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...
"Oh no, does Sakura know?" Airmid gasped upon hearing Mika's explanation.
Although Sakura had been adopted into the Matou family, deep down, she still cherished memories of her parents and older sister.
Yet, she had nearly been killed by her own father.
Such a revelation would undoubtedly be a devastating blow to Sakura.
"I'll go check on her," Airmid declared, rising to her feet and heading towards Sakura's room upstairs.
Seeing this, Mika relaxed slightly.
Sakura's indifferent expression upon returning had worried him greatly.
Sometimes, apathy was more painful than sadness.
In times like these, she needed the comfort of someone who had shown her kindness, like Airmid.
After all, Airmid had been by Sakura's side ever since her rescue.
With Sakura's well-being entrusted to Airmid, Mika turned to Merlin with a serious expression. "How is the barrier around the Matou residence progressing?"
On their way back, Mika and the others had noticed something peculiar about the Matou mansion.
While the surrounding buildings had suffered significant damage, the mansion remained unscathed amidst the ruins. It was undeniably suspicious.
Therefore, upon returning, Mika had instructed Merlin to modify the Matou's bounded field and barriers, incorporating an illusionary effect.
This would make the mansion appear indistinguishable from the surrounding devastation to any outsider.
Initially, Merlin had resisted this task.
However, after Mika raised his hand, revealing his Command Spells and offering to "enhance" Merlin's motivation, the magus had reluctantly agreed.
After all, he was the one who had insisted on joining them.
As "close friends," shouldn't they be willing to help each other?
"Rest assured, although my Bounded Field Creation skill is low, it's simply because I find it difficult to maintain focus on such tedious tasks," Merlin declared proudly, having rarely exerted himself to this extent.
"So you're saying you just filled out your Servant status sheet randomly?" Mika quipped, leaning back on the sofa and looking at Merlin with a playful grin.
"More or less," Merlin admitted.
After spending time together, their relationship had become quite comfortable.
Therefore, Merlin saw no need to continue hiding such trivial details.
"By the way, where's Mellie?"
Mika was, of course, aware of Merlin's true capabilities.
Shaking his head in amusement, he inquired about Mellie's whereabouts.
"Mellie? She's gone to rest," Merlin replied, taking a sip of his tea. "As soon as we returned, she complained about being exhausted and went to her room."
"It's the middle of the night, after all, and we just went through a fierce battle. If you hadn't assigned me this task, I would have retired for the night as well."
"As for Airmid, she's worried about Sakura's safety, so she stayed up and waited for you."
"Oh dear, I suppose the adrenaline from the battle kept me energized, and I completely forgot how late it is," Mika said, rubbing his forehead in frustration.
He quickly regained his composure and turned to Merlin. "You don't need sleep, do you? Since you're not doing anything else, let's discuss our next move."
"Ugh, you're really working me to the bone, aren't you?" Merlin grumbled, though his ears perked up, and a spark of interest flickered in his eyes.
"After last night's battle, Gilgamesh and Hassan of the Hundred Faces are confirmed to be out of the running. The remaining Servants are you, Lancelot, Iskandar, Artoria, and Diarmuid."
"We have an alliance with Iskandar's faction. We likely won't fight each other until the other two are eliminated. So, what should our next move be?"
"Do you believe a confrontation with Iskandar is inevitable?" Merlin asked with a knowing smile.
"Isn't it obvious? Although Iskandar's wish is to regain his physical body and conquer the world once more, he doesn't want it handed to him. He wants to earn it through his own strength."
"Besides, the Holy Grail is currently unusable. We'll have to tell him eventually. If he can't fulfill his wish, the only remaining pleasure for him is to challenge powerful opponents."
"And currently, the strongest should be me, the one who defeated Gilgamesh."
Mika glared at Merlin playfully. "Don't tell me you didn't see that coming."
"I truly didn't," Merlin replied, though Mika didn't believe him for a second.
He rolled his eyes and continued, "What about you? Don't you have anything you want to say to Artoria?"
