The scene continues.
The camera shifts to the Aki family estate, where two figures appear amidst the elegant grounds.
Caster and his Master walk together in harmony, conversing with light laughter, their camaraderie apparent.
> "We've set up such a powerful magical field, and with your EX-level Noble Phantasm, the Golden Fleece (ArgonCoin), we can summon a dragon from the Age of Gods..."
> "This Holy Grail War is ours to win!"
Tomoya Aki's smile was gentle, his eyes full of hope for the imminent realization of his dream.
This was precisely why he chose to summon the "Witch of the Age of Gods," Medea.
The figure before him was none other than the "Princess of Colchis" from ancient Greek mythology.
Not only noble in status, she wielded the Golden Fleece, which, when cast upon the ground, could summon dragons from ancient times—beasts formidable enough to rival the Olympian gods!
Even if he hadn't witnessed it himself, he was certain this dragon would be as powerful as the mightiest Heroic Spirits.
Yet...
After hearing this, Medea fell silent for a long moment.
> "I'm sorry... due to the limitations of the modern era, I can no longer summon a dragon."
After much thought, she sighed, finally informing her Master of this reality.
> "You can't summon a dragon in the modern age?!"
Tomoya Aki's face twisted with a flicker of anger, though he quickly masked it with a gentle smile, waving dismissively as though unbothered.
> "No matter. Even without the assistance of a dragon from the Age of Gods, even if I must face six other Masters, I, Tomoya Aki, remain undefeated in Japan's magical realm!"
> "Thank you for understanding..."
The blue-haired woman with a delicate beauty offered a soft apology, then quietly departed.
"Clack—"
The sound of the door closing echoed as Medea's figure retreated farther and farther away until it disappeared completely.
"Worthless!!"
Once he was certain she could no longer hear him, Tomoya Aki erupted in rage, slamming his right hand forcefully onto the exquisite mahogany table, shattering the teacups into fragments.
His demeanor changed completely, his face darkening. "Useless! If you can't summon a dragon, then what use are you? You worthless, cunning fox, shameless whore—back in your past life, you lured men, and now you can't even handle this trivial task."
> "No... I need to find a way to replace this Servant."
> "If I lose this Holy Grail War, I won't be able to suppress the wretched rabble stirring up trouble."
"Huh?"
The whole world was left in stunned disbelief.
The shift was so sudden, leaving people blank for a moment, unable to process it.
Just a moment ago, he'd been a radiant, cheerful young man, casually chatting with his Servant and striving endlessly toward his dream of saving the world (a convenient facade).
Yet, in the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a violent, sinister figure.
He exuded the aura of a tyrant, a man steeped in cruelty.
But this was only the beginning.
As scenes of his memories played out, they fully exposed the sources of Tomoya Aki's wealth.
> — "In a small country in Siam, the cost of living is low, with a constant supply of cheap labor."
> "Here, gambling, drugs, and prostitution are all legal, creating countless underground industries."
> "And Tomoya Aki's private assets? An old, isolated complex."
> "Inside, an imposing high-rise residential building."
> "Seven stories tall..."
> "With twelve rooms on each floor."
> "A single cramped room could confine sixteen people."
> "A single building, holding over a thousand people, and tens of thousands locked away across the estate."
> "The area is surrounded by rivers on three sides, with high walls, guards, and war dogs. The 'complex' is massive, making it impossible to escape north to their homeland."
> "Some are tricked into working for phone scams, others trained as enslaved enforcers."
> "Some Indian nationals came here, lured by promises of fortune, only to board a doomed ship."
> "Some girls, believing in the myth of the warlord prince of Siam, thought they'd be treasured as royal concubines, only to be sold and endure horrific abuse."
> "Once lured in, it's nearly impossible for their families to pay for their release!"
> "First, they're asked for a ransom of tens of thousands; once paid, the demand rises to a hundred thousand, then two hundred thousand, then even eight hundred thousand—a bottomless pit, until their parents have sold everything, and the person is never heard from again."
> "When they lose all value, each is worth a hundred thousand—a human broken down for organ sales."
> "What, you thought a kidney was worth three to four hundred thousand?"
> "Think again."
> "In reality, court records show these cases typically net just around forty thousand."
> "To Hell on the earth, where human life is disgustingly cheap."
> "But no matter how little, bleeding a few more young people dry still turns a profit."
> "Anyway, there are always tourists to exploit, and Indians are easy to fool—a pure, profit-driven enterprise."
> "The 'magus' Tomoya Aki made his fortune this way, amassing wealth in the billions, raking in profits in spades."
> "He can buy whatever he desires, even claiming resources within the magical realm."
> "Even with hands stained in blood and the burden of immense sin, he lives quite comfortably."
> "A man who paints illusions of noble goals for the masses, with a twisted soul, reeking of repulsive corruption."
This is… The man named Tomoya Aki.
In that instant, the world was thrown into an uproar.
Across the globe, people clenched their fists in anger, staring up at the screen and the repulsive figure displayed on it.
"Tomoya Aki is a complete monster, isn't he?!"
"My blood pressure is through the roof…!"
"Medea, I'm so sorry for doubting you—please, finish him off already!"
"Kill, kill, kill. Kill that son of a b*tch!"
The entire world finally understood the depths of Tomoya Aki's crimes.
People recalled their previous admiration for him, now feeling so sickened that they nearly puked.
Some even shuddered as memories surfaced—of moments when they had almost been lured to that same hell in Siam.
One man remembered his old job, how easygoing it was, with plenty of downtime, and the boss had even promised an all-expenses-paid trip to Arcadia in the fall.
He had left early due to health issues, feeling a pang of regret at the time.
Soon after, his boss bought European tickets, taking the entire staff on a "vacation"… only for them to end up on a layover in Siam.
None of them ever returned.
Only he survived.
It had been a close escape from the hell on earth.
...
In the Chiba Prefecture Council.
The lights were glaringly bright, yet the atmosphere was deathly silent.
In the center of the crowd, a suited man stood pale-faced, fully aware of the catastrophe he'd caused.
Although publicizing the achievements of this world's Tomoya Aki had been an order from above…
The one who would take the fall was definitely the executor.
As a "temp employee," he would certainly be the one getting dismissed.
Next to him, Tomoya Aki himself was crumbling, his legs trembling.
As euphoric as he had felt before, that's how deep his despair ran now.
The exposure of his parallel self's misdeeds would inevitably implicate him as well.
Once he returned to Tonosaki Academy, he'd be condemned to a life of relentless bullying…
It wouldn't just end with isolation.
Finding a job in the future would be impossible.
"My life…My future... it's over…"
His face turned deathly pale, and unable to breathe, he collapsed to the ground in shock.
And the scenes on the screen continued as it is…
Consider joining me on Patreon and Ko-Fi For Advance Chapters:
Patreon: patreon.com/JustaPasserby
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/magicreader
Donations are appreciated:
https://www.paypal.me/LostReader
Donations are highly appreciated but not required^_^