A dimensional journey starting from the Dragon Clan

············

In a dream.

I always feel that the street is very noisy.

The wind always makes me feel wet.

For the young Jiuqiu Chun, it was impossible to express the uneasy feeling in words.

Originally, she could not feel these changes - but due to the influence of her magic circuit and the magic power flowing out of it, as well as the Pale Knight connected to her through magic power, the "world" around her and the people who rule it... The changes that occurred to the heroic spirit were reverberating inside her.

The girl who felt this during her nap was leaning on the sofa at home, dreaming in a dream world. She was haunted by nightmares while taking a nap that belonged only to her.

Dad, it’s so scary

Mom, it’s so scary

Although I don’t quite understand it, it seems like something terrible is coming.

——"Girl!"

Mr. Black, where have you been?

Jesta is not here to play today.

Will everyone stay away from me?

——"Girl!"

I'm going to be a human again.

Because I failed to do it well.

Then, did you make everyone angry?

--"Did you hear that?"

How to do it well?

Only then can my father and mother smile at me.

——"Did you hear that?"

——"Ming Mingzheng noticed me very quickly..."

——"2000 years have passed, will the species called human beings also change?"

No matter what you do, you will always smile at me from now on.

Whatever you do, you will be with me from now on.

——"Is it because there is a language barrier?"

very scary.

very scary.

——"Hello, Girl?"

- "Good morning, girl?"

——"オハヨウ?ムスメサン?"

——"Bonjour?"

——“Chào bui sáng?”

...?

——“Are——You——OK?”

——"...OK, it's just wool."

——"Are you stupid? This is me."

——"The language that can be learned from the books in this room is also limited."

——"...Obviously we can only take advantage of 'that' to pay attention to other things..."

……who is that?

...Mr. Dark?

——"!"

——"Did you notice me?!"

——"Thank you, little girl!"

"...?"

The girl woke up from her nap.

The girl who woke up from the dream world was looking around on the fake sofa in her fake home, but there was no one around her.

Although his father and mother could be seen talking in the yard, there was no one else, and Mr. Black was nowhere to be seen.

The young girl felt that she had a strange dream. In order to relieve her uneasiness, she wanted to go out and ran to her parents——

(...Good morning, the girl confused by dreams.)

"?"

The clearly heard voice pulled Tsubaki's body.

(Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you or hurt you.)

The voice of someone invisible.

Normally, it wouldn't be surprising for a young girl to cry out "there's a scary sound," but what's incredible is that Tsubaki is not afraid of that sound.

Just like when he first met "Mr. Dark" - mysteriously, he judged that voice as his companion.

Mr. Black - When she met the Pale Knight, based on her instinct as a magician, she recognized the heroic spirit as "a part of her connected to herself".

But this time, Tsubaki's human instinct recognized the warmth she felt from the voice itself as "something that can reassure her" and accepted the other person's existence.

"Who are you? My name is Nuqiu Chun."

Jinqiu Chun asked just like when he first met the Pale Knight - a neutral and beautiful voice, "something" quietly informed Jin Qiu Chun of his existence.

(Thank you, little girl. I don’t have a name. Although I had one before, I have lost it now.)

"?"

The owner of the voice spoke to Tsubaki in a calm tone as he tilted his head in confusion.

(I...was once called "god" somewhere.)

(Looking at it now, it’s just leftovers... Ah, that... is just “leftovers”.)

············

The world of dreams, Miqiu Mansion.

Go back in time a little.

"Ah...that's great. My daughter seems to be fine and is sleeping peacefully."

Miqiu Xihe, who returned to the courtyard of the mansion, looked at her daughter from the window and said calmly.

Sigma, who was following him, was thinking about what to do.

The assassin said he wanted to check the situation of the three-headed monsters and took different actions.

Sigma, on the other hand, followed Tsubaki's father Yuzuru in order to obtain more information. However, Tsubaki, as a key figure, seemed to be taking a nap and was unable to obtain clear information.

——In this case, let’s try to investigate further.

——The magic of making a mound based on Chun.

"Excuse me, what kind of magic are you studying?"

Minqiu Xihe immediately wiped away the expression on his face and replied.

"Is that something that can be told to outsiders?"

That is a natural reaction for a magician.

If it is a clock tower, you can understand the direction of the subject to which it belongs, and there are many cases where the research content has been published publicly in order to give authority to the research content. However, even so, only very few people can speak out the content of magic in detail. After all, that would not be a magic world, but would be no different from ordinary companies or researchers.

However - in order to confirm his speculation, Sigma bravely went deeper in that direction.

"I want to know to ensure Xiaochun's safety."

He didn't lie.

Although Sigma's current purpose is to escape from this barrier world, his purpose before flying here was to accompany the assassin to ensure the safety of Nuqiu Chun.

Although it is not yet clear what abilities the jet-black servant possesses, if he has the ability to detect lies or hostility, deceiving the other party may lead to a fatal situation.

Most importantly, it’s also a question to confirm “something.”

