Chapter 97 Bitter Dream, Gas Explosion!
The moon hung high in the sky, casting its clear light everywhere, and Merlin, who had been busy for a long time, quietly returned to the Fujimura residence.
He gazed at Arthur, who had long since fallen into a deep sleep, and couldn't help but softly complain.
"Although a Servant is a familiar who obeys orders, my Master is a bit too disregardful of human rights."
"Fou!"
The pure white cub, feigning sleep on his shoulder, suddenly opened its eyes and mercilessly exposed the dream demon's hypocrisy.
Merlin's face fell upon hearing this, but he still argued in a low, firm voice.
"What's wrong with being a dream demon? Don't dream demons have human rights? I'm running around all day, and I get tired too."
Saying this, Merlin lightly waved his staff, its tip touching the ground.
Ripples of pale pink spread out like water, and a magical resonance quietly linked up.
"As expected, compared to magic, I still prefer the taste of dreams."
"Well then, I'll dig in."
...
Within the dream, inside Chaldea, where snow and wind raged year-round.
Merlin stood outside the futuristic detection room, listening intently to the hushed conversation of several researchers nearby.
"Life signs have completely disappeared, the K-series experiment is confirmed a failure. We're ordered to continue developing the next series."
"Sigh, another failure! Do you think... will Heroic Spirits really approve of this kind of experiment?"
"That's not something you should worry about. Just focus on the work at hand."
Beep! Beep!
A crisp notification sound suddenly came from inside the detection room. In the cold cultivation chamber, which should have been utterly silent, a silver-haired child struggled to open his eyes.
"Huh!?"
"Report! The subject survived!"
"Quick! Check the data! Immediately connect the highest concentration of culture fluid, we absolutely cannot let him die!"
Merlin stood in the corner of the detection room, looking at the chaotic, overjoyed researchers, and shrugged indifferently.
The dream demon took a step, and the surrounding scenery shifted.
Inside the cold training ground, four autonomous mechanical Servants formed a encirclement.
Their chilling metal arms raised, and the shattered bone magic bullets condensed in their palms pointed directly at the center, firmly trapping Merlin.
The dream demon still wore a calm and composed expression on his face. He stood still, unconcerned by the imminent danger.
Merlin knew perfectly well that the target of these mechanical Servants' attacks was not him, but—
The still young, silver-haired boy had a cold face and focused eyes, and the glowing light of a precise circuit board crawled up his limbs.
The shattered bone magic bullets whistled in, and with a raise of his hand, he violently shattered them all.
Before the mechanical Servants could launch another attack, the boy suddenly exerted force with his feet, his figure moving swiftly. Quickly, accurately, and ruthlessly, he tore out four magic core reactors and casually discarded them.
The steel gate slowly opened, and another batch of mechanical Servants walked out; the test had not yet stopped.
Several experimenters stood in front of the one-way glass on the side and back of the training ground, their voices barely concealing their excitement.
"I told you K's data was excellent! Not only is he proficient in various magic and alchemy, but his self-defense skills are also impeccable!"
"It's amazing that he can withstand such terrifying magic core reactors. He truly is the Director's..."
"Cough, cough cough!"
The experimenter, warned by his senior, quickly fell silent and turned his head, only to see a noble man with his hair tied into a silver side ponytail slowly walking into the observation room.
"Hello, Director!"
"Director, why did you come in person?"
Marisbury's lips curved into a distant, polite smile as he nodded to the researchers who greeted him along the way.
"Everyone, you've worked hard."
"I heard that the K-series experiment data was unusual, and I couldn't help but become a little interested, oh—"
"So, it's him?"
Marisbury raised a hand to his chin, carefully observing the silver-haired boy who was moving and fighting efficiently in the training ground, a hint of recollection flashing in his eyes.
"It seems he is indeed worth further cultivation."
Merlin, who had appeared in the observation room at some point, glanced sideways at Marisbury, slowly exhaled a breath, and sighed softly, shaking his head.
"My Master's dream isn't very delicious."
...
The next morning.
Merlin, who hadn't tasted a sweet dream, was urged by Fou to leave first, continuing to carry out the errands arranged by his Master.
Arthur, who hadn't rested well, rubbed his temples lightly and walked into the dining room.
As he pushed the door open and looked up, he saw Taiga, who was wolfing down her rice while watching the morning news.
When she saw Arthur appear, her eyes lit up, and she waved her chopsticks and bowl, stained with rice grains, motioning for him to watch the TV.
"This is Fuyuki TV, now bringing you two breaking news reports."
"Last night, an explosion of unknown cause occurred in the warehouse district of the harbor area."
"Later, a major fire broke out at the Hyatt Hotel. Fortunately, there were no casualties."
"Both incidents are preliminarily judged to be gas explosions caused by aging pipes. The police are currently conducting further investigations. Please stay tuned for follow-up reports."
After listening to the report, Taiga lowered her head, shoveled two mouthfuls of rice, and muttered with lingering fear.
"That was close, it was near the coast? I almost got caught in the explosion."
Arthur casually sat cross-legged at the dining table, took a sip of miso soup, and said with a hint of playfulness.
"Yes, even in seemingly ordinary daily life, accidents can happen at any time, so it's best if you stay home these two days."
Taiga huffily put down her chopsticks and bowl, complaining.
"If the school doesn't mind, I wouldn't mind staying home and playing video games all day."
Arthur looked up at the clock on the wall and chuckled softly.
"Unfortunately, that's impossible."
"It's not early now, will you still make it to your first class?"
Taiga was suddenly startled, looked up at the steadily moving clock hands, and immediately stood up in a hurry, rushing out of the dining room like a gust of wind.
"Yabai! I'm off! I'll come find you later!"
Arthur slightly raised his hand in acknowledgment, mechanically chewing on a piece of saury, his mind already drifting far away.
Gas explosion?
They really dare to make that up.
Given the tragic state of the harbor area, which looked as if it had been repeatedly plowed by artillery fire, who knows how much effort the Holy Church had to expend to barely cover up the impact.
The Hyatt Hotel, located in the bustling city center, was even more alarming. Such a large-scale event almost made one suspect whether terrorists were attacking Fuyuki.
"So, who is contending with whom?"
Arthur picked up his clear tea, his gaze wandering over a floating tea leaf, and murmured softly.
"To choose the most densely populated area for battle, the opponent is even more reckless than I am."
...
At the same time, in an abandoned factory on the outskirts.
Kenneth sat upright at the workbench, looking down at his Servant kneeling respectfully before him, his tone cold.
"I'll repeat, Lancer. I saw your battle last night clearly, and therefore, I can make the following judgment."
"You were enjoying the battle with the King of Knights, even so inwardly delighted that you were reluctant to decide the victor on the spot."
"...I am deeply sorry, my Lord."
Diarmuid bowed his head deeply, silently enduring his Master's palpable anger and dissatisfaction, and said in a deep voice.
"I swear by my honor, I will surely take the head of the King of Knights in a few days. Please grant me a little more time."
Upon hearing his Servant's righteous reply, the anger on Kenneth's face did not dissipate; instead, it burned even more fiercely.
As a Servant who had formed a contract, assisting his Master in achieving victory should be a matter of course!
What value did this fellow's constant oaths hold now?
At the critical moment, he would still procrastinate on his commands!
Kenneth's temple throbbed, and it took him a while to barely compose himself, his tone indifferent.
"Tonight, I will personally go to the Einzbern castle and formally initiate a duel."
"Don't disappoint me again, Lancer."