A dream demon, as the name implies, is a demon of dreams, a creature with the power to weave dreams.
In the Type-Moon universe, there are two very famous dream demons, one male and one female.
The most famous one is the male, named Merlin. He appears in the Arthurian legends as a court magician and prophet. Although he appears in human form, he is not entirely human, being a hybrid of an incubus and a human.
Merlin is the highest-level magus and is known as the "Magus of Flowers". Similar to the immortal queen of the Land of Shadows, Scathach, Merlin is an immortal sage currently self-secluded in the Garden of Avalon within the Inner Sea of the Stars, using his EX-level clairvoyance to spy on the world. In short, he is an immortal pervert.
The female dream demon is slightly less famous; her name is Len. She is the heroine of the sequel to Tsukihime, Kagetsu Tohya. In the real world, she appears as a black cat, but in dreams, she transforms into a girl with long blue hair, dressed in a black dress. Despite her limited screen time, she has garnered considerable popularity due to her cute appearance and her "three-no" (no emotions, no expressions, no words) personality.
"Could it be you, Len?"
Shinji didn't say this out loud. He had named the black cat Len because he thought of that succubus with the "three-no" personality. He never expected that the cat was a dream demon. However, he didn't know if she was the one he had in mind.
The people around Shinji started discussing.
"A dream demon? What's that?" Byakuya.
"I think I've read about it in a book." This was Kariya.
"Shishou told me stories about dream demons." This was Sakura.
"Is it such a thing? Are you sure?" This was Lorelei.
"I'm sure. I'm also curious why a dream demon would appear in the form of a black cat." Justeaze nodded, reaching out to touch Len.
Len's fur stood on end as if she had encountered a natural enemy. Upon closer thought, it made sense; Justeaze's Third Magic was indeed a great threat to a dream demon who relies on dreams to survive.
"Don't scare her."
Shinji placed Len on his lap, soothing the black cat by stroking the back of her neck with his fingertips.
"But I've never heard of a dream demon being able to devour curses." Lorelei's slender eyebrows furrowed slightly, her face full of doubt.
"A curse? What's going on?" Justeaze had arrived late and hadn't heard the earlier conversation.
Sakura directly lifted Shinji's cloak, revealing his right arm: "Teacher Justeaze, my brother has been cursed. Please take a look."
"This is—?" Justeaze's eyes narrowed. Thin white threads emerged from her sleeves, like spiritual snakes, climbing onto Shinji's right arm from various points.
These threads were as fine as hair, penetrating the pores like probes, transmitting Shinji's physical condition back to Justeaze.
After several seconds, Justeaze retracted the threads, seemingly having concluded: "I see."
"What do you mean?" Lorelei asked.
"Dream demons live by absorbing human vitality. This curse is also a form of vitality manipulation and falls within the dream demon's absorption range."
Although Justeaze had not extensively studied curses, her profound alchemical knowledge and understanding of the human body allowed her to analyze the curse's principle. Magecraft stems from life force, and vitality also comes from life force. Since both originate from the same source, they can naturally be converted into each other. Ortenrosse's curse utilized this principle.
"Can it be dispelled?" Sakura's eyes were filled with hope.
"Possible, but—"
Before Justeaze could finish, Byakuya immediately promised, "Whatever you need, I'll get it right away."
"If the Matou family doesn't have it, I'll get it directly from London," Lorelei also chimed in, not wanting to be left behind.
"It's not about lacking materials; we have everything we need at home," Justeaze quickly waved her hand. "It's just—I'm not quite sure if removing the curse or keeping it would be more beneficial for Shinji."
Everyone was stunned by this statement.
"Can keeping a curse be beneficial?"
"Normally, no, but Shinji's situation is unique," Justeaze thought for a moment and explained, "I think you've already felt it. It's precisely because of this curse that your synchronization with the relic has been so smooth. If this trend continues, it won't be long before it truly becomes yours."
Shinji nodded: "Indeed."
Justeaze continued, "Moreover, during the prolonged conflict, your right hand has gradually adapted to the curse's power. If handled properly, it's possible to turn the curse's power into your own."
"Is that possible?" Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, including Shinji.
"In theory, yes, but I haven't figured out how yet. Hmm, it seems I need to contact Touko for a more informed decision. She is more specialized in human physiology than I am."
Justeaze, deep in thought, didn't notice Shinji covering his face, nor did she catch the strange expression on Lorelei's face upon hearing a certain name.
"Alright, let's keep this quiet for now."
Shinji scratched his head vigorously, first issuing a gag order to Justeaze, then turning to Lorelei:
"Please, I beg you, keep what happens next a secret. Don't tell anyone."
Lorelei raised an eyebrow: "What if I say no?"
"Then we can't even be friends," Shinji answered firmly without a trace of hesitation.
"Understood," Lorelei replied solemnly. "I swear by the name of Barthomeloi that I will not leak a word of what I've seen or heard in the Matou household."
"Thank you, truly."
"No need to thank me," Lorelei said coolly. "I hope one day you'll do the same for me—so it really is that Touko Aozaki?"
"Yes."
"And what's your relationship with her?"
"She's a friend, and you could say family."
"To have enlisted the help of the Grand Puppeteer herself, it seems the Matou family is not as simple as it appears."
As she said this, Lorelei finally let her long-suppressed queenly aura shine through.
"No, to have nurtured someone like you, the Matou family is not simple at all."
"You're too kind. The stronger my family, the more help you can get," Shinji took this opportunity to express his stance, also as a gesture of gratitude for Lorelei's trust.
"Since you say so, I have a request to make." Lorelay was not being polite, "I want to know how to break this curse."
"No problem." Shinji would certainly not refuse such a small matter, "Justeaze."
Justeaze did not hesitate: "I need some time to design and organize it."
"That's fine, I can wait." For Lorelei, as long as there are no more sacrifices in the future, this little bit of time is nothing.
"Then I'll go prepare." Justeaze is focused on her work, and once she gets into the state of mind, she will devote herself to it wholeheartedly until it is completed.
Just as she was passing through the corridor to enter the underground workshop, the doorbell rang.