Sigma felt that Jianqiu Xihe's eyes suddenly became empty. After a few seconds, he showed a calm smile and said.

"I see. If it's for Chun, there's nothing we can do about it."

Sigma's speculation was confirmed by those words, and now he was convinced.

——As expected, this world, including the personalities of the humans being manipulated, exists "to protect the Master." So far, the servant who controls the spirit has been making judgments and inducing the spirit of Minqiu Xihe.

——Furthermore, it seems that as long as this person is not lying, there will be no doubt about the type of what he is saying.

——However, even if it is a conceptual existence that combines disease and death...

When Sigma was investigating the Servants who created this world, he remembered the pseudo-persona created through magic.

Some have fought against them as enemies, and some have formed a cooperative relationship with them to complete missions.

Among them, the one that is famous among magicians is the mercury costume made into a female form used by the next head of the El-Melloi family. Although it is basically like a loyal robot that executes the user's orders, in many cases, the self-disciplined thinking of Mercury Dress is far more practical and flexible than the current AI.

——That being said, the other party is a Servant. Should we assume that the mercury dress of the El-Melloi family has a mind that is closer to human beings?

——I hope it’s not a Servant with a magician’s mind.

Sigma himself, thinking about these things, looks like an emotionless robot.

However, Sigma, who didn't notice his appearance, just asked Yuzuru what he wanted to know very seriously.

"What is the specialization of your family magic? Did you also use that magic to treat Miss Chun in a special way? Please ask me."

"Ah, deal with it... deal with it... that's right. Of course I did it."

Tsubaki's father, who said it in an understatement, started talking to himself before Sigma asked.

"I...yeah, I found the sign."

It always seemed that Xihe, who was in a brainwashed state, had a dazed expression.

His words to Sigma Organization were full of emotion, as if he was proud of what he had achieved.

"There is no way to defeat Magiri in a serious way. Their bloodline itself is like a swarm of insects... The finished insect warrior is so beautiful... However, my goal is to symbiosis with the magic that should be used . Through a more natural form than parasites... By the way, how many bacteria do you think are hosted in the human body? Hundreds of bacteria together with human cells form an intelligent life form. Compared with the number of bacteria, humans The number of cells is exactly half the number of bacteria."

Sigma is also familiar with Magiri’s family name.

It was a clan of magicians located in the Far East, and was one of the three ancestral families that created the Holy Grail War.

That is to implant something called an imprinting insect into the body, and let it fuse with the internal organs to efficiently create an evil path that resembles a magic circuit. This is what Francesca said in the memory.

Personally speaking, Sigma had the experience of being implanted with something that was either a bug or something else when he was a child, so he concluded that it should be something similar to it.

Although, from the perspective of someone other than a magician, no matter what technique they use, they all have the same point of being inhumane.

While the listener was recalling this past, the magician kept talking about the achievements he had accumulated in his life.

Although he cannot claim his achievements because of his status as a magician, he probably has a lot of desire to show his achievements to the world.

"When I saw the microorganisms collected around the ruins in South America, I trembled. I never expected that there were bacteria that were so magically compatible with humans. Although I didn't know that they were remnants that had adapted to the age of the gods and evolved. , or a microorganism with a completely different origin from the ordinary organisms on earth... Although it was not possible to create it from scratch, by processing the bacteria, it was successfully adapted to our magic."

It seems that the Minqiu family probably combined the magic of the Makiri family with the special microorganisms discovered in South America to create what can be said to be a "bacterial familiar".

Although there may be the possibility of filtering microorganisms (viruses) that are smaller than bacteria, the consequences of the difference are beyond Sigma's professional knowledge, so he decided to rule out this idea for the time being.

"The microorganisms born through magic processing are symbiotic with Tsubaki's magic circuits. Although it was a miscalculation that the microorganisms invaded the brain, Tsubaki's magic circuits have undergone tremendous changes in her body. You can understand this. How valuable is it in magic!?”

"……really."

The magic circuit, which is the source of magicians' power and can also be said to be the blood vessels through which magic power flows, usually takes several generations to grow. The number of magic circuits possessed by a magician is fixed. Even if dormant magic circuits can be awakened, the number of circuits will not increase.

However, Machiri's technology, which uses implanted bugs to replace acquired circuits, is an exception.

However, the Minqiu family said they had done this.

——How can it be done?

As if seeing through Sigma's thoughts, Yuzuru continued.

"Ah, it is true. The number of magic circuits has not increased. What has changed is the quality and flow. The microorganisms I created, in order to make their residence more comfortable, will automatically wake up the magic circuits and make them operate in the most efficient way. operate in an efficient manner.”

"..."

"Thanks to its blessing, she can transmit magic to the body more efficiently than those who have the same number of magic circuits. Such activated magic circuits will definitely make her a great mother in the future. Right. The number of magic circuits in her offspring may also increase dramatically."

Even when Yuzuru spoke in words that were closer to a magician than when he spoke as a "father" just now, Sigma's feelings were not particularly shaken.

