Chapter 41: (Remastered, Refresh) Gilgamesh: Stop!
(Translator's Note: The chapter title in the original source includes "(重修,刷新)", which means "Remastered, Refresh," indicating the author has revised this chapter.)
For Lin Jiuan, who had inherited all of Matou Zouken's understanding of Command Spells, forming a contract with a Masterless Servant was not a difficult task. But just as he was recalling the magical principles of 'Command Spells' from Zouken's gift, preparing to establish a contract with Minamoto no Raikou...
"Teacher is dead?!" Natalia suddenly cried out in alarm.
Lin Jiuan looked over. The Command Spells on the back of her right hand had vanished without a trace, signaling Merli's exit from the war.
"Merli is dead?"
Unlike Natalia's tension and worry, or Sola-Ui's glee, Lin Jiuan's brow furrowed tightly. "What kind of trick is she pulling now?"
Just then, the sound of chains suddenly rang out. Raikou immediately stood up, shielding him. The clash of metal echoed as she knocked away several chains. But now, without a Master, she was severely lacking in magical energy. After deflecting just a few chains, she was bound, limb by limb, by even more Chains of Heaven.
At the same time, Sola-Ui and Natalia were also bound by chains and hoisted into the air.
"The Chains of Heaven?" Lin Jiuan immediately turned to look at a nearby streetlight. Sure enough, a familiar golden figure was standing on top of it.
"Gilgamesh, what are you doing?" The three words left his mouth before he could regret them.
Sure enough.
"What am I doing?" A contemptuous and mocking smile appeared on Gilgamesh's lips. The Chains of Heaven extended, binding Lin Jiuan's limbs as well.
Gilgamesh's figure dissolved into golden motes of light, reappearing in front of him the next instant. She lifted her slender, plump leg, clad in a golden boot, and kicked him lightly in the chest. Instantly, he felt a heavy force from his chest. Pulled by the Chains of Heaven, he fell uncontrollably to the ground, able only to stare up at the dark clouds. All he could hear were the approaching footsteps of her boots and the rattling of the chains.
"What do you think this king is doing?" Looking at the blatant amusement in Gilgamesh's blood-red eyes, Lin Jiuan suddenly had nothing to say.
"It seems you, this unfaithful boy-toy, are not entirely brainless."
More Chains of Heaven emerged from the void, wrapping around Gilgamesh and Lin Jiuan, forming a cocoon that shielded them from outside view. Then, the exact same thing that had happened that other night occurred. The golden armor made of magical energy on Gilgamesh's body dissipated, revealing her flawless, snow-white form.
"If you fail to satisfy this king..." As Lin Jiuan struggled to control his throat, Gilgamesh settled herself on top of him. Devoid of any awareness of what was about to happen, she maintained her lofty, queenly disdain, her blood-red eyes filled with a cruel smile. "...this king will ruin you."
With that, Gilgamesh abruptly sat down.
"St-Stop! Stop it!"
After an unknown amount of time had passed, hearing the rattling of chains and sensing that Raikou was about to break free from her bonds, Gilgamesh suddenly snapped back to reality. She then realized that Lin Jiuan, at some point, had turned the tables and was now on top.
Instantly, Gilgamesh's blood-red eyes filled with rage. She pressed her hand against his chest, trying to push him away, but found she had no strength left. Instead, her push was met with an even more ferocious assault.
Damn it! Hasn't this guy already been defiled by that group of women?! Gilgamesh had initially been furious, wanting to see if this unfaithful man still had the basic functionality to satisfy her. Now, she was also furious. Furious that this boy-toy dared to turn the tables on her, that a mere man was on top and had driven her to lose her senses!
"Stop for this king!" Gilgamesh gritted her teeth, trying not to let out a weak sound. But she knew she couldn't last much longer. Under the overwhelming tide of desire, she managed to suppress her body's instincts, commanding the Chains of Heaven to once again grab his arms and pull back.
Sploosh!
Gilgamesh suddenly felt a sense of emptiness.
