Magician in Type-Moon

Page 71

"And who is she? Hisayu Maiya? Irisviel?"

Matou Ike pondered, thinking that there were only a few women who could be associated with this Holy Grail War.

As for why she would think of the already deceased Hisamu Maiya, it's obvious that Matou Ike had no idea that this had happened.

Moreover, with the appearance of a third party, Lancer's survival is now in question.

Next is Tokiomi Tohsaka. Gilgamesh's sudden outburst of anger was likely due to Tokiomi Tohsaka's death.

At the time, it was speculated that it was Kiritsugu Emiya who was behind the assassination of Tokiomi Tohsaka while the others were trapped in the Reality Marble.

But now that I think about it, it doesn't seem to be the case.

From the moment Gilgamesh sensed Tokiomi Tohsaka's death to the moment the Reality Marble was broken, only half a minute had passed.

However, according to Berserker's observations, after Rider's defeat, Gilgamesh went to Tokiomi Tohsaka's body, where Kirei Kotomine was kneeling and praying.

Could it be that Kirei Kotomine killed Tokiomi Tohsaka? It's only been two days! Has he become corrupted that quickly?

Matou Ike's reasoning was entirely wrong in its process, but he stumbled upon the correct answer by sheer chance.

"Speaking of the Conqueror King, although his Reality Barrier was destroyed by the Hero King Gilgamesh, whether it can still be used in the future is a question. We'll have to ask Medea about that later."

Matouchi muttered to himself.

He recalled that in the final stages of the battle, the Conqueror King seemed to have gained some kind of unidentified thunderous power.

What exactly was that thunderous bull that came running down from the sky? The Conqueror King's "Divine Wheel" should have been destroyed, and this bull formed from lightning was clearly much stronger than the phantom beast that pulled the Conqueror King's chariot before.

This Holy Grail War is getting stranger and stranger.

...This is getting stranger and stranger... Matou Ike's thoughts echoed, but his eyelids suddenly felt heavy.

A wave of drowsiness suddenly washed over him, and he felt he could hardly resist the fatigue.

"Something's wrong. What is this?" He tried to stay awake and fight off the weariness, but his already exhausted body eventually made it impossible for him to continue.

I can't muster any strength in my body, and I can't make a sound when I shout.

He felt himself being gradually swallowed by drowsiness, and the scene before him became blurry.

No matter how much he struggled, sleepiness still irresistibly washed over him.

His consciousness gradually faded, and everything before him was slowly swallowed by darkness.

On this peaceful night, Ryudong Temple was completely silent.

Matou Ike lay on the tatami mat, her breathing gradually calming down, and a sense of peace appearing on her face.

His breathing became deep and steady, and his body finally relaxed, falling into a deep sleep.

......

In the Dragon Cave below Ryudong Temple, the hidden person shrouded in mist suddenly sensed something was amiss.

Suddenly, several wisps of mist shot out from the hole, easily penetrating the defensive barrier set up by Caster, and drifting towards Matou Ike's room.

The wisps of mist seemed to have a life of their own, nimbly traversing the corridor and silently slipping into Matouchi's room.

They hovered in the air for a moment, then burrowed directly into Matouchi's nostrils.

Chapter 99 Nightmare

Matou Ike had another nightmare, but this time, he was more aware that he was dreaming.

He dreamed that he was walking on a coastline made up of silt, wetlands, and huge moss-covered rocks.

A strong, putrid stench filled the air, and the sea breeze carried a damp, chilling fog that sent shivers down one's spine.

In the distance, a vast city shrouded in shadow could be vaguely seen; its outline was indistinct, but the sense of oppression grew ever stronger.

The city's architecture presented bizarre geometric shapes, as if it didn't belong to this world.

Huge stone pillars and angular buildings stand tall in the sea, like sleeping giants.

The sky was tinged with an eerie, dark blue, a color known in the world of magic as the primary color of fear.

Its appearance foreshadows misfortune, symbolizing unknown terror and irresistible power.

Matou Ike felt a nameless fear welling up inside him, but his body was stiff and he couldn't control his feet, so he could only walk step by step toward the city.

With each step he took, Matou Ike could feel the ground trembling slightly, as if some enormous creature was wriggling underground.

He tried to roll his eyes to look down, but the mud and moss-covered rocks under his feet made his vision blurry.

It seemed as if something was blocking his view; he could only see the city in front of him.

That castle that compelled him to keep moving forward.

After an unknown amount of time, Matou Ike seemed to have no sense of the passage of time at all.

He just moved forward numbly.

Finally, he reached the edge of the city.

The city gates soared into the clouds, constructed of smooth, mirror-like black stone, covered with indistinguishable runes and patterns that reflected the deep blue light of the ocean.

Each stone shimmered with an eerie light, as if whispering ancient secrets.

The gate looked incredibly heavy; even a giant might not be able to push it open.