It turns out that he was also a magic user created in a government experiment.

He has been subjected to many life-threatening experiments since he was a child, and it was only after the country's demise that he learned about concepts such as human rights.

Therefore, despite hearing that Tsubaki was treated like an experimental subject by his parents, Sigma neither sympathized with Tsubaki nor felt angry towards Yuzuru.

But - although no emotion emerged, he still thought about it and asked again.

"Do you also have that bacteria in your body?"

"Ah, this is just the trial stage. Because the latest type of bacteria that Tsubaki is infected with cannot enter the organs that are still in the underdeveloped infant stage, these bacteria are unstable. So it will be quite laborious to adjust. Ah. I didn't really care when Tsubaki lost consciousness, but I was relieved to hear that he still had the ability to give birth to an heir... Hmm... No, Tsubaki is awake now... That's the most important thing. Heirs and everything else are fine...yes, Chun is the one who is finished..."

Hearing Yuzuru's muttering to himself that gradually turned into mumbling, Sigma judged that he was confused due to the contradiction between his past behavior and his current mental state.

Just this level caused confusion. In other words, I am afraid that he really has no sense of taboo in playing with his children.

When Sigma was thinking this way, he suddenly thought of his parents.

I have never seen the appearance of my parents.

Francesca once told him that he could not find out who his father was and that his mother died in a distant country.

At that time, Francesca called herself Francois as a boy, but why did Francesca seem to know about her mother when she first met her?

That was when Francesca was still a boy named Francois...

——"Don't, don't misunderstand me! I'm interested in your background, not you!... Do you feel happy to say that? No feeling at all? Ah, really. So what about this topic? Let’s end it here!”

Answers like this are all incomprehensible.

Sigma, who didn't even know what his parents looked like, was at a loss in front of Tsubaki who was raised by both parents, but after talking to the current Yuzuru, he understood one thing.

Whether it is your biological parents or the government organization that raised you, there is still no difference in measuring so-called happiness based solely on this standard.

Of course there will still be differences in proportions, but from the beginning, magicians have been far away from things like human touch.

While thinking about what would happen if I were in Tsubaki's shoes, I couldn't even grasp the instructions given to me about freedom or disappearance, so I regarded it as "continuing to sleep and continue to form a magic circuit" Isn't "factory" better?

Sigma thought for a while and came to the ambiguous conclusion that "it doesn't feel much different."

In this sense, the existence of Miu Qiuchun may be very similar to himself.

Sigma thought so.

She got the "sleep" she sought in this hypocritical world.

To defeat the subordinate means destroying this peace.

——So, what should I do?

For this matter, there are no instructions to go up to the peak. At least, if you don't break away from this world, you won't receive any instructions.

This reminded him of what Francesca said before the false Holy Grail War was about to begin.

——"If the hero is summoned, then you can do whatever you want."

——A random action...?

The communication with Francesca and Faldius was cut off. In a situation where he could only think and act on his own, Sigma looked at his hands and began to think seriously.

Because right now, he can't do anything except think.

——What do I want to do?

···········

While Sigma was questioning himself, the assassin activated one of his Noble Phantasms.

"Sink into the dark hell...'Meditation Nerve'——"

A sensory Noble Phantasm that synchronizes oneself with the surrounding space like a shadow of the world, and senses the surrounding magic and the flow of wind.

She maintained the synchronization of her perceptions, as if she was trying to find the location of the "huge black shadow" that might be using the giant dog, or looking for the breath of a vampire related to this world.

"...?"

However, what she discovered was that other magic was flowing.

At that time, a strange flow was created that seemed to destroy the magic balance of the entire city.

It's a very subtle flow that you wouldn't notice if you didn't use the Noble Phantasm.

——Is this... magic power leaking out?

——No, is it the opposite? Or……

This flow is almost as if the whole world uses this as a vent to breathe magic.

After a brief thought, she hesitated on whether to pursue the three-headed giant dog, but decided to pursue the fluctuation of magic power.

Because she believes that this mobile destination is too symbolic and may serve as a reminder to escape from this world.

There she went.

In this balanced world, a place where strange magic flows -

That is, the top floor of the Crystal Hill Building.

············

Shajo·Ayaka.

Why did she come to this city on the occasion of the "Hypocritical Holy Grail War"?

Regarding this─she actually doesn’t understand it herself.

While wandering around the streets of Fuyuki where he once lived, he lost his way and stumbled into a building that looked like a castle deep in the forest.

There, he was caught by a white-haired beauty and something was done to him.

Looking back now, it was probably a magic controlled by the mind, but for Sajo Ayaka, who lacked knowledge of magic, it was unclear whether it was correct or not.

However, when she noticed, she only received the instruction "Give me to participate in the Holy Grail War in the United States" and was put on a ship to the United States.

Although I didn’t know why it was a boat, but when I thought about it that I didn’t have a passport, it was most likely that I was smuggled here.

In fact, although I got a fake passport and visa on the ship, I didn't go through customs properly.

