To become a king and a magician

"Jack the Ripper has activated his Noble Phantasm again"—Atalanta thought this the instant she was swallowed by the fog, and immediately thought of having Natsukawa Tora summon a strong wind to dispel the fog.

But in reality, the moment it was engulfed by the fog, the fog vanished like a phantom, replaced by an incomparably magnificent, boundless sea of ​​flowers.

"Where...where am I?"

Atalanta stared in astonishment at the scene before her. Could this also be Jack the Ripper's Noble Phantasm?

Probably not.

The two are completely mismatched in terms of impression; this beautiful sea of ​​flowers and Jack the Ripper are two completely opposite extremes.

So where exactly is this place?

"This is Avalon."

A mesmerizing, fairy-like voice echoed through the sea of ​​flowers, and the falling petals gathered before Atalanta, eventually transforming into a beautiful woman draped in a white robe.

With her hands behind her back, Melie smiled and looked at Atalanta: "Welcome to this idyllic paradise far from the world, Greek hunter, Miss Atalanta."

"An ideal paradise far removed from the world..."

"If you say it's Avalon, the apple island from the Arthurian legend, it should be easier to understand. Although this place isn't real, it's just a dream world that exists in relation to him—and, nice to meet you, I am the master of this place, Merlin."

Merlin.

In the legend of King Arthur, he was the one who bred King Arthur, served as his court magician, and was the world's foremost king-bringer and the highest-ranking magician.

Are you... a woman?

"The me here should be male, but I am Merlin from another parallel world. I am slightly different from the one here, and my gender is one of them. So, to distinguish myself, I usually call myself Merlin."

Mary explained with a smile.

"However, this is quite unexpected; it's the first time this place has been actively invaded."

"Was it deliberately hacked?"

"The thick fog that engulfed you was actually the memory, or rather, the manifestation of a dream, of the vengeful spirit of Jack the Ripper. It directly connected your minds with the nightmares of those tens of thousands of abandoned children, corrupting your spirits and causing you to fall."

Tens of thousands of abandoned children?!

Atalanta's spirit was suddenly thrown into turmoil. For her, who had been abandoned as a child and therefore loved children, this was a shock no less severe than the collapse of her faith!

"Even without seeing it directly, you've already fallen into such turmoil just by hearing my story? I can hardly imagine what it would be like if you were directly trapped in a nightmare." Melly came to Atalanta and supported her as she wavered.

Shaking, Atalanta steadied herself and looked at Melie: "Then...those children...why are there so many abandoned children...?"

"Because that was the situation in Britain at the time... It was simply a problem of the times. It was the desires of people in that era that created such a tragedy. Now, even if we want to save it, it is too late."

Jack the Ripper has existed for hundreds of years, and his existence is constituted by the vengeful spirits of babies from hundreds of years ago, as well as the various subsequent interpretations and embellishments people have made of Jack the Ripper over the centuries. In nature, Jack the Ripper has become a mythical figure, and he can no longer be completely eradicated.

"How...how could this be...those children are innocent—"

“Yes, I know, but in this world, it’s commonplace for the innocent to suffer.” As she spoke, Mary raised her hand, clearing a path through the sea of ​​flowers. “If you truly cannot accept it, then please deal with it yourself. Originally, I intended to absorb this nightmare, but since you…”

As a nightmare demon, Merry doesn't actually like this kind of nightmare. The reason she steps in to deal with it is partly because it tries to corrupt Natsukawa Tora's spirit—you know, Natsukawa Tora's spirit is protected by her, plus there's Sajou Aika and Arcueid, as well as his own steely will forged by Sajou Aika.

It doesn't really matter if Meryl doesn't come out.

But no matter what, the other party's behavior was a provocation, and she had no reason not to fight back.

Seeing the road appear before her, Atalanta did not hesitate and immediately got up and ran towards the road, her figure quickly disappearing into the sea of ​​flowers.

"She's gone."

After watching her figure disappear completely, Mary turned around and looked at the person who had quietly come up behind her—Natsukawa Tora.

"Is it really okay to let her go? She might have a mental breakdown and be possessed by that resentful spirit."

"Then let her leave as soon as possible." Xia Chuanhu came to Meili's side. "But it really surprised me that you came out directly. I thought you would watch the show from the sidelines."

Mary smiled slyly: "I was just worried about you."

Do you think I believe that?

"Sigh, when have I ever been untrustworthy?" Mary pretended to be sad and wiped away imaginary tears. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you the truth this time. Actually, this time, I'm here to respond to your proposal last night."

"!"

Xia Chuanhu shuddered, his excitement rising, but he quickly regained his composure: "Um...Merry, about the marriage, last night I acted impulsively, and...I wasn't fully prepared. Could you perhaps wait until I've taken good care of Grey so she can leave me, before we discuss it further..."

"Huh? Are we going to postpone it?" Mary pouted. "They've already discussed the details with Morgan—just kidding."