"No, no!" Merlin exclaimed, his voice laced with panic.
"It's been so long, and you still haven't figured out what to say to her?"
"How can I come up with something like that on the spot?!" Merlin protested.
Looking at Merlin's flustered state, Mika suddenly said, "I recall you wanting Artoria to accept the fall of Britain, break free from the Counter Force's contract, and journey to the Reverse Side of the World, right?"
Unlike other Servants, Artoria Pendragon had not died.
From the moment she drew the holy sword, her time had stopped.
Therefore, she could not die.
When her kingdom fell due to rebellion, she regretted her choices in her final moments.
She believed it was all her fault.
She longed to return to the time before she drew the sword, allowing someone else to wield it and guide Britain towards a better future.
That was her wish.
However, both Mika and Merlin knew that her wish was impossible to fulfill.
King Arthur's story had already become history.
And history could not be rewritten.
"Indeed, that is correct," Merlin said, shaking his head. "After everything ended, Artoria suddenly agreed to the Counter Force's contract and became a Heroic Spirit."
"In this state, she is eternally trapped in the war that led to her kingdom's downfall, forever burdened by her grief."
"Only when she accepts the past and releases her regrets can she find true liberation and embrace a brighter future."
After listening to Merlin's explanation, Mika chuckled and said, "In that case, why don't we bring Artoria and Iskandar together for a little chat?"
"A chat?" Merlin repeated, his eyes widening with intrigue.
"Precisely. Given Iskandar's overbearing personality, I'm sure he'll give Artoria a good scolding and call her a 'naive little girl' or something along those lines."
---
"Rider, wait!"
"Saber, from this day forward, I shall no longer acknowledge you as a king."
Hearing the words echoing from the crystal ball, Mika, who was lounging on the sofa, glanced at Merlin beside him.
Although Merlin had been enthusiastic during yesterday's planning session, his expression now reflected a mix of emotions as he witnessed Artoria's distress.
"If you knew it would be this painful, why did you insist on doing it?" Mika asked, sitting up and speaking in a neutral tone.
"No, while this process is undoubtedly painful, I believe it's something she must endure. Only after she confronts the truth can she truly find liberation," Merlin replied, his voice laced with conviction.
"How cruel," Mika sighed.
Yesterday, after a discussion with Merlin, they had devised a plan to encourage Iskandar to engage Artoria in a discussion about their respective ideals of kingship.
Given that Iskandar had already harbored such intentions, their plan aligned perfectly.
And so, just moments ago, Iskandar and Artoria had engaged in a heated debate about their philosophies as rulers.
Artoria, desperate to deny her past and rewrite history, was met with Iskandar's harsh reprimand.
He ultimately stripped her of her title as king.
While Merlin was pleased with the outcome, witnessing Artoria's sorrow filled him with a pang of guilt.
However, for Artoria to break free from the shackles of her past, this was a necessary step.
As far as Mika knew, for Artoria to truly overcome her self-destructive ideals, she needed to encounter Shirou Emiya, someone who shared her convictions.
Through him, she would ultimately confront her true self.
This was the essence of the "Saber route" in the original story.
However, in this world, Mika was unsure whether Shirou Emiya would even exist.
After all, Shirou's birth was a direct consequence of the Holy Grail's descent upon Fuyuki City, an event that had resulted in widespread destruction.
Amidst the devastation, Kiritsugu Emiya had found Shirou on the brink of death and used Avalon to save him, ultimately adopting the orphaned boy as his son.
But now, aware of the Holy Grail's true nature, Mika had no intention of allowing it to descend upon the same location as in the original story.
The population density in that area was far too high.
As a result, Shirou Emiya's very existence might be jeopardized.
"This is quite troublesome," Mika mused.
"Should I help Merlin find a way to liberate Artoria?"
Lying back down on the sofa, Mika pondered the possibilities.
However, he couldn't come up with a solution.
After all, he wasn't Shirou Emiya. He couldn't offer Artoria the reflection of herself that she desperately needed.