My memory of being on the ship was also very vague. When I came back to my senses, I could already speak English. This was probably related to magic.

In this state, Ayaka Sajō, who was thrown to the west coast of the United States, walked to Snowfield with the little money she was given.

"I will erase the 'Little Red Riding Hood' imprinted in your heart."

She came to such a place because she saw words of hope in these vague words, so this in itself must be a kind of magic hint.

Or maybe you just came here because you were frightened by the threat that "if you run away, the curse will swallow your life", which is too simple a curse.

──I am, Ayaka.

──While studying in college...in Chancai's apartment...

──University...?

──Which university?

Memories become hazy.

It felt like I was being imprisoned by all the memories from birth to now, as if I was sinking into a heavy fog.

No, this is not an illusion.

In fact, her memory is slowly becoming ambiguous.

──I am Sayō Ayaka.

For her, her so-called self is becoming thinner and thinner like the stars beside the moon──

Only this "name" can allow her to maintain her own reputation.

···········

Now, the streets within the barrier.

The wind is coming.

The wind is approaching.

It was the wind of death that could blow away the ambiguous memories like fog in Ayaka's mind, along with her life.

"ah……"

Unable to react.

It was a dog that was bigger than a house, and its high-speed claw strikes with its claws like the arms of an excavator created a violent whirlwind on the road.

How long has it been since the three giant beasts──Cerberus attacked the police?

It felt like just a few minutes, but it also felt like more than half an hour had passed.

Ayaka took refuge in a nearby building according to the swordsman's instructions, but due to the aftermath of the giant beast's attack, the interior of the building began to collapse.

Then, the moment she fled outside in a panic, Cerberus stood in front of Ayaka as if he was aiming for the right moment.

The Claw of Cerberus is reminiscent of a sharp sword.

If you are touched, you will definitely die.

When Ayaka could feel this kind of thing firsthand, her claws were already a few meters away from her eyes.

No matter how you act from now on, it will be impossible to avoid it.

──Eh.

──I, just now, what...?

The reason why the fact that Ayaka is his own name comes to mind─maybe it is the revolving door played by the brain as it senses the fact that one's own existence is about to disappear.

But now that memory has become ambiguous, the only thing left that can emerge as a revolving door is my own name.

"..."

The body froze.

But, in front of her like that──

The slash that appeared not from the memory of the past but from the cold "now" cut off the approaching despair.

There was an impact sound, and the sword-like claws were broken in the middle and flew into the air.

"Swordsman!"

"Is it okay, Ayaka."

The swordsman held a weapon similar to a halberd.

It exudes a unique light, which makes people understand that even in the eyes of a very amateur Shaqiao, this is not just a weapon.

But this is not the sword that the swordsman originally held.

The original decorative sword was confiscated by the police, and the decorative sword acquired by Bungalow was also lost in the battle with the golden servant.

"Ah...ah mine!?"

The one yelling was a short-haired male police officer located a little further away.

He looked at his hands and the swordsman's weapon, and his eyes widened.

Ayaka understood that this seemed to be the weapon that the swordsman "obtained" from the policeman.

"I'm sorry! I'm borrowing it! It's an emergency, so I'd be really grateful if you could let me go!"

As the swordsman said this, he gently threw the weapon away and returned it to the policeman.

The policeman who hurriedly took the weapon briefly glared at the swordsman.

However, he then looked at Sajo Ayaka who was safe, and without saying anything else, he readjusted his weapon.

"If you don't do this next time, I will arrest you for theft."

"Hey, that's too scary. I don't want to get caught."

The swordsman smiled as he picked up the claw of the monster that rolled to his feet.

"Huh? What is this..."

Before Ayaka could finish speaking──the swordsman casually grasped the tip of the monster's claws, like swinging a baseball bat.

"The eternal and distant sword of victory (Excalibur)...!"

The claw of the monster that had just been picked up became extremely shining at that moment, releasing a band of light.

The slash of light tore through the avenue of the street while rushing towards the monsters themselves that were arrayed at the intersection.

The slash pierced the monster's ribs, bursting out black blood and shaking the huge body.

"Did you make it?!"

"...No, it doesn't seem to have any effect."

Vera responded calmly to John's words.

It's not just the size.

The vitality, the sharp claws, and the intensity of the death aura wrapped around his body were all elevated to a completely different level than what he saw in front of the hospital.

It seems that he has used his own power to prove that this world is the true hometown of this monster.

The surrounding police officers and Sajo Ayaka were anticipating whether the swordsman would give chase, but he still held the giant beast's claw, stood on the ground, and questioned the giant beast in a loud voice.

"O gate dog who is the guardian of the bottomless pit! If you have intelligence, please listen to my words! Then answer me!"

"Eh?"

"...!?"

Ayaka made a dumbfounded sound, and the policemen such as Vera and John also turned their faces towards the swordsman with their eyes widened.

The swordsman ignored the surrounding situation and declared with the momentum of two generals facing off on the battlefield.