Natsukawa Tora, who was initially excited by the first half of the sentence, was immediately deflated by the second half.

She glared angrily at Mary.

"I knew it. What's the point of keeping me in suspense?"

"That's interesting. And, since you've always been so clever and dodged so many of their little traps before, why did you fall for it so easily this time?"

It's all because of you—

Gritting his teeth, Natsukawa Tora looked away: "Never mind. Anyway, the marriage proposal was something I said without thinking. If possible, could we put it on hold for now, at least until Grey can leave me? Then I'll be fully prepared to propose to you."

"No need. Wearing a white suit, holding ninety-nine roses, and kneeling on one knee on Christmas Eve to propose—that kind of scene isn't really suitable for you, Your Majesty. You can be quite unexpected sometimes."

"you!"

Don't tell anyone!

After laughing for a while, Meili finally calmed down and said seriously, "So, regarding the marriage proposal, their answer is—not for now."

"temporary?"

“Hmm, for now.” Meryl nodded. “If I agree to marry you just because of your words, wouldn’t that make me seem like a very easy woman? Throughout history, most men have prepared gifts for women when proposing, right? In some barbaric places, they even use their victories to prove their bravery.”

This is indeed true; there are quite a few examples of this in Greek mythology.

"So... what do you want me to do? Go find a dragon, kill it, cut off its head, decorate it, and give it to you?"

"That's too barbaric! My request is simple—" Merry waved her hand, gathering some flower petals and shaping them into the form of the Holy Grail. "Five years from now, shortly after your return, according to Morgan, the Holy Grail War will reignite in Fuyuki City. If you obtain the Greater Grail in that war, I'll marry you. Until then—we'll be lovers for now~~~"

The Fifth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City?

“You said it yourself,” Natsukawa Tiger laughed. “Don’t go back on your word later.”

"No way, they always keep their word. Besides, even if they change their mind, you can just use the Holy Grail to wish for them to marry you."

"Because it was drained dry by little sister Aika, the Greater Grail has been purified and now has the real ability to grant wishes."

So, does that mean everything depends on what happens in five years?

"Of course, if you fall in love with someone else during this time, that's fine too. They'd love for you to build a harem."

"Where would I get a harem? Who would like someone like me?"

(Well... that's hard to say.)

——————————————————————————————————————

parallel world.

Just as Xia Chuanhu and Mei Li made a five-year agreement, all the women who had connections with Xia Chuanhu were caught in the same dream.

[Merry: I'm sorry to have brought everyone here so late. There's an emergency, and they need to ask for your permission.]

[Merry: Five years from now, a Holy Grail War will be held in Fuyuki City, the outcome of which will have a huge impact on Tora's future. For Tora's future, are you willing to participate in the Holy Grail War?]

Ryougi Shiki: ?

[Aozaki Aoko:? 】

[Aozaki Touko: ?]

[Lydel: ?]

Arcueid: I'm going! I'm going!

69. From Hell to Heaven

Natsukawa Torato was unaware that Merry had secretly begun plotting a war between women. Now, having received Merry's promise, he was already thinking about how to deal with the Fifth Holy Grail War.

Of course, it's just a thought, and that's five years from now. Right now, Jack the Ripper is more important.

But it's important...

"Can't you bring yourself to do it?"

Leaving the flower field of Meli and arriving in the nightmare where Atalanta is, Natsukawa Torato looks at Atalanta, who has already drawn her bow and arrow but has not yet fired.

Standing before her was a child who looked just like Jack the Ripper, but was much younger. He was dressed in clothes that looked like rags, and his eyes were lifeless, as if he had given up on life and reality.

An abandoned baby, or a homeless child—that's the impression she gives off. And behind her are dozens, even hundreds, of children in the same situation, each gazing at Atalanta with expectant eyes.

"Are you going to save us?"

"Can you save us?"

Please don't abandon us.

"Please come and warm our hearts."

The children pleaded with Atalanta in their innocent voices, and with each word they spoke, Atalanta's expression visibly twisted a little more, and the taut bowstring loosened a bit.

I can't bring myself to do it.

How could she possibly do that? They were all innocent children. Children abandoned as innocent victims, driven by the times and by humanity. She simply—

Do you want to save them?

Natsukawa Tora's voice rang out once again.

As if grasping at a straw, Atalanta hurriedly turned around and grabbed Natsukawa Torato's shirt: "Can you save them?!"

"Unfortunately, no. They are spirits who died hundreds of years ago, evil spirits that linger on the ground with resentment, unable to find release. There is no possibility of saving them now."

"but--"

Atalanta understood Natsukawa Torato's meaning perfectly, but these children...

"Atalanta, I admire your desire to save children and your love for them, but this is the Holy Grail War. You are not facing children, but a serial killer with the appearance of children. Not to mention that dozens of people have been killed in this period of time, and he also killed several women in his lifetime."

"Are you trying to protect this so-called murderer? As a hero, are you protecting this real evil?"

"They are not evil!"