"What's wrong? Can't take it anymore?" The forcibly interrupted Lin Jiuan wasn't angry or emotional. He spat a large mouthful of white fluid onto her body and looked down with contempt at the queen who had been so lofty just moments ago. "I preferred you when you were wild and untamed."
"MONGREL!!! Remember your place! Don't think for a second that this king won't kill you!" Gilgamesh's red eyes blazed with fury, her rage so immense she wanted to tear him to shreds.
Lin Jiuan just looked at her with amusement.
In the end, Gilgamesh suppressed the urge to tear him apart with the Chains of Heaven. She gave him one last cold look, then grabbed him, dissolved into golden particles of light, and vanished.
The Chains of Heaven disappeared. A belated bolt of lightning struck the spot where Gilgamesh and Lin Jiuan had just been. Raikou stared intently at the spot where he had lain, the ground still stained with splashes of white fluid. The scene replayed in her mind, a sharp pain twisting in her heart. She turned to leave.
"Berserker, where are you going?"
"To save Jiuan," Raikou said without turning back.
"Wait!" Sola-Ui cried out. "You don't have a Master right now! You can barely maintain your own existence with your remaining mana! How can you possibly defeat her?!"
"Then what do you suggest?" Raikou stopped and turned to stare at Sola-Ui. "Am I supposed to just watch him suffer in that woman's hands?"
"Natalia and I can help you!"
"Help me?"
"You're lacking magical energy, right? Natalia and I can be your joint Masters and provide you with mana. Together..." Sola-Ui's eyes were filled with the rage of a mother whose child had been stolen. "...we will get Jiuan back!"
By the time Sola-Ui, Natalia, and Raikou had driven down the mountain, Artoria, clad in black armor, had arrived at the ruins of the Matou estate. Her expression was grim as she looked at the residual white stains on the ground.
"Saber, what's the situation?" Irisviel's anxious voice sounded in her mind.
"I'm sorry, Iri," Artoria said, taking a deep breath to calm her frustration. "Those guys delayed me for too long. Jiuan was taken by Archer."
"But don't you worry." Looking at the dried stains on the ground, Artoria suppressed the craving in her heart. Her gaze shifted to the rising sun at the edge of the sky. She declared with absolute certainty, "Tomorrow, I will get him back!"
And then I'll have a big, hearty meal!
Chapter 42: Sajou Aika: Jiuan, Mama Will Find You
It was a tranquil plain of colorful flowers. There were no signs of human life. The only thing obscuring the view was a distant, ever-green forest, which evenly divided the cloudless blue sky and the verdant earth.
"Ah, I was killed." Merli lay in a sea of flowers, basking in the spring sunlight and the summer air, inhaling the fragrance. In the distance, the faint sound of a clear spring and the laughter of fairies could be heard.
The succubus's lighthearted words held no anger at having just been pierced by a thousand arrows, killed in a manner akin to death by a thousand cuts. Instead, they were filled with a sense of innocent foreboding.
'Clairvoyance'. The mark of a Grand Caster. Without these eyes, one could not attain the title of 'Grand'. Though different from Solomon's, which could see the past and future, or Gilgamesh's, which could see the future, Merli's Clairvoyance was somewhat 'niche'. It was like the satellites that had become popular in the last century or the ubiquitous cameras on every street corner, allowing her to observe everything happening in the world at the present moment. But for a nightmare who had lived for over a thousand years, extrapolating future events based on current information to achieve a degree of future sight was not difficult.
"But, since I was killed by her... it's only natural that Aika would sense a bit of his aura, right? Ehehe~ After all, it's all Tokiomi's fault!"
Tokyo, Sajou residence, Sajou Aika's bedroom.
Just before dawn. Sajou Aika was lying in bed, deep in sleep like any girl her age. Her sleeping face was like that of a princess from a fairy tale, waiting for a prince's kiss—serene and gentle.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, she murmured and slowly opened her eyes. A hint of confusion appeared in her sky-blue eyes. "That's..."
