C-475 and B-224 started their new job as prison guards. Landing this job without joining the Valkyrie Network was all thanks to Shirou's planning before he left. And since Adam had already won over Hel's trust, he used that to his advantage and easily got the two Valkyries posted as guards.
The two Valkyries exchanged glances and subtly shifted their positions, moving to the front of the familiar prison cell.
"What do you think you're doing!?" Ortlinde eyed them warily, like a mother tiger whose turf had been invaded, and let out a low, threatening growl. "I don't care if you're with Hel now, don't forget Skadi's dedication and love! I won't let you disturb her sleep!"
Ortlinde's reaction made both Valkyries pause for a long moment, not sure how to respond. They turned their heads slightly and saw Skadi leaning against the wall, her delicate face serene. It looked like she was having a good dream. But wasn't it probably the same dream she had been having for the last two thousand years?
...
Fujimaru Shirou jolted awake from his sleep, his high school uniform drenched in cold sweat. He reached up and covered his pale cheeks, feeling mentally drained and disoriented.
That dream. That damn dream had haunted him again! He clenched his teeth, exhausted and helpless.
Fujimaru Shirou was a transmigrator who had been transported to this world at the tender age of six and found himself caught up in the Fourth Holy Grail War. During that life-or-death struggle, he had been fortunate enough to have his teacher, Scathach, by his side. Together, they had managed to defeat the group of Servants, including Gilgamesh, and destroy the hidden boss, Angra Mainyu. As a result of her contact with All the World's Evil, Scathach had gained a new body. Now, as his mentor, she remained with him, continuing to live in the present world.
The development was typical of an eroge or light novel. Maybe it was the restlessness of adolescence or the stirring of a young man's hormones, but he had definitely fantasized about falling in love with his teacher. After all, countless Type-Moon fanfictions followed this path. The plot was straight out of a light novel. He couldn't help but have some less-than-pure thoughts; he was a guy, after all. How could he not be affected by a beauty like his teacher?
In fact, he had even considered trying to raise his teacher's affection and win over this white swan. Sure, his teacher was a bit older, but what did that matter?
Just when he thought his future would follow the typical eroge plot—developing a romantic relationship with his teacher during childhood, achieving career success as an adult, and eventually settling down to start a family with her—everything changed when he met that fortune teller.
The fortune teller from Mifune City, known as the Mother of Mifune, possessed the gift of Precognition. She divined his fate and informed him that his life was destined to be that of a "doctor." She then proceeded to explain the meaning of being a doctor to him.
It was something about pushing the patient towards the light while remaining in the darkness themselves. The concept was so chuunibyou that it was mind-blowing!
But after going through the Fourth Holy Grail War, he wasn't scared of anything anymore. So what if there were disasters? He was learning from his teacher, and once he became strong himself, there'd be nothing to fear. Even if he couldn't handle something, his teacher would definitely save him if he was in danger. His teacher was the god-slayer of Celtic mythology, the legendary mentor of the great Irish hero and Child of Light, Cu Chulainn. She was incredibly powerful, especially in this modern world.
But back then, he was too naive. He never imagined that a year later, he'd lose all his confidence. It was all because of that dream. He couldn't describe it in detail, and he couldn't remember much, only a vague impression remained.
He was standing in the ruins of a city, holding a bloody short knife in his hand, saying something to someone. What was even weirder was that ever since he started having this dream, he had this creepy feeling that someone was watching him!
At first, he brushed it off as his imagination, but this feeling stuck with him for years, following him from elementary school all the way to high school. As he got older, the feeling of being watched only grew stronger. Someone... something... was lurking in the shadows...
He had no idea what it was, but it was driving him insane! He tried taking psychiatric medication to numb his nerves and quiet his mind, but the feeling of being watched never went away. In fact, it only became more intense.
Desperate for answers, he went to Mifune City to find the Mother of Mifune, hoping she could help him make sense of this bizarre dream and unravel the mystery. Deep down, he had a sneaking suspicion that the Mother of Mifune might have cursed him.
But when he arrived in Mifune City, he discovered that Mother of Mifune had been dead for a long time. Rumor had it that one night, after a divination session, she was walking home and got caught in the middle of a gang shootout. She was shot and killed on the spot. When the police went through her belongings, they found her will. Turns out, she had foreseen her own death long ago, but she chose not to avoid it, seeing it as a way out.
This just proved how scarily accurate Mother of Mifune's Precognition was. But there was something even worse that was driving him crazy!
The thing is, Mother of Mifune died on New Year's Day in 1993! But he clearly remembered meeting her in 1994 and having her tell his fortune!
It just didn't add up!
If Mother of Mifune died in 1993, then who the heck was the fortune teller he met in 1994?
He's always felt like there were eyes watching him in the dark, and the weird circumstances around Mother of Mifune's death and the messed-up timeline only made him feel more unsettled.
What suffocated him even more was the day he decided to surprise his teacher by skipping afternoon classes and heading to her house early. He had even bought her favorite martial arts books as a gift. But when he got there, he saw his teacher talking to thin air.
No, not to thin air, but to "Merlin"!
She was communicating across dimensions with Merlin, who was trapped in the tower!
He had to admit, he didn't mean to eavesdrop, but he still overheard their conversation. And that's when he found out the truth - Scathach hadn't come to help him with the Fourth Holy Grail War out of the kindness of her heart or because she wanted to, but because someone had ordered her to! Some guy called "Eternal King" had sent her!
His mind was already pushed to the breaking point, and this was the final straw. The taut string finally snapped. The fact that Scathach, the teacher he trusted most, had approached him with hidden motives under someone else's orders was something he just couldn't accept. It was driving him insane.
Since Scathach approached him with this hidden agenda, what was her real purpose? And what did Eternal King want?
Those eyes he'd always felt watching him from the shadows... could they belong to the Eternal King?
He had to face the truth - he was developing some serious paranoid delusions! And it was getting bad! Those eyes were tormenting him, driving him to the brink of madness!
To everyone else, he probably seemed like he had already lost it. After all, both his parents had dragged him to see a therapist. And now the school was even banning him from attending classes. It seemed like everyone had decided he was crazy. But he knew he wasn't!
He was absolutely certain there was something out there, a pair of eyes watching him from the darkness! And whatever it was, it was incredibly dangerous! He was determined to uncover the truth, and the clues all pointed to the Mother of Mifune's belongings!
According to the police reports, among Mother of Mifune's possessions, besides her will, there was a card. A card that looked exactly like his Doctor card. The only difference was that while his card was the Doctor, the other card... was a Giant!
He wasn't entirely sure what the Giant represented, since there were no giants in any standard tarot deck. But it didn't matter. All forms of divination were rooted in ancient mysteries.
Since the card was the Giant, he decided to start by digging into giant mythology. He rushed to the library's mythology section and frantically searched for any myths related to giants. Beyond the familiar Greek mythology, his eyes finally landed on the Norse mythology, where the world was destroyed by giants.
The scattered pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place!
...
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