"We are not the spirits who rebel against the underworld and fight against the judgment and refuse to rest! We are the living beings who are walking on the right path and will eventually end up in death! It would be fine if my body as a heroic spirit is designated as a spirit escaping from death! But! Others! There is no doubt that you are the living! If you are a person who has sworn loyalty to the King of Hades, then how about you fulfill your loyalty correctly!"

It's really too upright and upright.

Even Sajo Ayaka, who was confused, was instantly attracted by that speech.

His demeanor was so upright, yet completely different from his attitude when he was discussing whether to kill a girl and vowed to protect Ayaka.

If I had to say it, it would be the same as giving a speech in a police car. But in such a crisis situation, it is very unusual to give a speech to a giant beast with a language barrier.

It was just his overly awe-inspiring behavior that gave Sajo Ayaka and the police the illusion that "this behavior was the only correct answer."

"────"

Cerberus stared at the swordsman in surprise and slowly moved his face closer.

"Hey, the attacks really stopped."

"Could it be said that he really understands human nature?"

John and others were observing the situation while whispering to each other. Cerberus put the three faces next to the swordsman and smelled them silently.

Even though three huge maws that could swallow even an ox were approaching, the swordsman still stood motionless.

Soon, Cerberus' three moving heads met each other's gazes - and the next moment, the giant body raised its three huge heads and barked toward the sky at the same time, and the sound spread throughout the sky.

“grrrrrrroooooooaaaaaaa…”

The roaring trio can make people feel the heat as if they are spitting out flames.

Ayaka couldn't help but wince, but surprisingly she didn't want to "escape from here."

Perhaps she sensed this instinctively.

The safest place in this barrier world is this intersection where the most "combat power" gathers.

However, this does not eliminate the uneasiness.

Not only that, but when you see the scene that comes next, you will be swallowed up by pure fear.

The roar sounded, and the surrounding space began to tremble.

Then, the "shadows" everywhere in the street began to blur in conjunction with the vibration.

In the alleys without sunlight, under the parked cars, the underground space spreads under the sewer shafts.

Something like black mist poured out from various places, and an entity composed of countless blocks began to form around the intersection.

Soon, they were entangled and combined with each other in several locations, and each appeared as an identical existence to Cerberus who was already sitting here.

"This is……"

John wiped away the cold sweat and looked around.

The three giant beasts, which until now were just one, multiplied in large numbers and sat on the building and in front of and on the road, completely surrounding the police team, Richard and the others.

The streets that were quiet just a few minutes ago were suddenly surrounded by the smell of death.

The giant beasts had no killing intent, they were just staring here quietly with their blue eyes.

Then, the "shadows" born at the feet of those beasts squirmed again, turning into a new black mist, shrouding the surroundings like a swarm of flies.

"..." "z..." "r..." "...贴"

"..." "...z...ah"

"..." "...──" "z" "...g..." "..."

A noise like the sound of feathers echoed at the intersection.

The black mist combined with the sound gave everyone the impression of a swarm of flies, giving the world a stronger aura of death.

The next moment──

The noise becomes a meaningful "sound" that shakes the eardrums of those who are surrounded.

"the living"

"To you who are living"

"Declaration"

"Your body"

"There is no existence in this world"

then.

"Shadows" begin to spread across the city.

As if to uncover the truth about this world.

Or, in order to hide the truth of the world from "someone".

···········

"Ah, not bad, it's starting to mix with a good feeling..."

The figure who was observing them on the roof of the building not far from the intersection where the swordsman and his friends were standing──the Dead Apostle Zesta who had turned into a boy, looked at the changing city with an intoxicated expression.

"It turned out to be the guard dog of hell. What a good thing I picked up, Tsubaki-chan's cavalry."

Jesta used a childish tone and an indescribable twisted smile on his face, while using his unique perception to understand the situation in the city.

"...Well, over there, the assassin's eldest sister."

Sensing the assassin's magic coming from behind, he walked towards the building in the center of the city. The corners of Jesta's mouth twisted horribly, and his sharp canines were exposed.

"I haven't given up hope yet."

"Then, I'll give it another push."

···········

The street within the boundary is Congqiu Di

"Who? Where?"

Just as Tsubaki's voice answered, a neutral voice came from somewhere in the house.

(Haha, come and find out, Miss.)

As if attracted by that sound, Tsubaki began to patter around the house.

(That being said, it will be in trouble if you can't find me)

"?"

(What happened in this world? My consciousness, which was supposed to be destroyed and dissolved into the world, actually resurfaced. This is no small matter. Zheng... I'm afraid he has gone to the underworld or the fairyland, I'm afraid. No one knows me anymore, right?)

That voice was not so much talking to Tsubaki as it was analyzing the current situation while talking to itself.

(No... I can feel a lot of the aura of the Age of Gods... That thing in the sky is... ah, is it the incarnation of the 'Watcher' that our ancestors and others have accumulated? The other one is from the West) God? God of nature... No, that is a clone...? There is a large amount of water smell approaching from the distance in the west. Is everything accidental or inevitable?)

