distance, the roads will again be connected to the city.
Connection. Although it can be inferred that this is a distortion of space, it cannot be concluded that this is definitely the case."
After that, the female police officer still calmly described the situation they encountered.
Next to her who calls herself Vera, you can see a policeman hanging a broken prosthetic hand. It is obvious that the church is completely surrounded.
"I'm looking for Masters and Servants who are in the same situation as us. I hope you will join us."
"The world? Quarantine...what is this?"
Richard said to the surprised Ayaka:
"...It's like an inherent barrier. Well, it's a fake world created by magicians and monsters. But from what you said, it seems to be different from ordinary inherent barriers. You have to follow the rules
Is separation the goal in this [world]?”
After hearing the swordsman's question, Vera lowered her eyes for a moment and said:
"As a magician or heroic spirit at the root of this [world]..."
"I think it's necessary to use our hands to conquer it."
············
When Sigma woke up, he found himself in the atrium of a residential house.
"……what happened?"
Sigma, who had just woken up, tilted his head, then quickly confirmed the condition of his equipment and observed the surrounding situation.
The surrounding area was not a hospital. The casino building standing in the center of the city looked far away. He judged that this was a residential area far away from the central city.
Looking towards the ground, the girl known as the assassin was lying on the lawn.
There was something like a pillow under her head, and a thin blanket covered her body.
Sigma noticed that his body was covered with the same blanket, but the position of his head was not a pillow, but a small cushion.
──Did someone knock me out?
The assassin did not appear to be injured, and upon closer inspection Sigma was able to confirm that she was simply asleep.
It is said that heroic spirits that manifest themselves using temporary bodies do not need basic sleep.
If this is the case, it can be considered that her sleep was due to some external factors, and the spirit base was transformed into a sleeping state.
Was it that vampire who did it?
Although Sig thinks so, he himself is still alive.
"Um"
The assassin girl seemed to have regained consciousness and slowly put on her black coat on the tender green grass.
"Where is...where...?"
"Are you okay?"
"Ah, it's that monster"
"I do not think so"
Can't sense any sign of the vampire
However, this pair of Sigma felt creepy.
"The guy... ended up saying some disturbing things."
After hearing the assassin's words, Sigma recalled what the vampire who claimed to be Jesta had said.
"——That beautiful scenery... I look forward to you personally purifying all the filth."
"Maybe there is some kind of trap. Although there is no injury at first glance, some kind of magic may have been applied to the body or clothes."
"Why do you want to do such a roundabout thing? Just deal with us when we are unconscious."
"People with bad tastes exist wherever they are. My boss is one of such people, and I feel that the vampire also belongs to this type of person with bad tastes."
Sigma calmed down and allowed the magic power to flow through his body, carefully checking whether any strange spells had been cast on his body.
Immediately afterwards, Sigma gave an example of bad taste:
"Some magicians will pretend to let people escape, but in fact they are giving them the hint that they will kill their wives and children as soon as they arrive home. There is no special meaning in doing this, it is just to enjoy this kind of thing
"
Forget the purpose of constantly reaching the limit of magic, and use magic to satisfy your own happiness and business activities.
For those who are quite vicious even among magicians, many people will do such a thing.
But in the final analysis, as long as it meets the purpose of "cultivating magic and mystery", magicians can do more cruel and vicious things, so it is impossible to judge at a glance which one is more troublesome between "magician" and "magician"
.
When Sigma gave an example, the assassin frowned and raised her hand slightly. She used the magic perception ability of the "meditation nerve" to confirm whether there was abnormal magic power inside Sigma's body.
"...It doesn't look like any strange spell has been cast on it. However, I can't see through the level of a spiritual wedge without the use of magic power..."
"Ah, I used magic to analyze it myself and found no problem. Are you okay?"
"No problem"
Under the current situation, Sigma could only believe the assassin's words. He began to re-confirm the surrounding situation, and then, he discovered some sense of violation.
"...?"
From the time he woke up until now, it would be fine if any of the "Shadows", the observers, made sarcastic remarks to him.
However, now even the shadows have not appeared, and it can be clearly felt that the magical bond with the Servant has weakened in the past two days or so.
"This is……"
I tried to call it with words, but there was no response from the shadows
I always feel like there is a reaction, but it's like the Internet lines suddenly become congested and normal information exchange cannot be carried out.
"what happened?"
"I can't get in touch with my servant. Although I don't think he is dead..."
"The Lancer...if he hasn't disappeared, use the Command Seal to summon him when you encounter a dangerous situation."
──Command Spell, right?
——What will happen if it is used?
——Although the shadows once said that the observer is high in the sky.
From the moment he first met the assassin, Sigma lied to the people around him that his heroic spirit was "Richard Chaplin as a spearman."
Sigma, who still didn't fully understand the true identity of the observer, began to think about how to use his command spell.
"...GPS (GPS here should refer to the observer's power) does not work."
Through the movement trajectory of the data terminal it carries, Sigma determines its own coordinates.
"Judging from the location of Crystal Hill, it's true. This is a residential area in Snowfield, a corner of Snowfield City."
Snowfield used to be several different cities, and finally merged into one municipality. People still call this place Snowfield as a commemoration. It is said that it is a high-end residential area where many celebrities live here.
"Let's go outside for now. It would be troublesome to be held at gunpoint as an intruder."
Because the person who prepares pillows and blankets for us is not necessarily the owner of the house.
He knew that even in the United States, this was one of the few states with extremely loose gun control. He was about to walk forward - but before he could confirm whose courtyard this was, the door of the mansion in the middle of the courtyard opened.
"...Oh, are you awake?"
What appeared there was an Asian man with a gentle expression.
Sigma saw his face and became more vigilant in his heart.
Because he had seen this face from the photo materials delivered by Faldius and Francesca in advance.
"Who are you……?"
Although it was rude for someone who was suspected of illegal intrusion to ask the other party's name, Sigma asked decisively even so, and in order to fight back no matter what happened, he put his body into a posture
defensive posture.
However, the man did not show any displeasure, but announced his name with a gentle smile.
"Ah, first time we meet. I am Minqiu. I work as the director of the private library next to here."