"Besides, I'm not Artoria's Master," Mika reminded himself, shaking his head and returning his focus to the grimoire in his hands.
He had no intention of delving too deeply into the intricacies of magecraft in the Type-Moon universe.
However, he believed that mastering some basic spells, such as reinforcement magic, would be beneficial.
As a system entirely different from Nen, Od and magical energy could coexist to a certain extent.
If he could utilize both simultaneously in battle, his combat effectiveness would receive a significant boost.
...
THUD!
A heavy thud echoed through the silent room as Mika closed the grimoire.
"Another one finished."
He placed the book aside and sat up, noticing Merlin's absence.
"Did Merlin go back to his room to reflect?"
Mika stood up, picked up the grimoire, and began to think.
"Airmid should be with Sakura right now. Gabriel is probably conducting research in the study. And Mellie... she's probably in the library."
With the grimoire in hand, Mika headed towards the underground library.
It housed centuries' worth of magical knowledge collected by Zouken Matou, including countless grimoires and books related to magecraft.
Since arriving in this world, Mellie had immersed herself in the library, eagerly absorbing the vast collection of magical knowledge.
She had a genuine passion for magic.
Controlling his footsteps to avoid making any noise, Mika silently entered the underground library.
As expected, he found Mellie there.
She was dressed in casual clothes, just like Mika had been earlier, lying on a sofa and engrossed in a grimoire.
The table beside her was piled high with various magical texts.
On the few remaining clear spaces on the table lay her notebook and pen.
It was evident that she wasn't simply reading passively like Mika.
She was actively engaging with the material, formulating her own ideas and theories.
"So, how are you finding the magecraft of this world?"
"Ah?!"
Mika's sudden voice startled Mellie, who had been deeply absorbed in her reading.
"When did you get here?"
She sat up abruptly and glared at Mika, realizing it was him.
He had definitely done that on purpose to scare her.
"Just now. I came to return this book."
Mika held up the grimoire and repeated his question. "So, how are you finding the magecraft of this world?"
"I love it! I absolutely love it!"
Mellie hugged the grimoire in her arms and exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I adore anything related to magic."
"And the magecraft of this world is so vast and profound!"
"Especially the existence of Magus. It's so mysterious and captivating!"
She twirled around the room, her joy infectious.
"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Mika replied with a slight nod.
He walked over to the shelf where he had retrieved the grimoire earlier and carefully placed it back in its designated spot.
He then scanned the shelves, searching for another book that piqued his interest.
"After all, I promised you that I would find a world where you could learn magecraft. Now that you're satisfied, I can finally rest easy."
"Have you been keeping that promise in mind all this time, Mika?" Mellie asked, momentarily stunned, as she watched him browse the shelves.
"Of course. I made a promise to you, after all."
"..."
A wide smile spread across Mellie's face as she heard Mika's response.
Suddenly, she rushed forward and hugged him from behind.
"What's wrong?" Mika asked, surprised by her sudden embrace.
"Nothing. I'm just feeling incredibly happy," Mellie replied, her voice muffled against his back.
She released him, looked into his eyes, and impulsively kissed him on the cheek. Before he could react, she darted away, her laughter echoing through the library.
"Sleep well tonight!"
"What was that all about?"
Mika pondered Mellie's cryptic words, a puzzled expression on his face.
...
Nightfall.
As Mika drifted off to sleep, he saw Mellie appear in his dream.
"What are we practicing tonight?" he asked curiously.
Some time ago, to further hone their skills, Mika had suggested to Mellie that she join him in his dreams for sparring practice.
After all, compared to Mellie and Airmid, Mika had far more techniques he needed to master.
Mellie had readily agreed.
From then on, whenever Mika or Airmid needed to practice their skills in their dreams, they would ask Mellie for a sparring session.
Mellie never refused.
However, due to her recent obsession with magecraft, they hadn't practiced together in their dreams for quite some time.
"Tonight... let's practice some techniques that would make Airmid jealous," Mellie said with a mischievous grin.
...
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