The girl slowly sat up. Her sky-blue eyes seemed to pierce through space, falling upon the underground of Fuyuki City. "Eh?"
Her confused and bewildered eyes were replaced by curiosity. She got out of bed.
Tokyo, hundreds of meters underground.
A massive, cavernous space had appeared without warning, deep beneath the earth where even the most precise modern scientific instruments could not reach. A colossal golden Holy Grail stood at its center.
Tap, tap.
The light, elegant footsteps of a princess echoed. Aika, now changed into a princess dress, arrived at the edge of the cavern, her gaze fixed on the great golden Grail. It was clean inside. Only the golden, mana-filled walls, from which she could see her own reflection even from a distance. Nothing seemed amiss, but...
"Why?" Aika tilted her head, her curiosity once again replaced by confusion. The future she had seen years ago, before she had sealed her 'Clairvoyance', was not like this.
"Why?" she murmured, the confusion in her eyes gradually giving way to joy. Whatever the reason, however the little one she was meant to raise had escaped her, whatever had blocked her senses and prevented her from realizing he had left... she was certain of one thing. The boring future, which she could see to its end at a glance, had changed.
"How interesting." A bad boy who, for some reason, had sensed his fate and tried to escape, to get away from the mama who was supposed to raise him? Aika's lips curled slightly. A smile appeared on her serene and gentle face.
"But it's okay, little one. No matter where you go, Mama will find you."
The Tohsaka Residence. After breakfast.
"Jiuan, I'm going upstairs to prepare your bath."
"Okay." Lin Jiuan, sitting on the sofa watching TV with Sakura, replied without turning his head. After being brought back by Gilgamesh, who had promptly vanished after her defeat, he had a moment of peace. He'd had breakfast with the Tohsaka mother and daughter and was now watching TV with Sakura.
"Multiple disappearances were reported in the city last night. Citizens are advised to be cautious when going out."
"Onii-chan, is it really that dangerous outside?" Sakura asked, snuggling into his arms as if frightened by the news report.
"I guess so." Looking at the cute girl in his arms, a thought suddenly crossed his mind: 'It wouldn't be so bad to live like this forever.' But it was just a thought. Having seen countless novels, TV shows, and movies, he knew full well the fate of powerful beings who tried to retire to the mountains. Hadn't Thanos retired to be a farmer, only to have a group of murderers break into his home and chop off his head?
In the living room, Rin watched her sister acting cute with Lin Jiuan, a sour feeling in her heart. When she heard her mother's footsteps disappear completely, she made up her mind and stood up. "I need to talk to you."
"Oh, okay. Sakura, can you watch TV by yourself for a bit?"
"I'll listen to whatever brother says!"
Lin Jiuan gently ruffled Sakura's hair, then followed Rin out of the living room. They went up to the second floor and into her room. Rin closed the door and stared at him intently. "What happened to my father?"
"He's dead."
Even though she had already known this outcome, Rin's eyes couldn't help but turn red. "Wh-Why?" she asked, her voice choked with tears. "Who killed him?"
Lin Jiuan was silent. Looking at this girl, who was only seven or eight years old yet trying so hard not to show weakness by crying, he didn't know if he should tell her the truth. He couldn't very well tell her that her mother killed her father, could he?
"I did."
Rin lunged at him, crashing into his body. Such speed and strength were nothing to him now, but he didn't dodge or resist, letting her push him to the ground. She sat on top of him, her small hands gripping his neck tightly. "Why? Why?!" Tears she could no longer control streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls, splashing onto his.
"Because he was going to kill me, so I killed him." Lin Jiuan's expression was indifferent, his red eyes devoid of any emotion. "A life for a life. It's fair."
"My father would never kill you without a reason!"
"Because I seduced your mother. Because I'm a monster. Are you satisfied with that answer?"
"You...?!" Hatred filled Rin's eyes. Her hands tightened around his neck. "I'll kill you!"
"If killing me will make you feel better, then you can kill me."
Hearing this, Rin felt all her strength drain away. Kill him? And then what?
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