"??"

(Are you planning to test me? Okay, this is a world painted by human reason. Although it is not perfect, it is still seamless. I accept your challenge! Don’t be anxious, myself, don’t lose, myself! Be like Man Man It’s better to be as elegant as the universe, and it’s better to be as elegant as the gurgling river...)

"??? Well, that... I don't understand, I'm sorry."

The 'voice' continued to speak after being embarrassed and silent to Tsubaki who tilted his head as he could not understand the meaning.

(Ah, sorry...I'm very troubled, can you help me?)

"Help?"

(Let’s play hide and seek! As long as you can find me, you win?)

"hide and seek!"

(Get ready, 1, 2, 3, 4...Okay. If you find me, I will give you sweet water candy, okay?)

"……Um!"

Generally speaking, this is a line that only extremely suspicious human traffickers would say.

No matter how ignorant Chun was of the world, if it were normal, she would be afraid and call her parents, but for some reason, she listened to that "voice".

Tsubaki was still convinced that the voice was "companion".

It was a very gentle and tolerant voice.

It was like the voice of her parents that she had always expected.

Tsubaki walked around the house as if being guided, and then stood in front of a wall.

"? It's obviously coming from here..."

Tsubaki, who was perceiving/perceiving the "breath" of the owner of the voice in the form of sound, stopped in confusion──

(Ah, no problem...just make a wish on the wall. Just say "Please let me pass.")

"Uh-huh……"

(It doesn’t matter, mom and dad can use magic, right? Then you can use it too.)

"Um!"

Chun nodded vigorously and made a wish towards the "wall".

"Ah... please, open sesame!"

Silently reciting lines from stories about distant countries that I have read in the past few days.

Chunzai felt a warm current in his body.

It travels across the back. That was the place where my father and mother had run through in severe pain when something was done while saying it was an "experiment". Chun felt a sting for a moment, but the pain did not disappear, it was just like the gentle warmth of the sun quietly surging through her body.

I didn't notice that this was a reaction from the magic circuit. The magic power flowing smoothly from Tsubaki's body was sucked into the wall.

In the next moment, the wall opened its mouth like a creature and emerged into the home toward the underground stairs.

"Wow……"

In front of this incredible sight, Tsubaki's eyes sparkled with stars.

(Well, can you find me? Princess?)

Tsubaki was guided by the voice again and slowly walked down the stairs.

Then, beyond those barriers that were also automatically lifted, ahead - there is a magician's workshop filled with more books, magic rituals, and various experimental equipment.

"ah……"

Tsubaki trembled.

──No.

She remembered this place.

──This is it.

She has always been "helping" in this room.

──No, no.

Helping my father and mother with the "experiment" they talked about.

The memory of pain hit her brain again.

"ah……"

──If you can’t bear it, no.

──If you are not a good boy,...

─Dad and mom will not have a good look on their faces.

It was like an echo.

The pain that had been washed away and forgotten by the "experience of happy times that I had dreamed about since childhood" that she had experienced in the past few days revived in the girl's heart.

In front of Tsubaki, who was flooded with negative memories and emotions like a dam bursting, and her eyes were engulfed in tears──

"Hi."

The voice sounded.

The sound echoed in a room consumed by the trauma of the past.

Just one sentence.

Just like that, the fear that filled Chun's heart disappeared.

Just now, this voice only echoed in Chun's mind.

But it's different now.

The clear voice clearly shook the air in the room.

"I found it. Here, I'll give you water and sugar."

Saying this, the graceful hand handed to Chun contained two shells, which contained something like honey.

The owner of that hand is——a beautiful being.

Unisex look for both men and women.

If Tsubaki saw Enkidu, he might have a similar impression.

However, this existence is different from Enkidu, who wears simple clothes. The unique makeup and bright red clothes make up the luxurious temperament. The moment Chun saw it, he thought, is this person the king or queen of which country?

"Well, well...are you a great man?"

In front of that gorgeous, dazzling existence that was also very different from the times, Chun couldn't help but ask.

After hearing this, the beauty replied.

"It's a pity that I guessed wrong. What makes me great is the past, not the person. No, I have always existed in a place where I have no connection with those values ​​​​of being great or not..."

"?"

"Ah, I said something incomprehensible again. I'm sorry. After all, I haven't talked to humans for two thousand and hundreds of years. No, I'm like a reverb now, so to be precise, it's not...ah, I've said some difficult things that you can't understand! That's why I say that I can't get along with other people's temperament, and that's why I let other people's dreams and water be chased until they dry up... !”

The beauty made dramatic movements in the corner of the room, sat crying, and made a whimpering sound.

"Ah, um, are you okay?"

Forgetting his timidity, Tsubaki ran towards Reito and rubbed her back.

"Thank you, son of man. You are so gentle."

Beauty, who had regained her composure, spoke to Tsubaki while calmly adjusting her breathing.