Matou Ike felt an invisible force pulling him, compelling him to approach the gate step by step.

Despite his inner resistance, his feet moved forward involuntarily, as if controlled by some mysterious force.

When he finally stood before the gate, looking up at the enormous doorway, he felt an indescribable sense of oppression enveloping his heart.

He knew that the weight of the door was beyond human power to move, but just as he approached the door, it suddenly opened silently, revealing the scene inside the city.

The city's structure resembles that of Futurist art, with buildings featuring anomalous structures that completely contradict Euclidean geometry.

Its unprecedented spatial structure and dimensional dimensions evoke a strong sense of aversion.

These buildings are constructed from enormous, seemingly impossible-to-come-from-earth green stone, and feature dazzling megalithic carvings, magnificent statues, and ornate reliefs.

The entire city exuded a strong sense of uncleanliness.

There are no steps to climb here, and miasma constantly rises from this twisted group of buildings soaked in seawater, refracting the miasma so that even the sun appears distorted.

At first glance, the surrounding stones appear to be convex, but upon closer inspection, they actually appear to be concave.

The twisted and unpredictable edges on the stone seemed to conceal a sinister threat and a restless emotion.

Matouchi felt a cold wind blowing in from inside the door, carrying a heavy stench of decay and a damp, chilly smell—the stench of rotting flesh.

Matou Ike's heart raced, and her body trembled uncontrollably, but she still stepped through the door.

As he stepped across the threshold of the gate, he felt a powerful force pressing down on him from all directions, as if it were about to completely engulf him.

After crossing the threshold, one mysterious piece of knowledge about the city after another flooded into his mind, as if trying to burst his brain.

At that moment, Kirichi heard the sound of swallowing and chewing, as if someone was still enjoying a meal in this city of fear.

But the chewing sounds brought a sliver of clarity to Matouchi's brain, which was nearly overloaded and paralyzed. However, most of the knowledge he had gained earlier had vanished completely.

It looked as if it had been eaten.

Fortunately, Matou Ike finally realized where he was.

This is the legendary City of the Vanishing Snail, an ominous place, a nightmare, the ultimate in terror. Countless centuries ago, its enormous and terrifying form, born from the dark stars, was created.

The indescribable god and his retinue dwell here, hidden in a slippery, moss-covered cave.

Matou Ike was somewhat amused and exasperated, as if knowing where she was didn't necessarily mean anything good.

And indeed, he did have some connection with Luoyan City.

That is Berserker's Noble Phantasm - The Curse of the Desolate City.

It is a book that exists only in legends, written by an unknown author around 3000 BC.

Many scroll-shaped copies were extracted from the original text. These copies have been preserved since 300 BC and are said to have been hidden in a desolate place along the Chinese coast.

"Could it be because I was tainted by Berserker's black mud today? So now..." A thought flashed through Matou Ike's mind.

When Berserker was repairing the damaged parts of the fighter jet he was piloting, he may have accidentally come into contact with some black mud.

However, after stepping through this door, Matou Ike discovered that she could control her body freely.

He sensed that the invisible force seemed to have weakened after he entered the city, as if it were merely a means to guide him here.

"So the mastermind's initial goal was just to get me into this city?" Chi pondered to himself.

Although Matouchi was having a lucid dream, her thinking was still somewhat sluggish and dull, as if she were affected by the dream.

He could only continue forward, each step taken with caution and vigilance. As he ventured deeper into the city, he began to sense more ominous signs.

An indescribable sense of oppression filled the air, and the surrounding buildings seemed to be constantly deforming and twisting, like a nightmare body ready to devour anyone who entered.

He walked through a narrow alleyway, the high walls on both sides covered with intricate runes and patterns that seemed to glow faintly.

Matou Ike attempted to decipher the runes on the wall using her Mystic Eyes, but just as the Mystic Eyes connected... another chewing sound rang out...

He saw himself transformed into a twisted, proliferating monster covered in countless contorted limbs.

How did you come to see Matou Pond?

Because Matou Ike was standing behind Matou Ike at that moment and saw him trying to use his Mystic Eyes to decipher the runes on the wall.

Was that a clone? No, Matou Ike was certain that the one who had turned into a twisted monster was himself.

Because he had just connected to the Magic Eye, and at the moment the Magic Eye's magic circuit was opened, his perspective seemed to have become two.

One is yourself transformed into a twisted monster, and the other is yourself standing behind you watching yourself become a twisted monster.

Chapter 100 Abnormality

The monster within him writhed wildly, roaring in agony, its body constantly growing and deforming, as if it wanted to devour everything.

Meanwhile, the person standing behind them was observing all of this, watching themselves gradually transform into a monster.

The dual perspectives and two completely different feelings plunged Matouchi's consciousness into unprecedented chaos.

"What's going on...?" Matou Ike cried out in his heart, trying to understand the scene before him.