"Ah, but there is no need to worry about me so much. I can only talk to you for a while. Because of this, I just want to know why I came here in advance. Having said that, the only way I can make friends is as the master of this world Of you..."

"Master of the world?"

"He is the protagonist of a fairy tale...similar to...ah, no. If you say it like this, the 'death' block will be activated..."

Seeing the beauty's distressed expression, the worried Chun continued to rub her back.

For such a little girl, Liren smiled reluctantly and pointed to a corner of the room.

"It's okay, just help me get that."

Seeing what the fingertips were pointing at, Tsubaki tilted her head.

Tsubaki couldn't quite understand what that was for.

It feels very similar to the bows and arrows that appear in comic books.

But that's a more complex shape that appears in the picture book "Little Red Riding Hood" and the hunter who defeats the wolf at the end has something similar.

"That is something called the 'Crossbow of the Fallen God'. The great king of the past... no, it is the king of kings, the terrifying weapon owned by the human being who first claimed to be the 'Emperor'."

"Weapon...use this to defeat bad guys?"

"Although I was the one who was defeated...according to the human values ​​​​at that time, it should be so."

The beauty moved her face away from those dazzling eyes and answered awkwardly in order to fool her.

"Well, okay. Just take it with you. As long as it is with you, I can help you in the short period until I disappear. I just want to know what is happening now. Just move it Go outside, and as a thank you I will fulfill your request."

"……Um!"

Although I still don’t understand the meaning of this sentence at all, from Tsubaki’s point of view, it seems to be saying “There is an incredible person who makes me feel safe like family, and can make my wishes come true.”

Thinking of the story of Cinderella's picture book in her mind, Chun Tian really picked up the crossbow. Although she thought so, she was shaken by the weight that was actually heavier than it looked, and she fell down on her butt.

"Oh, danger, danger! No injuries?"

"……Um."

Tsubaki said a little sadly.

Although he tried to stand up reluctantly, for a petite Tsubaki of his age, walking with a crossbow seemed to be all he could do.

"Can't you carry it with you...?!...Hasn't he even imagined how powerless human beings are...That guy from Zheng, the decorations and decorations he put in order to conquer me are too grand! This is simply a surplus. A representative of combat power! Be it the Great Wall or Afang Palace, do you think that bigger is always better for everything? That kid..."

Beauty, who was accusing someone, suddenly said as if she remembered something.

"Wait a minute. In this world, you are the 'master'... As long as you believe that you are light, you should be able to pick it up easily... But, but, hasn't this child realized that this is her dream? ?”

In order to prevent the second half of the words from reaching Tsubaki's ears, the beauty muttered softly.

"Yeah, just call the people who come to help. Whether it's your father or your mother, as long as you ask them, they will definitely help you."

"Yeah……"

"Look, someone is coming, hurry up and ask that person to try."

Hearing the footsteps coming from the stairs, Liren suggested this matter.

"Hmm...ah."

Tsubaki thought it was her father or mother who had come, and wanted to ask for help from the two people who had been gentle here for several days--but it was neither her father nor her mother who appeared from the stairs.

"So you are here...is this your family's workshop?"

The mercenary dressed in pitch black, Sigma’s eyes first saw Tsubaki──

"……!who?"

Then he noticed the beauty standing behind her. He took a stance, looked at the gorgeous red outfit, and murmured in surprise while confirming that the other person was not hostile.

"Inquisition?"

···········

The street in the dream world, the top of the Crystal Hill.

"Hey, Professor! It's me, it's me!"

"Flat?? What's going on with this signal? Where did it come from?!"

There is a mobile phone placed on the makeshift "altar".

The sound coming from the unit that had switched to speaker mode was the voice of a man who was a mixture of relief and confusion.

"Ah, teacher! I'm sorry that I contacted you late. Well, what should I say? I feel like I'm dreaming now..."

"...What? Are you really just too lazy to contact me because you overslept?!"

"Whoa, what are you talking about?!? No! That's not what you mean. Uh-huh. By the way, it's a barrier. It's within a barrier! It should be said that it was about the time when we were in the cemetery in Wales. , are both the teacher and Miss Gray trapped in the 'past reenactment', or is it a new version of the 'present reenactment'..."

"...? Wait, wait! Calm down and explain the situation from the beginning."

The man changed his voice back to his normal voice in order to calm down the student.

Frat smiled happily after hearing the voice of Lord El-Melloi II.

Because he knows.

This is the case, no, it is precisely because of this that I can accept the "teaching" in El-Melloi's classroom in the best possible condition.

Because he believes that there must be a solution to the current situation in the course content.

Of course, the success of that method depends entirely on Flatt.

After listening to the entire process, the Lord of the Clock Tower gave a puzzling word.

"It's...the underworld."

In response to El-Melloi II's words, Flatt tilted his head.

"Wait, please wait, teacher, do you mean we are dead?!"

"Okay Flatt, please shut up for a moment. Then... you will take a supportive attitude towards the escape. Is that okay with your understanding? Your Excellency, Supervisor?"

"Ah. We will not interfere in the battle between the camps. Besides, the Holy Church also has a few favors to repay you. The incident of saving Sister Ilmia, who has a bad relationship with me, and more yes--"

"No, if that incident was treated as a favor between individuals, I was also helped by Mr. Karabo at the time. However, if we insist on treating it as a favor between organizations, it would be bad for both of us. For this time Incident, it is enough if you can simply stand as a supervisor and help my students. I don't intend to say anything like asking you to put yourself at risk."

Hearing this, Hansa smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"Flat, as the rumors say, your teacher's personality is indeed far away from that of a magician. This is really true. How such a person can still live in the Demon-Conquering Hall called the Clock Tower makes me feel... It’s very incredible.”

"...I am just blessed by luck and fate. I am not capable enough, and I know it without further explanation."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you, but to praise you. It is precisely because of your nature that my colleagues and seniors will lend you a helping hand. And no matter how much you want to deny it, Favors are favors. I will try my best to repay what I can personally. Maybe even if you become a vampire, as long as you don't do evil, I will pretend that I didn't see it."

"...As a priest of the Holy Church, you seem to be a little out of touch. Of course, I don't have the plan or strength to become a vampire."

Second said helplessly, and then started explaining again.

"Although I said that your place is Hades, of course it does not mean that you are really dead, but it means the nature of the barrier you are in."

"What's going on? Although I feel like there's nothing like hell or heaven here."

"Flat, I know you didn't pay attention in class. Get rid of that fixed idea that only laymen have. Although this statement is predicated on some speculation, I'm afraid your place is named after It’s something that started from the magic circuit and spirit of the girl Qiu Chun. What the priest saw, that monster in the distance... no, a mythical beast? What if the legendary Cerberus became active in that world? , then it probably has the same 'appearance' as the underworld."

"Does it mean they take care of each other?"

"Flat's description of it as 'like in a dream' is actually correct. There are also cases where dreams are defined as the afterlife in a magical sense."

"Using the dream of a comatose girl named '绳秋春' as a catalyst, a pseudo-underworld was established by the servants... Of course, other explanations can also be considered, but if you compare Flatt's statement with my personal If the information obtained through this channel is combined, the possibility can be said to be high enough.”

So Hansa, who had been silent all this time, asked.

"Hmm... From my position, I can't talk about the diversity of the 'afterlife', but does that mean... that this is the underworld where the real streets are reflected in the mirror?"

"There are many underworlds that are similar to reality. Rather, the tombs of pharaohs and emperors themselves were rituals to bring an entire city into the underworld. After death, I saw that I lived the exact same life in the exact same place. Ancestors... There are literally countless such accounts in the world. Moreover, the fact that they created a world that is exactly the same as the place where the living live shows that the Servants who created this barrier world are also quite systematic as Servants. The existence of sex. In addition, Cerberus has also been incorporated into this world, which means that it may also be constantly evolving."

"Evolution? What's going on? Teacher?"

"That heroic spirit is probably the concept of 'death' itself. The embodiment of the underworld. Hades or the gods of the underworld such as Hera, Nergal, and Ereshkigal... No, no matter what, it's so big Spirit bases cannot be summoned...probably. Moreover, if there are managers of the underworld, the appearance of the barrier world should become closer to the underworld where they are located. I am afraid, it is not so much the underworld. …It would be better to say that it is very similar to the concept of death itself.”

As if reading the conclusion drawn on the blackboard from the beginning, Nisei completed the dismantling (deconstruction) of the barrier world that he had not seen with his own eyes while speaking smoothly.

"I'm afraid that the personality of that servant has been continuously learning in response to the reaction of the master Minqiu Chun since the time he was summoned. Although there are times when he becomes a completely different existence every time he is summoned. ' possibility, but the summoning of realm record tapes is very rare, so comparison cannot be made. However, since you have entered the world as a new foreign object, it is possible to conduct other studies."

"But teacher, why haven't we been brainwashed?"

Flatt interjected in a questioning tone.

Before coming to this building, I had passed by brainwashed people on the street.

Hansa and Frater, who were on alert, also prepared defensive countermeasures, but so far, there has never been a brainwashing attack on this side.

"There should be any difference. After all, there are too many methods of brainwashing, so it is impossible to speculate. But the point of why not to do this can be speculated."

"Yes! Yes! Whydunit! Teacher's killer line!"

"Oh, 'Whydunit'? It's true that 'Whodunit' has been solved. Since magic is involved, then 'Howdunit' is meaningless. But if it becomes a killer line, it's not so much a magician. He’s already a detective.”

After being silent for a moment by Hansa's words, the second coughed and continued.

"Forget it. I'm just analyzing it using the knowledge I gained in the past. If I really had the insight and inspiration of a detective, my life would be somewhat different... Anyway, there is no reason for you to be brainwashed. I I think this is the reason why you were drawn into this world.”

What Ni later pointed out was the phenomenon of "people outside the streets returning to the streets together with strange words and deeds", and about strange diseases spreading among animals. ()